Coffee

[diffluere]

http://www.barefootwillies.com/index.ph ... ex&cPath=2

This cup holder is only $22. I also found instructions on how to make one out of a bicycle bottle holder if you're handy:

http://www.gadgetjq.com/drink_holder.htm


My opinion of Starbucks: Don't particularly care for it. I like making coffee. I wake up, do my little coffee-making routine, and I'm ready for the day. If I go somewhere else and have to buy coffee, my day just isn't the same. Is that OCD?

I just drink the Folgers Columbian coffee. I don't like other kinds of coffee, really. The coffee at Cracker Barrel seems okay, but I hate drinking half½ I like French vanilla creamer (yes I put French creamer in Columbian coffee - I'm multicultural). I like the coffee from the 7-11 if you get there at the right time and it's freshly made. I enjoy the creamers and sugar they have. It also really annoys me that the ONLY COFFEE at school is Starbuck's. It's always way too hot!! By the time I can drink it safely, my classes are over and it's time to go home.

The best way to transport coffee, IMO, is to get a backpack with cup holders on the side. Marvelous! Water on one side, coffee on the other. This also works really great if you have a full-face helmet that flips open! =)

[Water Warrior 2]

Hmm. Maybe about time to use that bracket and water bottle I bought for the mountain bike 5 years ago. And I agree with 7-11 coffee. Irish Cream flavoring and life is good.

[blaine]

I am a sucker for "ROBINS" coffee,love the stuff!!!!

[alanmcorcoran]

To me, putting those flavored creamers in good coffee is like steak sauce on aged beef or pinot noir over ice. Obviously people like it or they wouldn't sell it, but I don't even put sugar in mine (I'll do half and half in regular, when it's available - and real - prefer my espresso black.) As, we often say on here - to each his own.

Thanks for tips on the holders. I do have some bicycle drink holders - but they are still on the bikes! So far I haven't gotten the motivation to seriously pursue it (after all, it's only a 15 minute ride to work.) But, then again, I never thought I would mess with my windshield, or get saddlebags, or... hmmm, I guess that's really all I've ever done!

[alantf]

Coming from a nation of tea drinkers, I've been watching this discussion with interest. I like coffee - but with no "experts" to advise me, I've had to find MY ideal mug of coffee by trial & error. I've finally settled on Colombian blend (arabica beans) taken black, with the merest hint of sugar.

Have I hit on the perfect drink, or can anyone from a nation of coffee drinkers offer me any tips to improve upon it. (One of my ways of improving it in the evening is to add a good dash of rum - but that's another story) :2tup:

[bonehead]

Crown Royal perks it up too!

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by alantf

Coming from a nation of tea drinkers, I've been watching this discussion with interest. I like coffee - but with no "experts" to advise me, I've had to find MY ideal mug of coffee by trial & error. I've finally settled on Colombian blend (arabica beans) taken black, with the merest hint of sugar.

I think we're pretty much in agreement, although I gave up the sugar years ago (part of a diet, then, I got used to it and preferred it.) I think from here on out, you have to look at how you prepare it.

My preference for regular coffee is French Press. Grind the beans immediately prior to putting them in the press and use 2 tablespoons of grinds per 6 ounces of water. Use a Burr grinder and select the "Press" setting (usually the coarsest.) Never use a coffee bean "chopper." Boiling hot, filtered water and let it steep for 4 minutes before pressing.

I also like espresso. I have a Starbucks Barista Espresso machine - it's cheap and somewhat inconsistent, but if you baby it you can get a good pour. Make sure you set your grind to espresso and use the darker roast (espresso) beans. Espresso tends to be the finest grind. I run plain hot water through it first to warm up the shuttle and test the pressure seals.

To me, once you start dumping flavors and sugars etc. into the brew, you can't really taste the coffee. Again, a lot of folks like it that way, to each accordingly.

[magnum44270]

its called a thermos.. $20 at wal/k mart

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by magnum44270

its called a thermos.. $20 at wal/k mart

Good point. Not convenient for a sip at a light, but probably best for transporting the home brew to the office. And it will stay hot longer. Thanks!

[BillInGA]

I like the idea of the cup holder. I actually saw one for the first time a few weeks ago on a Goldwing at the local used motorcycle dealer. It would be great to pick up a cup on my way to wherever from Starbucks, QuikTrip, etc.

Sipping at a stoplight, however, is problematic for me since I wear a full-face helmet. I have used a CamelBak for hydration on longer trips. It's a little awkward feeding the tube up under the helmet and getting the bite valve positioned correctly, but it's doable. Plus it's nice to be able to get a drink on the fly rather than have to stop an take off the helmet.

One might be able to do the same thing with a flexible straw, but I'm not sure how well that would work with hot coffee.