So here is the question? How many times do you hear people say "I am such a coffee snob"? Myself included. For the longest time, I have been drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee. Now some will say, "How can you be a coffee snob with Dunkin"? Maybe they can understand Starbucks or some of the fancier lines of coffee brands but Dunkin is pretty ordinary.
So this leads me to the conclusion that I just love the taste of coffee, not for the caffeine, (I only can drink decaf, just taste and aroma. I don't care for Starbucks and most of the supermarket brands I don't like at all. So yes, I am incredibly picky or some would say a coffee snob.
This is the scale that we use and we measure in grams. If you have any scale around the house that measures in grams it will be fine to use.
Here is the thing, my son, who is a guy who loves coffee to the point of measuring, grinding, and just about everything else you need to do to the beans to make the best cup of coffee ever, has had a very strong influence on me lately. I have seen him buy the expensive beans such as companies like Stumptown, Intelligentsia and a few other awesome companies. Watching him, measure, boil, grind, and time the rate of how fast the water goes through the carafe, (this is a process called pour over). I am thinking how could all of this time be worth it? Now I am talking months of observing him doing this! He only drinks regular so I was reluctant to drink the caffeinated coffee to try it out.
So here is a photo of our arsenal! The scale, the scooper to measure out the beans, the grinder is in the background. We actually have a really fast electric one but I just used this one today because it is easier to photograph (this is a hand one which is a little tough to use for me to use). The kettle on the right is awesome to do pour overs with because you can control the amount of water coming out. You really want to pour nice and slow. The carafe is in the middle and the filter is placed on top.
Months had passed, and my daughter was here visiting and she asked if I would make the coffee for her that her brother raves about. Mind you, I had to go purely on memory watching him make it everyday thinking I could do this. I gave it my best shot and I actually was able to produce a great cup of coffee for her from memory. While brewing it myself, the aroma was so aromatic and inviting that I was tempted to try some regardless of the fact that it was caffeinated. That is all it took! A few sips and I now am hooked and convinced that this is the way to enjoy a real cup of Joe! So now, I do go and buy myself the expensive beans (around $18.00 a bag) which was a big jump from buying the three pound deal from Dunkin for about $20.00.
So here we will now grind the beans and then the coffee will be placed in the filter on top of the carafe.
Once the beans are ground, you then will place the coffee in the filter and take the boiled water and pour slowly over the grounds. After the correct amount of water is poured it is complete and ready to enjoy.
Do I still drink the Dunkin and go their every afternoon? Well maybe not every afternoon, but yes I do still go alot. As much as I LOVE the pour over method and the expensive beans, I do not indulge regularly. I also like the morning coffee to be ready to go as soon as I am up for the day. I do enjoy the whole process of preparing the coffee when I have time. I believe this is an art all of its own. Not one hard to accomplish by any means, but you first have to have the gear like everything else which adds up to quite a bit of money. Being a photographer, I totally need the right gear to get that beautiful end result and it is the same thing with just about everything we do.
Here I am actually trying to pour the water and take the photo at the same time! Not as easy as I thought. In the beginning, you just pour a bit to get the grinds to really soak up the water. Also you can download the app from intelligentsia and it will help you follow the directions perfectly as far as the timing of how long and how much water and coffee beans to use.
So I guess I am coming to the conclusion that I am not a coffee snob , but more like a total coffee lover who has acquired a fine taste in coffee. Just like people that like fine wines, I think they just love wine and enjoy the really great stuff!
Here is the end result! So pull up a chair and a favorite magazine, add a little biscotti and enjoy!
So there you have it! What is your opinion on this subject? Would love to hear your thoughts and find out just what you all are drinking in the coffee world! Thanks for stopping by............
