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Pat said
...............I'll be 60 next month and have already lived longer than my mother and (older) sister did. While my recovery time from strenuous physical activity is longer than it used to be and my knees talk to me more that I'd like, I don't feel particularly 'old'. A healthy diet and regular at the gym probably helps. I'm with you on that, Pierre!............
Honestly, you don't look that old Pat. You are doing great.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Was about to comment on this topic - but this came up -
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I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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Jim
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@pat I'm with you, I think we are as old as we let ourselves be. The alternative is bad, so I like to jump in and continue to learn new things, stay active, and keep moving. I too am going to live forever!
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That's the spirit.
I think I know I'm old because I'm actually interested in staying healthy. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I know I'm getting old when ....
I take that first drink from the cup-of-tea I just made, and suddenly realize it's coffee....
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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BillyG says:
I know I'm getting old when ....
I take that first drink from the cup-of-tea I just made, and suddenly realize it's coffee....
I hate that when that happens!!! 
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
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Can that really happen Mark???
You crack me up!
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I finally did it - I ordered a coffee and they asked me what kind and I said "I don't know, just give me a double espresso with some milk in it. I really don't know the names of any of them any more."
That's a bit of a lie. I used to order cappuccinos, but decided the froth just kept it too hot too long. So then I started ordering flat whites because they were described as like a cappuccino but with less milk and no froth. But then one place serves it a decent strength and the next just serves what looks like off-white milk.
The "double espresso with milk" I ordered tasted like it had come out of a Cona filter jug that had been standing on the hot-plate too long. I guess I've got to watch the guy operate the machine in future.
I give up.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
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So many people in the business don't know how to make coffee. I'm a bit of an amateur barista and can get irritated when they do stuff like that. Very few baristas know how to foam the milk right. When it's done right it should look like velvet and not be too thick and light.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Coffee lover, here! So much fun to show up at Fiddlershop and be greeted by the aroma of coffee being roasted out front.
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I guess there's such a high staff turnover in these coffee places that no-one gets adequate training. It's about time those coffee machines were all 100% automatic - they already cost as much as a car anyway! But then you have to trust the company to buy in good Arabica and not cheat with Robusta. Mexican coffee used to be very good, but I don't know if there's any kind of trade embargo between Mexico and the USA nowadays.
Andrew
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I'm a coffee lover, but just give me my 8 O'Clock brand of Columbian Peaks through a drip filter with a bit of 1/2 and 1/2, and I am satisfied. Oh, so good! I won't tell you what I think of all these places like Starbucks charging $$$ for a cup of coffee. 
Jim
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You know you're old when the conversation goes completely off topic and nobody realizes it. 😂 Now, what were we talking about? 🤔
Bad times make for good stories.
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Gordon Shumway said
I guess there's such a high staff turnover in these coffee places that no-one gets adequate training. It's about time those coffee machines were all 100% automatic - they already cost as much as a car anyway! But then you have to trust the company to buy in good Arabica and not cheat with Robusta. Mexican coffee used to be very good, but I don't know if there's any kind of trade embargo between Mexico and the USA nowadays.
It depends. Some places still have high standards. My favorite local roaster (Temple Coffee with five locations all in the Sacramento area) puts baristas through a month-long training course before they're allowed to make anything for customers, and pays well above industry standard so is able to retain people much longer. It also requires all outside coffee shops that use its beans to send their baristas over for the same training course.
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Pat said
You know you're old when the conversation goes completely off topic and nobody realizes it. Now, what were we talking about?
Did we have a topic? I don't remember......
Jim
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There is a reason for a coffee discussion in this thread, which Americans (or young people) might not appreciate: - after the war what is now called cappuccino was called espresso in Britain - that's what "espresso bars" sold in the 50s and 60s! And my parents less than 20 years ago went in a café and asked for an espresso and had no idea why they were given a very short strong black coffee! So in my case, I am giving up wanting to know what an Americano is or a latté or a frappuccino, and I suspect that is a sign of old age, although I like to think it's because the world has gone mad and I am sane.
Starbucks are now selling what they call "blonde" coffee, which, as far as I can make out, is just a light roast, which is an added complication. Some prefer light roasts (I hate them), some prefer dark. Although once you get into pulverised Greek coffee, it tastes better with a lighter roast.
Oh for the simplicity of Italy, where you just ask for coffee and they give you an espresso and a glass of water, in places where they still have the old standards. Having said that, the last time I was in Italy, the currency was the lira!
Andrew
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Pat said
You know you're old when the conversation goes completely off topic and nobody realizes it. 😂 Now, what were we talking about? 🤔
That is what I was thinking, LOL - HOWEVER, Holly, WTH!!! Your Latte art is great.
You would make a fantastic barista. Not that you aren't already one but instead of the ones that we were just talking about.
bocaholly said
Coffee lover, here! So much fun to show up at Fiddlershop and be greeted by the aroma of coffee being roasted out front.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Gordon Shumway said
There is a reason for a coffee discussion in this thread, which Americans (or young people) might not appreciate: - after the war what is now called cappuccino was called espresso in Britain - that's what "espresso bars" sold in the 50s and 60s! And my parents less than 20 years ago went in a café and asked for an espresso and had no idea why they were given a very short strong black coffee! So in my case, I am giving up wanting to know what an Americano is or a latté or a frappuccino, and I suspect that is a sign of old age, although I like to think it's because the world has gone mad and I am sane.Starbucks are now selling what they call "blonde" coffee, which, as far as I can make out, is just a light roast, which is an added complication. Some prefer light roasts (I hate them), some prefer dark. Although once you get into pulverised Greek coffee, it tastes better with a lighter roast.
Oh for the simplicity of Italy, where you just ask for coffee and they give you an espresso and a glass of water, in places where they still have the old standards. Having said that, the last time I was in Italy, the currency was the lira!
You'd probably hate my area's coffee, then, even though Sacramento roasters dominate Coffee Review magazine's "top 30 coffees in the US" list most years. People talk about several high-end roasters in Norway making super-light roasts trendy... the trend didn't start in Norway, it started in Sacramento and went to Norway from here. The coffee culture is similar: both here and in Norway, the favorite coffee drink is a plain drip coffee made with a light roast, which people mostly take black.
I will note: a lot of people do light roasts badly, including Starbucks. A bad light roast will have a yeasty flavor that comes from the center of the bean being underdone.
But at least you'll find espresso done right here: pulled properly and served with a small glass of sparkling water. (I haven't been to Italy, but I'm told that whether the glass of water is sparkling or still varies by region.)
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Gordon Shumway said
........I am giving up wanting to know what an Americano is.......
Won't bother talking about all the coffee types but I especially like this one. Americano is a watered down espresso. An espresso with added hot water. The name is derived from our weak American coffee. An Americano is often the closest European option to a plain American coffee.
And now..... We are back to "You know you are old when...." you still can't stay on topic.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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