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CBJ

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,167
5,040
Copenhagen, Denmark
Pesqueeb said:
I don't drink coffee most days because of heartburn issues. But when I do, it's going to be good stuff damn it. Life is too short for shitty coffee.
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Totally agree.

I got heartburn issues when I moved here and started eat junk food. Since I don't stop by McD etc and in general just eat much more healthy food it just went away. I also only do decaffeinated which to me these days taste as good as regular coffee.
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
CBJ said:
I also only do decaffeinated which to me these days taste as good as regular coffee.
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For me it's the caffeine that causes the heartburn - coffee, chocolate, tea, etc. Decaf products aren't as problematic (they have varying degrees of caffeine since there's no standard) but caffeine free products like herbal tea never cause heartburn for me.
 
skibunny24

skibunny24

Enthusiastic Receiver of Reputation
Jun 16, 2010
3,281
585
Renton, WA
How do any of you like the Keurig? We have one at work and it is... ok... other than the plastic taste...
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
skibunny24

skibunny24

Enthusiastic Receiver of Reputation
Jun 16, 2010
3,281
585
Renton, WA
syadasti said:
I've never liked them either but they do have reusable cups for Keurig from various brands. I wonder if that makes it any better since you can put good, fresh coffee in them? Might be worth a shot at an office where that's your only option:

http://www.amazon.com/Ekobrew-Stainless-Refillable-Keurig-Brewers/dp/B00859FH7O/

http://www.amazon.com/Ekobrew-Stainless-Refillable-Keurig-Brewers/dp/B00B737P66/
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I did that for a while, we have several reusable ones here, and I brought in my favorite coffee. It gets the plastic taste from the water basin, so it didn't seem to make a difference in that regard, and I didn't notice any difference in taste vs. the k cup. I go back and forth depending on what is available in the office now.
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
skibunny24 said:
I did that for a while, we have several reusable ones here, and I brought in my favorite coffee. It gets the plastic taste from the water basin, so it didn't seem to make a difference in that regard, and I didn't notice any difference in taste vs. the k cup. I go back and forth depending on what is available in the office now.
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The plastic taste might also not be plastic but from lack of cleaning and/or poor water quality used for brewing. The lines and basin of those machines are rarely if ever cleaned (even less than drip machines which are pretty dirty).

A 2011 study from NSF International found that about half of coffee makers (we're talking the classic, basket-and-carafe kind here) had yeast and mold growing in their reservoirs. About one in ten were home to coliform bacteria. On average, home coffee reservoirs also had higher germ counts than both bathroom door handles and toilet seats.

And while the study tested only 22 households, germ specialist Kelly Reynolds said she doesn't doubt the results.

"(Coffee makers) are certainly a moist environment where mold and bacteria are known to grow in high numbers," said Reynolds, who studies household germs at the University of Arizona. "Our bodies can deal with them, but at some point they'll grow to levels high enough to cause sickness."
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Germs are present in every corner of our lives," says Donna Duberg, M.A., M.S., an assistant professor of clinical laboratory science at Saint Louis University. "Are there germs in our coffee makers? Yes. Will they make us sick? Maybe, if there are enough of them, and especially if we don't clean our pots often enough."

It's not just the coffee pots that accumulate these germs, either. "Bacteria forms a slick biofilm when grown in moist, dark places, and so do molds," says Duberg, pointing to the coffee maker's water reservoir and piping system as ideal areas for accumulation. "If there is obvious slimy stuff in the coffee maker ... this is a good sign there is something growing."

"Coffee mugs are usually [the] worst," adds microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba. "In our studies, half had fecal bacteria in them. People probably contaminate them when they wipe them out with sponges or cleaning cloths."
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Ultimately, some Keurig owners have experienced issues with mold, bacteria, and algae. But the problem is not exclusive to Keurig; and similar products (particularly those that hold water or wet grounds) have caused similar problems. While Keurigs do have a water reservoir and it can become dirty, they should be regularly cleaned like any other household item.

Nothing about Keurigs or any other food or beverage device makes them immune fromday-to-daygrime-collecting, and anything that dispenses consumable food or drink should be regularly examined for signs of grubbiness. Mold growth is not exclusive to the Keurig; and while the water reservoir is a larger cleaning chore, checking regularly will lessen mold and bacteria problems. As the quoted portion above suggested, visible mold in any coffeemaker is a strong signal it needs to be cleaned.
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CBJ

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,167
5,040
Copenhagen, Denmark
The plastic taste could also come from other pars of the inside of the machine as there is BPA in other parts of the machine but not the water basin.
 
skibunny24

skibunny24

Enthusiastic Receiver of Reputation
Jun 16, 2010
3,281
585
Renton, WA
This one I'm positive on. I could smell it when I first bought the machine and have since washed it regularly. It is MUCH better than it was before, but alas, the reservoir still smells like a plastic factory and is not getting better. The last machine we had did not taste all plasticky, but we didn't do much cleaning and it finally broke down.
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
SkaredShtles said:
Nope - it's marginally better, but then you have a fucking mess to clean up and only ONE cup of coffee.

Those things suck.
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I imagine it's also key to grind to whatever size is optimized for the K-cup machines so you'd probably also get best results with an adjustable grinder and whole beans at the proper grind and roast levels. Not sure how much coffee is used and you're certainly limited to the size of the cup and the short preset brewing cycles.
 
SkaredShtles

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,844
14,177
In a van.... down by the river
syadasti said:
I imagine it's also key to grind to whatever size is optimized for the K-cup machines so you'd probably also get best results with an adjustable grinder and whole beans at the proper grind and roast levels. Not sure how much coffee is used and you're certainly limited to the size of the cup and the short preset brewing cycles.
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Yup. Suckity suck suck all the way around.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
Friends made nitro cold brewed coffee and it's awesome (basically a cold brew chilled with nitrogen for some extra bubles or something, need to ask more). It's the answer what would happen if coffee tasted like cold guiness.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
johnbryanpeters said:
Let's make a distinction here. Guiness stout as distributed in the United States tastes like ass. From a tap in Ireland, it's really good.
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Why the hell everything that's good in yurp suddenly becomes horrible in US? Guiness, Budweiser, Sports Cars?
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
norbar said:
Friends made nitro cold brewed coffee and it's awesome (basically a cold brew chilled with nitrogen for some extra bubles or something, need to ask more). It's the answer what would happen if coffee tasted like cold guiness.
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I would assume nitrogen to retard oxidation but in cold brew only the surface is exposed to air whilst brewing. Doubt it would be worth the effort for anything but a placebo effect many connoisseurs experience via their fixation on their interest.
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
36,812
18,391
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
norbar said:
Why the hell everything that's good in yurp suddenly becomes horrible in US? Guiness, Budweiser, Sports Cars?
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Beer on tap is always better than beer from a bottle or a can.

I can't imagine Budweiser being good anywhere absent desperate circumstances.

Regarding sports cars I plead ignorance. Most of their drivers here are fat men in suits with white hair, which speaks for itself.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
syadasti said:
I would assume nitrogen to retard oxidation but in cold brew only the surface is exposed to air whilst brewing. Doubt it would be worth the effort for anything but a placebo effect many connoisseurs experience via their fixation on their interest.
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Who the hell cares. It tasted different from regular cold brew but I get it you like your coffee roasted in the anus of satan and made from crashing beans with your eyelids and then ingesting them with your tears so you avoid all the hippies, baristas and anything new that you haven't done yourself. I don't care. Didn't ask for their process though yeah probly it's not as well oxidated as it should be but taste is subjective, there is no best oxidation. Coffee that is only partially oxidated is still good. It tasted different and it tasted good so I don't care if it's retarded.

Though I assume your love of baristas and the coffee culture, cats and your love of macs are connected.


johnbryanpeters said:
Beer on tap is always better than beer from a bottle or a can.

I can't imagine Budweiser being good anywhere absent desperate circumstances.

Regarding sports cars I plead ignorance. Most of their drivers here are fat men in suits with white hair, which speaks for itself.
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You do realize Budweiser is a czech beer brand and it's actually very good beer? Not the best but still good?
 
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syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
norbar said:
Who the hell cares. It tasted different from regular cold brew but I get it you like your coffee roasted in the anus of satan and made from crashing beans with your eyelids and then ingesting them with your tears so you avoid all the hippies, baristas and anything new that you haven't done yourself. I don't care. Didn't ask for their process though yeah probly it's not as well oxidated as it should be but taste is subjective, there is no best oxidation. Coffee that is only partially oxidated is still good. It tasted different and it tasted good so I don't care if it's retarded.
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Retarding oxidation is scientific term, not an insult. Nitrogen is odorless and tasteless, so the best you could hope for is foamy coffee. Changing the texture/surface area will change the perceived taste similar to beer.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
syadasti said:
Retarding oxidation is scientific term, not an insult. Nitrogen is odorless and tasteless, so the best you could hope for is foamy coffee. Changing the texture/surface area will change the perceived taste similar to beer.
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And it is foamy. Though the texture of what you ingest influences the taste so it's still revelant. Not to mention I assume foamy coffee was the basic idea behind this. I drank cofffee oxidated by other means and didn't like it. Sorry for the rant though.

As for taste similar to beer a proper roast, grind and bean can also lead to beer like taste I assume that's what they were going for. Something with more acidity would probably taste like shit in this method.
 
syadasti

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I meant Nitrogen changes the taste physically (and not chemically) working similar to changing the taste of beer, not coffee tasting like beer itself.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,503
1,719
Warsaw :/
syadasti said:
I meant Nitrogen changes the taste physically (and not chemically) working similar to changing the taste of beer, not coffee tasting like beer itself.
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I get it. Simply meant they chose a coffee with a similar taste profile to guiness. With proper brewing methods and luck you can get coffee to taste like a lot of different things. Recently my GF crashed on a bike next to a friendly coffee shop and they had a cold brew (regular one) that tasted so noticeably with plums I asked if they added something to it (they didnt and I suck at cup tasting so the taste was strong as hell)
 
StiHacka

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
SkaredShtles said:
It's not. There's *another* "Budweiser" and it's Czech.

Budweiser is 'Merkin. And it sucks.
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There are two Budweisers.
The original one is brewed in Ceske Budejovice in Czechia, also known as Budweis by zee Germans. It was a very popular brand in yurp when an-busch started their business so they stole the brand to attract buyers in the US.

Those two breweries have been fighting for the brand name ever since. Every yuropean and some educated Muricans recognize that the only real Budweiser beer is Czech and that the us beverage with the same name tastes like horse piss.
 
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