"Don't talk to me before I've had my coffee." You either are that person, know that person, or you live on Mars. I found that about 2/3 of adults drink coffee in the US. Me? I primarily drink lattes, but apart from knowing that espresso goes with milk, I didn't know much about coffee beans before doing this post. Worse still, coffee farming runs in my family and even after going to coffee plantations in my youth I don't know much beyond "don't burn it." Having said that, a day without a latte is a day wasted in my book. Latte time is a moment to enjoy the flavor and a light kick in the pants to start my day (gotta keep the pipes flowing, am I right?).
So where does coffee come from, anyway? I read a delightful myth about a goat-herder in the 800s in Ethiopia, who found his goats were highly spirited after eating some coffee fruit (which is where the coffee beans live). It sounds, unfortunately, like this is not the true origin. Instead, somewhere in the early 1400s or 1500s there is evidence of coffee in Ethiopia or Yemen, and by the late 1500s it had spread to many other countries.
Coffee shops were so popular and full of conversation, they were called 'Schools of the Wise'. In England, coffee houses became known as 'penny universities'.
For a penny you could get a coffee and meet everyone else who was there; philosophers, people sharing news, and everyone who wanted to chat about the world's happenings. (Can we imagine it all happening very fast?). I read in a couple places that replacing the previously popular alcohol-based morning bevvies with coffee (because remember that water wasn't safe yet so we had to think of other ways not to die of thirst or dysentery), also had a positive effect on people's work ethic. Cool beans.
Okay so hooray for moving us away from alcoholism, now what about coffee beans? Well, I learned from Brian Jones' cool book (Brew - Better Coffee at Home) that it takes a whole coffee tree to get a bag of beans (what!), that the espresso beans are dark roasted, and the perfect water temperature for brewing coffee is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Nice - but maybe you're wondering about what that means for you? As I was learning about coffee, there were four things that came to mind to help build your coffee identity.
Coffee is a form of self care. There's a reason so many of us prioritize the daily ritual. Is self care mastering the perfect brew at home, or is it making your way through a Starbucks drive through? Is it supporting a local coffee shop that makes a delicious coffee/latter, or is it about your favorite mug? Embrace the self care, in whatever way it best speaks to you. (If you live in SF: Andytown is my personal favorite place to treat myself. Their scones are to die for and they have treats for the doggies.)
We like flavors that make us feel good. One of my bffs has no fewer than 15 syrup options at home so that she can concoct her favorite flavor combos at home. I love a chocolatey, deep flavored espresso to mix with whole milk. The creaminess gets me every time. And my dude loves his coffee black or an Americano (espresso with hot water). Have you experimented with different flavors? Similar to wine, the bean varietals change the flavor.
Owning your coffee moment is empowering. I think self care and flavor sit on top of this critical foundation - if you are empowered to choose your food, you are empowered to manage your finances, and you are empowered as a person. Personally, I like knowing that (per convincing from my dude) investing in a good grinder really does make the flavor most excellent at home. We invested as much on our grinder as we did in our espresso machine ($200-$300 each). I drink a latte a day (sometimes two), and I like 12-16 ounces of milk. I get through half a bag of espresso means per week, so the yearly costs to support my self care habit map out to (26*$15 for espresso beans) + (52 * $5 for milk) = roughly $650 annually. Lattes these days are around $5 each at a cafe, so if I were to go to buy one every day I'd spend ~$1,825 per year. Since I still hit up a cafe a few times a month the real savings are somewhere around $1,000 per year just by making my lattes at home. I was skeptical about the effort, but I TOTALLY love it. It takes maybe 4 minutes per day, which is less time than it takes to order on my Starbucks app. Also, I know exactly how I like my latte, so I don't have to worry about the barista not knowing my order. That money I save goes back into other food or trips, so I'm all around pretty happy. (The environmental impact is a bonus, too.)
Give yourself the gift of atmosphere. The atmosphere or the aura or the scene you're in when you drink your coffee is all yours. I saw a tiktok mom who is getting up at 4:30 am to give herself some time alone. I haven't been a fan of setting alarms that early since my rowing days in college, but dude I GET IT. Make that time holy AF. It's just for YOU.
So how do you make a latte? Look no further. Here's a quick video on how to make it. We
have a Breville grinder and a Calphalon espresso machine (I couldn't find the exact model, but their products are all highly rated). Both machines get used 3-4 times per day year round, and they both work perfectly 2 years in.
Get your beans. For two shots we need about 18-20 grams of espresso. I can set the amount in my grinder.
Turn on the espresso machine and get your fav mug ready. Check my other video if you want inspo for mugs.
Pull your two shots of espresso straight into your mug.
While that's happening, you can be a punk like me and microwave your milk or you can go true and steam it. The trick with steaming it is to put the steam spout just under the surface and let it heat the milk so that's it's hot to the touch (from the outside of the steaming mug). Your milk should look silky at the end.
Make sure to wipe down your steam spout with a wet towel immediately afterwards. If you wait until it cools it can be harder to clean.
Combine your milk and your espresso.
Drink with joy.
For me, the first place I always go when I travel is a cafe. I love the smell of coffee and feeling like the day is just getting started. What's your favorite coffee? Hope you have an amazing day (fueled by coffee!)! Muah!
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