Coffee Done Right
By: Keith
Stop the presses! I’m going to eat my words. A long time ago, and I can’t remember when, I mentioned something about Keurig Coffee machines (look at that. I found it) being super awesome. For quick, no fuss, coffee I still think they’re pretty good. Unfortunately they can’t make a cup of coffee that stands up in any way to what I experienced last night. I think it’s happened to everybody; just when you think you know what something is you have an eye opening experience that causes you to have to rethink your position on everything (or just coffee). I had one last night. You all probably know I’m a tea drinker. I drink Matcha and other green teas as much as other people drink water or milk. It’s not to say I never drink coffee, I do. I just never saw coffee as anything really special. Coffee tastes bitter and needs extra ingredients (tea doesn’t) to make it palatable – or so I thought. Then came the epiphany.
After Dinner Coffee:
We went to eat at an old friend’s house last night, friends of Mely’s from Mexico. They made mole and rice and other tasty things that I haven’t had in years and which made my belly happy (I brought the desert because that’s all I’m capable of). But, after dinner, they asked us if we’d like some coffee. I said “yeah, sure, ok” in a sort of indifferent way; coffee, after all, is something you drink to top off a meal – nothing special. Then I found out that they drink coffee like I drink tea. Apparently there’s a way to do it that goes well beyond what normal people expect out of coffee. That’s when I found out about stovetop espresso makers.
Lagostina Espresso Maker:
They asked if I wanted cafe Americano, Cappuccino or a few other things (but I can’t remember the fancy names). My ears perked up because I occasionally treat myself to Starbucks cappuccino when I’m feeling rich and fancy. “How are they going to make cappuccino with no machine”, I asked myself? They whipped out one of these little stovetop espresso makers (Lagostina) and proceeded to show me how to do it. It’s easy; finely grind the beans, press the mash into the middle portion of the maker, put filtered water in the bottom, screw it together and put it on the stove to heat up. In just a few minutes we had a few shots of espresso. He whipped up some milk and bam boom presto – cappuccino! Not only did it taste good, it was way better than the swill I normally get from Starbucks. Starbucks, you should be ashamed of yourselves, he says in retrospect.
Some Points of Note that I was Informed About:
1. Good coffee comes from fresh ingredients: Buy good beans.
2. Grind your own beans: Goes along with having fresh beans.
3. The maker should be good: Theirs was solid aluminum and they never scrubbed it clean. Instead, the oils from beans ensure enhanced flavor for future cups. In other words, the more cups you make the better it tastes.
4. Don’t be stingy with the coffee: But don’t pack it too tightly or the boiling water won’t penetrate; the gounds will expand.
There you have it, folks. I learned something about coffee. I spent time with new friends (to me). And, now, I’m on a mission to get a little espresso maker. It’s a lot better deal than this 18,000 dollar monstrosity which probably can’t make a better cup of cappuccino (see monstrously gaudy photo).
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My husband introduced me to real coffee, the kind you can drink black and not want to drown it in sugar and creamer. He goes a step further and even buys his beans green and roasts them here at home in the garage. When his roaster was out of commission for a time, he used a cheap air popcorn machine with the top off. Quite messy and required monitoring, but did the trick. He posted a little blog about it to illustrate.
Thank you for your story, I’d like to find one of those little kettles myself!
.-= jen´s last blog ..Birthday Party at Chick-Fil-A =-.
I’m much more a coffee drinker than a tea drinker, and yeah I like espresso sometimes, but I often find it too thick for my liking. (I’m Italian; if done right espresso is sort of thick.)
I’ll agree with the other sentiments though: fresh grind, good beans (for standard coffee I like Guatemalan or Kenyan, depending on if you want mild or harsh, respectively), clean water, and generous use of grinds (nothing worse than weak coffee).
.-= SciFi Dad´s last blog ..Debt =-.
Have you tried a french press? Grind the beans a little courser and steep in hot water for a few minutes (maybe 3-4) and press the top down. I love it. My sister used to have the stove top espresso maker. Maybe she wasn’t doing it right, because I wasn’t all that impressed.
Wait…. whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa… you (one) can make espresso at home???? On the cheap? I have some reading to do, stat!
.-= IrrationalDad´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday v. Cousins =-.
I like coffee, too– just with a ton of milk and sugar. In fact, I like to have some coffee with my milk and perhaps a splash of Baileys.
As someone whose eyes have recently been opened to the world of gourmet coffee, I agree wholeheartedly. Quality coffee has rich yet subtle flavor profiles and does not need any additions. May I also add to your list that the water temperature should be 200 to 205 degrees to maximize the flavor extraction from the grind.