Coffee

[Edella]

Has anyone tried Kopi Luwak Coffee? It's coffee that has been eaten and excreted by a luwak, an Indonesian catlike animal. MMMM ! Only $75 for a 1/4 lb.

 

http://www.animalcoffee.com/natural-luwak/

[Mercedes Benzene]

Okay. I'm sorry. That is just plain disgusting. I mean.... ewwwwww. :thumbs_up

[InfiniteNow]

So what you do coffee connoisseurs think of instant coffee?

 

Well, I'm no connoisseur, but I find it rather disgusting... Would grab a Coke before drinking Instant... Not really a coffee snob, but do have standards... :D

 

 

Instant :cup: = ;)

 

:evil:

[Michaelangelica]

Mixing whiskey with anything is a heresy, :eek:

 

Coming from Irish stock; we believe anything drunk without whiskey is a waste.:)

 

I have heard of the coffee beans excreted by some animal?

I'll try it if someone else wants to pay for it.

 

Instant coffee is a waste of your life. Since my espresso machine exploded I only have coffee 'out' now. My wife drinks instant- total crap. I will only drink it with lots of whiskey then again I agree it is better without the coffee.

I drink tea at home. Best made in a pot, but as it is only me, I do use tea bags and have discovered Lipton's Intense makes a nice cup.

 

When I worked in the public service we had a machine that dispensed crap tea and coffee for 2c (a while ago). I, and everyone else, always had a cup at our desk or wherever we were. One day we revolted; bought some good tea and coffee. Took fifteen minutes(+?) off and all sat down talked and drank a cup of nicely brewed tea or coffee. It was great for everyone except the boss, who could not understand the concept of group therapy.

 

Lemon Verbena is easy to grow, a small deciduous(depending on what zone you are) shrub 1-2m.

Don't bother with the dried version same too with Lemon balm- it needs to be fresh leaves. Both will grow happily in big pots.

[eric l]

Okay. I'm sorry. That is just plain disgusting. I mean.... ewwwwww. :naughty:

 

Kopi Luwak ?

You should have a taste of it without knowing how it was grown - or rather "harvested". Anyway, if it is not roasted as it should be, chances are you will never notice the difference ! It should be roasted to the extent that the inside remains yellowish brown, and that when ground it looks a bit like sawdust !

But don't ask me to pay for it : prices run as high as 200 $ per pound for the green beans, wholesale.

[Tormod]

Coming from Irish stock; we believe anything drunk without whiskey is a waste.:eek:

 

I believe you. It's just that whiskey tends to cost upwards of $60 (USD) a bottle over here so it's a luxury commodity. :)

 

Instant coffee is a waste of your life.

 

No no no! :naughty: It's a life saver! I have no time to waste on brewing coffee...boil water and enjoy the instant stuff. Spend time with kids. Fall asleep on sofa, exhausted. Wake up and watch children's TV (while the kids run around the house doing everything else). That's my daily afternoon routine.

[Jay-qu]

Only coffee I drink is from a plunger and must be soy milk, but I could probably count the amount of cups I have had in my life on my hands.. not much of a fan, I would rather some juice or a Barrocca :naughty:

[InfiniteNow]

Only coffee I drink is from a plunger

You Aussie's are strange indeed. :hihi:

 

 

[Turtle]

But the coffee has to be good before you start adding things.:hihi:

If you live in USA how are you going to manage that?:esad:

I think you commented before on the quality of coffee in the US, and I don't quite get the dig. :Clown: We import the same coffee from around the world as any other country. :shrug:

 

When I can afford whole bean coffee, I prefer it. For the most part I use canned Yuban Columbian in a drip maker, either black or with a dribble of milk. That said, I will drink whatever is available be it instant, plunged, faux dairy sweetened, or what-have-you. I do draw the line however at coffee from a yak's ***. :)

 

When making coffee by whatever means, clean equipment and pure water give the best results from any given bean, grind, or blend. :umno:

[Michaelangelica]

I think you commented before on the quality of coffee in the US, and I don't quite get the dig. :esheriff:

It is truly appalling. You have to be excused because you obviously don't know any better.

It is the bottomless cup that revolts the most. That dishwater week stuff that the waitress keeps pouring into your cup and is continually stewed and replenished by I guess what you call a 'drip maker'?

We import the same coffee from around the world as any other country. :phones:

I know.

It is amazing!

What you do with it is sacrilege.

No wonder the French hate Yank tourists.

Even French Motorway Coffee Machines make a better coffee than any to be found in the US

 

To defend those in The Land of Oz. Plunger coffee is acceptable in an emergency.

Plungers are in fact useful in all sorts of emergencies.:cup:

[maikeru]

It is an art.

I have seen two people make a cup of coffee from the same machine. One makes a beautiful cup one terrible (I used to run a cafe). They both appeared to be doing the same thing!

The best coffee around is in France and especially Italy. Turkish and Greek coffee is good if you like eating it.

Fortunately we have lots of Italians in Australia.

The worst coffee in the world is in the USA (Did you see the long suffering French Secret Service in Godzilla? -packed me up, very funny, underrated movie LOL)

 

Italian coffee is really good. When I'm not lazy, I put some finely ground Italian coffee into my percolator (which is from Italy, given to me by a friend) and put it on the stove. 2 minutes later I have black gold, and it's sooo good with a little sugar. When I'm studying, I settle for insta-crap.

 

Earl Grey Tea is best week without M&S.

 

I have heard that this is famous British tea, and I have some in the cupboard. No offense intended, but to me it tastes like aromatic paint thinner, when drunk just straight. Second to it is some Dutch black tea which was slightly better, yet still toxic.

 

Lemon Verbena Tea is wonderful (my favourite herb tea) but only when picked fresh from the plant.

Some teas need to be made week some strong. A camomile tea bag will make a huge pot of tea and many use it for just one cup and it is chunderous.

The best and most interesting teas I have tasted-including lovely, various iced teas, was in the USA.

( The Brits only occasionally make a decent cup of anything -just enough to confuse you and lull you into ordering something undrinkable again- we even had to go back (they sent us here for the sun and beaches) and teach them how to make beer!)

 

I wish I could try the lemon verbena tea. Perhaps I will get a chance when winter passes and I can order some seeds and grow my own.

 

As far as green/jasmine and oolong teas go, in my experience the best come from China, Japan, and Taiwan, in order of increasing quality, although fine Chinese teas are very good (and likewise pricey). Taiwanese teas are the most expensive, for even cheap ones cost more than expensive macha (powdered green tea) in Japan, and have a full, delicate, and sweet taste that plays on the tongue, leaving you feeling clean and refreshed. It's hard to describe but so good.

[maikeru]

Only coffee I drink is from a plunger and must be soy milk, but I could probably count the amount of cups I have had in my life on my hands.. not much of a fan, I would rather some juice or a Barrocca ;)

 

I think half of the love affair with coffee comes from the aroma. Few things smell as wonderful as freshly brewed coffee.

[Michaelangelica]

 

I have heard that this is famous British tea, and I have some in the cupboard. No offense intended, but to me it tastes like aromatic paint thinner, when drunk just straight.

It is made by adding Bergamot Oil to tea. Bergamot is a variety of Orange. The Oil comes from the skin. It smells a lttle perfumey because most men's aftershaves are made with Bergamot. It is also used as a "Top Note" in many perfumes.

It is an acquired taste .You have to experiment a little. It is best weak with out M&S for me

I wish I could try the lemon verbena tea. Perhaps I will get a chance when winter passes and I can order some seeds and grow my own.

You will need to buy a plant in the Spring. It is usually grown from cuttings not seeds.

[maikeru]

I may never get used to something like Earl Grey. I have too much green tea in my system. But the bergamot does smell wonderful.

 

My mistake about lemon verbena. It doesn't produce seeds reliably, so you're right. It'll have to be a cutting for me, then. I was thinking lemon verbena was related to mints, as bee balm and lemon balm are. It is also very sensitive to cold, which is distressing, considering how cold this winter has been (and as I look at the several centimeters of snow outside).

[Michaelangelica]

It is also very sensitive to cold, which is distressing, considering how cold this winter has been (and as I look at the several centimeters of snow outside).

It is a twiggy, small, untidy tree; but it is deciduous in cold climates; which should protect it.

I imagine once you got the little branches big enough not to freeze it should be ok outside. Check with your local nurseryman or herb-farm

 

More disturbing coffee news

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/31142

(Can you tell I've just discovered "The Onion")

Upper-Middle-Class Woman Worries There's Better Coffee She Doesn't Know About

 

November 13, 2002 | Issue 38•42

 

DEERFIELD, IL—Upper-middle-class homemaker Irene Risser expressed fear Monday that there exists a gourmet coffee superior to the brands she currently buys. "I have Kona Coffee's peaberry flavor, which is really terrific, and I also like to buy Sumatran Rainforest," Risser said. "But I still worry that somewhere out there, someone has better, more expensive coffee than I do." Risser then went on the Internet to search for $25-a-pound breakfast blends.

[Tormod]

I think you commented before on the quality of coffee in the US, and I don't quite get the dig. :hyper: We import the same coffee from around the world as any other country. :cup:

 

There are different blends for each region. Scandinavian blends tend to be more roasted and have a slightly bitter taste compared to standard US fare.

 

Here is a list of some blends by name, that should give you an idea of the varieties.

 

http://www.coffeemasters.com/Public/coffeeblends.htm

 

In Norway, we laugh at American tourists who take the coffee back to the counter because they "can't see the bottom of the cup". It is a stereotype joke, of course...but here we like our coffee so black that it basically wears out the cup. ;)

[Turtle]

In Norway, we laugh at American tourists who take the coffee back to the counter because they "can't see the bottom of the cup". It is a stereotype joke, of course...but here we like our coffee so black that it basically wears out the cup. ;)

 

My coffee drinking housemates won't drink the coffee I make, because it's thick enough to eat with a fork. I keep pointing out to them they can always add water to thin it down, but there's nothing can be done to help the pale swill they make.

 

I would never laugh at a Norwegian tourist. :hyper: :cup: