I know I am a complex person; it’s evidenced in my coffee snobbery. When I go on trips, like the one I’m taking this weekend, regular McDonald’s coffee won’t do it for me. (a Starbucks drive-thru is hard to find in rural North Carolina!). I know I’ve written about this before, but as I prepare for the trek to North Carolina this evening with my brother, I have to think about coffee as seriously as my other travel items. Underwear: check. Socks: check. Medicine: check. Shaving kit: check. Cuban coffee, sweetener, creamer, Melitta cone filter coffeemaker: check!
This summer, as I traveled back and forth to help my dad with his surgeries, I took my Keurig “rig” with me in a cooler that was the perfect caddy to pack all of my coffee supplies. It was a breeze to roll everything from the car to the hotel room. None of that stale hotel room coffee for me, no sir! I didn’t miss a great coffee opportunity if I could help it.
On this weekend’s trip, it’s no exception. Instead of carrying my cafe on wheels, though, I’ve decided to pare down a bit and simply bring an old-school drip coffee maker. No, not the Mr. Coffee variety, but a drip-system that goes back to the middle ages: hot, boiling water poured over fresh, dark-roasted coffee into a simple, 10-cup glass carafe.
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| Melitta drip coffee: boil water, pour over fresh coffee, enjoy! |
My friend Debra Sadler showed me this process, and when we make coffee for more than one person, especially in the morning, and to save $$$ on K cups, this method of brewing creates the best coffee I’ve ever had outside of Europe and, closer to home, New Orleans.
Don’t ask me why I complicate my life so much. I can only shrug my shoulders and roll my eyes–mostly because I don’t want to explain myself. And, as a warning, please wait until I’ve had my coffee before spewing forth your criticism. You’!l regret it!