I think my earliest memory of coffee is from when I was a
little kid. I remember being at some
office where my dad worked and having those little white sugar cubes and
coffee. Either the coffee or the sugar
cubes were the important part that is in my memory. Mom always had coffee with cream and sugar so
there is no real telling where and when I started liking coffee. Some time along the way I also got exposed to
chocolate covered coffee beans.
I think most of the reason I love coffee is not because
of the taste but in how it can be made, i.e. the different kinds of coffee pots
and brewers. I remember that my
grandmother had one of those electric percolators, black and stainless steel,
sitting on the kitchen counter and the distinct sound it made. Then in my teens I learned about French press
and Turkish coffee makers. Just the
names were alluring.
I picked up a simple ibrik
for making Turkish coffee. Cafe Najjar brand coffee ground with
cardamom was great for those dorm days when I just needed to brew a cup or
two. The basic French press is also
great and I have gone through a few of those over the years. My favorite pot for brewing is an old
Corningware stove top percolator. It
brews 6 cups and just enough for two
people. I also have an old Flameware
Pyrex glass percolator that looks like something out of a mad scientist's
laboratory. I have never been a fan of
the Mr. Coffee drip style of coffee makers just due to the fact that most of my
own brewing experience has been on the small scale. Paper filter drip works great and the
business world would stop turning without them but they are just not my first
choice.
Now we have a new coffee pot to play with. The Moka pot is a engineering marvel. Dear Reader has already read Tracy's tale of
the Moka pot. I can only add that some
of my mornings have been very tasty with this contraption. My percolator and French press have been
pushed to the back of the cabinet.
Heavy debate rages between which brewing method is the
best but all coffee should start with grinding whole beans yourself. The sound of the grinder is more awakening to
the morning senses than the smell of brewing coffee. Okay, so maybe it is a horrible grinding
noise first thing in the morning but hey, the coffee will be ready in 15 minutes.
Mmmm...coffee.