How often do you need to "refresh" your taste buds

[toast21]

Ok people... so my thinking is that i figure good coffee is a reference not really an absolute. In order for you to really appreciate what good coffee tastes like, you have to really have tried the dodgy dodgy bad stuff.

Also, i figure that your taste buds and brain will get used to the constant good quality. So my line of thinking is that i need to refresh my taste buds be drinking a bit of ashtray surprise now and then.

its been about 3 months since i've drank truly bad coffee, so to this end, i've gone out at lunch today and got myself a mocha from the local starch*cks. How is it you ask? oh yes, its truly truly memorable as ashtray surprise. All I can say is that thankfully i remembered to get a mocha in hope that the coffee would take the edge of the dodgy espresso....

Does everyone else also go through periods of "rediscovery" and if so how often do you do it?

As an aside note... my girlfriend has bet that i'll only be able to get through 4 sips of this thing... i'm pushing for 6 just to spite her heh heh

[Aadje]

Yesterday, I got a nasty cappuccino called drink out of an autothingie which also makes tea and stuff. I got through 1/2 of the drink and threw the rest away. Even my worst cappa's are better . . . but it made me really, really long for something decent.

[toast21]

just a quick update before i bail and go home... it took me about 30 minutes but i managed to get through about 3/4 of it..

If anyone on TMC is ever worried about the coffee they're producing I highly recommend trying starch*cks just to give them some perspective... lol

[Aadje]

It indeed really makes you understand again why we're doing what we're doing.

[P.B]

We have a Costa coffee shop in our office (it's a very big office) and I visit every morning. I drink the freshly squeezed orange juice. Anytime I need re-calibrating I'll have a machiato. I'm too scared to try an espresso.

[Paragon]

...I know I have to make those trips..but I hate those trips..disappointment every time ..last was last week in Soho, there is this very smoking cafe called Blue Room or just ROOM..I don't remember..but I pass it by every time I go to Flat White....So... one time I thought I have to try it out...because..you never know...it seems from outside kind of cool place to read a book??? (if you are smoker)
...I was bold and ordered an espresso... I was so excited by surroundings that I forgot to pay much attention to the preparation method...The girl (eastern european probably) gave me a quite long espresso......by the time she gave it to me and I could rip open one sugar (I'm not gonna try some strange stuff without sugar...) the crema was dissappearing.....oh well, I have to try it.... It was so increadibly hot (I know I'm a whimp when it comes to getting hot drinks down, but I usually can manage an espresso right away) so it took me 2 minutes to drink it...and oh my it was so bad.....when I left I felt like there is some strange ashtray in my mouth.... Crabbed for my dark Montezuma right away.....

A month ago I went to the really nice place off Carnaby Street in Soho.. It's called SACRED ...If I got it right they use the coffee of Bullet. .....But I did not like the espresso.....it was just plain bitter and that is all.... No character...no attitude.... I will go some other day and try maybe a cappuccino.... (I'm really particular with cappuccino as well though ) ....But I don't really drink milk in coffee, with coffee....

[toast21]

Paragon.. the next time you're in carnaby street, i REALLY recommend stopping by le pain quotidien... but only for a croissant with jam

[doughnut]

Out of sheer desperation to stay awake I bought an espresso from the college canteen today. No crema and certainly not good but way way better than I expected. Maybe extreme tiredness jades the tastebuds?

[pinkrosie75]

Visits to the hospital with my daughter, usually monthly, makes me realise how much I appreciate my coffee machine, horrid vending machine coffees, eewww
Now I am on instant again, as I am inbetween machines, I really don't enjoy coffee as much at the moment.

[CakeBoy]

Too right Toasy, there is nothing like an upchucks to add perspective to the quality od ALL home coffee . So many commercial espressi are too hot. Machine calibration on site seems to be as poor as cleaning regimes