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

Daytime: Black. With hot cocoa in it. And sweet italian cream.
Night: Black. Decaf. With hot cocoa in it. And a little Bailey's.

 

I had mine taken out in November (2013), and before that I went 5 years without drinking coffee because it was one of the things that gave me instant gallbladder attacks (I didn't know what this mysterious "pain" was until a couple months before my surgery, but I learned early that coffee was one trigger of this unknown pain). For the first month or so after surgery I was finally free from pain and able to eat pretty much anything (without gluten, unrelated) that I wanted, including coffee, and it was amazing. I kept reading (and hearing from people who have had theirs taken out too) that for the first year or so, many people who have had their gall bladder taken out suffer from diarrhea and IBS-like symptoms, but I didn't feel any of that at first. But then January came and (TMI alert) i've pretty much had to stay near a toilet everyday that i've had something to eat other than bananas and rice. It seems it's because of something called bile dumping, and i've read that anywhere from 20% to 50% of people who've had recent gall bladder surgery get it. For many people, it goes away or calms down within a year. A good friend of mine is at the 1 year 2 month mark now and she says her body is finally getting back to normal and she can eat anything (within reason) now. I'm seeing my doctor again in two weeks, so i'll talk to him about this then, see what he says.


Anyway, lol, coffee... I haven't tried second cup coffee yet, the only thing I usually get from there is apple cider (yummmm). Is there any specific kind/flavour you guys would recommend? (I haven't really figured out yet if i'm a strong or mild, light or dark kind of girl).

 

OK on ass kicking, here goes, I LOVE Dunkin coffee, from the shop is best, but freshly ground from beans (fairly fine #5), in a Cuisinart brewer...
I just drove over for one ....

 

It was funny to watch my coffee addict daughters trying to find a decent shot of espresso in NJ after growing up in AK.
They are used to little independent coffee huts with trained baristas and freshly ground coffee.
Nobody drinks at Starbucks if they can avoid it and most folks know a Mocha from an Americano.

My youngest worked at one of the 'crack shacks' as they are affectionately called so she is the worst, usually starting her day with two straight shots and then getting her triple Americano with a shot of soy.
My oldest just gets a 20oz dirty vanilla chai with four shots. (I told you they were into caffeine)
So my six shot iced mocha doesn't seem like that big a deal.

You want to watch a place come to a screeching halt?
My kiddos started driving miles out of the way to find Starbucks just so people wouldn't stare at them when they ordered coffee.

 

I've never tried Dunkins coffee, at least not in many years. On the rare ocassion that I stop at Dunkins, or any doughnut shop for that matter, I've already had my caffeine jolt.

 

so I like my coffee strong flavoured. I like brewed and I like espresso shots. Heck, in a pinch, I even like to have the stuff that was dispensed from the vending machines with the sliding plastic door that also served up hot chocolate and chicken soup.

I usually have a coffee while I'm thinking about having a coffee.

So I'm pretty easy to satisfy. But my go to cup is something along the lines of a French roast from Starbuck's. The Tim Horton's stuff just fills the gap. But I absolutely love a hearty, robust Americano with crema on it (double shot). It's just too damn expensive for my habit.

anecdote: I just returned from a quick trip to Melbourne Australia. This is a town that really calls itself the coffee centre of the universe. Bonafide coffee snobs all. In this town you cannot purchase a brewed cup of coffee to save your life. Even from McDonald's. While I like the espresso shots, my pocketbook doesn't. The average price seems to be $3.20 (the AU buck is on par with the loonie) but trending to $3.80. It took a few days until I found out the 7-11 sells $1 coffee. But don't expect any Dunkin or Timmy's style coffee there.

 

Getting that perfectly pulled shot is what it's all about.
A decently trained barista with good equipment should be able to do it every single time.

 

You want to see a real addict snob, I'll introduce you to the Mrs.

I replumbed the kitchen and installed a 20A circuit specifically so that I could install one of these.


Izzo Alex Duetto II

I had to get a double boiler model with independent temperature controls because of our altitude (water boils at 192). I plumbed it into a charcoal filteration system. That's pretty much what it took to stop her from driving 20 miles each way for coffee. We also have his and hers burr grinders, since a second grinder was cheaper than a divorce.

 

STAN

GOOD THINKING MY MAN.....so many things just aint' worth arguing

 

yeah, apparently Starbucks got chased out of Melbourne. I could only find two and I never went in.

@snowy, i love this:

 

My friends in San Francisco used something very similar to this. The coffee was delicious, but I'm not sure I have the patience to do that every morning.

 

i have one of those porcelain grinders from Japan, and a coffee press (one of those Aerobies)


that my sister from Vancouver got me. It makes great coffee, but like you @CinnamonGirl I don't have the time in the morning. Usually my filter drip has a cup brewed by the time I stumble down the stairs. It's enough to fumble with the Half & Half cream much less prepping a gourmet coffee. That first cup is just a primer that I have while I think about my next coffee.

 

No more Splenda. Sugar tastes better to me, I've decided.

If anyone does like Splenda, I can sell—or gift—you some. Just let me know.

 

i heart splenda. Buy it in larger bags. Still kinda pricey, and I hardly use it.

 

Like I said, mine's up for grabs. Let me know if you're interested.

 

I can handle Splenda in iced tea, even hot tea (to a lesser extent), but my coffee requires real sugar. Brown sugar on special ocassions, such as espresso.

We have Splenda out the wazoo. We had a large bag, then my in-laws gave us a large bag (they still have a large box of packets that will eventually wind up with us) which I gave to one of my sisters. I might try using it in some simple cookie recipes, small batches in case they don't taste good.

 

I don't drink that much coffee, less than one cup a day anyway. But I use a French press, and I have it black and no sugar