#18 -22: For the Love of Coffee...
44 Things That Spark Joy a.k.a. Sh*t That Makes Me Happy:
#18 -22: For the Love of Coffee...
I decided in my 44th year and in light of the fact that we are all (still) looking for things to spark joy in our lives to gather 44 things I’ve found along the way this past year and share them.
According to Facebook, September 29th is “National Coffee Day.” I don’t know who comes up with this stuff but I thought it was a good excuse to share my journey to loving this wonderful beverage as well as some of my favorite brewing tools and beans.
Coffee is my life force. It fuels my day and brings me joy. Period. I know, I know. It’s probably not that good for me but what is these days besides water and kale? If we have learned anything the past 18 months, it is that you gotta live a little because life is short. I don’t have many vices but I would say coffee is my number one tied only with dessert. Every morning I wake up and it’s my first treat of the day. I look forward to it and I savor every single drop. While I have never been a purist that drinks straight up black coffee, I do love a good latte and a killer cold brew laced with heavy cream.
My parents are both coffee drinkers. I think I take after my mom more as far as what version I like. She always requested cream and sugar in her coffee and still requests all of her mochas from Starbucks have “heavy whipping cream” on top. She’s even been known to use leftover homemade whipped cream in her coffee. The morning after a holiday where we had pie served, we would find her putting a dollop of whipped cream in her morning coffee. I haven’t gone that far but I do support her other love which is leftover pie for breakfast… with coffee of course.
I didn’t discover my love for coffee until my late 20’s. In high school I recall going to a coffee house for the first time called Coffee Republic with my two partners in crime. We would go every weekend. Hey it was the 90s, grunge was in, coffee houses were on the rise Reality Bites was a hit movie and so this was the place to hang out. When we went there though, I would order hot chocolate or tea. Coffee? No way. While I still enjoy a strong cup of Earl Grey… I was meant for greater things when it came to hot beverages.
Then I went work at an Italian restaurant. I was still not a coffee drinker at all. Two and a half years later as I finished my time there and headed out on a new adventure to move to the Pacific Northwest with my husband, I emerged as a full blown convert. Probably more like a borderline addict. It didn’t hurt that I was spoiled rotten by sweet George at the restaurant. He was part of our morning crew and he would deliver made to order espresso drinks to my desk every day upon arrival. George was the best. He knew the detail of everyone’s order down to which packets of sweetener we all liked. It was amazing.
When we moved to Seattle, I started to discover that there were high end coffee companies both near and far. (No, we don’t all drink Starbucks up north just because it originated here.) As I made a return trip to California to visit my friends and family, an old friend introduced me to Blue Bottle Company. It was instant love. Although most of their baristas acted like the “Soup Nazi” on that episode of Seinfeld in that you are privileged just to get a cup at their cafes, their coffee is amazing. This place was like a science lab inside. It was a process to brew the perfect cup I realized. I also started doing some tasting around Seattle as we explored our new city and I was wracking up a list of local favorites. I even found a few Hawaiian varieties as we embarked our annual vacations to Maui. The list was growing and still is today.
Three years ago, our old Breville home espresso maker died. There was no saving it and sadly it was time to find a replacement. Having two small kids and little time to stand there frothing my milk, I went in search of something easier and discovered the magic of a semi-automatic machine at Seattle Coffee Gear. What I found was a machine that was one stop shopping for home brewing. It grinds, it brews and it froths milk. What else do you need? Nothing! We decided to make the investment and we purchased what we refer to now as “Brigitta the Barista.” We love her. Every morning at the touch of a button she concocts the perfect latte for me. I can even send the kids to brew a cup for me because she has a list of my favorites saved under my name. Now that’s magic. I religiously maintain her and joke that if she goes down… the whole house will go down as well. We can’t live without her. I am sure if you looked up the price of this machine, you would think that my husband and I have lost our minds… but remember we don’t drink wine (which let’s face it can be an expensive habit) and we participate in no expensive hobbies like skiing or boating. So this is where we chose to make a big investment. We put our favorite beans from various companies on subscription and the shipments just roll in. This was a godsend at the beginning of the pandemic when things were shut down. We were never without morning coffee. Never.
In addition, I stumbled upon the delicious cold brew and being ahead of all the brewing trends - Blue Bottle Coffee Company introduced me to a home brewing tool for that as well. If you’ve got the time and can plan ahead, then cold brewing at home is a snap. I purchased their cold brew carafe and added it to my arsenal of kitchen gadgets. I now even travel with a plastic cold brew pitcher. Going to a place with no decent coffee options? No problem! You can brew in your hotel room. Just add water and throw it in the mini fridge overnight. No waiting for the hotel coffee shop to open or long lines at resorts. When it comes to coffee, I never wait!
Well that’s about all I have to share. As you may have picked up, I am passionate about coffee. While I know that I still have much to learn, I have enjoyed what I have picked up so far. The bottom line is though…The answer is always coffee. Enjoy! (See links below for the list of my favorites!)
My Favorites
#18 Brigitta the Barista: The Saeco Xelsis
#19 Seattle Coffee Gear:
This is just a great store! They have a variety of coffee makers at all price points, many types of beans to order as well as instructional videos and great customer support. Don’t worry if you don’t live in Seattle, they ship!
#20 Cold Brew Tools: The Hario Cold Brew Bottle & the Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker
My home cold brew tool. Just add coffee, water and time.
Need coffee while you are traveling? This plastic pitcher is amazing!
#21 Blue Bottle Coffee Co: 17 Ft. Ceiling & Hayes Valley Espresso
These are my two favorite beans for making an espresso drink at home. They also have a variety of beans for cold brewing and online classes.
#22 Honolulu Coffee Co: Makahiki Coffee
This is my favorite coffee for making a cold brew at home. This is what they brew at some of the hotels including the Ritz-Carlton in Maui. I order the “paper filter” grind.