> Personally, I think my bar for "good coffee" is so low that I'll be satisfied with the shittiest mug of instant coffee with a small amount of any milk.
When I wake up and the household hasn’t finished yesterday’s pot I just pour it in a mug, zap it, and I’m fine. Let someone else go to the effort :-)
Coffee has a lot of rituals that have replaced smoking. People rave about Philz coffee in the Bay Area, but if you walk in you can’t just walk straight out with a cup of coffee. No, you must make a bunch of choices (there’s no default nor minimal option) and then wait for them to make it. The entertainment is the point. I like that in a restaurant but can’t be bothered for just a cup of coffee. I’d rather spend my time on talking with the person I’m with, not paying to be entertained.
> Standing at my kitchen counter, I measure out two teaspoons of Maxwell House instant coffee into my favorite mug, pour in 12 ounces of hot water from a tea kettle, and stir for a moment. I look toward the automatic drip maker to my left and feel a pang of sympathy for its cold carafe that once gurgled and steamed each morning with the best coffee money could buy. On top of the refrigerator, my old friend the French press has gathered dust. When I notice a dead housefly decomposing inside it, I wonder what the hell has happened to me.
Probably because I hate lines, it always shocks me to see the cars lined up around the block at takeout for my local Starbucks. In person lines are almost as bad. I've skipped coffee in the morning when traveling because I didn't want to stand in a 15 minute line.
Used to do the same and still would if I had a coffee maker. Now I just use a plastic drip cup, filter, and cafe bustelo (nothing against coffee makers, it's just less space/easier imo). Tastes good, affordable, lifts spirits, gives some pep, gets the job done, and helps trigger the morning number 2/three Ss.
Though, one does wonder if the connoisseurs have better experiences with their morning laxatives
When I wake up and the household hasn’t finished yesterday’s pot I just pour it in a mug, zap it, and I’m fine. Let someone else go to the effort :-)
Coffee has a lot of rituals that have replaced smoking. People rave about Philz coffee in the Bay Area, but if you walk in you can’t just walk straight out with a cup of coffee. No, you must make a bunch of choices (there’s no default nor minimal option) and then wait for them to make it. The entertainment is the point. I like that in a restaurant but can’t be bothered for just a cup of coffee. I’d rather spend my time on talking with the person I’m with, not paying to be entertained.