Quaznoid Quintessential

[Mesquite]

I’ve tried. And I’ll continue to try to cut through all the bullsh-t and talk about the simple pleasure of shaving, without any nonsense. If that bothers you don’t come to QQ.

I’m in. Subscribed

I’ve been trying to walk the line between a thirst for more knowledge and experience of shaving (including wanting to try out lots of new things) and a desire to keep a minimal kit. Thankfully my wife is very supportive of my keeping shaving purchases to a minimum Every shave I have today is a better experience than what I ever got with carts or disposables, even if I don’t have the perfect razor, soap, technique, etc. And that’s good enough for me.

 

[eSteve]

My foray into the coffee forum brought to mind the worst thing about B&B. You may recall my post about “Connoisseurism” and how it ruins virtually every human activity. No matter what innovation man devises, particularly when it comes to comestibles, almost immediately an extra-discerning group arises to alienate every other person who enjoys the innovation in the ordinary way. These connoisseurs “know better”.

The coffee post I read complained of the problem of being too sleepy in the morning to make coffee and suggested a need to make coffee before making coffee. Of course this is an example of what has been called a “21st Century Problem”, or a “1st World Problem” or what I would refer to as a problem of one’s own making. Needing coffee to make coffee is a problem only because one has made the process of making coffee so complicated and tedious and time-consuming that it can only be done by an alert, awake, attentive person who has been sufficiently caffeinated to do it. The OP’s “solution” is to make a quick, uncomplicated batch of coffee before making the complicated batch. So why not simply make the uncomplicated batch and be done with it? Connoisseurism.

The quick, uncomplicated coffee is not good enough for the connoisseur. The ordinary drip brew made with ground coffee and tap water that I and millions of others have drunk all our lives is offensive to the refined tastes of the connoisseur. So he makes his coffee with select whole beans that he grinds in a special grinder that very morning, carefully works out the coffee to distilled water ratio, soaks it, heats it, steams it, presses it, filters it, etc, etc, etc, and at some attenuated point pours a cup of coffee, by which time the non-connoisseur has had 3 cups and is out the door. How good does coffee have to be?

This phenomenon is not limited to coffee, of course, it infects many things including wine, beer, liquor, cigars and SHAVING. Removing facial hair with a blade, soap and water has for some become complex and time-consuming, “requiring” expensive equipment and elaborate rituals and an effete disdain toward those who merely shave. And woe is the innocent newcomer who tiptoes into B&B seeking relief from cart-shaving. The storm of complication and needless expense thrown at him by the connoisseurs will send him running back to carts faster than you can say “3-pass, no pressure, Rocnel Sailor, alum block”.

I’ve tried. And I’ll continue to try to cut through all the bullsh-t and talk about the simple pleasure of shaving, without any nonsense. If that bothers you don’t come to QQ.

Like yourself, Q, I have also been frequenting the Cafe. Also, like yourself, I see some of the cats there maybe overdo it a little, and I'm not so interested. They may be fussing more than I would. The beauty of the forum is that one can just pass it by if not interested. But not passing by and fussing about guys fussing is even fussier. Just sayin'.

My time in the Cafe is not so much about the thing, it's the guys. That's what I'm interested in. And there are some great guys in there, some wonderful little chats. Enjoy.

 

[Quaznoid]

Like yourself, Q, I have also been frequenting the Cafe. Also, like yourself, I see some of the cats there maybe overdo it a little, and I'm not so interested. They may be fussing more than I would. The beauty of the forum is that one can just pass it by if not interested. But not passing by and fussing about guys fussing is even fussier. Just sayin'.

My time in the Cafe is not so much about the thing, it's the guys. That's what I'm interested in. And there are some great guys in there, some wonderful little chats. Enjoy.

None of this is about coffee or those who brew it. It’s about injecting complexity, connoisseurism and snobbery into all things. The thrust of QQ is KISS: keep it simple sweetie. That’s where happiness lies.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Here is my definitive thoughts on making coffee which I re-post here.

"This is my way of making a pint of coffee wherever I am.

I use one of those superb US M1910 1 pint mugs with lid.

Then what I do is pour about 3/4 of a pint of boiling water in.

Then I put 2 heaped tablespoons of a basic but reliable ground coffee in. I kind of scatter it on the water.

I leave it 2-3 minutes then I pour about an inch of cold water in. I try to cover the whole surface. Picture was mid-water sequence.

Then I put the lid on and wait, 4-5 minutes max.

The cold water seems to make the coffee grounds sink. Then I pour in some milk, and I have a good smooth pint of coffee.

This method seems to make the brew much more mellow.

The grounds are firmly at the bottom, so you can drink the whole mug.

The method seems to have been first recorded by French colonial soldiers in Algeria in the 1830's. Cafe A La Zouve (A Zouve was a French army light infantryman)

It was then first recorded in English by Victorian French celebrity chef Alexis Soyer who wrote a soldiers' cookbook during the Crimean War in 1855.

It was then reprinted in the American Civil War under the immensely popular Beadle's Dime Books imprint.

I believe this is the origin of Cowboy Coffee."

It seemed to have caused some puzzlement from a couple who did not know coffee preparation history. Those who knew, knew.

 

[Quaznoid]

Here is my definitive thoughts on making coffee which I re-post here.

"This is my way of making a pint of coffee wherever I am.

I use one of those superb US M1910 1 pint mugs with lid.

Then what I do is pour about 3/4 of a pint of boiling water in.

Then I put 2 heaped tablespoons of a basic but reliable ground coffee in. I kind of scatter it on the water.

I leave it 2-3 minutes then I pour about an inch of cold water in. I try to cover the whole surface. Picture was mid-water sequence.

Then I put the lid on and wait, 4-5 minutes max.

The cold water seems to make the coffee grounds sink. Then I pour in some milk, and I have a good smooth pint of coffee.

This method seems to make the brew much more mellow.

The grounds are firmly at the bottom, so you can drink the whole mug.

The method seems to have been first recorded by French colonial soldiers in Algeria in the 1830's. Cafe A La Zouve (A Zouve was a French army light infantryman)

It was then first recorded in English by Victorian French celebrity chef Alexis Soyer who wrote a soldiers' cookbook during the Crimean War in 1855.

It was then reprinted in the American Civil War under the immensely popular Beadle's Dime Books imprint.

I believe this is the origin of Cowboy Coffee."

It seemed to have caused some puzzlement from a couple who did not know coffee preparation history. Those who knew, knew.

I like it, but it’s too time-consuming for me. My drip machine makes a cup of coffee in less than 2 minutes. I know Keurig machines are faster but they make only a single cup at a time and require more expensive coffee pods. But, as I said, this column isn’t about coffee.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I have one of those things where you push the plunger down.

This to me is easier, and the coffee is smoother. The clean up after is minimal, and you get a pint for your trouble.

 

[AshleyC]

I have one of those things where you push the plunger down.

This to me is easier, and the coffee is smoother. The clean up after is minimal, and you get a pint for your trouble.

The M1910's updated grandson is pretty much for shaving in the field now. And shaving that way really brings home how wretched modern multi-blades are. The clogging...

I have to confess an unfulfilled curiosity about how things might have tasted in the past when unchlorinated water was used in the preparation or recipe. I first become aware of the notion in a time travel novel "Time and Again" by Jack Finney. The method of travel required the traveler to totally immerse themselves in 19th Cenury living before the attempt. Straight razor shaving. Wool suits. Food and coffee prepared without chlorinated water. Even the faint smell of horse manure constantly present.

One of these days I might try making coffee or cooking something unchlorinated water.

 

[Quaznoid]

I have one of those things where you push the plunger down.

This to me is easier, and the coffee is smoother. The clean up after is minimal, and you get a pint for your trouble.

French press. Requires boiling water first, like making tea, which the English are accustomed to. My drip machine is faster and requires only that I push a single button. But, as I said, the OP wasn’t about coffee.

 

[Alum Ladd]

The M1910's updated grandson is pretty much for shaving in the field now.

I use my metal 'original' for that at camp sometimes. I use a DE with it though.

 

[Quaznoid]

The OP was not about coffee