𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐀-𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 ...

I wrote recently about all the fuss over Coffee. Origins, varieties, home equipment, processing, tastings. 

Sounds like a short list. Think again. Multiply each of those basic categories by a factor of let's say 100, and I give you the kaleidoscopic cornucopiatastic world of "COFFEE". From one vantage point the whole thing looks like a democratic take on what the "Wine World" has been doing from quite some time. Only with Coffee, it's more accessible to more folks. "Mulla, hulla." Wine snobs, Coffee snobs ... what's the difference?

That last point, accessible to more folks, is arguable. If you read my previous missive [linked below] you'll understand that the quest for that just right, Goldilocks cup of Joe can get pretty, pretty, pretty high up there. In terms of what's entailed, and certainly in how much you can spend to get there. And it's not like there's that one cup of Coffee that you finally find and settle with at the pinnacle of the climb to perfection. There are so many variations that one can become a connoisseur of the differences and distinctions. If you search you'll see a lot of Coffee people online have batteries of all sorts of equipment in their kitchens. The lexicon of taste, color, and texture variations is as dense as it is for wine.

So, where is Cooky Cat now in this maelstrom on the caffeinated hunt?

Seems that the basic next step in upping the Coffee game is the grinder. Enough on that subject already online, so we won't be rehashing things. Suffice to say that the size and shape of the ground Coffee makes a difference. 

Your Boy here has mostly been content with a cup of Coffee. Pour overs and Moka pots mostly. French Press, Cowboy style [Chorreador]; that last one for large batches. With a $20 blade grinder. No complaints.

Then I got the bug. If I trade up will I get that better cup? As I'm typing this I'm awaiting the arrival of my new Coffee grinder. Hand grinder. Why by hand? In Coffee World an electric grinder is considered "budget" all the way up to the $500 price point. No kidding! And when doing the comparisons it's easy to price yourself up to the the next better level. Seems there's a major divide between units that deliver for espresso, and those that perform more for the coarser settings. If you're really into it you have a device for both. At least.

The one concern on my new hand grinder is the grinding itself. I'm preparing for just one cup, so the grinding should be under 30 seconds. One of the beauties of the hand units is burr grind speed. It's a thing. Electric units spin at high rpm's bringing some heat into the equation. Obviously, cranking by hand doesn't have that issue. Don't want to over excite those tender beans.

So, what did I buy. The Timemore S3. $159.00. Wow! You say. I know. I traded up a bit. There are some good units under $100. I opted for the one with an easy and quick collar adjustment. And, like I said, you get to $100 what's a few more? The other contender was the 1Zpresso J at $139.00; larger conical burrs; 48mm versus the Timemore at 42mm. But, the adjustment ring was the deal breaker along with the Timemore having 15 microns particle size per click versus 25 microns per click; more precise. The price spread ... hey, if you're gonna get wet, what's a little more water?

What next? 

I've also been looking into roasting my own Coffee beans. I'm putting that off for now. The main qualifier is this: just how much better can it get given that the unit I'm considering [the Hive Roaster with digital temperature reader] comes in at nearly $200. And it takes about 10 or so minutes of constant shaking the hand unit over the stove to get those green ones to be "has beans"; that is, roasted and ready to grind.

Enough for now. If my universe shifts again, I'll update you. Don't hold your breath.

By the way, I'm thinking of springing for some Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. The best cup of Coffee I ever had was at a small hotel in Montego Bay located on the road to the beach. Had to have been Blue Mountain.

Blue Mountain Coffee runs nearly $65 per pound from what appears to be an excellent source. Lothian Coffee. At that price it also nudged me to up the quality on the grinder. You dig my thinking?

They also sell green beans at $49 per pound. That's where I got the idea for roasting my own. At such steep pricing you don't want to have already roasted beans laying around and getting stale. I know, there are vacuum cannisters. Yet another something or other.

See ... so many issues. OY!

Here's the previous writing ...

And, right now as I'm about to pull the trigger and publish this my new grinder just landed on the porch. With — OMG I'm becoming one of THEM — a mister to give a bit of a spray to the beans just before grinding. It keeps the retention — stuff still in the grinder — down. Spraying Coffee beans before grinding is a technique called Ross Droplet Technique [RDT]. It reduces static electricity for a cleaner grind and less stray grounds. 

Addendum: Made my first cup of Coffee grinding with the hand grinder. Medium dark roast. Quantum step up in flavor quality. Before with the blade grinder the flavor was "confused", not clear; with a lot of different things going on. The more consistent grind brings the flavor to a unified whole. Lots of punch. I'm not versed in more florid/floral descriptions; just to net net ... the grinder does make a difference. Big. May have to dial back on the amount I'm using. Following, by the way, the 1:15 ratio; 20 grams of Coffee, 300 grams of water.