Vending Machine Coffee

I once spent a year in a long distance relationship. And I'm not talking about, an hour's drive away. That's not distance. If you can't make an hour or two work, you're just not that interested (or they don't kiss well...either way...).

By long distance, I mean I spent 12-14 hours driving anytime I wanted to see this girl. And yes, it was worth it each time.

And of course, I would pack my snacks (or have money to stop with). I'd buy a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee before setting out. Once I even had a thermos filled up by those helpful guys. But eventually, the coffee you started with is going to run out; if you finish a 13 hour drive with the same cup of coffee you started with, there's a serious problem.

Now the problem I had, because I never finished with the same cup of coffee. Look at my typical route:



I travel through a whole lot of NOTHING in Indiana, then hit Chicago, then a whole lot of NOTHING in N. Illinois and Wisconsin. I mean, seriously. It amazes me that there can be so little, for so long at a time. Especially in Wisconsin. I mean, nothing but trees.

So where can I stop for some decent coffee? Maybe Chicago...but really, have you ever tried to drive through Chicago? No? If you ever do, you'll understand that once you're in the flow of traffic...you won't want to ever leave it. There's no excuse for ever pulling off the highway (assuming the traffic lets you get off the road in the first place). You'll have to merge back on...and...um. Damn. Suffice it to say it's not worth stopping in Chicagoland for coffee.

This leaves me with really just one option: Rest stop vending machines.

The trick with vending machines is to not take the standard coffee. It'll have caffeine, but taste absolutely AWFUL. I mean, gross. I mean, you'll never touch coffee again after drinking plain coffee from a vending machine. Especially if it's one in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin that gets a visit once every two weeks for a fresh-up.

So what's that leave you with? The flavored stuff. French vanilla. English toffee. I once had a memorable experience with a "Butterfinger" flavored coffee drink. They cost a bit more, but are totally worth it. You get the caffeine, but none of the truly gross flavor.

That's my official advice, the path I take whenever I'm faced with a vending machine-or-nothing situation. You're welcome to it.

Java's

I deliver pizzas in the Gahanna area. Every now and again, I drive by a sign advertising Java's Cyber Cafe drive thru. I'm always intrigued by new coffee shops, but I deliver pizzas too late to drink coffee and I'm rarely down that way if I'm not working. C'est la vie.

So when I decided I would make weekend trips to various coffee shops and review them, Java's made the list right away. Sarah and I made the trip last Sunday.

Java's sits as an anchor on a newish strip mall. They do have a drive thru, and free wifi. They also offers several computers with internet access for you to work on, their claim to fame. You can print in color for $.50/page.

Aside from the computer work stations and some local photography for sale on the walls, Java's is very reminiscent of a Starbucks. Not in the important ways: The coffee was better, and the atmosphere less corporate, and the net access is free. But the layout and decor of the lobby, the look of the bar, and the items on the menu are nearly interchangable.

The service was excellent! The barrista was very friendly and involved in our order. Java's serves Crimson Cup coffee, fair trade and organic, which is quite tasty. They also serve smoothies, which Sarah assures me are quite yummy. Decaf available, but I didn't see anything specifically sugar free or otherwise health conscious.

While the space is just about big enough to host music or poetry events, I didn't see evidence of such goings on. Java's offers a few prepackaged foods, like cereal boxes and pastries, but nothing made on site. You see the beginnings of being a player in the community (the art on the walls, the business card rack full of local businesses) but as Sarah said, there is plenty of room to expand that angle.

Java's is not a bohemian, characteresque coffee shop but it doesn't have to be. If you need a place for a good cup of coffee and internet access, Java's is more than up to the task. Perfect for that cup of coffee on the way to work or on the way out for the evening, or if you need to use a computer/printer in a hurry.

If you're ever in Gahanna jonesing for some coffee, stop in or drive thru Java's Cyber Cafe!

Grounds for Change

One of the standing gift ideas for me is coffee stuff. A grinder, bags of Dunkin Donuts coffee, mugs, gift cards to coffee places. All of these and more have worked very well in the past, and I can't see them ever getting old.

A new idea my sister had was, "Well, what about those coffee clubs?" You know the type, where each month you get a new type of coffee to try. I thought it was a neat idea, especially since I like to try new coffee (Folgers and Maxwell house are good for the weekday grind, but...not exciting, you see) but I don't usually have the time or the money to really search good coffee out.

You don't know my sister, so I'll fill you in: she recently exploded into global awareness. She sponsors a woman in a 3rd world country, buys free trade widgets, and is disgusted when people say things like "It's too expensive to buy responsibly produced stuff." All this ties into her choice of a coffee club for my birthday gift.

Grounds for Change is the name of the company, and as you may imagine it's a fair trade, organic, shade grown, carbon-free company. More importantly, it's so far been damn good. Right now I'm drinking the Solstice Blend (the December coffee I received). It's truly fabulous. I love a dark roast, and this stuff is nice and dark. The bag describes the blend: "Notes of chocolate and toasted nuts." How many ways can one say, "WINNER!"?

I also like the cut of the company's jib. I like to judge a company by it's mission statement (the simpler the better) and it doesn't get much better than this:

"To support social equity and environmental sustainability through fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee."

And how much does all this eco-friendly, progressive silliness cost you? About as much as a pound of Starbucks coffee (for much better flavor). Go check them out...it's a very well put-together website.