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Coffee machines aren't all that common a kitchen appliance outside of the US in general to be honest. It's definitely not just a Japanese thing. Not in the same way that the Japanese do it which results in better coffee though. Most people I know who drink coffee at home just see it as a means to an end, and stick with instant. They still drink nicer coffee from shops when they're out, but I don't know all that many people that brew at home. I'm in the UK by the way.

You could say the same thing about electric kettles being fairly uncommon in US kitchens, but utterly ubiquitous in UK ones. It sounds stereotypical, but it's because we drink a hell of a lot of tea, and we wouldn't wanna be heating water on the stove every time we needed it. Even though I don't drink all that much tea myself, I still couldn't imagine having a kitchen without one, since they can seriously speed up any cookery that requires you to boil water.

Sorry to hear of your allergies! As much as coffee is something one can go without, not having a say in the matter must be an occasional source of frustration.

Justin wrote:

So if you're having coffee at home, chances are you're using the pour-over method for brewing.

I first came across this method in France, having only been familiar with instant granules beforehand. Though I considered the procedure a convenient alternative to the ritual of preparing a full cafetiere, I have since learned that the gravitational constraints on the infusion process often result in a weaker brew than would otherwise be obtainable.

(Decaffeinated instant coffee still remains sufficient for my case. I shall forego the differences in flavour for the lack of any surplus matter to dispose of. Far cheaper as well!)

I remember seeing one of those weird coffee drip things in The Book of Bantorra, I didn't know people used them in real life. In the UK we mostly use Espressos Pots for making coffee since most people have hobs.

Back in the days when online shopping was not as convenient as nowadays, us international students from Asia were quite shocked and surprised to learn that electric water boilers were not a common kitchen appliance in US, and purchasing one (e.g. Zojirushi) would be neither easy nor cheap.

We all grew up drinking hot coffee, tea, chocolate, powdered milk, instant noodles, some types of medicines, plain warm water, etc., by using hot water readily available in those boilers, so we were somewhat bewildered and confused why Americans would design and purchase machines that could only prepare a single type of drink.

I feel inclined to comment on this since I finally bought myself a new coffee maker last week. I went crazy trying to find the same kind of coffee maker my friend had in Japan. It was a regular drip coffee maker. But his was really cool because it was small, but you could remove the water reservoir in the back. That part gets gets build-up pretty easily so it would be great to be able to wash it. Sadly I could not find this kind no matter where I looked. Finally settled on one that looked like I could wipe the reservoir easily.

My coffee tastes are still stuck back in the mode I learned in Navy... Does it deliver caffeine? Does it not taste totally stale/gross? Good to go.

The Navy runs on coffee... like most submarines, as soon as we left the yards we rewired the coffee machine onto the Vital bus. (The same bus that powered lighting and ships control.) The only way for the coffee machine to go cold was to lose all ship's power - primary, auxiliary, *and* backup.

Went through a coffee otaku phase a few years back, but in the end it just didn't seem worth the bother. Picked up a Keurig and never looked back.

I started my love affair with Coffee when I was 5 years old ( 1963 ) and I've never looked back. From old school percolators on burners to the first Mr Coffee to early instant ( Yuck, that stuff was awful. ) I've drunk them all. As newly weds we got our first "Melita" style drip coffee maker, was hooked after that on the taste. Now we have several hot water dispensers that we use for instant ramen, Tea brewing and for Coffee in a French Coffee Press.

Mark Gosdin

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There really isn't enough space to have a bunch of kitchen gadgets around that only do one thing.

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Most Japanese kitchens have... a rice cooker/warmer

hickey92 wrote:

Coffee machines aren't all that common a kitchen appliance outside of the US in general to be honest. It's definitely not just a Japanese thing. Not in the same way that the Japanese do it which results in better coffee though. Most people I know who drink coffee at home just see it as a means to an end, and stick with instant. They still drink nicer coffee from shops when they're out, but I don't know all that many people that brew at home. I'm in the UK by the way.

I was going to make this point about the UK to but you beat me to it. I just wanted to add that I didn't even realise I liked coffee until I turned 30 because had only really tried instant and hated it but was always puzzled by the fact that I loved the smell.... turns out I don't like instant but do like coffee. I bought a coffee machine last year because of this.

It does make me wonder if the joke in Ouran High School Host Club is a little lost on Americans where Tamaki and a bunch of the clients are mystified by Haruhi's tub of instant because in the US instant is the exception to the rule unlike in the UK and Japan. So most Americans might be (slightly) closer to Tamaki's point of view than Haruhi's/ a Japanese audience? Just because of how much more frequently brewed coffee is in America.

I'm sorry you can't have coffee anymore, Justin.

I myself am weird when it comes to drinks. My country's well known for its coffee, but I can't stand the flavor, especially how they like it here (black, absolutely no sugar), because of a nasty little health condition called "being a supertaster".

Now, even though we're supposed to have access to some of the best coffee in Latin America, sadly, most of it is exported, so we're kind of stuck with inferior grades of it. But as far as popular brands go, they really like a strong aroma before it's used, and people will drink it almost constantly. To the point where sometimes, the general services lady in my office will brew a full pot for her and the receptionist, and very rarely, a VIP. That beats vending machine coffee any day of the week.

Also, Starbucks made it here, but so far, it's not as popular as our local coffee chains. Hah.

There's a strong culture of coffee drinking over here (world leader in per capita figures I believe) so a coffee machine is a very common sight in households. Usually that is a drip type, though capsule ones are not an unusual choice either. I'm not sure how popular instant is, nobody I know drinks it and I personally describe it as vile crap, dismissing the notion that it is real coffee. But since markets devote shelf space to instant, I suppose it has its fans.

FloozyGod wrote:

Quote:

There really isn't enough space to have a bunch of kitchen gadgets around that only do one thing.

Quote:

Most Japanese kitchens have... a rice cooker/warmer

Guess you've got no idea how versatile a rice cooker can be. It had been THE only kitchen appliance most college students and single young adults ever needed before microwave ovens became common and popular.

GracieLizzy wrote:

I was going to make this point about the UK to but you beat me to it. I just wanted to add that I didn't even realise I liked coffee until I turned 30 because had only really tried instant and hated it but was always puzzled by the fact that I loved the smell.... turns out I don't like instant but do like coffee.

My trick is to moderate my own standards! I can comfortably consume (decaffeinated) instant coffee without regret, owing to the rarity with which I would drink anything more authentic. It also helps that water is by far the most common beverage I consume, but I digress.

dormcat wrote:

FloozyGod wrote:

Quote:

There really isn't enough space to have a bunch of kitchen gadgets around that only do one thing.

Quote:

Most Japanese kitchens have... a rice cooker/warmer

Guess you've got no idea how versatile a rice cooker can be. It had been THE only kitchen appliance most college students and single young adults ever needed before microwave ovens became common and popular.

Indeed! It can do anything from steaming vegetables to cooking soup. Very handy!

dormcat wrote:

We all grew up drinking hot coffee, tea, chocolate, powdered milk, instant noodles, some types of medicines, plain warm water, etc., by using hot water readily available in those boilers, so we were somewhat bewildered and confused why Americans would design and purchase machines that could only prepare a single type of drink.

I make hot chocolate, tea, instant noodles, and instant oatmeal with my coffee machine (in addition to coffee)... I'm a bit confused anyone thinks coffee machines "only prepare a single type of drink"! If you don't put ground coffee inside, they are just the same as an electric kettle or small electric water boiler.

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