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The case for bad coffee (2015)

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Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#301

Post by abstract_put »

robbrown451 wrote: post #214
luma wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You advocate for not buying high quality coffee and then follow it with: > Then put sugar and milk in because black coffee is nasty. If you think your coffee is nasty, maybe it's the coffee?

Maybe, but I just don't like black coffee, and I'm pretty sure I've had "good" black coffee. Too acidic and bitter. I guess you could say I "just don't like coffee," but I do like it with cream and sugar, so.... I mean, whatever. That's what I like.

> I've had "good" black coffee. Too acidic and bitter.

Without trying to talk you out of your preference, I think there's a distinction that might be useful here. A "good" buttery chardonnay isn't going to be enjoyable if you just don't like white wine. There are a ton of great coffees that do not have acidic and bitter as significant tasting notes, so it might be a case of finding a better match to your preferences?

Even with your Mr. Coffee if you use a metal filter compared to a paper filter I imagine you'd notice a flavor difference to the point where you'd have a preference.

That said, I don't think there's necessarily a coffee for everyone - it's just not tasty to some. Even then, you might find a medium roast with some dried fruit or toffee tasting notes, prepared as a pour over or similar by a local hipster might be notably less nasty than what you're drinking today.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#302

Post by paulfurtado »

Robotbeat wrote: post #266
compiler-guy wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still more work than instant maxwell house, and still missing the point about the article. It isn’t about the coffee, it’s about the experience and the people you drink it with. Frou-frou coffee has a way of making the experience about the coffee, rather than about the company and environs. At least that is the author’s point. And I say this as someone who grinds their own beans every day.

Starbuck’s Via instant coffee is the best instant coffee I’ve ever tasted, and it’s not close. Like a real cup of coffee, somehow. I’ve been looking for an off-brand version of it (micro ground coffee beans?) considering it’s much more expensive than regular instant coffee but haven’t found any.

I'm not sure if it comes out ahead on price, but I find Waka instant coffee to be great. Similar to your experience with Starbucks Via, it's the first brand that convinced me that instant coffee could be good. You can buy it on Amazon in little single-cup packets, or a bag of it.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#303

Post by jhbadger »

mrsirduke wrote: post #268
hammyhavoc wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My thoughts exactly. Now I drink espresso coffee in normal mugs, without coffee or sugar. There's a lot of flavour in coffee that's masked with milk and sugar. Spicy notes, chocolatey notes. Even mildly fruity notes, but the more bitter, the better.

What you two are describing may be the addition of Robusta commonly found in Italian espresso blends and more. It's what gives those blends that bitter kick. If that's what you're after, try seeking out blends with 5-10% Robusta.

I also like coffee mixed with chicory in the New Orleans style for that bitter kick. The New Orleans Cafe du Monde (besides brewing it on site) also sells the mixture in some supermarkets for brewing at home.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#304

Post by twangist »

xioxox wrote: post #25

I certainly like instant coffee and prefer it over many other types I have tried. It took a few tries to find a good one, however. Perhaps it's because I mostly like coffee quite milky, which might cover over any quality issues. Developing a taste for good coffee (or wine, etc) doesn't seem attractive to me. You end up needing more and more equipment. You need expensive high quality beans. It's typically messy, time…

No, you just need to be able to discern features and appreciate desirable ones.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#305

Post by lovehashbrowns »

nextos wrote: post #57
lisper wrote: post #46

Good grief. If you enjoy it then by definition it is not bad, it is good, even if it didn't cost you an arm and a leg and you got it at the grocery store or the diner. The coffee snobs can just go fuck themselves. I had two life experiences that beat the culinary snobbery out of me. Many years ago I was a tea-totaller but I decided I wanted to develop a taste for wine (because social pressure) so I started a wine tas…

What Keurig did you end up buying?

I had the k-slim or whatever not too long ago but gave it away when I moved. It has a reservoir for multiple servings and makes manageable coffee. I really loved it so I figured I’d get it again but accidentally got the slim without a reservoir.

So then I was making a cup of coffee and having to fill the water before every use. Nothing has upset me more than having to fill the water before every cup of coffee.

I know it sounds incredibly stupid but I think this article puts it into words better than I could. I don’t want /good/ coffee, I just want coffee that’ll get the hell out of my way so I can focus on other things.

I ended up getting a ninja coffee machine which can make drip coffee and k-cup coffee, and it has a giant water reservoir. Probably the best investment ever. I think it cost only slightly more than that first k-slim machine I had.

I’ll probably get an aeropress so I can get extra fancy on occasion and maybe roast my own coffee beans eventually because I’ve heard it makes a giant difference.

But really 99% of my coffee consumption is around “ok” coffee from my ninja machine thing. A lot of the time I don’t even know what flavor cup I used, or care.

But there’s nothing more comforting than running into a problem at work, getting a cup of coffee while I think about the problem in my head, and sitting down at my desk to start on my work as I take my first sip.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#306

Post by comicjk »

jmpeax wrote: post #289

"Maxwell" is mentioned 5 times. Are we sharing well-written advertisements masquerading as organic marketing on hacker news now? Are we becoming reddit?

At least according to Paul Graham's old essay about it, it's everywhere: http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#307

Post by abstract_put »

duxup wrote: post #160
LeoPanthera wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The coffee may be fine, but k-cups are some of the most environmentally unfriendly products ever produced. They cannot be recycled, they do not biodegrade, and they are produced in the billions . Apparently (citation needed), the inventor regrets his invention. If you must drink pod coffee, consider Nespresso, which despite the questionable record of the Nestle company, can be fully recycled.

Kirkland cups have a recycling symbol (5) on them. Just take the foil off and rinse and I’m told they are good to recycle.

I think by and large recycling programs could generally be described as "a sham" pretty accurately. I'm sure there are good programs somewhere, but locally I think it was estimated (ballpark, just trying to remember) like 5-10% of recyclable plastic ends up being recycled vs. in a landfill or incinerated. Of that, some depressingly small amount is actually usefully recycled.

Back of the napkin, if you buy a 30-pack of recyclable cups and are diligent about taking the foil off roughly 1 of those 30 will be meaningfully recycled. Obviously not "you" here, just trying to make a statistics point that recycling is usually (depending where you live) closer to a lie than not.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#308

Post by camtarn »

FartyMcFarter wrote: post #2

I can sympathize. For example, while I love to go to great pizza restaurants that use the freshest ingredients and the best dough, I am often still attracted to takeaway pizza of worse quality - it's great comfort food.

A friend of mine once proposed that we just coin a new word for the latter, and instead of calling it pizza call it 'dough-cheese-wedge'. I agreed, because I do like nice freshly made Italian pizza, I also frequently order a gigantic dough-cheese-wedge from my local kebab shop and consume it to great satisfaction. They're just completely different foods designed for different circumstances, and I love them both.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#309

Post by e15ctr0n »

MAGZine wrote: post #185
hanklazard wrote: post #34

This was a really beautiful post. As for coffee, like many other parts of life (movies, food, and music especially), I find that I like it very good or very bad—as long as it’s not down the middle, I can find a time/place to enjoy it. I have a fairly expensive Rocket Espresso machine, I’ve learned some latte art. I have every coffee making contraption out there. And I enjoy all of it, at times. When I’m in a hurry I’…

starbucks can be good, the trick is to order: 1. espresso drinks 2. order one shot extra (starbucks will only put 1 shot of espresso in an 12oz tall--so you should order AT LEAST one extra shot). 3. ask for blonde roast, which is actually not half bad. pike place/standard is a disaster. it will not parallel any craft coffee shop, but this actually makes for drinkable coffee, which is convenient since there are starbu…

My aunt endlessly researched all the options at Starbucks and then finally came up with this gold standard. (She writes out on a post-it for every visitor to her home and sticks it in their wallet so they can recite it in front of the barista.)

Cafe latte, tall, non-fat milk, one splenda. (This is fairly zero calorie.)

A stronger option is: Cafe latte, tall, an extra shot of espresso, non-fat milk, two splendas.

Ask for it to be made with Reserve beans.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#310

Post by ehnto »

It's an interesting piece because it's clear they dove head first into the coffee lifestyle, community and culture. Now that they are disenfranchised, they're potentially reflecting in on overcorrection, which is making them feel as though how they once lived was all a bit silly. They're also discovering perhaps a set of blinders on culture they didn't realize they had. I resonated with the story about Ted, and his point about long conversations over bad coffee. I think what he's noted is that sometimes being passionate about something will alienate you from parts of society without you realizing it.

I do feel it's important to remember that we get interested in things for a reason though, and you can't fault yourself for being enthusiastic about something. I'm not saying when we get disenfranchised that we should crawl back, but try not to be too hard on yourself for having enjoyed something in life, even if you no longer do.

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