The best part of waking up…
Or in my case, any time of day
Fun fact: coffee wakes me up in the morning, but doesn’t keep me up at night. Not sure how it is possible, but I was blessed with the ability to drink coffee at all hours of the day. Part of me wonders if it’s a nature or nurture thing. In my home growing up, there was always a pot of coffee brewing, that Farberware percolator was a workhorse! No matter the time, day or night, coffee was there during any memorable moment. Other than on special occasions, neither of my parents were alcohol drinkers, but they both loved coffee. As a matter of fact, anything of importance happened at the kitchen table with a cup of fresh brewed coffee. Frequent visits with aunts and uncles, numerous daily phone calls with my grandmother, always accompanied by a cup of coffee. Important conversations about navigating life, sometimes over games of rack-o, scrabble or monopoly, you guessed it: coffee. The most important life moments in our home, big or small, coffee was front and center. So I have to consider, do I associate the smell/taste of coffee with happy times? Did my mom having it brewing often up until 10pm have a lasting physiological effect on me? Just maybe.
Anyone who knows me, (that now includes you) knows I am a coffee lover. In fact, other than an occasional cocktail I don’t drink anything but good old water or coffee. Hot, iced, cappuccino, americano, latte, frappé, I love them all! But one thing I do not like; weak coffee. Thankfully, my husband and I share this in common. So as you can imagine, we’ve tested quite a few coffees for brewing at home. Too acidic, too weak, too bitter, the struggle is real. Fortunately for you, I have done some work so you won’t have to.
Hot, iced, cappuccino, americano, latte, frappé, I love them all!
As I’ve said, we have tried many different roasts for brewing at home. But before I get into that I must share with you that after a LOT of research (due to way too much time on my hands during covid) I learned that as important as the roast may be, without the right coffee maker you won’t experience the full potential of the roast. First, we like a drip coffee, so all of my research was geared toward that style. Here’s what I’ve found:
Evidently the temperature of the water when it runs through the grinds has a huge effect on the flavor of the coffee. Also, keeping the pot hot until you’ve poured the last cup has less to do with the actual temp of the hot plate under the carafe as it does with how the coffee drips into the carafe to begin with. I settled on the Mocchamaster Select by Technivorm. They have a great article on their website explaining the above in detail. It’s a bit of a splurge, but if you are a serious coffee drinker and make it at home regularly, I do highly recommend this brewer. I got the glass carafe KBGV model because I have a thing about being able to see that it is super clean and thermal carafes don’t allow me to see that so well.
A winning combination
Now, on to the coffee roast.
We have tried so many coffees over the years and this past fall we were at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club, a spot we love in Portsmouth, NH. You can be sure to find a future blog post about Jimmy’s, but for now let’s get back to coffee. My husband ordered a cup of coffee and was not expecting much, since we rarely get served a cup that hits the spot, let alone is outstanding. This cup of coffee was everything! Bold, not bitter and not so dark and thick that when you add creamer, or in my case skim milk (I know, I know, but I like the taste of it better) you don’t need to add equal parts coffee & lightener to have it look the color you’re accustomed to. I immediately asked the waitress and she told me they buy their coffee locally at Port City Coffee Roasters, right in Portsmouth and that the roast they use is Bali Blue Moon Organic Coffee. To make things easier, you can sign up for monthly subscription delivery service. I strongly encourage you to check it out, This coffee, is amazing! Anyone who comes to visit and has a cup asks about it. If you’re local, go and try some for yourself first, or order one bag to start. You won’t be sorry. If you don’t love it too, send me a message and I’ll happily take the remaining grinds off of your hands! For real. :)