There has never been much stability in my life and one of the few constants in the chaos has been my morning ritual of coffee and a few spliffs. Before I check my phone to see what’s on fire or who’s bleeding, I take some “Me time” to get my mind right to deal with the flood of bullshit I know I’ll encounter.
But most people don’t know how to brew coffee.
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, you just put grounds in a filter, add water and turn the machine on. Simple right?
Not really.
For years I didn’t own a coffee maker. I’d get up and take a long walk to the local shop and then come back home and start my day.It was my morning meditation and a way for me to have a few minutes of me time before I had to face the bullshit of emails and phone calls and all the other fun we call modern life. But now I write this and I keep a pot brewed most of the time and I’ve learned how to make coffee that doesn’t suck. Follow these pointers and enjoy.
- Buy a grinder: You can get one for less then $30 bucks and for those of you saying “wait, why?”. Most of you are pot smokers and you know that you don’t want to buy a bunch of shake that’s dry and lost its flavor. Buy whole bean, store it in the freezer and grind what you need when you need it. This alone will make for a better cup.
- Buy whole bean: See above and also consider that it’s cheaper and stays fresh a lot longer if you don’t drink much coffee. Play around with various types since they all have there own unique characteristics like good wine. And fair trade is the way to go if you can afford it.
- Don’t use paper filters : If you don’t own a coffee maker yet this is something you need to pay attention to and if you do, you might want to think about getting a new one. You want to get one with a fine metal filter for a few reasons.You’ll run out of filters when you least expect it and chances are it will be when you have company. Also, paper absorbs a lot of the oils which is where the flavor of the coffee is.
- French Presses are awesome: If you live alone and don’t drink a lot of coffee but want it to be great, invest in a French press. It’s a simple design but they work like a charm and take up the same amount of room as a small thermos.