Water, coffee, general train excitement.

[Slasharoo]

Cina, on a recent trip on the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, the attendant in the lounge car gave us two cups of hot water for my wife's coffee each morning. I tossed a couple of quarters in his tip jar and my wife had hot, fresh starbucks to start her day. Happy wife, Happy life. Happy train travel. Enjoy your trip.

Starbucks? My sympathies.

I don't drink coffee, and I can't imagine the manipulations your tastebuds must go through for anyone to enjoy coffee. That being said, I will now leave the great coffee debate...

 

[FriskyFL]

The immersion heaters can bring water up to just about a boil if not boiling (it's been a while since I used one) but I can confirm that it can get water hot enough to make a proper cup of tea, which requires boiling water or near to boiling.

And really this would be a more accurate depiction of a French Press. As the one Cina pictured is a travel-mug version.

Interestingly while Googling for that image I discovered that REI makes/has a travel mug french press that actually looks quite good.

http://www.rei.com/product/792857/rei-double-shot-press-mug,-okra?preferredSku=7928570048

peter

REAL Americans call that a Freedom Press! ;-)

 

[VentureForth]

I actually quite like the Starbuck VIA instant coffee. It can be added to anything from ice water to boiling water (and everything yucky in between), it disolves quickly and makes a decent cup of coffee with no filter and no grounds to clean up and throw away. It's just as good as having those instant lemonades or sport drinks for the bottle water.

I wouldn't do this at home, but for camping or travelling, it's a heckuva lot easier to just boil hot water, add instant, and enjoy.

And though I've all but completely eliminated my patronization of the 'Bucks, this one I still like.

However - each serving is still around $1. But that is cheaper than their smallest black brew in the store.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Coffee is a sacred drink. It should be religiously made with only the best beans, fresh ground, and brewed either in a good drip machine or a french press. If you don't like it that way, you are simply a coffee philistine.

 

[JayPea]

Worse than a philistine, I'm at least a coffee agnostic if not an atheist. All coffee tastes the same to me: like sludge.

 

[leemell]

I thought it was only me, but I really don't like Strarbuck's coffee AND I refuse to put 500 calories of flavoring in it AND I will not pay their prices.