At my mom's office (in Hong Kong, where coffee is not a strong suit...tea is another story), some colleague brought in a high end, practically professional grade coffee-cappuccino-espresso maker that sits in the kitchen. He charges people some small amount to join his "coffee club" where he buys nice coffee beans and people can enjoy good coffee. People can pay per cup, or get a monthly card. His assistant monitors who takes from his coffee maker. When I asked my mom about what are the tax implications and other liabilies of this underground business being held on the premises of a major U.S. company, albeit their Asia-Pacific office, she laughed me off.

In my office, we work near our Cafe Operations people and we have a Cafina machine. Even with that...and a variety of milk and good beans in the building...I limit myself to one cappucino a day. And the coffee is good only at that machine. The other office coffee throughout our building...sucks. But for some reason the $1.25 coffee at get the corner shop before I get on the train is a fantastic...every day. I think it's because I don't have to make it myself. Or else there are drugs in it. Well...maybe just some chicory...

i brought this youngun' up right...

that's just what I did for a long time at work. you can get the water hotter by nuking it if necssary. as for a "cart", how about a little canvas bag or one of this cheap tool bin/carrier thingies.

does this mean i have to increase your coffee supply?

or you could have NV buy one of these....

http://www.capresso.com/prod_super_jura.html

well, at least you supplied your own cup. so do you use a coffee machine at home, or do you make it the same way?

and is your hair looking long?

oh, and i love what you've done with the cube so far.

Not as long as your hair, Tien :P

I think a mini coffee business in the office would rock. Actually,we already do underground office yoga (I collect $ to pay a yogi who does our sessions in a conference room after hours)...so a private coffee machine isn't that far off. Someone suggested that we get an espresso machine, though I think that's a little overboard. A vacuum pot, however, might be an option.

No matter what, there are some people who just don't care what their coffee tastes like. Others are as picky as me. I still can drink coffee from the little place down the street that steams my milk for me (only 75 cents!)...and will...because I'm lazy. But at the same time, a fresh pot in the AM sounds nice. We'll see what Bodum has to offer during lunch.

And yes Dad, I need more coffee (at home). Maybe I could rustle up some cash so that we can have a NV Blend stash in the office, too. After all, it's 10AM and I've already made 2 french presses worth of coffee for the A-List peeps.

oh-- i use a machine at home...mainly because my 2nd cup from my 2 cup french press gets cold while i drink the first. i hate lukewarm coffee.

first off, i love the long hair. you look so pretty. don't cut it (though i know you want to)

second - i love the "A-List" reference, since for so long it was the haves and the have nots around the coffee. Don't you have the milk frother too? If not you should look for the box that was supposed to be sent to me, it is in there. likely at this point there is little chance of me ever getting that.

third - can't wait to see the new offices.

SKUTCHIE RETURNS!

dear, you box is in ron's possession. it's big. i think you should just visit and take the things that you really need. i'm not sure if the milk frother is there. honestly, i never want to look at a box again...

i know i can appreciate fine coffee, but my ability to do so seems to be impaired until well into the afternoon. because i spend every morning drinking the cheapest coffee known to man (el aguila). i admire your resourcefulness, but it sure seems like a lotta extry work.

Sigh. Jimmy Legs, Jimmy Legs. You are deprived. You teach me the joys of whiskey drinking, I'll teach you the joys (and quick ways to prepare) of superior coffee drinking.

the super-auto machine i referenced earlier makes both espresso and cafe crema, which is a 5-6oz coffee pulled espresso-style - outrageously good stuff - not as strong as espresso but with the flavor and crema on top - all at the push of a button. you'll get some when you visit next (that goes for any of your fellow bloggers/friends who want to do a VT road trip, as well - even recent emmigres to our nation's capitol!)

great, dad! so when are you buying me the $1,700 machine???

don't you think you take the risk of alienating all the people that aren't in your coffee circle?

you know, i don't even drink coffee. i've never had a cup in my life.

tien, that freaks me out.

i think daddy warbucks is indeed offering to purchase said espresso machine. rejoice!

This is perhaps your nerdiest post ever, Corie (though I'm relatively new and haven't looked at the archives). And the picture of you at the end reminds me of that South Park episode that introduces tweak and every time Tweek's father speaks, it's using analogies about nature and an acoustic guitar plays in the background.

Off subject - I LOVE your Statler & Waldorf! I have a set myself...maybe a big bigger that adorn one of my video tape racks in my home office. :-) I couldn't resist peeping up when I saw them.

Oh, and I too have NEVER had a cup of coffee. Blech.

So wassup with refrigeration and coffee beans? I know about the freezing, but please Mr. T educate me on the finer points of preservation...

I second the Statler & Waldorf shout-out ...

All you coffee non-drinkers can just leave your share with us, thank you very much.

humidity is bad for roasted coffee and refrigerators are very humid. better to freeze the beans. most fresh roasted beans will last 2-3 weeks in an airtight container w/o being refrigerated. best of all is to drink the coffee before it has a chance to get stale!

corie's not being a geek here she being a connoisseur... (or a snob, which is okay by me)

Never trying coffee is like never trying beer. Or chocolate.

never trying coffee is like never smoking crack, snorting coke, etc, etc...

aw, it's not that bad. i can quit any time. i just don't want to.

corie, what's the record for number of comments on a post on this site? guess everybody's feelin chatty today.

mmm, crack ...

I'm sorry, I would have commented earlier, but I was knocked to the floor when Tien said he had never had a cup of coffee.

That's like never having had sugar in your life. Coffee is a basic human right; nay necessity. And I can't think of more than 3 things that make me feel better than a really good cup of fresh brewed coffee.

And, dude, it's legal!

JL, I think this is the most comments I've gotten in a while, thus proving the point that the more I make fun of myself (or expose my dorkiness), the more people have to say.

I think this posting's comments almost beat out the weird cult following of the avocado tree post that I have, which continues to get hits event though it's about a year old.