A Good Cup of Coffee

There is only one thing I want from coffee – to enjoy it; this desire led me to amass no fewer than ten different gadgets and devices to help extract the flavor from the coffee bean – of which only three devices remain.  Like some kind of medieval torturer, I’ve grounded, pounded, soaked, cut, chopped, crunched, roasted, drowned, boiled, and steamed, short of putting it on the rack, which believe me I thought about, I have done everything possible to find a way to extract the most amount of enjoyment from the coffee bean.  In many cases the yield did not equate to the work poured into preparing a good cup of coffee, far from it.  With each step I put between myself and a good cup of coffee my enjoyment of the drink seemed to decrease; the work-cost-enjoyment ratio just did not add up.  As the ratio increased in terms of work and cost, the enjoyment I received remained about the same, or it increased but eventually plateaued. In economic terms, it would be considered a poor investment, and if a company operated under the same conditions with the same ratios, it would surely be quickly out of business. 

The quest was simple: to produce a good cup of coffee; the journey would be difficult.  In a not so similar way that Frodo’s task to toss the ring of power into the fires of Mt. Doom; really a simple idea and concept – almost sounds like discarding a piece of rubbish from dinner last night. I wonder . . . how would a cup of coffee brewed in Mt. Doom taste?

I wasn’t looking for one cup to rule them all; I wasn’t bent on binding the will of all coffee creation to my bidding.  I wanted a good cup of coffee.  However, by claiming I wanted a good cup of coffee implies that there is such thing as “goodness” and it is possible to obtain and make a good cup of coffee.  In one sense, it would appear that there is no such thing as good coffee as two contrary cups of coffee referred to as “good“ contradict each other.  But on the contrary, the lesser cup of coffee is only referred to as “good” and allowed to continue to be made if only it points us to the good cup of coffee.  So, in reality, when we refer to a cup of coffee as “good” or “bad,” we often assume a predicated “less” or “more” to the terms.  We might call a cup of Jamaican Blue a good cup of coffee, but we really mean to say that it is better than all other cups of coffee consumed.  If we call a cup of watery instant coffee a bad cup of coffee, we mean to say that it is only bad in relation to what our expectation of coffee is to be.  Therefore there are only two options left, either there is such things as a good cup of coffee and therefore it is something we should all be exhausting ourselves in discovering or there is no such thing as a good cup of coffee and it doesn’t matter what kind of swill or sludge we consume.  The problem with the second option is that then there is no standard by which to judge good coffee from bad coffee, and it is only to say that one cup is preferred of another cup.  Every Christian also knows that all goodness flows from God, so to say there is good coffee is to say that there must be some unchanging and perfect standard of coffee from which all judgment of coffee flows.

An older, less common, understanding of “good” might help in getting to the good cup of coffee of which I want.  The classical definition of “good” runs something like the following: “fulfilling its purpose to its highest degree.”  So, what is the end of coffee?  Is coffee only utilitarian?  Coffee’s end being to energize the weary body, relaxation from stress, socializing, and maximum flavor.  The first three in the list are tangible and last, is difficult to pin down.  Still then why even bother in trying to find a good cup of coffee?  Why quest for a perfect cup when Christ himself said only God is perfect?  As Aristotle says, all men by nature desire to know.  Learning what a good cup of coffee is satisfies that desire for knowledge while at the same time enjoying a cup of good coffee serves as a foretaste to Heaven, as all pleasures are.  With each cup being better than the last we move closer to the divine reality of Heaven, for in Heaven we see clearly and now only through cups of joe.

The legend surrounding coffee has it originating in Ethiopia by a chance encounter involving a goat herder and the coffee tree in the 10^th century.  Since this time, coffee has become one of the most popular drinks in the world.  It is grown between the Latitudes of 25 North and 30 South in a region known as the Bean Belt.  There are two kinds of beans that are grown: Arabica and Robusta.  Arabica beans are grown at a higher altitude and due to a more stable environment create a more consistent bean – Arabica beans are often used in high-end coffees and cafes.  Robusta beans are grown at lower altitudes and thrive in warmer had harsher environments which result in a bean growing more rapid than the Arabica, but a bean that is higher in caffeine and more inconsistent in flavor – Robusta beans are commonly placed in instant coffee.

However, the flavor of coffee is dependent on three key factors: soil, weather, and processing, which are ultimately dependent on the region of the world in which they are grown.  The three major regions (I speak very broadly and generally here) are the Americas/Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.  Many coffees in the Americas are wet-processed, which produces a cleaner more acidic coffee that can be reminiscent of wine.  The coffees in Africa and Asia that are dry-processed often have a distinct flavor that can be described as less acidic, earthy, and berry-like. 

Each brewing method for coffee has its merits ranging from ease of brewing to taste.  The one method that serves as a happy medium between ease and taste and produces an excellent cup of coffee in terms of flavor for the home kitchen is the French press.  French Pressing coffee is tried and true and is inexpensive.

Equipment:

1.     Coffee (coarse ground Arabica beans)

2.     Stove top kettle (or other way of heating water)

3.     Hot Water (200-205 F.)

4.     French Press (typically 32 oz. in size)

5.     3-5 minutes

6.     Your favorite mug.

How To:

1.     Fill Kettle with water and place on a hot burner on the stove.

2.     Place the coarse ground Arabica beans in a clean and dry French Press .

a.     You will have to experiment, but the typical ratio is 1-2 Tbs per 6-8oz of water.

b.     My own recipe is ¼ cup, and then I fill the French press to the top with hot water.

3.     Go pray while the kettle is heating.

4.     When the water is boiling and the kettle is whistling, remove the kettle from the stove and let the boiling stop (Do not pour boiling water over the grounds.).

5.     Pour the hot water into and over the coffee grounds (optional, stir the grounds).

6.     Place the top and plunger into the press and push the plunger down a little to ensure all the grounds are submerged.

7.     Let grounds steep for between 3-5 minutes.

8.     Push the plunger down all the way to the bottom.

9.     Pour a cup of coffee.

10.  Add sweetener and cream as desired.

11.  Enjoy.

The question of what regional beans should be used is important because as mentioned earlier, coffee’s profile is depended on the region in which it is grown.   This is highly personal to one’s own palate.  However, if you are not sure where to begin, I’d recommend a Brazilian or Columbian coffee to start.  In fact, you are probably drinking coffee from Brazil or Columbia now and don’t even realize it as those are the two countries produce the most Arabica coffee in the world.  If you already know you like bolder and earthier flavors feel free to dive into dry-processed coffees; a Sumatra blend is a good place to start.  If you want to go back to the origins of Coffee, choose Ethiopian.  I cannot emphasize enough; always use Arabica beans.

Lastly, there are two Catholic connections to coffee originating in the 16^th and 17^th centuries.  Prior to Pope Clement VIII coffee was often referred to as the drink of the devil due to its pre-processed red cherry, which was thought to resemble the glowing red eyes of the devil.  Also, there might have been a connection coffee having its origin in Muslim lands.  Eventually, Pope Clement gets a hold of some coffee, tries it,  enjoys it and blesses the bean to remove the stigma that the coffee is Satan’s beverage.  The second Catholic connection is with the Capuchin Blessed Marco d’Aviano who, according to legend, brewed coffee from the stores of the defeated Ottoman troops after the Battle of Vienna.  Finding the drink too bitter, Blessed Marco added cream and honey to it.  Not only did this make the coffee more palatable and sweet, it changed the color of the black coffee to be a more greyish brown that resembled the habits worn by the Capuchin monks.  From then on the drink acquired the name cappuccino.

To close out I’d like to echo and adapt the prayer of St. Bridgid, who if she had experienced coffee, might have written her prayer with the opening stanza as follows:

 I'd like to give a lake of [coffee] to God.
I'd love the heavenly
Host to be [sipping] there
For all eternity.