[Caffeine is Good. Coffee is Good.]
I love coffee. I drink a lot of it. I don't mean one cup to get started on my day; I mean - I am an all-day-long coffee drinker.The darker the roast- the better I like it. Typically, I drink it black; but on rare occasions I might opt for a mocha or put a little cream and sugar in it. Most of the time; just "our me a cup of your dark roast and sling it my way-I have to hit the road."
The problem with ordering coffee with cream and sugar is...if you say large coffee, one cream, one sugar; by the time these kids are done you enough sugar/caffiene to qualify the cup of coffee liquid crack. I learned as early as high school that everyone has a different perception of what one spoon of sugar is, so as long as you drink it black, it is very difficult for anybody to get it wrong. It's coffee. Drink it black; learn to like it and stop abusing your pancreas. It's bad enough to subject your kidneys to the stuff, right? What is the point of drinking it if you are going to make it taste like hot chocolate? Just order a hot chocolate.
(A point...yes I had one.) I was wondering -- Why is it that coffee shop coffee is always better tasting and hotter than my machine at home can make it? Where can I get one of these industrial-caliber coffee-makers? I did some research; this is what I found out: The quality of a brew depends on the following factors (in no particular order):
-Time since grinding the beans.
-Time since roasting.
-Cleanliness with brewing equipment.
-Bean quality (what crop, etc.).
-Water quality.
There were conflicting pieces of information regarding the temperatures of home versus restaruant-grade coffee makers; but this is what I learned: A restaruant-grade coffee maker averages 190-200 F / 88-93 C. A typical home coffee maker averages a temperature of 178-186 degrees farenheit / 81-86 degrees celcius.
I read that the optimal temperature for brewing is 'not less than 200 F' and the best temperature to hold the flavor was between 185 and 190 F. So, on average my home coffee maker isn't even measure up to the noted standards.
I want to know why-- WHY can't I get a 10-12 cup top-of-the-line home coffee maker that can brew my coffee just as hot and just as flavorful as the corner coffee shop coffee?
It is no wonder that I'm willing to go to Starbucks and pay more for the coffee; and it's no WONDER even when I buy thier beans, I can' t seem to get the same results. At least I know its not something I am doing wrong. It's the coffee maker.
sources: Frequently asked questions about coffee - http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~adb/coffee/coffee.html,
kent Law. edu - http://www.kentlaw.edu/classes/rbrill/torts-fall-99/evening/coffee.html)