Coffee? Yes, coffee is the topic. Coffee and pickles? No! That is not a thing. However, I want to write about the world of food that excites me and that includes brewing coffee. Whether I am getting a triple latte at the local coffee shop or I am patiently brewing a pot at home, there is a certain sense of anticipation that coffee gives me. Some nights, the draw toward my bed is knowing I can wake up and have a delicious cup of coffee in the morning. Other nights, as the clock continues to wind but the night can’t be over, a pot of coffee is a saving grace. After a wonderful meal, sometimes the best desert is a great cup of coffee.
Brewing coffee at home
I want to write about brewing coffee at home. I am not going to review all of the local coffee shops. Maybe I’ll save that for another day.
So, when brewing coffee at home, all coffee is not equal. There was a time in my life where I would just buy whatever ground coffee was on sale. I would laboriously add a few heaping scoops to my decrepit coffee maker and let it drip. Those days are over. Today, for me, the best cup of home brewed coffee starts with whole beans.
Coffee Beans
What are the best beans for brewing coffee? Well, there is a lot to be said about the best coffee beans. There are single source, fair trade, organic, fully traceable bags of coffee beans you can buy. Sure, they tend to not only taste great, but it feels a little better drinking the results! Have you heard about the beans that have been eaten by cats, defecated, and laboriously collected? It’s true, search it out (Kopi luwak
). I have never tried any, and unless you are buying, I don’t think I ever will try it. That stuff is like a hundred dollars a pound! To answer the question: “What are the best coffee beans?” I have an answer that may leave a bit to be desired. I don’t know! What I do know is that whole bean coffee, no matter the brand or roaster, is always better than any ground coffee I have ever tried. Quite honestly, I will put my Eight O’Clock The Original Whole Bean Coffee
up against any ground coffee. I have tried a lot of different beans, origins, and roasts. I believe they can be compared to grapes, wineries, and regions. The coffee you get, the end result, is similar to making wine. There are lots of good grapes, great vinyards, and fantastic vintners out there. A lot of great wine is produced the world over, so it goes with coffee. However, as with wine, making coffee requires the right equipment. That’s where the most important tool in making coffee comes in, the grinder.
Coffee Grinders
You thought I was going to say the coffee machine! Grinding coffee beans can make or break the outcome when brewing coffee. What I learned a long time ago, when I switched to whole bean coffee, is that you can’t chop coffee, you need to truly grind it. “Grinders” with a metal propeller that look like a food processor are not grinders! Those are choppers. Chopping coffee does not get you a consistent grind nor does it release all of the beautiful oils and aromas necessary for a great pot. What you need is a burr grinder. Burr grinders are great for a number of reasons. They grind coffee consistently. They help you measure the correct amount every time. They store beans. There are a ton of makes and models out there. There are manual grinders, which I have never tried. There are electric grinders too. I have a: Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
. There is only one complaint about it. It is loud! It is a bit of a shock every time I press the grind button. If you want to be quiet, you will either need to go manual, or do some research. According to a quick check at Coffee Grinder World, yes, that’s a thing, the Capresso 565.05 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, Stainless Steel
will do the trick. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade!
And that’s that! Seriously! Once you have selected beans you like and have ground it properly, it’s all up to you. Drip coffee, french press, pour over, espresso, it’s all a matter of choice and convenience. Will each method produce a different result? Yes! However, if using whole beans, ground correctly, your results will equal great coffee!
In a perfect coffee world, I am thinking the below item would do the trick!
