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Coffee Mug Monday

Buff News Entry

I am sure there are lots of interesting mugs out there, but in recent years I reserve these postings for the more unique variety, or perhaps the geekier variety.  In the early days I had some rather run of the mill mugs, but over the last few years I would say only the more rare and interesting mugs make the cut.  So when I stumbled upon the Chalk Board Mug, I deemed it worthy as I had never come across such a mug.  Sure I have seen mugs that you write or draw on and use some method to make the writing or drawing permanent, but never one that you could write on repeatedly with chalk.  

The website recommends some good uses for such a mug, such as identifying whose mug is who's when you have guests over.  I think this would be a fun mug for just about anyone and I can imagine myself writing a different saying on the mug each morning, perhaps something like "Nectar of the Gods" or for the geekier types, "Mana".  

The Chalk Board Mug measures in at 11 ounces and seems like a cool gift for the coffee drinker who has everything.  Best of all, the stick of chalk is included!  Feel free to include your ideas for a morning message.  While I know I opened the door for creative comments, keep it relatively clean please.


Coffee Maker Search

Buff News Entry

I received a Visa gift card over the holidays and decided that I would use it for some type of new coffee maker. Both my Senseo, purchased in June 2004, and my Mr. Coffee, purchased in October 2005, are still functioning, but both Julie and I have some further features we would like. I must confess that over the past year we have rarely used the Senseo. I used to purchase individually wrapped pods through the mail so that I could enjoy fresh coffee with the Senseo. I can be a bit of a coffee snob and the Senseo sold packets always taste somewhat stale to me. We have also been toying with the idea of trying a carafe coffee maker because it is just the best way to keep coffee fresh tasting for several hours. I decided to read the reviews for both Keurig single serve coffee makers and all the carafe coffee makers available. What I learned is, Keurig makes a shoddy product and the reviews for carafe coffee makers are not at all helpful.

I had been considering the Keurig as a replacement for my Senseo because I had heard it was easy to brew single cups with your own coffee. This is not easy to do with the Senseo and I gave up trying, instead opting for my French Press or Aerobie AeroPress. What I found out from reading the reviews was that this can be a mess with the Keurig and grounds ended up in your coffee or the Keurig clogged. From experience I know the Keurig coffee is mostly very weak. I was still considering it, until almost universally every model has been flagged to only last a year or two, in some cases much less. My Senseo is nearly six years old and still works! I think I will skip the Keurig and perhaps instead take some time to order some individually wrapped pods again.

If you want to be utterly confused on a purchase, try and find a carafe style coffee maker that does not have a large percentage of poor reviews.  Every single model has reviews claiming the coffee is luke warm, that the coffee makers overflow on a regular basis even if the instructions are followed exactly and the product is cheaply made.  I was terrified to order a carafe coffee maker from Amazon; instead I decided to buy one of the poorly reviewed models that are sold at Best Buy.  I was assured I could bring the coffee maker back if I do not like it and after all I was only spending about $18 on it after using my Visa gift card.  I decided on another Mr. Coffee, only because our last model still works after nearly five years of daily use.  I will post a link only after testing it out and assuring it works and makes hot coffee.  
 
I suspect the luke warm issue is that people are using filtered water from their refrigerator or somehow refrigerated water rather than tap water.  Also, I recall from my previous use of a carafe it is beneficial to first fill the carafe with hot water before making your coffee.  I am also pretty sure a lot of the reviewers are used to boiled overly hot water, which is not the best temperature for coffee.  I would love to hear from anyone that has a carafe style coffee maker they are happy with; I had wanted to buy the Zojirushi carafe style coffee maker but could not find it in stores.  There was absolutely no way I was ordering one from Amazon or one of their retailers and risk not being able to return it easily.  I also will store my existing coffee maker as a precaution rather than giving it away.  If I am unhappy with my new Mr. Coffee, I instead will just buy a carafe to pour our coffee into.  We really want the carafe but not luke warm coffee or an overflowing mess.  
 
In recent years I have found the reviews on Amazon to be less than helpful.  Many times the reviewer mentions being happy with another product but does not mention a model number.  When looking for the other product I end up finding the exact same complaints.  If you are going to give a poor review, it would be helpful for all of us if you would tell us what product you are happy with.  If you are not happy with any, then let us know that in the review.  I just find with most one star reviews you have to consider the idiot factor.  Many times the idiot is whimsical in their review so they come across as intelligent, but it is all a ruse.

 


Coffee Mug Monday

Buff News Entry

 Thinkgeek now sells a coffee mug that is as bad ass as another mug I featured two years ago.  The Melee Mug is 20 ounces that look as tough as free office coffee, and if you have ever had to drink free office coffee, you know what tough is.  The Melee Mug has a ceramic handle that is shaped like a set of brass-knuckles, but note that this is a coffee mug and not for real melee action.

If you are looking for the ultimate conversation starter, this is a must have mug for the office.  Or if you just want to be left alone at the office, this mug will probably accomplish that goal as well.  Although the attitude is sold separately.  I think this would be the perfect Monday only coffee mug.  Just keep it under lock and key all week and then at the start of every week let everyone know how you feel about Mondays.

How about that, a Friday beer glass and a Monday coffee mug, all from the same place.  I have a few new coffee mugs in the cabinet, nothing as original as this but they should show up on a Monday post from time to time throughout the year.  


Coffee Mug Monday


Monster Movie Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B.

I managed a Coffee Mug Monday for 2008.  I have not really been on the look out for any new coffee mugs and I usually use the last mug featured on a Coffee Mug Monday.  However, I am always open to receiving a gift mug or featuring the favorite mugs of others.  My sister-in-law, Jennifer, picked up this mug that humourously depicts a fictional old style monster movie.  I confess I have enjoyed more tea from this mug than coffee, but the mug does just fine with coffee as well. 

Being a fan of the old monster movies, I think the monster resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon more than anything.  Interestingly I recently found out that there is a remake of the Creature from the Black Lagoon possibly coming in 2009.  I love all those old monster movies ranging from the 1930's through the 1950's.  When I was a kid I remember it being a right of passage that I was allowed to stay up late and watch Creature Features with Count Gore de Vol or Ghost Host on Friday or Saturday nights.  Those movies seem really goofy by today's standards but they were classic movie monsters and in my opinion a lot better than the popular torture movies of today, which I refuse to watch.  The over the top hosts of these movie nights is what made the films even better. 

I wish the Sci Fi channel or something would create a show similar to one of those old horror movie nights.  If they could actually air some of these old flicks it would certainly be better than all the original content movies they churn out.  Do not get me wrong, some of the TV shows have been great, but their alligator and various dinosaur movies are absolutely terrible. 

Back on topic, I will likely be going through my mugs and swapping some of them into storage.  There are a few mugs that I made I made myself as well as one or two I would have difficulty replacing.  If or when I do this, I can again start seeking out unique or interesting mugs to fill the cupboard again.  Maybe I can manage more than one or two Coffee Mug Mondays in 2009.


Manhattan Special Expresso Coffee Soda


Expresso Coffee Soda
Originally uploaded by Scott B.

Two years ago I reviewed Coca-Cola Blak and while I did not find the beverage objectionable, I predicted it would likely be off the market in a year or two.  According to Wikipedia, Coca-Cola announced the end of Coca-Cola Blak in the United States on August 31, 2007.  This was just over a year after my prediction.  Julie picked me up a coffee flavoured soda when she visited New Jersey last week.  I enjoyed the Manhattan Special Expresso Coffee Soda as much if not a little more than Coca-Cola Blak. 

If the ingredients listed are accurate, which I think they have to be, this coffee soda was flavoured with sugar instead of the high fructose corn syrup that was in the Coca-Cola Blak.  This makes sense since they claim to have made this recipe since 1895.  The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was a strong coffee scent.  If I was not overly excited about trying this soda at first, upon smelling a pleasant coffee scent erupt from the bottle I became more interested. 

My initial taste immediately reminded me of Coca-Cola Blak, but there was a difference.  This soda was less sweet and had a more pronounced coffee taste.  The aroma did not lie, this soda was more like drinking a sweetened and carbonated coffee rather than an artificially flavoured coffee soda. 

I would definitely drink this soda again and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys coffee beverages as much as I do.  Certainly anyone that actually misses Coca-Cola Blak would find Manhattan Special's recipe a much better drink in my opinion.


Aerobie AeroPress Coffee & Espresso Maker

Buff News Entry

Somehow this coffee making device eluded my attention for the last year or so.  Yes the AeroPress is made by the same Aerobie company that makes the well known flying disk.  The AeroPress is priced reasonably at under $30 and is an amazing, simple and cool coffee making device.  After using the Aeropress, I might go so far as saying that not only does Aerobie make the best flying disk in the world, but they now make the ultimate coffee maker.  The first comparison I thought of when I first saw the AeroPress was that it was some kind of French Press that sits atop your coffee cup.  Not so, the AeroPress is an entirely new way to make coffee.

Unlike the machine single serve coffee makers, like my Senseo, the AeroPress allows you to use whatever coffee you would like without wasting time making your own pods.  While I still enjoy the ease of my Senseo, I cannot help but feel I am forced to only drink the coffees available in the pod format.  For the freshest and best coffee, you have to grind your own and only grind your beans right before making the coffee.  I always generally felt I made my best coffee using a French Press, however there is an art to using the French Press and sometimes you would end up with some bitterness.  With the AeroPress, the advantages of the French Press are there, but the bitterness is eliminated.

    The quick and simple steps to making a cup of coffee with the AeroPress are as follows:
  1. Put one filter on the bottom of the AeroPress.
  2. Put the AeroPress on top of your favorite coffee mug.
  3. Put two AeroPress scoops of finely ground coffee in the chamber.
  4. Slowly pour in the hot water up to the number 2 on the chamber.
  5. Stir the grinds and water for 10 seconds.
  6. Put the plunger on the top of the chamber.
  7. Push very slowly on the plunger taking about 20 or 30 seconds to bottom out.
  8. Remove the plunger and over the refuse bin,  pop out the grounds. A quick rinse and everything is clean.
  9. Relax and Enjoy the double expresso you just made, or top off the mug for a standard cup of coffee

After reading all the five star reviews on Amazon, at last check all 47 were five stars and I totally agree, and reading various other reviews and comments I have some tips for those who have an AeroPress.

  • Use a fine grind, this is documented everywhere but some people apparently refuse to read instructions.  You may need to experiment with the grind, really even a standard grind does not make a bad cup of coffee but the water will run right through the grinds.
  • Do no boil the water, take the temperature to around 175 degrees Fahrenheit.  A cycle in my Microwave for a cup of water achieves this temperature perfectly.
  • Pour the water into the AeroPress slowly, do not just dump it in.  Although like the grind, even if the grinds do not expand fully you will get a decent cup of coffee.
  • If you are seriously concerned about using all the 350 filters and having to buy more, you can reuse the filters.  The filters can be rinsed off and reused and they function quite well.  Also, be sure you are not accidentally using more than one filter, unless that is your goal.  Seriously though folks, I bought the extra filter pack and I imagine it will be years before I need to buy more.

The AeroPress instructions may look intimidating but seriously, do not worry about pressing the AeroPress too fast, too slow or experimenting with different grinds.  I found that even if the coffee strained through quite quickly, that the cup of coffee was still quite tasty.  Experiment and like homebrewing beer, relax and enjoy perhaps the best cup of non-bitter coffee you have ever tasted.  I purposely made some strong cups of coffee with the AeroPress, and even the strong brews were bitter free.  This is it folks, the AeroPress works as advertised and I think I have found coffee Nirvana, the AeroPress is that good and I am sorry it took me so long to discover this amazing coffee maker.


Coffee Mug Monday


"B" Coffee Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B.

My cabinet has been pretty full for quite a while, so I do not often get mugs anymore.  Aunt Jo Ann gifted me this very nice looking mug for Christmas, which I am noticing Julie and I are both fighting over.  The mug is about the same height as most coffee mugs, so it is not overly tall.  But it is wider than most, so you still get a larger cup of coffee than normal.  The mug is the "perfect" size  because it fits our Senseo, something most large mugs do not accomplish.

No idea if I will have the opportunity to do any Coffee Mug Mondays during 2008, this is only the second installment for 2007.  As I said, my cabinet is pretty full of mugs right now, I am really only in the market for unique or interesting mugs.  Perhaps I need to rotate some of my current mugs into storage and refill the cupboard.  We will have to see if the mood strikes me.

While on the subject, I accept visitor submissions as well.  Have a mug you really like or you find unique?  Send me a picture and I will feature it on a Coffee Mug Monday.  Happy New Year!


Caffeine and Coffee

I like caffeine and I like coffee and I always had the misconception dark roasted coffee had more caffeine. While dark roast does have a stronger flavor, dark roasted coffee does not have more caffeine. A French roast has less caffeine than a light roast coffee such as a Breakfast blend which is my light roast of choice. As the coffee beans are roasted the caffeine is being roasted out of them. On average a light roast will have about 10% more caffeine than a dark roast.

Caffeine content in coffee can vary greatly, depending on the bean, the roast and the brew. Average caffeine in brewed coffee (8oz) is 100-150mg.

Coffee Mug Monday

Buff News Entry
I have not forgotten about this old nitevilla practice, it is just that I do not run into that many unique or new mugs that often. I make no promises that every mug I have featured or will feature is a great find, but this one rates up there as the most unique so far.

As far as I can tell, this is a proof of concept mug only. The Mugnum comes complete with a grip and a sight on the other side of the mug. I can only imagine that the United States Post Office should give these out to all employees, the color even kind of fits. All kidding aside, this is the perfect mug for anyone's Monday morning.

If anyone out there knows if this mug is actively being made and sold, let me know, I would love to have one. I might be back next Monday with another mug. I received a nicely designed mug from my current employer that I had intended to feature, but there was no way I could pass this one up.

Vietnamese Coffee

Buff News Entry
Usually on Fridays the guys at work and I go out somewhere. Most days we all eat at our desks, so we try to get out of the office at least one day a week. For today's lunch we decided to visit a local Vietnamese restaurant that we eat at from time to time. Every time I have eaten there, I have always gotten the food to go. But today we decided to sit down and eat at the restaurant. Wow, am I glad I did, because I had the opportunity to enjoy a new coffee experience.

One of my co-workers only lives a couple blocks from the restaurant and visits it often. His first words to me when we decided to stay and eat was that I had to try Vietnamese Coffee. Never one to shy away from coffee, I was game. When the coffee arrived at the table, I had to admit I had never seen this method before.

Atop my clear cup sat a Vietnamese coffee filter, A Vietnamese filter is a small coffee pot. It looks like a hat and sits upon the top of a coffee cup. Inside is a chamber for coffee and room for hot water. The Vietnamese filter seemed very basic, simple and best of all it made a wonderful cup of coffee. On the bottom of the coffee cup I saw what looked to be a heavy cream, the coffee was slowly filtering through and looked to be dark and strong. The cream was actually condensed milk and typically contains sugar and is heat processed with steam. Steamed milk has different physics from non-steamed milk and tastes better when used in coffee. Basically the water slowly drips into the cup and when it stops your coffee is ready.

I decided to stir up my Vietnamese coffee, but some drink the coffee and save the condensed milk for the end. From my reading, either is fine, it all depends on your taste or style. If you ever visit a Vietnamese restaurant, which I urge you to try, you have got to order a Vietnamese Coffee. You might find yourself going back for just the coffee!

Stomping Grounds Natural Expresso Lattes

Buff News Entry
Can a cup of coffee embody the spirit of a special place and time? I do not know about that, but I do know that for an instant espresso concentrate, Stomping Grounds have embodied the taste of a proper espresso latte. About a week ago Stomping Grounds contacted me about trying their product and sharing my thoughts with my readers. I am certainly never one to turn down a cup of coffee. I will admit though, that initially I had my doubts on whether I would like "The Worlds first first pre-packaged espresso".

The samples arrived today from Portland, the standard Espresso and the Vanilla flavor were the samples I received. My expectations rose when I looked at the ingredients on each container. Both contained actual coffee and espresso and the ingredients were indeed all natural. Ever look at the ingredients on most instant style coffees?

I followed the amazingly simple preparation, which requires your choice of milk only. The concentrate poured nice and black, instant coffee as a liquid, who would of thought. (That was a hint to other instant coffee makers.) If you are going to do instant coffee, Stomping Grounds has the right idea. Julie, who only likes sweetened coffees, such as lattes or your standard cup of coffee with lots of half and half and sugar tried the first cup. I added no sugar to the drink, just a 1/3 of the mug filled with coffee concentrate and the rest of the mug filled with milk. A beverage cycle in the microwave and it was ready to drink. Julie loved it!

I made myself a serving and I have to say that I love Stomping Grounds Espresso Lattes from concentrate. I would compare the taste to just about any latte I have ever had at your local coffee shop. Seriously, folks, it is that good. I imagine that enjoying it cold would be similar to the cold, sweetened coffee beverages by that coffee empire that you find on every city block. As most of you know, my standard coffee preparation is black, no additives. But for a special treat I do enjoy lattes on occasion and Stomping Grounds concentrated lattes fit the bill. Though they mention sweetening to your taste, I really urge you not to bother.

Stomping Grounds also asked me to share the following FREE offer to the first ten of you to take them up on the offer.
We will also be happy to send a free box to any of ten of your friends. All they have to do is send an email to sip@stompinggrounds.com and mention your weblog -- oh and send their snail mail address.
So there you have it, send them an email, mention Nitevilla and of course include your mailing address(snail mail address). It is worth mentioning, this is an honest review, I received free coffee to sample, just as I am offering ten of you, nothing else. As always, the review is from the stomach, err, heart, not my wallet. Check it out and try it for yourself, and do not say I never gave you anything.

Coffee Mug Monday

Buff News Entry
Wow, yeah I still do this, Coffee Mug Monday that is. It has been seven or eight months since I featured a coffee mug on Monday, but I stumbled across this beauty over the weekend and had to post it. Most folks would not even know what this mug is referencing, but if you are a UNIX guy, you know. For the rest, this mug is referencing my favorite text editor, VIM.

I am definitely picking up this mug at sooner than later, without a doubt. If any of you are looking to reward your sysadmin this Friday, because it is System Administrator Appreciation Day, this is THE perfect gift. The Mug of VI is a bargain and a must have for any VI user. It is 12 ounces of pure VI goodness. What are you waiting for, grab your VI mug now and never again forget that "J" combines the current line with the next.

Carbonated Fusion Beverage

Buff News Entry
Well, Julie successfully acquired me a couple containers of Coca-Cola Blak. My thoughts? A risky choice by Coke for sure. I can only imagine that whoever makes the choices at Coke to try this type of product had the same thought process as I did after trying Coca-Cola Blak.

I like Coca-Cola Blak, it is lightly carbonated, not nearly as carbonated as traditional sodas. The flavor is somewhat like a coffee ice cream flavor, along with a hint of caramel. I did not detect an aftertaste, the flavor leaves as quickly as it arrives. That being said, I just cannot imagine this product being successful, I hope it is but I just do not think this taste will appeal to a wide variety of folks. Which I can only imagine that Coke executives came to the conclusion that it will appeal to a lot of folks.

The main reason that I feel this way is that a lot of people that drink coffee, do not really drink coffee. They drink the sugared concoctions that you find at Starbucks. Real coffee drinkers will be seen ordering a black coffee at Starbucks, walking out the door with no additives. I like coffee, but what I have realized is that those that do not like coffee usually really like soda. The taste of soda appeals to a wide variety of people. My son is the only person I know who does not like soda. The mixing of coffee with soda on paper sounds like a good idea, but is it really?

I consider coffee, beer and wine to be acquired tastes. Very few people drink any of these the first time and think they are the best beverage they have ever had. Overtime though, as our tastes mature we acquire the taste for things other than sweets. We may like bitter or citrus tastes more and we actually enjoy the sensation these tastes bring. But people who acquire these tastes want them pure. I like Coca-Cola Blak, but I would not choose it over a good hot cup of coffee. If I were just walking off the 18th green on a hot Summer day I would choose a cold Coca-Cola Classic or a quality cold beer over Coca-Cola Blak. What does this mean? Just where is this drink supposed to fit?

Unless this generation chooses it as a fad drink or they invent a mixed drink from Coca-Cola Blak, I just do not see a nitch. And if it does indeed find itself being a fad, how long will that last? I do not think very long at all. Interesting idea Coke, but not sure it will work.

Coca-Cola BlaK

Buff News Entry
Has anyone tried Coca-Cola BlaK yet? I heard and mentioned it here on Nitevilla some time ago, and it was released in the US market on April 3rd, 2006, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere. If anyone in the local area has seen it (or tried it), please let me know where I can find it.

I have to think that some of the marketing for this product is intended to be silly. Maybe it is just me, but when I go to the website and hear the silly tag lines I cannot help but think someone at Coca-Cola has a sense of humor. Personally, I would have called the product, Coca-Cola Soul, or perhaps Coca-Soula. But that is just me and what the product marketing says to me.

Anyway, I am really hoping to try the Coke effervescence and coffee essence. Hopefully I get to try it before the product tanks. Something just tells me it might tank. Especially considering I have been to three different stores and have not even seen a mention of the product. Had the release date been April 1st I would have thought it was an April Fool's Day joke. Just remember Coca-Cola, you cannot pull an April Fool's Joke after April Fool's Day, otherwise that makes you the Fool.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day


St Patrick's Day Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott.
I got to this a little late in the day and this should probably be a beer drinking mug, and I suppose it could be. But mostly it more resembles a coffee mug. This nice looking Leprechaun mug holds about a pint of beverage, which is always just about perfect.

May the luck of the Irish grant you at least a taste of an Irish drink, Happy Saint Patrick's Day. I am home with my two Leprechauns tonight, so my drink will have to wait until after bedtime.

Where The Magic Happens


Where The Magic Happens
Originally uploaded by Scott.
I finally received my (fancy sounding) French Press. Well, I received it while I was visiting Seattle, but I was crushed to find that the French Press was broken during shipping. I had hoped to enjoy a pot right after arriving home Friday night, instead I settled for a quick four cup brew via my Mr Coffee, which I would still recommend. A new French Press was shipped to me within two days for no charge, so I cannot complain.

Pictured here in the French Press is one of the varieties of coffee I brought home with me from my Seattle trip, Mount Reiner Blend. Smooth, a nice medium blend coffee. The key to any French Press is good coffee, freshly ground and finding just the right amount to make that perfect pot. Of course, tastes vary and with a French Press you have just the right tool to exact the taste you are looking for. I prefer a French Press, but opinions vary and some folks really do prefer other methods.

Latest Coffee Contraption

Buff News Entry
Meet the Bialetti Red French Press, my latest coffee contraption. I previously mentioned the French Press we have at work and how much myself and my coworkers were enjoying it's brew, so I decided to bring the fun home. I was going to go with an insulated model, but decided to go the traditional route first, mainly to see if I have a real need for an insulated Press.

Surprisingly it seems that quite a few people break their French Presses, at least that is the impression I got from reading the numerous reviews. There was even a model deemed unbreakable, that someone boldly claimed to have broken. Having only had exposure to one model so far, a rather cheap Ikea French Press, I am surprised by the seemingly brittle nature of most French Presses. Or so I would be led to believe.

I mean I do see how one would break a French Press, I just do not quite understand how it seems to be so prevalent. So I will certainly report back on how sturdy the Bialetti Press is. Like most reviews, I tend to believe that the majority of the French Presses that are claimed to have been broken under normal use is probably more along the lines of a faulty or clumsy user. I certainly have seen my share of various devices purchased over the years that I found quite good, only to be reviewed poorly by others. Sometimes when reading reviews I am perplexed as to what the user was actually doing with the device.

French (Freedom?) Press

Buff News Entry
Recently at work, one of our new Unix admins unveiled his French Press or Coffee Press. I had always heard that the French Press was the absolute best way to enjoy a cup of coffee and it is fairly convenient as well.

All you need to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee is the coffee, the Press and hot water. This makes it ideal for my workplace, that has a ban on electric coffee makers and quite frankly, I am glad they have the ban, otherwise I might have waited longer to try the French Press. For those of you who camp, a French Press is the way to go, no filters to carry along and have to dispose of and a French Press is very portable.

Why is coffee made with a French Press so good? With the water being in direct contact with the grinds and only filtered through a mesh filter, the essential oil is not filtered out, but left behind in the liquid coffee. You end up with a slight cream or head on the coffee. I would say overall, with good quality coffee you use less of the coffee as well. The mesh filter leaves a lot more flavor through than a paper filter could ever hope to, which equals a less scoops.

My coffee drinking may be soon taking a turn toward the French Press at home as well. It is relatively easy to make a small amount with the French Press and again, this is the absolute most affordable way to drink the coffee you enjoy.

Coffee (Egg Nog) Mug Christmas


Santa Egg Nog Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott.
I have a two mug set of this particular mug which I primarily use just for display. But these Santa mugs would make excellent egg nog mugs. Pictured along-side the mug is some Malibu Caribbean Rum, Coconut Flavor. Obviously not only do you have to like egg nog, but you would need to enjoy the taste of coconut also. If you do, I highly recommend this rum for your egg nog mixture. I presented a mug last Christmas and I wanted to post a picture of this mug before Christmas was over, so here it is.

Julie and I have all the gifts nestled under the tree and just finished watching both A Christmas Story and It's A Wonderful Life. So that pretty much wraps up our Christmas Eve festivities and it is time to get some rest for a very busy Christmas day. Merry Christmas everyone!

Coffee Mug Monday


Turbo GrafX 16
Originally uploaded by Scott.

For those who long for the halcyon days of 8 and 16 bit game systems, I present the Turbo Grafx 16 mug. Phil sent these photos to me and it immediately brought back memories of the days when the Turbo Grafx 16 was still alive and well. Here is the text Phil sent with the photo.
Found this while digging through some of my older video game system boxes in the basement. One of the last survivors of a ton of swag I received while I managed a Software Etc. way back when. A promo mug for the game Legendary Axe II on the Turbo Grafx 16 system.
Now I am not an expert in video game history, but I do have fond memories of the hours spent playing video game consoles with my friends while growing up. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the Turbo Grafx 16 was the first video game console in the United States to have to have their games on CD.


Legendary Axe II (Other Side of Turbo GrafX Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott.
Regardless of the short history the video console had in this country, this mug is a cool mug to own, if not for any other reason than as a conversation piece. I am probably not stretching too much as to say I bet there are not many Turbo Grafx 16 coffee mugs floating around out there. I know much of the swag that shows up in offices either ends up broken or eventually trashed during a move to a new desk or workstation. Nice find Phil!

Coffee Mug Monday


Star Wars Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B.
I discovered this classic original Star Wars mug in a box in the garage this past week. I was out there getting the snow shovel ready and noticed a box packed for the yard sale. The mug was tucked on the side and I am not even really sure where it came from. No way I could let this mug be sold at a yard sale, it is a classic! Plus it is yet another mug that fits excellent on my Senseo.

I am a fan of the original three movies, especially the first two movies, which I consider to be far superior to the new trilogy for many, many reasons. A quick Google search showed that my mug must be somewhat rare, but then again with the new trilogy being released over the past few years the market is mostly flooded with mugs themed towards those movies.


Star Wars Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B.
Like the Universal Studios mug I posted a few weeks ago this mug's design wraps entirely around the mug and not only features the main heroes but also the Death Star and TIE Fighters along with an X-wing. A very cool design! I imagine it must have been part of a collection but cannot be sure.

Coffee Degree?

Buff News Entry
McHenry County College has a course devoted to coffee. I am not totally surprised, well I am not surprised at all. I am just kind of bummed that I do not yet have the opportunity of taking such a course.

I can picture it now, Doctor Scott Buffington, yeah that's right, I have a PHD in coffee. I cannot imagine that could be that difficult to earn, but it sure could be fun. Really, I can confidently say that I could learn everything there is about coffee if I spent my days taking college courses on coffee. Then I would travel the World drinking coffee here and there, just like this guy.
Food science professor Masssimo Marcone is the Indiana Jones of coffee. He came here in search of the legendary Kopi Luak bean, a coffee that sells for up to $600 a pound. To find it, first you have to locate an Indonesian Mongoose. Spot one and the coffee's right behind.
How cool would it be to be called The Indiana Jones of coffee? Yeah, that is cool, I need to award myself with a title like that.

In-case you never heard about it, the coffee bean that Indy is looking for is a bean that is collected from the animals poop, cleaned, roasted and made into what is supposed to be the best coffee in the World. I have never had the opportunity to verify the claim.

Coffee Mug Monday


Cygweb Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B.

Updated 11/15/2005: Tough Crowd

Today I am proud to present my most prized coffee mug. If you are anything like the majority of the english speaking World, you cannot get enough of alexharden.org/blog/. I usually visit Alex's blog a few times a day and hit the refresh button hoping for some fresh content. Sometimes, I am actually rewarded with some of Alex's whimsical and informative writing. I cannot think of a much better day than opening my browser to my start page, alexharden.org/blog/, first thing in the morning and seeing that Alex has posted. Each day I casually look at my RSS reader and my day gets a little better when I see that bold text informing me that one member of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has made a blog post. Excitingly I click to see if it could indeed be a new post over at alexharden.org/blog/.

Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I saw that I could get a coffee mug from Alex's Store. You too can be the envy of your office and sport one of these Cygweb coffee mugs. I even picked up some T-shirts for dress down Fridays and the last time I checked there were still two days in the weekend in which I have the opportunity to show off all of my Cygweb swag. When you purchase your mug, I recommend only drinking and carrying the mug with your left hand. Although I like seeing Cygweb and the url coming at me as I sip some coffee, I love rubbing it in the face of all those who do not yet have one of these bad boys. Supplies have been limited, so I had to hold off featuring these mugs. Get yours now!

Mmm... Coffee Beer

Buff News Entry
Perhaps I should multi-categorize this under coffee and beer. Nah! I have a rule, if it does not have alcohol, then it is not beer I do not care what the manufacturer claims. I hesitated to post anything about this, but I suppose I have to. I do want to say up front, my thought on the whole thing is, what is the point?

A drink somewhere between coffee and beer may hit the market, though I would not be surprised to see this one fizzle out in Europe and never reach the States. According to New Scientist:
Nestec, part of the Nestlé empire in Switzerland, has filed patents in every major market round the world on a "fermented coffee beverage" that pours and foams like beer, but smells of strong coffee and packs a concentrated caffeine kick.

The beverage is made in a similar way to beer, but fine-tuned temperature control stops the formation of ethyl alcohol. So the new drink could go down well with people who want a long tall pick-me-up while driving.

Nestlé admits it was tricky to preserve the characteristic coffee smell in the production process. Coffee beans are roasted normally, and the chemicals containing the natural aroma collected in a cryogenic condenser, before being converted into coffee oil. The remains of the roast are then ground to powder, mixed with yeast and sucrose, and fermented for 4 hours at just below 22°C. At this temperature the yeast can still metabolise but does not generate alcohol.

The aroma oil is then mixed in with the liquid and nitrogen is injected to make it foam. Adding a touch of extra sugar also helps trap the aroma until the drink is poured, Nestlé claim.
I am not even sure this is coffee anymore. I wonder if it still provides a boost and if the taste is anything like good coffee? If Nestlé would like to provide me a sample I promise to be open minded and review the product honestly. Yeah, like that will happen.

Coffee Mug Monday


Universal Studios Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B..
Been a while since I featured a coffee mug for Monday morning, and I wanted to feature this Universal Studios mug for a while. My son Jake gave me this mug sometime this past Summer and I use it all the time. The mug fits perfectly in my Senseo coffee machine and is a rather unique mug. I actually looked around on the Internet when I first received it, and I did not see another one that matched it at the time.

This is easily the most colorful mug I own and features some of both Jake and my favorite animated characters. Spiderman, SpongeBob, Shrek, Donkey and the Hulk are all their in all their glory. The artwork blends them all together into a very sharp looking coffee mug.


Universal Studios Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott B..
My coffee mug cabinets are pretty full, so I have no idea when I will be featuring the next Coffee Mug Monday. I am always on the lookout for other coffee mugs to feature, so if anyone out there has recently come across a cool coffee mug or perhaps acquired a cool coffee mug, send in a picture! Remember, we are all just one cup of coffee away from being brilliant.

My New Coffee Maker

Buff News Entry
Our standard coffee maker had seen better days, so we were in the market for a new coffee maker. I have tried countless coffee makers over the years, including a Krups that ground my coffee beans and the whole nine yards. My experience with the Krups was not very good, first a latch broke that forced me to set weight on the lid to get the grinder to work. Then the grinder broke, and I picked up a new grinder, a short while later the hot plate stopped working. I paid over $100 bucks for a Krups coffee maker that broke after about two years of use.

Though I have heard mixed reviews on Mr. Coffee over the years, my first coffee maker was a Mr. Coffee and always worked well for me. Contrary to what some coffee snobs will tell you, a decent Mr. Coffee coffee maker can make a good cup of coffee. A key to getting a good coffee maker is that the hot plate works properly. My last coffee maker was a carafe, with no hot plate. The reason being is the temperature was perfect and the carafe kept it perfect for many hours. I decided to give a more traditional coffee maker with hot plate a try this time. All that being said I chose a very, very cool looking Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Coffee Maker.

This particular coffee maker is not listed on Amazon, but similar ones are, with mixed reviews. So far, I am very happy with the coffee maker. The coffee maker we purchased for just under $40 at Walmart makes a fabulous pot of coffee. A very cool feature of this coffee maker is the adjustable warmer plate. This assures you will not burn your coffee, we drank a pot that we kept warm for 4 hours today and the coffee flavor was fantastic start to finish. Over the years most of the bad coffee stories you hear from home coffee makers is that the hot plate either gets too hot and burns the coffee or is not hot enough, leaving you with bad cooled coffee.
Features:
  • Brushed Chrome Accents compliment today's kitchen trends
  • Brewing Pause 'n Serve lets you pour a cup of coffee while the coffeemaker is still brewing
  • Removable Filter Basket lifts out of Brew Basket for fast and easy filling and cleaning
  • 2-hour Auto Shut-Off keeps your coffee warm for 2 hours and then automatically shuts off
  • Delay Brew allows you to set your coffeemaker up to 24 hours in advance to begin brewing at a specific time
  • Fresh BrewTM Timer lets you know how long your coffee has been waiting for you
  • Special Cleaning Cycle makes cleaning your coffeemaker quick and easy
  • Brew Strength Selector lets you choose to make your coffee stronger
  • Adjustable Temperature Warmer Plate lets you decide how hot you want to keep your coffee
  • Dual Water Windows show the amount of water in the reservoir for accurate filling
  • Audible Ready Signals alert you when the coffeemaker has finished the brewing or cleaning cycle
  • Cord Storage safely stores excess cord to keep your countertop neat
  • Water Filtration removes up to 97% of chlorine for better tasting coffee

Coffee Mug Monday (sort of)


Mug Boss
Originally uploaded by Scott B..
This is not exactly a specific mug, but something for that mug that you are about to throw away. Mug Boss allows you to organize whatever you need on your desk, right at your fingertips.

I am picking a Mug Boss up for my desk at work, no way I am replacing my home organization mug. From what I have heard about the Mug Boss, it works best on thinner and/or smallish mugs.

It has been a few weeks since I featured a coffee mug and even longer since I featured a beer mug. Remember, I take submissions, meaning if you have a favorite mug at work or a favorite frosty mug in your freezer, send me a photo.

Coffee Mug Monday


Einstein Coffee Mug
Originally uploaded by Scott.
As some of you who have been visiting my website for some time may have noticed, I have an interest in histories great minds. Sir Isaac Newton, Ben Franklin and Albert Einstein are just a few of the folks I admire. While at the Smithsonian, Julie picked this coffee mug up for me at the museum store while my attention was elsewhere.
Start your day with a cup of Einstein. This mug features a picture of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out on one side and "If A equals success, then the formula is A = X + Y + Z. X is work, Y is play, Z is keep your mouth shut" on the other side.

What more can one ask than to be reminded of the formula of success from none other than Albert Einstein each morning while enjoying your cup of coffee? How appropriate to feature an Einstein mug after featuring a Homer Simpson mug previously.

Coffee Mug Monday


Simpson Coffee Mug
Originally uploaded by jaboobie.
I was sitting back, drinking some "Rock and Roll" Coffee from One Good Woman (Which my one good woman picked up for me) and decided to check Flickr for a coffee mugs. Amazingly, I noticed this fantastic looking Homer Coffee Mug which I thought looked familiar. I was right, it belongs to Chuck, BDFL Champion and I commented on the photo six weeks ago. By the way, the trophy will be coming soon Chuck, my Google Adsense check is finally on the way.

This mug has it all, great color, great shape (resembling Homer himself) and great personality. In the immortal words of Jaboobie:
This is my new coffee mug. The bask says "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."


On the subject of coffee, I recently added some silliness, enabling you to buy me a drink. So if you ever feel the need to buy me a drink for providing you pictures of fabulous coffee mugs, lots of single serve coffee news and various other words of wisdom or lack of wisdom, now you can.

Senseo Linkage

Buff News Entry
It has been a while since I specifically featured any Senseo related content. Well I have been saving up and the links include getting a completely free, no strings attached sampler pack of Senseo's new flavors available this Spring here in the US. Included in the linkage are instructions on making your own pods if you so choose, but with the many, many new varieties I will be providing at your disposal it may no longer be necessary.

 Get Pods
  • Free Senseo City Sensations Sample Pack (Limited Time)
  • Get your pods at JavaPodz
  • Large PODhead variety
  • Lots more variety from Baronet
  • JavaOne varieties (Supposedly same size as Senseo Pods so a little expensive)

 Pods Hacking
  • Create your own pods
  • Make your own pods (courtesy of WebJones)

Coffee Mug Monday


Bull in China Shop
Originally uploaded by Scott.
Totally stumbled upon this mug over the past week and I thought it was very cool. A mug representing the bull in the china shop, but proving that stereotypes can be wrong.

Subtlety is not well known in bulls, yet this cheerful item shows how stereotypes can be wrong. A charming mug with a humorous bovine character who will warm your heart each time that you drink from it. The crisply emblazoned, all original artwork is sure to please people of good taste. Cartoon art by Mark Mitcham.


Cartoon art is some of my favorite and you can get the Bull in the China Shop Mug for only $6.95, nice! That may be the best deal on a coffee mug I have featured here yet.

I am Pickled and Cancer Safe

Buff News Entry
Time and again I have posted on the forums and right here on my blog about the benefits of drinking coffee. If you did not notice or perhaps you just ended up here via a search engine, I like coffee. As the title of this post implies, I am pretty much "Pickled" in coffee. So as you can imagine I felt obligated to refer to the news article titled, Coffee May Help Prevent Liver Cancer.

I have pretty much read over the years that coffee may prevent all kinds of different cancers. Even skin cancer, making that life long dream of bathing in coffee if it were socially acceptable a reality.

Coffee Mug Monday (Valentine's Day Edition)


Rainforest Cafe
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
For those of you looking for a last second idea or those needing a reminder, this Monday's mug gives you a great Valentine's Day dinner idea. Shane submitted a Rainforest Cafe Frog Mug direct from the Rainforest Cafe in Towson, Maryland.

I have yet to visit the Rainforest Cafe, but as Shane says, "The whole
place is a rainforest complete with thunderstorms and stuff". The restaurant is most definitely on my must visit list. Check out their website, there are locations across the United States as well as International locations.

The frog mug is the perfect color for waking up and having a cup of coffee on Monday morning. Not to mention the perfect mug to get you hopping. (I had to do it.)

Coffee Care Package


Leopard Forest Coffee
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
Surprises are the best! This week has been extremely busy and after working late several nights this week including tonight I just wanted to get home and relax. Upon pulling in my driveway I noticed a package had arrived for me. What could this be, I had not ordered anything recently. I took a look at the box and saw via the return address that Ray "Streeter" Vampran of 864 Areacodes fame had sent me something. Very cool!

Upon opening the package I was struck by the most wonderful scent of coffee beans, despite the coffee being perfectly wrapped and sealed, including a double plastic bag I could still smell the pleasant aroma. Ray had sent me some Indie music (which I will go into further on the forums once I give it all a listen) and two bags of very fresh roasted coffee beans from Leopard Forest Coffee. Before I go into how wonderful this coffee is, I am enjoying a cup right now, I want to say... Thank you, thank you and thank you!

Ray had noticed an article in a small paper about a small coffee company that was about to startup. Just this past Monday, January the 24th Ray and his wife dropped in on the place. Robert, the owner, took he and his wife on a guided tour, showing off green coffee beans, pictures of family and the coffee farm in Africa. He treated Ray's wife to free samples, "tons of them" Ray said. Ray mentioned he thought of me and picked me up a bag of the Zimbabwean Peaberry and the Dark Roast. Robert suggested a 20 to 80 mix, the 20 being the Peaberry. I took his suggestion and ground just enough for a pot of coffee this evening. This coffee is so good and so smooth, and I am drinking it exactly how a coffee of this quality should be consumed, no additives (black). Easily on par or better than any coffee I have ever tasted. Seriously folks, I may have never had a better cup and the aroma, wow. These coffees are described as follows:

Dark Roast - For those who enjoy full-bodied flavor low in acidity with a blissful aroma.

Zimbabwean Peaberry - A rare bean roasted to perfection, revealing graceful, complex flavors.

Ray continued, Leopard Forest does not want to be a coffee house; it wants to distribute coffee to local coffee houses. They are aggressively seeking small coffee houses and allow the small places to create their own brand using Leopard Forest beans. Robert also said he plans to start selling live coffee trees to the public next year, like a house plant thing. This is very cool. The coffee company is located in a tiny town called Travelers Rest, about 20 miles north of Ray's home and in the shadows of Furman University. Listen up coffee houses, get these coffee beans and you cannot go wrong.

Ray sent a pamphlet along with the beans and it was interesting to read that Leopard Forest is one of many high quality coffee distributors that are environmentally conscious. Since 1965 they have produced coffee out of Zimbabwe and in 2004 they decided to expand their coffee farm to the United States. The decided to place a roasting company in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains north of Greenville, South Carolina. Their tag line reads, Direct from the Vumba Mountains of Zimbabwe to the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Carolinas, we bring you outstanding coffee to enjoy. I could not agree more. Once again, thanks for the thought Ray. One day I need to get down that way to have a drink with ya.

Coffee Mug Monday (Steelers Edition)

Buff News Entry
I decided to post the coffee mug a little early and I decided to go with a tribute to my football team. Here is a stainless steel coffee mug bearing the Pittsburgh Steelers logo. This Monday morning I will be raising my coffee mug in tribute to a great season by a great team, definitely one of the best. Unfortunately there were just too many mistakes made in the AFC championship game for the team to move onto the Super Bowl. The Steelers beat themselves falling to the New England Patriots whom they previously had beaten this season.

This steel coffee mug does a nice job of representing the toughness of the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as being a good representation of their name. Fine season by the men from the steel city and next year, the league will be ripe for the picking. ;)

Coffee Mug Monday


Argh
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
The Hanover Hellions number one fan, Craig "Web" Jones submits yet another mug. For all those who wondered what a Hellion is, Argh! It be a Pirate! This is a great mug and one of my favorite submissions so far.

Jones says, "Whenever I have visitors at the office from out-of-town, I offer them a cup of coffee in that one. They usually look leery".

Get your Monday started right, with a hot cup of coffee. It wakes you up and helps get you moving so you can find your treasure. Yo ho ho!

Coffee Mug Monday

Buff News Entry
I give to you the Dunk Mug which enables you to warm some cookies / biscuits while drinking. A quote from the website reads:
"This clever mug is a must-have." Sunday Express Magazine. A witty dual purpose ceramic drinking mug. Designed and manufactured in the UK. Available in right and left handed versions. Colours available: white, black. mint, sky blue and lilac. Dimension: H 10.5cm approx Patent no: GB 2 364 889A.

Though this mug is interesting, I have read some reviews from tea drinkers who did not like the mug. Particularly because the mug was not big enough. But it sure does look cool! One thing I have learned as well, a somewhat smaller mug is not a bad idea, your beverage remains much warmer from start to finish.

Coffee Mug Monday


Webjones Senseo and Mug
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
The first coffee mug of 2005 is Craig Jones' (aka WebJones) mug which fits perfectly on his Senseo. WebJones also gets bonus points for aesthetics, with his mug matching his coffee maker perfectly. Is anyone else thirsty after viewing that full frothy mug of coffee? WebJones houses his Senseo at work, not only as a coffee maker but also as an executive toy, which is much nicer and certainly more functional than balance balls in my opinion.

Keep those coffee mug submissions coming. I have a few filed away for future Coffee Mug Mondays but I can always use some more ideas. Actually now that I think about it, I suppose I only ever have one or two ideas stowed away and when I run out, I either wing it or skip it. Happy New Year, may the coming year be both happy and prosperous and here is hoping you find your coffee mug always full.

I also wanted to mention, I have just received a plethora of Gmail invitations to distribute. Gmail really is a fabulous email service and it receives my highest recommendation. It is without a doubt, the best email service I have ever used, I forward all my email to Gmail as it does a fabulous job of weeding out the spam. If you want an invite, let me know.

Coffee Mug Christmas Eve

Buff News Entry
The past two years I did a "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" type posts. This year, I hit the the Captain Morgan and eggnog early and decided to take the easy way out. In the theme of the past years though, I have all Jake's gifts nestled under the tree with care and have just settled back for a night full of A Christmas Story.

Some people leave milk and cookies for Santa, well in the Buffington household, we leave a cup of coffee. Around here tonight, it is going to be below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If I were passing through the local area, I would take the coffee over the milk and cookies any day. Merry Christmas everyone!

Update (22:22) - Santa is almost here

Self Heating Coffee

After reading about the single-serve self heating coffee I cannot help but question how safe this product is. The article does not do a good job of explaining what happens as the calcium oxide (quicklime) and water mix and heats the coffee to 145 degrees in six minutes — and stays hot for 30 minutes. Call me crazy, but the CEO of the company insisting the product is safe is not good enough for me.

My question, does the calcium oxide dump into your coffee? Or does it dump into a chamber surrounding the coffee. Many times I do not add things to my coffee and even when I do I never recall thinking, "this coffee needs some calcium oxide". I am interested, but not ready to put this in my body until I know how it works. Also, what about the disposal of such a device, how is it ECO friendly?

Hey, I have a Senseo and I really like the single-serve coffee maker concept. But if indeed a chemical is being dropped into my coffee and even if it is not, this product might be going a little overboard. I believe I heard of a similar product a few years ago that is available in Europe. If anyone has more information on how this works, I would love to know more.

Coffee Mug Monday


Christmas Coffee Mug
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
A Christmas mug photo sent to be some time ago by Alex Harden. Being the Monday before Christmas I give you a seasonal mug to hopefully help put you in the Holiday spirit if you are not already there. Here is hoping all your Holiday shopping is done and that you can enjoy the days heading into the Holiday. From me and my family I wish you a safe and a Merry Christmas.

Coffee Mug Monday


Moose Mugs
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
Every Christmas Season I watch Christmas Vacation. When watching the movie, I always notice the "Marty Moose" mugs, apparently from "Walley World", that Clark Wilhelm Griswold Jr. and Cousin Eddie are drinking eggnog from. Well, if you are willing to pay, and I do mean pay, you can get these Moose Mugs.

Christmas Vacation really is the best Vacation movie and has probably become a Christmas Classic with a lot more folks than just me. From the opening scene straight through to the end this movie is full of laughs. If you never noticed the mugs before, next time you are viewing the movie, watch the scene with Clark and Eddie talking by the Christmas Tree. Eddie is wearing his black dickie which you can see through his white sweater.

Coffee Mug Monday


Got Milk
Originally uploaded by scotbuff.
Got Milk? I would love to tell you where to get this mug, but I have no idea. This mug was actually a submission by Alex Harden. Alex submitted this mug some time ago and if memory serves me correct he was not sure where he and his wife acquired the cow mug.

So have a coffee and get your week started. For those of you in the United States you will have a short week with the Thanksgiving holiday coming on Thursday.

Thank You Senseo

Buff News Entry
I guess there are times when you get things for free. For instance, today I checked my mail and was pleasantly surprised to find that Senseo sent me a package of 36 Medium Roast Coffee Pods. I usually always buy the Dark Roast, but the Medium Roast will go down nicely, especially with it being free. I have no idea how Senseo knew I owned a machine, possibly from this webpage.

Anyway I had an opportunity to try the Sydney and the Vienna Coffee Pods thanks to Senseopods.com now known as ShopForPods.com. If you missed it, I updated my original post the other day when I suddenly received my order. Not only did I receive the order, but ShopForPods.com doubled it for no charge. First, if you order the specialty flavors of Douwe Egberts' Coffee (Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Milano or Sydney), know that you will only get 10 pods. Despite this, I recommend the Sydney and Vienna varieties.

The Sydney flavor was fresh and made a strong tasting fruity cup of coffee. I liked it and it definitely is better than Douwe Egberts' Mild Roast. For a change of flavor from the Dark Roast, Sydney is worth a try.

The Vienna is the most interesting flavor of Douwe Egberts I have tried so far. It seems to be a combination of flavors, chocolate, vanilla and nutty all at the same time. This currently is my new favorite of the Douwe Egberts varieties. Though I would say the C1000 Spicy which does include the traditional 18 pods is still my personal preference of the new varieties I have tried so far.

Senseopods.com now ShopForPods.com

I received my full order today (10/21/2004). Not only that but ShopForPods.com was kind enough to double the order for no charge. I have no idea if this was because of the extended wait or not. I can only guess that ShopForPods.com has been overwhelmed by orders since they are the only seller of these extra Dutch brands and flavors. The writing on the packages is printed in Dutch, so these are definitely imports directly from overseas.

I am enjoying a cup of C1000 Spicy right now. Interesting flavor, I suppose it could be described as Spicy, but not in a cinnamon spicy way. Full bodied coffee with long lasting froth. A review on ShopForPods.com says this coffee did not froth as much as the standard pods. Maybe this is true, but the froth seems to be longer lasting, I like the C1000 Spicy.

BTW, one commenter said not to order from a company in Florida that I had not researched. The company was researched and I ordered after a favorable review from SingleServeCoffee.com. When dealing with a company that deals in imports, they are often a slave to their stock and shipping schedules. ShopForPods.com is very new and I feel they deserve some time to adjust to standard growing pains. I also heard they had earlier problems due to the numerous hurricanes. I will review the other varieties as soon as I try them.

UPDATE October 13, 2004: I would stay away from ShopForPods.com for a short time. I still have not received my order and as far as I can tell the order has not even shipped yet. I received an email from them telling me that some of the items were out of stock and that my order would ship Monday October 11th. However I do not believe the order was shipped. I have tried to be patient, but I certainly do not want someone ordering from them because I mentioned them and then they never receive their order either. At least one other complaint similar to mine was posted on another website. I will keep you informed.

Originally Posted October 3rd, 2004:
I discovered ShopForPods.com today and upon browsing the large variety of Dutch brands/flavors for the Senseo machine I placed an order. The price of the coffee is all but the same as what I pay for the pods at the grocery store and the shipping is minimal. I ordered four different varieties, Senseo Sydney, Senseo Vienna, Senseo Milano and C1000 Spicy. There were a variety of others that included mochas, and the usual selection of roasts to choose from as well.

The wait is stated to be 2 to 5 days, so upon receiving the shipment, I will review each of the coffees for you. I expect that Tuesday or Wednesday the coffee will arrive and I will be enjoying a cup of each. At that time I will let you know how satisfied I am with ShopForPods.com.

Coffee Mug Monday

Buff News Entry
Staying with the American Football theme, basically because within the next couple weeks both college and pro football will be in full swing. I give you my NFL Pigskin Mug, of which I use to hold my colored pencils, Sharpies and a few pens. I like to do a bit of cartooning and this mug is home to the tools I use. Although this mug is retired from coffee drinking, it would still make a fine coffee mug if needed.

Hopefully none of you had a "case of the Mondays" and you had a Cuppo Coffee or three to get you through the day. A big week of NCAA Football is coming up, going right through until next Monday. I have been looking forward to this week for the last 9 months. Next Thursday sees the start of the NFL and thus the start of the BDFL season. You know what that means, coffee to wake up for pre-game, beer for the game and... TWIIIIINNNSSS!

Coffee Mug Monday, Say What?

Buff News Entry
Yeah I know, you are thinking, "weren't you doing this on Friday?" Yes I was, but I was wondering what category I should put the Beer Mugs, which I also said I would like to feature. I was not sure what I was going to do, but then Extraordinary Gentleman Chartoo made a great suggestion. Why not have a Coffee Mug Monday and have a Beer Mug Friday? He's right, Friday is much more appropriate to hoist some beer mugs and Monday we need a coffee kick to recover from all that beer.

Today's coffee mug is a photo that really does not do the mug justice. The Brutal Deluxe Large Mug is available in the store and has undergone a slight redesign from the mug you see pictured. I moved the image more to the side of the mug, so that if I would snap a photo of the current crop of mugs you would indeed see the handle of the mug. With the Brutal Deluxe Football League Draft this Thursday night, I thought it only right that I feature this mug.

One more thing, if you ever get to Pembroke, Massachusetts be sure to look up Charlie's Too! I really want to try some of those World Famous fried clams and fish'n'chips.

Coffee Cup Friday

Buff News Entry
This week I chose to display a cool clear mug that you can get over at ThinkGeek. This week's mug represents everything us true coffee fans love. I love using a clear mug for my coffee, especially with my Senseo Coffee Machine so that you can see the froth with each deep dark cup. The coolest thing about this mug is the caffeine molecule emblazoned right out there for everyone to enjoy.

Coffee Cup Friday

Buff News Entry
Wow, I almost missed the weekly coffee cup display. I had a long round of golf right after work today and afterwards I hung around to watch the Olympic Opening Cerimonies. Webjones was kind enough to send me a photo of a coffee mug that he has in his possession. I like it! I have no idea where one would get a coffee mug like this, but I know I would have to use it whenever I had guests over to the house. :)

I actually did look around last night for some to submit for this week, but just never got around to posting anything. I was debating on whether I should post my beer mug this week, but decided to save that for display later.

Coffee Cup Friday

Buff News Entry
I am starting a regular Friday thing, Coffee Mug - Cup Friday. The Yoda Mug is the first mug I will introduce. Not that I am a huge fan of Star Wars, at least not the new/old story. But I thought the mug was kind of cool.

I would love to see your favorites and maybe I will even include some of them in future Friday features. The mugs - cups can be all shapes and sizes. Also the mugs - cups do not necessarily have to be for drinking coffee. The majority of my submissions will probably be of the coffee variety though.

Senseo Is A Winner

Buff News Entry
I found that Sam's Club, which is basically Walmart carries a Large Reservoir Senseo Coffee Machine. This would be the model I would get if I were buying a new machine. I saw the large reservoir model on Sam's Club website, so you can get it there if no where else. I think the Large Reservoirs will be sold separately at a later time, as I saw them on another European website. Unfortunately that website did not ship to the US.

I am awaiting the reusable filter that I posted about a few days back. I ordered it Friday, the filter ships from the UK to Florida first which takes 3 business days. After that it arrives via UPS Ground. So I am hoping that I will see it Friday. Once I get it and have made a few cups I will give further reviews. I have made roughly 200 cups of coffee with my Senseo Machine and it is working great.

Also Cafepods.com is supposed to be opening in a few weeks. The website will cater different varieties of coffee pods to the single serve coffee machine market.

Update 7/29/2004 - I received my reusable filter today. Less than a week from the UK. I did not use the finest grind, on purpose. I also pushed the two cup setting after filling the filter, and I have to tell you, I thought the cup was fantastic. It was still frothy, and the coffee was better tasting than when I made the same coffee in my standard coffee maker.

I intend to always keep pods around for convenience, but having the reusable filter makes the Senseo an awesome machine to own. Hopefully some of the others who showed interest will soon have one of their own and can provide further feedback. I have to tell you though, I am loving my Senseo!

Update 7/31/2004 - It has begun. Aloha Island Coffee is selling Kona Coffee Pods for the Senseo or from Amazon if you prefer. The Kona-Pods are very smooth and taste great. Highly recommended!

More On Senseo

Buff News Entry
A few weeks ago I posted about how much I was enjoying my coffee with my Senseo Coffee Maker. I decided to search around and see if anyone had come up with the idea of making a reusable coffee filter for the unit that allowed you to utilize whatever coffee you preferred.

Well, they have, but it is a bit pricey for a rather small item. But when you are the only guy in town, I suppose you can charge whatever you want. Wonder if they have this thing patented? Regardless of the price-tag, I am going to pick one of these up very soon. Seems like it would be something that lasts virtually forever as long as you take care of it, and it allows me to brew my own blend.

Senseo Coffee Machine

Buff News Entry
I have been eyeing the single serve coffee makers for a while and this week I decided on the Senseo Single Serve Coffee Machine. Initially I was not sure if I would be totally happy with the coffee machine. I had to switch to a smaller mug as all of my current favorite mugs just did not fit under the dispenser.

The deciding factor for me on buying the Senseo is that the coffee pods are available at my local supermarkets as well as Walmart. Along with the purchase of the coffee machine I was supplied with packages of mild and medium roast coffee. I have since picked up the dark roast and I definitely love the dark roast coffee and recommend the dark roast coffee pods.

After a weeks use, I have to tell you, I am loving the Senseo Coffee Machine. It is extremely easy cleanup, and I love having a fresh, frothy, hot cup of coffee in under two minutes. I am actually enjoying the smaller mug, as I find my coffee is warmer right down to the last drop.

For you coffee lovers who find a lot of times you bypass your coffee because you do not want to make a full pot, you will want to check out the Senseo Coffee Machine. I also read that there will be flavored varieties coming soon for all you Art History Majors. ;)

How To Store Coffee

How should you store your coffee? Roasted coffee starts to lose quality soon after roasting, it is better to purchase only enough coffee for one to two weeks and store your coffee in an airtight container. In addition to time, roasted coffee's enemies are air, moisture, heat, and light, in that order.

Store your roasted coffee in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place. But do not store in the refrigerator or freezer, I hate when I hear so called experts tell people to do this. Coffee picking up odors and moisture is a problem, especially condensation occuring when you put your coffee in and out of the refrigerator.

Coffee History

In the 1600's, smugglers broke the Arabian monopoly in coffee growing. They took seven seeds of unroasted coffee beans from the port of Mocha to the western Ghats of southern India. In the early 1700's, the Dutch began cultivating descendants of the original plants in Java.

Three Species of Coffee Trees

1. Robusta: This plant is used for the lower grades of coffee. Robusta beans are often used in instant coffees and popular commercial blends.

2. Arabica: They have a much more refined flavor. This is the coffee that specialty roasters search for. It accounts for about 75% of the world production.

3. Liberica is the third recognized commercial variety. It is a minor crop of coffee from Africa similar to robusta.

More Coffee Info

The first drink made from the coffee tree was wine. The wine was made from coffee cherries, honey and water. In fact the word coffee has its origins in an old arabic word "Qahwah", meaning wine.

Coffee Info

Coffee is indigenous to Kaffa (coffee) region of Ethiopia. Coffee was taken to Yeman by the Arabs and cultivated there in the sixth century. The original coffee received its name from the Arabian port of Al Mukkah (Mocca) on the Red Sea. The port became world famous because it was the sole source for the world's coffee. With the opening of the Suez Canal the port was by-passed for Aden at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

According to legend, coffee was discovered by an Arab goat herder named Kaidi. He noticed that his goats became frisky after chewing on berries from certain wild bushes.

Black Coffee / Carbohydrates

Saw searches for the amount of carbohydrates in black coffee in referral logs many times over the past few weeks. Black non-flavored coffees do not have significant carbohydrates, if any. Even the flavored variety, if hazelnut and almond, flavored from nut extract and such the carbohydrate level is very low.

I of course am not referring to the sugar-laden variety in fancy coffee shops and General Foods international instant and such. These could be loaded.

I of course still like to visit the coffee shops and have a treat now and then.

Coffee Linked to Diabetes Prevention

Researchers have been trying unsuccessfully to prove that coffee is bad for you for a long time. It seems in the past few years that research has been instead proving that coffee is instead a fantastic preventative to many diseases.

Two studies may now be proving that drinking a lot of coffee can help prevent Diabetes from occurring as we age. Last year I made this post to the forums. Looks like we may have something else to add to that post.

Scientists Grow Decaffeinated Coffee

What is the point. I have never understood decaffeinated anything. If you cannot have caffeine for some reason, drink water. I mean really, drinking coffee or tea for that matter without the buzz seems pointless to me.

I acquired the taste of coffee when I became an adult and have reached the point where I like the taste. But if you take my caffeine away, I am going to just skip it and drink something else.