Where can I get good coffee when traveling? Seems such an absurd question to me yet it's being asked semmingly over and over and even by some long time home roaster(s). Long before I started home roasting 3+ years ago, buying roast dated whole beans, I knew the only way to travel with good coffee was to bring my own with me. Made up separate pot size vacuum bags of whole bean, or sometimes if a short trip pre-ground and vac'd, to take with. And of course always first stop when getting wherever is buying good bottled water. The last few years we vacation regularly on the Big Island of Hawaii, Kona Kountry. And I bring my own roasted coffee. If you just want a caffeine fix take nodoze. If you want good coffee then roast it. Yes, it appears the list is leaving CSA ways... Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffee URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer etc.http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htm |
My Gourmet self destructed the night before I flew out of town for a week. Guess what I was going to do....? JR |
Hey Mike, Definitely, it's a must to bring ones own coffee, but it's nice to find good coffee out when you can. Just went to Reno this weekend and yes, I brought my own coffee, grinder, press-pot. I missed a few CSA points by not using bottled water or vac-sealing. But, on the way I stopped in Janesville, CA a little nothing town of like 3 people. There was a shop there called Diggs Coffee Co. The owner had a shop for years in San Diego and this was his retirement playtime. He knew his stuff, dated his roasts, and pulled a great shot for me. Everybody else I was going with were all p-o'd because he apparently didn't make mochas or strawberry smoothies to their *$ standards but I was loving it. I was also happy when Alchemist John pointed me to the Perugino just 60 miles north of where I live. Awesome atmosphere, great location, beautiful attention to detail in the shot, great coffee!! I don't think we should lower our standards when we travel. But vacation is about adventure man! We can definitely all benefit from knowing where the good coffee is. We could even up the CSA level by having our own little almanac of good places to go when vacationing. We could publish it and then blacklist people that go elsewhere for coffee when on vacation! };^) Jeff Wikstrom <Snip> |
When we travel, I pack a small suitcase with a FreshRoast (original model), bag of greens, Zassenhaus knee ginder, Melitta 4 cup brewer & filters, cups, electric extension cord, and a Britta filter bottle. Dave Weaterville, OH |
That's some fresh traveling coffee. I'll have to see if the wife will let me take the popper next time. I need to get an inverter so it can be done in the car! ;) I think this goes back to my idea of an in-dash setup...hmmmmmmm. Jeff Wikstrom <Snip> |
We take our press pot, grinder, beans, etc. But it is always nice to go to a coffee shop, the ambiance, you know? Pam |
Bringing your own Kona to Kona? That deserves bonus points, or something... Anyway, when I travel (almost weekly) I bring along some regular and some decaf, premeasured for my one cup Swissgold pour-over (vac sealed, of course), the Swissgold pour over, my Zass turkish mill and a travel mug. Since 95% of my travel is for business, I'm only in the hotel room first thing in the morning and then after dinner, so if I *need* coffee during the day, I try to find out in advance where to go... Slightly OT... I've heard mention of CSA and CSA points. Are there guidelines, etc. for the earning (or losing) of points, etc? Who is the keeper of the points? ...ron |
Mike, This wasn't really CSA standard either. CSA = "take it with you dummy!" or "Real people always take it with them!" I've noticed a distinct lack of CSA over the last quarter. Maybe the road warriors and the CSA crew just became exhausted battling the Alt.Coffee mentality. I didn't even get a nibble on my DCSA offering. Speaking of - The decaf Costa Rican is wonderful. Tom's Donkey blend doesn't grab your face and yell HEY! It just floats across your taste buds and says "Hi." Its good, but I'd hate to go into battle with it. My body REALLY, REALLY missed the kick from the caffeine. John - counting off these last 5 days until I know for sure. On Wed, 2004-06-09 at 00:29, miKe mcKoffee wrote: <Snip> |
--- Ron L wrote: <Snip> There are precise and detailed guidelines, Ron, but they are not written down and there is no keeper. We just know them intuitively and abide by them unfailingly...except when we don't. Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.http://messenger.yahoo.com/ |
--- John Abbott wrote: <Snip> SM has had several very good decafs over the last few years that they have been my connection. Is African Highlands still available? It will certainly be sad if you have to give up caffiene, John, but luckily Tom and Maria are standing by to keep you hooked up. BTW, I've always assumed that if my doctor suggested that I give up coffee, then I would get a new doctor. ;-) Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.http://messenger.yahoo.com/ |
When I travel, I step up, look death in the face, and drink the local coffee. If you don't live life on the edge of danger, what's the point? ;-) Andy <Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettingsDo you Yahoo!?">http://lists.sweetmarias.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast<Snip>http://sweetmarias.com/maillistinfo.html#personalsettingsDo you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.http://messenger.yahoo.com/ |
RIGHT ON MIKE! We are getting ready to go camping. Rather than roast for the trip, we have begun enjoying roasting over fire the first night to supply the coffee for the trip. I am picking the coffees for the trip, and also bringing one batch of homeroast for the first morning on the trip. I would never leave home without my travel kit that has been upgraded with a cordless electric water heater. Les miKe mcKoffee wrote: Where can I get good coffee when traveling? Seems such an absurd question to me yet it's being asked semmingly over and over and even by some long time home roaster(s). Long before I started home roasting 3+ years ago, buying roast dated whole beans, I knew the only way to travel with good coffee was to bring my own with me. Made up separate pot size vacuum bags of whole bean, or sometimes if a short trip pre-ground and vac'd, to take with. And of course always first stop when getting wherever is buying good bottled water. The last few years we vacation regularly on the Big Island of Hawaii, Kona Kountry. And I bring my own roasted coffee. If you just want a caffeine fix take nodoze. If you want good coffee then roast it. Yes, it appears the list is leaving CSA ways... Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffee URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer etc.http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htm---------------------------------Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger |
I wanted to bite on your CSAD comment, but I think I've hit overload recently. It's been very hard to keep up with the list and actually feel like being involved and not just lurk. There has been an incredible volume of mail lately. I kind of went through and had to delete most of what was on the list (over 200 messages - 1 1/2 days). It was nice this morning to have (8) messages in my box and be able to READ them all and reply as I wished. I guess I'm whining that I don't have time to keep up with you guys. It almost seems like a full time job to keep up. Jeff Wikstrom <Snip> |
On Wed, 2004-06-09 at 10:22, Andy Thomas wrote: <Snip> I'm amazed at how good this Costa Rican tastes. The Donkey blend is a really great shot, lots of movement. I guess what I miss is the kick from it. I pulled a shot for a friend about 5 minutes ago (she's now chatting with my wife) and she thought it was among the best she's had here. So now I'm addressing the mental framing of my shots :O) My primary doctor (endocrinologist) had previously OK'd my coffee consumption, knowing that it was good for me. But the guys up at Rice Medical have taken me off a lot of foods and caffeine to see if it alters my spinal activity. I will have labs done here next Monday (seems like a year away) and then they'll let me have my caffeine again. -- ~John~ loving life in the slow lane |
I have certainly had a CSA lapse or two lately. A few weekends ago My
wife and I took two of the grandkids on trip with a couple of overnight
stays at campgrounds and getting everything together was chaotic to say
the least - and what did not get packed? Tthe coffee with the Zass and
French press! I ended up just doing without for two cranky days. A
few weeks before that I had a paper to present at 3:00 p.m. on one day
in Miami and another at 10:00 a.m. in Montgomery, Alabama. I flew out
of Miami about 21 hours after I flew in. My hotel reservations were
messed up so I ended up sleeping on the floor in a friend's room. I
did take my coffee stuff but I never broke it out to use. On the
morning I was there I led a small group of us out looking through a
Hispanic immigrant neighborhood for breakfast, my agenda was coffee.
About three blocks from the Hilton I spotted a small Columbian
restaurant that had a sidewalk service window that had a line and most
people were getting coffee. I interpreted the line as a good sign and
led our party in, I ordered an espresso and it was not that bad. The
beans were clearly fresh and had a nice balanced coffee flavor. It
had none of the exciting extra flavors that we are used to from Tom's
coffees but well worth the 75 cents they charged. I went back for
lunch and had more of their coffee. I was not disappointed.
CSA confessions over.
Jim Gundlach |
Same here, if I'm going to have coffee on a trip, it's my own! However, like Jeff said, if there's acceptable espresso available, I'll give it a shot (pun intended) just for novelty's sake. I even stop by the local decent shop, Stumptown in Portland, just for kicks sometimes. "Regular" coffee, otoh, requires more masochism than I can muster! If that's what it comes down to, it's just easier for me to do without. Welcome back, Mike! For a while there, some of us thought there was something wrong with the list, when the list traffic got so slow... (just kidding ;-) John Kangas <Snip> FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ |
When I need caffeine away from home and the very few good places I know, I just go for whatever they call a frozen, blended ice coffee. They're cool and refreshing, taste vaguely like coffee, and they have the all-imp= ortant caffeine. Enjoy! Steve :->http://www.cafepress.com/stevespics<- My little store of Impressionist">http://www.svandyke.com<- My simple websitehttp://www.cafepress.com/stevespics<- My little store of Impressionist & Special Event photography |
I've heard of Stumptown but never been. Don't really go up to Portland much. How is it? <Snip> |
My wife insists on this setup! She bought me my first coffee grinder (Krups - burr) about 23 years ago (before we were married). I'l have to look into the inverter idea. Dave Westerville, OH <Snip> |
You might have to go with a wired in unit. I know that cigarette lighter models have amp limitations on them. On the subject of wives, my wife tolerates my coffee because she loves me. She swears that coffee makes her want to vomit. Poor girl, she must have some sort of tongue defect! :) Jeff <Snip> |
On Jun 9, 2004, at 5:12pm, Jeff Wikstrom wrote: <Snip> So Jeff, is your wife the wired in or cigarette lighter model? John Blumel |
I upgraded to a model with interchangeable plugs. ;) <Snip> |
On Wed, 2004-06-09 at 08:51, Pamela Chadwick wrote: <Snip> Pam, Sorry about the lack of ambiance in your hotel room. Several of us on this list do counseling :O) -- ~John~ loving life in the slow lane |
<Snip> to a <Snip> But apparently *don't* do ambiance, Pam. Gene Smith riding the wild learning curve, in Houston |
This list provides great ambiance, however, I don't have a notebook PC, so I can't take you with me when I go anywhere. Pam |
I bought some of the donkey blend and CR decaf about a month ago. Totally agree with you, I think they are both pretty darn goood. I even got my husband to drink some decaf! I never used to have any difficulty getting to sleep until a few years ago. Now, any caf after 5ish and I just dont get to sleep. Drinking canned coffee, I just quit drinking coffee in the afternoon, now with home roasting this wonderful decaf I can have my evening coffee! John Abbott wrote:On Wed, 2004-06-09 at 10:22, Andy Thomas wrote: <Snip> I'm amazed at how good this Costa Rican tastes. The Donkey blend is a really great shot, lots of movement. I guess what I miss is the kick from it. I pulled a shot for a friend about 5 minutes ago (she's now chatting with my wife) and she thought it was among the best she's had here. So now I'm addressing the mental framing of my shots :O) My primary doctor (endocrinologist) had previously OK'd my coffee consumption, knowing that it was good for me. But the guys up at Rice Medical have taken me off a lot of foods and caffeine to see if it alters my spinal activity. I will have labs done here next Monday (seems like a year away) and then they'll let me have my caffeine again. -- ~John~ loving life in the slow lane |
Pamela Chadwick wrote: <Snip> Yeah, but there's - usually - the coffee, which is tolerated rather than enjoyed. If I'm travelling somewhere where there's electrcity, I bring along my trust Zass and an electric moka pot that Bialetti makes (basically one of their regular moka pots jammed into a base w/a heating element). If there isn't electricity, I make "bunna qela" which, according to my handy-dandy copy of "Exotic Ethiopian Cooking" by D .J. Mesfin, (who is Ethiopian and presumably doesn't find the cooking so exotic) , "is dried green coffee beans roasted and then mixed with spiced butter. It is usually eaten when hot coffee is not available." I don't know if this gains CSA points for heroics or loses them on the esthetic merits, but a handful of them does do the trick for me in an otherwise coffeeless morning. (Also they're good for munching in the car on long trips.) Here's the recipe: Utensils: medium size frying pan medium mixing bowl (2-4 qt) covered container (1-2 qt size) Ingredients: 1 lb Dried green coffee beans 2 cups butter (spiced) to taste salt Preparation: Roast the dried green coffee beans in low fire. Set aside. Melt butter and add salt to taste. Mix roasted dried green coffee beans evenly. Store in clean covered container. Makes 3-4 servings. Commentary: The idea of eating 1/3 a pound of this at a sitting is boggling, probably stomach boggling as well as mind boggling. I don't imagine it has a good effect on the circulatory system, either, unless you're a long-distance runner or something (which Ethiopia does produce an impressive number of). There are a number of Ethiopian snacks made by mixing roasted something with spiced butter - roasted wheat, roasted barley, etc; this is evidently just another one of that family. For my own purpose, there's way too much butter in this recipe; I heat about 1/4 lb of (pre-roasted and rested) Yirg in a pan with enough spiced butter to lubricate them a bit, maybe a couple of spoonsful at most. I also make the butter spicier than is normal for cooking; I don't like the beans to wind up greasy. I add just a pinch of salt, basically out of respect for the recipe. Short-cut way to make spiced butter: get ghee from an Indian store (dairy ghee, not vegetable ghee which tastes awful and is trans-fat city); mix with butter-spice-mixture (yekibe) from Ethiopian store. (Keep the butter-spice-mixture in the freezer, like all ground spices.) The butter-spice-mixture can also be put into vegetable oil for use in cooking on (Ethiopian) fast days (or if you're trying to cut down on butter consumption), but don't mix it with coffee beans (I tried it once; it made a disgusting mess). best, stuart --- i have a very small websitehttp://dustyfeet.com |
At 06:51 AM 6/9/2004 -0700, Pamela Chadwick wrote: >But it is always nice to go to a >coffee shop, the ambiance, you know? > All the streaked/pierced/tattooed coeds and acoustic tunes that I've never heard before makes me feel a little old though... Now the computer store slash Internet cafe, now there is a geek's dream! I can pick up a new SATA drive and a dose of go-juice all at one stop! And if I happen to scratch my ass or burp or something, it really doesn't matter very much. That is, unless its really loud and somebody compliments me.. Allen am |
Apparently your medical condition doesn't effect all of your physical functions John! Yow... <Snip> |
Pam, go back and read once again. <Snip> |
I have a start of such a list. I have a 'Coffee Places' folder I drop = posts (like this) into that mention places where good coffee can be = found. I'd be happy to forward those posts if someone wants to start an = actual list. Jean :~) |
I reread 3 times and I'm stil saying "huh?" Other than, I misspelled ambience. Opps Pam |
Well, anyone attending the PNWGII who wants to try this is welcome to. I won't be making it up but there will be authentic spiced butter available as I am doing Ethiopian and Indian fare. Sometime around 07:57 PM 6/9/2004, Stuart Frankel typed: <Snip> -- John Nanci AlChemist at large Zen Roasting , Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.dreamsandbones.net/blog/http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/ |