Coffee, tea or cola in sleepers?
- Thread starter Dustyroad
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That is absolutely right, according to my daughter, who once was a supervisor at a very busy Starbucks near an outlet mall. But, if you like a moderate roast, try the Starbucks Casi Cielo, which they only sell twice a year--from Guatemala. It really is 'almost heaven.' I heard that one of my daughter's co-workers had grabbed the last pound of Casi Cielo as his free pound of coffee once, and after he ground it, he slipped and half the bag poured onto the floor. After a moment of silence for the loss of the precious Casi Cielo, he picked up a broom, swept it up, and took it home anyway.
Certainly not in the lower stretches. New Orleans has the highest bladder cancer rates for a reason--the drinking water comes right out of the Mississippi, and while they can treat it for sewage, they can't get all of the chemical junk out of it that has poured in over the thousand miles between Minnesota and Nawlins.
That was just my opinion. Many do eat fish from it. But if you have lived right next to it and smelled it all the time you might differ.
Each person has his own tastes levels.
Man, those eyes must be spinning like a hard drive platter. I've had fresh brewed coffee in Brazil, Hawaii, Colombia and several other coffee producing countries. I've drunk it in Morocco where it would take the enamel off your teeth. Even New Orleans' Coffee and chicory or the bottom of the pot AMTRAK sleeper of yore is superior to the foul brews which come from Seattle, Starbucks and Seattle's Best. First time I tried either it seemed to me it had possibly run off a fireman's boot.
It's a matter of taste and opinion to be sure. And like the proverbial rectal orifice, everyone has one. Enjoy your overpriced brew. I'll stick ith Cafe Bustelo for the nonce.
Qapla
Engineer
My Dad would have a real laugh with this discussion of coffee. He would think most were wanting "dishwater" instead of coffee. He drank his black and if you couldn't almost "stand up a spoon in it" he thought it was too weak.
He spent 20+ years in the US Navy starting in the late 30's. He served aboard a ship for most of his time in. The ships he was on (Destroyer and DE) had one steam kettle set aside for coffee. All they did was add grounds and water to keep it full until the grounds started to come out the valve - then the kitchen staff would dip out all the grounds they could and start again ... They never emptied it. It operated this way 24/7 running at a low simmer all the time.
As far as he was concerned - anything else was just colored water.
He spent 20+ years in the US Navy starting in the late 30's. He served aboard a ship for most of his time in. The ships he was on (Destroyer and DE) had one steam kettle set aside for coffee. All they did was add grounds and water to keep it full until the grounds started to come out the valve - then the kitchen staff would dip out all the grounds they could and start again ... They never emptied it. It operated this way 24/7 running at a low simmer all the time.
As far as he was concerned - anything else was just colored water.
I will tell a story about coffee. About 35 years ago, I was dating a young woman from Uruguay. On our first date, I took her to Annapolis, we walked around the historic district and had lunch. This included coffee with dessert. She was able to observe the American custom of unlimited coffee refills. Later, she said, "I don't understand you Americans and the way you drink liters and liters of weak coffee."
A few weeks later, I found out what South American coffee was like, as we drove down the Chevy Chase to pick up a package from home at a friend of her family. We were offered some hospitality in the form of a cup of coffee. This was served in a relatively small cup (larger than a demi-tasse, but smaller than the usual Starbucks Grande carryout cup), but it was strong! Let's just say that there was no danger of me dozing off during the drive back to Baltimore.
I have more stories about coffee, but perhaps I shouldn't hijack the thread. Maybe a thread about coffee experiences?
A few weeks later, I found out what South American coffee was like, as we drove down the Chevy Chase to pick up a package from home at a friend of her family. We were offered some hospitality in the form of a cup of coffee. This was served in a relatively small cup (larger than a demi-tasse, but smaller than the usual Starbucks Grande carryout cup), but it was strong! Let's just say that there was no danger of me dozing off during the drive back to Baltimore.
I have more stories about coffee, but perhaps I shouldn't hijack the thread. Maybe a thread about coffee experiences?
Amtrak serves La Colombe in some of their lounges. The NYP lounge served excellent coffee. I’m a very recent coffee snob and was seriously impressed with their lounge choice.
While DD coffee certainly falls into the category of “Better than expected,” I certainly wouldn’t associate it with first class premiums.
Why the Acela first class can’t serve something better blows my mind. I don’t remember what coffee they served aboard the C Zephyr back in November, but it wasn’t good.
While DD coffee certainly falls into the category of “Better than expected,” I certainly wouldn’t associate it with first class premiums.
Why the Acela first class can’t serve something better blows my mind. I don’t remember what coffee they served aboard the C Zephyr back in November, but it wasn’t good.
Starbucks is simply a way to separate people with too much money from some of that money.
Danib62
Service Attendant
A 16 ounce (grande) normal drip coffee at Starbucks is $2.75. A 14 ounce (medium) normal drip coffee at Dunkin' Donuts is $2.50. Unless you're going to McDonalds (which has surprisingly decent coffee imo) not sure where you're going that's going to be significantly less expensive than Starbucks.Starbucks is simply a way to separate people with too much money from some of that money.
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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The separation does not happen through normal drip coffee but through the other fancier stuff I think.
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Hey, what about that Turkish coffee? I hate both the smell and taste of coffee, but tried Turkish coffee once and found it acceptable.
Danib62
Service Attendant
Turkish coffee is great and the best part is it requires very little specialized equipment to make! Maybe that's what Amtrak should switch to...
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It's because so much sugar and cardamom is added that it doesn't taste like coffee.
I enjoy my turkish coffee without any sugar or cream.
Don't love the taste, but the smell is heavenly to me!
Well, you aren't supposed to drink the sludge in Turkish coffee--the grounds stay in the cup. Now, if you want the maximum acid from your coffee grounds, the old fashioned percolator is for you--it sends boiling hot water repeatedly over the grounds, extracting not only the tasty fractions but also the acidic and bitter ones. How percolators ever caught on is a mystery to me...
ABQFloridian
Train Attendant
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Us more health conscious caffeine addicts prefer black coffee with its 5 calories and lack of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. I wouldn't drink Coke no matter how much I craved caffeine.
Hoping there's room for difference of opinion here. I like the Starbucks store experience, I don't like their uniformly burned blends. I don't get what purpose there is in marketing different varieties if they are all going to taste the same. While I don't agree with my ex husband about a lot of things, his description of Starbucks as Charbucks is pretty much on point... when inexpensive grocery brands taste better, there's no reason to buy a bag of Starbucks beans.
Qapla
Engineer
All this talk about Starbucks ... doesn't anyone get coffee from Dunkin?
Here are some beans the coffee drinkers may want to try ...
Here are some beans the coffee drinkers may want to try ...
Danib62
Service Attendant
Dunkin's beans are fine and I'll occasionally buy a pound to brew for myself at home but my issue with them is getting coffee in store: their brewing is very inconsistent and generally not good and they don't let you do your own cream and sugar and their definition of one cream and one sugar is still way too much for my tastes.
Alas, I DO appreciate the taste of a Good well prepared cup of coffee, which Starbuck's ain't. Nor Seattle's Best (radiator drainage), nor McDonalds (ground up pecan shells) nor Dunkin (not sure WHAT that stuff is). After traveling in Hawaii, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Argentina and Nicaragua and all over Italy where coffee is done right, Starbucks' overpriced stuff with the silly named portions brewed up by a madeup named server just doesn't cut it.
No cream, no sugar, please. And no double shot halfcaf decaf skim light extra foam just a whisper of nutmeg, or the rest of that silliness.
But if you fall for that version of cult FlavRAde, then more power to you. I'll save my money for AMTRAK rides.
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