By: James from Boston, Massachusetts
I have a bit of a unique connection with coffee. I love coffee, I just don’t drink it. Let me clarify: I used to drink coffee. Quite a bit actually. I’d always buy fresh roasted coffee, but I especially loved the process of brewing coffee. From a mostly manual large Italian made espresso machine (that has since been sold for the convenience of a Nespresso) to the amazing simplicity of a moka pot, I would love trying new ways of extracting the liquid gold from the beans.
At a certain point, I felt I was drinking too much coffee. While I loved coffee, I took the opportunity of a 3-day bad head cold a few years back to transition to drinking tea. What is surprising, however, is I still absolutely love the extraction process. I make coffee for my wife almost every morning. Fresh ground in my burr grinder. I watch YouTube videos to try and perfect my craft. It’s amazing how many variables can change a simple cup of coffee. We no longer have a percolator. Most mornings lately, pour-over is the weapon of choice, but I enjoy lots of other methods too.
I guess all along, my connection to coffee was more than just the flavor, or the energy it gave me. I felt connected to the process of making coffee. In life, I find myself drawn to things that slow us down and make us focus on the present. To me, the extraction process of coffee is one of life’s meditative pleasures.
