The subject of my—admittedly expensive—coffee habit has been the cause of much ado lately. While I’d like to say it’s much ado about nothing, the simple fact is that I was spending approximately $112 dollars a month on coffee alone—which, on one hand, is ridiculous.
On the other hand, however, it was money I was more than happy to spend. Walking half a mile each way for a four-dollar skim latte added exercise to my newly-sedentary Midwestern life. Plus, it was an extra mile of walking (plus doggie socializing) for my mutt Jack. Best of all, though, it was a chance for a work recluse like myself to get out and interact with friendly baristas and—if I was lucky—bearded coffee connoisseurs. And because I patronized a local, independent coffee shop I was not only supporting fair trade, I was stimulating the local economy, which is an issue very close to my heart.
But when we started this project, I knew it was time to dust off (and wash out, don’t worry) the old Bodum.
I got my French press a few years back, after I asked my dad to get me one for Christmas. I’d spent the previous summer happily sipping French-pressed coffee on lucky weekends at my then boyfriend’s parents’ second home in New York’s Hudson Valley. That kind of setting is the perfect place to go to the trouble of pressing coffee; it was the kind of place I’d lie in bed (and do other things) for hours in the morning before even thinking of making my way downstairs to the kitchen. Another 10 minutes to make coffee? No problem.
Naturally, I was super excited to try out my Bodum in Brooklyn. Days after I donated my drip coffee maker to the Goodwill, however, I realized the error of my ways. In the country, pressing coffee was charming. In the city—where I was working full time and taking five classes to finish my degree—it didn’t make sense. I quickly forged a relationship with the coffee cart guy I passed every day on my way to the subway and thus my expensive coffee habit was formed.
Even when I had finished school and quit my job to freelance (or maybe especially because of those things) I went to the coffee shop every morning. Every morning until we started this project June 1, that is. Working from home is isolating. While I’m happy to not have to deal with people all day, not interacting with anyone for 14 hours can get to me. Plus—though I work out at 7:30 at least four mornings a week and have about 17 jobs—I am an inherently lazy person… in some ways. I’m happy to walk half a mile and hand a hipster four dollars as long as I don’t have to wash the press (because you know I don’t do it the day before) boil water, grind beans, wait for water to boil, pour water over the grinds, wait four minutes, stir, press and finally—finally!—drink coffee that I hope is good because I can never be bothered to measure the beans or water.
Of course, on the occasions I hosted brunch I was more than happy to show off my French pressing skills, and if I had an overnight gentleman caller I wasn’t going to let him know that I didn’t do this very sophisticated thing for myself every single morning.
But now I do.
It is said that you have to do something 28 times before it becomes a habit, and I think I’ve passed that mark pressing my own coffee. While I sometimes wait until 1 p.m. to get started and less frequently still drop four dollars here and there for an iced skim latte, French pressing my coffee is no longer something I have to do. Well, it is, but it’s something I have to do that I’m happy to do, even if I still wait until the next day to wash the press. Plus, for far less than four dollars (I haven’t done the exact math) I get, like, six cups of coffee.
Next step: stop pressing Dunkin’ Donuts coffee (why is it so damn good?) and start pressing coffee from my local, independent coffee shop, even if it costs me a little more. It’s time to practice what I preach. Oh, and master the art of food photography, but that’s another post for another day.
#1 by Diane at July 30th, 2009
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I love making my own coffee in the AM. And I’m such a luddite that I grind the beans in a hand crank grinder and then brew it up in a little Italian stovetop espresso pot (a moka pot). Cheap, very tasty, and fun. I only buy coffee out when I’m traveling for work, but at home almost never. I LOVE the ritual of it, and the sneezing sound it makes when it is ready, and the dark “faux espresso” it makes.
#2 by AmandaLP at July 30th, 2009
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I love my French press, but I use it for making cold brewed iced coffee. That way, I only have to wash it and deal with the beans 1-2 times per week
Plus, it helps that I prefer iced coffee (even in the very cold Brooklyn winter.)
#3 by Bill at July 31st, 2009
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Have you tried the Aeropress? I think I was pushing it on Adam the last time I saw him. I ditched my french press in favor of it. Coffee is smoother, less bitter and the clean up is ridiculously easy. I need to buy one for the office.
#4 by JC at July 31st, 2009
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An equally cheap and good way to make coffee is to use a pour-over filter holder like this: https://shop.melitta.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=64+007&Cat=
You can buy one for less than $5 at most coffee shops or house ware stores.
French press coffee is subtly different in taste and body from drip coffee, and using a pour-over (where you can control the heat of the water, and make sure it is hot enough) will almost always get you better drip coffee than an electric coffee maker. The pour-over is easier to clean-up than the press pot too.
But, Dunkin Donuts?? Really?
#5 by adam at August 2nd, 2009
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I so hear you about the importance of going out for coffee when you work alone. Fortunately, the baristas at my local cafes are tolerant of the glug-glugging noises I make instead of speech after half a day of no human contact. I try to stay out of there for budget reasons, but the mountain of temptation is coming to this Mohammad: a Stumptown cafe/roastery is slated to open soon more or less across the street from my place (never mind that Stumptown is rapidly evolving into the indie-Starbucks, somehow both alternative and ubiquitous).
#6 by erin at August 3rd, 2009
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Agreed on all points, I’ve bounced from a drip coffee maker to an espresso machine to a french press and now I’m on the cold press kick. For summer, it really is the best tasting/easiest option but with two people drinking it, man, does it burn through the coffee beans! I suppose the cheapest answer would be to drop the coffee habit entirely, but we work from homers really need that extra comfort!
#7 by Ana at August 3rd, 2009
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I second the Aeropress rec. Bill (see comment #3) told us about it when he visited us in June, and we’ve been very impressed with it. I think the Aeropress coffee is even better than the one you get with a regular French press.
#8 by Jason at August 18th, 2009
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Wow, you made using a French press sound really hard.
Just work out the amount of beans it takes to properly work with x amount of water, then put a mark on your press for that much water…and find a little measuring doohickey for the x amount of beans.
Now you can easily make your standard amount of coffee without engaging the brain for assistance.