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Stalean 
"Back...OMG"
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 Posted - 05/02/2007 : 15:33:35
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I really enjoyed our coffee thread about a year ago, but the topic has been locked. I thought I would start a new thread since I have, recently, joined a really 'hot' site/forum Single Serve Coffee that is primarily devoted to single serve pod/cup brewing.
One can obtain recommendations for different coffee roasts/flavors and all things coffee and coffee machines, reviews, etc. My user name is Stajava on the forum.  I have purchased a Keurig B60 Special Edition K-cup single serve brewer, and I am purchasing a Grindmaster OPOD commercial pod brewer, hopefully, on Saturday. These two are considered the top two single serve brewers by the experts and members.
I know Chocolate_Lady has/had a Senseo (blue or black?). Does anyone else prostrate at the altar of Single Serve Coffee (this includes espresso, too--that means you Se�n). A lot of the members have the Nespresso machine. Come have a look at the site and tell me what you think.  |
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duh 
"catpurrs"
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Posted - 05/02/2007 : 16:06:34
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I'll post something heretical.  I'm currently back on a diet that has worked very well for me many times before, for rapid weight loss. One mixes up a powder from dried milk and protein powder and nosalt then combines it with no-cal no-carb liquid of one's choice. I mix mine in the mornings with coffee.
This post isn't exactly on-topic, but I too enjoyed the previous coffee topic. Gives us another glimpse into each other's lives and cultures. |
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Rovark 
"Luck-pushing, rule-bending, chance-taking reviewer"
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Posted - 05/02/2007 : 19:02:26
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I've got almost exactly the same routine today that I had then.
I'm still really a dedicated tea drinker, the exception being Elevensies at work.
I stick with my anti-social caftiere for one
Load it up with 4 heaped teaspoons of coffee, I can't get the Taylors Hot Lava Java (extreme roast [6]) that I used to love so now use a Sulowesi roast [5]
In to my half pint mug goes a splash of semi-skimmed milk and a single heaped sugar.
If it's not thick enough to slice, then it's not strong enough
This goes down with 2 squares of Lindt 70% solids chocolate.
I used to have a machine that made great coffee but it was a bother cleaning it each time and I mostly drink coffee at work so I had to let it go.
I find the caftiere works fine for me but if anyones got any recommendations for ground coffees available in the uk, I'm interested. 
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Stalean
"Back...OMG"
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Posted - 05/02/2007 : 20:44:31
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Are you in luck, Rovark! The Keurig (any model) is absolutely mess-free. There is a special K-cup that looks rather like a large individual serving of cream/half-and-half that has a sealed foil top (you do NOT remove this seal). You pop it into the top opening, close the lid, lights blink around which serving size you select, and voil�, your coffee is ready and the neat little K-cup is ready to discard into the trash. Couldn't be simpler. 
What is so nice about the Keurig K-cup is, you order on-line from 130+ coffee and tea varieties. If you, perhaps, prefer the Grindmaster OPOD/GPOD, Senseo or Bunn My Cafe using single-serve pods (that look like small coffee/tea filled disks), these are somewhat messier (more for home use), but I hear they make a great cup of coffee/tea. What is nice about the OPOD is (besides having several sizes) you can adjust your strength, too, and you have 230+ varieties to choose from.  |
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Downtown 
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 05/02/2007 : 22:14:43
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| I'm not a huge fan of pod coffee, I really prefer using a French press/plunger pot (they come in single-serve sizes now, and you can even find travel mugs with plungers). But we have a K-Cup brewer at the office, so I've been drinking a lot of that stuff lately. The best coffee I've have from it is Green Mountain's Nantucket Blend. It's very smooth and balanced, but still has a lot of body to it (if I wanted my coffee to be all watery, I'd just drink water!). If you want a slightly more intense flavor, their French Roast is pretty good, too...but I don't consider it to be really "French." You don't get a lot of the rich flavor and really full body that I expect from a French roast, or even Green Mountain's French roast that you can get at the supermarket (or their stores, before they closed them all). Maybe it's because the beans are pre-ground. It's richer and fuller-bodied than the Nantucket, but not quite enough to call it a French roast. |
Edited by - Downtown on 05/02/2007 22:17:29 |
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Koli
"Striving lackadaisically for perfection."
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Posted - 05/02/2007 : 23:09:15
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I'm not drinking the stuff at the moment as I'm recovering from a nasty cold and don't want to aggravate the catarrh problem.
By the way, if you want to see a picture of my phlegm, click here
Hope you enjoyed it. 
I have a Dualit coffee maker that can use single sachet thingies but I don't normally use them, preferring to make cuppuccinos with loose Lavazza Qualita Oro (yes, I'll continue using it despite the result of the Champions' League semi-final tonight - A C Milan knocked Manchester United out).
Once I've had my morning cappuccino I turn to the single-mug cafetiere. I'm still searching for the perfect ground coffee to go in it, so I'll read others' recommendations with interest. |
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Stalean
"Back...OMG"
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Posted - 05/02/2007 : 23:10:24
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Good information, Downtown. I haven't tried the French Roast yet, but my first try with the GM's Nantucket Blend didn't do much for me (too weak tasting to me).
I think that I prefer the Extra Bold or Dark Roasts more than the light or medium roasts. So far I really like the Van Houtte Eclipse Blend EB, Green Mountain Sumatran Reserve EB, Coffee People Organic and medium roast Timothy's Columbian La Vereda (which doesn't taste at all like a medium roast) for caffeinated. Timothy's Columbian Decaf isn't bad, but somewhat on the weak side. I need to try some other decafs that are more bold, as I can drink only caffeinated in the morning. |
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Stalean
"Back...OMG"
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Posted - 05/03/2007 : 04:43:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Rovark
I can't get the Taylors Hot Lava Java (extreme roast [6]) that I used to love so now use a Sulowesi roast [5]
Aloha Island makes a Lava Java. I don't know whether it is similar to Taylors, though. You can order THLJ on Amazon. I don't know how much you are used to spending, so this may not be a good price. |
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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 05/03/2007 : 05:48:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Koli
Once I've had my morning cappuccino I turn to the single-mug cafetiere. I'm still searching for the perfect ground coffee to go in it, so I'll read others' recommendations with interest.
Koli - didn't you have any luck with these guys? I still think it's the best! The choice is excellent and Ian sources all the suppliers himself - African, New Guinea, S. American, Caribbean ... I think you had a taster pack last year. They do ground as well as beans ... I'm guessing medium grind for caffetiere and fine for espresso machine.
PS - for a quick espresso cheat - Ikea sell battery-operated milk frothers for 99 pee! I only found this out after I'd spent nearly a tenner on one from Nisbet's kitchen suppliers online  Dunno if it'll work on semi-skimmed - it definitely works on those nut-milks and quinoa milk.
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thefoxboy
"Four your eyes only."
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 05/03/2007 : 07:36:10
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Yes, I have a Senseo (blue - to match my kitchen) and we love it. The problem is, since this is an import from The Netherlands, and they don't sell these in Israel, I have to personally import the pods. But my husband's sister lives in Holland (she bought and brought our Senseo) and she's always bringing us pods. We find the Albert Hejn (sp?) single bean pods to be wonderful.
By the way, we bought a set of re-usuable pods for the Senseo through Amazon (USA) which you can fill with your own blend. A great idea, since you can put your own blend in and don't kill trees, but the plastic pods are very tricky to fill just right, can be messy when you pack them and the result doesn't have as nice a foam on it as the pods do.
I'm addicted to coffee, but I'm no gourmet (as I am with chocolate). |
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ragingfluff 
"Currently lost in Canada"
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Posted - 05/03/2007 : 18:10:33
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Myself and Mrs Fluff run a little B&B above our shop. We put Tassimo single serve beverage makers in the rooms, and our guests love them. They make good espresso (nabob), nice cappucinos and lattes and pretty decent hot chocolate (suchard). They also have gevalia coffee T Discs but they are unavailable in Canada for some reason. Tell Beanmimo (WHO IS NOT A COFFEE DRINKER AT ALL) that they also make nice tea....
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Stalean
"Back...OMG"
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Posted - 05/03/2007 : 22:59:35
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quote:
Originally posted by ragingfluff
Myself and Mrs Fluff run a little B&B above our shop. We put Tassimo single serve beverage makers in the rooms, and our guests love them. They make good espresso (nabob), nice cappucinos and lattes and pretty decent hot chocolate (suchard). They also have gevalia coffee T Discs but they are unavailable in Canada for some reason. Tell Beanmimo (WHO IS NOT A COFFEE DRINKER AT ALL) that they also make nice tea....
There is a growing contingent of Tassimo users on the site that I mentioned in my previous post. I was really torn when I purchased my Keurig, as BB&B had both. I think the deciding factor was the number of varieties available with the Keurig was so much more than the Tassimo. The Keurig and the OPOD also make tea. The OPOD even has a tea setting. The Tassimo is really cool, though, a barcode on the T-disc informs the machine how to brew that particular blend/variety. |
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shoon
"Five(ish?) years as a fwiffer"
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Posted - 05/04/2007 : 17:45:34
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| Coffee makes me feel ill. I've only ever had 3 cups I think, 2 in America and one that Koli bought me. |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 05/04/2007 : 18:06:03
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quote:
Originally posted by shoon
Coffee makes me feel ill. I've only ever had 3 cups I think, 2 in America and one that Koli bought me.
Maybe you're allergic to caffiene. |
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Sean
"Necrosphenisciform anthropophagist."
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Posted - 05/04/2007 : 23:52:19
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I have a cappuccino/espresso machine (one of these), and allow myself only two espressos per day, before midday (sleeping issues  ). Either:-
A) A soyaccino (single-espresso cappuccino with soy milk sprinkled with chocolate powder, no sugar), followed half an hour or so later by an espresso with dark chocolate (70%),
OR
B) A double espresso in a long black. This involves 30ml cold water, 150ml boiling water, then a 60ml double-espresso extract on top, ending up with a 240ml drink. The cold water means that it's drinkable straight away, otherwise the froth will have disappeared by the time it's cool enough to drink.
I still use pre-ground Lavazza "Il Perfetto Espresso" even though I have a burr-grinder. None of the whole-bean varieties I've found are consistent enough or good enough. |
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All Things Coffee (and Chocolate)
