Anyway....
GOOD MORNING!!! I don't know about you, but I'm going to have a cup of coffee...a faux cafe latte, actually...made The Theory Corner way. What way is that? Read on!
The Theory Corner way uses a French Press, a milk frother and a bean grinder. None of this stuff costs very much, and pressed coffee doesn't take long to make.
Okay, you put the water on to boil. Lots of people use hippie water (bottled water) but I use filtered tap water. Nobody in LA needs to use bottled water in the winter months, because our water in that time of year comes from the High Sierras, and is top quality. During the Summer we buy water from Nevada, and that's murky, so if you're from Southern California and you feel you must buy bottled water, then that's the time to do it.
Anyway, while the water's boiling you grind your coffee beans in one of those little counter top grinders like the one pictured above. I like Starbucks coffee, French Roast Bold, Whole Bean. You can get Starbucks brand coffee at the supermarket. Grind the beans "coarse," which takes about 9 seconds.
The water hasn't come to a boil yet, so you can get started on the milk froth. I recommend buying a frother (pictured above, on the right...on the left is the French Press) but if you don't have one, just put some milk in a jar, shake it vigorously, and put it in the microwave for about a minute. Now you have milk froth.
Put the milk aside, and add the ground coffee to the French Press, along with a tiny pinch of salt, some sugar, and maybe a drop of vanilla extract. Pour in the boiling water. At the 1/5 mark stop and stir the coffee and water. [Magnolia's doing it wrong here...the idea is to stir only when the level is very low]. Never stir it again after this. Pour in the rest of the boiling water and let it all steep for four minutes: no more, no less. At exactly four minutes, press the plunger down slowly...about thirty seconds for the whole plunge.
Now you're ready to pour the coffee into a cup. I put a little froth on the bottom, beneath the coffee, and the rest on top. A lot of people prefer to have all the froth on top. Add some whipped cream and cinnamon or nutmeg and you're done. Maybe eat a piece of banana bread with it. Delicious...but it doesn't stay warm very long.
A video to help you get started:
Alton Brown uses a burr grinder. One of these days I might get one, but my humble little blade grinder works so well that I see no reason to change.
Burr Grinders give a more consistent grind. The blade grinder you use will powderize some beans a leave chunks of others. They also have a handy hopper on the top and a dial to set the grind size and amount of coffee to grind. The big con is that they are expensive and tricky to clean. When I got mine I started using my blade grinder to grind spices. Fresh ground spices can make a big difference if you like indian food!
ReplyDeleteNot to ad nauseam, but if you really want to turn into a coffee geek, you can roast your own quite easily. http://www.sweetmarias.com/ offers a great selection of green coffees that would otherwise be unavailable to the general public. They're quite a bit cheaper than buying premium roasted coffee too.
ReplyDeleteI live in Bean Town and everyone shuns me because I like instant coffee. It's a miracle in a mug! What makes it even more convenient is my instant hot water dispenser. Why I can down two cups before I even know I'm awake. I do have a drip coffee maker too and break it out for holidays but no one expects lattes from me. So Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteOh I just knew you would switch to French Press once you tried it. I got a great tip from a friend: add a lil' pinch of salt to the grounds before you brew. We know that french press is already far less bitter and acidic than filtered "coffee," but a few grains of salt make it even MORE mellow and smooth. YUM!
ReplyDeleteBob: I hate to admit it, but my blade grinder is giving me exactly the haphazard grind you described. I could get a burr grinder, but really, where do you draw the line? Sometimes it seems like every recipe there is requires a different appliance to cook it right.
ReplyDeleteRegarding roasting your own...people do that!? I had no idea! I'll take a look at the link you posted.
Joel: You're still not off the hook...there's a high end way to make instant coffee. You use a spoon to crush the dry coffee on the bottom of the cup, along with the sugar, vanilla, and a tiny bit of water. When the crushed material takes on a light, yellowish brown color, pour hot milk on top. Add cinnamon or nutmeg.
Kelly: I tried the salt this morning after neglecting it for a while. You're right, it really did make the taste more mellow.
For about a week after roasting coffee tastes completely different than it does once it's no longer fresh! A friend of mine does her roasting with a kitchen torch and a metal dog food bowl placed on the floor. Of course, that stuff's a treat I've only had a couple times. Typically I just get regular whole beans from Sprouts. I'll even admit that I like the flavored varieties.
ReplyDeleteAs for fresh beans, the only ones I've seen were gifts handed down by friends. I don't know where they come from, aside from the ground.