Confessions of a Caffeine Addict V: Naked Coffee

Coffee cupping chart: From Rogers Family Coffee

  Obviously, I have several friends that are coffee/caffeine addicts. One friend is a veteran who returned to college. Every cup of coffee that he drinks is Mill Mountain Blend, black. While the fact that a former serviceman takes his coffee black is not unusual, I have decided to try an experiment based off the idea of taking the flavor coffees that I drink naked, better known as black. And it's not going very well. First, I need to bone up on the coffee making skills because it has been awhile and I have been lazy. Second, just say no... sometimes... drinking some of the flavors has tuned me off to them.

  But naked coffee sounds better, doesn't it? And it caught your attention pretty quickly, did it not?

  What I am really talking about is the proper way to cup your coffee, naked. Sounds kinky, right?

Actually, it's not that much different than wine tasting. If any of my followers have hosted a cupping, drop a line and tell me how it went! Until then, here is this two minute beginner's guide to cupping your coffee.

Coffee Conversations

  Something that I love about being back in Southwest Virginia, the several small coffee shops that dominate the area. I have several coffee addicted friends which makes that addiction easier to feed. Muahahahahaha!
  So when I had coffee with my friend, Frank, yesterday, this conversation may have happened.

(Frank reaches to the top of the sugar basket to get a couple of packets of Splenda)

Me: Why are you using that? That stuff is crap. Use real sugar if you have to sweeten it.

So I was a little surprised this morning when I received this text and the convo that followed:

Reminder: Stick with the real stuff.

about an hour ago

I owe you BIG TIME

For what?

*confuzzled*

Mill Mountain tastes delicious with real sugar lol

LOL... is that all?

Yeah

Good because I was trying to think of what the fuck I did

Confessions of a Caffeine Addict IV

  This has been a weird week for coffee. At least Mark and AJ, two of the other three members in our research group, drink coffee almost as heavily as I do. Corinne is a tea drinker. The cool thing about her particular habit is her chosen cup.

You can find these at creaturecups.com

  We do take turns making coffee for each other and there are three coffee pots to choose from in the galley of the Burroughs and Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies. The kitchenette is really a galley kitchen so the naming is definitively appropriate. I am always afraid of bumping into people in there. Close quarters comes to mind. 

  But a very curious thing happened this past week. I have noticed that nobody touched anything in the fridge but their own food which is good because I have worked in places where kitchen gnomes and thieves were common. 

  Remember that review I posted on the Coffee-mate Thin Mints creamer? I left it in the fridge of the galley overnight. I have told Mark and AJ that they are more than welcome to it since I work with them. As a matter of fact, anyone outside the group is welcome to it as long as they ask first. Honestly, I just want to keep track of the usage so I can get more when necessary and not walk in one morning and be disappointed that it's all gone and should have picked more up on the way in. I do it for the Keurig in the Physics Student Lounge all the time. No biggie. 

  Well, I walked in the next morning and it was GONE. I was baffled, surprised, and shocked. I talked to the department secretary about it. By the way, always be polite and get to know department secretaries they are the key to the workings of every department I have ever worked with. They usually know a bunch of things you don't. Janitors too. Never forget that no matter how small you think someone's job is that they make things happen. 

  Happily, by lunchtime, the creamer was back in the fridge. By some oddball power of observation, I noticed a graduate student walking down the hallway with three plates and a circular shaped object between the two plates. I didn't want to embarrass the young man so I let it go. I figured he had made a mistake and I don't think he meant to do it maliciously. 

  There are some things that are worth letting go, such as anger and disappointment from misjudging people.

Review: Coffee-mate Thin Mint Creamer

  Do you like Girl Scout cookies? Yes, I know, what a silly question! Honestly, I thought this was going to be super sweet but a little bit goes a long way. So, don't overdo it! If you catch this on sale, like I did, don't think twice. Just get it!

Gevalia K Cups: Mocha Latte

  First of all, let me start by expressing my disappointment that this wasn't flavored coffee but a true specialty drink. While there are only 6 cups and flavor packets per pack, the actual cost per serving came out to be only $1.25. A far cry from the $3-$4 a mocha latte would cost at Starbucks or made by your favorite barista. I think I will take the $1.75 in savings and run with this for a bit. When you do the math, 6 * $3 = $18 versus the 6 * $1.25 = $7.50. 

  Yeah, I know... nothing beats the atmosphere of a good coffee shop. However, aside from Starbucks here in Myrtle Beach area, I would rather save my money over the summer and get work done by poolside instead. 

  Six sips into the drink and I am not tossing it out. It's not bad but it is not the best I have ever had. Will it suffice? Yes. I can live off it. Even my dog thinks it's ok (she just licked the side of the cup). Now, if I can get my hands on a can of whipped cream, I think that would add to the mocha latte experience that I am used to. 

Coffee Lover's Will Be the Winners in the Coffee War this April

So much coffee news has come my way in the past few days! Let me know if there is anything that I miss in this post and I will do a quick blog on it!

Sheetz is wrapping up their campaign for their Specialty Drinks. If you are still getting the $1 off sleeve, more than likely they will honor the coupon still. They have never turned me away yet, knowing that return business is good business. I bought an extra bottle of water while I was there. Businesses count on that save-a-dollar-the-customer-usually-spends-more.

Dunkin Donuts is beginning a campaign on April 7th. Free coffee Mondays! Look in your mailbox for this punch card with a $0.99 hot coffee coupon you can use until then!

McDonald's due to lagging sales for the past few months, the king of processed palaces will be offering two weeks of free small, 12 oz. coffees to it's breakfast diners. They will also be giving out free coffee once a day to a randomly chosen Twitter follower! This is in response to Taco Bell expanding and offering a breakfast menu! Yeah, I know! *GASP*

You know... the only place we haven't heard from yet is Starbucks! But I don't think we have long to wait!

K-cup Recommendation

  A couple of weeks ago, one of the Physics majors at school brought her Keurig into the student lounge since she lives more in the lounge than her room. I have never bothered with Keurig because I am that much of a coffee snob. However, they aren't all that bad. What I did find is that some of the K-cups are downright disgusting. Yep, still a coffee snob. I am not a fan of the plastic cup.
  I have found that the Kroger Private Selection brand uses a soft filter and tastes so much better! Of course, I have stocked it with the Breakfast Blend. Happy pro-caffeinating!