Food Let's get it percolatin' - how do you take your coffee?

Challenge accepted!

Ingredients:

• Find yourself a nice dark espresso roast. You might as well go with a proper Italian roast, which is just past French roast. The beans should be very dark brown and shiny. The oils should make those beans fucking gleam. Take a moment to just look at them. Admire how they shine brightly in the early morning sun.



• Go out of your way to get actual demerara sugar. (White sugar really isn't worth it; it's more or less an abomination.) Any brown or raw sugar will work though. The darker, the better. More molasses, richer flavour.



Method:

First things first: Only use just-ground beans.

It's a pretty simple process beyond that, but there are two basic methods.

1) Add the sugar to the cup before pouring the coffee.

2) Add the sugar to the coffee beans before brewing.

Or, to make it easy for you, here are instructions (with photos!) using a Moka pot: 10 Tips on How to Make Cuban Coffee - wikiHow

Result:

You could make a regular espresso, I suppose. However, no matter how rich you make an espresso, there is no topping the sweet richness of a proper Cuban coffee!



(Optional)

Enjoy your coffee with a Cuban cigar.

 

I made a proper Cuban coffee this morning.

Guys, seriously....

No...seriously....

 

Yeah, that looks like a lot of sugar. I tend to shoot for one tsp per espresso shot (2 oz. or so).

 

Well, I went to the dark side. Although I have criticized them in the past, I now use one of those Keurig monstrosities.

What can I say? They're damned convenient, plus it gives me more control over my consumption.

The issue I had with fresh beans and a French press was that I am the only who drinks coffee at home. So, if I buy, say, half a pound of coffee, I feel obligated to get through it within a reasonable timeframe. I also have to grind at least four cups' worth at at time with my grinder. This leads me to drink more each day—more than I care to.

Since I've been trying to cut down my consumption again (from about 3 cups/day), I find the Keurig helps. Everything is single serving and has a longer shelf life than beans bought in bulk. So if I buy twenty-four cups' worth, I don't feel like I need to drink it within a week or so. I can drink just one cup a day, which is my current max. I'm also drinking my coffee black now, as I'm avoiding added sugar in my diet. (I've been adding more than 100 calories a day in sugar with my previous drinking habits.)

The quality isn't the same, but it isn't bad. Even before I used K-Cups, I liked the Van Houtte brand. I didn't mind the vacuum-packed beans bought at the grocery store if I didn't want fresher beans from a cafe. I tended to like a few of their roasts. Recently, I've been drinking a lot of their K-Cups. I tend to find them a bit better than some other brands. (Though Timothy's seems good as well.)

Anyway, what prompted me to post this was their website has some cool descriptions of different roast characteristics. I often see these labelled on beans but never really thought much about what they meant. I'll post them here because I found them entertaining at least.

What sounds good to you?

Mellow & Fruity:
These fine coffees have a light body, no bitterness and display slightly tart flavours. Their smooth personality unveils a generous taste of wild berries and distinguished floral tones. Taste buds will be delighted with their subtle and sweet aromas.

Mellow & Woodsy:
These delicate and well-rounded coffees evoke the open wildness of nature while softly caressing the palate. Their aromas blend spices and nuts, and the beans’ light roast gives them a slightly sweet flavour with no bitterness.

Velvety & Fruity:
These well-balanced coffees showcase a supple body with the perfect harmony between sweetness and tartness. With flavours of berries and citrus, and floral notes in the aroma, these coffees suggest a lively composition in every cup and a warm brightness on the palate of those who enjoy a fine roast.

Velvety & Woodsy:
These coffees feature both body and a soft, satin mouthfeel. They offer a savoury experience that puts together the comforting flavours of cocoa, spices and lightly toasted bread. This harmonious amalgam pleases classic taste enthusiasts.

Bold & Fruity:
These coffees reveal floral and herbal notes on top of a rich, full-bodied taste. They are the darkest and most tempestuous of the fruity coffees with their luxurious aromas, and flavours that are evocative of citrus or berries. Epicurean palates appreciate their depth and complexity.

Bold & Woodsy:
These coffees are full-bodied and deliciously intense. They offer notes of spices and cocoa with smoky tones, and sometimes even dusky hints of the forest floor. Their rich aromas are reminiscent of caramel, toasted bread or nuts. They awake the senses and stir up the passions.

 

Bold and fruity is how I usually go, @Baraka_Guru.

 

I don't mind that now and again, but I tend to lean towards bold & woodsy, because it's just like me: full-bodied and deliciously intense.

 

That's steaming hawt.