I used to make my coffee with a cheap coffee machine I got from the mall. I would buy pre-ground beans whenever I was shopping for food and happened to think of it. The result had a coffee-like appearance, but didn't taste like much.
Then I started upgrading. I got a one cup ceramic coffee filter and some filter papers, a coffee grinder, and a kettle with a narrow spout. I started buying my coffee beans whole from Comet in Ann Arbor, which has the best coffee I've tasted anywhere. In my new routine I boil some water, grind enough coffee for one cup, and pour the water over the coffee grounds by hand. I've been working on my pouring technique -- they say it's best to dampen the grounds with a light pour first, then pour in the rest of the hot water in a circular motion around the outside of the filter. I don't really know how much these finesses matter, but they give me something to think about and my coffee has certainly improved. I probably spend two or three minutes more making coffee than I used to, but for me it's definitely worth it.
I started to think I could do something similar with other parts of my life -- turn chores into rituals. The idea is that with enough care tasks that were once repetitive and boring become engaging and rewarding. I was going to do it with shaving (straight razor, badger brush, etc.), but then I just stopped shaving. Now I'm thinking about getting really good at ironing clothes.
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1 comment:
One of the Lab baristas wrote this helpful article on initially dousing your coffee grinds that I found very helpful. It touches a bit on what's going on chemically in there that I found very educational, and it links to this article about it with French presses that I now follow when I make my coffee. The results were immediately noticeable and much for the better. I always noticed that the Comet folks do this (plus or minus the time/amount details) but I never knew why.
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