Ah! Coffee Nirvana Has Returned
I took the plunge finally and purchased a burr grinder for whole bean coffee, and replaced our Bodem French Press that broke some months ago. I picked up a bag of Starbucks Sumatran (I prefer Kenya AAA), whole bean. Wow. And, wow.
If you have never had a cup of coffee properly brewed with freshly burr-ground coffee, using good beans, please don't. If you do, you will never be satisfied with anything less than this. There is simply no comparison between coffee brewed this way, and any other way. Sure, it's more work, but well worth it.
If you don't believe me, go ahead, try it. But be warned: there's no going back once you reach coffee nirvana.
And if you think I'm obsessive about my coffee, don't worry, there are people far worse than me. There are those who buy green unroasted beans, and roast them, themselves. You can read about how to use a certain brand of hot air popcorn popper to do it. I can neither confirm or deny that I've tried it. They scoff at using pre-roasted beans. So there. I'm not that bad. I do not buy green coffee and roast it myself.
And, I'll come clean. I love it with Coffeemate creamer. Nothing else. And Splenda. One packet per six ounces. There, now you know everything.I feel better.
Here is a good web site with an explanation of how to use a French press.
Congratulations on the burr grinder. I didn’t want to invest that much myself, so I have an old-school Zassenhaus grinder. Like grandma might have had. (In fact, my whole coffee preparation can be done without electricity.)
I don’t roast my beans myself, but I do insist on buying freshly roasted beans. Luckily, a very good roaster/cafe is just down the street from me. Some days, I can go to their cafe and watch them roast — the roastmaster usually answers my questions, and I’ve learned a lot about coffee. Do Starbucks bags tell you when the beans were roasted?
As for the CoffeeMate and Splenda … well, let’s just say I’m glad at least your theology is orthodox.
While we’re at it, you should mention 95-105 degree water and roughly 2 tbsp beans per 6 oz. of water is essential for a good cup of french press. Once a week or so I suffer through a cup with the industrial maker in the office. I repent of this gross offense and return to proper coffee.
McCain: 95-105? No, much, much too cool. The best way is to bring the water to a hard boil, set the pot aside, grind your beans, scoop the grind into the press, and then pour the water on. 95-105 is not nearly hot enough to release the coffee well.
I used to roast green beans (I’m not even sure where I’d get any now) on lazy Saturday mornings, i.e., before my wife and I were blessed with a son (somehow Saturday mornings weren’t quite so lazy after that, but that’s OK!
). Anyways, what I used to use was a 12″ cast iron pan. You put enough in the pan to basically cover the bottom of the pan, and you kind of shake and stir to get the beans to cook evenly. They’ll go through a “popping” phase, and after that it depends on how dark you want the roast. As my wife isn’t too into dark roast, I roasted it on the lighter side. I found Kenya AA beans worked well.
John
Alas, I’m off coffee as of six weeks ago, indefinitely, doctor’s orders. Otherwise I’d be right there with you in coffee nerd nirvana.