Good coffee is, without a doubt, one of my favorite things in life. I think I started drinking coffee in high school, but developed a heavy duty love for it in college. In fact, I'm pretty sure its one of the reasons I even went to college in the first place (in hindsight, of course). My girlfriends and I always had coffee going during exam weeks and all-night projects. Many of life's problems were examined and {sometimes} solved over a good (or bad, for that matter) cup of coffee. Remember General Foods International Coffee? I think I got over at least one tumultuous breakup downing cups of it. My palate was less picky back then, and sadly there was no such job as a Batista in my college town at the time. I am sure I could pair breakups to matching G.F. flavors. The tougher breakups were definitely of the swiss mocha variety (I needed the chocolate). The other times, when the self-affirming "I knew he wasn't good enough for you"-s were chanted over and over to me by supportive girlfriends, I'm sure it was over some version of the G.F. hazelnut concoctions.
Coffee at our house today is made with a little more thought. It is still the proper end to a good meal, the essential cap after playing out in the snow with kids, a drink to be hovered over while laughing with my girlfriends. A quiet moment with it is essential to the start of my day. I'm hopelessly addicted to not only the drink, but the mood of the drink.
Melissa and I have been discussing important stuff like coffee. Specifically coffee made in a stove top espresso maker. This post is all because of her really, she recently got one. And I don't think either of us like giving up $4 every time we want a good cup of coffee. First off, let me say that for morning coffee, because its all about quantity and only slightly about quality at that time of the day, we make our coffee in the auto-drip coffeemaker (we are lucky to have coffee roasters only half a block away, so have a good supply freshly roasted coffee...this is Seattle, after all). But, for afternoons, I prefer a slightly more thoughtful approach, it needs to be more of an event or state of mind for me (as much as that is possible, with children rushing around and homework questions being pushed at me). That's where the stovetop espresso maker comes in. Its only a little more effort than just making an auto drip pot, but its worth it. So, for Melissa, and others who are interested, here is how we do our afternoon coffee.
1. Let me say I don't know what size our maker is. I know it gives us two cups of coffee easy (plus a little extra). I fill the bottom of the espresso maker with water up to the fill line, put in the filter insert, then add two heaping scoops of ground coffee into that, more if yours is bigger (any kind of ground will work with varied results, I usually use auto drip ground because I'm too lazy to go to the trouble of grinding more for espresso grind- plus we've got the good coffee from down the street, as I said).
2. Put on stove over high heat and get ready to froth your milk (keep the heat just on the bottom of the pot, not too high. Notice how my handle has melted slightly on the tip...yea.) How long will it take? Depends, but I suggest watching and listening for the sputtering of the coffee the first few times so you'll know how long. Burnt coffee is no good.
3. Notice the tall yet small contraption in the second photo above, just to the left of the espresso maker. That is a battery operated milk frother and it is, in my opinion, a key ingredient to this whole "event" (I was made aware this little contraption by Jen and am now completely converted). Mine was purchased with a gift certificate I had to Williams Sonoma, but I have seen them everywhere (Target). 4 oz. of milk will froth up to nearly 12 oz., which is plenty for two cups of coffee. I prefer a little bit of milk fat and think it froths and tastes better, so I use 1 or 2% milk. You could use non-fat, whole, half and half. Heat the milk in the microwave just a wee bit.
4. Soon, you will hear the final moments of the espresso maker at work. The sputter and spitting of the coffee coming through. It should be dark. The room smells very good at this point.
5. Pour the coffee in the cup, then add the milk slowly, don't dump. Avoiding pouring the foam into the coffee, just spoon some on top. I suggest all this being put into your favorite cup. I usually get out my Russell Wright cups in the afternoon.* You're done.
If you only have a moment to sit and enjoy, get out small, quick flip through books like I do. Today it is a little Jane and a little Cath. Smallish books with big potential to inspire, quickly. I recommend adding a slice of Everyday Food's flourless chocolate cake to this whole experience. Its sooooooo good, light as air.
*As an aside, Peter doesn't care for these cups. My very stylish, yet very opinionated husband says these feel like he's drinking out of petri dish. He gets one anyway.
By the way M, this whole cuppa would be much better enjoyed together, don't you think?
