Reading the classic Coffee....I know coffee.. thread got me to thinking. As palates and tastes differ, so would preferences in caffeine delivery systems. I know many here for whom a double espresso is heaven on earth. Me, a freshly brewed french press coffee is the ticket. Others drink tea. There are many, many options.....

Question:
So, what is your preferred caffeine delivery system?

Choices:
Espresso (include cappucino)
Coffee
Tea
Soft Drink (include energy drinks)
Pills
Other

Question:
Do you partake of caffeine after mid-day?

Choices:
Never
Rarely
Frequently
Often
Always

Question:
Do you partake of cappuccino after 11 AM? Careful!!!!

Choices:
Yes
No

 

Cappuccino after 11 AM, surely you jest!

A man could be shot for such a thing if I were King.

Cappucino

I'll admittedly break the Cappuccino rule often. I LOVE the brew. But a double espresso after a dessert or late in the evening. Heaven.

Why was there not an option for "Mainline" in question #1?

Why can't I tick tea AND coffee?

I love Coca-Cola with a bag of Cheetos, not the the flaming hot ones, you know, the cheese ones, just like the French do. I gave up soda, but sometimes I give in.

For coffee, I like Mexican coffee with the dark chocolate and cinnamon, I also like the coffee at Greek restaurants.

Not a cappuccino or espresso fan, too bitter.

Caffeine does not affect me so I have it whenever.

Caffeine. The working man's crack...

Espresso

Always

No

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:
I'll admittedly break the Cappuccino rule often. I LOVE the brew. But a double espresso after a dessert or late in the evening. Heaven.

I'm a latte person myself. Only in the morning. Does go later on weekends, but so does everything else.

But I do love an double expresso "tight or short" in the late afternoon and most definatly with dessert.

quote:

Originally posted by spo:
Not a cappuccino or espresso fan, too bitter.

There's so much coffee out there...

I do not like my expresso when too bitter (Do not mind it if it is; ie: at a restaurant or friends etc..)
But my expresso I use at home is not bitter, but like all things, there is a lot of trial and error that need to be done to find the style you prefer. Once you do, stick with it.

A good machine, right coffee and the right grind is the trick.

Coffee for me, however, I make it so strong some might confuse it for espresso.

I can't stand coffee. Make mine tea please.

Pretty much anything ThinkGeek sells.

Mainly coffee in the morning, sometimes another cup after lunch if I’m dragging. Espresso almost always with dessert when we are out. My girlfriend breaks the cappuccino after 11am rule all the time and she lived in Italy for 6 months!!

quote:

Originally posted by GlennK:
My girlfriend breaks the cappuccino after 11am rule all the time and she lived in Italy for 6 months!!

I lived there for three years and frequently did this. Never even got a hesitation from the servers. Haven't had one since I left.

quote:

Originally posted by Foghorn Leghorn:
I lived there for three years and frequently did this. Haven't had one since I left.

WHY?

I'm a double espresso man when I'm looking for a quick hit, but I think I'll pull the old french press out in the a.m. and run the last of the Blue Mountain through it. I do admit that it's hard to beat a good cup of french pressed coffee.

Well my french press skills are lacking this morning. I started off with 1 rounded tablespoon of course ground coffee per 4 oz., then let it steep for 3 min for 12 oz. Its a bit thin and "dusty". How's that for a tasting note? I'll try again this weekend. If anyone has it down to a science I'll take their recommendations. I like my coffee strong.

1) Good water. Really good water.
2) Really recently ground beans. I grind mine while waitiing for the boiling water to cool down just a bit.
3) Water into carafe at 195-200 F.
4) Stir with wooden spoon or chopstick.
5) Steep for 4 minutes. Perhaps another 30 seconds, but you risk getting a bitter result if you steep too long.
6) Use more coffee.

PH

Reminds me of a story from work. We have an espresso bar in the cafeteria. I walk up one day and there's an argument going on between the server and a customer.

Apparently the customer wanted an espresso with just a little milk. Not sure what he had asked for because I missed that, but at this point he was angrily complaining that he wanted a cappuccino without foam. The server was trying to explain that this was a logical contradiction, but he wasn't having it.

Eventually he started to walk away. It was my turn so I loudly said "I'd like a large latte please. Black." He swivelled around and glared at me. "You can't have a black latte!" Several people cracked up laughing at him and he left.

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:
1) Good water. Really good water.
2) Really recently ground beans. I grind mine while waitiing for the boiling water to cool down just a bit.
3) Water into carafe at 195-200 F.
4) Stir with wooden spoon or chopstick.
5) Steep for 4 minutes. Perhaps another 30 seconds, but you risk getting a bitter result if you steep too long.
6) Use more coffee.
PH

....as if I wrote it myself! Just the way we do it, too, PH. I remember seeing on Good Eats that you can tell if coffee is fresh and recently ground by the volume of bubbles/foam it produces as steeps in the hot water. Tough to beat - Caffee Vita is really roasting some great coffees in Seattle right now and we love their Luna blend for our press.

Thanks for the tips PH. Thats pretty much my method as well. The water is from the tap though and I can't speak to how long it's been since the beans were roasted. I usually get my coffee from a local shop that roasts them once a week, that's not the case this time. I'll try using more coffee next time as I think that is the leading problem here. FWIW, Blue Mountain has never been my favorite, but the stuff that came out of the pot on the next batch was much better than the press.

I prefer Espresso...Starbucks is my usual gig for convenience. I have been drinking the same drink for 12 years..winter- quad americano with vanilla. summer- iced quad espresso with vanilla.

I love a double capp after dinner.

When i want a good cup of coffee, I go for the french press.