Monday, December 28, 2020 (3 days until….)
A little past 4 a.m. and I’m sipping a cup of Java Love #14, by the Rodgers Family. Rodgers make wonderful coffees and this season put out a Coffee Advent Calendar. It landed on our Costco’s shelves, no surprise, as typically this Costco carries several Rodgers’ varieties. When I use a Keurig, Rodgers pods are favs, but in recent months, my morning cups are from a countertop Bunn. It brews whole pots quickly and well.
Anyway, I bought several of the Rodgers’ Advents, to give away and to drink myself. Each calendar contains twelve packages of finely ground coffee, measured for brewing eight-cup pots. Each coffee is different and labeled with its name. This morning, I’m drinking a Java Love #14.
One day long ago, on coffee duty at work, and bored, I began reading coffee package labels. All the coffees in our Costco are labeled as made from Arabica beans. But the beans for Folgers and those of instant coffees aren’t identified. I did some research and learned that Folgers and the instants are of Robusta beans. They’re less expensive, taste more rugged, because they grow at lower terrain levels. Robusta beans were used in all our early coffees. And Folgers, et al, remain very popular.
The Arabica beans are more expensive, they must be grown in terrains very high and complicated, and they taste smoother, more flavorful. The Arabicas dramatically changed our coffee tastes. My casual education suggests that the Peets folks were early to gather this, they brewed and popularized Arabica beans. Their success educated other companies, and ergo, finally Starbucks was born. We began to access with ease and pleasure new coffee varieties.
The Advent Calendar has been a fun way to sample and to learn. Beforehand, I knew one won’t go wrong with a Rogers coffee, but have zeroed in on a couple of varieties new to me, and delicious enough to brew regularly. Plus, ongoing drinking practice while going through a couple more Calendars will make me an expert on coffee tastes.
One day, again, I’ll find myself assigned to sell coffee. Can’t wait!
Dear Friends: Very simple experiences may teach us and become of high-value. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 
I bought the advent calendar too, as a Christmas gift for my coffee addicted teen. He has been having a good time the last few days learning about new brands. I sure wish Costco had a giant coffee grinders like the Costcos do in Colorado, Hawaii and Montana. Sigh. I know you are supposed to grind it fresh every morning, but seems like we make so many pots around here, with 5 coffee drinkers, that I have gotten lazy and just want to scoop it out of the bag already ground.
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I couldn’t believe the low price of those coffee Advent calendars. Kicking myself that I only bought one. But we are awash in coffee right now. I still have an unopened bag of whole beans we need to start using and I agree that Rogers pod for Keurig coffee makers are the best (and the cheapest). I bought a container of Dunkin Doughnuts coffee two months ago because I used to like their coffee when they had shops in Portland. I have to add about 2 tbsps of decent dark coffee to the pot to make it drinkable. Thinking of just spreading it under the rhododendrons.
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We are very much enjoying the coffees you gave us.
Sent from my iPhone
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