Coffee, part 1

 

I've been accused of being a coffee snob.  It's probably true.  I deeply love coffee, but not all coffee.  The coffee I love is French roast or other extremely dark roasts.  Interestingly enough, it's a common misconception that the darker the coffee, the higher the caffeine content.  The opposite is true: the lighter the roast, the higher the caffeine content.  It's a small difference, but it's there.

I drink mine black.  I don't want to add anything to detract from the wonderfully heavy and thick taste of the dark roast.  

When I make coffee, I start with beans from local roasters.  I like to see beans that are roasted to be almost black in color, and with a nice sheen of oil on the beans, much like in the photo at the top of this blog post.  My favorites are French roasts of Central American coffee beans.  There was a time wherein I spent years trying coffee from anyplace I could find it: Hawaii, Jamaica, various locations in Africa.  I've tried all those, and in varying roasts, but my favorites were always beans grown in Central American countries.  I also like coffee beans grown in Mexico, but for some reason, those are hard to find here in New England.

I use a coffee grinder to grind the beans while the water is heating.  I usually brew in a French press.  Stainless steel, not glass.  I previously used glass French presses for years, but after replacing several, as they're prone to breakage, I decided to try a double-wall insulated stainless steel press.  I bought it because I was tired of replacing the glass presses every year or so.  I didn't know that I'd prefer the taste of the stainless steel press; in fact, the thought that there is a difference in flavor between press types never occurred to me.  It's not a massive difference, but a welcome one.  I like it.

I preheat the French press.  After the water boils, I pour it into the empty press and swirl it around a bit to heat the press.  I also preheat the mug I'm using that morning.  Then, reheat the water.  While the water is reheating, I add the fresh grounds to the press; upon adding the water to the grounds, I use a wooden spoon to give it a slight stir, then insert the plunger and set a timer for four minutes.  After four minutes, press and yum.

I sometimes forego the French press and brew in a moka pot.  Stainless steel, not aluminum.  I used to have an aluminum pot, but the brew tasted harsh and metallic.  I have two moka pots of differing sizes; both are stainless steel and of Italian origin.  The moka pot makes a smaller amount than the French press, but it's a really special brew.  I think of its flavor as being somewhere between a mug of French roast and an espresso.  You can see an x-ray video of the moka brewing process here.

My usual daily drink is organic green tea, but I do make coffee twice a week.  This keeps me from becoming dependent on coffee.  Green tea has such a tiny caffeine content that not only am I not dependent on it, but there are some days wherein I don't have tea or coffee at all.  There was a time when I'd need two cups of coffee every morning just to feel awake.  I don't want to return to that.  Coffee is now more of a sometimes treat, and I look forward to coffee days.

I'll also have coffee on days where I have recording sessions. 

I love espresso, too.   

As much as I love the flavor of a dark roast brew, I also like what coffee does to my thinking processes.  No doubt many of my compositions owe their genesis to French roast.

-kk