Cool Coffee Contraption

I can't go too long without talking about coffee, and I think I'm due and I have so much to share with you!

First of all, I repaired my French press once after the spout had chipped, but it broke again.  (Sadness!)  I have still been using it carefully since there are no sharp edges... but just when I was thinking about replacing it, I discovered a new brew method! (Joy!)

It all started when I was having dinner with a couple of gals from BSF and they realized I'd never had Philz Coffee.  So we planned to meet at this local chain coffee place, just a few minutes from the church that hosts BSF in Palo Alto, before leaders' meeting on Saturday (yes, at 6:40 am!).  I had no idea that this was going to revolutionize my coffee drinking!  I have been a pretty religious coffee drinker for years and an avid Starbucks fan (although I always enjoyed their lattes, frappuccinos, and other frou-frou drinks more than the regular coffee).  But I felt as though I was just discovering what coffee is supposed to taste like!

It was not acidic or bitter... just smooth and delicious.  I couldn't believe it!

They were also so nice and helpful, because my friend was late to meet me and I was overwhelmed by the choices!  I thought I'd be reading a menu of lattes, cappuccinos, and the like.  But Philz specializes in wonderful custom roasts that they prepare by using a pour-through system.  (The photo below is a bit blurry as I was taking it before my first cup this morning and also trying to not seem like a weirdo taking pictures of my coffee brewing...haha...but I think you get the idea. The barista pours the hot water through the filter as seen below, which holds the beans, and the cup is below the counter.)

I immediately began taking notes and making mental preparations.  I knew after my first sip that as soon as I finished the beans that I had at home, I was going to have to buy some Philz beans so I could duplicate this experience at home!

So, not knowing where else to begin, I hopped on Amazon.com and began browsing!  And I settled on this little baby...

 

(Best part? Costs about $5 with free shipping!)  Now, after my second time at Philz I was hooked (I am told that they do something to their cream and I think what they must do is add *crack* because this stuff is so addicting!).  But as it happened, I was told that another place, Barefoot Coffee, was also very good and prepared their coffee the same way.  Well, Steve had been given a bag of Barefoot beans for his birthday by a couple at church!  So I brought the beans in to the store in Campbell, CA to have them grind it for me and I learned even more from the very helpful baristas as I sampled their brew.  

Tip 1: How much coffee? 4 tablespoons of ground coffee per 12 oz or 3 tablespoons of whole beans. (24 g / 12 oz)

Tip 2: How fine do I grind the beans?  Similar to any conical coffee contraption, it should be about the consistency of salt.

Tip 3: How should I store my coffee?  NOT in the fridge or freezer, but at room temperature in a dark, air-tight container.

Wow.  As I type this, I am enjoying my first cup of Barefoot Coffee prepared in my new Melitta pour-over coffee brewer.  Ahhh....  

Note to self: Either that scoop you used is more than a tablespoon or you don't need 4 tablespoons per 12 oz of water, because this is Sta-rooong!

Note to Philz: I'll see you Saturday and I still love you more than Barefoot because you were my first!  And because of the "crack" in the creamer! ;)

There you have it... I'll keep you posted on anything new I learn as I go.  Also, isn't my new favorite mug so adorable?  It was a gift from a very dear friend and travel buddy!

Coffee Emergency!

Greetings!  As you know from this post, I make my coffee each morning in my trusty French press.  When I come back up to our room after breakfast and sending Steve off to work, two things help me be successful to not go back to sleep:

1) I make the bed. (Since we're in a studio, if I don't it mocks me and calls me to jump in and warm myself and just "rest my eyes."  Evil. So I make it to avoid getting IN it.  Yes, we have maid service, but they don't come until the afternoon!)

2) I make my coffee! 

I keep thinking that since I'm getting puh-lenty of sleep each night (which I know you'll be happy to hear, Mom) that I'll be a morning person one of these days...  After all, Steve's already off to work and earning the big bucks, so I should be able to stay awake, too!  But, so far, my body (or mind?) is not cooperating.  So the coffee and bed-making ritual help me fake it.  (Now I just have to figure out how to avoid falling asleep on the couch...)

But anyway, the other day, there was a kink in my caffeinating plans!  I noticed a crack in the spout of my trusty French press, and when I put the plunger in, the spout fell right off in one piece.  So I made the coffee in there and then quickly poured it back into the hotel coffee maker carafe over the sink.  But I knew this would not do...  (and confirmed this after a minor scratch that came while cleaning the pot the next day!)

In this case, I did not want to buy another press (it was $20 and this one was only a few months old!).  And sadly, I did not see duct tape as a viable solution for this problem (shocking, I know!).  So, I found me some Elmer's non-toxic glass glue and picked some up a few days later and did some minor surgery on my beloved caffeine-delivery-device. (Does anyone else think it needs a nickname?)

Good as new!  (Although not as pretty...) Yay for not having to buy a new one! And yay for that awesome handy-woman feeling from fixing something yourself! :)

Coffee Woes

Well, I have to update you on an important part of my life: coffee!  At home I have a Keurig instant brewer to cater to my coffee needs.  That baby heats up and dispenses  a cup of hot (or cold, if preferred) coffee in just four minutes. This is one of the things from home that I miss dearly.  Now, you would think it wouldn't be too hard to get a cup of good coffee, but in my first few weeks here, good coffee was scarce!  The hotel's coffee is possibly the worst I've EVER had.  It's inexplicable, really, how grotesque it is.  I tried to drink it a couple of times, but it's really undrinkable.  In fact, I marvel every morning at the poor hotel guests who fill their mugs with it.

Before I had my car here, even, I trekked to McDonald's (whose Canton store had wonderful coffee but whose local store here does not) and Starbucks for a decent cup of java.  But I realized this could not go on because it was neither cost-efficient nor convenient.  So there were several days, weeks even, maybe, that I went without any kind of coffee at all.  Many of you know that this could not be good for me!  Or anyone! :)

So, I finally purchased some Dunkin Donuts blend at the store to brew in the coffee maker in our room.  It was still less than good.  Thinking it was my fault somehow, I tried brewing several pots and each was worse than the last.  I decided it must be the coffee maker.  It took what seemed like an eternity to brew and not as much coffee came out as water went in.  So I requested that the hotel replace our coffee maker and they kindly obliged.  I made a few more pots of mediocre coffee (it was an improvement but still not wonderful) before giving in and buying the French Press I'd been contemplating for some time.  I just could not go any longer without good coffee!

So now each morning I heat the water in the regular coffee maker and then add it to the Starbucks or Peet's coffee I recently had freshly ground for my French Press.  Minutes later, I have a hot, fresh, strong cup of delicious java ready for consumption!  Add some coconut creamer and I'm ready to greet the day and begin my morning BSF ritual.  Ahhhh......