There was life before kids (LBK) and life after kids (LAK) in our household. My son, almost 11, wrinkles his nose at our morning coffee and each and every single time that he does that, I tell him that my coffee love is all because of him.
You see, in my LBK I enjoyed coffee mainly as a social thing – I’d go for coffee with my girlfriends to gossip or pick up a cup on my way to work once in awhile as a little pick me up. It certainly wasn’t a daily thing and we didn’t even pull our coffee maker out of the cupboard unless my parents came to visit.
Then along came Elijah. Our first adventure as parents went well, all things considered. While he wasn’t a colicky baby, he certainly had little interest in sleep. Back before Netflix was a thing, I watched countless episodes of Friends and Seinfeld because they were in syndication and played throughout the night. And then morning would come, and we learned quickly that coffee was a new parent’s best friend.
Then, once our son was old enough to sit up without falling over (most of the time), playdates began with my new mommy friends. We’d have coffee – of course – and from that point forward the smell of coffee became synonymous with parenthood and friendship. So much so, that when we moved away from Regina before Elijah’s second birthday, my mommy group pitched in to buy me a deluxe at-home coffee machine to take with me to my new town (yes, I cried.)
Eight years later, we moved back to Regina and those same mommy group friends are still people I see all the time. Playdates in the park with our now 10 year olds are bizarre when we realize our conversation has shifted from potty training to dealing with allowances, tween attitude and sleepovers. And yes, coffee is still very much a part of those gatherings.
Sometimes, when I pour my morning cup and close my eyes, I’m back in our first house. Elijah is 8 months old, and I’m commiserating with my friends about this new life, this new “parenthood” that was foreign to us all back then.
Asked by Hamilton Beach to think about my family’s coffee story, that’s what comes to mind! I’m grateful for the thought-starter as it brings me back to some wonderful memories and makes me appreciate those friendships forged over our coffees back then.
New from Hamilton Beach, the Flexbrew Single Serve Coffeemaker with removable reservoir enables you to make single serve coffees using the pods we’ve all come to adore, or you can use the regular ground coffee we’ve all started out with in our dip (totally punny) into coffee drinking. We’ve been using coffee pods for ages now but opening up a fresh package of ground coffee? Oh my, the scent is exactly what I need to perk up some mornings (I’m sorry, I’m still so punny!)
We tested it with both coffee pods and ground coffee and were happy (and completely coffee buzzed) with the results! One note to make is that unfortunately the Flexbrew didn’t work for the Nabob coffee pods – they don’t have a plastic side like most and instead have a mesh. The mesh is too soft to fit securely into the spot and then slide in the drawer properly, but we overcame that by simply opening the pod and pouring the ground coffee into the chamber for grinds instead. I think there are very few brands that utilize the mesh pods (Maxwell House is another) but it’s something to note if they happen to be your favourite.
Other features that make this beauty a stand out – the adjustable cup rest enables us to use ground coffee to make a large travel-mug coffee to go (a pod doesn’t make enough, and two is sometimes too much!) and I like that the water resevoir is at the back, not the side, making it look nicer on my counter. Hey, it’s the little things!
If you’ve got a craving for a delicious cup of coffee and sweet decadence, check out fellow #HBSocialKitchen blogger Helene at La Cuisine d’Helene and her recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting! I love something sweet with my coffee, and while my soon-to-be 11 year old can’t figure out why I love coffee like I do (I tell him it’s all his fault!) he certainly doesn’t mind swiping a cupcake while I’m indulging!
Look for the Hamilton Beach Flexbrew at a SRP of $99.99 wherever Hamilton Beach products are sold.
One of our readers is going to win their own Hamilton Beach Flexbrew (ARV $99.99). Enter your name and email address below to get started!
Our coffee story started when we were in University. We would often have coffee dates as a break from studying. When we later moved in together we continued the tradition of the special chat over coffee, and this time it is a break from everyday chaos. It is an hour or two of just relaxing with no technology, only our coffee & family….great family time.
I wasn’t really a big coffee drinker until I went to University and then it became my best friend for those late nights studying. Now I love to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning while I check my email and then again after dinner while we wind down after the day.
My uncle would make me ‘kid’ s coffee’ in the morning through elementary school.
My older son says his memory is always walking to the small. Funny cause my youngest 5 years old said the same thing. When i miss a morning or am late he is sure to ask why I have not had my coffee yet!
I actually love tea and have since I was a teen. I like the smell of coffee but hate the taste.
I can’t live without coffee. As a matter of fact I can’t talk to anyone until I have my first cup in the morning. And I love the smell also. I like your story so much Tenille and thanks for talking about my cupcakes. Now I am craving a good cup of coffee and dessert 🙂
A good cup of coffee and your dessert would be magnificent Helene!
Sunday morning instant my parents made . Made always wanting purculated.
I personally dont drink coffee. Never really liked it. But my parents drink it, as does all my grandparents. My coffee story would have to be years ago, when I still was in elementry school. We lived in a small Albertan town, and everyday at 2:30pm, rain or shine, it was coffee time. My grandparents and even my great grandparents lived in town, and any typical day around 2:30 you could find them sitting around my moms table, chatting over cups of coffee. Even when we would get home from school, mom and who ever was over would be still coffee-ing til an hour just about supper time. That coffee aroma always filled the house, making it smell inviting and somewhat soothing.
Even after all these years, my mom still makes a fresh pot around 2:30 in the afternoon, even though the majority of relatives have passed. I dont think I will ever like the taste of coffee, but the smell is something I will always love ♡
My sister comes over every Thursday and we watch Ghost Adventures and drink so much coffee we can barely sleep that night. But I love it and it’s my favourite day of the week! We love to experiment and try all different kinds of coffee too!
My love of coffee goes waaaaaay back to when my dad would brew his java in the early mornings where I grew up outside Toronto. I have always associated even the smell of freshly brewed coffee with HOME. Now the person brewing is my hubs and I am certain my dad is smiling from above. Thanks for bringing me way back to those fond memories. 🙂
I have always loved the smell of coffee, even long before I started drinking it. My university days were the beginning of my appreciation for the wonder that is drinking coffee!
I can not remember when I first started drinking coffee, but all I know is I’m addicted to it and all I drink is coffee or water, but I prefer my coffee over water, and my hubby brings me home a coffee everynight from Tim Hortons on his way home from work, to win this he wouldn’t have to stop anymore!!
When I was younger I use to enjoy making coffee for my parents and grandparents. I didn’t start drinking coffee myself until a few years ago. I enjoy sitting down in the morning having coffee with family or friends.
I started drinking coffee in my last years of high school. My family likes o enjoy it with condensed milk. So good!
My first cup of coffee was when I was traveling with my mom and sisters to Toronto on a via train. Mom wanted a coffee so I made her one… it could have completely sucked for all I know and this was the first time I made myself one too. I was hooked.
When I was a toddler, I would always take sips of my parent’s coffee. I was born to love it. Apparently, when I woke up, I would say “let’s go to the chicken and have a cowwee”
I’ve never been able to handle caffeine…..so avoided coffee. Then I discovered decaf. Now I start the day with a couple of cups and wouldn’t be without it. That small amount of caffeine is just right for me! Life must have been so boring before…
My first cup of coffee was when I was 16. My parents drank coffee every night with some pastry. I asked to try the coffee, and they let me. Ever since I’ve been hooked. I love coffee and look forward to my daily cup 🙂 I am now 37 and a mom to 5 kids and my cup of coffee is my daily treat.
I can’t remember a time in my life without coffee. Not that I was the one drinking it as a child but my mom going for coffee with her friends, sister or mom. I was around 8 when my grandma gave me first taste of coffee…loaded with cream and sugar of course
My coffee story started when I was 19. I had 2 jobs In an office from 9 -5 and then waitressing from 6 – 3am. Yap, I started drinking coffee then.
I can’t live without my coffee!! Every weekend morning our whole family gets up and we all enjoy breakfast with a cup of coffee or juice (for the kids). Since we don’t have a machine, I use instant coffee! 🙂
My mom and I used to share a cup of coffee every morning before I went to school. Granted, mine was mostly milk, but it was a very meaningful ritual for the two of us.
I started drinking instant coffee ..because, well my mom did. I discovered drip or brewed coffee when my friend gifted me a coffee maker and that started my love of brewed coffee!
My Dad used to make me “Coffee milk” when I was little, a glass of milk with a little bit of coffee 🙂 and I mean a little bit. I thought it was the best thing ever!
I started drinking coffee with my grandfather when I was around 13 years old. He would take me to Tim Hortons for a coffee and a donut every Sunday morning
We started much like you with the birth of our kids, and now with a bunch of kids in the house we are guzzling as much as we can often to stay on our feet!
My sister came to visit about 5 years ago and she had stopped and picked up coffee for everyone That was my first cup of coffee and I got hooked. I have to have a least one a day now.
We’ve loved coffee for as long as I can remember. there really isn’t a bad time for coffee!! We have it with every meal and between every meal lol.
we like to treat ourselves on the weekend to take out coffee
Although both our sons do not like coffee (so far), we love our morning coffee and on nice days on the weekend we take it out on our back deck as we overlook a creek/nature area so it is a great place to watch the birds and animals
This reminded me of my grandparents. They had those old coffee cups at the farm. Coffee was for starting the day & ending the day. Running coffee out to the field with gram for the “men”. It always smelled so delicious and they seem to enjoy it so much. Back when there was no flavored cream but fresh milk. Back when they used & it was always on the table, the cream & sugar dishes. Thanks for bring back these special memories.
I never started drinking coffee until I was 30. I had tried it many times and just wondered, why? A friend (who drank a ton of coffee) made me one loaded with sugar and cream. I have a sweet tooth and gee it was the best tasting coffee I had ever tried. Well, so I was trying to give up a bad soda habit I had and this was so I thought a really great alternative. I have used my coffee habit to stay up all night and sort of navigate with a sick kid and I really loved having a Timmy’s across the street from the hospital. I used it as a stay awake remedy and basically my crutch. I love coffee and I now drink it no sugar, no cream, bold and dark. Thanks for your story, I really enjoyed it, sounds like you have a great group of friends.
We are definitely a coffee family! The Italian half of the family likes a good dark espresso where I prefer a nice medium roast
My coffee story is that my Dad used to get up and wait at the kitchen table for my Mom to get up and make coffee. It took him until age 75 to finally do it himself. LOL
I have actually only been a coffee drinker for a couple of years. I have always loved the smell but when i tried it when I was younger I found it to be much too bitter. My boyfriend got me to try it when he added in a vanilla creamer and I have been hooked ever since
My coffee story is that my husband loves coffee..me not so much, I love the smell of it but the taste just ins’t for me
because we have different schedules during the weekdays, we love spending Sunday mornings in bed with a cup of coffee.
Every morning is my special coffee morning!! I am a stay at home mom, so after my girls are taken care of in the AM, that is when I can sit down for half an hour and enjoy my cup of coffee! my favorite part of the day
Coffee is not my drink of choice. When I do drink it, it has quite an effect on me. I used to drink coffee in university when I had an essay due. I used to joke that the essays would write themselves.
My coffee story is all about my hubby. Every morning the coffee maker is going and this would be a nice treat for him to have a brand new one. Thanks for this chance.
I have always loved coffee. I like to go out for coffee or just sit on my deck first thing in the morning. The birds chirping and my nice hot cup of coffee.
I knwo we love to take our girls and they love to go for “coffee” at starbucks. Its a fun treat to go as a family!
I will always remember my early morning coffee with My Dad he started work at 6 so i started to get up with him to have coffee and just sit and chat with him before he went to work
I love the smell of coffee and sitting with my husband while he has a cup in the morning… I don’t drink coffee myself, so this would be for him!
I have loved the smell of coffee since I was a kid, and as soon I was old enough I started having a cup and loved it! Nothing better than sitting on the deck in the early morning with the sun shining having that first cup!
Everyone knows me for my love of java. I think coffee is perfect for any occasion and rarely am I not in the mood for a good cup of Joe. I certainly enjoy the mornings I can wake up and sip my coffee on the patio to the sound of the day waking up, really makes my coffee that much better!
My coffee story started as a treat for my husband an I when we are up early on a Saturday and Sunday, a sit down and relax moment for both of us to drink coffee and chat.
I had my first cup of coffee while studying to be a nurse. We had done a few night shifts and I was finding them extremely difficult. My classmates all swore by coffee and after first turning up my nose at the taste (it wasn’t the best cup of coffee and was bitter) I soon came to realize if I was going to get thru these shifts, I would need something. And there it is, I was hooked. Now much older, I sit and savour a cup of coffee at least a couple of times a day, best shared with someone special.
after having the kids, 2 years apart, I had become a single parent and trying to work full time, I started drinking instant coffee, and my love grew from there
I love tea. I like the smell of coffee but hate the taste. My Hubby is a true coffee drinker
My first coffee was at 15. 2 sugars and lots of cream. now I take it black!
I honestly dont remember my first coffee – my parents were always coffee drinkers and I remember trying to make them a pot of coffee with mys ister when we were young on Christmas day. I am pretty certain it was about 2 cups of grounds to 2 cups of water.. My parents laughed that they choked that cup back just to not hurt our feelings 🙂
I remember my love for coffee since I was a young girl. Waking up to the smell of coffee every morning
I started loving coffee in university, and started drinking it black one day because I didn’t have any milk haha, and now I need my coffee every day 🙂
I remember drinking my first coffee as a teen – lots of milk and sugar! Now I enjoy it black and love the deep rich flavor first thing in the morning out on the front deck in the warm weather and curled up in my favorite chair during those not so pleasant days outdoors.
I don’t actually like coffee but my husband started liking it when he worked nights!
I started drinking coffee in highschool, athough not regularly. When I was 19 I got a job at Robin’s Donuts. I worked the graveyard shift so I started drinking coffee when I was working. I didn’t start drinking coffee daily until I was in my 20s and doing some university classes (I also had 2 small children at the time). I now drink coffee pretty much every day, at least 2-3 mugs a day sometimes more.
Coffee reminds me of my mom working at Tim Hortons when I was younger and all the stories she would tell me about the customers.
I was never much of a coffee drinker when I was younger, but after my back injury my dear neighbor used to have me over every morning for coffee and since then I can’t live without it
I only started drinking coffee about a year ago. I didn’t really like it at the time but I slowly fell in love with it.
My mother and then my husband were avid coffee drinkers, although I didn’t really enjoy coffee until I was in my 30’s. It was an acquired taste for me and now I love it.
I actually just started drinking coffee about 1 years ago, what have I been missing out on
my coffee drinking started in high school when we had to drink it black. now our sunday mornings have the luxury of whipped cream added to the cup. sheer decadence.
I don’t remember when our coffee love affair started but the first cup in the morning has to be the best cup.
I enjoy a cup of coffee every morning and have been drinking coffee since I was a teenager. I like to use Disney coffee cups and I have quite a collection of them.
Both sets of my grandparents were coffee drinkers, both my parents were coffee drinkers it was only destiny that I would drink coffee too. I do and I love it, cannot go a day without
I love to relax with a good cup of coffee with a good book.
Personally I’m not a coffee drinker but I would love to win this for my parents who love drinking coffee
I am not a coffee drinker but I would like to win this for my hubby who is. His coffee story almost always involves Bailey’s! 🙂
I would say my love for coffee only started a few years ago. I tolerated it before, drank it only black with sugar as i didn’t like milk but since have tried cream recently and it’s so good!
I remember my very first cup of “coffee” I was in the 8th grade and my mother took my starbucks for a treat after a mid school day dentist appointment. I had a Mocha. My love for the brew has continued and grown since then. Now as a professional Barista i feed my habit daily!
My love of coffee started in university. I never drank coffee before and I met a girl that was addicted to coffee. She introduced me to it and the obsession began. Now I am always up experimenting with flavouring coffee and my day does not begin without a cup of coffee.
I hated coffee until university. First it was half coffee and half hot chocolate to keep me up studying. Then more coffee, less flavour. No with a little one, its an everyday occurance.
When I was pregnant with all 3 of my kids, I hated the smell of coffee, my husband loved coffee, I can remember in the dead of winter my ex driving with his hand outside of the car carrying his Timmie’s, because I was so nauseous from the smell……glad the smell doesn’t make me nauseous anymore
My coffee story is that my Mom lives down the road so in the morning I go to her place for my morning coffee. In the winter she goes to Florida so then I have instance coffee could really use a brewer.
I remember going to my Grandma’s and having coffee there when I was in elementary.
i love my quiet morning coffee ritual..i get up before kids do and enjoy the quiet of the house and start my day this way everyday..always with abig cup of coffee…ahh…its the best moment of my day
I enjoy coffee in the morning
My fiance and I love sitting out on our patio on the weekend drinking coffee! COFFEE LOVE!
I remember the smell of coffee in the morning as a kid: my dad would start the percolator and make his porridge as soon as he got up. I remember the awesome aroma of coffee and wood smoke combined when I stayed at my aunt’s & uncle’s farm because they still used their wood stove and a metal pot that boiled the coffee! My Swedish grandpa loved us so much he let us dip our skorpa in his coffee!! So yummy! AS an adult, I have gone from drinking pots a day to 2 or 3 cups and I am now a commited drinker of only great coffee. If it disappoints, I won’t finish it because I now know what excellence tasted like!
I love drinking a coffee on a foggy morning overlooking the beach with my man when we are on vacation on Vancouver Island. Its a tradition!
I started dipping my cookie in my mom’s coffee when I was very young, and my love for coffee started then.
I love my coffee and I can honestly say I’m a coffee addict,
It started with college and the love has grown
we have become hooked on McDonald’s McCafe – my husband will often bring home cups of coffee after work – it is a wonderful mid-day treat. Our second choice is Tim Hortons – coffee is good.
When I was little my mom used to make me little coffee to drink with her, it was more milk than anything but I loved to pretend that I’m old enough to drink coffee
When I was a kid I hated the smell and taste of coffee it wasnt till I was in my 20s that I enjoyed it. Now I can never seem to get enough coffee in me.
My love of coffee has grown concurrently with my love of my husband. I first started drinking it frequently in about the 11th grade…when I started dating my husband. We, and a group of friends, would hang out in the restaurant of a local hotel and drink cup after cup of coffee, chatting and generally irritating the staff. 15 years later, I’ve still got the husband, and a coffee habit to go along with him.
I have no idea how/why but when I was younger, we’ll say teen I used to eat cheerios with black coffee! Something my mom got me on I guess because she didn’t drink milk.
Even though my parents enjoyed coffee regularly while I was growing up, I never developed a taste for it. My hubby, on the other hand, is a huge coffee fanatic. He loves to grind his own special blend and is very particular and passionate about his brew. I still haven’t gotten on board :).
My love affair with coffee started by sitting on my deck or walking through my gardens enjoying that first cup of coffee in morning!
My love affair with coffee started when I began University. I wanted to seem like a real student and drank it black and strong!! Now I am a pure addict and enjoy my daily brew!
My coffee story started in Grade 11… now I look back and laugh at how sophisticated we were trying to be. (4 sugars & 2 milks, where was the COFFEE….lol) Once I had my first child and began my LAK coffee was a staple in my morning routine. I don’t do cream anymore unless it’s real full fat good stuff and no sugar or sweetener.
I just love my coffee taste now. 🙂
love a hot cuppa coffee in the mornings with the newspaper or just watching the birds from the kitchen window!
I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was in my early twenties. It has since become a part of my morning routine.
I never tried or drank coffee until I joined the military in 1976, we have been involved ever since.
I started drinking sips of my moms coffee when I was about 7 yrs old. I didn’t actually start drinking coffee till I was in my 20’s and now I will have 1 or 2 cups per day and thats it. i try to limit myself. sometimes when I’m stressed I tend to drink more coffee. otherwise I try to stay at approx 2 cups per day. thanks for the chance to win
Ours started on lazy weekends to go alongside delicious brunches.
I start drinking coffee when my hubby and I started dating. Since then it seems like every date involved coffee and now since we married, every day involves coffee as well!
I remember when I was a child staying over at my grandparents and waking up in the morning to the aroma of coffee perking.
I remember drinking coffee with my Grandma every saturday morning, still d now but not as often as when I was a child!
I started drinking coffee during my university days.
While I was growing up we lived overseas for several years in Germany where Coffee and Cake at 4pm was an important part of the day. Something I still love now that I’m an adult back in Canada.
I love having a coffee first thing in the morning as I’m starting my day, and I love to chill out on the couch and have another when I get home from work and want to relax.
I started drinking coffee when I had kids. lol
I started drinking coffee during my college days.
I loved your Family’s Coffee Story! Ours is rather similar. My Husband has always been a huge coffee drinker, I myself only recently after LAK. I always love the smell of fresh brewed coffee and how it fills our home in the mornings.
our coffee story is when we discovered our favorite coffee beans – kicking horse – we decided at that moment that we would pay what ever it cost to drink that coffee (not that we dont look for it on sale) <3 xo
When I was little my grandmother would always teach me how to make Greek coffee for the guests. The smell of coffee is very home to me. Comforting and special. I can’t live without it.
My father always saved a bit of sweet coffee for me (don’t tell your mother).
I was never a coffee drinker until I started working. Then the need for caffeine kicked in. And I’ve been a desperate addict ever since.
I first started drinking coffee during highschool, i was hooked on tim hortons coffee every morning!
I never drank coffee until i was in my 30’s. I was photographing weddings, it was long days and after dinner came out the coffee pots. I thought i’d give it another shot and i was hooked. After being so tired by that point it was the perfect little boost to finish off my night of shooting. My husband was the same as me, he is my second shooter and loves that night time coffee at weddings. Now everyday i have at least one cup.
I used to hate coffee! Then, i started dating my fiance during university. He loves coffee, espresso and a really good cup of coffee. So, i got hooked on coffee 🙂 Coffee presses make amazing coffee. Other than when i am pregnant and can’t stand the smell.
I was camping with my parents, and I think I was about 15. It was cold and we ran out of hot chocolate. Mom made me campfire coffee, and said, try this. That was the night I fell in love with coffee.
I remember my grandfather and I would walk down to the local coffee shop. We would have our coffee while he would visit his friends
I fell in love with coffee on a piazza in Milan – I was 27 and had always been a tea person!
MY husband is a coffee hound and can not start his day without a good strong coffee!
We have after dinner coffee either outside or in our room while watching the news & talking about our day, this has always gone on since we met.
I didnt start drinking coffee until I was 29 yrs old… Just before I had my first child.
My family and I are all really big coffee drinkers. We always have something to say about how good it is or if its too weak or to strong. We always comment on the color too as that is an indicator of a great cup of coffee. We rave about what brand of coffee grounds we use. Its funny actually and not to offend anyone but we like ours double double and that is with cream not milk. If cream is not available a little shot of Bailey’s will work.