There are few, and I mean very few, mornings in my house that don't start with a caffeinated beverage. As a staff RN I have to hit the floor running at 0700. This means I wake up before the crack of dawn. I absolutely need caffeine to render myself a normal, functioning human being.
I heard somewhere once that caffeine doesn't necessarily make you more alert, it merely brings you back into a normal state of wakefulness. I am not sure if "normal wakefulness" includes jitters and heart palpitations, but I digress. The powerful and addictive caffeine wizard casts his spell with a mighty jolt and brings millions if not billions of slumbering slobs out of their comas and into productive society each day.Not to mention, the flavor of a beautifully brewed cup of coffee or a perfect 25 second pull of espresso is nothing short of dreamy. I prefer my cup with half and half.
I, for one, think it brings out my creative side. And yes, I have had coffee today, how could you tell?
Which brings me to my original theme for today: The how to's for a great cup of coffee, i.e. nectar of the Gods.
First you will need your equipment:
A French Press
A coffee grinder capable of grinding very coarsely
A measuring spoon
Tea pot
Timer-This is imperative as you will no doubt wander around in a slob like state, with out caffeine and forget to watch the clock.
Brew instructions:
Measure out your beans and place into the grinder, a good rule of thumb is 2 Tbs for every cup you are brewing, its may sound like a lot, but the flavor will surprise you.Grind until very coarse, the texture should be like steel cut oats. Place ground into press.
Next begin heating your water in the tea pot. When the water is almost boiling turn off the heat. You do not want to ever use boiling water when brewing, as it will burn the grounds.
Pour the hot water over the grounds into the press. Stir the grounds briefly with a spoon or fork and time the brew for 4 minutes exactly.
When the timer alarms its time to press the pot. Place the filter top into the pot and press the plunger.
Pour and enjoy.
Oh, yes since the title of this post has the word tea in it and tea contains caffeine:
Hooray for Tea in it's entirety!
Molly, I'm a died-in-the-wool tea drinker, and I can tell you how to make a proper cup of tea. But when it comes to coffee, I'm hopeless. Since I do like to make coffee for houseguests if that is their preference, I am eager to try your method. You sound like a woman who knows what she's talking about here!
ReplyDeleteA cafetière is also ideal for brewing tea from leaves: it eliminates the need for a tea strainer. Of course in this case, unlike coffee, the water should be boiling.
ReplyDeleteWord of warning: depress the plunger slowly. A cracked pyrex cafetière makes a real mess of a table.
Peter Bryenton
www.brypix.com
Thank you for posting such a useful, impressive and a wicked article./Wow.. looking good!Coffee Equipment
ReplyDelete