My Addiction.....

[yogestee]

It's ony 10.00AM and I'm on my third cup of coffee!!

[GregMik]

I am not old enough for that stuff......:D


Greg

[S7000]

I'm not gonna say I can't function in the morning without one, however, getting to work, and hearing that grinder is always a good sound at 7am. :lol:

[yogestee]

Yeah,,what is it about the smell of coffee.. I have this nifty Krups coffee machine and good Lao coffee is only around 5 bucks a kilo here in Laos..

[S7000]

Yeah,,what is it about the smell of coffee.. I have this nifty Krups coffee machine and good Lao coffee is only around 5 bucks a kilo here in Laos..

Damn that's cheap! We're paying $24 a kilo where I am. That's wholesale too!

[yogestee]

Damn that's cheap! We're paying $24 a kilo where I am. That's wholesale too!

Yeah,,and Lao coffee is the best I've ever drunk.. When we go home we take heaps back with us..

In Laos the coffee, bread and beer is brilliant.. The way I look at it,, that's three of the major food groups covered!!

[Kendoway]

Here's my addiction :p

http://i41.tinypic.com/iqelfm.jpg

[snyderman]

Same here. Good coffee. Good beer. Life's too short ....

dave

[Violator]

[quote=yogestee;7847262]When we go home we take heaps back with us..
quote]
How does that go over when they are rifling thru your baggages? :rolleyes:

[sapearl]

Not too bad - I usually hit that by about 9:30 AM, although your pricing is much better than mine. The local grocery sells the whole beans of medium roast breakfast blend and I grind my own at work right before brewing.

It's ony 10.00AM and I'm on my third cup of coffee!!

[jcw122]

Coffee is good stuff, but I only try to drink it occasionally, and not on days where I am not very tired to being with.

[Photo-by-Leal]

I love Coffee!
"Got Coffee"
"Need Coffee"
" WANT to HAVE COFFEE"!

[yogestee]

[quote=yogestee;7847262]When we go home we take heaps back with us..
quote]
How does that go over when they are rifling thru your baggages? :rolleyes:

We just take it as it comes.. When flying into Sydney the Beagles go straight for our bags,,coffee is used to mask the smell of illicit substances.. We get escorted straight to the customs counter,,bags are checked, no problems.. We take home roasted beans,,usually 5 kilos each.. We sometimes get a comment or two about the coffee like "What's it like"? I have even given the customs officer a packet to try if he/she is nice..

One has to remember Australia has some of the strictest quarrantine laws in the world..

[sapearl]

That pretty much sums it up for me at 7:30 A.M. for work. Life would certainly be less pleasurable without it.

For a while though I couldn't figure out why my "work" coffee didn't taste as good as what I brewed at home. I finally figured out it was the lousy city water. As soon as I started running it through a Brita filter the taste greatly improved.

I love Coffee!
"Got Coffee"
"Need Coffee"
" WANT to HAVE COFFEE"!

[mbellot]

It's ony 10.00AM and I'm on my third cup of coffee!!

I prefer my addiction cold.

By 10am I'm on my third can of Diet Coke (Coke Light for the EU crowd).

Enjoy!

[skygod44]

Yeah,,what is it about the smell of coffee.. I have this nifty Krups coffee machine and good Lao coffee is only around 5 bucks a kilo here in Laos..

I know what you mean about the smell....but do you recall when you first got the coffee-bug? I remember thinking my dad's breath stank of coffee when I was a kid, so I try to keep it under control, but wow, it's good stuff!

Thankfully in Japan, they like strong coffee too. Not like in France or Italy, where it takes the roof of your mouth off, but plenty of flavour.

Any of you guys able to compare USA coffee with European/Far Eastern? I've never been to the States, but here in Japan, weak coffee is called "American Blend" - which doesn't bode well....:confused:

[FlyingPhotog]

Iced Tea is my crutch...

I generally start with a glass that's thick enough to chew and just cut it with water and ice throughout the day.

[skygod44]

Iced Tea is my crutch...

I generally start with a glass that's thick enough to chew and just cut it with water and ice throughout the day.

What kind of tea is that, Jay?

[FlyingPhotog]

What kind of tea is that, Jay?

I know this will greatly offend your sensibilities Simon (given both your roots and your current residency status) but my brew of choice is simply good ol' American instant mix...

I do enjoy a properly steeped cuppa from time to time but I would equate drinking the good stuff in my usual fashion to swilling a fine single malt simply because I was out of Jack Daniels... :lol:

[yogestee]

I know what you mean about the smell....but do you recall when you first got the coffee-bug? I remember thinking my dad's breath stank of coffee when I was a kid, so I try to keep it under control, but wow, it's good stuff!

Thankfully in Japan, they like strong coffee too. Not like in France or Italy, where it takes the roof of your mouth off, but plenty of flavour.

Any of you guys able to compare USA coffee with European/Far Eastern? I've never been to the States, but here in Japan, weak coffee is called "American Blend" - which doesn't bode well....:confused:

Simon,,,before I came to Laos I used to drink Italian coffee which is damn good.. I got the taste for Lao coffee in '04 and now won't drink anything else.. It is organically grown but at times the roasting process can be inconsistant.. I have settled for Sinouk Premium Arabica which is bloody brilliant and very consistant.. Pakse Mountain coffee is great too but the roast can be inconsistant.. Coffee is one legacy the French left and I'm grateful.. Mr Sinouk is preparing to export coffee to Europe and America in the next year or so.. Most of Laos' coffee is grown on the Bolaven Plateau

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolaven_Plateau

[skygod44]

I know this will greatly offend your sensibilities Simon (given both your roots and your current residency status)
:lol::lol::lol:
....but my brew of choice is simply good ol' American instant mix...
So does that mean, it's typically Ceylon? Or Indian? I ask because green (Japanese) tea seems to be gaining in popularity overseas and wondered if you'd discovered it.
....I do enjoy a properly steeped cuppa from time to time but I would equate drinking the good stuff in my usual fashion to swilling a fine single malt simply because I was out of Jack Daniels... :lol:
Now there we hit the crunch. I know this is a coffee thread, but I just don't "get" Jack Daniels. JD compared to Single Malt, to me, is like comparing lager with Guinness - they might be classed as beers, but they're more like bat's p+ss compared to The Nectar of The Gods!
;)

[Ducks 'n' runs while a 5kg bag of Instant Blend Tea comes hurtling at my head]

[skygod44]

Simon,,,before I came to Laos I used to drink Italian coffee which is damn good.. I got the taste for Lao coffee in '04 and now won't drink anything else.. It is organically grown but at times the roasting process can be inconsistant.. I have settled for Sinouk Premium Arabica which is bloody brilliant and very consistant.. Pakse Mountain coffee is great too but the roast can be inconsistant.. Coffee is one legacy the French left and I'm grateful.. Mr Sinouk is preparing to export coffee to Europe and America in the next year or so.. Most of Laos' coffee is grown on the Bolaven Plateau

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolaven_Plateau

Hey Jurgen, thanks for the link and the Coffee Class.....it really is one of those things that should be on the curriculum in schools - how to enjoy "real" coffee.
;)

[sapearl]

I love iced tea also Jay, but my tea habits are the "mirro" of yours. I'll drink coffee until around 3 in the afternoon but then shift to tea when I get home from work :D.

Iced Tea is my crutch...

I generally start with a glass that's thick enough to chew and just cut it with water and ice throughout the day.

[breal101]

I thank Starbucks every day, living in New Orleans I'm used to a strong brew. When traveling all I got was p**s weak garbage before Starbucks. Now, even McDonalds and convenience stores have coffee that's drinkable. Yep, I'm addicted and no way I'm going to do any 12 step program.

[sapearl]

I always found Starbucks to be too strong for my tastes, and way toooo expensive for what you get. "Course I'm a cheap SOB and rather brew my own fresh for less than .50 per cup :lol:.

I thank Starbucks every day, living in New Orleans I'm used to a strong brew. When traveling all I got was p**s weak garbage before Starbucks. .......

[breal101]

I actually don't go to Starbucks very often for the same reason, way too expensive. They have influenced other places to make a stronger brew. When I stay at hotels I use both the decaf and the regular in the pot to get something that resembles coffee. I bring my own if I'm staying more than a day. One national chain I'll call Awful Waffle used to have such crap coffee I would order hot tea instead of coffee with breakfast. Now they seem to use more than one bean per pot, unlike the old days.

[Kendoway]

One national chain I'll call Awful Waffle used to have such crap coffee I would order hot tea instead of coffee with breakfast. Now they seem to use more than one bean per pot, unlike the old days.

[Shudder] The thought of most "restaurant" coffees which are truly hideous, makes me want to gag. It's warm birdbath water with a brown crayon ground up in it.

I have one of These (http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?product_id=14&item_id=34&cat_id=3) at home now, and it's truly a miracle. Grinds and brews magnificently!

[number six]

Thankfully in Japan, they like strong coffee too. Not like in France or Italy, where it takes the roof of your mouth off, but plenty of flavour.

Any of you guys able to compare USA coffee with European/Far Eastern? I've never been to the States, but here in Japan, weak coffee is called "American Blend" - which doesn't bode well....:confused:

Ordinary restaurant coffee here varies from soapy dishwater to excellent, strong brew.

I always get either French or Italian roast, which is presumably much the same as you'd get in France or Italy.

When I first moved to San Francisco, 45 years ago, every Saturday morning I'd walk a few blocks through North Beach (the Italian part of town) to Malvina's Coffee on Grant Avenue to buy a pound of just-roasted Italian Roast. Nothing like it. Nothing like the smell, either.

-js

[skygod44]

I thank Starbucks every day, living in New Orleans I'm used to a strong brew. When traveling all I got was p**s weak garbage before Starbucks. Now, even McDonalds and convenience stores have coffee that's drinkable. Yep, I'm addicted and no way I'm going to do any 12 step program.
When Starbucks first arrived in the UK I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven......coffee, cakes and comfy chairs. Sadly, the quality (to me that means flavour, depth, aroma) went down and the sugar in anything other than straight black coffee went up dramatically. Now, I go to Starbucks once in a blue moon for.....their "Macha Iced Latte". Macha is a type of Japanese green tea - an acquired taste, but worth the effort.
[Shudder]....I have one of These (http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?product_id=14&item_id=34&cat_id=3) at home now, and it's truly a miracle. Grinds and brews magnificently!
I want one! That looks sexy beyond description!
Ordinary restaurant coffee here varies from soapy dishwater to excellent, strong brew. I always get either French or Italian roast, which is presumably much the same as you'd get in France or Italy.
:lol::lol::lol:
When I first moved to San Francisco, 45 years ago, every Saturday morning I'd walk a few blocks through North Beach (the Italian part of town) to Malvina's Coffee on Grant Avenue to buy a pound of just-roasted Italian Roast. Nothing like it. Nothing like the smell, either.-js
Hmm, you're making me think the Japanese have got it right...."American Coffee" = weak soapy dishwater.

Ho hum.
:(

[Naturalist]

It's ony 10.00AM and I'm on my third cup of coffee!!

I'm screwed!! :(

By 10:30 am I've gone through a 12 cup coffee maker. Then about a 1/2 gallon of iced tea after I get home from work: 4:30-10:00pm

[skygod44]

I'm screwed!! :(

By 10:30 am I've gone through a 12 cup coffee maker. Then about a 1/2 gallon of iced tea after I get home from work: 4:30-10:00pm

Whoa! That's serious my friend! If I were you, I'd definitely try to acquire a taste for something else.....

You tried iced-water recently?
;)

[yogestee]

In Australia I refuse to drink coffee at Starbucks or Gloria Jean because they serve coffee etc in paper cups.. In my opinion this is environmentally wrong.. In Thailand they serve coffee at Starbucks in "proper" cups and mugs..

[breal101]

In Australia I refuse to drink coffee at Starbucks or Gloria Jean because they serve coffee etc in paper cups.. In my opinion this is environmentally wrong.. In Thailand they serve coffee at Starbucks in "proper" cups and mugs..

Now we're getting picky.:lol::lol: If the coffee's good there are some mornings I would be happy to drink it if it's served in an old shoe. Still environmentally sound, right?

[stathunter]

COFFEE......... I tried to break my addiction but I am off the wagon again. I have a friend of mine that started roasting his own coffee and opened a small coffee shoppe here in my area...... he now ships his coffee around the globe...... great stuff! www.abeantogo.com

[Tessa]

I love a good cup of coffee (the real thing, not the instant powder yuckiness), but I can't drink it too often... it makes me sleepy :confused:

[number six]

In Australia I refuse to drink coffee at Starbucks or Gloria Jean because they serve coffee etc in paper cups.. In my opinion this is environmentally wrong.. In Thailand they serve coffee at Starbucks in "proper" cups and mugs..

The thing that bothers me about Starbuck's in California is they don't recycle. The paper cups go into the trash. Or they did last time I asked, a couple of years ago. Complaints/suggestions are met with agreement and a helpless shrug from managers.

-js

[ddmitchell]

By 11:00 I've usually killed a pot of coffee! Gotta cut back but It's such a habit to sit here and drink it.

[yogestee]

The thing that bothers me about Starbuck's in California is they don't recycle. The paper cups go into the trash. Or they did last time I asked, a couple of years ago. Complaints/suggestions are met with agreement and a helpless shrug from managers.

-js

This is what bothers me too number six.. These cups end up as land fill.. What's wrong with serving coffee in "proper" cups?? The coffee looks and tastes nicer.. It's all about the bottom line in my opinion.. Starbucks etal just don't want to employ the extra staff member to do the washing up..

For me coffee drinking is a leisure activity also.. I will never take coffee away,,I drink coffee in a cafe (or at home).. I like to drink coffee in a relaxed environment and out of a cup or mug.. Vientiane is "cafe city",, so many cafes to choose from, all serving great coffee and in cups..

[yogestee]

Now we're getting picky.:lol::lol: If the coffee's good there are some mornings I would be happy to drink it if it's served in an old shoe. Still environmentally sound, right?

breal,, if I'm in a coffee drinking mood I'd drink coffee out of a bucket!!

[Cdeming]

I prefer my addiction cold.

By 10am I'm on my third can of Diet Coke (Coke Light for the EU crowd).

Enjoy!


Diet Coke for me too! I like to refer to it as "mother's milk."

[FlyingPhotog]

Diet Coke for me too! I like to refer to it as "mother's milk."

For me (when I had a working metabolism and could actually drink soda) it was Mountain Dew. I used to call it my "Bottle of Coffee."

Nothing was better than an ice cold 20oz MD. IMO, it's actually a refreshing drink...

[breal101]

Yeah, I like Mountain Dew too it's a good picker upper. As for diet drinks, they leave a bad taste in my mouth and aspartame and it's cousins are suspect at best. Google Searle/Rumsfeld or Searle/aspartame for some shocking revelations.

[skygod44]

....I like to drink coffee in a relaxed environment and out of a cup or mug...
On the subject of cups/mugs, we discovered a new restaurant 2 weeks ago here in Kagoshima and they had - as usual - an excellent coffee machine, but here's the great part: next to it as a massive basket full of every size, shape and colour of proper, earthenware, made-by-a-human cup/mug you could imagine.
We checked with the owner, and it turned out an employee was "into" pottery and made every mug uniquely. It really brightened the experience!
Diet Coke for me too! I like to refer to it as "mother's milk."
Sorry. Not drunk anything made by the Coca Cola company for about 25+ years (nor Macdonalds for that matter!). Just can't justify it when there's much better to be had with less artificial additives....and WAY less sugar/sugar-replacements.
Yeah, I like Mountain Dew too it's a good picker upper. As for diet drinks, they leave a bad taste in my mouth and aspartame and it's cousins are suspect at best. Google Searle/Rumsfeld or Searle/aspartame for some shocking revelations.
What is Mountain Dew? A friend of mine from Chicago said it was the best....but I've never seen it here.

[FlyingPhotog]

What is Mountain Dew? A friend of mine from Chicago said it was the best....but I've never seen it here.

Lemon/Lime flavored PepsiCo product. At one time, it had one of the (if not the) highest caffiene content prior to the specialty brews like Jolt, et al...

Of course now, it's mild in comparison to Rock Star, Monster, Red Bull, etc...

As I said, I'm particularly fond of the taste. It's excellent in say a big Ale glass full of crushed ice...

[skygod44]

Lemon/Lime flavored PepsiCo product.
Won't buy from them either....:(

As I said, I'm particularly fond of the taste. It's excellent in say a big Ale glass full of crushed ice...
Think I'll stick to having a big ale in a "big ale glass"!
;)

[Cdeming]

Yeah, I like Mountain Dew too it's a good picker upper. As for diet drinks, they leave a bad taste in my mouth and aspartame and it's cousins are suspect at best. Google Searle/Rumsfeld or Searle/aspartame for some shocking revelations.


Yeah...I've read some stuff about aspartame before. I actually haven't been drinking it nearly as much as I used to, but some things you just can't quit. I don't smoke, never tried drugs, barely drink, I exercise and eat relatively healthy, so I figure if that's the worst things I do I'm doing alright. :)

[tonylong]

Anecdotally-

I lived in Seattle when Starbucks was just a little shop near the Pike Place Market, mainly selling beans and fresh ground coffee, but I'd also stop in for a cup of brewed coffee because it was so good. Back then, having something like an espresso shop was a concept I'd only found in the Bay area (as far as the US West Coast) so drinking a Starbucks brew was a real treat.

In restaurants, the "stock" coffe was worse than what you bought from the grocery stores. So, there was a restaurant that I regularly went to because they served an outstanding prime rib and some very tasty deserts. Imagine my surprise and happiness when I ordered a coffee one evening, expecting the usual dreg, and tasted great, "real" coffee, and found out that Starbucks had began providing local restaurants with the stuff!

For all the faults of the Starbucks corporation, they earned their way to "the top" by providing a great service -- good coffee wherever you go!

[yogestee]

The French influence is still here in Vientiane and the larger cities of Laos.. In Vientiane there is virtually a cafe on every corner.. All serve great locally grown coffee, pastries and European style cakes.. Most have outdoor dinning where one can waste a few hours drinking coffee and watching the world go past.. This is one of my favourite past-times..

[Alexei TND]

I never liked teh taste of coffee much
but i have a bad addiction to red bull/energy drinks,
on bad days i can go through 7-10 of em :S