Someone please tell me that it doesn't always taste like it's been burnt, and that I just had some that was bad and bitter.

I want to like it, I really do, and I LOVE that smell...the mocha I tried? Blech!

add some milk and add some sweetner.

You will like that much better.

Get a capucchino, that usually will give you the nice flavor you expect.

You need to find your niche. Mine is Kirtland (from Costco) dark roast, with a little vanilla cream. I also learned to keep it fresh...don't buy a large container if you don't go through it every couple of weeks. Sitting on the shelf after it's been opened is a killer.

I like a dark roast with CoffeeMate french vanilla sugar-free creamer and Splenda. My favorite is Cafe Bustelo, but that may just be local to Florida, not sure. I really only drink iced coffee, even when it's cold. I fill a glass with ice and pour the coffee only up to the top of the ice. It helps to keep the coffee container in the refrigerator to last longer.

I hope that gives you some ideas.

I find it interesting that most ExMos initially approach coffee, wine, beer, etc. as if they're all the same.

In reality there is SO MUCH VARIETY!

Last week I had a local beer that was AWESOME. Tonight, at my hotel, I tried the local beer and HATED IT.

Anyway, keep trying ... you'll find your niche.

Don't do any of the pre-ground commercial coffee's like Folgers or Maxwell House. They taste like crap. Fresh ground quality beans make a huge difference. There really is a big difference in taste. If you don't want to buy a grinder, at least buy the gourmet beans at your local grocer and grind em fresh there. I would suggest a medium roast or some blend like a 'breakfast blend' which tend to be mellow tasting. Then get yourself some flavored creamer, the liquid kind found in the dairy area. I like the dark roasts, and enjoy drinking it black or with a bit of sugar, but thats not the way to start out.

Navy coffee - The spoon stands up in the cup.
Submarine coffee - Stir fast if you want the spoon back.

Was it Starbucks by chance? Go to a local roaster and get a medium-light roasted coffee. Sweeten and add cream to taste. Get a burr-grinder if you can and grind right before you use it, preferably within a few minutes of grinding. Blade grinders work alright, but they are tough to get the grind just right since they are usually on a timer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2011 03:01AM by koolman2.

Try cold brewing as well:

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/06/cold-brewed/

Once it's done, I heat up 3/4 cup of water, add 1/4 cup of the cold brew and I get a great taste without the acidic taste

... after that first try I thought I'd NEVER like the stuff. Then I learned that as a Mormon I relied WAY TOO MUCH on sugar and sugary drinks.

I grew up and started enjoying the real pleasures of a good drink.

I drink coffee frequently now with great pleasure, and usually as black as I can get it with a couple extra espresso shots in it.

Also, if the bitter taste is rough, get a french press maker and add some egg shells to the grounds -- takes away much of the bitter (name: Hungarian Coffee, I think).

If it was at a local Cafe, that might be the problem. Most of them use the big brun coffee makers. The goal of those is quantity, not quality.

Or did you make your own? And how did you make it? What equipment?

It was a local diner. Dh pointed out after that god only knows how long it had been sitting on the warmer before I had some!

That is a definite starting point!

I don't want to get any equipment for home yet, since we still live near family and aren't "out" yet as finished, but I'm glad to hear that it's because it was bad coffee...and a little impressed by how many different ways people suggest! Thank you very much!

Copying this thread onto a note pad...

I have never had good coffee at a diner. Even microwaved left over coffee from the previous day is better than diner coffee.

At Costco, I get one "silver bag" (arabica, 3 lbs) and one "red bag" (espresso roast arabica, 2 lbs).

Mix them together, grind and brew.

I'm gonna try the cold-brew suggestion this weekend.

It makes single brew from disposable, sealed cups. Its not as good as fresh ground, or at least I haven't found a K-cup blend that I like as well, and I'm still experimenting. So far, my favorite is the "Newman's Own Extra dark roast". It's a very close second to fresh ground, so I can live with it. We purchased the Keuring because my wife and I have very different tastes in coffee; I like mine strong, she likes hers mild, and I like a cup of tea once in awhile.

IMHO, Starbucks burns their beans. I like a good roasted flavor, but not burnt.

But the convenience of the Keurig is exceptional. I can have my french roast and my wife can have her breakfast blend, and a guest can have a cup of tea, all in less than a minute, indidually brewed to taste.

K-cups also come in flavored varieties, and there are both black and herbal teas available.

Their regular roast is so mild and no bitter aftertaste. Couple that with a little Caramel Macchiato creamer, and it's absolutely delightful.

+10

I've posted that before too!

You've got class GLA!

Burger King has good coffee too, much better than McDonald's, IMO. Add creamer and Splenda, for me.

1. Tea kettle (boil on the stove - NOT the same as a pot!) or a glass measuring cup, 2 cup is good size, to bring water to full boil in microwave, but water should be to boiling temp.

2. Coffee you grind yourself, preground like Millstone or Seattle's Best, or you can use grinders at the grocery store. Be sure to stay away from the flavored stuff, and don't grind it in the same one flavored junk is ground in. They use cheap, robusto beans and disguise the poor quality with flavorings. Ick.

3. A plastic Melita cone with paper filters, 2 cup size is good, both readily available at grocery store.

4. A cup or mug that the Melita cone can balance on.

None of this stuff takes up much space, can be hidden away in a cupboard if you are so inclined, and don't cost much. Makes pretty good coffee, and it's what I use most times. Use about a tablespoon of ground coffee per cup of boiling water; experiment and find what you like. (I like mine strong.) Just pour the boiled water slowly over the grounds, and add a little milk, to taste, or half & half. I wouldn't recommend black for beginners. Some people like sugar in coffee, and I did when I first drank it, but now I can't stand it - it interferes with the coffee taste, but coffee goes great with something sweet, like toast with cinnamon sugar on it, or a piece of pie.

The "coffee" you had was possibly burned, which is purely undrinkable, and may have been cheap stuff, which is just not worth drinking. Starbucks over-roasts their beans, and the only way I can drink theirs is to overload it with milk to disguise the burned taste! Caribou on the other hand... mmmmmmm.

Fresh semi-dark beans, Stove top coffee & espresso maker with the vanilla creamer in it. My favorite way, nothing comes close.

Surprisingly enough, Denny's also has good coffee.

No waffle house here in Utah County though :(

Someone on this board once referred to Starbucks as Charbucks and I kind of have to agree. I still buy coffee there just because I like to support the local NOMO enterprises.

Stunted.

Another great coffee if you're finding it too bitter is one with Chicory -- like Cafe Du Monde from the famous cafe in New Orleans. You can find tins of it in some grocery stores as well as World Markets.

I personally love french pressed coffee, but it does have to be a coarse grind. I also have an espresso machine at home, as I also love espresso as an after dinner treat. One thing Mormonism has done for me is to get me to appreciate coffee even more than I did before joining. Now, I'm definitely going to try the cold brew method, as I haven't done that yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2011 08:05PM by adoylelb.

good one. and coffie's good for sex life too.
unfortenetly coffie goes with smoke for me tho I'm seeing
how long I can go without a smoke again and told I cant
drink coffie because it leads to smoke..
Lucky people who can drink coffie and not smoke. well done.

LEVITE.