Friday Fun: Coffee Connoisseurs

[Brittany Wispell]

Hey everyone! Happy Friday! 

I LOVE my coffee, I have a different type almost every day. When I'm looking for something quick I go for the keurig, when I know it's going to be a long day I go for freshly ground beans in a french press. I get a different type of coffee each month from all around the world and of course I have the basics from the store. 

I also have an espresso machine I only really use on the weekends and an aero press I use when I travel. 

It might be a bit excessive but I really enjoy my coffee, especially at the end of a long work week.

What types of coffee do you all like? Anyone have a favorite mug or type of coffee? Does anyone have suggestions on other types of ways to make coffee? 

Below is an image of my everyday coffee items and HAPPY FRI-YAY!

[carolyn french]

Happy Friday!

You have quite the collection of ways to make coffee. What is your favorite coffee from around the world so far? I've been enjoying robusta from Dalat, Vietnam (in small amounts or it makes my heart pound....) and condensed milk to make a nice iced coffee. For hot coffee I like regular cream or milk. 

At some point in the near future, I need to drink herbal tea for a week to break this caffeine addiction that is no doubt building up...

[Brittany Wispell]

Hi! My favorite coffee so far is from Nicaragua it is made with cashew, dark chocolate and vanilla. It's actually in the picture currently! :) the ones I have in the images from Driftaway coffee are all different each month and from different countries. 

Robust coffees make my heart pound as well! I usually drink my coffee black, though I did start off drinking coffee with milk and sugar...and used to have a lot of Mocha Fraps. 

I am going to have to try the condensed milk for an iced coffee! That's something I don't drink often.

I also love teas :) I always go for a good Green Jasmine or Sadaf Special Blend Tea with Cardamom. I know very specific on the last tea. 

[Jimmy Seddon]

I'm about to make a number of enemies.... I can't stand coffee, I don't even like the smell of it.  How do I get started in the morning? Most of my co-workers call me a robot because I'm in the office before 7am and I awake and alert without any assistance whatsoever.

All of that being said, my father is quite the coffee connoisseur so I have learned many things while growing up, which I will probably never put to practical use.

I have also made it a tradition to bring home a bag of coffee beans for my father whenever I happen to be travelling.  To this day the "best" bag I have brought back to Canada has been that from a small shop from Ambergris Caye in Belize.

[Kate Clavet]

So funny! I used to feel that way until I worked at Starbucks for like ten years. The smell in the morning made me nauseous. But now I love coffee! 

[Jimmy Seddon]

I worked at a grocery store all through high school and college the two things I hated having to stock on the shelves were coffee and laundry detergent.

Also, I have a lot of energy throughout the day and I don't know if my co-workers could tollerate me turning into this:

[Brittany Wispell]

LOVE the honesty here! I used to hate coffee up until I started working in offices, then it became a social thing...then it became a necessary to get things done thing. But when I have too much coffee I end up like that squirrel. 

That's great! When I travel I try local coffee shops usually bring back a bag of something. 

[Scott Theus]

Mmm....coffee.....

I love my coffee in the morning! I use a keurig for convenience, but I have a french press and a hand grinder for when I want something special.  I've started the day with a cup for so long I *need* it to function. If you see me in the morning and I haven't had my coffee please don't talk to me, I'll probably just grunt something that sounds like "not before coffee."

I like strong, dark roasts, and enjoy the specialty single origin varieties Starbucks gets from Peru, Venezuela, and others. My favorites are Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kona, and I'm a big fan of Death Wish Coffee. 

If you haven't had Blue Mountain you really should try it. It's expensive, but worth it for coffee lovers.  You can find it on Amazon, but make sure it is labeled pure blue mountain and certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica; many coffee sellers will use a blend of Blue Mountain, High Mountain, and Low Mountain beans and try to pass it off as the real thing.  

[Brittany Wispell]

I am the same, I can't be spoken to without coffee, you'll only get a blank stare from me. 

I will have to try the Blue Mountain! I have seen it but yeah the price tag on it I can't justify it since I get a fresh bag of beans each month to try. I have heard of the Death Wish Coffee, I will have to get a bag of that too. 

The only coffee I really like from Starbucks is their Blonde Roast. It has the most caffeine and I usually get it in a venti on a day I know is going to be long or full of meetings. 

Thanks for your comment :) 

[Jens Iwanenko]

I don't have pictures at hand, but my drawer is an interesting collection of coffee stuff. Fun fact: I never liked coffee. When I started at this place in 2015, I decided at some point, that I wanted to try and drink less soda at work and get my caffeeine kick somewhere else. Energy drinks weren't much better, and I still didn't like coffee (it's not that I didn't try). So I thought: If you drink an espresso, you'll have it over with quick. I bought a Handpresso espresso maker. I realized that I actually quite like espresso. 2 years later, my Handpresso blew up under pressure (luckily no casualties). Although I got a replacement despite an expired warranty, I don't quite have the trust in the thing anymore.

I browsed the internet and found out that the Aeropress is said to (be able to) produce rich, espresso like coffee. It's inexpensive and I thought, hey, I'll use this until my replacement Handpresso arrives. I never stopped using the Aeropress.

Recently I tried cold brew, with the hot weather and all. I bought a permanent stainless steel filter in order to seperate the extract from the grounds. While cold brew is just the best -- I really love it: cold, hot, iced, with a scoop of ice cream -- the wife and I decided to try pour over with our new acquisition.

I bought another filter for my work drawer. :D

tl;dr: I am renowned for ceremonial coffee brewing at my workplace. I love espresso, I like cold brew very much (especially for its versatility) and I can live quite good with a pour over. I don't like light roasts and am very special about mediums. Dark roast is what you get me with.

Whenever someone approaches me about my coffee, I still like to say that I don't even like coffee. And that's totally true for what the colleagues pull from the coffee makers!

[Brittany Wispell]

Hi Jens! 

That's awesome! I started reading your first paragraph and immediately thought "You should try an AreoPress" and sure enough you are using one! I love my AreoPress as well the coffee is a lot less bitter! 

Yes the general coffee makers that offices have are so unenjoyable coffee but that's really what got me started on coffee to begin with so I don't HATE it, I just found much better ways to make coffee now! 

[Payne]

I enjoy getting fresh locally roasted beans occasionally, but for good mass market coffee I've become a big fan of Seattle's Best Post Alley No. 5 Dark Roast - yum! I see a bag of Seattle's Best in your collection, Brittany. :-) I've also become a big fan of the Clever Coffee Dripper which makes an amazing one large or two small cups of coffee.

[Brittany Wispell]

Hi! 

For American based coffee's I prefer the Seattle's Best especially over Starbucks! :) 

That clever coffee dripper almost looks like a Chemix I've always wanted one of these and I had an old coworker would would make a pot for us just after lunch. 

Thanks for the recommendation on a new coffee machine I can try :)

[timmy]

I drink about a half pot of coffee each morning. Coffee is most likely my favorite food group if we are being honest here.

I have settled into Third Coast blend but I am open to suggestions to explore.

[Brittany Wispell]

Scott had some really good suggestions above. You should look into some of those! 

[Andrew Golokha]

Another coffee fan here... Ever since I moved from Seattle to Austin, I couldn't find a local coffee flavor that I truly love. That's why I keep ordering Victrola from PNW :) 

[Celina Zamora]

Coffee...the cure to my daily sanity. I've become more of a coffee snob as I've become older. I drink mine black, so the flavor of the beans is a BIG deal. French press, drip, or stovetop espresso maker---they understand my needs lol. 

My friend brought me a bag of coffee from the Dominican, and it's my prized gem. Lol. The flavor of coffee from the DR is robust and is a treat within itself. 

[Brittany Wispell]

I know what you mean about the flavor of the beans! French press or Areopress is the way I go when I really want to taste the flavors. If I try to put the grounds in the keurig it just doesn't taste the same. 

What is your favorite flavor of beans? 

[Patrick]

You should really consider trying Vietnamese coffee the way that they drink it.  With one of their drip filters and a bit of condensed milk mixed it, then loads of ice.  It ends up tasting like coffee ice cream.

I usually have it this way once or twice a month as a treat.  Most days I go with black coffee loaded with ice.  It will take me three or four hours to drink a whole cup as I just sip it throughout the morning.  

[Brittany Wispell]

That sounds amazing!! I love coffee and I love ice cream! 

I am actually going to try that this weekend! 

I get Thai coffee's from my fav Thai place and I am imagining they are pretty similar. They put chocolate and whip cream in iced coffee. 

[Mike Rathwell]

If I have time, the Vietnamese drips are awesome and especially if you use some of the better Truong Nguyen coffees... Also, cold or hot, sweetened condensed milk is always a Good Thing

[Stephen Sifers]

I'll enjoy any coffee, brand or flavor doesn't matter much to be. Although there is something amazing about a fresh espresso on a cold day. I typically make my cup(s) with fresh ground beans in a french press and there is a process to this:

1. Warm the water to just before boiling.
2. Pour the water over the grounds (needs to be coarse)
3. Scope off foam and discard
4. Let sit for 4 minutes (or longer)
5. Sift, Pour and enjoy.

I do have two favorite cups that I love to use at home.

[Brittany Wispell]

The one thing I remember most about your love for coffee is that you save up all the stars you get at Starbucks and only use them on what will be a long day on a venti quad shot coffee. At the time I thought you were crazy...but now...I totally get it! 

I think that was when we were all coming back from Summit in 2017. 

Espresso for me is always good with a sweet breakfast or desert after dinner. 

Love your mugs!

[Mike Rathwell]

From despair.com (the best source of wonderful demotivational posters), this is my coffee cup for the office.

[Jens Iwanenko]

I love your Agent P mug. Guess I'll have to go shopping. :D

I do have my own special mugs for work, too:

Sorry for the profanity...

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

My Agent mug salutes you @Stephen Sifers !

[Mike Rathwell]

I usually start my day with a liter of Death Wish Coffee Valhalla Blend. First one because until I blacken my blood enough is Keurig. Then will go to pour over. In the evenings when I get a bit over-tired and can't sleep a Vietnamese Drip of something black will lift me just enough that I am out like a light.

Overall, I take the Samuel Clemens approach to coffee: "Coffee should be strong as the devil and sweet as sin"

[Brittany Wispell]

That is a great approach to take. Also, I thought I was the only one that could have coffee and sleep soundly! Coffee doesn't keep me up at night surprisingly. 

Well that is two votes for Death Wish Coffee so it seems like I am going to have to get a bag of that. 

[Daniel Eads]

If you ever need to contact Atlassian Support, we're well-caffeinated and might discuss how to best help you while we make pourovers! There's a few activities we do in the office to get the brains grinding on your issues, but coffee is my favorite.

We've got a machine-brewed coffee carafe going all day but taking a couple minutes to brew a pourover gives us an opportunity to converse and decompress. Our station has a Chemex, aeropress, and of course a set of V60 drippers.

When someone hasn't made coffee manually before, the office tradition is to show them how to do it and then take a picture of their successful brew. Yum! 

                                             Atlassians enjoying fresh pourovers

[Brittany Wispell]

Hey! I have that water warming tool (I can't think of the name right now). 

This looks like a great tradition! I will say I do miss having a nice cup of coffee with coworkers. Since I've been working from home I usually have my cup of coffee and enjoy some Atlassian Community question answering/blog post reading time. 

[Earl McCutcheon]

I do love a good cuppa joe.  Its a great pick me up in the morning, a good addition to any meal, and tastes great too, when done right.  

And there are soo many different blends and combinations of blends to preparation methods in the ways to do a cup of coffee from drip to espresso, pour-over to cowboy coffee, that the options are so vast you could probably do a different match up every day for the rest of your life and never repeat a recipe.  You can get as involved and scientific as you want using all kinds of equipment and preparation techniques to get it ready or you can  just keep it simple and relax and enjoy the contents of your cup.  The variety simply amazes me and I learn something new about coffee all the time.

My current favorite combination as of late has been leaning towards a Medium roast, pour-over, at 202 degrees.  But that shifts all the time.

There is always a perfect pairing of coffee for any situation, like a super dark roast or espresso brewed heavy to go with something super sweet and chocolaty, or a mid to light roast when your eating a raspberry pie (my favorite), an americano paired to eggs w/toast or just coffee by itself (also my favorite)

But coffee with all its amazing flavor profiles goes even further and its not just a drink, it's a social event and experience that you get to partake in, an option to get togather with your buds and talk coffee or anything else while you are prepping or hanging out an enjoying the vibe and offers up a way to engages others, kinda in the same way smoking cigarettes does but it comes with health benefits unlike the later (YUK). 

Coffee also gives me an excuse to collect coffee mugs, the Wife and I buy a new mug any time we go on a vacation somewhere new, or find a fun or funky one, holiday mugs, and custom mugs.  I'v got national park mugs, museum mugs, random airport mugs, mugs shaped like animals, cauldrons and other various novelties, I even have a mug with a picture of my mug on it (I took a picture of a plain white mug and got that pic printed on the same mug, so meta, we call it cup-ception)

i'am actually looking at 3 of my mugs on my desk right now, my daily Michelangelo Ninja Turtle mug, a new one someone brought me back from a recent trip to Amsterdam, and my travel mug that I take in the car with me.

-Earl

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I like coffee.  I prefer tea a bit, but coffee works.  Despite my reputation for liking beer, gin, wine and tequila, I still prefer coffee and tea.

I rarely mix tea and coffee during the day.  I stumble out of bed, stick the kettle on, brush my teeth, then decide if it's a Tea day or a Coffee day, then stick to that through the day, rarely drinking fewer than four mugs.

This is a massive cut in my intake though.  Many years ago, I used to have to see my doctor every six months for a checkup before they would renew my prescriptions for the drugs I take most days.  These always ended with "ok, no problem on the drugs, but you should cut down on the coffee - 8 mugs a day is too much, get more exercise and give up smoking".  When I managed to quit smoking, the doctor said "Yay", but then asked if I had replaced it with something else and looked really scared when I told him I was drinking three times the amount of coffee.  But he'd rather that than smoking, and I did gradually cut it back down to a more sane level.  Ish.  It's still a stupid amount of caffeine.

Still too much apparently.  I have an Italian coffee thing that makes espresso (I have no idea what it is called.  Put water in bottom, grounds in the middle sieve bit, put it on the stove and it forces steam up into the top part).  My better half accidentally put it in the dishwasher, which messed up the rubber seal, so I went to my "dealer" (see below) to get a new one.  By volume, she thought I was probably on a 2-shot pot but possibly a 4, and told me to come back next week and bring it so I didn't go home with the wrong one.  Turns out it's for 6, so on "coffee day", I'm drinking 12-24 espressos.

Like a lot of other posters here already, there is absolutely no point in trying to engage with me before I'm at least half way through the first mug.  The only things that sink in are "please make one for me too" and "I left the tea/coffee somewhere else".

I struggle with modern coffee shops, although recently, they have improved a bit, it's like there are a lot of people like me who walk into coffee shops, look at the vast range of options and just say "Coffee".  Questions like "what size", "what milk", "what type" get a simple response of "coffee", or if I'm a bit more awake, "coffee, now".

But, I lucked out when I bought the house Chrissy and I live in.  Not only is the best pub in the town almost on the doorstep (On a good day, my phone can see my house wi-fi when I'm on the pub's doorstep), but there's also a small tea and coffee importer less than 200 yards away.  I call Caroline "my dealer", as caffeine and alcohol are the only drugs I take for enjoyment, and I'd rather be teetotal than give up coffee or tea.

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

There is one day in the year when we are forced to visit some company medical checks - the worst day of my life each year! I have to get up from my bed and NOT drink coffee. (sadpanda x 5)

I love coffee - the taste, the fresh-baked coffee aroma, and I'm drinking it strong and clean - no milk, sugar, or whatever is possible to put in your cup. 

Like Nic, at home, we are also using the Italian coffee thing (it's called Moka pot). At work, we have an espresso machine, and for the weekends we usually grab a tall americano from Costa and enjoy it with a long walk. 

I'm trying not to overdose, so the daily limit is two coffees (each with two shots of espresso). 

I have a favorite coffee mug at work, and yes, it's been through a lot of washing machine attacks. I hand drawn it a while ago, and I'm more nostalgic than other :)

[Jack Brickey]

I love my coffee too but I have weaned myself down to 2-3 c per day. I used to drink way too much. :-)

It needs to be very good coffee and I generally use my Jura espresso machine. However, it has been out of commission for sometime now so am using my french press or drip. I have exhausted my ability to repair the Jura which generally means it has serious issues so I'm going to trade it in for a new machine very soon in fact I have my broken machine packed and ready to ship back to Jura.

I enjoy a dark roast most of the time especially in the morning. If I have something midday it is a medium roast and then occasionally an espresso and a piece of 70%+ cacao chocolate at night. I generally keep some Cafe Du Monde grounds in my pantry as I enjoy the chicory. I don't enjoy flavored coffee but will have a mocha at times. I broke one of my favorite mugs  and need to replace. Why is everything in my life broken....hmmmm.

[Brittany Wispell]

That's my favorite mug I've seen on this page thus far. I almost bought one at PAX South and I decided to go with a companion cube of random goodies instead. I need this mug! 

[Jodi LeBlanc]

Oh my! This is my kind of thread, you all sure love your coffee :) Okay here's my story:

I worked at Tim Horton's Coffee shop in junior high and high school (one of my part-time jobs) and never tried a drop of coffee. I didn't try coffee until about 6 years ago, my vice at that time was one diet pepsi a day. Once I gave up diet pepsi I decided to try hot chocolate and flavoured coffee in my office keurig machine and grew to like it. I also loved how productive I felt after a cup. The caffeine focus.

I still drink a coffee in the morning but this past year I decided to give up my keurig machine for environmental reasons and got a plain coffee maker. All of a sudden my heart rate was up to 130 beats per minute just resting. I had no clue what was happening and felt like I was fight or flight constantly. I was thinking, am I stressed? Is this anxiety? What in the world is happening...

Finally I realized it was the change in coffee. I was using 2 Tbsp per cup, when I was only used to 1 Tsp per cup in the past when I used keurig (eg. 1 pod for 10oz water). I adjusted the amount and I am back to feeling myself again. Thankfully!

So that's my love hate relationship with coffee! I drink 1-2 cups in the morning and then that's it for the day. My favourite coffee is Vanilla Hazelnut with almond milk. I also love that with a coffee machine I can wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee :)

[Jodi LeBlanc]

And here is my coffee maker, favourite coffee and mugs. The lupin mug is hand made pottery, the impact summers reminds me of an intrapreneur retreat that I attended on Wasan Island in Muskoka, and well the third one is obvious, pi. But also it is the biggest coffee mug I have.

[Monique vdB]

I am tilting my head trying to see Lupin from Harry Potter but... er... is lupin also a flower maybe?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Lupins are indeed flowers.  There's a whole Monty Python sketch about them if you're into that sort of humour.

[Mike Rathwell]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist- , "She turned me into a newt.... I got better"

[Monique vdB]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist- "if." I had all eight hours of the Monty Python double CD memorized, and all the script books. And I laughed until I wept the first time I saw Holy Grail. I have never laughed that hard in my life.  So clearly I have to look up this sketch!

@Mike Rathwell "Venezuelan Beaver Cheese?"

[Jodi LeBlanc]

@Monique vdB How in the world did I post that photo sideways, easy to tell I uploaded it before I had my coffee that morning lol Too funny about the Lupin comment, yes come to visit PEI we have wild lupins all over the Island. Not as good as Harry Potter, but they are something to see :)

[Mike Rathwell]

@Monique vdB , he's from Barcelona, you know....

[carrie_eandm]

I'm a little late to the game! But coffee is what gets me through the work week. ;)

Drive-through Starbucks drink of choice: Skinny Caramel Macchiato (any size, hot/iced)

I have to admit upfront that I can't do coffee black, gimme all the sugar and cream! I started drinking coffee in college - Mochas with dark chocolate - from the on-campus coffee shop. From there, it's been a try-it 'til you find one you like.

My go-to's at the moment are any light or medium roast. Since I sugar/cream it up, the brand doesn't make a different. My husband goes through a pot of coffee in the morning, so its usually whatever we can get that's cost effective and I just get a single cup of it. I have been able to wean myself off creamers and now just add a teaspoon of sugar and a 1/4 cup of almond milk. 

Current mug: (Any Rae Dunn fans out there?)

[Monique vdB]

@carrie_eandm my Starbucks order is whole milk dry cappuccino or a nonfat Caramel Macchiato. (I can't do artificial vanilla and a cup full of foam is only good if it's whole milk!) I think they had a seasonal latte recently that was really good too, like shortbread or something? 

[Scott Theus]

@Monique vdB My morning Starbucks order is a grande red eye with 4 sugars. Sometimes I make it a black eye with an extra shot. 

[Carl Rioux]

I'm so picky about which coffee beans to use but to maximize my caffeine intake, I go light or medium roast (a must). I do also love a dirty chai with double espresso and a well made macchiato!  

[Jodi LeBlanc]

The dirty chai sounds amazing!

[Brittany Wispell]

I am going to have to try a dirty chai! That sounds great :) 

[Carl Rioux]

@Brittany Wispell it is really good and keeps you aware for a while! You can also have it with one shot of espresso (for milder caffeine intake. 

[Brittany Wispell]

Go big or go home right! 2 shots for me :) 

[Deleted user]

I am one of those odd people who don't drink coffee or tea, as I don't care for the smell or taste of either.  I usually drink a bottle of water in the morning and then get my caffeine from a soft drink in the afternoon. 

[Dharma Ramos]

I love coffee. I grew up drinking "cafe con leche" where the coffee was brewed in one of these(not my pot, just a pic I found online):

I have been using a keurig, but really thinking about buying one of these and getting back to my roots.

[Alex Laycy]

Aero Press coffees are fantastic on the go, but at home i'm yet to find anything that tastes better than an Espresso machine using freshly ground beans!

That being said..the lazy part of me is hoping that Santa brings a nice bean to cup Coffee machine down the chimney... 🎅🏽

[Tim Keyes]

I've always been a fan of tea, but do enjoy a nice cappuccino after dinner.

[lora.moser27]

Kopi Luwak is some of the best stuff on the market today, but unfortunately it is hard to find the best stuff anyway in shops. Brittany, I suggest that you try Sea Island Coffee. It's the only place I found that really had the high quality coffee I was looking for. Here I'll give you the link, hopefully it will help you the same way it helped me.

[Mike Rathwell]

I have to agree on the whole Kopi Luwak assessment. EVERY time The Boss and I go to Vietnam, we stock up as it is common there and quite inexpensive (relatively speaking).

HOWEVER, if you want a great South East Asian type coffee that is strong and dark yet not bitter in the least with wonderful nutty aroma and overtones, look for Trung Nguyen coffee. Can find that in just about any Asian supermarket and the Vietnamese ones in particular. 

[Valerie Palmer]

I stumbled on this post and had to add the best coffee I've ever had.  I was introduced to this 8 years ago and fell in love!  It isn't for the faint at heart though.

https://shop.funraniumlabs.com/products/750ml-bbote.html 

[elizabeth_jones]

I recently joined a coffee delivery club, where I get a new box each month from a different place. I love all coffee and it's so nice to try new versions each time. The box also comes with a little information card that explains its origin and flavor profile. I typically make cold brew on Sunday and enjoy it through the week, sometimes warmed up, sometimes fridge temperature, depending on my mood and the weather :)

[Mike Rathwell]

@elizabeth_jones , you make a very good point with liking all coffee. I do find that coffee is not dissimilar to pizza... even when it's bad, it's pretty dang good. 

Also, Sunday is the day I make a couple of pots of coffee that will reside in the fridge in a pitcher along with a few trays of coffee ice cubes to keep the coffee cold without adding even more water...

[elizabeth_jones]

The cold coffee ice cubes are an excellent idea; I'll use that!