In praise of Coffee

[X-Files]

According to a new edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders out last week (DSM, or in this case, DSM-5), that sort of excessive caffeine intake can lead to a condition known as “caffeine intoxication,” except it’s nothing like the sort of blissful stupor we tend to associate with that other sort of intoxication.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/31/caffeine-withdrawal-is-now-a-mental-disorder/#ixzz2VA6zGRew

[shep854]

"Caffeine withdrawal" is also classified as a mental disorder in the same volume. Gotcha coming and going!!

[snafu_72]

My biggest problem every morning is that I need coffee. I can't function without it. The problem is that I have to be able to function well enough so that I can make it, so that I can function. It is a Gordian Knot of many twists, turns, and loops.

[Murph]

A thought based on a thread in another forum: Who here has done the old Infantryman's trick of instead of a dip of snuff between cheek and gum, a packet of C-Ration or MRE instant coffee as a dip to get the caffeine straight into the blood stream? I remember doing this at Fort Benning and in Germany during REFORGER, Graf, and Hohenfels.

[Rick]

A thought based on a thread in another forum: Who here has done the old Infantryman's trick of instead of a dip of snuff between cheek and gum, a packet of C-Ration or MRE instant coffee as a dip to get the caffeine straight into the blood stream? I remember doing this at Fort Benning and in Germany during REFORGER, Graf, and Hohenfels.

Never seen it done. Or heard of it done that way.

[Panzermann]

I have seen people eating spoons of instant coffee to get the desired effect while on duty. Using it as dip is new to me, but should work. But then coffein pills are cheap. Or Schok-A-Kola. Chocolate with coffein that marched our glorious troops to Moscow and back!

 

 

 

I am a tea drinker anyway. Makes me envious of the BV on British Army vehicles to this day.

[sunday]

I have seen people eating spoons of instant coffee to get the desired effect while on duty. Using it as dip is new to me, but should work. But then coffein pills are cheap. Or Schok-A-Kola. Chocolate with coffein that marched our glorious troops to Moscow and back!

 

 

 

I am a tea drinker anyway. Makes me envious of the BV on British Army vehicles to this day.

Panzerschokolade!

 

Why did not I buy some of that in Germany, why?

 

https://youtu.be/Bg70yjZfZCk

Edited August 12, 2016 by sunday

[Fritz]

If I drink coffee I need to drink a lot of water with it, otherwise I get dehydrated quickly and feel horrible. But somehow if I have 2-3 cups of espresso and take enough water with that (spread throughout my work day) I feel great.

[bojan]

Reason a "Turkish" coffee is always served with a large glass of water.

[WRW]

My system cannot handle Turkish or worse Armenian coffee.

I drink instant coffee all through the day but none of the heavy stuff

[Panzermann]

Reason a "Turkish" coffee is always served with a large glass of water.

In coffee houses a glass of water is normally served with a cup of coffee as well. But then Vienna learned it from the turks.

[Josh]

Sang Tao 8

 

Accept no substitute.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Josh

[bojan]

Related to coffee - my family name (Kavedzic) origin is from a word "kavedzija", which literary means "coffee shop owner", due the someone down the line (named originally Risto Nikitovic*) brought coffee to Montenegro in early 18th century (from Italy or Dubrovnik).

 

*Due the Montenegro having very strict inter-relative marriage laws (strictly forbidden between cousins closer then 9 times removed) and having low population information about cousins and relatives was very important. That way I have whole line of family from him to this day.

Edited September 15, 2016 by bojan

[bojan]

...

Edited September 15, 2016 by bojan

[Corinthian]

Coolness bojan. I like the stories behind various surnames.

[Mr King]

Agreed

[Rick]

Any major store brand of coffee that are your favorites and why? I usually just buy whatever is on sale but am willing to try new stuff.

[Ivanhoe]

Its a little expensive, but Gevalia is very good and easy to find. This is what I usta get as a treat. No longer in the brick-and-mortar Walmarts in my AO, but still available online;

 

 

Most of the time, though, I just buy the store brand "100% Arabica" tins at the supermarket and slug in a bunch of half-n-half and a tablespoon of cappucino mix.

 

You'll need to figure out what aspects you like and dislike. I cannot stand bitter anything, so that takes about 2/3 of the coffees out there off the table. By trial and error, I have found that I like most Colombian and Sumatran grinds, and so far I have enjoyed Nicaraguan.

 

You can get Seattle's Best at Walmart, but in my area selection has gone down of late. Likewise for Eight O'Clock brand.

 

I wisely followed the advice of Mike Steele and bought a french press (a.k.a. coffee press). Even the cheapo Mr. Coffee press is worthwhile, as you'll quickly develop an appreciation for unfiltered coffee.

[TTK Ciar]

Our mainstay coffee is Peet's Big Bang, which is pleasant tasting and moderately strong. It's a little weaker than I like, and a little stronger than my wife likes, but overall a fair compromise. She just adds a little milk to mellow it out.

 

We also try different coffees as they appear at World Market. They put out a coffee kiosk with different coffee types in different dispensers so customers can try before they buy. Recently we discovered an "Italian Roast" with a strong, complex flavor, and stocked up on that. It's by far the best coffee either of us have ever had.

 

But we also keep Big Bang on hand because in the morning we don't want a complex flavor. We don't want "the best coffee we've ever tasted". We just want something mellow and comforting to wake ourselves up, and Big Bang is exactly that.

[Harold Jones]

I like this https://nmpinoncoffee.com/products/Traditional%20Pi%C3%B1on?category=coffee&priority=I it at Costco. If I happen to run out I pick up a small can of Chock Full O'Nuts to tide me over.

[Leo Niehorster]

OK, I admit I was wrong. (You know who I mean.) I just opened a jar of Maxwell coffee. It tastes absolutely horrible.

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!

 

Admittedly, my fond memory of this freeze dried stuff — was it the first of its kind? I don't remember — is 50 years old. And, of course, maybe the German stuff now is different from the USian then.

Probably many of my memories of things typically USian are seen through rosy red lenses. Like SPAM, Marshmellow Fluff, hot Pastrami sandwiches, etc.

Edited April 9, 2018 by Leo Niehorster

[Martin M]

altho . . . .

 

 

one of the best smells ever :

 

A US motel, early morning, chlorinated tapwater heated up in the room coffee maker, with instant coffee powder, instant sugar, instant milk, unlock the flimsy motel door, take a seat on the plastic bench in the good morning air with your fresh cup sit back and decide where go to today

( to top it off just a whiff of exhaust from some early birds car leaving the place already)

[DB]

Standard granular Maxwell House coffee has been awful forever. The freeze dried Gold Blend" sub brand is passable.

 

At home I drink Kenco Millicano, which is freeze dried with a hint of ground bean in it.

 

I've stopped drinking Costa, instead my boutique coffee fix comes from a local independent coffee house called Cafe Roma. Key ingredient is clean machines.

Edited April 26, 2018 by DB

[Corinthian]

I noticed that generally speaking coffee doesn't keep me awake. It only makes my heart palpitate. Except for a cup of Americano coffee. I had that and it kept me awake. Still prefer tea.

[Murph]

Cold Brew or Hot Brew? And is there a real taste difference?