Unfortunately, coffee and caffeinated tea are never going to taste good to me.

Does decaf tea (as opposed to tea that's never had caffeine in) taste less bad?

I'm not a fan of French Press because I've very picky about grinds in my coffee, and I've never had a pressed cup that wasn't a little gritty. It's just too difficult to get the grind right (fine enough to extract good flavor, coarse enough not to go through the press). For me, the tradeoff of losing precious coffee flavor oils through a filter is worth it to get the grinds out.

I lurve my Melitta cones. The pod coffee I had at Deb's was also pretty good, but I think I'd go broke using it, since to make a really good cup, you have to use 2 pods and make it double-strength.

I've never heard anything bad about vacuum-pot brewing, but I've never met anyone personally who had one, I assume because they're so expensive.

Percolators (or any method that brings the coffee in direct contact with boilING water - as opposed to water just off the boil) are Teh Nast, and should be shunned.

So last night, after we were in bed (but before we were asleep, thankfully), someone called us from the gate to our townhome complex.

I hear my husband say, "Yes? Yes? It's kind of late. What kind of investigator? A police officer? A fugitive? Yeah, I'll open the gate."

Two cops came in, looking for the son of someone a couple of doors down from us, who is, apparently, a wanted man.

That was fun.

A PITA to clean?

I meant in terms of getting rid of the grounds. I have a septic system so I can't just rinse them down the drain. That means lots of time spent by the waste basket scooping and wiping grounds out, which is the PITA part for me. And the coffee wasn't any better that what I was getting from my drip maker (which isn't all that good). Honestly, it's getting so if I want good coffee, I'm better off going to Dunkies now that they've opened two within a couple of miles of my house.

CaBil, my sympathies.

percolator

I didn't drink coffee at the time, but my grandparents used a percolator. I loved the sounds it made. Bloopbloophissss. And there was something inherently cool about coffee splurting up into the little glass bulb.

It was snowing this morning.

I'm pretty sure percolators are coming back. Not sure if it's a new kind of percolating or what, but after never hearing about them for most of my life, a friend registered for one last year.

I have a septic system so I can't just rinse them down the drain.

Oh, ick. I see.

if I want good coffee, I go to Dunkies now that they've opened two within a couple of miles of my house.

My surprise at this leads to my next question: which chain is brewing the best coffee out there? I mean, when you're not (just) using coffee as a drug? I'm surprised at the idea that Dunkin Donuts serves anything good, but I don't think I've ever bought an un-foofy cup of joe.

(((CaBil and MsHavisham)))

I am so sorry for your loss.

Dana-- WTF?!?! Scary

I use a Mr. Coffee Espresso maker, and then dilute the coffee with a lot of cream. Prior to that, I made it double strength in a regular Mr. Coffee. I loved the French Press, but the grounds thing was a HUGE PITA.

I am listening to internet radio and Afternoon Delight came on. Was it here that someone mentioned that when they were a child, they thought that "Afternoon Delight" was ice crea? That makes me giggle every time I hear the song. Also, 2 songs later was Jessie's Girl, so a very buffista-remindery radio station.

I use a cone, but I only drink one cup a day.

You know what? I've never bought coffee in the US that I've really considered adequate. But I just drown it in cream and drink it really fast while I wonder why I bothered.

I personally think that Dunkin Donuts has the best coffee coffee (non-foofy) of any chain. Of course all I really have hear is Starbucks, Atlanta Bread Company, Tim Hortons (hears a who) and Brueggers Bagel bakery.

I actually actively dislike Starbucks coffee plain.