Ramblings

Photo by Flickr user CoffeeGeek and used under a Creative Commons license.

I once bought a fancy schmancy espresso machine for a previous girlfriend because I knew that she enjoyed espresso-based drinks pretty much every day, and it seemed like a good way to save her $3/day while having far more control over each step of the espresso creation process than compromising for convenience at the local coffee shop. I look back and shake my head - buying unexpected gifts that require an investment of effort is a bad idea (see: puppies). But also, espresso freaking sucks. Why do I want to work so hard for something that has less caffeine than ordinarily brewed coffee? I think most of America is just using their coffee as a socially acceptable delivery mechanism for fat and sugar.

Today, I find that I can't stand the idea of coffee makers with microchips, or even pumps and complex arrays of pipes and nozzles and settings. I highly doubt one of these contraptions was ever on the mind of the Ethiopians who first domesticated coffee beens. Hell, there's even a $2000 coffeemaker with a security exploit that not only allows a remote attacker to break the machine, but even opens up a security vulnerability in your windows computer, giving outsiders access to your computer as well.

Now, when I brew my own coffee, I use a french press. It's easy, low tech, and a technique that transfers well to situations like camping. The scene where they're brewing coffee in a french press during a lull in the gunfighting in Black Hawk Down still makes me smile. And here's the thing - french press coffee tastes much better than drip coffee, and the "device" is ridiculously cheap.

A few months ago, Michael Ruhlman, a food author/blogger I greatly respect, raved about the virtues of percolator-brewed coffee. I've never had percolator coffee, but I share his distaste for drip coffee. There is nothing redeeming about the idea of dripping relatively tepid water over coffee grinds and a piece of paper into a glass pot. For what? The ability to have it brew on timer automatically in the morning as you're waking up? I'd rather wake up 10 minutes earlier, grind the beans, and brew it in a press.

On that note, if anyone reading has ever had coffee made from a percolator, let me know in the comments.