your first coffee

[Vannie]

I remember the Norelcos. My family had a couple--one which we got new, one which was used that my father got for free. They didn't seem to last for us. Although it was the brewing that failed--so one could manually make coffee by pouring hot water into the filter assembly. After the last Norelco went bye-bye, my mother switched to German makers, partly in the hopes of getting something that might last longer than a pound of coffee...

I've heard those Norelcos have gotten desirable. One explanation I've heard: vintage drip makers heated the water more than now, resulting in better coffee.

I remember my Mom remarking How modern it looked.

 

[me203]

^I've seen Norelcos like that. Our Norelcos didn't have the stainless steel look--just boring plastic. I now wonder if ours were cheapened (at least with appearance--and maybe overall quality, given the absymal lifespan we experienced) vs. previous models due to inflation of the late 1970s.

 

[Alistair]

I don’t drink coffee, prefer black tea with a little sugar.

 

[Vannie]

^I've seen Norelcos like that. Our Norelcos didn't have the stainless steel look--just boring plastic. I now wonder if ours were cheapened (at least with appearance--and maybe overall quality, given the absymal lifespan we experienced) vs. previous models due to inflation of the late 1970s.

Yea. The brushed aluminum stainless steel look

I don't remember ours having that "Dial a Brew" thing that is sitting off to the right. Not sure how that worked.

 

[me203]

Yea. The brushed aluminum stainless steel look

I don't remember ours having that "Dial a Brew" thing that is sitting off to the right. Not sure how that worked.

I'm pretty sure ours had the Dial A Brew feature. It seems to me it was a multi-level basket. The top IIRC would allow one to set the strength of coffee. I assume it worked by controlling how the water flowed through the basket. No idea how well the feature worked.

I was searching Norelco coffee makers to try and remind me of our Norelco. I came across another Norelco feature name I remember: Brew Miser. I think that might have been a smaller coffee basket. Possibly for making smaller amounts of coffee? (Which would make sense.) Or trying to make big pots with the fewest possible grounds possible? (Which would have had financial appeal to many in that era.)

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

In NYC, at least, the powdered stuff isn't common anymore. It's still around on supermarket shelves, but I can't remember that last time I saw anyone use it.

Usually people here who want some dairy product in their coffee want milk, but they'll ask for milk, not cream. And if there's a choice people will specify skim or whole milk based on what they want. (At coffee bars some people choose almond milk or oat milk.) If people want "cream" in their coffee, they usually mean (and usually get) half-and-half. (For non-North Americans, that's 50% whole milk and 50% cream.)

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

I don’t drink coffee, prefer black tea with a little sugar.

Same here.
If I want hot caffeine, I'll have either black tea with a sweetener (sugar or honey) or black, orange pekoe or green tea with no sugar but a sweet snack.

But mostly I want my caffeine cold and with bubbles (if I drink tea, it's usually not for the caffeine), so it's diet cola for me.

In the summer, I'll boil a bunch of ginger in water and use that to make iced tea, with honey (not too much!) for sweetener and lime juice added right before drinking.

MMMMmmmmmmm ...

 

[Rickrock]

My parents would always perk coffee in a pot on the stove. I probably started drinking it in my twenties because I decided I was an adult and should. I don't know when I had my first taste of it, but probably tasted my parents coffee when I was a kid. Mostly I would only drink it for breakfast or if I was out and didn't want a soft drink. The last few years a only drink it a few times a week and usually have orange juice with breakfast instead, and now I almost always buy it out and not make it. I always have milk in it at home and half and half or whatever is available when out. At work they usually had powdered cream because it didn't need to be refrigerated.

 

[rareboy]

Nothing beats a Melita filter drip with President's Choice Gold Brand coffee.

 

[Kahaih]

My grandfather made the day's coffee in a buffet type coffee tanker the size of a milk pail with about a pound of coffee, a dab of butter, a dash or two of salt, and the dried eggshells saved from the mourning before.

I'd enjoy a sugar cube and skip the rest.

 

[rareboy]

I tip my hat to anyone who added butter to their coffee.

By the way, Coffee is essential to a good Chili con carne. And Pumpernickel.

 

[Alistair]

Where’s Dynk and pops when you need them. They were quite the coffee connoisseurs

 

[Triple G]

Hi, Ally, I'm here. I had my first coffee at a fancy restaurant in Australia when I was 8 or 9. After dinner the waiter brought coffee so thought I could get it passed my father. I reached for the cream and sugar, but he stopped me and said if I was going to drink it, drink it like a man, BLACK. to the last drop. I did not have another cup until I was in my 50s when I was caring for my mother, and I made it every morning.

dynk and I talked a couple of weeks ago. He is no longer ordering coffee beans from Finger Lakes Roasters through Don Q. I. on the other hand am still getting mine that way. Usually, Witch's Brew and French Roast.

 

[Vannie]

I tip my hat to anyone who added butter to their coffee.

By the way, Coffee is essential to a good Chili con carne. And Pumpernickel.

Yes /\

And I do a really good Swedish Meatball gravy with a fair amount of coffee.

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

And I do a really good Swedish Meatball gravy with a fair amount of coffee.

Ew.

 

[Vannie]

Ew.

I'm sending you some for Dinner tonight. You don't really taste the coffee. It's kinda like chocolate in a Mole sauce.

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

I'm sending you some for Dinner tonight. You don't really taste the coffee. It's kinda like chocolate in a Mole sauce.

Well, chocolate in a mole sauce is bitter ... and so's coffee ...

 

[rareboy]

Yes /\

And I do a really good Swedish Meatball gravy with a fair amount of coffee.

Sounds perfect. I am going to try this the next time.

 

[PrinceCory]

I last had a cup of coffee January 1, 1977. Never again touched that nasty stuff. I do like the smell of fresh brewing coffee.

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

I last had a cup of coffee January 1, 1977. Never again touched that nasty stuff. I do like the smell of fresh brewing coffee.

Except for the date, same experience here exactly. (Except I have very occasionally tried it a few more times.)