When I moved to the Hill it was Roasters on the Hill. Then it became Stomping Grounds then Murky Coffee. Now, under Ryan Jensen, it is Peregrine Espresso. And I have sipped coffee, hung out, worked, and mooched wi-fi all along. I have also met friends, made friends, and am bound to run into one or two more over the course of the day. Bloody brilliant!

I have been curious as to how good the new premium Starbucks VIA instant coffee is — and I have not tried it yet — but I think it is a win, according to the gang at What’s Up Below Deck, Starbucks VIA instant coffee taste test. Is it as good as they say?

The VIA claim more or less stands up. In terms of appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, and taste, VIA is pretty close to the Ground Italian Roast and miles different and better than Taster’s Choice. Lots of body, no off-notes and no artificial flavor. We both agreed that sample #2 (the Ground sample) had a slightly richer and more distinctive taste than sample #1 (VIA) but nothing that either of us would have picked up without a side-by-side comparison. I think it’s fair to say that Starbucks has successfully reinvented the instant coffee category and shown what’s possible.

Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Coffee Maker

Not only is it gorgeous and a museum piece, but you can actually buy one!

My Drug Stash Ready for Taking, originally uploaded by Chris Abraham.

Mark bought me a persimmon Nespresso coffee maker which requires coffee pods. Every week or so, I bike over to KaDeWe to pick up some new pods in the sisyphusian task of keeping up with the addiction. I generally pick up an assortment of Vivalto Lang and Ristretto Kurtz pods.

Posted Sep 05, 2002 – 10:13 AM – I just returned from grabbing my my morning coffee. I usually stop at Starbucks for a Venti Americano. I believe its a few shots of espresso and steaming hot water. I drink it black. The obese woman ahead of me exited the store, at 9am, with a Venti Gargantuan Iced White Mocha Chocolate Frapuccino with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

What she was doing was neither drinking nor getting her morning cuppa. She was having dessert for breakfast. Okay, maybe I am not enough of a heathen. Maybe I am not passionate enough ala the Chocolates for Breakfast crowd. But I am! I endorse chocolate croissants and crepes with Nutella. Its just that the same person who would never consider eating chocolate croissants all day long doesn’t hesitate making these sugary caffeinated dessert confections into a daily staple.

I have spent some time living in Europe. I am also a coffee snob. There are a few rules that I would like to suggest for Americans now that the “European Specialty” coffee culture has been accepted whole-heartedly into the American zeitgeist. This is of course an amalgam of my growing-up American culture (thanks Mom) and my experience with French, Dutch, German, Finnish, and even English caffee culture. My mother told me never to drink soda (pop) before lunch. Coke is not a breakfast drink. Water, milk, juice, coffee, and tea are typically breakfast drinks. My mother might make me a breakfast drink like Ovaltine, but in general there would not be a milkshake or a hot fudge sundae sitting on the breakfast table before going to school.

Here’s the lowdown:
The drink that our morning Starbucks friend feasted on suffers from the following nutritional content: The venti Coffee Frapuccino (24 oz) enjoys 405 morning calories, 5 grams of fat, and 3 grams of saturated fat. Well, she might have had an iced venti Caramel Macchiato (24 oz) at 375 calories, 13.5 grams of fat, and 9 grams of staurated fat. At Au Bon Pain, the large Frozen Mocha-Blast (24 oz) has 480 calories. 4 grams of fat, and 3 grams of saturated fat. Bad? Well, the new Starbucks venti Tazoberry and Cream (24 oz) has 750 calories, 34.5 grams of fat, and 22.5 grams of saturated fat. Thats not the highest. Dunkin’ Donuts has the award with the large Vanilla Bean Coolatta (32 oz): 880 calories, 34 grams of fat and 30 grams of saturated fat.

For a comparison (using a half-cup serving), Dreyer’s/Edy’s Dreamery has 260 calories, and 15 grams of fat, Haagen-Dazs has 270 calories and 18 grams of fat, and Ben & Jerry’s World’s Best has 250 calories and 16 grams of fat. Per serving of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, 3 servings per box: 360 calories, 11 grams of fat.

Black coffee has almost zero calories. Its one of the allowed beverages in the American Heart Association Diet. I just found this on the web:

In terms of trying to lose weight, giving up soft drinks instead of coffee is a smart move since soft drinks contain about 150 calories for 12 ounces while the same amount of black coffee (no sugar added) contains practically zero calories. However, coffee calories can easily rise up to 340 calories if we are talking about a “tall” (12-ounce) Caffe Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream. That?s like having a slice of chocolate cake or a cheeseburger in a coffee cup!

Morning coffee in Europe is invariably coffee with milk or coffee with creme. Sure, a cafe au lait, a cafe latte, a cappuccino. Perfect. In the U.S. we have always been a drip coffee sort of bunch. Yes, there is the sort, like me, who likes his coffee black. But some milk and sugar (er, soy and honey) is just fine. It should be enjoyed and be enjoyable.

In the afternoon, the latte is put aside, and the espresso is preferred. Milky coffees are reserved for the morning, with breakfast. I wish you luck with your coffee. In its purest form, its one of the less offensive habits. Enjoy!

Coffee Being Brewed on Stovetop in Bialetta Dama

Originally uploaded by Chris Abraham.

Coffee break.

The E39 BMW 5-Series (1997-2003) has the worse cup holder I have ever experienced. I have poured more coffee into the carpeting and the floorboards than into my mouth.

Here is the appalling cup holder unit of the E39 5-Series BMW, including the 525i, the 530i, and the 540i:

The cup holder is not only awful, but both of them have not only failed but have broken into little pieces in my 2001 E39 530i. The price to replace the above unit is $65, which isn’t too dear, but I have taken another course of action. I am investing in two of The Ultimate Cup Holder.

I will offer up a review when I receive it. Total cost to me was around $52 for both of them, driver and passenger both, via PayPal.

Of course, I am still going to replace the cupholder unit since they cradle Diet Cokes perfectly — but really only cans.

I need something that can handle a Venti Mild — all the way to the rightmost.

Back in the day, coders and geeks wouldn’t touch my doppio espresso, wouldn’t touch anything from my stovetop Bialetti Moka Express, my Bodum French Press, or my Francis! Francis! X1!

Now, everyone fancies himself a coffee connaisseur. Yeah right. Poseurs. Via eStrategyOne Buzz and Wired.

I have a Francis-Francis espresso maker and it makes a mighty sweet shot rife with crema but nothing close to the money shots highlighted at Espresso Porn.

Via Boing Boing.