This may explain why I became fond of getting a cup of coffee from a particular convenience store in my area. No ill effects so far.
I had looked at the FDA website to review this earlier and came away a little unclear as to what a "voluntary" recall really is. My guess was it is an "option" the FDA suggests a vendor might wish to consider to forestall action by the agency.
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm567266.htm
As to different qualities of coffee I will say that in trying the different grades available at Costco there is a definitive difference in taste as you move up the price scale.
A number of years ago a friend told me he had tried a rather exotic type made by a process similar to the one below. Seemingly it was a memorable experience even though it was not a pachyderm in that case.
Yes, it would seem that the "voluntary" recall "option" would be the only way to go considering the alternative, particularly for small companies without the money to fight the FDA. Also, this option may be offered when there have been no claims of harmful effects from the product so far, and with the FDA's belief that the seller did not know they were selling a potentially harmful product.
I would agree that one generally gets what one pays for in coffee quality, for I, too, have purchased the differently priced brands at Costco, and have come to the same conclusion, though I do not have much confidence in my taste buds. I have found some good deals with Amazon Prime for LaVazza coffee, which I like.
It sounds like the elephant produced coffee people have covered all the bases and are doing things right, which makes me a little suspicious. The packet that their expensive coffee comes in looks like the container for a Nobel prize or whatever. The $50 for a cup is not for me, but probably is for others. I really don't care for the "Black Ivory" part of the name, which evokes, for me, the black market in ivory. Maybe "Big Pachyderm Black Coffee". No?
As to the best way to enjoy coffee let's say de gustibus non est disputandum.
When it comes to taste I have never liked the taste of coffee made from pods but many people I know love the Keurig machine.
The WP had an interesting piece on this a while back.
Some years ago a friend and I got interested in making espresso at home. After a lot of research we came to the conclusion that it probably would be very challenging if not impossible to equal what you can get at espresso bar without spending a great deal of money. Even then there seems to be a fair amount of skill involved in getting it just right.
Espresso at home: I also have an espresso friend who grew up in a tough, mostly Italian ethnic neighborhood in NY, City. He loves to cook and seems to really know his way around a kitchen, and also appears to have a discerning palate. Anyways, he has one of those really big, really expensive espresso machines, which he keeps and uses in his garage. It's makes top notch stuff, and once again one gets what one (he) paid for. I suggested to him, since he works as a mental health therapist, that he take the espresso machine to his workplace and offer a cup of espresso to his patients. That was a bit too "new-age" for him. Yet, for what his patients must be paying him, a good cup of espresso might mitigate the pain, I would think. He also mentioned something about me showing up at his house a little too often.
The chances are that doing research on anything is subject to diminishing and even negative returns very quickly.
There is an interesting piece by Arthur Brooks in the NYT today in which he cites a study that examined how persons who made major decisions (accept a job or a marriage proposal) based on a coin toss fared. It seems that those who acted on a favorable coin toss ended up being happier than those who acted on a unfavorable one. The conclusion was that we are too risk adverse for our own good. So probably the thing to do is go with one's gut (no pun intended here) feeling.
Coffee and flush toilets may be among the few things that most people see as "progress."
It was not always the case for coffee however and at times in the past consuming it was dangerous.
As to toilets, apparently it is worth checking out the Toto Toilet Museum on your next visit to Japan.
Admission is free but if you are bringing 20 or more people a reservation is needed This year might be especially busy since the company is celebrating its centennial.
"He observed that the people drinking alcohol would just get drunk and sing and be jolly, whereas the people drinking coffee remained sober and plotted against the government," says Allen.
The NPR "Off with you Head" article is both informative and humorous. I had forgotten or never quite realized the connection between coffee and coffee houses as the fount of seditious thinking. When I was a kid, I used to frequent Hermosa Beach, California, the home of the famous jazz club "The Lighthouse", and also the home, right across the street, of the now not so famous coffee house "Insomniac", which catered to the beat generation. I used to observe the people entering and exiting these establishments, and I must say that at the time they looked very seditious. And, what do you know, 10 years later there was a revolution going on in this country, at least for some people. I also think I remember reading that Karl Marx used to wake up every morning, though he slept little, and gulp down several cups of black coffee before beginning his seditious daily activities or before writing his penny a line articles for the NY Daily Tribune. Recently, I've been thinking about the peculiar fact that Amazon and Starbucks are both located in Washington state, and that Jeff Bezos owns the "Washington Post" and has Tweeted the he would like to send the President into space, which hints of sedition. So I must look further into this nexus of coffee, Amazon, and deep things happening in Washington, though, I must say that my limited experience at Starbucks has given me little reason to believe there are seditious people who covertly plan anything there.Hermosa Beach’s Insomniac coffeehouse was a Beat Generation haven | South Bay History
Articles by Karl Marx in The New York Daily Tribune, 1852-61
"One swallow does not a summer make"
While this is true, it is hard to conclude from the story below that Starbucks is a hot bed of sedition. Indeed one might infer that coffee causes some to take imprudent risks and raise medical insurance premiums for the rest of us.
From what I can glean from the video, it is hard to infer the motive(s) of the uncondoned hero. He may have been an aggressive Johnny on the spot because he had not yet had his morning coffee and was cranky, or because he had a thing for the Starbucks employee being robbed and wanted to impress her, or maybe he was upset that someone was ahead of him in line while at this time of morning he was normally the only customer there, or maybe he was a bullying sort who took advantage of a unique opportunity to beat someone up without being arrested. Whatever the motive, he ended up an uncondoned hero in the Police Chief's eyes.
Starbucks has a new offering that provides the jolt needed to get you going in the morning without any caffeine intake.
It would not surprise me if there were not a few individuals who might actually pay for such a wakeup slap, for it's a much quicker way to get one's morning Joe, and it wouldn't appear to upset one's stomach as Starbucks coffee is sometimes known to do..And the baristas would certainly have more fun.
"We've got a secret menu."http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-baristas-wont-tell-you-1328815715846
Dangerous coffee indeed !!
The closest that I, personally ever come to such a concept is at times when there is no decent coffee nearby enough - and it may be that the danger at such times is...me !!
Of course, at such times it is far easier to settle for some truly nasty coffee from whatever food joint has some, dilute it if needed, and add some very nice coffee flavouring that is always with me when away from home for any length of time.
The 2 (sometimes 3...) cups of coffee that I consume each day are simply NOT optional !!!
Hi there, we have missed your humorous comments and your technical knowledge here--nice to see you post again.!
If you are able to limit it to 2-3 cups a day you certainly are more disciplined than some (or at least one) of us.
As to coffee (and other things one consumes) being dangerous, there is the age-old question:
Would you prefer to deprive yourself of simple pleasures to (perhaps) live longer in order to be able to deprive yourself for a longer period or would you prefer to seize the day and enjoy?
If you would like a little something extra in your coffee, Starbucks may have the answer for you, starting today (Seattle only it seems).
Hmmm-- I guess Starbucks is not trying to jerky us around, but just doing a little to make the world a better place. But coffee and jerky---yuk.
Say---what happened to the enema people and posts that were part of this thread? They were integral to the flow of the thread.
Good question! Few would argue that enemas are not integral to the flow... at least, of something. :woohoo:
Well said.:cheer:
Slappy charbucks & enemas - how appetizing !!!
(I've known folks who get all grossed out when they get to see where vinegar comes from; and that ain't so bad.)
Thanks for the re-greeting Oldbooks1.
I've been riding the learning curve lately in my desires to cobble together a new career of sorts in my old age & that has been eating my time up very completely.
My mention of 2-3 cups 'o' joe per day was not 100% clear - as on most days its 2 cups (afternoon & evening) followed by a cup of Pero before bedtime - or on long days like today there IS a 3rd coffee just because I wanted it !!
Back in 2000 after nearly being dead I was told in 100% certain terms - NO MORE COFFEE - EVER !!
3 years went by with me gnawing at my lip every time I smelled coffee, until finally I was certain enough of my full recovery & said the hell with this - if 2 cups of coffee/day will be killing me, then I'll be dead - but by golly I'm having my coffee enjoyment again, starting NOW.
(So far as I can tell I ain't daid yet either...)
As precious as coffee is, I remember a woman I spoke with long ago who was just sure the ONLY way to have coffee inside one's body was via rectum...my opinion of that individual ??
Nucking futz.
What a waste of perfectly good coffee !!!
Rather than double-posting, it may be that fellow coffee lovers will enjoy what I just posted...here:
https://www.nthcircle.com/forum/general/709-national-coffee-day#20466