Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello: A coffee gambit

Friday, September 24, 2010

A coffee gambit

Coffee and

The Blues Brothers - How much for the little girl

The last time I looked, every brand of coffee on the grocer's shelf had this blurb- "100% Aribaca Bean." Yesterday I picked up a can of Food Lion's finest because, in case you haven't noticed, coffee prices are through the el-roofo. The blurb on the can was "100% Columbian Beans." Well, I don't want no stinking regular coffee, I want Aribaca, so I put it back and ... wtf? Every - I mean EVERY brand of coffee said "100% Columbian." Not one had the word Aribaca printed anywhere on the label. Fortunately I am no coffee snob, so I bought the Food Lion for $8.95. But what gives with that?

That aside, the thought struck me that coffee is a terrific hedge against a possibly/probably coming black market economy. The people I know who are addicted to coffee think nothing of spending $5 for a cup of Starbucks; what would they pay for a pound of Food Lion? You're welcome.

The USB Coffee dispenenser for sale out of your car trunk

Rodger the Real King of France 9/24/2010 11:44:00 AM 15 Comments

"If the number of Islamic terror attacks continues at the current rate, candlelight vigils will soon be the number-one cause of global warming. "
Argus Hamilton

15 comments:

Anonymous said...: I've been hedging with single-malt and wine.

Casca; 9/24/10, 12:02 PM
JohnO said...: Rodge, you bastard, you got me hooked on Arabica when you posted about Maxwell House a couple years back. I've encountered the same problem: no Arabica coffee in the grocery. Harrummphh. Guess I'll have to go back to spiking mine with Bailey's in the morning.; 9/24/10, 12:12 PM
Anonymous said...: as a hedge: don't forget toilet paper.

there's got to be priorities when TEOTWAWKI comes

daniel; 9/24/10, 12:16 PM
toadold said...: Uh the good Columbian is Arabica coffee. the two main species of Coffee plant are the Arabica and the Robusta, which is about 30% of the market IIRC and grown mostly in Brazil. Robusta is a hardier plant, has a higher caffeine content but overall considered inferior to Arabica which has about 70% of the market at least a couple of years ago. Where you can get screwed with Arbica coffee is the quality control in the harvested bean and the processing. Some of the low end commercial coffees will be a blend of not so good Arabica and Robusta. Some "blends" will be all Arabica but of different roasts. There are reviews on various coffee brands but it is mostly taste and try. I've gone over to a small French press, it makes a stronger cup of coffee and I don't have to buy filters. Just remember hot water not boiling water and steep for 4 minutes before pumping So far it has worked fine with pre ground, self ground, and decaff.; 9/24/10, 12:29 PM
Jess said...: It's not the coffee that's important; it's the equipment costs for brewing, IV accessories and the fancy stainless steel stand for holding the apparatus.; 9/24/10, 12:49 PM
Rodger the Real King of France said...: toadold , I know marketing, and if it was 100% Arabica, it would say 100% Arabica This is simply an unannounced rate hike, like Ice cream going from the traditional 1/2 gallon to 1 1/2 quarts with no notice.; 9/24/10, 1:31 PM
Anonymous said...: Same thing @ my Wal-Mart. I drank all of my "hedge" supply.

Javert; 9/24/10, 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...: Meanwhile, some of us are enjoying our Grown in the USA (well, Hawaii IS still part of the USA, right?) Kona Coffee... (okay, Kona BLEND. The pure stuff is downright EXPENSIVE)

(p.s., my turing word isn't showing up until I refresh the web a few times... you having technical issues?); 9/24/10, 5:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Same here on the turing word, anonymous, but not every time.I thought it was probably me, since I am not computer literate.
mary; 9/24/10, 6:13 PM
toadold said...: Hey if I knew what I was talking about I wouldn't write for free!; 9/24/10, 6:52 PM
toadold said...: http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/jacobs-kronung-ground-german-coffee-17-64-oz

If you watch the price on it you can come out pretty well if you bulk buy to reduce your shipping cost per pound....I just haven't figured out what part of Barvaria those German Coffee beans are grown.; 9/24/10, 8:26 PM
leelu said...: I'm buying 8 o'clock coffee from Amazon in the 36oz bag (French Roast). 100% Arabica, and I get a discount for subscribing to it, plus the free shipping. Lasts me about 3 months. $17.63 ($0.49 / oz); 9/24/10, 10:42 PM
toadold said...: Dang, I can't believe I forgot to check Amazon. That's who I ordered the French Press from for about $10 cheaper than anywhere else. About $28 after shipping.; 9/25/10, 12:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Roasted coffee goes stale within two weeks--the lighter essential oils first. most people have never had really fresh coffee. Even canning it in nitrogen only extends the process. You could invest in a 20 kilo sack of green coffee beans if you want to get into roasting it yourself--major PITA for me, but others who drink more than 3-4 cups a week will do it (I am a coffee snob, but an even worse tea snob, and I live on Assam black.) There are plenty of independent shops that roast their own, and you can find someone that will sell you a bag. Green coffee will last a long time.; 9/25/10, 3:06 AM
Chuck said...: Even here on oahu, Pure Kona can run upwards of $20 a pound. Unfortunately, most of the "Kona Blend" is only 10% Kona.

I bite the bullet, buy three pounds, and mix two of the pounds with four of anything else, making a 33% blend. The third pound is all pure, and all mine (not for the neighbors.)

I wholeheartedly agree about the coffee press, except they are damn hard to set to brew a pot so it's ready when you wake up.; 9/25/10, 4:11 AM

Friday, September 24, 2010

A coffee gambit

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