Pop? Soda?

[RegistrationMark]

That stuff inside cola cans is called pop here in Minnesota. I saw an interesting geographical map of the US, detailing who uses "pop" or "soda" in their dialect.
Texans call it Coke, even if it's Sprite they're offering you.
So what do YOU call it?
Mark

 

[Stella740pl]

Mike, you are as particular about your tea as my husband, and even more so his father, about their coffee.

I am OK with pre-ground beans (meaning, I don't have to grind them, they are ground before I buy them) brewed in a drip coffee maker.

My husband has to grind them himself in an electric grinder, then makes it in a special dish on the stove. He taught me to appreciate good coffee - and good tea, too. (But he doesn't mind that stainless steel pot any more after we tried it.)

His father tastes beans for that perfect roast when selects his coffee (if it is not prepacked, of course; if it is, he sticks to the tested brands); grinds them in a manual grinder, then also makes coffee on the stove.

Some friends and relatives, when come visiting, often don't understand. It goes something to this effect:
- Would you like some tea or coffee? We have some nice <whatever> with it.
- Oh, coffee, please.
- OK, I will go make some.
- Ha? What's there to make? Do you have instant coffee?

Well, now we do.

 

[gbaughma]

I often grind my own beans and use a drip coffee maker at home.

However, the very *BEST* coffee is that which I have in my RV when camping. I have a stainless steel percolator that goes on the stove.

And I figured out exactly why it's a superior cup of coffee, if anyone cares.

A drip coffee maker runs the water through once. In order to get a "strong" enough pot, you use more grind. Well, coffee beans have oils in them. When you use more coffee, and you're only passing the water through once, you're essentially rinsing the oil off the beans into the pot.

Now, my percolator, on the other hand, uses less coffee, and since the water is recirculated across the grind (at a much higher temperature as well), the grind is actually cooked; it takes less grind, so there's less oil (and less tartness) and the TRUE flavor of the coffee is brought out. It's not bitter in the least, the aroma is wonderful, and there is just honestly no comparison.

If you haven't tried an honest-to-goodness "perked" pot of coffee, I highly recommend it.

Speaking of coffee.... my friend Bob told me how to make Cowboy Coffee. (THIS IS A JOKE, DON'T DO IT!... well, I don't care if you do it or not...)

Take equal parts of water and coffee and put it in a pot. Toss in a horseshoe. Boil until the horseshoe floats.
The horseshoe doesn't have to be clean... take one right off the horse. Gives that extra flavor.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[Stella001]

your cowboy coffee sounds like the coffee I had while in the Army. Thick as mud, The cream and sugar would literally sit on top of the coffee until you attempted to stir it. It did wake you up though I'll give it that.