The Search Continues

Much to the disappointment of my friends and Dad, I am not a coffee drinker. I've tried and tried various types, blends, cappuccinos, and lattes. There was even one cold night we were on a men's retreat at Guadalupe Mountain, it was 25 degrees, and I was so cold I tried cowboy coffee with a packet of hot chocolate mix added in (you know, cowboy coffee as in grinds at the bottom of the pot, heated over an open fire, and it comes out so thick you could slice it with a knife?). It definitely warmed me up due to the caffeine content and the high likelihood I ingested some coffee grounds. How could I forget in a moment of distraction ordering a Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks (not realizing I ordered it full octane either) and taking a first sip and realizing it was coffee. Yup...I still don't like coffee.

Anyway, since I haven't been able to develop a taste for coffee I have had to find something that would meet the approval of my apparently narrow palate for the times I am out with friends at a coffee shop. Six years ago, I was introduced into the world of Chai. More specifically Masala Chai, which most Americans know as spiced chai. One chilly day at the Wesley Foundation, the director decided it was time to make Chai the old-school way; warm the milk on the stove and place the loose tea leaves and spices in the milk. I had never seen nor heard of anyone making tea with milk until that fateful afternoon, but I've been hooked ever since and have been struggling to find something that is easy for me to make at work with only a microwave.

At first there was Celesital Seasonings Indian Spiced Chai which is somewhat easy to make: steep like normal tea with water and add milk. However, there is something in their mix that I am allergic to and consumption every morning for five days leaves my throat raw and itchy. Next came a local coffee shop here in the Hub City; Sugar Browns. I don't know what they use but I absolutely LOVE their Chai. There is also Daybreak Coffee Roasters which has a good Chai (and the fact I had a roommate and good friend who worked there) but I'm not sure what the mix is they use. However, I had to leave this behind for 5 years when I was in the Top o' Texas and found the local establishment there: Roaster's. It turns out that they use Oregon Chai which is available in instant mix packets. Now, the instant mix is nowhere near as good as a fresh brewed cup but is MUCH more convenient for a work environment where a stove isn't available. This is also very convenient for camping and vacations; just throw in a couple of packets and I can warm up in the morning to my Chai while everyone else has their coffee. Two other reasons I favor Oregon Chai; they carry Vanilla Chai (my favorite) AND decaf (but not decaf vanilla, dang).

Well, now I'm back in the Hub City but live too far from Sugar Browns and Daybreak south to make the detour when I am heading into work. The closest place is Starbucks and they use Tazo Chai which is a decent balance between all the choices available. However, I hate supporting a chain when there are local shops. It also became very apparent when I first moved here and was on per-diem that purchasing chai over black coffee at various shops is relatively more expensive. With the economy in the tank right now, I also don't want to spend the $$ at Starbucks when I'm working day-shifts. SO, I'm limited to making it myself. Unfortunately, I have yet to find my instant Vanilla Oregon Chai for sale here in the Hub City. The nearest United Market Street does carry the mix where all you have to do is add milk but I hate microwaving milk. What I really need is a milk steamer.

Hence the title of this blog entry. I'm still in the search of a simple milk steamer. Yes, I could use a double boiler but that would get a bit tedious to clean every day and we don't have a cook top at my office. I've done the microwave thing the last couple of weeks but this is hit and miss; heat it too much and you start to curdle the milk, not enough heat and it comes out lukewarm and there is nothing worse than expecting a nice hot sip of your favorite tasty beverage only to get something that is barely above body temperature. For home, I'd like a simple stove top steamer; works like a tea kettle but allows you to pipe the steam into your milk to warm it. For work, something I could plug in, heat water with and then steam my milk. So far my search of the web via google has not yielded anything nor has my searches of various stores around town.

Anyone have any ideas???