I Need Coffee, Part II

Photo by Helga

Last week’s column about coffee technology generated a lot of responses. Who would have thought that coffee was such a popular drink, especially in Washington, DC? From observing the way everyone calmly drives on the Beltway and has boundless patience for tourists who stand two abreast on Metro escalators, I was under the mistaken assumption that Celestial Seasons decaf teas were the beverage of choice here.  I was wrong.

I’m still happy with my Senseo coffee brewer -- and the K-cups machine from Keurig. Both make terrific single cup coffees. But fair warning: Not all flavors taste equally good. And you will need to vary the amount for these different brews and brands to achieve coffee perfection.

It’s comforting to know that I’m not alone when it comes to experimenting with different coffee making technologies.  Here are some other thoughts on how to make amazing coffee:

National Coffee Day and the Quest for the Perfect Cup

Most kickass espresso machine:
Saeco Etienne Louis Espresso maker

There's no better way to celebrate National Coffee Day (today's the day!) than with a new coffee machine.

So I bought a new coffee machine. It was actually an involuntary purchase, but that's okay because there's no such thing as too many ways to make coffee in the morning.

I'd been faithful to my Keurig single cup coffee machine and I didn't intend to stray.  But these things happen, and when you hear my tale perhaps you'll feel some sympathy for me. I went to order some new coffee pods on Amazon for the Keurig and spied Kona coffee, so I ordered it. When the coffee arrived two days later, I realized that I had ordered pods that fit another kind of machine.

(Before you feel superior, ask yourself this: Have you ever bought the wrong kind of paper towels, perhaps the dreaded Select-a-Size, or the wrong kind of some other product? These other coffee pods came up in the search for Keurig K-cup coffee, so it's only partially my fault.)