eager for some solid caffeine

I never thought I’d say this, but I can taste the difference in coffee. And I want good coffee from now on. 

When my parents would comment on coffee when I was younger, “oh my, this is so strong,” “ugh, so weak,” “what is this crap,” I wouldn’t get it, I didn’t understand how they could tell a difference from one cup of joe to another.  Wasn’t coffee, coffee? 

But then again, I was just sipping my Dunkachino….

It’s similar to when my Mom would be disappointed that a particular fruit or vegetable was out of season: “the produce just isn’t’ fresh anymore” she’d lament. I would wonder if the taste difference was really that noticeable. 

But once you live on your own, once you purchase and prepare your own produce, you notice.  Tomatoes don’t taste like delicious juicy tomatoes in the winter, they are pale and watery.  Strawberries are white in the center, not ripe, beautiful red.

And my plain jane, cheap grocery store brand coffee, brewed in my simple Mr. Coffee machine, tastes like crap. I follow the directions precisely, but the coffee is either burnt or watery.  I can taste the flavor differences from coffee shop to coffee shop. Some taste  watered down to me, others are too sweet. 

Maybe I just like strong coffee. Starbucks does it for me. It’s smooth and rich and dependable. But I can’t afford to go to Starbucks every day, so I need to recreate this in my own living space. And while I’ll give their bagged ground beans a shot with my simple coffee maker, I have a feeling I may need a nicer appliance.

And while investing in an espresso machine of sorts makes my wallet wince, I like that my taste buds are maturing. I’m growing up and my flavors are catching up with me.  

So here I am, being an adult, living on my own, and demanding good coffee and fresh fruit.