My, how times have changed. In the olden days, people did everything manually. They ground the beans using a mortar and pestle, dumped the grounds in a pot with water, set it to boil and poured the resulting sludge in a mug and called it coffee. Now, people either go to the nearest cafe for their gourmet coffee or walk into their kitchen which may actually be better equipped than the local coffee shop.
The industry behind the coffee kitchen products have been churning out many gadgets that convince many that they can become instant coffee gourmets with a simple touch of a button. Some of them do work – and quite well indeed. Still there is something in knowing how to make a simple cup of coffee, without frills or fuss. It doesn’t require any gadgets or gizmos except for the coffee grinder. Many forget that the true test of coffee is in its simplest form – without the milk or sugar.
Rather than spending on a hi-tech coffee machine, why not invest in a french press or a simple drip coffee maker. Both are simple, inexpensive coffee making devices that can get the job done and give you a great brew. The rest of the steps is a matter of keeping your equipment clean and learning the proper techniques of grinding measuring and timing. It is an art as much as a science.
Remeber that sometimes, skill is more important than the equipment. Get your coffee basics down first and it won’t matter if you have a fancy machine or not, you’ll be able to make excellent coffee each time.
Originally posted on January 28, 2007 @ 2:43 pm