Tonya Klause » Coffee

No SBUX at Disney? It’s OK.

tonyaklause — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:58:17 +0000

Even Florida gets cold. That’s why they have Espresso stands all over Disney World! No, Disney, unlike my beloved Morning Joe and my beloved Target, has not struck a deal with Starbucks.

However, on a chilly day in March, before we even entered Animal Kingdom, we all got our warm ups from these little independent establishments!

They know how to grab you on the way in, with the small of espresso wafting by the entrance. It actually never takes much to “grab” me when it comes to coffee.

When in doubt, get an Americano. Almost always better than the drip. And for kids, the Hot Chocolate is nearly like the ‘BUX.

For Peet’s Sake

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:45:10 +0000

In spite of this week’s Slate article “Who Makes the Best Coffee?” I’m not buying it that Starbucks ranked last behind McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts…. With all due respect to my Boston extended family, I’ve had some unbelievably bad Dunkin cups of coffee, at the airport and mostly at my in-laws lake house (which usually involve the father in law making the pot).

I will always declare my undying love for my SBUX triple tall, but….since i’m staying at the Ritz this week, I’m going to treat myself this morning to its coffee partner of choice, which blows all three of the above out of the water…Peet’s Coffee.

Excuse me while I head down to the espresso bar..

She Works Hard for the Coffee (uhhh.. Money)

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:20:22 +0000

There are worse places to work if you’re a coffee lover. I am spoiled. Starbucks one-cup grind and drip at the office. And take a trip to Redmond and it gets better. I’ve been meaning to post this snapshot, a peak inside the Executive Briefing Center on Microsoft’s campus.

At Your Service Coffee Stand at Microsoft Conference Center

It was back in March when I was there for our CIO Summit; lots of customers in town from all over the U.S. A great event; what made it fun for me was this coffee stand outside of our press briefing room…yum! One more close up….

Pick Your Poison

Now about those headaches I keep getting when I go without caffeine….we’re working on that…

Cup of Coffee

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:02:45 +0000

It has been exactly one week and we have not set foot in Starbucks! (That is one downside of this Marriott). Going without a car has helped. What we’ve really done is set ourselves up at the hotel to meet our coffee needs.

First, we determined the little do it yourself coffee pots in the room would not cut it for the whole week…

Will only do in a pinch!

Pure Elevation? Not so much

They come with little packets that you slide into the machine. They’re actually not that bad. However, between the Klause and Neff power coffee drinkers, who want coffee in the AM, after the beach, and in the evening, we decided to opt for the bigger model at the local Marco grocery store (which Mom and Dad can drive home with them). For $20 (the cost of 4 good coffees at the coffee shop here), we get cost savings, decent taste and volume!

Real coffee, on demand

Yessir, the old fashion, no frills Mr. Coffee still makes a great cup (or 12) ’o joe. More later on the coffee shop in the hotel.. Not a bad Americano, but pricey!!

Black Coffee….

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:14:55 +0000

The past two days, in the middle of the afternoon, i could just not wake up… Felt lethargic, not sick, just sluggish. Then it dawned on me. i have not had my coffee. Now, i’m not particularly proud of the fact that i need that pick-me-up, but given that i make several coffees for myself every day, at home or at work, i know that’s what it was. Which leads me to the best news all season (aside from Christ’s coming of course), and that is this thing of beauty which arrived at the House of Klause….

The new IV drip.

THANK YOU RON LUSSO (aka Rob’s cousin)….Since Ron closed his big fat italian restaurant a few years ago and the espresso machine has been sitting in Uncle Cliff’s basement collecting dust, we have coveted (there i said it) the machine. Finally, at Thanksgiving, Rob visited the Boston Lusso crew and thanks to Robin and Dan, and their big *&% van, they brought it back for us! Rob set up it at the bar in the basement and hooked it into the water supply. Ching! Works like a dream…..

I think we’re actually saving money on Starbucks coffee because we’re making one espresso and Americano at a time.. vs. a whole pot of coffee that ends up getting “old” much too quickly in the lame pot in the kitchen…

Come on over for a cup o’ the best Joe in Virginia…..