Coffee Catch-All

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
Kraint wrote:

So I finally ordered a Vietnamese espresso while getting some pho last night. My goodness, if I owned an espresso maker I'd have given myself diabetes within the week.

I think I've had this before, but it's been awhile. Does it also have lots of cream or is it mostly just lots of sugar?

It's the one with condensed milk, isn't it?

That's especially good with bourbon. Pok Pok serves a killer one.

jonnypolite wrote:

That's especially good with bourbon. Pok Pok serves a killer one.

Mmmm. Pok Pok. Knowing what Thai street food is like ruins American Thai food. It's just so good.

Ranger Rick wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:
Kraint wrote:

So I finally ordered a Vietnamese espresso while getting some pho last night. My goodness, if I owned an espresso maker I'd have given myself diabetes within the week.

I think I've had this before, but it's been awhile. Does it also have lots of cream or is it mostly just lots of sugar?

It's the one with condensed milk, isn't it?

sweetened condensed milk + espresso (kind of). Its This metal drip they put over the milk right on the cup that drip feeds the hot water through. I think the coffee grounds also contain chicory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam...

Blotto The Clown wrote:
Ranger Rick wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:
Kraint wrote:

So I finally ordered a Vietnamese espresso while getting some pho last night. My goodness, if I owned an espresso maker I'd have given myself diabetes within the week.

I think I've had this before, but it's been awhile. Does it also have lots of cream or is it mostly just lots of sugar?

It's the one with condensed milk, isn't it?

sweetened condensed milk + espresso (kind of). Its This metal drip they put over the milk right on the cup that drip feeds the hot water through. I think the coffee grounds also contain chicory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam...

Correct, though mine was served hot. 50/50 condensed milk and high-test coffee/espresso. It was fantastic, and I almost cried when I realized I had finished it.

pneuman wrote:
Blotto The Clown wrote:

You can get yourself a really good cup of coffee with a pour over. Although I like the earthy, steeped taste of a french press, I also like the light airy flavor of a good pour over.

Yep, I really like pour-overs, too -- I'm not big on milk-based drinks so if I want something longer than a double espresso, I go for a pour-over. I have a a Clever Coffee Dripper, which is super-easy to use and probably a good option if you have a blade grinder, but I prefer to use my ceramic dripper and Devo hat kettle, just because it's more fun :)

Also fun is the hario kettle... haven't worked up to buying one as they want around 70 for it.
IMAGE(https://secure.joevangogh.com/images/Hario_Kettle.png)

Blotto The Clown wrote:
pneuman wrote:
Blotto The Clown wrote:

You can get yourself a really good cup of coffee with a pour over. Although I like the earthy, steeped taste of a french press, I also like the light airy flavor of a good pour over.

Yep, I really like pour-overs, too -- I'm not big on milk-based drinks so if I want something longer than a double espresso, I go for a pour-over. I have a a Clever Coffee Dripper, which is super-easy to use and probably a good option if you have a blade grinder, but I prefer to use my ceramic dripper and Devo hat kettle, just because it's more fun :)

Also fun is the hario kettle... haven't worked up to buying one as they want around 70 for it.

Heh, I'm a pour-over fan myself. We saw the same Hario kettle reading some blog, but we just went to the local restaurant supply store and bought a stainless steel olive oil can thing for under $10 and it works pretty darn well. Ours looks something like this, but the spout actually starts lower on the can, much like the Haribo:

IMAGE(http://www.bigkitchen.com/MerchantUploads/edgeCPIGroup/8057.jpg)

If you're looking for a middle ground between the Hario and the olive oil can thing, Bonavita makes a $30 kettle with a gooseneck spout.

B Dog wrote:

If you're looking for a middle ground between the Hario and the olive oil can thing, Bonavita makes a $30 kettle with a gooseneck spout.

that looks like a good answer. My pocket book thanks you.

Blotto The Clown wrote:

You can get yourself a really good cup of coffee with a pour over. Although I like the earthy, steeped taste of a french press, I also like the light airy flavor of a good pour over.

Yep, I really like pour-overs, too -- I'm not big on milk-based drinks so if I want something longer than a double espresso, I go for a pour-over. I have a a Clever Coffee Dripper, which is super-easy to use and probably a good option if you have a blade grinder, but I prefer to use my ceramic dripper and Devo hat kettle, just because it's more fun

Blotto The Clown wrote:
pneuman wrote:
Blotto The Clown wrote:

You can get yourself a really good cup of coffee with a pour over. Although I like the earthy, steeped taste of a french press, I also like the light airy flavor of a good pour over.

Yep, I really like pour-overs, too -- I'm not big on milk-based drinks so if I want something longer than a double espresso, I go for a pour-over. I have a a Clever Coffee Dripper, which is super-easy to use and probably a good option if you have a blade grinder, but I prefer to use my ceramic dripper and Devo hat kettle, just because it's more fun :)

Also fun is the hario kettle... haven't worked up to buying one as they want around 70 for it.
IMAGE(https://secure.joevangogh.com/images/Hario_Kettle.png)

Yep, that's the one I have -- I just realised that I broke the link for it in my comment. Whoops!

jonfentyler wrote:

I'm kinda mad they switched from Counter Culture to Intellgentsia coffee, though. Best wine selection (and help) in the Triangle IMO.

I would feel conflicted about how much Intelligentsia has grown, except I know the Chicago beans are roasted about two miles from my place.

I've been looking at getting a Bialetti stovetop espresso maker, but there is a bit of a snag. I have an induction range, and the Bialetti's are all-aluminum. I've heard/seen links to the 'Venus' models made with steel, but the pot design (at least the exterior) is different. Does anyone know if they are internally the same as the Moka models?

My roommate mentioned that there were some ceramic travel mugs at Starbucks the other day, so I went over and bought one. I can't do the steel or plastic travel mugs because they retain nasty oils, and I don't like the flavor, but this ceramic one is money. Since I now work 4 blocks away, I have plenty of time to make coffee and drink 1 mug at home and keep the rest in the travel mug for when I walk to work. It's perfect!

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/msrih.png)

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

My roommate mentioned that there were some ceramic travel mugs at Starbucks the other day, so I went over and bought one. I can't do the steel or plastic travel mugs because they retain nasty oils, and I don't like the flavor, but this ceramic one is money. Since I now work 4 blocks away, I have plenty of time to make coffee and drink 1 mug at home and keep the rest in the travel mug for when I walk to work. It's perfect!

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/msrih.png)

That lid looks a lot more reliable than the silicone ones that come with the "not a disposable" ceramic options I've seen at, like, Walgreens.

Unreliable? I had one of those ones from Walgreens for over a year before my daughter appropriated it and it's still going strong for her. I even washed it in the dishwasher. It never leaked, even when I wore a white shirt.

I can't rely on the seal on the lids, even getting slightly more expensive ones online. There's about a 25% chance that it'll dribble down the front at me.

Just wondering, what is wrong with steel?

KingGorilla wrote:

Just wondering, what is wrong with steel?

I get a metallic taste with it and it's inconvenient in the morning when I want to drink my coffee on the way to work because it keeps the coffee too hot. That said, I do use them for long road trips in order to have hot coffee, I just have separate cups to drink the coffee.

Yeah, the lid is pretty darn good. It fits down in the mug a bit. The sliding piece will definitely block splashes, although, you probably wouldn't be able to tip the mug over and still be good.

Pretty much all the coffee I've had in metal and plastic travel mugs has tasted off to me. My thought is that the mugs retain oils even after getting them through a dishwasher. I've always noticed that they are okay when they are brand new. I think that the best materials for mugs are ceramic, glass, and paper.

I've especially noticed how bad the oil retention is in stainless steel carafes. After a use or two, those things just smell terrible before you put any coffee in. I believe there is some type of cleaning solution that will actually clean those things okay. I've never bought any, though. I think they use these tablet things at coffee shops to clean steel containers. Anyone know anything about cleaning coffee stuff that is made of steel?

I just use soap and water, and a brush. Any good dish soap will cut the oils and the scrubbing lifts them off. That's why both the inside filter-guts and the body of my stovetop espresso maker is still gray instead of tan after more than 10 years of use.

The only Female Doggo is the size of the opening. If it has a narrow opening, find a bottle-brush designed for cleaning water-bottles or baby bottles to get in there and scrub it good. Make sure you run the brush over all surfaces, whether they look like they need it or not.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Yeah, the lid is pretty darn good. It fits down in the mug a bit. The sliding piece will definitely block splashes, although, you probably wouldn't be able to tip the mug over and still be good.

Pretty much all the coffee I've had in metal and plastic travel mugs has tasted off to me. My thought is that the mugs retain oils even after getting them through a dishwasher. I've always noticed that they are okay when they are brand new. I think that the best materials for mugs are ceramic, glass, and paper.

I've especially noticed how bad the oil retention is in stainless steel carafes. After a use or two, those things just smell terrible before you put any coffee in. I believe there is some type of cleaning solution that will actually clean those things okay. I've never bought any, though. I think they use these tablet things at coffee shops to clean steel containers. Anyone know anything about cleaning coffee stuff that is made of steel?

Its a conspiracy to make us buy more mugs. I know exactly what you are experiencing. Ive abandoned having a travel mug. I ve even resorted to disposable paper cups.

Well, as momgamer's indirectly saying, the gunk that coffee leaves behind is made of oil, which gradually goes rancid. Regular old Dawn dish soap is excellent at cutting oil, and should do a pretty good job, I would think.

If the oils are getting into the microscopic crevices of the steel, and Dawn won't remove them, you could try something like Barkeeper's Friend, or Bon Ami.

Malor wrote:

Well, as momgamer's indirectly saying, the gunk that coffee leaves behind is made of oil, which gradually goes rancid. Regular old Dawn dish soap is excellent at cutting oil, and should do a pretty good job, I would think.

If the oils are getting into the microscopic crevices of the steel, and Dawn won't remove them, you could try something like Barkeeper's Friend, or Bon Ami.

I decided to try and redeem a particular favorite travel mug, I resorted to even trying corrosive chemicals... in the end i bought a new cup. replacing your mug every half year or so is cheaper than the attempted cleaning process. Just make sure you throw out the old mug. No need to have them cluttering up the cupboard.

on a different topic, when is the next coffee exchange? wait, was there a different thread for that?

Blotto The Clown wrote:

on a different topic, when is the next coffee exchange? wait, was there a different thread for that?

Since the beer exchange is happening right now, I'm waiting to do that until we hit November. I'll probably start it a week or two before Thanksgiving so people can have fun coffee beans for that (totally realize Canadian Thanksgiving is this Monday ;)).

Do you guys do Halloween there?

It'd be weird to have Thanksgiving before Halloween. Not, you know, the Natural Order of Things.

Malor wrote:

Do you guys do Halloween there?

It'd be weird to have Thanksgiving before Halloween. Not, you know, the Natural Order of Things.

just means rapid turn around in the seasonal departments

Malor wrote:

Well, as momgamer's indirectly saying, the gunk that coffee leaves behind is made of oil, which gradually goes rancid. Regular old Dawn dish soap is excellent at cutting oil, and should do a pretty good job, I would think.

If the oils are getting into the microscopic crevices of the steel, and Dawn won't remove them, you could try something like Barkeeper's Friend, or Bon Ami.

I have this french press, which is all-steel. I clean it with dish soap and water and it doesn't retain any oils, that said it doesn't have any crevices as it's a single piece and the plunger can be disassembled.

jonfentyler wrote:

I ve even resorted to disposable paper cups.

You are the worst thing.

wordsmythe wrote:
jonfentyler wrote:

I ve even resorted to disposable paper cups.

You are the worst thing.

Now now, we do not know if he is also wearing crocs.