Thread: drinking

Apples? Interesting analogy .
As for coffee in America the ingredients and preparation depend on what kind of coffee you want to drink. Also depends on what part of the country and what ethnic neighborhood you are in. People from all over the world live here and they brought their coffee habits with them.
So there is no such thing as "American" coffee. If you don't like a cup of coffee at one cafe, go to another. In Los Angeles we have the choice of French, Armenian, Turkish, Greek, South American, Cuban, Mexican, Russian, German, etc, all on the same street! The people who brew these coffees are doing it exactly as they did in their home country and they are 100% American. So which type of coffee do you want to know about?

Forgive me, Joysof, as I am still new around here.
Part of me has to agree with JB. I live in LA too, and he's tellin the truth. Though, I really can't stand the taste of coffee period, so my opinion may not be very valid at this point. I shall sit back, remain quiet, and let you guys duke it out. May the best man come to his senses and realize how ridiculous this debate is...

American coffee can still be found in every cafe in small town America, starting with Stans Dough-nuts in Westwood, California, to Cape Cod. And especially on route 66. You've just got to get out of those big cities you are in, they are only a fraction of America. There are still plenty of places that serve their coffee to you whether you want it or not and have the waitress come around every 3 minutes with a pot, to keep your cup full. Yep, still places left where the waitress will probably have a half smoked cigarette hanging out of her mouth as she pours your coffee, too!! You gotta love that American custom of the bottomless cup of coffee. Maybe they don't drink their coffee very strong in America, but they sure do drink a lot of it. From 5 in the morning untill they go to bed at night. Burn in hell Starbucks!

best French coffee in Los Angeles can be found in Westwood, little French bakery near UCLA (fresh, dark, strong coffee with cream)

P.S. Tiara, я она .

Извините, JB. You know, I think I knew that. I don't know why I wrote that.
I still don't like coffee though. But are you talking about the Champaigne Bakery?

JB, just don't go telling us that French coffee brewed in LA tastes the same as in France. Tasted both myself. Nothing in common.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

JB, just don't go telling us that French coffee brewed in LA tastes the same as in France. Tasted both myself. Nothing in common.

Interesting point. If this French cafe JB is talking about is anything like the other cafes in Westwood, I can only assume that their coffee is not the same as real Fench coffee. When the first of the coffee shops opened up in Westwood I was excited thinking that I would then finally be able to get a capuccino. Not so! They don't know how to make one. Oh, they will swear that they make them but what they think is a capuccino is not worth drinking. I think I may have actually had a good one in New York once but that's it. I don't even ask for them anymore.
But to be fair to the lovely cowgirl, I don't know of this French Cafe..........But I do know that you can get a good shot of Makers Mark Whisky at The Hamlet Gardens.

Originally Posted by DDT

But I do know that you can get a good shot of Makers Mark Whisky at The Hamlet Gardens.

Well, I wouldn't know anything about that - I've been teatotal all my life. Let the alc... erm... experts decide.

Can't remember the name of the bakery, it is on the corner of Gayley Ave at the entrance to UCLA parking lot 32.
Does the coffee taste the same as in France? I haven't been to France but the family that owns the cafe (and prepares all the food) is from France and claims their food is the same as in France.
DDT, you had coffee in ALL the cafes and resturants in Westwood? Wow! That must have taken you a long time! I gather you were a student at UCLA?

Originally Posted by JB

Apples? Interesting analogy .
As for coffee in America the ingredients and preparation depend on what kind of coffee you want to drink. Also depends on what part of the country and what ethnic neighborhood you are in. People from all over the world live here and they brought their coffee habits with them.
So there is no such thing as "American" coffee. If you don't like a cup of coffee at one cafe, go to another. In Los Angeles we have the choice of French, Armenian, Turkish, Greek, South American, Cuban, Mexican, Russian, German, etc, all on the same street! The people who brew these coffees are doing it exactly as they did in their home country and they are 100% American. So which type of coffee do you want to know about?

There is just one "coffee" that is 100% American. And this is what I've been talking about. This is the liquid that you consume at home, usually at breakfast. Or it is what you grab on your way to work. The liquid that is served at "OK" restaurants at lunch time has about the same quality. So, would you describe what it takes to "make" that liquid?

No JB, I did not even realise that UCLA was in Westwood when I first lived there. It began to dawn on me, what kind of neighorhood I had moved into, about the time people would stand on their balconies at midnight (every night) and howl at the moon. And yes I had coffee everywhere there. I was well known there by locals.

Sorry to disappoint you bad manners, but there is not "just one" coffee or type of coffee served in American homes. If you didn't like the coffee you were served you should have driven to one of the many coffee specialty stands or cafes and bought what you wanted. Or you could have gone to the local department store or gourmet cooking store and bought the machine that would brew what you wanted and make the coffee yourself. Don't know where to find your favorite ingredients? Get on the phone (or web) and look up thousands of stores where you can buy exactly what you want. No stores in your area? Buy online and have it sent to you next day express.

JB, are you unable to read? I am not talking coffee stands or cafes (I might, but that would be a digression). I am not talking about gourmet stores either. I am talking about what Joe Six Pack consumes from a pint mug.

Hint: real coffee is consumed from small cups, about the size of vodka shot glasses. Tell us how many American homes have these cups. Have you ever owned one?

For some reason you seem quite determined to convince people that everyone in the US consumes some sort of national coffee that we all seem to know the receipe for. I have no idea who you are referring to as "Joe Six Pack". (Of course I probably don't associate with the same type of people that you do and this is a reference to one of your crowd)
And since you don't seem to know the correct name of those coffee cups "about the size of vodka shot glasses" I won't make any guesses as to what you mean.
My home coffee brewing equipment includes a Krups coffee grinder, a Bodum French Coffee Press, a Turkish Coffee Cezve, and various sizes and shapes of cups including DEMITASSE cups. My friends and associates also have the same and many have espresso and cappucino machines.

Originally Posted by JB

My home coffee brewing equipment includes a Krups coffee grinder, a Bodum French Coffee Press, a Turkish Coffee Cezve, and various sizes and shapes of cups including DEMITASSE cups. My friends and associates also have the same and many have espresso and cappucino machines.

Don't ever mention that to a Russian, they'll simply die laughing at you. It's not just bare necessities, you've got basicaly nothing that can be used to brew COFFEE. With such a narrow selection of utensils that are available to the average American coffee fan it's no surprise that you can't brew jack sh*t. Russians who really care about the quality of their coffee use a much wider selection of cooking utensils and kitchen gizmos.

A half gallon demitasse?

Do you also have a large box of sand with your cezve? Or is it electrically operated?

Give me a break.

Summing up:
we have established that Americans don't drink proper coffee. Also, JB is probably doing this now: . And we're doing this:

As far as I know true coffee fans don't acknowledge instant coffee. I'm not sure that I heard of it but I think the same refers to various coffee drinks (кофейные напитки) that were quite common in Soviet shops (at least during a certain period). And instant coffee is consumed all over the world so I don't see why Americans should be accused of consuming “improper coffee” more than others. Sorry, friends, but my impression is that it's just another attempt to "show" that "simple-minded Americans" are inferior to “refined and complicated Europeans”.
Btw, those who were acquainted with “Essential English” by C.E. Eckersley could have come to a conclusion that foreigners dislike English coffee .
As for demitasse, it can't be half gallon by definition:
http://www.bartleby.com/61/28/D0122800.html

Friendy, I realise that few people in this world drink real coffee. In my book, both the Russians and the Americans rate low. The Russians rate low because of the instant coffee. The Americans rate low because of their half gallon "demitasses". The nations that rate high are the Greeks and the Turks.

P.S. I am not biased, I drink almost no coffee myself.

Friendly, ignore these 2 who think they are "experts" on coffee.
I am very happy that the coffee culture in Russia is quickly catching up to the American obsession with coffee. In Moscow I find a wonderful assortment of coffee and brewing equipment in the stores. Here are just 2 of many websites that give a lot of info on coffee in Russia......
www.coffeenews.ru and www.coffeetea.ru

And there are now so many coffee cafes! Coffee Bean (also very popular in America), Кофе Хауз, Мока Лока, Шоколадница, and many more.
So people who want good coffee can have it in both America and Russia.