Maxwell House Does the Job

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bearwolf56

Might Stick Around
Mar 16, 2013
61
239
67
Burlington, North Carolina
About a month ago I found my old coffee grinder in the closet from back when I had an expresso maker. I got some whole bean coffee and started drinking fresh ground coffee in the mornings. It was good but I started thinking was it really worth the fuss. With the time to grind, cleaning up the mess (no matter how careful or hard I tried coffee grounds got everywhere). Also seeing I was just after the caffeine and something to go with my pipe, was it worth it?

When it came time to get coffee again, I decided to just get a can of original blend Maxwell House. I drink my coffee black and to my surprise it was smooth, a little nutty and a little sweet. Actually, it was good. It was also easier since I didn't have to grind it and didn't mess up the counter. So, for me Maxwell House is just like OTC brands of tobacco. They might not be as adventurous. or have exotic nuanced flavors, they do the job and provide the nicotine and aren't really all that bad. Also, much cheaper.

Will I get whole bean again? Sure, just like I get other blends of tobacco than my standby Carter Hall and Half and Half. I just won't drink it all the time.
 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
I like fine tobacco but I could care less about my coffee. I don’t have it every day and I don’t consider myself knowledgeable when it comes to coffee. I’ve tried a lot the fancy stuff out there but I tend to just stick with a generic brand that my grocery store produces. Any cup of coffee will do when I’m smoking good tobacco.
 
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bearwolf56

Might Stick Around
Mar 16, 2013
61
239
67
Burlington, North Carolina
I drink one cup of coffee per day. I enjoy it with the best bowl of tobacco each day, the first one. I grind my own beans and use A French Press. There is a difference between this and Maxwell House. At least to me. It's worth the extra effort, which isn't much.
I understand where you're coming from. I usually have two to three cups in the morning. Although I also appreciate good coffee, my main goal in the morning is to get the caffeine and nicotine into my system as quickly as possible and without much effort. That's why I start my day with a no fuss blend of tobacco and regular cup of coffee. If I was just having one bowl and one cup in the morning, I would probably grind my own coffee and start with a more nuanced flavor tobacco.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Yeah, the good old brands do just fine -- Maxwell House, Folgers, Eight 'O Clock.

Chuck Full O' Nuts is a good brand too, with no nuts at all. There's some explanation for that, but I don't remember what.
 
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HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
5,580
40,851
Iowa
Chemex guy here! A good pourover every weekday morning, sometimes two on the weekend. In-laws were here a few years ago and the wife's mom loved the coffee I made for her, her dad asked if we had any Folgers!
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,337
After years of 7-11 and truckstop coffee on the graveyard shift, I've had my fill of crappy coffee and won't ever go back.
I've had the opposite experience. After four years of coffee house blends during college, truckstop coffee was a revelation. The coffee house offerings were like drinking flavorless air in comparison.
 

Misanthrope

Can't Leave
Apr 26, 2020
367
1,126
Texas
I don’t begrudge people their fancy coffee made with fancy tools and whatnot.

I’m happy with my bags of ground Community dark roast and drip coffee pot. It gets turned into pee within a couple hours, and while you can make an amazing cup faffing around with grinders and French presses and all that, I don’t feel like putting *that* much effort into my next pee.
 
Jul 26, 2021
2,176
8,942
Metro-Detroit
I have to be the dissenting opinion. Every morning starts with 2 - 4 fresh ground Americanos with my Breville grinder and espresso machine, made with local boutique medium/dark roasted beans. After years of 7-11 and truckstop coffee on the graveyard shift, I've had my fill of crappy coffee and won't ever go back.
I went to graduate school with a guy who commuted 1.2 hours one way, 3-4 days a week. He was older and going back to school for a career change.

I helped him out by arranging a room in my fraternity house at a discounted rate. The brothers were respectful and he was appreciative. Oddly, he found himself switching from craft beer to macro swill during his stay.

Experience changes us all. I'm happy with cheap coffee. If any coffee taste matched the smell early on a cold morning, I'd probably drink more than a pot a day.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,576
66
Sarasota, FL
My French press probably takes 10-15 minutes including waiting for it to finish steeping, which is time I can spend doing other things. I don’t spend more than 2-3 minutes actually making it. 👍
French Press. 2 minutes to heat water, 4 minutes to steep then 1 minute to clean. 7 minutes total. Grind beans while water is heating. French press costs $25 or less. Grinder, less than $100. Worth it.