La pause-café. Coffee break en français. So often I adore the way the French express things in words. This post is as much about coffee as it is about pausing. In our drive through, instant packet, K-Cup world, it seems like coffee gives us anything but pause. It's often just one more thing we rush through as we're on to the next.
Café, je t'aime. I love coffee. It's a part of my morning routine, and visiting my favorite local coffee shops is a treat I look forward to. About two years ago, I became interested in the process of brewing coffee. I did some research and purchased a few items so that I could see my brew through from grind to sip.
People sometimes ask me why I take the time to brew my coffee this way. For me, this process not only yields a better end result, it causes me to slow down and ease into my day. I enjoy using a little arm strength when I'm hand grinding my coffee beans (this is honestly probably my main source of arm workout...). In that moment as the oils and aromas of the coffee beans fill the air, I get to anticipate what I believe to be a more flavorful, less bitter cup o' joe. While I'm doing this, the kettle rattles on the stove top, announcing that its freshly heated water is ready. I measure my grounds into my ceramic dripper (I do about 2 Tbsp. per 12 oz. of water, but I do tend to drink my coffee strong) and begin to slowly pour over the water, the fresh coffee filling my cup. For a single serve, I go straight into the mug. For a full pot, I use my glass carafe. After pausing to enjoy the process, I revel in wrapping my hands around a warm mug and continue my pausing as I sip and savor.
*Coffee bean storage container
*Manual ceramic burr coffee grinder
*Pour over coffee and tea kettle
*Ceramic coffee dripper
*Glass coffee carafe
*Paper coffee filters
*My favorite mug :)
*Ronnoco Hazelnut whole beans (made in STL)
In case you are feeling overwhelmed, I did not start all of this at once. I got the grinder first and used it with my Mr. Coffee. Over time, I added on the coffee bean storage container (it really does keep the whole beans fresh longer). The pour over process came later for me. If you live in St. Louis, Blueprint Coffee is a great place to get a taste of the pour over process. They also have a lovely store (in store or online) where you can purchase everything you need to brew your coffee in this way at home.
Do you enjoy the coffee brewing process? What's your preferred method? I would love to hear from you in the comments. Enjoy a pause-café today. Challenge yourself to try the pause part, truly. I think you will very much enjoy the experience. :)
A special thanks to my boyfriend who spent his first morning off in a while helping me shoot for this post.
Warm wishes and warm coffee from me to you,
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