An ode to Coffee
a.k.a. "You must respect The Bean"

Recently the Hilltop Echo (my school newspaper) sported an article on Coffee, specifically the popularity, brewing, and drinking there of. This article, though well written and well referenced, contained a few errors, and did not quite convey the Passion with which a true coffee aficionado imbibes the, dare I say, sacred beverage known as Coffee. If you drink coffee from a can (horrors) or if you enjoy a bracing cup of hot McDonald's gourmet brand coffee, this treatise is not for you, stop reading now, and stop pretending that you are a Coffee Drinker!

Selecting the Bean
Coffee starts with The Bean. This must be meticulously grown, picked and carefully roasted to perfection. There are many sources of quality roasted Coffee beans, I prefer Baltimore Coffee and Tea (www.baltcoffee.com) or Peets (www.peets.com). Flavored Coffees are anathema and do not respect the bean. Spare me your vanilla, hazelnut, amaretto flavorings; they serve only to mask the rich, full flavor of The Bean. Choose a nice Columbian, Italian Roast, French Roast, Guatemala Antigua, or Kenya AA Blend. I buy my coffee and then place the unopened, vacuum packed beans in the freezer to keep them fresh. Once frozen, however, you must not let the coffee sit out at room temperature, lest condensation should occur, this would have a deleterious effect on the freshness of The Bean.

The brewing process requires specialized equipment, lest you disrespect The Bean. Necessary equipment includes a coffee grinder, high quality coffee filters, a coffee pot for brewing, high quality water (no tap water please) and a mug for drinking. Read on and learn how to make a Good Cup of Coffee.

Grinding the Bean
Do not buy ground coffee. You must respect The Bean - grind the coffee just prior to Brewing. If you do not use the freezer to keep your beans, then for heaven's sake invest in an airtight container, and only buy enough coffee for 1 week at a time. The purist would claim that The Bean must be hand ground. It is a quiet, contemplative activity, promoting a Zen like state and a nice even grind. The Bean definitely likes the hand crank coffee grinder. An electric grinder is acceptable. The coffee grinder should ONLY be used to grind coffee and should be wiped clean after each session.

Choosing the Coffee Maker
The proper vessel must be used - do not look to Walmart or Target for the correct tool, it will not be found there. Truly the best vessel to use, and the one The Bean prefers, is a Melitta (not Melinda) Porcelain 6-cup MANUAL coffee pot. Yes, they still exist and they do NOT plug into the wall.

Alternatives are the Chemex, and the French Press. If you must use an electric coffee maker, look for a Melitta, Krups, or Cuisinart CONE drip coffee machine in a 4-6 cup size. Unless you are having a 'gathering', brewing 12 cups of coffee will only result in stale, burned coffee. Brew as much as you will drink at a sitting, burned coffee is anathema, and does not show the proper respect to The Bean!

Preparing the Brew
Once ground the devotee must then prepare to Brew. Fill your coffee pot with hot water to warm it up, in preparation for the coffee. Place your filtered or bottled water in the tea pot of your choice and proceed to boil it. Place a quality filter in the filter basket. Melitta makes earth friendly bamboo filters, natural unbleached filters, or standard filters. Avoid using cheap filters and no name brands - they will not show the proper respect for The Bean! Once the water is ready, pour it along the sides (not down the center) of the coffee filter. Take your time, be patient, you will get a more harmonious outcome. Enjoy the rich aroma of the coffee wafting its way upward. Once all the water has dripped through the filter basket, remove it and put the lid on the pot.

Drinking the Brew
With forethought, respect and patience you have brewed The Bean to perfection. You have used the proper materials and you are now ready to enjoy your Coffee. Resist the temptation to pour it into one of those "drink and go" thermal cups, rather, sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Obtain a fine porcelain cup or a hand made stoneware mug, look heavenward, offer up a little prayer, pour your coffee, sit in a comfortable chair and drink it with leisure and appreciation, as it is a supreme gift of the Gods and deserves no less!

Comments

Shelly said…
Sounds Great! Are you willing to come to my house every morning? If not, it's "scoop (ever so gently) out of the can and push (with much anticipation) the on button"! Aaaaahhhh!
December 8, 2008 at 2:42 PM
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