I truly can't say enough to thank you for the support. I received so much more participation than I was expecting in the recent survey.For literally months, the survey was written but I was hung up on what incentive to give people to encourage them to participate. That incentive led to questions of contest rules and laws, and use of trademarks if I was going to offer prizes. And then, it hit me...make the survey short and ask that you simply help me make the site better by telling me about your coffee. If you find the site informative and beneficial, help me make it more of both of those things. [ad#Google Adsense - use me]And you did, with overwhelming support. Thanks again! I thought it would be fun to give an overview of the survey results, and compare them to my own personal answers. This website and blog have long been a reflection of where I'm at in my coffee life - let's see where we're all at together.1. Where do you buy the coffee that you make at home?An overwhelming majority indicated the grocery store. Less than half of you indicated that you buy coffee from an independent local roaster, which is where I buy 100% of my bulk coffee.2. When you buy coffee, how long will it last you?This one was a mixed bag. There was almost a perfect split between those buying a month's worth of coffee or more at a time, and those buying coffee for 2-3 weeks at a time. I fall into the latter category - I always aim to have a pound from each of two different roasters at any given time, and a pound will last me a week.3. What kind of coffee do you buy?Here again, an almost even split between ground coffee and whole bean coffee. A very small number of you indicated that you buy pod coffee - in fact, more of you drink instant coffee than pod coffee. The only times I've ever had ground coffee was as a gift. For maximum freshness, I buy my coffee in whole bean form and grind only as much as I'm about to brew.4. How many cups of coffee do you drink in a day?A big majority of you drink between 2-3 cups a day, with few of you in the same category as myself of 4-5 cups a day.5. How do you grind your coffee?When you add how many of you are buying your coffee pre-ground, or instant, or in pods, the majority of your coffee is already ground when you buy it. There was an even split between those of you using a propeller grinder, and those using a burr grinder. My coffee bar consists of a burr grinder, but I always have a couple old propeller grinders on hand as spares.6. How do you make your coffee?The responses here were very well spread out, which was very interesting. Many more of you use an espresso machine or stovetop espresso maker than I was expecting. I wasn't surprised to see the drip brewer as the top method - it really is the most convenient way to make good coffee. My personal favorite, the press pot, came in second in your responses.7. What do you add to your coffee?A big majority of you add dairy to your coffee (cream or milk), but not necessarily sugar. Much fewer of you add nothing to your coffee than those who add sugar. It took me many years, but I'm finally a purist - straight black coffee for me.Thanks again to everybody who participated! I intend to use the survey results to better tailor the site and blog to this feedback, so that it is as beneficial and worth your time as I can make it. Please don't hesitate to send me your thoughts and ideas by email. I always enjoy hearing from you with your questions and comments.
