Coffee is Life!

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Coffee is life and I use it to get me going in the morning and keep me going throughout the day. I don’t have any new groundbreaking revelations to announce about the benefits (or detriments) of coffee, and I certainly don’t have any special insight into who drinks it, why, or how often. All I want is to tell you where I stand, encourage you to try new things, and appease the coffee gods so they will look kindly on me, keeping me afloat in my favorite coffees.

My Coffee Drinking Profile

Please don’t hold my coffee drinking preferences against me. Don’t shame me based on where I buy my coffee or how I like it prepared. There’s room for all of us to enjoy our consumption peculiarities, not that my consumption habits are particularly peculiar.

First, I’m definitely more of a Starbucks person than a Dunkin’ Donuts one. This is not an explicit endorsement of Starbucks but simply an observation that I prefer rich, dark, full-bodied coffees which Starbucks does well. I am flexible… when McDonald’s was serving Newman’s Own coffee, that was my cup of choice.

Next, I like my coffee dark, strong, with minimal acidity, a little bit of sweetness, and not much fruitiness. Definitely more on the chocolate, smoky, syrupy side of the spectrum than the light, bright, and airy side. That said, I don’t do much to my coffee now that I’ve given up sweeteners — just a bit of milk (whole is preferred) resulting in a dark stained oaky color.

As for how I like coffee prepared, here is where I get particular. I mostly drink coffee prepared as an Americano. That is espresso diluted with water. A Starbucks grande Americano has 3 shots of espresso. At home, I use a double shot. The benefit of an Americano is that you get most of the richness of espresso in a normal-sized cup. Espresso by itself is drunk too quickly and only satisfying with dessert after dinner. If espresso isn’t available, I prefer a french or aero press, but, in a crunch, any drip coffee will suffice.

How I Became a Coffee Drinker

I blame it all on my grandmother. She drank a lot of coffee, and back then, it was mostly Maxwell House made in a stovetop or electric percolator. Then came instant and freeze-dried coffees that made it easier to have a single cup. My grandmother started giving me a little bit of coffee with a lot of milk somewhere around age 9. She didn’t realize what she was creating feeding caffeine to a perpetually poor sleeper who was definitely not a morning person. I immediately recognized the effects and benefits, and I was hooked. My coffee drinking habits evolved as I aged and as the coffee world grew more complex and sophisticated. There were those percolator years, the instant coffee years, the Mr. Coffee years, the Melitta years, and so on. Then, I had my first cup of distinctively roasted coffee not from Starbucks but from Peets — a cappuccino made with Kenya. This changed my life and my spending habits.

I began to search out coffees I liked in the same way I looked for wines, whiskies, or chocolates I preferred. My search took me around the world (virtually) with coffees from the Americas, Indo-Pacific, and Africa. So much coffee, so little money and time. Note: I know it can be difficult to try something new but Peet offers a fun way to identify coffees that might suit your taste. Try their coffee-finder. I have also tried nearly every form of coffee making method; espresso machines (pull & automatic), pour-over, drip, french and aero press, pods, Nespresso, and so on, which brings us to the current state of my coffee preferences.

That’s The Way, Aha Aha — I Like It, Aha Aha

Now for some unabashed promotion of the products and coffees I like. First, and most importantly, is my coffee maker — er, I mean my espresso machine. Salvatore Cisaria of Salvatore’s Espresso has been making the most beautiful and functional espresso machines for 34 years. Italian craftsmanship yet made in the USA in Buellton, CA, home of Anderson’s, the world’s best split pea soup by the way. My current machine is a simple semi-automatic that dispenses delightful double shots of coffee heaven. In the morning, I just grind my beans (using a Salvatore burr grinder), load the portafilter, draw the espresso, add some hot water (for the Americano), dump the puck of used coffee into a (Salvatore) knock-box, and I’m done. The pucks get deposited in my compost bin with all of my organic waste, which is picked up by a local commercial composter. No plastic, no pods, no waste, no fuss, no muss. Just delicious coffee! Tour Salvatore’s website for more about his machines and his amazing life!

Now, comes the hard part, choosing the right beans. I could write multiple articles on bean selection — there’s a lot to learn about types of beans, where they are grown, processing methods, and roasting options, so for the sake of time, I’ll just provide some advice and list some of my favorite providers. My advice is to know what you’re drinking! If you have coffee in a restaurant or at a friend’s house and you like it, ask what it is. Figure out where it comes from, how it’s roasted, and importantly, if it’s fair trade, and then buy it and make some on your own. Do this often enough and you will figure out your preferences and find the suppliers that make you happy!

My tastes change from time to time and while there are a few coffees that I have consistently purchased over the years, I do occasionally switch things up to try something new and “refresh my palate.” While I’m highlighting my favorites, each of these roasters has many other varieties that should be sampled. Here are my current five favorite coffee suppliers/roasters:

• Starbucks Espresso Roast – Having Starbucks at the top of the list doesn’t imply that it’s my overall favorite, it is my safety coffee. When I run out of everything else, or I need a quick cup during the day, a Starbucks’ Americano or iced-Americano is my go-to-coffee. It’s consistent, rich, and favorful with just a bit of acidity. I know this might seem like an inauspicious or controversial pick to start off the list, but bear with me.
• Coffee Labs Circus Dog Espresso – Circus Dog has been my bean of choice for 5 years and counting. It’s not a particularly dark roast but it makes a smooth, balanced espresso that I could drink all day, every day — and I do!
• For Five Coffee Corsa Espresso – For Five is a NYC roaster that has attained national attention. Their coffees are all unique but their medium-dark roasted Corsa has the taste profile I enjoy the most.
• Ka’u Coffee Mill Natural Dark Roast – Forget Kona! Ka’u on the Big Island of Hawaii is where it’s at. It’s the only grower that I’ve visited and seeing where your beans are grown gives you a personal connection to the coffee. Unlike its lighter Kona bretheren, Ka’u is complex, fruitier than my other choices, and oh so tropical! It doesn’t really taste tropical but when I drink it, I can imagine myself back on the big island with the warm breezes, swaying palms… <sigh>.
• Ilse Coffee Try anything they offer! – Ilse is an upstart local micro-roaster who seeks out smaller providers for their beans. Their attention to detail results in a small selection of impeccibly roasted, unique and delicious coffees. Disclosure: While I do have a small financial arrangement with Ilse, I don’t make any money off the sale of their coffee nor did I receive anything for this endorsement.

Then In The End…

Coffee is Life! I’ve barely touched on all of the intricacies surrounding coffee or how deeply it impacts my life. I do hope I’ve piqued your interest and that you will reach beyond your current coffee (or tea) consumption and try something new. I love hearing about how other people enjoy their coffee – I won’t criticize! Tell me your likes and dislikes, and if you’ve found any interesting coffees. By the way, when I discovered in the mid-1990s that I could drink decaf coffee without losing flavor, I gave up caffeine for 2 years. I then realized that I missed that little boost in the morning and that the caffeine helped with my respiratory issues, so back I went to full caffeine. As I said, it’s all about personal choice!

I’m not putting any advertising on this blog or my other blog, Caring For a Spouse. I hope that if you appreciate my efforts, you’ll buy me a coffee through my ko-fi account. Simple and safe, any small contribution helps me offset the cost of hosting, etc. And it’s all virtual so we’re automatically social distancing!