DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Coffee talk

I've been drinking coffee from a dripper for years, but recently broke out an old percolator. The coffee is SO much better! Yes, more hassle than pushing the start button in the morning, but I think it's worth it.

How do you like to make your coffee? What is your favorite coffee? Do you add anything to the coffee? What is your drinking vessel of choice?

My mother was a percolator lady. She would use nothing else. Her coffee was always the best.

I use a drip, it's quick, easy and my wife likes it.

We drink Cain's coffee. It's a nice breakfast blend, it was originally made in Oklahoma City and all the local restaurants used to serve it. I got hooked on it there. Farmers Coffee bought it out and it's no longer made here, but I still drink it because it's the taste I learned to love.

I usually add a packet of sweet-n-low, unless I have to fast for a blood test or some damn thing.

I'm between favorite vessels at the moment. Just your average porcelain style cup. I had my duck cup for years and years. I don't know where I got it, one day it was in my hand and from there it was my cup of choice. It looked like something you'd get for buying the presidents package from Ducks Unlimited. The ducks on it were colorful, raised from the surface and it never faded in all the years. I was in my garage one day and set it on the bumper of my car while I went to do something. The car's keyfob was in my pocket and when I bent over to pick something up, the button to raise the lift-gate was pressed and it knocked my duck cup to the garage floor, which was less than gracious to my cup when it landed.

Bummer on your mug. I had one I got for 69 cents at a thrift store. The kind of hand made pottery mug you see for $20 on Etsy. Used it for two short weeks and dropped something heavy on top of it while doing dishes. The good news is I got my money's worth. The bad news is I can't find another one.

I use a drip for weekdays. A French press for weekend coffee. I prefer the French press but drip is easier. I drink it with one sugar, two cream/half and half. No flavors. No pumpkin spice. Just coffee flavored coffee. Typically two or three cups in the morning. Then pretty much every night we make a pot of decaf.
I drink a few different brands. I’m not a coffee snob but I do prefer a decent bean. Peet’s, Stumptown (a local roaster), Seattle’s Best... all dark roast, or espresso roasted beans.
The best coffee I ever had was in Costa Rica. A roaster in Quepos called Cafe Milagro. It’s unreal. Local beans from the surrounding mountains. Local roaster pouring just incredibly rich flavored coffee. I brought a bunch back with me. Even ordered it once online years ago but that’s too cost prohibitive long term.

When you say "dripper", you mean the old standby - put the filter in, put coffee grounds in, hit start? If so, yeah, that was me. Forever. It was common for me to drink a whole pot - 12 cups - in the morning. When I worked at a dealership, there'd be even more coffee until about 11 a.m.

Different times I'd hear about people that were addicted to caffeine, and when they'd quit drinking coffee, or pop, they'd get headaches, etc. So, I'd quit drinking coffee for 2 weeks, or 2 months. I never had any 'withdrawal' symptoms, luckily.

Then, about a year ago, wife bought a Keurig thing, however it's spelled. So, now I use that. (don't like it as well as my old way......but, well, it makes her happy)

Never had percolated coffee though.

I drink it black, no cream no sugar, no nothing.

Drinking vessel years ago was a Browns mug - but had to refill it way too often.

Couple years ago my 'mentee' got me a 16 oz Browns....drink thingy. That's what I use now. 24 oz. a morning most days. Some days less, some days none.

I'm sure it's delicious! I've never had French press coffee, but maybe one day if someone makes it for me.

Yep, a Mr. Coffee type coffee maker. They are easy, but the coffee isn't so great. We had a Keurig for a few years, but I thought the coffee was pretty crappy. They are also expensive and there's a lot of waste involved with all the K-cups. I know people love them for the convenience, though.

I preferred dripper coffee. But, go along to get along. Wifey is getting tired of me going through so many K cups. I don't really care for that coffee either.

It won't be long til the old 'dripper' comes back out in our house.

Oh, I've never had a starbucks anything, in my life, and never will.

We just got a new French press. All stainless. We’ve broken two glass ones over the years. It’s also double walled so the coffee stays hotter longer.
I’d recommend getting a French press. They’re not really expensive at all. While they're a little more work, cleaning them, your coffee experience is much different with one. The coffee gets a head to it. Similar to a draft beer. It’s really creamy and rich. Same beans as your drip machine but an entirely different flavor profile. Like I said we use it primarily on the weekends. It’s worth the slightly extra hassle.

I use a drip for the every day, but I love a French press. No matter what, I drink it black. I have a burr grinder and grind my beans fresh for every pot. I used to buy all of the expensive stuff, but these days my standard is the Breakfast Blend beans at GFS.

I think after this thread, I may have to go shopping for a percolator. I suddenly find I miss the sound of percolating coffee.

I used to love the percolator. Never ever liked the drip coffee makers. We have had 3 Keurigs and I think the coffee is way better than the drip method, but not as good as the percolator. I get the strongest K-cups I can. There is a French Roast and an Italian Roast that I use each day. My wife likes Breakfast Blend. I really don't care too much about the mugs. I don't like little ones or fancy ones. I don't use one that have huge mouths, either.

Of course, it's all opinion. I say that because I'm sure some will dog the Keurigs. Not going to argue about it.

I will say I agree w/Tulsa. I might buy a percolator and use it on weekends.

Hi Michelle - good to see you. I use a Hamilton Beach automatic dripper with a timer, so my Maxwell House coffee is ready when I get up in the morning. I add a teaspoon of sugar and however many teaspoons of Coffee-Mate it takes to make it light. I say "however many teaspoons of Coffee-Mate" because they seem to re-formulate it constantly so you always need to use more for the same effect (what a surprise). I've always drunk coffee with powdered creamer because that's what they had at the places I worked and because I don't really like it with milk or half-n-half. My parents always used a stove-top percolator and I have to say that it smelled really good in the mornings at our house, but I don't think it tasted all that much better than what I use now.

I love coffee

We have a drip, a keurig and the one we use most days is a Ninja coffee bar. Also have a coffee grinder-Most of the time we just use folgers-wife loves it-but we have a bunch of different k cups, and whole beans in the pantry.

One sweet and low and half and half to taste in my Browns mug on weekends and a contega during the week when I am working at home

As I said, I drink coffee straight. Black. No sugar, no cream, no milk, no flavor stuff. It's coffee. If you want a sugared milky drink, get a latte.

Drives me crazy - wife, on Sunday mornings, would steal some of my pot of coffee. Load it up with french vanilla stuff so it looked like milk..........then on the way to church, she'd sniff it. She didn't drink it.

Coffee is supposed to be straight, black, imo.

Ehh ... I like it how I like it, and I'm too old to much care what people think of that.

I think all the different ways people enjoy coffee is interesting. Do you and let them do them. I like a little coffee with my cream, but no flavorings and no sugar for me. Recently I've switched to smaller mugs because it always got too chilly in bigger ones. Can't take the feeling/taste of insulated mugs, so prefer porcelain, pottery, or ceramic. I'm not a coffee snob, but I do enjoy a good cup of joe. Arch, you aren't missing anything by not having Starbucks, imo. Far too bitter for my liking. They over roast their beans and I can't drink it.

Nice topic and replies, Michelle. How have you been? I miss seeing you around.

Well, as far as starbucks, I'm just not paying that much, I don't care how good it is. We are not rich, or wealthy. We are not poor, either.

If I want coffee, I'll make it myself. If I'm out of town for work, I'll go to the local gas station.

We have friends that are wealthy, or appear to be, and having a starbucks coffee is like a badge for them, a "look, I'm drinking starbucks" kind of thing.

To each their own.

Get a coffee warmer for your desk, or wherever you drink your coffee. Just stay away from those usb powered warmers, they’re a joke. Also, I ordered a Cuisinart 12 cup percolator from Amazon today.

I grew up with a percolator. When the first Mr. Coffee's came out, I bought my parents one. I thought that was the most delicious coffee ever, much better than the percolator. Many years later, we bought a small percolator for camping, and then I thought that was much better than the drip coffee we've become used to. Now we have a Keurig, strictly for convenience.

Let us know how good it is. Please.

Everyone is going to hate me for this, but I think it matters who you get your K-cups from. The best I have found are the Starbucks brand. The French and Italian roasts are really rich and strong. I don't like weak coffee. I do temper it w/a bit of Amaretto Cream.

Just so you know...........I never go to Starbucks. It's too trendy for me. But, their K-cups are good.

Speaking of mugs, I had this self-stirring mug that I used at work. I liked it a lot.



It used to make this gurgling, whirling sound when I pressed the "stir" button. It would annoy the schnikees out of the guy I shared an office with, so I did it a lot. I used to say "You hear that buddy-boy? That's my colon!". Good times ...

I was just reading through this thread again and realized that two things have changed for me...one is using the percolator, and two is grinding my beans instead of using pre-ground coffee. Hmmm, might have to drag the dripper back out and try it with beans to make this a fair comparison. Or, not.

There's a learning curve to the perc. It's not electric, it's a 25 year old Coleman 12 cup, US made, stainless percolator. I'm using it either on the stove top or induction burner. The induction burner makes quick work of the process, but you do have to watch for the boil and coffee to start perking so you can turn the heat down. It also takes a lot more coffee than the dripper. I'm using two ounces of med ground beans for 4 cups of water. Seems like a lot, but maybe I was making the dripped pots too weak? Anyway, let me know how all these new percolators work out!

I just got one at a thrift store, in fact. A 2003 Starbucks Barista. Stainless and insulated. I've been using it as a carafe because it needs a replacement screen and I haven't located them just yet.** I would post a picture, but I'm having a brain lapse on how to do that here.

**Okay, found something that a reviewer said works well with this FP. The screen is $12. I think I'll just keep using it as a carafe! I only paid $2.99 for it.

We use the reusable K-Cups. Fill it up with coffee of our choice. The disposables, besides being wasteful, just don't put enough coffee in the pod to begin with.

I drink my coffee black.

I do have a portable french press system that I take with me on bikepacking trips. Works well to get me going.

Not being a coffee drinker at all I have no opinion on this. However my wife prefers her Keurig, although she changes her preference as to which flavor she wants once or twice a year as she gets tired of drinking the same flavor over and over. I always keep two different flavors here for her.

Keurig - fast, convenient but makes the worst cup of coffee possible.

Drip - tried and true, easy multiple cups, good.

French press - The best cup of coffee I've ever had with ground beans. Takes longer but always a better cup.

Starbucks - It sucks hard. They don't understand how to make coffee and burn their beans.

Dunkin/Tim Hortons - Better than Starbucks coffee.

Peets coffee/Detroit Bold is my favorite. Get beans from these, grind them, French press, I'm in heaven!

Which model Press did you buy ? Every time I buy a press I END UP BREAKING IT !

I used to drink coffee, but gave it up to become a tea snob.

https://www.homegrounds.co/sterling-pro-french-press-review/

If you use it, it’s worth the little extra coin.

I do a drip machine, but apparently the one I have is very highly rated. I also grind my coffee fresh - it made coffee so much better once I found the right grind for my taste. And with all of the amazing coffee here in PDX, its pretty much heavenly.

Lately I've been making a lot of cold brew, but as the weather is turning, I'll probably go back to drip.

Have you tried Stumptown’s HairBender? Such a good bean/roast. I send a couple pounds home to family every Christmas.

A tea snob,

You’re dead to me.

I’m certainly not a coffee snob... My parents were tea drinkers, but always had a bottle of instant for guests, so when I started drinking coffee as a teenager, that’s what I drank.

That’s probably why I still prefer instant coffee - milk is mandatory, but I can drink it without sugar.

I’ve never had Starbucks, boycotted Tim Horton’s a couple years ago due to consistently poor service, and usually just drink my own.

The Keurig is okay, I don’t mind the taste.... but it’s so wasteful.

j/c:

Not judging anyone, but I am putting this out there in case people don't know. French Press is getting a lot of love, but it's not good for you because it does not filter out the cafestol. Cafestol is known to cause the bad cholesterol in your body to increase. You might not care now, but you will later.

It’s something I’m aware of. It’s also not much of a concern as I may have 4 to 6 cups of French press a month. Certainly not enough to cause significant issues.

Absolutely, I like Holler Mountain as well. My favorite two are Sterling's Blendo Stupendo and Heart's Stereo blend. I always have Sterling at home

Great topic! I use a drip coffee machine too. Starbucks any kind of dark coffee. Flavor with a bit of sugar free caramel, hazelnut or vanilla sugar-free syrup.