11.10.2008

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -- Day One

I've hit the proverbial "wall."

Not only am I in the midst of an intense work project and prepping for a couple of big events taking place at our house in December, but now that the dust has settled after Bryan’s surgery and we're firmly in the midst of recovery, I’m realizing how all of the above has conspired to make me awfully tired (earth shatteringly, mind-numbing, insanely tired actually.) Not to mention the fact that I’m altogether lacking in any sort of inspiration what. so. ever.

But rather than close up shop on the blog, I’m going to re-use some of my past posts for a few days until I get my mojo back. Hope you don’t mind…

MONDAY (appropriate no?) Originally Posted September 24, 2007



Coffee brewing in a Chemex coffee maker via dogmilque's photostream -- this guy loves coffee.

I love coffee in ways that probably aren’t natural and not just because I’m thoroughly addicted and can’t function in the mornings until my first sip. I genuinely love everything about it -- the taste, the smell, the ritual of pouring that first cup and adding just the right amount of cream and sugar. My father was born and raised in Louisiana (the land of few laws), where it was not only acceptable but commonplace to give young kids a mug of weak cafĂ© au lait (think a big mug of warm milk with a splash of coffee and sugar for color and taste.) My folks have always been big coffee snobs...I remember them toting around their red bag of Community Coffee for fear of not having access to good coffee (this was before good coffee was ubiquitous, with a Starbucks on every corner.)

The irony of my current situation -- with two small daughters underfoot -- is that I need a great cup of coffee more than ever but have very little time to make one. I lust after stuff like the Chemex coffee maker. Not only it is really beautiful, but it’s supposed to make the perfect cup of coffee. I’m daunted by the precision of the steps
required to brew a cup though. How hard is this? Does anyone regularly use one of these??

12 comments:

Deb Oh said...

my dad is a coffee snob (something he passed on to me), and he owns a chemex, although i'm not sure how often he uses it...i'm perfectly happy with my bodum french press, but the guys at the coffee shop i go to say that the chemex is perfection, and not hard to use.

Anonymous said...

I don't mind recycled posts if they're as dreamy and contemplative as this one! sometimes I go to bed thinking about how excited I am to wake up to my coffee the next morning.

I've never heard of Chemex before but that photo looks beautiful---the thick foam on top is incredible. I use a stovetop espresso maker from bialetti and it makes a great cuppa. i also think it's important to have your own coffee grinder and grind fresh before each cup (not an easy task when I'm blurry-eyed at 6 am, but I'm thankful for it by the time I take that first divine sip!)

Michelle Parks McCourt said...

I confess I am an addict. The thought of morning coffee can get me out of bed in the morning. I've never heard of chemex but this looks like it could brew some good stuff

editor said...

girl! We need a girls night out happy hour at cafe madrid and let's get you inspired again! call me. when can you get away?

editor said...

oohhhhh...also, I have a brilliant idea i am working on to market on my etsy "shop"! Want to brainstorm with you about it.

Mrs.French said...

I have never seen anything like this...however, now you have me oh so curious...have you tried it yet? How is it...your obcession sounds similar to mine, so I trust your opinion...oh and for goodness sakes, go to a spa will you? rest, rest, rest....xo t

Anonymous said...

I have been wanting one of these for quite some time, but like you, have not known a. how easy they are to use b. if they're worth the effort. They are so pretty. . .

London Girl said...

Mmm....coffee. If it's any consolation you are still managing to inspire me even with your un-inspiredness :) Hope you feel better soon and thanks for the wonderful blog!

Melissa de la Fuente said...

Nobody minds! And anyway, these are all new to me!
:) I am with you 100% on all and every thing related to coffee. I have never used one of these but, have to say that I might be a bit daunted if it took me to long to get to my first cuppa joe! :)
xo
Melissa
(hope you feel less swamped soon :)

Molly said...

I am a food writer and a great fan of your blog.

Chemex pots are easy to use, but they take special, thicker filters, and brewing takes about 4-5 minutes. The coffee is superb, and I enjoy the ritual. There's a newer Chemex pot with a handle, which is a welcome addition.

If you want an automatic coffee maker, the best choice -- some would say the only choice -- is the Technivorm Clubline, which costs around $200. It's the only one that gets the water hot enough to extract all the flavor from the coffee.

I often use an Aeropress to brew one cup at a time. Not only does it work beautifully, it's inexpensive ($25 at Amazon).

I am lucky enough to live in Chicago, near Intelligentsia, which sells some of the best coffee anywhere.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me!

Amy A said...

I have one of these! Yes, you buy "special filters" (you can do it online), when you buy your coffee ask for it to be ground more coarsely...

Then when you make the coffee, you basically pour in the boiling water (ok, so you have to set the kettle to boil)... walk away, come back and drink your coffee. It's not any more difficult that a French press... maybe it's earlier, because you don't have to push the knob down!

This will not make your coffee more difficult to make, but will make it taste oh so good!

Joslyn said...

molly -- thank you so much for the trove of coffee tips...excellent.

i think i'm sold on the chemex.

this post is actually rather timely as our coffee maker recently broke and we've been using the french press for a week. a little more work, but the coffee is so. much. better.