I love coffee. My favorite flavor ice cream is coffee. Coffee commercials make me cry.
I rarely drank coffee in college. Coffee shops did not exist back then, unless you got a cup of joe from Gloria Jean’s at the mallor 7-11. The really wasn’t a coffee culture in the late 80s, and I remember when the cyber cafe was a big deal. <<Insert oohs and aahs (and perhaps some eye rolling) here.>> I spent some time in Europe and learned to appreciate good coffee. It’s there that I developed my palate for strong, dark coffee. I still drink it thick and black. Only in desperate times do I drink the hotel coffee that comes with the free breakfast buffet of convenience store danishes and lumpy oatmeal. Truth be told, I don’t even like my mother’s coffee. She makes it weak and watery. The woman is a damn fine cook but can’t make coffee strong enough to suit my taste.
I’ve been through the gamut of coffee makers and French presses. I have a Keurig now, given to me gratis as a brand ambassador. I was skeptical at first but have found that the Keurig definitely deserves a spot on my counter. It’s perfect for the times I just want one cup or the (delightful) times I am awake before everyone else and can indulge in some hot coffee and the paper in the comfort of peace and no “He hit me!” quibbling in the background. I’ve been taste testing to find the coffee blends that are strong enough to make my tastebuds dance. There have been some duds for sure. I don’t care for flavored coffee so anything with a name that sounds like dessert doesn’t make the cut. I know many of you received a Keurig for the holidays, so in no particular order, here are the K-Cup portion pack varieties that I like best.
Barista Prima Italian Roast and French Roast
Caribou (They are all good, but Obsidian is my favorite.)
Tully’s French Roast
Green Mountain Reserve Fair Trade Sumatran
Starbucks Sumatra and French Roast
So tell me, what are you discovering with your Keurig? Has anyone tried the K-Cup filter, that little reusable coffee filter basket? I’m thinking about giving that a go.
I really like the Donut Shop bold from Coffee People, and the Green Mountain Roasters Breakfast Blend. I’ve got the refillable things, one that has a basket filter, and the other that uses paper filters. The one with paper filters isn’t cheaper by the time you buy the refills, so unless you HAVE to have some particular roast….. The one with the refillable basket works just fine, but is a pain to clean out after each cup.
My wife likes it because she drinks Tea, and I drink Coffee, we can both have what we want, and no waste.
we have a fully plumbed one in the office – it is a godsend. everyone uses it – we keep the kitchen stocked with a few kinds of tea, and a few kinds of coffee, and sugar. if you want milk, you’re on your own. it’s so easy, and it’s adequate coffee.
in the winter doldrums, i like an 8oz hot chocolate, spiked with a 4oz dark roast coffee – sort of mocha latte like.