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Is the whole world drinking instant coffee?
Try Backyard Farming ^ | Jonathan Davis

Posted on 11/02/2021 12:17:58 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

I recently left Ohio and spent a week in Europe, and what I immediately noticed was that apartment dwellers, at least where I was, in Belgium and The Netherlands, didn’t brew their own coffee.

I found this to be amazing, given that in Ohio, I have been grinding beans and using a Chemex to brew the most delicious coffee known to man.

If Portland has every grind and bean imaginable, then I would guess that the Europeans would have us topped; but Europe was Nescafe land.

An Italian-French woman living in Belgium joked that she could not believe anyone would buy pre-made mayonnaise or tomato sauce. “It is so easy to make,” she would rant. But she made instant coffee! How can this be possible?

I must say that her Nescafe gold instant coffee made in 45 seconds with those 220 volt electric kettles was very tasty–but it is not as good as my freshly ground pour over-style coffee.

A friend of Mexican descent and I were discussing this, and I remarked that I could not easily find a non-instant coffee in Mexico. He related to me that in Mexico, generally speaking, they don’t like “American coffee” and prefer Nescafe.

He later produced a special blend of Nescafe instant coffee that can only be purchased in Mexico. I have to say that it too was quite tasty, but nothing beats my freshly ground pour over. What is going on?

Is everyone in the world drinking Nescafe instant coffee?

After Europe, I traveled to the Middle East where I will be living for a year. These guys will be small-batch roasting and hand grinding Arabian beans, yes? No. Nescafe land once again.

Upon entering what would be my new apartment, I found the 220 volt kettle and a jar of Nescafe, purchased by my wife, a coffee aficionado, on the kitchen counter. I felt like I was in the last scene of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Nescafe had gotten to her?

This situation was going to get corrected…but not without some difficulties.

After a few days in Abu Dhabi, a very large and wonderful metropolitan city, I came across a dry goods area of a supermarket that had beautiful, oily coffee beans, as well as more spices, branches, dried fruits, leaves and things than I have ever seen in my life–barrels of things everywhere.

I requested about a half of a pound of the best looking coffee beans and asked the attendant if he could grind it.

“Grind it to a powder?” he asked.

I tried to reply with words and pinching hands that I only wanted it to be grinded a little bit, and then he turned to the machine and grinded it to a baby powder. He then bagged it and sealed the bag in another bag, all with the utmost delicacy.

When I got home, I clipped with clothespins, a generic coffee filter to the top of a glass pitcher, fired up the 220 volt kettle, and brewed my first batch of “American coffee.”

The filter broke immediately, and I had to double up. I had not anticipated the very strong flavor of cardamom, which was, no doubt, a result of the grinding machine (kind of like how Hazelnut creeps into one’s coffee back home, seemingly out of nowhere), and the coffee itself was chalky due to the extreme grinding process; but it was a start, and when one is living abroad, a start is all that one is looking for.

In my next article, I will show how to brew a delicious pour over coffee in any setting, regardless of one’s lack of equipment. I’ll show many ways to grind your own beans, roast them if necessary, and filter them using a variety of ways.

You don’t need a glass Chemex container or other store-bought solutions and, as I have discovered, you do not even need filters. You don’t necessarily need a stove or tea kettle either. If you have some of these things and not others, we’ll cover how to make it work with what’s available.

Assuming you can buy coffee beans, you’ll be making guerilla-style pour over coffee at the camp site, in the desert, in the bush, or in Brussels.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food
KEYWORDS: coffee
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To: uptowngirl

Ooooh! Care to share your recipe?


81 posted on 11/02/2021 4:20:08 PM PDT by Sooner Gal
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

“Cowboy Coffee: Boil up some coffee in a pan with a couple of egg shells.”

That’s how my grandpa used to make it.


82 posted on 11/02/2021 4:23:24 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam (When government fears the people, there is liberty.)
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To: doorgunner69

I’ve got to have low acid as well and found that only Arabica beans are perfect for my stomach. I buy the Marcella brand 100% Arabica at Menards of all places for about 4.00 a bag of ground. Eight O’Clock coffee is also Arabica beans.


83 posted on 11/02/2021 4:43:49 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: dfwgator

Yeah...1 cup too many of that stuff and I’m on a bad ride.


84 posted on 11/02/2021 5:00:10 PM PDT by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
I haven't been to Belgium since 2006/2007 and I'm SHOCKED that the author found anyone who made instant coffee.

It certainly wasn't the case when I was there. I'm a big time coffee fan and the best coffee I ever had was in Belgium. What we call "coffee" here in the U.S. they call "dirty brown water."

85 posted on 11/02/2021 5:05:12 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Sooner Gal

Here ya go: 4 cups dry milk, 1 cup non-dairy coffee creamer,
2 1/2 cups instant presweetened hot cocoa mix, 1/2 cup instant coffee crystals, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1T ground cinnamon, 1t ground allspice. Mix all ingredients in large bowl till combined well. Use 1/3 cup per mug (add more or less according to your taste), add hot water, stir to combine. You can add other spices as you like. I usually add a little nutmeg. This makes a lot, you might want to make half this recipe to see if you like it. Enjoy.


86 posted on 11/02/2021 5:11:35 PM PDT by uptowngirl
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

the story of Nescafe

https://www.nescafe.com/gb/understanding-coffee/nescafe-history/#:~:text=%20The%20History%20of%20NESCAF%C3%89%20%201%20The,II%20was%20initially%20difficult%20for%20the...%20More%20

It’s promoted as ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-conscious’, and it’s nostalgic. All things attractive to Euros.

I prefer Folger’s crystals myself with my 110 watt electric ‘kettle’


87 posted on 11/02/2021 5:21:52 PM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you... " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017) )
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To: uptowngirl

Thank you!!


88 posted on 11/02/2021 5:43:50 PM PDT by Sooner Gal
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To: Daaave

I used to buy beans every trip to Hawaii and small bottles of instant Kona.

It’s all in the bean. The trick is getting it out.. Next best thing to a Mai Tai.

Wifey and clan were all born on Oahu. Her Mom was from Big Island. Kailua has boomed, hopefully they aren’t cutting all the bushes down.


89 posted on 11/02/2021 6:10:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!! In CONgre$$ WE're Disgusted!!)
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To: infool7

Mine is the next step up, with the milk froth option.

Yes, it gets pricey, but DAMN, does it make good coffee.

You do know that they make coffee systems that are $6500 and UP?

I tried coffee out of one of the $5K machines and could not believe that it made grocery store pre-ground coffee taste THAT GOOD!


90 posted on 11/02/2021 8:28:31 PM PDT by Don W (When blacks riot, neighbourhoods and cities burn. When whites riot, nations and continents burn.)
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To: vikingd00d

I’ll second the Aeropress. The main reason I started using it was to make small amounts of coffee with minimal waste and fuss to test my home roast batches. I found out you can make coffee an infinite number of ways with the Aeropress to suit any coffee and any roast.

The most time consuming thing with the Aeropress is boiling water. By the time the water comes to a boil, I have the coffee ground and ready to go. Cleanup takes a few seconds.

No reason to use instant, none. I don’t have to compromise with the Aeropress.

I use it at home and on the road.


91 posted on 11/03/2021 3:21:04 AM PDT by Pythion.net
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
Interesting! Yes apparently Nescafé’s history is closely tied to World War II! Re: modern day South America though I hear this stuff is quite prevalent:
92 posted on 11/04/2021 9:13:41 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
Depends on what part of South America you are in.

If it is a coffee producing area you get the real stuff. So from Nicaragua to Peru you get brewed coffee from fresh beans. Usually made in a cone. And there is nothing better. In Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay it is a toss up. But they do have coffee bars. Well maybe not in Mexico but in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay they do.

Sadly in Chile they went from being just coffee bars to something else. Last time I was there I walked in and discovered I was the only fully dressed female in the place.

Walked right back out.

93 posted on 11/04/2021 9:35:38 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (add a dab of lavender in milk, leave town with an orange and pretend you're laughing with it)
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