Morning (instant) coffee before the hunt....microwaved or boiled water?

[bearfat]

Since it's 3 below and I ain't going out with the black powder I've got a strange observation.

I heated water in the microwave to near boilng and I heated water in a kettle on the gas stove to boiling.

There is a distinct taste difference and the reaction of the grounds themselves was very different as I dropped them in the water.

The microwave was much better tasting.

Wonder what that is all about?


                 "Will I get the big one this morning?"

[HuntingGuy]

Not sure, exactly..  But on the subject of coffee, let me plug for a good new product at Gander - I'll have to look at the name when I get home.. but they are these sealed cups that self-heat and make coffee within the cup in 3 or 4 minutes.  You flip it over, press a button on the bottom, flip it right side up.. and you will hear it start to sizzle.. When the pink circle on the side of the cup turns white, it's hot and ready to drink!  Shake, open, and enjoy.  They are really neat, and the Mocha is delicious.  Run about $2.25 if I recall correctly.. would make for the perfect fix while out deer huntin!

[hardertr]

I'm a self-proclaimed Scientist/Master Chef/Moron at times, BUT...
The reaction was because the microwaved water was probably well above boiling temperature.  If there would have been anything in the water for the bubbles (boil) to form around, it would have boiled.  That's why it actually had a reaction when it was poured over the grounds.

As to the taste, my guess is it picked up a little "flavor" from the inside of your microwave.  Try putting a couple of grains of salt, a TINY shaving of butter, a smidgen of hamburger grease....in your traditional coffee.  That will make it taste just as good as your gourmet micro-instant coffee 

THREE BELOW??  You guys up north are WAY more dedicated than I am.  The idea of "I can't take the blackpowder" would be the last thing on my mind.  My thoughts would revolve more around "when will it get above 40 again, so I can go hunting?"

[bearfat]

I felt stupid after I made the original post...have I got nothing better to do with my time than to wonder about heating water for coffee and who in the world cares...but hardertr and HuntingGuy gave feedback which to quote Johnny Carson, "I did not know that."

[hardertr]

YOU felt stupid??  How do you think I felt for actually wanting to reply?

It's amazing some of the things a person will do when they are bored.

Want to try something that SHOULD make you feel "stupid"....put a 1/4 of an alkaseltzer tablet in a cup of cofffee.  DON'T ASK (it was one of those "wonder what this would taste like" moments).

[Graybeard]

So WHAT DID IT TASTE LIKE? 

[hardertr]

It kind of tasted like I forgot to rinse the dishsoap out of the cup.  It did have a slight "effervesence", but not enough to make it seem carbonated.  The aftertaste seemed to last for quite a while though.  It took me a couple of cups of "plain" coffee to wash that taste out of my mouth (and my mind).

There is SOME legitimacy as to why I did it....  I was bass fishing, using the "kangaroo worm" (they had a little pouch in the belly to put scent/bait/alkaseltzer in.  The fish weren't biting, and I got bored pretty quickly back then.  It only made sense to drop the leftover alkaseltzer in my coffee   

[HuntingGuy]

have I got nothing better to do with my time than to wonder about heating water for coffee

It's ok...  I don't have too exciting of a life, either 

[sgtt]

Hmmm.  My guess...........is that the water picked up some "taste" from the vessel in which it was heated.  I don't care for the flavor of instant coffee myself.