Hey....Coffee Lovers.... question...

[tomplum]

I'm sipping on a cup of something different that I picked up at the store. We usually get Tony's coffee, but sometimes I like to mix it up. And mix up I will do. The stuff I got is so smooth, it's like it isn't even there...

 

[two_bit_score]

We have to have chicory coffee. Cafe Du Monde is preferred but several brands are acceptable.

Cafe du Monde Coffee & Chicory

Coffee first came to North America by way of New Orleans back in the mid-1700's. It was successfully cultivated in Martinique about 1720, and the French brought coffee with them as they began to settle new colonies along the Mississippi. The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the...

southernseason.com

 

[alexpops]

Haven't read all 7 pages, but my thought is if the current one works after you fixed it, AND your wife is happy with it, save the 3-4K a new Jura would run you for 1-2 cups of espresso at a time. I appreciate a good cup of coffee & love espresso, but not for the crazy money they want for one of those. I can live with drip coffee from a cone filter and a stove top steamer or cheaper machine for espresso.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Swooping through the store to buy tonic water, I saw "Alkaline Water" on the shelf, pH 7.5. Has anybody tried making coffee with that?

 

[alexpops]

Isn't coffee slightly acidic? Seems you would wind up with "navy" coffee with some kind of salt left in the grounds (and/or) maybe absorbed by the pure water produced by the reaction.

 

[MTGreen]

Swooping through the store to buy tonic water, I saw "Alkaline Water" on the shelf, pH 7.5. Has anybody tried making coffee with that?

Dump a little baking soda in water and voila, alkaline water at 1% of the cost of store bought. Use a pH test kit if you want to get fancy and get the exact amount

 

[jyoutz]

Dump a little baking soda in water and voila, alkaline water at 1% of the cost of store bought. Use a pH test kit if you want to get fancy and get the exact amount

I always laugh when I see alkaline water in the stores. Those of us with limestone in the soil have more alkaline water than we want and we pay to filter and treat to lower ph.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The reason I asked is because of the well at our first home that gave sweet water. It made fabulous coffee. I miss that flavor. I never tested the pH, so don't know that was the cause, or something else.

 

[GeneV]

I dunno, we keep it simple around here. Columbian supremo beans from Costco, burr grinder, french press, some half & half...that's how we roll.

 

[dmccarty]

Years ago my expensive coffee maker died. It was up there in years but I was still surprised it died. I started looking at new coffee makers, and they were really more money than I wanted to spend, or the reviews were not good....

It then hit me, WHY am I buying a machine to make coffee? The coffee machines I have owned simply heat water and pour it over the coffee grounds. It is a single task machine.

I bought a stainless steel funnel to replace my coffee maker.

Today I heat the water in a hot water kettle, not sure how we lived so long with out that appliance, and pour the heat water over the coffee grounds. Easy Peasy. The hot water kettle will heat water to specified temperatures if I want to play around with the brew.

On trips, I just take my thermos, coffee, filter and funnel, and boil water however I can, which is usually a stove top or microwave though sometimes we take the hot water kettle with us.

 

[MF RED in MT]

Around here we use Folgers Half n' Half & same amount of MT Huckleberry...

Use to make coffee only with Huckleberry, but over time kind of lost that good taste of it, too much of a good thing I guess...

I drink coffee most of the daylight hours, and in the summer I add ice.

KC

 

[goeduck]

My uncle used to put whisky and butter in his morning coffee. I may try it someday, but after dinner.

 

[dmccarty]

I have heard of people using butter or honey. Pretty sure I had some coffee with honey but I should try the butter one day.

 

[GeneV]

Well hey, I'm all for sticking booze in anything, but...why butter? Never heard of it, is that like a regional thing?

 

[alexpops]

I've read that butter is supposed to help feed the brain, and may help the caffeine make the blood/brain barrier transition easier. A shot of espresso with a dollop of butter is marketed as a "smart pill" alternative. Never tried it, as I prefer my coffee by the gallon -- black & strong, but might be an interesting experiment. I've also seen some literature that claims it helps offset the dumning down effect of lipitor and the other cholesterol meds that starve the brain of cholesterol it needs.

I think the keto and paleo diet fads helped revive western interest in "bullet proof" coffee, but various cultures have mixed fats in with tea or coffee for centuries.

 

[MTGreen]

I've read that butter is supposed to help feed the brain, and may help the caffeine make the blood/brain barrier transition easier. A shot of espresso with a dollop of butter is marketed as a "smart pill" alternative. Never tried it, as I prefer my coffee by the gallon -- black & strong, but might be an interesting experiment. I've also seen some literature that claims it helps offset the dumning down effect of lipitor and the other cholesterol meds that starve the brain of cholesterol it needs.

I think the keto and paleo diet fads helped revive western interest in "bullet proof" coffee, but various cultures have mixed fats in with tea or coffee for centuries.

I would think that butter might enhance the absorption of caffeine from the intestines as there's good documentation for having fatty meals taken at the same time enhance absorption of lipophilic drugs, but I can't see how that would affect how easily caffeine would make the blood brain barrier transition.
I wouldn't think that this would be substantially different than adding cream or half and half however. I bet it tastes good though.

There is evidence for statin drugs such as Lipitor causing reversible cognitive impairment in some people, but it has not been established that the effect is due to cholesterol starvation of the brain. When used appropriately, statins reduce excessive cholesterol levels down to normal levels which reduces risk for a number of chronic disease states. Normal levels would not cause any starvation issues in the cell membranes or conductive structures in the brain or elsewhere

 

[GeneV]

Oh wow, that's too much science before noon...I need a cup of coffee!

 

[alexpops]

I'm not arguing either way. I just outlined what I've read, and figure people can decide for themselves after doing their own research. I've basically gotten to the point that I believe every "independent study" is biased & none should be believed fully. (some should be believed even less when there are other agendas at work) So ... I read opposing viewpoints, factor in the arguments against "common sense" & historical practice, then make my own decisions.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I would think that butter might enhance the absorption of caffeine from the intestines as there's good documentation for having fatty meals taken at the same time enhance absorption of lipophilic drugs, but I can't see how that would affect how easily caffeine would make the blood brain barrier transition.
I wouldn't think that this would be substantially different than adding cream or half and half however. I bet it tastes good though.

There is evidence for statin drugs such as Lipitor causing reversible cognitive impairment in some people, but it has not been established that the effect is due to cholesterol starvation of the brain. When used appropriately, statins reduce excessive cholesterol levels down to normal levels which reduces risk for a number of chronic disease states. Normal levels would not cause any starvation issues in the cell membranes or conductive structures in the brain or elsewhere

I don't think caffeine is lipophilic. One of the interesting things about cold extract coffee is that the caffeine is easily extracted by cold water. It is very soluble.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I'm not arguing either way. I just outlined what I've read, and figure people can decide for themselves after doing their own research. I've basically gotten to the point that I believe every "independent study" is biased & none should be believed fully. (some should be believed even less when there are other agendas at work) So ... I read opposing viewpoints, factor in the arguments against "common sense" & historical practice, then make my own decisions.

I blame the crooked reporting. Any "science" article that does not give a link to the referenced study is total crap.