Preflight Coffee for Established Gentlemen Aviators

[Stephen]

Or... "What is your cold start technique" 

With an abundance of time spent at home I have, among other things, tuned up my coffee routine.

I brew a mocha pot or two of espresso once or twice a week. I then pour the espresso into these used maple syrup flasks. Let it sit overnight in the fridge and it smooths out (just like tea). The sediment precipitates out and adheres to the bottom. In the morning, just add the amount indicated in the photo into your cup, and microwave for 50 seconds if cold (YMMV on you watts). While the cup is heating, If I want a latte or cappuccino, I run the frother. If I want to go basic, I add hot water from the teapot for an Americano. I have everyone hooked on it at our household because you can have a very high quality espresso-based  drink in about 90 seconds from (forgive the pun) a cold start. 

 

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[Nick Pilotte]

I have a regular drip machine on a timer.  I add fresh grounds the night before and water. That way I can wake up and get my Joe before anyone else gets near me.  I used to have one of those Bialettis but I think it disappeared when my non coffee drinking spouse and I moved in together.  Now she drinks coffee and I want another mocha pot.  Or a fully automatic espresso machine like my neighbor has.  During the summer I make cold brew and fill my big Yeti cup with it.  I’ve been toying with the idea of adding nitro cold brew because I already have a kegerator and it would be very simple.  I do try to limit my intake before flying or we start the departure roll and have to abort for a biological emergency.  

[Stephen]

2 minutes ago, Nick Pilotte said:

I have a regular drip machine on a timer.  I add fresh grounds the night before and water. That way I can wake up and get my Joe before anyone else gets near me.  I used to have one of those Bialettis but I think it disappeared when my non coffee drinking spouse and I moved in together.  Now she drinks coffee and I want another mocha pot.  Or a fully automatic espresso machine like my neighbor has.  During the summer I make cold brew and fill my big Yeti cup with it.  I’ve been toying with the idea of adding nitro cold brew because I already have a kegerator and it would be very simple.  I do try to limit my intake before flying or we start the departure roll and have to abort for a biological emergency.  

Try the mocha pot >> refrigerator thing. It works really well and the espresso smooths out as the week progresses. Since I pour the espresso at close to boiling temp I used the really thick glass maple syrup containers and have had zero problems with cracking. 

[HIghpockets]

Foregive me. I am a purist. I use a stove top percolator (holds 6 cups). Water is pre-heated to a boil in a separate electric pot. Three level scoops of "Chock Full O' Nuts" (no COI)  medium ground coffee placed in the percolator basket while the water heats. When water is boiling poured into the percolator that has been preheated for 3 seconds on the gas range. Basket is placed within the percolator. Flame on stove (it's a gas range) is immediately brought to "low" and allowed to percolate for 6 minutes. Contents allowed to settle for 10 minutes. Mug with teaspoon of cream is heated in microwave for 15 secs. Pour coffee. Enjoy.

Tedious? Yes. These are desperate times.

[Hank]

I just use light to medium roast 100% Colombian grounds in my Mr. Coffee. Rarely use the timer any more. Three scoops, water to just under the "4" and it all fits into the screw-top Contigo cup.

Used to drink 6 cups in my big Yeti, then cut back to 4, which fit perfectly into a small Yeti. My.new job came with a company-logo Contigo, and the lid closes completely. So now I can take coffee into the Mooney!

We have a fancy Italian whole-bean coffee / espresso thing at work, but I barely know how to run it. The coffee is good, but in such tiny amounts . . . .

Either way, all that goes into the cup is pure, strong coffee!  

Edited April 24, 2020 by Hank

[aviatoreb]

Nespresso.  But off brand pods, many of which are better than the oem pods.

[gsxrpilot]

There is a small independent coffee shop just two blocks from my house, Brew Culture. I like to walk the two blocks in the morning, early, to get a very good coffee. I don't go every morning and do have a routine for making coffee at the house. But when this all started and all the restaurants/bars/etc had to go to take out only. Troy, the owner of Brew Culture was afraid he might have to go out of business. He's only been here a couple of years and so is still paying off the large investment it takes to open such a place. So I promised him that as long as he stayed open, I'd be there every morning. I've been going 7 days a week since Feb, to get my usual quad shot Americano with a dash of cream. And I'll continue as long as this thing lasts or until he's able to fully re-open.

Here at home I grind fresh beans for every cup. The beans are almost always Ethiopian. I use a hand crank burr grinder (that I've modified to drive with a cordless drill). Then the coffee is made in an AeroPress with a stainless steel filter, that I've been using for 16 years. Some of you have seen the whole process at Oshkosh. If you come by the MooneyCaravan tent in the N40, early in the morning, I'll be happy to brew you up a cup. 

I also really like cold brew and have been thinking of trying to make some here at home.

[mike_elliott]

This and These

[MB65E]

French press, whole bean, magic bullet ground. Tea kettle is usually full of water. 
Usually use a nice bean from TJ’s or Kai Hawaiian. Wife of 15 years finally drinks coffee with me. 
Also, recently started drinking this dandelion root blend. Tastes almost exactly like coffee but healthier. 

-Matt
 

[aviatoreb]

19 minutes ago, MB65E said:

French press, whole bean, magic bullet ground. Tea kettle is usually full of water. 
Usually use a nice bean from TJ’s or Kai Hawaiian. Wife of 15 years finally drinks coffee with me. 
Also, recently started drinking this dandelion root blend. Tastes almost exactly like coffee but healthier. 

-Matt
 

I think French press is fake news coffee.

[MB65E]

Used to do pour overs, but the press is easier. 
-Matt

[Oldguy]

Mazzer Super Jolly, DeLonghi Espresso maker, and various beans. Sometime the beans follow me home from Colombia, and sometimes I have someone bring me some if I am running low.

Yes, there actually is a Juan Valdez coffee company in Colombia, and their Volcan beans are some of my favorites.

And a 1/2 kilo of freshly ground Colombian coffee given to the local A&P/IA for Christmas does wonders!

@mike_elliott a Jura is on my retirement furnishings list.

[Nick Pilotte]

16 minutes ago, Oldguy said:

Mazzer Super Jolly, DeLonghi Espresso maker, and various beans. Sometime the beans follow me home from Colombia, and sometimes I have someone bring me some if I am running low.

Yes, there actually is a Juan Valdez coffee company in Colombia, and their Volcan beans are some of my favorites.

And a 1/2 kilo of freshly ground Colombian coffee given to the local A&P/IA for Christmas does wonders!

@mike_elliott a Jura is on my retirement furnishings list.

I totally misread this.  A half kilo of ......Columbian.....given to the local A&P/IA does wonders....... 

I was thinking “do you really have to use that to get your plane back quickly?

[Vno]

Mr. Peet's Major Dickason's Blend. Around 3 TBSP.

Aeropress with stainless filter.

4 min with 190˚ water. (around 6-7 oz)

This is one of the best posts on here.

Brian

[mike_elliott]

2 hours ago, Oldguy said:

Mazzer Super Jolly, DeLonghi Espresso maker, and various beans. Sometime the beans follow me home from Colombia, and sometimes I have someone bring me some if I am running low.

Yes, there actually is a Juan Valdez coffee company in Colombia, and their Volcan beans are some of my favorites.

And a 1/2 kilo of freshly ground Colombian coffee given to the local A&P/IA for Christmas does wonders!

@mike_elliott a Jura is on my retirement furnishings list.

next on my list of toys is my own roaster. Peaberry beans and other delicacies with proper breathing quarantine is almost as delightful as nailing the proper ageing for a gentlemen's Cabernet Sauvignon in your properly controlled cellar (that is my real dream after vinyard acquisition....)

[wcb]

Simple one cup Folgers Classic Roast.  I do not care for Starbucks or Dunkin like so many rave about.  I also do not like Keurig.  That being said I would try that.

[Davidv]

Blue Horse Kona in a french press, shortly accompanied by a large empty gatorade bottle for the gentleman aviator...

[Stephen]

5 hours ago, MB65E said:

French press, whole bean, magic bullet ground. Tea kettle is usually full of water. 
Usually use a nice bean from TJ’s or Kai Hawaiian. Wife of 15 years finally drinks coffee with me. 
Also, recently started drinking this dandelion root blend. Tastes almost exactly like coffee but healthier. 

-Matt
 

re

Don't let anyone tell you you don't have a nice mug!

[BDPetersen]

Mine starts in my roaster. Home roasting is interesting and a never ending quest for knowledge about what the hell your trying to do. Then it ends up in the French press. For all my trouble, I seldom have more than 1 really good mug a day. And it’s never quite as good as a cup in Schiphol, Paris or Osaka. Everyone does it better than we do.

[gsxrpilot]

I never really knew about good coffee until I moved to Australia for a few years. You can not get a better cup of coffee anywhere in the world, than in Melbourne. And the thing I learned, is that like high quality food, and even top shelf liquor and wine, the better the quality, the less you need of it.

[Ross Taylor]

We happen to own a restaurant with a nice espresso machine...and I make cold brew here, too.  So a heavy cream latte or a cold brew with heavy cream is a daily luxury.  At home, we have a plain old drip machine and we use the Seattle's Best #4 in that.

@aviatoreb - tell me more about the better Nespresso pods!  We have a Nespresso Pixie in our camper rig and we're always looking for good pod options for that.

 

[Unit74]

10 hours ago, HIghpockets said:

Foregive me. I am a purist. I use a stove top percolator (holds 6 cups). Water is pre-heated to a boil in a separate electric pot. Three level scoops of "Chock Full O' Nuts" (no COI)  medium ground coffee placed in the percolator basket while the water heats. When water is boiling poured into the percolator that has been preheated for 3 seconds on the gas range. Basket is placed within the percolator. Flame on stove (it's a gas range) is immediately brought to "low" and allowed to percolate for 6 minutes. Contents allowed to settle for 10 minutes. Mug with teaspoon of cream is heated in microwave for 15 secs. Pour coffee. Enjoy.

Tedious? Yes. These are desperate times.

You said you are a purist then go on to tell us your coffee is out of a can. If you mentioned you had a Gene Cafe and buy from Sweet Maria’s, I would have believed you. 

[whiskytango]

You guys are killing me.  My doc told me no caffeine of any kind until my Sudden Hearing Loss in one ear gets resolved (no, I don't see the connection, but he has M.D. after his name, not me).

[Unit74]

1 hour ago, whiskytango said:

You guys are killing me.  My doc told me no caffeine of any kind until my Sudden Hearing Loss in one ear gets resolved (no, I don't see the connection, but he has M.D. after his name, not me).

I’ve been married 20 years. You? 

[carusoam]

I used to roast coffee... 500#s at a time... 

Until, we went with a continuous process... 2,000 pounds per hour...

The place had a grinding floor.... the dust would collect in your hair...

The shower after work... looked like a scene from psycho...

Didn’t know that a dust mask would have been good for my health... 
 

Getting the roaster’s temperatures right took some research... (go engineers, and food scientists!)

Too hot... required a fireman to douse the flames... nobody likes the taste of ashes in their coffee...

Measuring the done-ness or darkness of the roast... was a grind, press, and put the sample under light... and measure the reflected light percentage... with a sensor... go engineers again!

It was A nice way to get a consistent roast...

A coarse grind is better than a fine grind... less solid bits getting into your cup this way... finer grinds cause too much fine particulate...

Stainless screens were all the rage... some people can actually taste the paper in their coffee... I’m not a big fan of brown paper filters...

I’d like to thank my friends at Maxwell House, Sanka, Brim, and Yuban... the General Foods Coffee brands collection...

I still drink the Yuban... available everywhere...

I prefer the espresso... Available at the finest restaurants around the world...

Nespresso is interesting... how do they get that foamy disk that floats to the top?
I drank too much Nespresso...   at the office.  It was an expensive office perk...  (one per day rule or something like that came out...)

 

PP thoughts only not a coffee meister... I made coffee for a team of engineers for a year... saving all kinds of man hours...and money... I have installed an automated industrial coffee maker at Princeton U.  That was an interesting week...   (corporate America meets high end grad students...) lots of spilt hot water, at first... 

Cheers!  Now I have to find that Mooney mug... it’s around here somewhere...

Best regards,

-a-