I started drinking coffee many years ago, and I absolutely love it. Drip or French press served black with just a hint of the natural oil floating on the surface. Espresso Romano with that strip of fresh lemon peel. Dry cappucino with froth like meringue. Macchiato—espresso “marked” with a spoon of frothed milk.
Many (including me) would consider me a bit of a coffee snob. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I just know what I like. And I will say in contrast, that sometimes what I like is, in fact, a bottomless cup at a greasy spoon that I have to put ice in because it’s too hot to drink. Cheap (if not free) and plentiful.
Two travel anecdotes:
A few weeks ago I was on a business trip. I was having breakfast with some colleagues at the hotel, and one guy noticed that we were drinking what the hotel called coffee. In his defense, it wasn’t good. He ordered French press coffee even though it wasn’t on the menu, and they brought out the nice small pot of blacker-than-the-blackest-black liquor with the mesh and plunger. Needless to say I was a bit jealous, and my “coffee” tasted even worse after that. Travel tip: ask for French press even if it’s not listed; you might be pleasantly surprised.
On the same trip I had to go through Concourse A of the Detroit airport, and it reminded me of a previous time I was there. I didn’t have long to catch my flight, and I knew if I just ordered my usual (medium black) from the kiosk, it would be too hot to finish drinking before boarding. No problem. “Can you put a bit of ice in the bottom of the cup?” I ask. She nods, turns, turns back and utters possibly the most baffling question I have ever fielded:
“Would you like the ice at the top or the bottom of the cup?”
I honestly didn’t know what to say, and I don’t remember what I actually said. Basically, though, if she can make the ice stay at the bottom, she should win a Nobel prize.
Two recent coffee links from blogs I follow: Gizmodo. Art of Manliness.
Oh, my coffee machines? I have a Bodum Chambord French press and a Breville 800ESXL espresso machine.
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