I have always enjoyed caffeine; as a teenager it was hard to find me without a Pepsi in hand. In my early adult life I started every day with a Red Bull or Monster. A project manager once noted during planning: “we’ll just get Josh a bucket of Raging Bull or whatever that stuff is and he’ll knock it out in a day”. Eventually I developed a morning routine: 5-hour energy, Gatorade and a lot of water. This lasted for a few years; it was effective and efficient but not the most enjoyable experience. These days I drink a cup of black coffee each morning, often a second and rarely a third throughout the day.
I always liked the smell of coffee and it seemed like it would be relaxing to sit down and have a cup; but I struggled to find a method of preparation I truly enjoyed. Eventually during a time of health-experimentation I began drinking coffee black from a Mr Coffee. I had to try several brands before I found Kirkland’s medium roast which became my caffeine of choice. A cup of coffee in the morning became routine and it was exactly as relaxing and enjoyable as I had always expected.
While I continued to use a basic coffee maker I also experienced other methods of brewing coffee that have showed me how different the experience and flavor can be. At home my wife introduced me to Phin coffee makers which I occasionally used for a single-serve in the afternoon or to make coffee over condensed milk. At work my team mates created a “lab” with a french press and kettle to make espresso shots. And finally, I recently purchased an AeroPress which has partially inspired this blog and journey.
The first cup from my AeroPress gave me a much less bitter impression of my usual coffee. This made many things clear to me:
- My usual coffee maker was brewing at entirely too high of a temperature
- The bitter outcome of such high temperatures was masking much of the flavor coffee could hold
- My favorite coffee was in fact fairly plain (which I’m happy with!)
I tried a local roast that we had brewed before and immediately noticed more flavor though I couldn’t identify it. Experiencing this made me curious to try other coffees in order to understand the complexities I’ve heard others mention. I also became interested in the temperature and steep time variables that were now clearly available to me.
After this experience I began both enjoying my coffee more and paying more attention. I decided I wanted to try more local roasts and share my sentiments online. That’s how this blog was born and I look forward to spending more time playing with my coffee.