Taking the High Grounds -- The Story of Coffee

What We Eat -- WKNO - PBS ^ | Burt Wolf / ConAgra

[Wonder Warthog]

"How other Americans can get down that thin brown slop they call coffee is something I can't understand."

Heh--I'll never forget the time we visited my "upstate New York" kinfolk. My uncle thought of himself as a real "two-fisted coffee drinker" because he consumed a lot of coffee over the day. I looked into his (full) coffee cup AND I COULD SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE CUP. The stuff looked JUST LIKE TEA. I suspect a demi-tasse cup of good dripped (percolators are for barbarians!!) Community Dark Roast would probably have killed him.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Would also like to use, uh---light spectrum analysis? Just to get an idea of what's REALLy in the various beans. Which could help one understand better what chemical reactions were going one (by pulling samples during the roasting process). Everything is chemistry, on one level..."

GC-MS is the tool. "Light absorption" (i.e. absorption spectrometry) doesn't have NEARLY the resolving power to handle a complex mixture like coffee. I suspect this has already been done.

[AppyPappy]

, mostly I drink tea

Nothing like a good cup of Assam in the morning.

[razorback-bert]

For coffee see

http://www.sweetmarias.com/

[CtBigPat]

I have a coffe plant growing in my living room. It makes a wonderful house plant and despite my best efforts I have yet to kill it.

[tet68]

The Cafe Wha!

I had a friend in the marines that lived upstairs next door,
as a teenager he used to keep his motorcycle on the second floor and ride it up and down the stairs.

[Vinnie]

When I lived in Miami, I used to get a kick out of the fact that people would pay $3.85 for a "Cafe Latte" when they could join their parents for a "Cafe Con Leche" (same thing) at the run of the mill Cuban joint for $1.00.

I used to live there also. Loved Cuban coffee. Strong and sweet.

When I was 14 I visited my brother who was living in NE Brazil. There they roast coffee w/ sugar. The aroma of roasting coffee is wonderful, on par with baking bread.

My favorite common brand is Eight o'Clock 'Freedom' Roast.

Locally (Raleigh) we have a few coffeehouses called Caribou Coffee. I like their coffee, pricey though.

[Consort]

....IT’S ALL IN THE BEAN

[brityank]

used to roast coffee commercially.

Quite a group of knowledgeable FReepers we have here; allow me to introduce you ...

Thank you for your expertise.

[brityank]

"Uncommon Grounds" by Pendergast

Burt also references it; should be interesting, thanks.

[tet68]

I believe it was on Bleeker but that was in 65.

[carlo3b]

Quite a group of knowledgeable FReepers we have here..

Thank you so much for the thought.. Indeed, I am no long surprised at the depth of knowledge in almost ever topic that can be found among our fellow FReepers. Thankfully, I may be able to contribute in my limited area of expertise.. Now as far as Coffee..I am fir shir, an expert in drinking the stuff, but thats the limit...{{{TYPING WITH TREMBLING FINGERS}}}

[carlo3b]

Geeeze, what an education on the ole bean, thanks.. Where in the world can I get some of this ""Estate Columbian""?? I'm a sucker for the fancy stuff.

[carlo3b]

http://www.sweetmarias.com/

Hey Big Boy, what's up?...Thanks for the link..

[Peelod]

BTTT

IIRC, "Joe" refers to Josephus Daniel, Secretary of the Navy, who stopped the daily allotment of rum.

BTW, I prefer the French Press method - I like the little gritty bits.