What is the deal with coffee?

[Daerlyn]

So I realize that (in North America at least, and probably Europe), coffee is the possibly the most popular breakfast drink. The questions here is why?

Personally, I can't stand the stuff. The only reason I drink it is because I'm on the graveyard shift at work and the coffee machine is free. Even then, I make mine a lot closer to café-au-lait than coffee. With lots of sugar. Otherwise it tastes like tar to me.

So who likes coffee? What about it do you like so much (or dislike)? Why did you start drinking it, or why do you avoid it like the plague?

[Violet]

I started drinking coffee in college. Partly to be sociable, and partly to stay awake. Never drink it black. I like strong coffee, but not flavored coffee. With milk and Sweet and Low (or other substitute sweeteners like Splenda). I love the café-au-lait in New Orleans and European cities.

[Musicat]

I started drinking coffee when my uncle and I began taking cross-country highway trips at night. No matter where you go, there is always coffee (at least in the U.S.). It was an acquired taste, but I thought it would be a good idea to acquire that taste for convenience. Now I like it.

[Maastricht]

I never learned to drink or like the stuff, either. Tastes like someone burned the kettle and then then poured water in and out again. It does smell good, though. And waking up goes fine without it.

[Daerlyn]

Originally posted by Maastricht
I never learned to drink or like the stuff, either. Tastes like someone burned the kettle and then then poured water in and out again. It does smell good, though. And waking up goes fine without it.

I agree with you completely about the taste. OTOH, I dislike the smell too. It was great fun living with my parents, as fresh, aromatic pots of coffee were ubiquitous in that house. :rolleyes"

[Ephemera]

I drink it maybe half a dozen times a month but only when I need a caffeine boost or my mom's fixing a pot and asks me if I want a cup.

I like it with sweet 'n low and creamer.. preferably amaretto. I can't stand it black. Gag.

[Firx]

I love the stuff, and I drink it all the time (well, not quite). I like it black, but I also like it other forms. My roomate and I recently got an espresso machine, and I can't believe I've lived so long without one.

For the record, I didn't always like it. In fact, I hardly drank a cup before college. Since then, though it's really grown on me.

Extra Credit: Place this coffee quote:
"Black as midnight, hot as Hell, and sweet as a lover's kiss."

[jackelope]

I absolutely and totally love the taste. I first tried it when I was about six years old. My mother had a friend who was an artist and we'd go to her place to visit; they'd drink coffee, and they'd give me a cup with a dash of coffee and lots of milk and sugar. They called it "pink coffee."

But I loved that coffee flavor. I still do; it's not the stimulant effect that has me hooked. In fact, I rarely if ever feel jazzed up after drinking coffee (should point out that I sometimes go a week or more without coffee with no ill effects). I just immediately loved that taste the first time I tried it.

I've been drinking two or three cups a day since I was about 14 (that's 17 years ago), and I still get immense pleasure from it. What a wonderful beverage.

[kanicbird]

Just want to point out there is a world of taste difference between your common 'cup of ass' that you most likely get from your work, street vendors, and the like and preimum coffees.

If you have a Dunkin Donuts near you I suggest trying a cup there and taste what coffee is suppose to taste like.

[friedo]

I never liked the stuff very much. I'll drink it occasionally to be sociable, but I find it generally gives me loads of gas and makes my mouth dry for hours, so I end up chugging water anyway.

My preferred happy morning stimulant is Coke.

[Daerlyn]

Originally posted by friedo
I never liked the stuff very much. I'll drink it occasionally to be sociable, but I find it generally gives me loads of gas and makes my mouth dry for hours, so I end up chugging water anyway.

My preferred happy morning stimulant is Coke.

A poster after my own heart. :D

[catnoe]

When I was little (4 or 5), the grown-ups were always drinking it and I wanted to try, 'got the slightly diluted version.

Going to grandmas in Virginia was a favorite because the house had a certain smell, fresh coffee, cigarettes, baked bread and grease. It may not sound pleasant but it was.

As I got older I'd drink it once a week. By the time I was 19, it was a pot a day at minimum.

Many years later.....I usually drink it black, occasionally with cream and sugar if the pot was too strong.

The why of drinking coffee? Habit. The caffenine affects me only in that if I don't have it I get headaches and very cranky. But that will pass in about a day. I can drink coffee 24 hours a day, it doesn't keep me awake but it helps me wake up (a little).

I like a strong, full bodied coffee, don't care for the flavored crap (or creamers).
Would love a neapolitan espresso. Something in the water made it the best espresso in Europe. (My theory is sulphur in the water.)

The best coffee with cream and sugar was in the Netherlands. I imagine the coffee it's self was average but the cream was amazing. Too bad Europe doesn't grasp the concept of free refills.

[FairyChatMom]

I never learned to like the stuff - nor did any of my sibs, which is strange considering my parents always drank coffee. Same with my husband - his folks like it, but none of their sons do.

When I was stationed in Sicily, I had cappucino a few times and espresso once - it was OK, but not something I'd go out of my way to get. I've tried regular coffee with variations of cream and sugar - I just don't like the flavor. I'm nearly 50 and I don't expect I'll develop a taste for it now.

But I do like me some Kahlua and cream. <drool>

[Caprese]

Always loved the coffee fragrance growing up.
Been drinking it since high school, for taste as well as the 'kick,' been drinking it regularly since I joined the working world in my 20's (two decades ago.) Bit of milk, no sugar.
After visiting Europe as a young adult, got my first espresso maker and ever since then have cappucino every morning.
Can't drink coffee at night though.

[mooka]

When i was small my parents used to have coffee and chocolate after dinner. I wanted the chocolate, but my mum said i could only have the chocolate if i had the coffee too! I didn't like it at first, but forced it down so that i could have the chocolate. As i grew older i actually started liking it.

I tend it have it fairly strong, with lots of milk, almost like a cafe latte. Sometimes i might have a black expresso though.

I guess i like good coffee because of the strong rich smooth taste, and the stimulant effect.

[Meatros]

Coffee is addictive and it wakes you up. Damn it...Damn it to hell...

I'll be back, I have to get another cup...

[Zoe]

I like a litte coffee in my Hazlenut Creamer. Also add five Equals. I don't really like the taste of coffee but I need it as a base.

[Maxxxie]

Originally posted by Firx
Extra Credit: Place this coffee quote:
"Black as midnight, hot as Hell, and sweet as a lover's kiss."


Hmm... Twin Peaks?


FTR, I looooooove iced coffee.. but the hot stuff has yet to make much of an impression on me. I like hot mocha though :)

Max.

[Woeg]

Ah, coffee…the blissful nectar of blackest midnight, the essence of night captured and purified into a burning liquid of dark desire, staving off sleep to let one linger in the loving embrace of the dark enshrouded world. Oh, how I love thy deep roasted essence as it graces my tongue, dancing its way deeper in to my soul, caressing my spirit with the gentle touch of a long-time lover…

…ok, really, I’m not that pretentious. Honest. Promise! But since my username is an anagram for Worshipper Of Espresso Gods, I suppose it could go without saying that I love coffee. Straight coffee, black as it can be, no cream, no sugar, is how I usually take it, though I do like a cappuccino now and then (the real stuff, not the powdered variety).

I don’t know why I love coffee so much…I just always have.

[UrbanChic]

I love coffee. Cream, no sugar, please. Preferably with freshly ground beans from a local coffee shop. As long as it ain't that swill Char, er, Starbucks passes for coffee.

If I'm at home, I still take it with cream and no sugar. I'm partial to Illy, Trader Joes and some of the beans they sell at Whole Foods. Freshly ground, of course.

[RealityChuck]

Wow! I didn't know there were other people like me.

I detest coffee. It's one of the worst flavors* ever developed. Can't stand the stuff; it's like drinking raw sewage.

Everyone once in awhile, I try it to see if I changed my mind. God, it's awful. It's popularity is a complete mystery to me.

I wake up fine without it. If I need caffein, then a cup of tea or some Mountain Dew is fine.

*Actually, coffee has no flavor. It's all aroma. Try drinking it with a stuffed-up nose.

[pezboy2u]

I live for coffee. I recently moved , and the coffeemaker was one of the first things I unpacked.

I usually go for Ethiopian blends- its strong and has a slight nutty quality.

[BrotherCadfael]

I've never been a big coffee drinker...never been a big fan of the taste, never really got into the whole "grind the beans, set up the machine, brew the magic elixer, cha-cha-cha" thing.

On the other hand, my wife lives on the stuff.

I will have a cup if I'm out for dinner or whatever, and on cold mornings I have recently gotten into a half cup of hot chocolate, filled to the top with coffee. That goes quite well on a brisk winter's day.

[CuriousCanuck]

MMMM COOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE good.

Black. Strong. Hot. Mmmmmmmm. Need more. MORE!!!!

JUST PUMP IT DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS!!!!

I like coffee. Mmm mmmm mmmmmm.

[Daerlyn]

Originally posted by CuriousCanuck
MMMM COOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE good.

Black. Strong. Hot. Mmmmmmmm. Need more. MORE!!!!

JUST PUMP IT DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS!!!!

I like coffee. Mmm mmmm mmmmmm.

Y'know, I'm positive there's a twelve step program for that. :P

[CuriousCanuck]

First step - Buy coffee.
Second step - brew coffee.
Thirs Step - Something to do with Opal
Fourth Step - Drink Coffee
Fifth Step - Repeat

what 7 am I missing?

[Harli]

Mmmmmmmmmm.....coffee (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156563#post2853584)......mmmmmm.

Coffee is the nectar of the gods. I don't know why...it just IS. Double milk, maybe a bit of sugar. Flavoured coffees too, Irish Cream, Noisette, Chocolate Raspberry. Or half coffee, half hot chocolate. I'll take it all.

It's funny, I was thinking about it this morning.....I started drinking coffee when I was 5'2....that was early highschool. I'm now a university graduate, and stuck at 5'4. Coincidence? Probably not :)

[dwc1970]

I only drink coffee on occasion, mainly when I go out to eat breakfast with my family on Sunday mornings. I like the taste of coffee (I use sugar but usually no cream) but I don't make it a part of my daily routine. I usually just crack open a Coke and drink it on the way to work instead to get my morning jolt of caffeine. I also get a mocha every Saturday morning (been doing this for the past 7-8 years).

[PatriotX]

I started on coffee a few generations before birth. My coffee use has gone up and down over the years.
I'm down to a pint to a quart of espresso a day.
I prefer turkish coffee w/o the sugar, but my grinder won't grind it finely enough and I hate to wait, so it's espresso for me.
When I worked at an espresso bar I ate beans by the spoonful.

The addition of a hot milk/ milk product is an acceptable practice. Artificial creamers are immoral. Nut flavors are merely irresponsible. Sugar is also borderline sinful. It's blasphemous to add fruit or fruity flavors to coffee.

The sound of The Beans grinding is the sound of the Universe being created.

[Ethilrist]

I used to drink a few cups a day, switching to Diet Coke in the afternoon, but when I lost my sense of smell a year ago, I found that I couldn't tell if the milk had gone bad, so I gave it up. No big loss. There's plenty of Diet Coke left. My wife, however, has mentioned from time to time that it used to be nice to get up and find that I had made coffee...

[TVGuy]

Coffee - my drug of choice.

The stuff IS an acquired taste, no doubt. But I actually do like the taste of good coffee now after having drunk it almost daily for 25 years or so. I definately have my favorite brands and styles and such. Bad coffee to me is that that is too bitter, leaves an aftertaste, or is too hot - it's not meant to melt lead.

Now, get me going on the merits of a good cigar ... mmmmmmmm. :)

[Rico]

I started on the stuff when I was a morning DJ.

Sorta hard to sound happy and up at 5:00AM without it!

My standard line was regarding my intravenous coffee machine in the background, running on slow drip...

It's all summed up in a line from the Nylons (http://www.thenylons.com/) song Crazy In Love (Morning Comes Early) that states:

God gave us coffee drinks to help us survive...

I can't say it any better than that, folks!

:D

[Indygrrl]

I get a 16 oz. coffee from the Shell station every morning. I put two vanilla creamers in it and I'm set.

I do like the occasional latte or cafe au lait.

[Firx]

Nooooooo, not Twin Peaks. Here's a hint: it's not from a movie or television show.

I'm sure you'll get it though, it's not that bad.

[Magickly Delicious]

I never liked coffee and didn't care for it.....
but then I went to Seattle last summer and got hooked on cappuccinos. I treat coffee as candy. It has to have lots of milk, flavorings, and sugar in it. It's just an occasional treat or a way to help me stay up to do work. My caffeine of choice in the morning is tea. I hate drinking soda in the morning -- that sugar film on my teeth is not a pleasant feeling, ew!

[pulykamell]

Coffee...I don't remember a time I didn't like it.

I'm a coffee purist. The only substance that dare touch my coffee, other than my lips, is cream or milk. Never sugar (well, except in Turkish coffee.) And cream only before 11 a.m. None of this chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla frou-frou crap. To me, if you've gotta put that stuff in your coffee to make it potable, then, well, why are you drinking coffee in the first place? It's clear you don't like the taste. (I am being somewhat facetious, here, lest anyone be offended.)

I personally do not have much of a sweet tooth, and I hate sweet drinks, so it wasn't much of a stretch for me to take to coffee. If you do develop a taste for it, you will realise that coffee does indeed have a lot of subtlety to it. Good coffee is only slightly bitter, and if you drink a lot of different types, you realize that certain coffee have fruity overtones, other coffee taste smokier...the variation in taste is similar to what you might find with scotch or even wine.

And, yes, it's quite true...Dunkin Donuts does make a surprisingly good cup of coffee, my snobbery notwithstanding. I've also discovered that, at least in my old neighborhood, Krispy Kreme had a curiously decent espresso, but terrible, watered-down drip [coffee].

[cichlidiot]

We don't have a Dunkin Donuts in our area, but I've seen quite a few threads mentioning how great their coffee is. I plan on trying some the next time I make it to Seattle or Portland. I've always stopped for the donuts, but usually skipped their coffee and hit an expresso stand.

My coffee experience is like a lot of the others in this thread. First drank coffee when I was very young, in watered down doses. My mom had a child's tea set she'd set up in the dining room for me, and we'd either drink Russian tea (her version was instant Lipton's and Tang, equal parts) or coffee. My consumption grew from there.

[even sven]

I started drinking coffee in college when my boyfriend (who drinks coffee nearly constantly) got an espresso machine. At first I drank it stay awake, and then I started drinking it in morning. When I later on tried regular coffee, it tasted so light and almost a bit sweet that it was really good. I drink black coffee. I just don't see the point of drinking coffee if your gonna fill the cup with random stuff.

I'll lay it to you straight here. Coffee makes me high. I've got some wierd trigger that makes it so that coffee (soda doesn't really do it for me) makes me euphoric. Not just energized, but walking down the street singing out loud, or writhing blissfully around in bed in love with life high. It's the best and cheapest drug around. It has made my life a million times better, with no real drawbacks. Coffee- I love you!

[Flutterby]

Coffee for me is a constant. Nearly everyday I drink at least one cup. It's much easier now that I work at a donut shop with great coffee (Tim Horton's). I need* a cup or two to get me through the night. And either a cup of coffee or Earl Grey tea to keep me awake long enough to get through class.

I can't think of a time that I didn't like coffee. When I was little Grandma would give it to us with a little sugar to calm our stomachs if we were feeling icky (either that or tea with sugar or apple juice with ginger) When camping we constantly have a pot on the fire. That's the worst stuff ever, but strangely good. A mug full of black, sugared coffee so strong your spoon melts. Sipping as you listen to the wind in the trees, the distant sound of kids playing and the birds and squirrels.

My parents never watered down the coffee for me. Of course I usually drink it with cream and sugar, but if neither are there or just for a change I will drink it black.

Originally Posted by Harli
It's funny, I was thinking about it this morning.....I started drinking coffee when I was 5'2....that was early highschool. I'm now a university graduate, and stuck at 5'4. Coincidence? Probably not :)

I think it is just a coincidence. I've drunk coffee since I was little (like 5 or 6) and I'm now 6'1. Maybe even taller since I last checked!

*I don't really need coffee. I have gone for a few years with barely touching the stuff, but now I find it's a soothing habit. One that keeps me sane.

[Binarydrone]

Originally posted by Firx
Nooooooo, not Twin Peaks. Here's a hint: it's not from a movie or television show.

I'm sure you'll get it though, it's not that bad.
The Callahan Touch by Spider Robinson perhaps? Either that or it is a Turkish proverb.

In any event, this is the thing about coffee. Coffee is like life. It is hot, and must be sipped slowly until you start reaching the end at which point you have to gulp it quickly (because it tastes nasty cold). It is an acquired taste, often bitter but with nuances within the bitterness that make it worth knowing. You can add things to it, or not, as you wish.

Coffee is the Alpha and the Omega. I look at the poor soda drinkers in the same way that I would look at someone that is colorblind. There is nothing necessarily wrong with them, but it is sad that they are missing so much.

[Eve]

. . . pale and weak.

Actually, I like good coffee, but I prefer good tea. Neither should need sugar or cream.

[Montgomery Burns]

I've tried coffee three times (in the past 25 years) and can't stand it at all. It's just way too bitter for me. It may be an aquired taste but I'm not willing to choke it down for as long as it will take me to start to like it. I'm not real fond of the smell either. My wife drinks it though so I do make a pot most weekends when I get out of bed before she does.

[LifeOnWry]

My main AOL screen name is CoffeeJitters. That should tell you something right there.

I drink it black and medium-strong. Sugar + cream + coffee = dessert. Dunkin' Donuts coffee is indeed one of the better widely available brands, but for home brewin', I'm a Stewarts' gal.

I cannot tolerate sweet flavors in the morning, nor can I tolerate anything difficult like texture. I want my breakfast robust and in liquid form, please.

[SlowMindThinking]

It's funny, I was thinking about it this morning.....I started drinking coffee when I was 5'2....that was early highschool. I'm now a university graduate, and stuck at 5'4. Coincidence? Probably not

It's funny, I was thinking about it this afternoon.....I started not drinking coffee when I was 1'5"....that was at birth. I'm now a university graduate (well, I am 42), and stuck at 6'2". Coincidence? Probably not. :D

Frankly, I can't stand the stuff. I don't like the way it smells, I don't like coffee ice cream, I don't even like toffee. I'd rather drink warm pond scum than coffee. My wife, of course, is completely addicted and belongs to some mail-you-coffee-grind-your-own club. :rolleyes:

I wonder if there is a compound in coffee that some of us are sensitive to, and others aren't? Perhaps people like RealityChuck and myself can not smell whatever other people find appealing in that bitter, burned taste. Or, perhaps the rest of you can't smell what it really smells like.

I drink tea at work. Coke or Mountain Dew on long drives.

[Teaira]

Originally posted by RealityChuck

*Actually, coffee has no flavor. It's all aroma. Try drinking it with a stuffed-up nose. [/B]

Heard somewhere if you eat or drink anything while plugging your nose, the taste is reduced dramatically. Try it sometime.. Probably not an isolated coffee incident.

[Rico]

Originally posted by Eve
I like my coffee like I like my men. . . pale and weak.

I like my coffee like I like my women...

Tied up in a burlap sack and slung over the back of a donkey...

[MLS]

I LOVE coffee. Always have. It is wonderful stuff. I believe that a lot of American coffee is made from the cheaper beans and therefore has a harsh flavor. Some of the best coffee I've had has been in the Caribbean. Also, surprisingly, A&P's Eight O'Clock coffee is better than most brands. Starbucks, to me, always tastes burnt. And Maxwell House has a kind of oily off-taste.

I used to put milk (or cream) and sugar in it, but a few years ago my office started having only the powdered cr@p available, and I hate that, so I learned to drink it black.

Yes, it is addictive. So what? It is also legal. I don't have high blood pressure or any other medical reason not to enjoy it, so I do, something like 5 cups a day. Rarely after 8 p.m., though, so it won't keep me awake.

AND I don't mind if it's cold. Actually in the summer, I sometimes make a potful, sweeten it to taste and put it in the refrigerator. Yummers. When I was visiting Australia last fall I saw little juice-boxes of iced coffee for sale along with the soda and stuff. It had milk in it too, but that was o.k.

Quality espresso is a special treat.

[Daerlyn]

MLS, there's an idea. I once tried of those ice-a-cino things and although it still wasn't really my bag, it was far preferable to hot coffee. Maybe if I really want to acquire the taste I should start with ices and work my way up.

[Enderw24]

Daerlyn, as others have said, the coffee you get out of the machine is crap. It may literally be crap for all I know, but it's not coffee. Brown caffeinated sludge would be a generous description.
Basically, it's like eating the caffeteria steak and wondering how anyone could enjoy filet mignon.

Originally posted by Firx

Extra Credit: Place this coffee quote:
"Black as midnight, hot as Hell, and sweet as a lover's kiss."
Well, I'd guess it to be a Turkish proverb, but it has many translations including "hot as hell, black as night, strong as death, and sweet as love."

[Flutterby]

Iced coffee's are good. I like going to Starbucks or Second cup for iced Caramel Frap's or Mint whatchamacallits.. been forever since I've done that though. Usually more towards the summer is when I drink iced because it's too hot for regular.

I always wonder how people can drink the ice capp without the cream from work.. I have been asked to serve it that way but ick!

[iconoplast]

I love coffee in all forms and flavors. I have a pin on my bag that says "Coffee Slut," and I am. I've consumed coffee since high school, and was begging my parents for it for as long as I can remember. I usually drink it black, but it depends on my mood. And it always soothes me. I can also drink several pots a day, but rarely do.

[Firx]

It may well be a Turkish proverb, but I was referring to the old game Hero's quest.

I guess I'm just a nerd sometimes.

[Daerlyn]

I remember that game. It was given to me for Christmas about twelve years ago. I think I still have it somewhere.

Ah, the good old days . . . :D

[-zorch]

My coffee drinking days started when I was in my late teens, and although there was the occasional excellent cup, and the heavenly aroma, it didn't really become a 'thing' for me until I had some made by the cold-water method. I was in a small shop, and ordered a dish of ice cream, and wanted a coffee to go with it, and the only choices were, 'French Roast' and 'American Roast'. I knew enough to know that I didn't want the French, [I swear, the French can't even roast coffee beans correctly] so I had the American roast, black. I took a sip and...boooing! I said to myself, 'What the hell is THIS?' It was so good, I went back for a second cup, and to see how they were making it. I noticed that they measured a small amount of coffee concentrate into a cup and added hot water. I've been making it that way for over 30 years now, and damn, it STILL tastes good. Since America's discovery of the coffee filter, coffee brewed with hot water has improved 100%, but sometimes, just tastes like burned water. Cold water brewing can make even Folgers taste good--but there's still no hope for French roast.

[Snickers]

To further the quote game:

"I like my women like I like my coffee...in a paper cup." -- Eddie Izzard

He's hysterical. Love that Eddie Izzard.

But coffee - not really. Don't care for the stuff. When I have some - rarely - it's fully doctored. Mr. Snicks usually makes a pot on weekends, though, and drinks whatever they've got at work for him.

Just thought I'd pop in to inject my Eddie Izzard quote.


Snicks

[pulykamell]

Originally posted by -zorch
Since America's discovery of the coffee filter, coffee brewed with hot water has improved 100%, but sometimes, just tastes like burned water. Cold water brewing can make even Folgers taste good--but there's still no hope for French roast.

Sacrilege! Sacrilege, I say! French roast is quite nice, and de rigeur for something like a cafe au lait. It shouldn't be much more bitter than normal coffee, but certainly it does have a smokier, more assertive flavor.

Also, while we're on the subject, there really doesn't seem to be any consensus on which is the darkest roast. Most places seem to qualify a French Roast as darker than an Italian Roast, but I've seen plenty of coffee roasters who do it the other way around. Also, remember that French Roast isn't a type of bean itself, but rather refers to the roasting process. For example, you could get a Kenya AA French Roast, or a Sumatra French Roast. By roasting the beans longer, you bring more essential oils to the surface of the bean, and thus have a stronger coffee flavor.

However, what I'm really chiming in to say is that if your coffee tastes like burnt water, it's probably because your coffee is, well, burnt. I've gone over this several times in threads before, but never, ever, ever allow your coffee water to boil over. (One exception: Turkish coffee.) You will have icky, rancid coffee. Also, always, always, always use filtered or bottled purified water. About 98% of your coffee is water, so any off-taste in your water will be apparent in your coffee.

[TheFunkySpaceCowboy]

Mmmm coffee, I'm on my third cup of the day as I type this. The deal with coffe, like so many of lifes little pleasures, is that when it's made properly and from good ingredients it's consumption becomes a sublimely wonderful experience. However when it's made poorly and from cheap ingredients it's consumption is profoundly dissapointing at best, filthy and disgusting at worst.

When made properly coffee isn't very bitter and doesn't require cream or sugar to be palatable, except of course for certian strong styles where cream and/or sugar are part of the "recipe" Turkish coffee and espresso being prime examples. Good coffee, however it's made, has a complex aroma and flavour, and much like in wine tasting an experienced coffee drinker can recognize and appreciate the subtle differences between various bean families and roasts. My current favorite is Ethopian Yigrecheffe, French roasted. It's very complex, a little spicey and has some winey flavours too and not at all bitter.

To get good, fresh coffee you have to buy your beans directly from the roaster and grind them yourself (whole beans stay fresher longer than ground coffee) if at all possible. Once ground you have to put some actual thought and effort into making the coffee - there are several acceptable methods for making coffee, drip makers and percolators are not among them. My personal preference is the French press. It's simple, elegant and beautiful. Plus it's easy to use and portable.

Always, always clean your equipment and cups after each use. The oils from coffee will build up very quickly and start to impart an unpleasantly bitter flavour to your coffee.

I can ramble on for a few hours more about coffee but I'll stop now since I've just finished my last cup and need to fill up the press again for another three cups... : )