Coffee. It’s a beverage which I loathe with a perfect loathing.
Since I’ve heard that your taste buds change every 7-10 years, every decade or so, I take another sip to see if my buds have changed their minds.
They haven’t.
So why am I writing about coffee if I don’t even like it?
It’s because my house happens to be inhabited by two coffee-loving, coffee-lauding, coffee drinkers. In fact, Sarah has begun to move beyond a mere coffee lover to a dedicated coffee aficionado.
Case in point.
She recently ordered a coffee-making thingie that doesn’t use any electricity; you just pour hot (not boiling) water over the grounds. The gizmo is called a Pour-Over. Catchy name, isn’t it?
She even got this nifty, airtight container in which to store her freshly ground coffee. (She doesn’t yet own a coffee grinder but had this batch ground at a grocery store.)
You might wonder what the benefits are of this particular coffee-making technique. Well, I asked the expert and she said it allows you to control the variables more, i.e., the temperature of the water, the amount of grounds, the speed with which you pour the water over, etc. The best feature is that in a power outage, you don’t need electricity to have coffee. (As long as you have a way of heating water.)
You can tell Sarah is impressed with the process and the results!
Of course, if you are going to make coffee, you must have some mugs to put it in. So here are a few mug shots from the Smith house.
One of our absolute favorites is this pottery mug.
Steve’s parents gave us some of these these years ago and we have treasured them.
Sometimes when I am in a thrift store, I will take a quick look for any mugs for similar to his–pottery-made and hand signed. So nice to drink my herbal tea out of a work of art.
This is our most “expensive” mug. Steve always says it cost us tens of thousands of dollars.
Sarah gave this one to Steve since he likes Spiderman.
This one (a gift from Nathan and Meagan) is really boring when you first look at it because it’s just black. But when you put water into it, a plane magically appears.
This is our absolute favorite.
Steve’s mom found it at a thrift store several years ago and recently passed it on to us since we admired it so much.
You just can’t help smiling when you are drinking a hot beverage out of a mug with a proboscis.
To be honest, the only time I ever wish I were a coffee drinker is when planning a get together with a friend. It would be so much easier to say,”Do you want to meet for coffee?” instead of saying, “Do you want to meet for the imbibing of some sort of non-coffee-ish miscellaneous beverage?”
I guess I could always say, “Do you want to meet for coffee” and then when the meeting time finally came, I could come clean and confess to my “coffee mate” that I am actually a coffee NON-aficionado.
Because really, people. Coffee tastes terrible. Really and truly terrible. Not to mention bitter. It tastes to me like dirt would taste, if I were to ever sample a spoonful of it.
So I will let my daughter and my husband and all of their coffee-loving compatriots enjoy their mysterious coffee-brewing, coffee-imbibing traditions. I will content myself with counting down the next ten years until it’s time to try one more sip of the nasty brew.
Come to think of it, that once-a-decade sip might actually be halfway tolerable if I were to drink it out of the mug with the proboscis. At least that way I can be smiling while I grimace.
What about you? Are you a coffee lover?
Do you have some techniques you can share for making the best cup of coffee? (Because even though I don’t drink it, I DO serve it to guests.)
What is your favorite thing about coffee? Do you have a special or sentimental mug?
How old were you when you first started drinking coffee? Did you like it right away, or did you have to get used to it?
Oh how I wish I liked to drink coffee. I love the smell of coffee of coffee but cannot stand the taste of it either. I’ve tried many times over the years but…No can do it! haha! Sarah’s little coffee maker pour over is sure a cute little thing.
Wendy,
Maybe in another 7-10 years, we will BOTH like the taste. It could happen! 🙂
Sarah looks adorable!
Yep, another coffee drinker here. Have been drinking it since I was a child. I would have it at breakfast to dunk my toast in. Both of my parents and a lot of relatives were coffee drinkers.
I have never been to Starbucks and don’t plan on trying it. I use a Keurig with a filter that I put my own Folgers coffee in. The K-cups seem too strong. If my coffee gets cold while I am busy doing something else, I still drink it, lol, but I have never had iced coffee and don’t plan on trying it. I use sugar and coffeemate creamer. My husband does not like coffee! Favorite cup is from Kohl’s and has flamingos on it. I like flamingos and it is just the right size.
Kari,
I didn’t know you could put your own coffee in a Keurig. That would save a bunch of money and, as you said, gives you the chance to make the coffee to your liking. I will have to remember that tip for my Keurig-owning friends!
And a flamingo-festooned coffee cup sounds festive! 🙂
I don’t mind coffee but only if it’s got a whole lot of milk and a bit of sugar. Black coffee makes me shudder.
My husband loves coffee so much that he named his former computer programming business Will Code For Coffee. He is a coffee nut (or should I say coffee bean?!)
Our kids love frozen coffee. It will literally be minus 35 in January and they will still want frozen coffee.
When I invite friends over I usually ask them
“Over for tea.” I’m big on tea. I have a fancy china tea pot Eric bought me years ago when we were dating and fancy cups that I got from my grandmothers as well as garage sales etc. Whenever a friend comes over I pull out my fancy dishes to serve her— I want to use my dishes and not just admire them from afar. However once a friend was carrying my most special cup from my grandma and dropped it on the floor. I didn’t tell her it was special so she would not feel worse than she did. But after she left I sobbed. Then Eric went online and surprised me by buying a little set of the exact cup as well as creamer and sugar.
Jenna,
There are just so many things to love about your comment. Will Code for Coffee made me smile.
And frozen coffee? That’s a new one by e!
I love that you use your special dishes for everyday occasions. We ALL need to do that more.
And then for Eric to replace the special cup, PLUS more pieces? That is true, sweet love.
I love to smell coffee, but dislike the taste. I wish it tasted like it smells! I take after my dad in this – my mom and husband love coffee.
Angela,
I feel exactly the same way about the smell and taste. I think it smells amazing which is puzzling because it tastes so bad!
Smooth, black coffee for me. Favorite brand:Maxwell House or Kroger.
Janet,
It’s great that your favorite brands are not expensive or fancy! That means you get more coffee enjoyment for less money! 🙂
I love coffee! Well, actually, it’s not really the COFFEE that I love. A stranger in a convenience store said it best, “Coffee is just a vehicle for cream and sugar!” What I REALLY wanted to say though, is that Sarah is the cutest little coffee barista I ever saw. 🙂
Jenny Jo,
I have to agree about Sarah. She looks especially glow-y in those pictures. Maybe it’s the caffeine! 🙂
And I LOVE the saying from the stranger in the convenience store. Too funny.
I have yet to acquire a taste for coffee, but I really enjoy the aroma (too bad it doesn’t taste as good as it smells). I remember my parents and grandparents drinking it (all different ways, black, cream,sugar, both etc.) and I would sometimes try a sip, but never liked it. We keep a few mugs around for tea or hot cocoa and we keep a mini coffee maker for my in-laws. Hope Meghan and baby Smithlette are doling well.
Sue Ellen,
Yes, every household needs at least a few mugs for the imbibing of hot beverages, whether coffee or not. Sounds like you’ve had lots of opportunity to at least SMELL coffee over the years, which is actually the best part of it.
Meagan is doing well; she will be 37 weeks this Saturday so she could go any time!
I do like my coffee – regular in the a.m. and decaf after that (can’t sleep). It was about 5 years ago in Branson that one of the shows had a coffee shop and had samples of cappachino and frappachino (sp). Had never used sugar in my coffee, just cream (now only black), and so I didn’t want to try any of those. Was very surprised that I liked both. My daughter is like you, can’t even stand the smell of coffee. My parents both drank coffee – even with their pizza – heaven forbid!! 🙂
Sharyn,
Coffee with pizza? Sounds just a little bit horrible! Pizza needs a fizzy soft drink.
Sounds like you are a definite coffee lover from way back. Glad you enjoy it so much; wish I did! 🙂
I am not a coffee drinker although both my parents and my younger brother are. I do have a Keurig but I use it to make hot tea that I then pour over ice for iced tea. It does get used for coffee at holidays. I do have some favorite mugs though – one a former coworker gave me says “Retired Since 2018”. Another coworker got me a mug that says “I’m silently correcting your grammar”.
My mom and dad both have one mug that they will drink from. It gets washed every day. My dad’s is one I got free in Hawaii and has something Pearl Harbor related I think. My mom’s – I think hers has her name on it.
Like you, there are times I wished I drank coffee. I haven’t tried it in a long time, maybe I should.;
Phyllis,
That’s a great idea to use a Keurig to make a quick serving iced tea. (Even though I don’t even like iced tea.) But it would be great for someone who did!
I LOVE the “grammar” mug. I think I may need one. 🙂
You retired in June, right?
YES I love it!! I drink it all day long!!
Cindy,
I love your enthusiasm! 🙂
Cute mugs you guys have there! People do love their coffee. I am not one of them. I like the smell but not the taste, never have. Coffee ice cream is just as bad lol. I’ve never even been in a Starbucks. Do they sell other beverages besides those containing coffee? Inquiring minds…
Lesley,
I think coffee smells great, too. How could something that smells that good be that bad?
Yes, Starbucks does carry other things; at least I know I got a hot chocolate there once a long time ago.
No, i can not stand coffee. Not even the smell. I love tea of all kinds. And soft drinks of all kids. Coke to you in the south…
Sharon,
Yes, one thing I learned when I moved south was that there all sorts of different names for soft drinks. In Wisconsin, we called them pop!
Hello! I am a fellow coffee hater! I do not like the smell of it. I do not like the taste of it. I do not like the look of it. I do not like it here. I do not like it there. I do not like it anywhere!
I like hot chocolate and hot apple cider in the winter. Other than that, I like my drinks cool. =)
Krista,
A “Sam I Am” comment. Love it!
I guess my taste buds have changed in the opposite direction, I used to LOVE coffee, I started drinking it in college when I had early morning classes, I used to load it up with milk and sugar and found I was gaining weight so I watched to black (talk about an acquired taste)….when my kids were young, I would make a pot and drink it all day long…then I found I had trouble sleeping, so I switched to decaf…but now, about 10 years later, I find I can’t drink it anymore….I’ve developed an aversion to the taste!!! My husband got me a Keurig a few years ago, so I will make one cup, maybe once a week!
Dale,
I’ve never heard of someone’s taste buds changing in the opposite direction. How interesting!
Sounds like you might have had so much of it in years past you just sort of overdosed on it. Glad I’m not the only one!
I adore coffee. I am happy to see that Sarah has developed into a coffee girl too, which seems like a newer development? I thought she was into tea.
Anyway, I know how to make coffee for myself, but making it for others can be a perilous business. Everybody has a preference on strength, roast, flavor–the list goes on. I just pour and pray. ?
As to how I started with coffee, I started taking sips from dad’s cup as a kid and have loved it ever since! I will drink it on the hottest summer days because it’s a comfort thing to me. Makes me happy. ?
Love your mugs! A pretty or interesting mug is a definite component of a good cup of coffee–all part of the experience!
I will come meet you for coffee anytime! “Coffee” is just a code word for fun and fellowship. ♥️☕
Tell Steve I’m going to come and clean his coffee maker.
Love, deb
Deb, is that a threat?
Yes. And don’t you fergit it‼️
Deb,
Now, now . . . just calm yourself down. 🙂
Ooooo. I’m skeerd!!!?
Deb,
You’re right. Sarah DID used to be more into tea, which she still likes. But this year, she has grown more fascinated with all the many, many different aspects of coffee-making. Whoever knew it all could be so complex?
You’re right about making coffee for others being sort of perilous. Everyone has their own opinion on how coffee should taste. I have actually never made a pot in my life so I have only witnessed the periol second hand. 🙂
I’ll put a pot on if you’d like to meander on down.
Oh YES I love coffee! I think I must have been newly married before I got into drinking coffee. I drink the decaf stuff since caffeine and I don’t get along. My favorite coffee fix is a mix of a medium roast with a hazelnut flavored coffee. Then I add a tiny bit of sweetener and some french vanilla creamer. Yum!! Of course, if I’m roughing it and don’t have the add-ins, I’ll drink it black. 🙂
I have a couple of favorite mugs….one says ‘I wish this was beer’ that I use on Fridays. LOL The other is one that I got as a gift that has all of my grand kids’ pictures on it that I use at work. I can’t help but smile when I see those precious little faces looking back at me!!
The mug with the nose is hilarious! Love it!!
LeeAnne,
Your idea of mixing two kinds of coffee sounds great; I’ll have to suggest that to Steve next time we have guests for. It would be a unique twist people wouldn’t be expecting.
And a coffee mug with grandbabies on it? Sign me up!
I am not a coffee drinker either. Like the smell but not the taste. Jim drinks coffee and we have several mugs. I drink hot chocolate. Enjoy that out of my snowman and Santa mugs.
Ann,
I’m with you on the hot chocolate. Love it.
At least you can enjoy the smell of coffee while Jim is enjoying the taste. I always knew you made a great couple! 🙂
It’s a developed taste.
Steve,
Well, it has yet to develop in your wife!
don’t remember when I started drinking coffee.
Now I make 2 cups in the morning, drink one and put the other in the refrig for a late afternoon Ice Coffee break.
I used to collect mugs to coordinate with my teaching themes…. must have had more than 100. when I moved, I brought about 10, and discovered that only one Christmas mug made it. 🙁 fortunately, a good friend gave me two more.
My favorite is a mug with the photos of my three grandkids when they were quite young.
Mrs. Pam,
Sarah loves iced coffee too. That’s a good idea to make it all in the morning.
Wow. Going from a hundred mugs to one mug must have been quite traumatic. Coffee mugs would be a fun thing to collect because there is such a variety and they are not that expensive. I hope you got a photo of your mugs before you got rid of them!
Your blue brown mug is from a potter named Clyde Gobble. He was in Lexington, in fact his studio was Bob Timberlake’s old studio. He was my favorite potter but passed away several years ago. I lucked up & found one piece on eBay but nothing since.
Robin,
Aha. Now that you mention it, I do remember Steve’s Mom mentioning a first name of Clyde. Nice to meet someone else who is a fan of his! I’ve looked at some of his pieces online and he has done such a variety of beautiful work. I absolutely love it.
I’ll keep up my hopes that I might run across something of his in a thrift store some day. It could happen!
i dont drink coffee OR tea. But, I will always get together with those friends that do to enjoy fellowship and a glass of water, cocoa, juice, lemonade or soft drink.
Janet,
You’re so right–it’s all about the “getting together” part, not just the coffee part. And fortunately, we have so many options to choose from in the beverage department! Delete coffee and iced tea from the list and I love ’em all!