Coffee

What do Juan Valdez, Orville Redenbacher and Mike Mills have in common?  You have no clue because you don't know who Mike Mills is?  He is the "King" of BBQ and will be the subject of a future post.  The answer is they are all tied to foods and drink that smell as good as they taste.  It is almost torture to have to wait for the finished product each of these men represent, but it is, especially in the area of coffee, definitely worth the wait.  Today's post will focus on coffee--a brief history, home brewing and coffee from establishments.

Now, I have to tell you up front that I am a novice coffee drinker.  I started drinking coffee when I had an hour and two minute commute while I was working sixteen hour days.  I had no choice but to turn to coffee to get me through my trip.  Once I did start drinking coffee, I was introduced to a whole world of flavor sensations.

According to Wikipedia, coffee dates back to the fifteenth century Ethiopians who were the first to discover the energizing affect of the coffee bean plant.  The word "coffee" entered the English language in 1598 via the Dutch word koffie.  At that time the Dutch colonies were the main suppliers of coffee to Europe.  Gabriel de Clieu brought coffee seedlings to Martinique in the Caribbean around 1720.  The plants flourished and by the 19th century had spread all across South America.  Today coffee continues to be a commodity traded on the open market.

So, you either are a coffee drinker and are sitting there asking, "What are you going to tell me about making coffee at home?  I already make a pretty good pot of coffee."  Or, you don't drink coffee and you are asking yourself, "Why am I reading this.  I hate coffee."  Well, I used to be one that didn't drink it because the coffee I had before was garbage.  If you have some good coffee, you may change your mind.  Those of you who already drink it and have your preferences, feel free to comment at the end.  I welcome any feedback.  

Most people have a coffee pot in their kitchen; even many of you who don't drink coffee have a pot somewhere in the cupboard.  You never know when you will need it for guests.  I will at least help you with making that rare pot for those guests, so you don't scare them away.  Things you will need:  fresh coffee (emphasis on fresh), filtered water and a coffee maker.  There are all types of coffee makers; the most typical being the automatic drip coffee maker.  If you have a percolator, I can't help you.  My rule of thumb for making coffee is to use one level tablespoon for every cup.  What's a cup?  8oz.? That 16 oz. travel mug?  The cup marks on the carafe?  1 cup is six ounces of water.  Now, if you go by the marks on your carafe, your coffee will be way too strong.  Those marks are at five ounce increments.  You have to measure out your water.  After you have the right ratio of coffee to water, you are good to go.  Put the grounds in a filter that fits your coffee maker, put the water in and turn it on.  Voila!  You may buy some coffee that says to use two tablespoons per cup, in that case I would do it because of the difference in the grind.  

Speaking of the grind.  I mentioned that you need fresh coffee.  The coffee you buy at the store sitting on the shelf, says it's fresh, but more than likely it was ground weeks ago and has lost a lot of its flavor.  I recommend grinding your coffee and only grind what you intend to use in the next day or so.  A grinder is an added expense but worthwhile if you want to really enjoy your java.  If you do go with the store bought stuff, brand isn't always the indicator of being the best.  Some of the best coffee I have enjoyed is Eight O'Clock Coffee, very good stuff and for the money is quite a good buy.  Make sure to keep your coffee in the refrigerator (the freezer is even better) because the cold slows the oxidation and evaporation process of the ground coffee.  If you have whole bean coffee, you are not releasing the essential oils until you grind it which is why freshly ground coffee tastes better.  Filtered water is also a key ingredient.  Tap water is no good because of all of the deposits in the water prevent the flavor compounds from fully releasing during the brewing process and you end up with a cup of coffee that tastes "muddy".  Filtered or bottled water is best--stay away from distilled (you need some trace minerals).

Now for my favorite part, talking about establishment coffee.  Like I said, I am still a novice coffee drinker, but I do have my favorites just as all you do.  I am always open for new experiences, so if you have a favorite I don't list, please let me know so I can try it.  I have to start with my favorite coffee, Starbucks.  I know!  It is expensive!  Tell me about it.  I wish I hated it, but I don't.  I like their plain coffee, I like their holiday blend, and there are so many different types of coffee I like from there.  My drink of choice there is the Venti Caramel Macchiato.  It has a double shot of espresso, some milk and caramel, and it is awesome!  My second favorite has to be Casey's Kona Blend coffee.  Very nice flavor, but I highly doubt it has much Kona coffee in it.  McDonald's coffee isn't too bad.  I like my coffee on the dark side, so I don't mind their coffee.  The coffee shop in the Goodwill store in Springfield isn't too bad.  Very nice people run it.  Burger King coffee isn't good.  I stay away.

Well, all of this talk about coffee has me wanting a cup.  Again, I welcome all comments and suggestions on other establishments to go to for coffee.  Thank you for reading.