MORNING RITUAL

I really enjoy a good cup of coffee, but I am by no means an expert on the subject. I've got my tastes narrowed down a bit, though, so I figure I ought to get this down before I forget. I haven't really settled on a type of coffee that I like to the point that I have stopped experimenting, but I do know that, in general, I tend to enjoy the darker end of the spectrum. Lately, though, Kona roasts seem to stand out a bit as a frontrunner for me, but I've still got a lot of experimenting to do. I'm not usually a big fan of flavored coffees, and take my coffee black. I brew my coffee at home via one of two methods...

The first method I use is pretty routine. We have a nice new Cuisinart coffe maker with a gold tone filter. I do a fairly fine grind on the coffee beans and add 3 Tbsp of grounds, along with 12 oz. of water. Cuisinart does the rest. This method seems to get me a single, perfect cup of coffee every morning, but there is just no excitement or satisfaction in it for me.

If I'm really feeling the need for something a bit stronger in the morning, or just in a rush, I'll reach for my Bialetti Brikka, which may very well be the coolest possible way to make espresso at home. It gives espresso that is about twice as strong as my normal Moka pot, and produces a nice sweet foam (kind of like creama) on the top of the espresso, all with a time investment of under three minutes. It does all this by doubling the pressure in the pot with a little weighted stopper.

I turn the hottest burner on the stove to high, add water to the line inside the pot, and use a medium coarse grind to loosely fill the filter. I set the whole contraption on the hot burner with the lid open, and about 1 minute later, the pressure in the pot overcomes the little weight inside, and an espresso explosion rocks the kitchen. I immediately pour the espresso in a teeny little cup, and take myself to coffee heaven. There is really no more exciting way to experience coffee short of having it shot out of a cannon into your mouth.