Afternoon Coffee Break

I am a coffee lover.  I have to have a least 3 pots... umm... cups (wink) a day  No, it's not a hipster thing.  Maybe it's a Lutheran thing.  I have been drinking coffee from the time I was in Jr. High, perhaps before. Yes, I know it probably stunted my growth but whatever.  I blame my grandma who included us in her afternoon coffee time, church, and the explosion of coffee chains during the 90's.  A lot has changed from the time I was sipping my brown milk sweetened with 5 packs (more if it was at church) or so of sugar.  I remember the day the barista at Barnie's convinced a bunch of 15-year-old band nerds to try a cappuccino, that was a huge surprise.  I remember actually liking that instant crap from the machine at the gas station.  What a thrill is was to discover flavoring syrups, vanilla lattes pumpkin spice, and mocha?  Then of course my sister and I were the coolest when for Christmas we received a cappuccino machine! We quickly learned that we could not use hot water to speed up the process one night when we were hosting our own coffee shop, yuck!

Now for as much as I like coffee, and probably in the pasted considered myself a coffee snob (though I never made the effort to only use Dasani water for brewing) I think I can say without a doubt I am not a coffee snob.  These are my top reasons why.

I Don't Get A Raging Headache

For as much coffee as I consume each day I'm quite fortunate that I do not  a headache when I don't get my coffee.  Really this is most fortunate for my husband on those mornings when the coffee cabinet is surprisingly bare.  Now if I went for more than a day without that may be a different story.  Yeah, I'm not going to push my luck with a coffee fast, that would be crazy.

I Don't Really Care For Flavor Infused Coffee

So we all know that Lutheran's love paradox, I am a good Lutheran so it applies in my coffee drinking preferences as well.  In most cases, I do not like flavored coffee. In Fact most of the time I find flavored coffee to taste like rubbing alcohol.   Yet, my favorite cup of Joe is a maple flavored coffee served at Maple Street Biscuit Company.   This is the smoothest and most balanced blend I've ever tasted.  It's is perfect with just a splash of half and half.  I am sure it's a cult favorite. 

Flavored Creamers Also Sorta Suck The Yum Out Of Coffee

Unless it's something to do with Mocha, cause chocolate rarely is wrong in coffee.   Flavored creamers taste fake, like the chemicals they are made out of. Eww. Most of the time syrups are meh also.  Though I am not a coffee snob, so I grin and bear it when I need to steal a few sips of my hubby's coffee. Really if I'm going to put anything in my coffee it's half and half or, of course, Baily's or Jameson. 

Starbucks Is Meh... Really

I do not like Starbucks brewed coffee at all. I like when I make it at home but not from the store. It tastes burnt. Surprisingly McDonald is better and cheaper.  The coffee at Gate gas station is even better. Now I do enjoy a peppermint mocha and in the summer an iced coffee.  Usually when I go (which is not often anymore) I prefer a chi latte extra spicy.  But that's tea, not coffee so I digress. 

This Girl Does Not Do Dunkin...

YUCK! That is all. 

I Do Not Own A Keurig Nor Do I Want To

My coffee pot works fine.  Honestly, I am most content simply brewing up a good full pot of coffee at home.  Most of the time it's Folgers, Seattle's Best, Ikea, or whatever.  I don't care for instant coffee,  I need more that eight watery ounces at a time.  Another thing having to do with coffee pots is I really do not care if it's a paper filter or metal, I don't taste the difference, so convenience wins out on that one. I do own things like a coffee press and a cappuccino machine, but those are for special moments.  And seriously a good cup of black coffee makes any moment that much better. 

Coffee is a daily bread blessing, it's a staple each and every day.  It really doesn't matter what you like or don't like. Coffee adds hospitality to things like grocery shopping.  Yes, I appreciate the free cup of coffee from Publix.  It's the perfect accompaniment to most foods. Coffee is fantastic while when cheering on the kids b-ball game, enduring a road trip, watching movies, when curling up with a good book, or studying theology.   Coffee, like music, has a special way of bringing people together.  So enjoy a few moments, take a coffee break, and brew up a friendly conversation.

How do you take your coffee?