A chicken or the egg dilemma

[Justin_Boyle]

Making the coffee or drinking it?  It occured to me the other day that I enjoy making the coffee just as much as I like drinking it.  I will fire up the coffee machine for someone else and happily make them a coffee even though I dont want one.  If I had to decide whether I like making it or drinking it more I dont know that I could choose.  What is everyone elses thoughts?

JB

[cksyd]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

You are spot on.

Making it is part of the overall experience IMO.

Had visitors from Brisvegas the other night and was more than happy to make them a coffee while I sucked on a beer. 8-)

I cant choose either Justin. Its all good. 8-)

[Lozzo]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

I am the same.
I look forward to people coming over so i can make coffee.
We have visitors staying for the weekend, can`t wait to make some coffee for them.
The journey to the cup is what it`s all about, getting there is just as good as being there.

[beanflying]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

Compare Instunt Coffee, Teabags & Fast food to the time and care taken with a Home Roasted Coffee, Brewed Tea or a home cooked food.

Apart from the obvious flavour improvements it is as much for me allowing myself the time to do it and the satisfaction of arriving at the result and then finally the drinking or eating. 8-)

[bolb]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

Both but making it gives you that much more satisfaction.
Add roasting to the mix and its satisfaction overload

[Koffee_Kosmo]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

I also like both
The routine of making & the routine of drinking it

However they do differ
The making of is akin to an athlete in training always looking at an end goal of perfection

The drinking of is the pleasure you have gained from all that practice

The drinking routine is also a sensory mood of the time & day
e.g. enjoy a coffee while reading the paper or with a meal

All is good with me
I just like great coffee. It matters not if I am just making or making & drinking

KK

[Justin_Boyle]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

On the weekends when I am at family or freinds houses I just cant wait to get home for a coffee. I dont believe it is for the hit because in kalamunda where I usually am on the weekends there is some pretty good choices for good coffee. I just want to get home and make my own!!! Might be the same reason I dont steam and brew on my HX machine. I just love watching the coffee pour. Also helps to keep tabs on my grind/dose/tamp process.

Justin

[bolb]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

I dont believe it is for the hit

I would agree, do many people actually notice the caffeine in their coffee? I dont. At the start of the year i went on a diet to drop a few KGs which involved no caffeine and removing standard Carbs etc.
Yes i had a headache after 20hrs or so and i was told this would be due to the caffeine withdrawl as well as the natural detox process of the body, after loosing said KGs i reintroduced caffeine but not as much.

During the day at work i have decaf and at night at home i have my roasts as the variety is 100% I never have trouble sleeping and when i have the first full caffeine coffee at 7:00pm i dont notice a thing. This is one of the reasons i can truely say that i drink coffee for the pleasure and not any "hit", having such a diverse range of beans to choose from in the bay and from my roaster is just fantastic and i havent even started blending yet.

I just like great coffee. It matters not if I am just making or making & drinking

I think this is the essence of what we do.

[Intellidepth]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

When you start considering it as a possible job for the love of it... well, for a year, and Id want to be with a roastery so I can stick my nose in and learn a heap :

How converted am I?

I do enjoy making good coffee and seeing people enjoy it. Dunno if Im ready for the *venting* side of the job though.

[Rocky]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

Ha! fascinating to hear others say what has been running through my mind. A couple of observers have commented that they are a bit gobsmacked by the amount of work involved from when I fill the tank, switch on, & layout all the gear to when the last spoon & steaming jug is polished and placed back on the trolley. (about 30mins) For most it is simply an astounding amount of mucking around to get a cup of coffee. Interestingly enough, the person who most enjoyed the coffee also saw nothing negative in the routine. He understood implicitly that I enjoy the ritual as much as the result. People are fascinated by the milk steaming - it really gets their attention - they hang over the machine to see how you get the bubbles. (a bit of showmanship helps)

[bolb]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

Intellidepth, i couldnt agree more.
If i had more money than i could poke a stick at i would go and try and work at a roastery for the pure learning process alone, it is something so vastly different to I.T. and its a hobby as well.

Cant say i would work in a cafe as i would struggle being nice to people who dont deserve it but then i am not in a pure service industry and have some helpdesk people who take care of that for me .

[johnraf]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

I agree with Rocky... Ive just had the neighbour over for a shot & to check out my shiny new toys.
After scoffing at me standing there with the bathroom scales (im new at this) and the timer and all the other bits & pieces, once he sat back and took a slurp I was chuffed by the look on his face. I then asked "would you pay for something like that?" "oh sh*t yeah" was the reply.... So I asked for a fiver and told him to go home... ;D ;D

I love that feeling...And I cant wait til I pick up the greens and then show him how I will roast

Chuffed

[tashie]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

Well I reckon its a good thing that most of us like both

I really like the ritual of making a coffee - find it very therapeutic.

[Justin_Boyle]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

I have also had the same comments from people that you have rusty. They all seem to flock to the kitchen when Im steaming and pouring the milk. A lot of people just cant understand that you dont need to go to a cafe to enjoy a good coffee. A lot of people also dont understand why I would put so much time into it just for a hot drink. Its the whole fresh food vs packaged dilemma.

[Javaphile]

Re: A chicken or the egg dilemma

When you start considering it as a possible job for the love of it... well, for a year, and Id want to be with a roastery so I can stick my nose in and learn a heap :

How converted am I?

I do enjoy making good coffee and seeing people enjoy it. Dunno if Im ready for the *venting* side of the job though.

I love watching people at the Post Office when I go to mail off some freshly roasted beans. Even heat sealed into one-way valve bags theres enough venting that the smell quickly makes its way to all corners of the room. You can literally watch the smell waft through the room as one person after anothers nostrils flare and heads turn looking around to see where that wonderful smell is coming from.


Java "Loves to vent" phile