I never used to drink coffee. I was a Diet Coke guy. I didn’t really get why people would want a hot drink, and I loved bubbles. And don’t get me wrong; I still have a soft spot for a soda once in a while, but a few years back, in the search to get off the aspartame, I found coffee and I’ve never looked back. And after a journey that included a YouTuber named James Hoffmann (look him up; he’s informative and hilarious) I found myself at a high-end kitchen appliance store eyeing a $350 coffee maker from Fellow. I knew Fellow because I had a few of their high-end ceramic mugs, which are amazing, by the way. The one I have here on my desk right now is stained from years of holding coffee; from a bright white it now has a deep brown patina which I actually find quite tasteful.
Anyway, I now have a morning routine that includes making a cup of coffee. This includes measuring whole beans, spraying them with a little bit of water (helps keep them from sticking to the grinder), grinding them by hand (takes about 20-30 seconds), putting in the little Melita filter, and hitting “go” on my fancy Fellow coffee machine. This might seem like a pain, but it takes about 2 minutes, is actually really contemplative and rewarding, and makes a hell of a cup of coffee. It’s a small thing, but it makes my morning happier.
