Drinking... coffee, that is.

[Bob Gollihur]

For some reason I have noted that musicians, but especially bass players, are often very much into coffee. I don't drink as much as I used to, but here in my home office a cup sits on my little electric warmer so I can suck on it into the early afternoon.

Anywho, if you could care less, move on, but if you share the same "quality, good-tasting coffee" bug as I, read on. I am no connoisseur, am frugal so you'll find neither my machine or coffee exotic (expensive).

My mass-market cheapie was getting scrungy, so I decided to toss it and buy a new one. It's amazing how much you can spend on an essentially simple machine that heats water. Did some research and settled on a relatively inexpensive (due to Internet source) machine that has turned out to be an immediate favorite. The review I found on-line along with some other contenders:

Cuisinart Classic Coffee Bar Coffeemaker

Cuisinart offers three versions of this model, each with added features to reflect the increased cost. I found I enjoyed these cups of coffee a lot more than most of the others that I had tried.

--
Model DCC-100 (10 cup) and Model DCC-240 (12 cup)
Cost: $50 and $60 respectively
I didn't find the hourglass shape of the cabinet and rounded design of the carafe visually appealing. The cabinet is a bit smaller than other coffeemakers so it may fit more easily on your counter. I liked the sturdy, comfortable feel of the ergonomically designed carafe handle on this and the other Cuisinart models. Cuisinart touts a commercial style coffeemaking system by setting the number of cups needed. Even if you may have mistakenly added too much water, the water is automatically metered into the brew basket by the setting. The control panel is not programmable and offers toggle switches for on/off and 1-4 cup and 5-10 cup brew selections. The carafe lid is designed to capture all the coffee aromas. The filter basket swings out and has a removable liner. All models come in black or white plastic, are top-filling with large, easy-to-read side-view water-level indicators.
--

I got the DCC-100 for $30+$6 UPS ground at http://www.brandsmall.com - got here in four business days.

The only thing I wish it had is an automatic shut-off, but other than that, it's easy to clean and the coffee is so much better than my other machine. I typically grind the beans once a week, just the plain old Eight O'Clock Columbian.

That's what happens when you're alone in a home office all day You have nobody to talk to except on the PC -- yesterday's events brought my phone inquiries and orders almost to a standstill, so it's pretty quiet around here.

[CS]

I dont mind talking to you Bob

Coming from a nation of tea drinkers

Actually I do drink about 7 cups of tea but many 'Brits' do drink coffee. We tend to drink a lot of instant coffee. It tends to be weak. The french drink it stronger and funny enough my wife buys a lot of coffee from France. We just ran out and stocked up on holiday (vacation).

For 'real' coffee I like those cafe things (the jug with the plunger). I cannot be bothered with the filtered things (I have one somewhere)

When i was in Florida a lot of the coffee was 'Columbian' but I prefer 'Brazillian.

BTW Americans cannot make tea.

Hope this helps your slow day its 5.45 pm GMT and I am going home soon. Oops I have just admitted I surf at work. No not me.

[XavierG]

I couldn't function without coffee. I've cut down on my consumption as per doctors orders, but I still need at least 2 cups (large mugs, actually) to get me going in the morning. I'll have a couple more during the day, and often end up at Starbucks to "shoot the breeze" over a 'grande' with a buddy or 2 at night.

[Wil Davis]

I'm originally from the UK, but now live in the NE of the USA - have done since 1983, and one thing I've learned is that Americans make tea the way that the English make coffee... very badly, that is...

I love tea - drink about 3 or 4 cups a day, made in the time-honoured fashion: boiling water, warm the tea-pot (made for me in the UK by a friend who's a potter), loose tea (1 tsp/person & 1 for the pot), take the pot to the water, let steep for 2 or 3 mins, milk in the cup, pour tea through strainer - mmm... delicious!

On the other hand, Americans make coffee the way the English make tea... very well, that is...

I love coffee (but can't stand the flavoured crap that seems to be so popular over here...) - freshly ground dark-roast, just add a pinch of salt on the top of the grounds) aaahhh! smell the aroma! - taken black, no sugar - mmm... delicious!

- Wil

PS: was back in UK for last Yuletide - coffee over there... blechhhhhh!

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm a coffe lunatic. About 3 1/2 years ago, I was invited in at the end of a first date with a beautiful, sensible, and funny woman. Upon reaching her kitchen, she asked if I'd like some coffee.I said yes. She poured the water into the top of a device called a "BUN-O-MATIC" coffeemaker. two minutes later, I was drinking some of the best coffee of my life. BUNS RULE!!!!

...ahem....

I married that woman 2 years ago, and am still crazy about her BUN. (No BUN intended).

...ahem.. .....


DURRL

[XavierG]

Originally posted by Wil Davis
....boiling water, warm the tea-pot (made for me in the UK by a friend who's a potter), loose tea (1 tsp/person & 1 for the pot), take the pot to the water, let steep for 2 or 3 mins, milk in the cup, pour tea through strainer - mmm... delicious!

Too much work! Starbucks is easier - walk in store, make choice, hand over your money, drink your coffee, find the nearest toilet... I mean, err.. never mind.

[gruffpuppy]

Originally posted by Wil Davis
I love coffee (but can't stand the flavoured crap that seems to be so popular over here...) - freshly ground dark-roast, just add a pinch of salt on the top of the grounds) aaahhh! smell the aroma! - taken black, no sugar - mmm... delicious!

- Wil

That my friend is perfection in the Coffee world.

I am kind of sick of walking into Starbucks and asking for coffee flavored coffee.

[JazznFunk]

While not a coffee junkie, coffee is one of those things most dear to me. I am self-admittedly a coffee snob. I hate weak coffee, and drink it straight up. There are so many subtleties to coffee's flavor that people cover up with creamer and sugar. I just don't understand it. :-)

Starbucks is my favorite, but there are several local roasters who make coffee that is just as good. Also, in the line of "chain coffees", the Atlanta Bread Company is a restaurant chain that has coffee tasting very similar to Starbucks. Ironically enough, it's called "Seattle Roast." Mmmm, it's GOOD!

I wonder if there IS some weird connection between being a bassist and a coffee fanatic?

[basseddie]

The morning just isnt any good without my 2 cups of coffee to start, my cup actually holds 2 cups at a time, but i still count it as only 2 cups. Maybe one in the afternoon, tea in the evening, with cream of coarse ( im told that is weird). I cant be patient enough for a coffee machine, just boil the water, throw in the instant, add some french veniela and enjoy.
I hear starbucks is common in the us now, but in my city in ontario, you cannot throw a stone without hitting a tim hortons coffee shop, plus they have within a block away from tim hortons, they have "coffee time", and also "country style", plus other fancy coffee shops. I think there are more coffee shops per capita here than anywere else in north america. If you go through my city from east to west, in a distance of about 5 miles (8 km) you will pass 4 "Tim Hortons" 2 "coffee time" and 1 "williams coffee pub", all on the same street.
What a country.
eddie

[neptoon]

i've got a bunn-o-matic with its own little water line. when i first moved into my new duplex the other day, that prolly took the longest to set up. it was also my first priority i hope that isn't an infringement of my rental agreement i got it from a friend of mine that works at mcdonald's. they were gonna throw it out when they were renovating! man...i like it either black, like my soul, or blonde and sweet with hazelnut creamer. i'm a submariner, so i measure my intake of joe by the pot. i have a few a day...that cuisinart sounds nice though...prolly a lot better looking than the sterile stainless steel look of my bunn-o-matic. i usually just use maxwell house.

[Mike N]

My friends look at me like Im nuts because I drink coffee in the morning,noon and night.One of my friends said he was going to find a 12 volt coffee maker for my truck.
Imo McDonalds has the best coffee.

Originally posted by basseddie
I hear starbucks is common in the us now, but in my city in ontario, you cannot throw a stone without hitting a tim hortons coffee shop

You dont live in London,Ontario do you?I was there a few weeks ago and I think there was a Tim Hortons on every street corner.

[basseddie]

Mike N, i live in Oshawa Ontario, about 2 hours east of london. I think a lot of cities in ontario are into the coffee addiction.
eddie

[mchildree]

Count me in on the addicts list....to the tune of a minimum of 6-7 cups throughout the morning. I'd drink it all day, but I've found that I sleep much better if I stop around noon.

I never cared for Starbucks, myself. I like the Gevalia stuff we get mail-order, or Dunkin' Donuts dark roast for take-out. We frequently drink plain old Eight-OClock too.

We used to LOVE a brand out of Louisiana called Community....can't get it here any more, though

[Chris Fitzgerald]

CHILDREE OF THE KoRn,

I think we must be soul brothers separated at birth...your morning intake level sounds exactly the same as mine, although I don't stop at noon yet. I find the biggest problem with continued drinking during the day is not sleeplessness but dehydration. A few years from now, I expect I'll be experiencing both.

DURRLBUCKS

[neptoon]

starbucks, indeed....coffee flavored coffee please... i think mr. gruffpuppy has hit it...

[Komakino]

Ah well like everything I do, I make tea and coffee properly

I like tea made the way Wil described, and I make coffee using a caffetiere (jug and plunger thing). MMMMMM!

I need around 7 mugs per day. My brother just bought me a 1 pint mug to drink tea out of, I usually have a couple of those just in the evenings as I'm browsing TB.

[Bass Boy]

Originally posted by basseddie
Mike N, i live in Oshawa Ontario, about 2 hours east of london. I think a lot of cities in ontario are into the coffee addiction.
eddie

I lived in St Catharines Ontario before I moved to Montreal. St Catharines is the Donut Shop Capital of the world. Johnny Carson even mentioned us on the Tonight Show.
I own an espresso machine and ever morning I wake up and have a nice large iced mochaccino..mmm!

[Komakino]

I sure wish we had more American/Canadian style coffee shops in the UK. It would be nice to walk into a coffeeshop and order something unpronouncable and still have it delivered hot and fresh to my table.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Brighton has a huge number of coffee shops of different types. In fact in the "Lanes" you can sit in a coffee shop and the only view you have is of other coffee shops!!

So at the weekend I was sitting in the "Costa" coffee shop, which sells nice Italian-style coffee and pastries, while looking at the "Starbucks" straight ahead, while there was another coffee shop to my left and at least 4 others in view, as well as a vegetarian/organic place which sells food and coffee! There are a dozen coffee shops within less than 2 minutes walk.

[oldsaw]

All of you Canucks, ever hear of Timothy's. A very close friend of mine is their VP of Franchising. He said they are up to around 150 outlets. Is their coffee any good?

As for myself, I do not usually drink coffee after noon. I think the 16 to 18 cups I have by then is enough to keep me going the rest of the day.

Mark