And go! Continue reading
coffee
8 posts
My husband is a morning coffee drinker. I’m an afternoon/evening coffee drinker. So our little coffee decanter gets a work out. Continue reading
When I was younger, I used to be able to be out of and and out the door in about 40 minutes. I think I was this way until grad school. Classes didn’t start till the evening, but I had to be at my tutoring gig by noon. I had an hour commute via CTA, so I knew I needed to leave the apartment by 11. I’d be up by 9, let myself do a bunch of bullshit internetting, make a real breakfast, dilly dally about what I was going to wear that day and what have you. I think I mostly liked the idea of watching late morning TV – back then I’d watch 2 hours of ER. Continue reading
Monkeybiz, when he is not stabbing roommates or going on safari with his cat, is ordering a “Venti iced coffee, sweetened, with cream, light ice.” Here is what I order: “Coffee.” Verona if I’m at Starbucks, Major Dickason’s if I’m at Peet’s, and I don’t remember if I’m at a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. If the place has a Clover, I’ll get that. If it’s in the afternoon, I’ll get a mocha. I like chocolate, and if I have that in the morning the sugar really messes me up. If I’m at a diner and the coffee is old or not very good, I’ll put a little bit of sugar in it. At home, I use a French Press on the weekend with Peet’s Major Dickason’s, and during the week when I don’t have time to deal with the press, I use a Kuerig with the Green Mountain French Roast pods. I’ll put a little bit of sugar in that. I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of quality for ease of use on weekday mornings. Continue reading
Some of these guys have cropped up in the news lately, but they’re not a new faction to our society. No sir. I’ve been talking about Deli Rubes and Coffee Shop Hobos for years. Since about 2007 or so, and the affliction that they suffer from hasn’t gotten much better. I think I’ll call this affliction “Me-ism.” Yes, yes, I know there’s probably some other well-nuanced term I could use. Narcissism, or self-centeredness….yawr, whatever. No, I’m going with the very simple…Me-ism. Continue reading
Let’s say you’re walking past a Starbucks, or a whatever, and you decide, “Fuck man, I’m thirsty! Well, actually, not really thirsty, because if I was, I wouldn’t drink something that’s gonna dehydrate me. But, I’m going through withdraw and need something caffeinated, and probably loaded with sugar and carbs.” So, it’s time to go in and get yourself some coffee, or coffee-like beverages.
Before you do, though, you need to prepare. If you’re not used to this, it might be time to step to the side of the sidewalk and collect yourself. First thing, are you on the phone? Well, before you go inside, you might want to finish that conversation up. Why? Because you aren’t that interesting and the people inside don’t give a shit about what you have to say. Harsh, I know, but it’s true, and like Tania and Rhonda, I tell it like it is.
So, you’re done with your phone conversation and have hung up and are interested in entering the store. First, though, take a look inside. Is there a line? Can you see how many folks are working behind the counter? These all will affect how things go later on. Also, are you in a rush? We’ll get to ordering later, but if there’s a really long line and only 2-3 people behind the counter, chances are that no matter what you order, it’s going to take a while. Also, unless you’re sleeping with one of the baristas, your demands of being served first will only end in more time being wasted and possibly receiving a decaf drink.
Now open the door. Feel that nice breeze coming from the rush of temperature controlled air blowing past you to the outside. Isn’t it nice? Well, it’s not nice to us inside. Usually, the inside is nice and temperature controlled so that if it’s hot outside, then it’s cool inside, and vice versa. You, however, are standing in the doorway for no reason and screwing that delicate balance up. While there are times this can be excusable (aka, you’re holding the door open for a wheelchair bound elderly orphan with a puppy with sad eyes), sometimes, you’re just holding it open for no reason. Maybe you’re finishing up that phone conversation you should have finished up outside. Maybe you’re trying to decide if you left your vibrator on. Maybe you have temporary blindness and don’t realize that there are two doors to a set of double doors (though, in your defense, sometimes one door IS locked, even if it is against fire code). Either way, it’d be swell if you could just hurry up and get inside, instead of blocking other people and causing a general nuisance. Get in, or get out. Shit or get off the pot. Don’t be a dog in a manger.
You’re inside, now. Breathe. Relax. See, that wasn’t that difficult? It’s not like this is rocket science, righ. … wait, um, you seem to have something on your face. No, really. It’s around your eye region. What? You can’t see it cause it’s so dark? Here, let me help you with that. Yeah, I’m just gonna take those off… Better right? As Sister Mary Clarence put it, “There is no sun in this room. You will not get a tan. Take off those sunglasses. That goes for you too. If they’re not prescription, I don’t wanna see ’em. I want to see you. I want to look into your eyes. I want you to be able to look into mine.”
So, you’ve managed to navigate how to physically enter the store without being a total douche. Congratulations! Unfortunately, you have another hurdle. You have to place your order without being a total jerk, but we’ll deal with that next time.
Welcome to Rowen’s Coffee House! Feel free to pull up a chair, enjoy your free range/shade grown peppermint chocolate cappuccino, and chill out to the groovy lounge jazz!
I’d like for this to be a place to discuss the trials and tribulations of working in the customer service industry, especially the coffee industry, which is where I work now. I’d like to keep this scathing, but I’d also like to not have this turn into Barista Rant. So, let’s get started. Many people out there have no clue what’s in their cuppa, so here’s a quick intro to just what you’re drinking (and you can impress your friends with your esoteric coffee knowledge!!)
There’s quite a lot of ways to grind and prepare coffee, but unfortunately, your local Starbucks doesn’t serve them, so, in the interest of not confusing the hell out of you or allowing you to sound like a total douche, I’m going to keep it simple. Please note that I WON’T be covering crap like the frappucinos and the chai-teas, since that would be like including a Strawberry Sunrise Surprise Frozen Martini in an article about whiskey.
1) Brewed (non-espresso) – This is the type of coffee Americans think of when they think of coffee. It’s the acidic shit that the bitchy waitress serves you at IHOP, and gives you a glare whenever you request a refill. Variations include
a. Black Coffee – Just What It Says on the Tin, you idiot.
b. White Coffee – I’ve never heard anyone say this, but Wikipedia claims that this is coffee with cream. Or, ya know, coffee.
c. Café au Lait, Café Ole, Coffee Misto – Equal parts coffee and steamed milk. The poor man’s latte.
d. Red Eye –Black coffee with a shot. Two shots is a black eye. People have stupid names for more shots (Blue eye! Green eye! Brown Eye!) but that’s, once again, going into douchebag territory.
e. French Press – This should get its own section, but since it’s so rarely done, I figured I’d put it in the brewed section. French press coffee is more coarsely ground, and then scooped into a French Press. It’s allowed to steep for a few minutes, after which you press down on this plunger thing which pushes most of the grounds to the bottom. Personally, I find this to be the best tasting style of brewing coffee, as it has much more flavor then drip style. You can get a French Press for about 20 bucks and it doesn’t require a filter.
2) Espresso – This is a dark roast coffee that’s been ground much finer then your regular mud, and then packed into a small little puck called a “puck” which is then inserted into one of these magical espresso machines where hot water is forced through the coffee, to slowly dribble into a tiny cup. It’s a very sexy drink. . .
a. Espresso – This is your basic espresso with nothing added. True snobs will tell you that it’s supposed to be drunk almost immediately after being brewed , before the sweeter small topping, or crema, dissolves. However, this person is usually the dickhead “experiencing” their espresso right at the coffee bar, blocking everyone else from getting their 2/3’s caf, venti, 3.4 pumps no foam skinny vanilla latte. You can get regular espresso or you can have it in one of these two styles”
i. Long (or Lungo) – More water is added to the espresso, but it’s added as it goes through the espresso machine (compare to the Americano). This allows more of the bitter flavor to come through.
ii. Ristretto – Less water is used, making the drink smaller in volume, but sweeter in taste.
b. Café Americano – This style came from Europeans trying to mimic American drip coffee during WWII. Hot water is added to the espresso (destroying the crema).
c. Long Black – The inverse of the Americano. Hot water is poured first, and then the espresso is added, thus preserving the crema.
d. Espresso Macchiato – The espresso shot is topped off with a scoop of foam.
e. Latte – The espresso mixed with mostly steamed milk, and a topping of foam. Some places, not Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, teach their employees how to make shapes with the foam, which is cute in a ceramic cup in Snotty McCoffee Bar in Williamsburg, but who really has time for that?
f. Cappuccino – After the espresso, this drink has equal parts steamed milk and foam, meaning it’s supposed to have a thick layer of foam in it (yes, I have had people order a cappuccino and then bitch about the presence of foam. Please don’t be that person.)
So, there you have it! A quick list of what the hell is being served at your local Starbucks. Until next time, enjoy! And remember, if we didn’t make your drink right the first time, then fuck off.
Despite what you may have heard, being a starving artist is less than glamorous. I actually like to be able to afford dinner on certain occasions, but I also need feed my half dozen cup a day coffee habit, which becomes very expensive when you’re buying multiple cups from your favorite coffee shop. Even if you don’t consume as much coffee as I do, brewing your own is still financially beneficial. The average American consumes 3.4 cups of coffee a day. Buying just one $3 cup every day adds up to around $1,1oo a year. Even more if you prefer the espresso drinks that places like Starbucks offer at around $5 a cup. With a few inexpensive and simple devices you’ll be able to brew your own coffee house coffee (or better) at a fraction of the price. And you can use that money you’ve saved on dinner… or booze….