Coffee

[cjsmith]

I don't drink coffee, but I bet some of my friends do. What are all the ways coffee (made in one of those basic office machines) can be bad?

I have so far: it's too weak, it's too strong, it got cold, it's gritty.

Comments

hmmm, interesting question...

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

The most important way such coffee can be bad is this: starting out with shitty coffee, Folgers or Maxwell House or something.

Another way: leaving it cooking on the burner for too long, which results in a burned, scalded taste.

Re: hmmm, interesting question...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

You can get it burned without losing all the liquid? Excellent, thanks -- that's just the sort of thing I would never know. :-)

(My NaNo main character drinks office coffee, can you tell?)

Re: hmmm, interesting question...

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

It does lose a lot of liquid, which adds to the awfulness. Also, here's another little tidbit you might like: after burning coffee a few times, the pot gets sort of a permanent burned brown stain on the bottom, and the coffee you make in it is never good anymore.

If you leave coffee on a burner long enough, it will evaporate, and sometimes the coffee pot will explode. If you get stuck and need something interesting to happen, you might want to try that. :)

Re: hmmm, interesting question...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oo, the burned brown bottom, I'll use that. Thanks.

If you leave coffee on a burner long enough, it will evaporate, and sometimes the coffee pot will explode.

I've actually had this happen in more than one office. It ensures no one near the kitchen can work all afternoon.

Hah! As my character's life gets worse, the coffee in her office keeps getting nastier and nastier. When her boss suggests a leave of absence for her sanity's sake, that's the day the pot explodes. I'll think about that one! Cool! 8-)