Thursday, February 28, 2013

#14: Make coffee in a French press

Mmmmm coffee. The other black gold. I'm more of a tea drinker myself, but I have been drinking a lot of (fair trade) coffee lately and I am beginning to appreciate the subtler qualities about what it takes to make a good cup.

Frenchy-french press!
I'm steadily working through my Hipster Challenge list, and have been looking around for a good French press in order to hipsterify my home too. I'm still to find one that doesn't have any plastic in it (if I'm gonna do this right, I'm going all out obsessive-compulsive on this one).

By some stroke of intuition, or perhaps the hipster fairies have been doing their rounds, I had some help today completing my challenge. Let me clarify one thing before I begin. School staffroom coffee is usually terrible. Like 'I scraped this excess tar of my shoe and made it into a drink for you' kind of bad. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

"Hey Emma, There's coffee in the music room if you want some."
Hipster me wondered if this was safe. Real me knew I looked like I needed it as I was wearing yoga pants and a hoodie. On a Thursday.
"Oh thanks, I'll be there soon."
"It's in the French press by the ....

I stopped in my tracks.

"I'll get my mug."

In the staffroom, another teacher commented on my less-than-put-together attire:

"You're not looking very... what's it called again?"
"Hipster," I mustered in my best condescending tone.
"Yeah, that," he replied with amusement.
"Well, I might not look the part today, but there is coffee in a French press waiting for me in the music room."
"What's that got to do with being hipster."

Here was my chance. I put on my invisible fake wayfarers to cure my imagined far-sightedness and enlightened him on the following:

"During the coffee brewing process, coffee machines destroy the naturals oils of the coffee beans, reducing the rich and intense flavour it should have (Adjusted imaginary glasses and sighed). Also, these oils build up in the coffee machine, effectively ruining future coffee experiences. A French press, by comparison, ensures a well balanced and smooth beverage."

He was laughing, thank goodness, and ended with him saying he would have to put my theory for the test. Wonderful. I'm gaining converts!

For step-by-step instructions on how to brew THE perfect press, visit this guy on YouTube.

Something true for today:

"People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed up and open about it than somebody perfect and ready to explode." - Ned Vizzini, It's Kind of a Funny Story

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