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Instant Coffee

1246

Posts

  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I drink whatever instant coffee is cheapest, and drink it strong with too much sugar I can't quite manage to cut down on.

    The reason being the noradrenaline release helps with the ADD part of combined add/adhd so I just want that delicious flooding of neurochemicals.

    However I really like the taste of the good coffeeshops I go to.

    What's a cheap way to get myself a no hassle coffee machine. And what's a good brand of bean? I wouldn't mind a nice coffee just for taste with certain meals. It'd be wasted at most times though, half the time I'm just sucking it down while doing something that involves thinking, and don't even taste it.

    Btw Nescafe 45 is like the default nescafe brand here. Was strange to hear it be a mythical beast.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2008
    JWFokker wrote: »
    Dunadan019 wrote: »
    are percolators better than drip coffee makers?

    i mean does the coffee taste better? worse? same? like candy mules?

    Percolated coffee is generally regarded as the worst kind of coffee. To me, it's worse than instant. Which makes it MUCH worse than drip coffee.

    Why? I've never had percolated.

    ElJeffe on
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  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2008
    I drink whatever instant coffee is cheapest, and drink it strong with too much sugar I can't quite manage to cut down on.

    The reason being the noradrenaline release helps with the ADD part of combined add/adhd so I just want that delicious flooding of neurochemicals.

    However I really like the taste of the good coffeeshops I go to.

    What's a cheap way to get myself a no hassle coffee machine. And what's a good brand of bean? I wouldn't mind a nice coffee just for taste with certain meals. It'd be wasted at most times though, half the time I'm just sucking it down while doing something that involves thinking, and don't even taste it.

    Btw Nescafe 45 is like the default nescafe brand here. Was strange to hear it be a mythical beast.

    My grocer carries Nob Hill coffee, which is fine for me, and is reasonably priced. It's cheaper than Starbucks beans, and I like the taste better.

    ElJeffe on
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  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Do I actually need a machine? Is there some arcane cookery process where I can just do this with like a kettle and a filter of some sort? I know zip about beans.

    Because I am no stranger to cookery!

    Hmm the coffee shops near me in central sydney are much much better than the Starbucks. But that may be an import thing, might have lost something coming across the ocean. Some brands do that I've been told.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • MahnmutMahnmut Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I drink the opposite of instant coffee. The only grinder I have with me at school is an un-adjustable manual Turkish mill, so I get overly fine grinds and spend a lot of time doing. Then I just put them in the drip coffee machine. I think it's worth it; I ran out of beans a couple weeks ago, and the pre-ground stuff I bought from the tiny-ass grocery store here is much less delightful.

    I also always add cream, and never add sugar (except when I make Turkish coffee for reals, when the opposite is true).

    Mahnmut on
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  • Dunadan019Dunadan019 Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    JWFokker wrote: »
    Dunadan019 wrote: »
    are percolators better than drip coffee makers?

    i mean does the coffee taste better? worse? same? like candy mules?

    Percolated coffee is generally regarded as the worst kind of coffee. To me, it's worse than instant. Which makes it MUCH worse than drip coffee.

    Why? I've never had percolated.

    from what i've just read.... apparantly something to do with over extracting, bitter flavors extruding in, often having incorrect temperatures and reheating already extracting coffee.....

    im not a coffee buff though and as long as its hot and doesnt have crud in it... well im fine.

    Dunadan019 on
  • Monolithic_DomeMonolithic_Dome Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Do I actually need a machine? Is there some arcane cookery process where I can just do this with like a kettle and a filter of some sort? I know zip about beans.

    It's called a French Press.

    Monolithic_Dome on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    How much are they generally.

    It looks like a thirty dollar regular joe blow device to me but coffee is apparently special and requires precision engineered tools that mark it up by a million percent, so who knows.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • wishdawishda Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Do I actually need a machine? Is there some arcane cookery process where I can just do this with like a kettle and a filter of some sort? I know zip about beans.

    As someone mentioned, a French press, a tea kettle and a grinder are what you will need. In American dollars, a press will run you about $15, a grinder anywhere from $10 to $500 with $30 buying a perfectly decent one and a tea kettle about $15.

    Once you've got that, buy beans in small quantities until you find a set you like. Then buy a bunch and either freeze or use an airtight container. Get a system you like, learn to sneer at the misbegotten coffee techniques of others and join the coffee wars.

    wishda on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Hmm, is getting preground packet coffee a mortal sin? There's oodles of it next to the instant coffee. I mean shit it might not be much better than instant but compared to the shit I drink it'll prolly taste like heaven.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • BobCescaBobCesca Is a girl Birmingham, UKRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    just remember that with a cafetière (or French Press as you call them in the States) you need a coarser grind than used with a coffee machine, etc.

    If you buy a grinder, it'll probably have some kind of instruction leaflet that will tell you. If you're cheap like me and just use the grinding attachment you got with the blender, then just don't whizz it for as long.

    Also, grinding from beans always tastes much better than pre-bought ground. And you can just grind what you need.

    BobCesca on
  • GungHoGungHo Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    JWFokker wrote: »
    Dunadan019 wrote: »
    are percolators better than drip coffee makers?

    i mean does the coffee taste better? worse? same? like candy mules?
    Percolated coffee is generally regarded as the worst kind of coffee. To me, it's worse than instant. Which makes it MUCH worse than drip coffee.
    No, the worst kind of coffee is made with a spare sock as a filter and a HWWMV engine to boil water out in the middle of the fucking desert. That's the worst coffee.

    GungHo on
  • wishdawishda Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Hmm, is getting preground packet coffee a mortal sin? There's oodles of it next to the instant coffee. I mean shit it might not be much better than instant but compared to the shit I drink it'll prolly taste like heaven.

    Nope. Just dump it in the press, wait three minutes and press.

    With a press, all you really need is a way to boil water and ground coffee. Start there and get as fancy as you like. The only caveat is that really finely ground coffee will bubble up between the press's mesh. Won't hurt anything, but you'll get some sludge in the bottom of your cup.

    Ground is better than preground, simply because it's fresher. It's something you can work up to if you want, or not if you don't.

    wishda on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    wishda wrote: »
    Hmm, is getting preground packet coffee a mortal sin? There's oodles of it next to the instant coffee. I mean shit it might not be much better than instant but compared to the shit I drink it'll prolly taste like heaven.

    Nope. Just dump it in the press, wait three minutes and press.

    With a press, all you really need is a way to boil water and ground coffee. Start there and get as fancy as you like. The only caveat is that really finely ground coffee will bubble up between the press's mesh. Won't hurt anything, but you'll get some sludge in the bottom of your cup.

    Ground is better than preground, simply because it's fresher. It's something you can work up to if you want, or not if you don't.

    I like you. You start teaching simple.

    Thankyou I will get myself a plunger and take some baby steps.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • wishdawishda Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    GungHo wrote: »
    No, the worst kind of coffee is made with a spare sock as a filter and a HWWMV engine to boil water out in the middle of the fucking desert. That's the worst coffee.

    Shower coffee mud is the lowest I've gone. Dump some grounds in a mug, take a hot shower and fill the mug. Drink.

    wishda on
  • GungHoGungHo Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    At that point, just eat the damn beans.

    GungHo on
  • geckahngeckahn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    wishda wrote: »
    GungHo wrote: »
    No, the worst kind of coffee is made with a spare sock as a filter and a HWWMV engine to boil water out in the middle of the fucking desert. That's the worst coffee.

    Shower coffee mud is the lowest I've gone. Dump some grounds in a mug, take a hot shower and fill the mug. Drink.

    oh god gross

    geckahn on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I did that with instant once when I ran out of sugar and milk and then realised I also had no time to boil the kettle before I left.

    So I filled it with hot water from the tap.

    *shudder*

    Emergency measures only folks!

    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • wishdawishda Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    If you've never had them, chocolate-coated beans are great. The local coffee shop sells espresso ones by the ounce.

    The only downside is that, if you eat them all at once, you feel like you are about to have a seizure.

    wishda on
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I did that with instant once when I ran out of sugar and milk and then realised I also had no time to boil the kettle before I left.

    So I filled it with hot water from the tap.

    *shudder*

    Emergency measures only folks!

    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    This is a horrible idea!

    oldmanken on
  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator, Administrator admin
    edited December 2008
    JohnDoe wrote: »
    I just buy preground coffee. I gather thats a coffee connoisseur nono, but I don't really taste the difference for stuff I grind myself.

    Apparently the exact same generic Gevalia ground beans we have here in Sweden is marked up by 500% and sold as some horribly exclusive crap in the US.

    I think there's some joke about American beer and coffee here somewhere, but I'll leave that as an exercise to the reader.

    Echo on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    wishda wrote: »
    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    If you've never had them, chocolate-coated beans are great. The local coffee shop sells espresso ones by the ounce.

    The only downside is that, if you eat them all at once, you feel like you are about to have a seizure.

    I have eaten them. They tasted a bit weak but worked for AGES.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • geckahngeckahn Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Echo wrote: »
    JohnDoe wrote: »
    I just buy preground coffee. I gather thats a coffee connoisseur nono, but I don't really taste the difference for stuff I grind myself.

    Apparently the exact same generic Gevalia ground beans we have here in Sweden is marked up by 500% and sold as some horribly exclusive crap in the US.

    I think there's some joke about American beer and coffee here somewhere, but I'll leave that as an exercise to the reader.

    Trust me, we know coffee.

    geckahn on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2008
    wishda wrote: »
    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    If you've never had them, chocolate-coated beans are great. The local coffee shop sells espresso ones by the ounce.

    The only downside is that, if you eat them all at once, you feel like you are about to have a seizure.

    I have eaten them. They tasted a bit weak but worked for AGES.

    I generally test beans in the store by sniffing a small handful and then eating one or two.

    Assuming they're not pre-packaged.

    ElJeffe on
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  • BarrakkethBarrakketh Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    wishda wrote: »
    a grinder anywhere from $10 to $500 with $30 buying a perfectly decent one

    I don't think $30 is going to buy you a burr grinder, and coffee fiends don't generally recommend blade grinders except for use as a spice grinder. And if you're using a french press a blade grinder is going to leave even more sediment in the coffee (only a problem if you don't like the sediment, of course).

    Barrakketh on
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  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I use a blade grinder and have a French press. I don't find it too bad, though there can be quite a bit of sediment. I don't mind sediment, but I will be upgrading to a burr grinder when I can afford to do so.

    oldmanken on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    wishda wrote: »
    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    If you've never had them, chocolate-coated beans are great. The local coffee shop sells espresso ones by the ounce.

    The only downside is that, if you eat them all at once, you feel like you are about to have a seizure.

    I have eaten them. They tasted a bit weak but worked for AGES.

    I generally test beans in the store by sniffing a small handful and then eating one or two.

    Assuming they're not pre-packaged.

    Oo

    Do you walk out of the store or fly?

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    wishda wrote: »
    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    If you've never had them, chocolate-coated beans are great. The local coffee shop sells espresso ones by the ounce.

    The only downside is that, if you eat them all at once, you feel like you are about to have a seizure.

    I have eaten them. They tasted a bit weak but worked for AGES.

    I generally test beans in the store by sniffing a small handful and then eating one or two.

    Assuming they're not pre-packaged.

    Oo

    Do you walk out of the store or fly?

    I eat one or two beans, not one or two handfuls.

    If eating a half dozen beans fucks with your body that much, you probably have an issue.

    ElJeffe on
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  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2008
    I just set my coffee maker to brew at the same time every morning. Instant means you wake up and pour coffee into a cup.

    Doc on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    wishda wrote: »
    Haha gunho I was gonna say that. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pop a spoonfull in my mouth and chew it on the way out the door if I'm gonna do that.

    If you've never had them, chocolate-coated beans are great. The local coffee shop sells espresso ones by the ounce.

    The only downside is that, if you eat them all at once, you feel like you are about to have a seizure.

    I have eaten them. They tasted a bit weak but worked for AGES.

    I generally test beans in the store by sniffing a small handful and then eating one or two.

    Assuming they're not pre-packaged.

    Oo

    Do you walk out of the store or fly?

    I eat one or two beans, not one or two handfuls.

    If eating a half dozen beans fucks with your body that much, you probably have an issue.

    I'm pretty sensitive to all drugs. Even cleaning chemicals can make me a bit dazed with good ventilation and stuff.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • Monolithic_DomeMonolithic_Dome Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    By the way, if you're the kinda person who brews coffee at home and takes it with you,

    this thing is awesom

    Monolithic_Dome on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • tbloxhamtbloxham Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    I don't know why anyone wouldn't use a french press other than for expresso, its so much simpler, cheaper and more robust than any other way.

    tbloxham on
    "That is cool" - Abraham Lincoln
  • CheerfulBearCheerfulBear Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    Has anyone mentioned using a Moka pot yet? They make a good amount of quasi-espresso in less than 10 minutes, and they're easy as hell to use and clean.

    http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/MokaEspressoPot.htm

    And you don't have to grind your own beans, just go to the supermarket and look for the Lavazza or Illy brand tins of finely ground espresso coffee. It's so good.

    I have an espresso machine and I can make up to four cups of actual espresso in about 5 minutes.

    How much did it cost though? I got my Moka for $25!

    Edit:
    tbloxham wrote: »
    I don't know why anyone wouldn't use a french press other than for expresso, its so much simpler, cheaper and more robust than any other way.

    !!!!!!

    CheerfulBear on
  • Monolithic_DomeMonolithic_Dome Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Oh, god "expresso" better be a typo, and not the way that you actually pronounce that word.

    Not enough :x in the world for people who do that.

    Monolithic_Dome on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • VariableVariable Mouth Congress Stroke Me Lady FameRegistered User regular
    edited December 2008
    some people only ever hear it at that way because of other people's mistakes, you can't really blame them for it. Just correct them and move on.

    Variable on
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  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Dunadan019 wrote: »
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    JWFokker wrote: »
    Dunadan019 wrote: »
    are percolators better than drip coffee makers?

    i mean does the coffee taste better? worse? same? like candy mules?

    Percolated coffee is generally regarded as the worst kind of coffee. To me, it's worse than instant. Which makes it MUCH worse than drip coffee.

    Why? I've never had percolated.

    from what i've just read.... apparantly something to do with over extracting, bitter flavors extruding in, often having incorrect temperatures and reheating already extracting coffee.....

    im not a coffee buff though and as long as its hot and doesnt have crud in it... well im fine.

    Pretty much this. Percolated coffee usually burns the coffee and over-extracts it. This over-extraction gets all of the unwanted flavors that every other coffee brewing method leaves behind. I understand that it was the fastest, most convenient way to brew coffee "back in the day", but it not only does a terrible job, but it lead to the belief that all coffee has to taste very dark and without any defining characteristics. Percolated coffee basically cooks all of the good flavor out of the coffee and covers it up with a bitter, burnt flavor, so no matter what coffee you use, it pretty much all tastes the same. Over the years, people got used to the flavor and even with the advent of drip coffee, a superior brewing method, people wanted the same flavor they got with percolated coffee and thus coffee brands roasted their coffee to emulate percolated coffee. Thus, we now have Folgers and Starbucks as the leading coffee brands in the US and they both taste like shit. People in this country don't know how coffee is supposed to taste and so the market is dominated by too dark, bland coffee. Far too many diners and business offices and cafeterias still use percolators to brew coffee, perpetuating the consumer perception that all coffee should taste bitter and otherwise nondescript. Good coffee isn't bitter at all. If the beans are roasted properly and the grounds aren't over-extracted by the brewing process, you shouldn't need sugar or cream to cover up the bitterness. Just as the best espresso is sweet without anything added to it, regular brewed coffee shouldn't require anything added to make it more palatable either. In short, percolators are a pox on this nation's coffee history.

    JWFokker on
  • JWFokkerJWFokker Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    tbloxham wrote: »
    I don't know why anyone wouldn't use a french press other than for expresso, its so much simpler, cheaper and more robust than any other way.

    You can't make espresso with a French Press.

    JWFokker on
  • Monolithic_DomeMonolithic_Dome Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    JWFokker wrote: »
    tbloxham wrote: »
    I don't know why anyone wouldn't use a french press other than for expresso, its so much simpler, cheaper and more robust than any other way.

    You can't make espresso with a French Press.

    I think what he was trying to say is,

    If you want espresso, use espresso stuff.
    If you want "coffee", use a french press.

    Which I'd agree with.

    Monolithic_Dome on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • ScalfinScalfin __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2008
    Oh, god "expresso" better be a typo, and not the way that you actually pronounce that word.

    Not enough :x in the world for people who do that.

    It's a common eggcorn.

    Scalfin on
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  • tbloxhamtbloxham Registered User regular
    edited December 2008
    Variable wrote: »
    some people only ever hear it at that way because of other people's mistakes, you can't really blame them for it. Just correct them and move on.

    While I apologize for the misspelling, in the UK where I grew up everyone says expresso, since espresso is quite a torturous word to say in an English accent without having it sound like expresso. English people also don't do fake foreign accents for food items like Americans do (why do you do that, espescially TV chefs! Everyone puts on their fake Italian accents to ask for Italian food!), so almost noone says espresso

    Also, since the word espresso, comes from the Italian to express (as in to express a flavour) it seems even more natural to call it expresso since the english version of that word actually does officially replace the s with an x (since we've had it longer and so could change it to the more natural pronunciation)

    And, as my third excuse I spent two years in Spain, where it most definitely is Cafe Expreso. And since the Italians and Spanish make the best Espressos, and the Italians just call it Cafe, thus I decree myself the victor.

    tbloxham on
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