Coffee Love, Part 2 (The mature years)

Okay... so here I am... I had turned 40 (3 or so years ago - give or take a few months)... and I find my tastes had changed again... and I was no longer happy running out to buy a cup of coffee every time I wanted one.

When drinking coffee it came from one of three places.... Starbucks, a restaurant, or the work coffee maker... but I felt unfulfilled...

I was reminded of staying in Paris... the family I stayed with used a chemex and I had really liked it... I loved coffee in France... black, au lait, all the time... I was in a constant state of pure caffeine bliss for 6 weeks! I had to find a way to make good coffee... coffee I would not be embarrassed to serve to guests... "Um, would anybody like some tea?"

* now you may ask... did I try a chemex as I started making coffee at home... yes... and I had several of them... they kept breaking (okay... I was clumsy)... also chemex takes time... you have to keep coming back to fill the top filter section... I don't have that kind of patience... still don't!

Enter the large scale roasters.... Intelligentsia, Raven's Brew Coffee, Barefoot Coffee and others... and A LOT of experimenting... sometimes with good outcomes... some... well... not.

I already felt that my ability to make good brew coffee was lacking... so I was reluctant to go there again... armed with an electric blade grinder (*GASP*... I know, stay with me), a French Press and a Moka pot... I began my journey down the rabbit hole...

I have a Moka pot... and honestly it scares the hell out of me... probably for the same reason I don't use my pressure cooker!

The Moka is the Italians answer to a percolator... although here the steam that pushes the water through the coffee grinds gets much hotter and is under more pressure... the cool thing about a Moka is the crema or coffee foam (as with an espresso maker)... here again... I think the product is more robust, thicker... and for me and my tastes makes both the Moka and French press not suitable for my daily coffee...

Hmmmm... my French Press... I have a love/hate relationship with my French Press. I love the elegance and convenience of using it... I love the robust outcome when I want an espresso feel... but I don't like the mouth feel... and I hate cleaning it...

I have not figured out if it's more than that... maybe I don't like all the essential oils left floating around...

There are horrifed coffee purists out there who feel that it's the only way to make coffee... but to me... with all the diveristy and complexity of different coffees and roasts... that's like saying that one shape of pasta works for all sauces (which is a competely different conversation.).

I mean I use it... Sunday mornings... but... it was not yin and yang yet...

But I still did not have a way to make a big pot of "everyday" coffee... so basically I goaded myself into going back to the grindstone... Mr. Coffee...

To be continued...