Coffee, please

I just discovered the Coffee House Mysteries by Cleo Coyle. The protagonist is Clare Cosi and I enjoy the stories. They are "cozies" but very well written and I like the characters.

Thanks to Clare's constant rhapsodic praises of coffee in nearly every form, I began thinking about coffee seriously for the first time in my life. I've been drinking a lot more coffee since the diagnosis of asthma because it works very well as a bronco-dialator. I decided that if I'm going to consume so much coffee then I should learn how to make myself a good cup.

I went to Peet's Coffee and they were very helpful. I learned a lot from reading Cleo's books so I didn't look like a total idiot. I knew that I wanted to buy a stove-top, two-cup Espresso Maker and a single-cup French Press. Karen had come along with me and had a good chuckle over my plans. She knows that it is all about the process for me. That certainly explains why I enjoy knitting so much!

Anyway, the espresso maker is for home while the french press is for the office. I knew that each required a different grind - coarse for french press and fine for the expresso maker. I got half a pound of each grind of the Anniversary Blend. I plan on exploring all sorts of different blends in the future.

It turns out the Karen is absolutely right! I love the stove-top espresso maker. No big machine, just some coffee and water on a gas burner. I'm not quite ready for straight espresso so I but the liquid with some hot water - Cafe Americaine! Lovely! Particularly since we had a sunny Saturday and very cold Sunday and Monday. I snuggled by the fireplace, read, knit and napped.

I enjoyed my coffee very much. And, the french press works perfectly at the office. I've been making 3-4 cups a day!

Comments

[Mellanie]

Kelley, I always enjoy it when you share new things with us! Thanks for the heads up about the books and coffee makers. I find coffee works well as a bronco-dialator and so does regular Coke (can't be diet). Enjoy your new pursuit!

[Susan]

If you are still on a Jane Austen kick, try some E.M. Forester Novels. Room with a View, Howard's End, and Passage to India are three very good late 19th Century novels. They are set in Victorian times rather than Regency, but still very English.

A good mystery series are the Cafael books, protaganist is a 12th century Monk and former Crusader, Cadfael. The Author is Ellis Peters and there are almost 20 books in the series. The first one is Morbid Taste for Bones, and Audible has the entire series.

Hi Susan,

Thanks for the suggestions. I have read the E.M. Forrester books. I've seen the Cadfael series but have had a bit of trouble getting into them. But, I am going to give them another try. Maybe they would be better on my new Kindle rather than being read to me? :)

Kelley

[Rebecca Evers]

HI, I have been lurking on your blog for several months and have enjoyed your rambles. In fact your discussion of the Flanders Panel made me order it. I loved the book to the end --- not sure about the end, seemed contrived to me. What did you think? Coffee Cozies seem like perfect summer reading. Have you read the Stephane Plum mysteries by Evanovich? good summer reads as well.

I love my French Press; use it at home and another one at the office. Give some Sumatra coffee a try --- good hearty brew.

Hi Rebecca,

I did think the end of The Flanders Panel was a bit contrived but I enjoyed it all the same and would still recommend it to others. I have not tried the Stephanie Plum mysteries. Umm, more summer reading!

I particularly appreciate your suggestion of the Sumatra coffee. After drinking tea for thirty years, I'm quite comfortable with the different types of tea. But, this new coffee world has got my head spinning!!

Kelley

[bwilliams]

Be careful Kelley, that coffee stuff is addicting...you might end up like me...carring a travel mug around all day. I do LOVE a good cup of coffee. There is usually a cup within arms reach, everywhere except church.

[Melly]

I have had french press coffee my entire life. It is so much better than drip pot coffee! Now you make me want to try the espresso method, like my grandma used to have. all things old are new again!

[Nat Alea]

Kelley, If you love adventure/historical/love story in a book read Diana Gabaldon Outlander Series. If you haven't come across this Author, you've got to try her. She's my favorite hands down. But I've had to give up reading because I can't read and knit at the same time;o) I also, would like to say I love you newest catalogue. I got it in the mail yesterday and have looked at it no less than 4 times. I especially want to say a big THANK YOU for showing patterns from different books knit with your yarn. I have Lacy Little Knits and have been scared to knit a single thing because I'm not a good enough knitter to try to use a differnt yarn than what the pattern calls for. You've given great alternatives in yarn choice that I can actuallly afford. Thanks again, and love your store, Nat Alea

P.S. Congrats on the newest baby and of course Walter is adorable!!!! How could he not be with such great grandparents!

Oh Nat, have I got a treat for you!!!

Diane Gabaldon's books are available at Audible.com. If you think you enjoy reading them, wait until you get to listen to the story!! They are well read and each one is about 40 hours of listening pleasure!!!

Kelley

[leeann walser]

i too am a coffee lover......it doesn't always love me, however........if you experience problems with acid from cofee......try the melita coffee drip equipment..................i often just use the filter and its holder and make what i want for the day in a really big glass measuring cup..........then i keep the extra covered in the fridge and microwave it slightly during the day..........or in florida it makes wonderful iced coffee.........all the taste and none of the bite.......i might also add that i am the product of south louisiana roots and therefore really make strong strong coffee to start with.....have you had the french market coffee with chicory?.........it is wonderful..another fun process with coffee is cold water extraction............amazon sells the equipment........this is the really proper way to make coffee for iced coffee.........it eliminates the acid............leeann

[Cher]

My dear, you simply *must* get yourself a burr grinder and some freshly roasted beans. To. Die. For.
(Stumptown is very, very good.)

[knitty50]

Hi Kelly,
I have a stove-top espresso maker myself and I love it! It was a Christmas gift my sister gave me a few years ago.

[~jane]

You might want to try an AeroPress for single cup espresso or coffee. It is an amazing little "tool" and the most fantastic coffee I have made. Similar to a French Press but no grounds in the coffee whatsoever. Just clear, clear goodness!

I read mysteries almost exclusively and will be checking out this author. Thanks for the tip.

[Caffeinated]

Hi Kelley!

As a Seattleite and true "Coffee Afficionado" I applaud your introduction to coffee goodness - espresso goes great with knitting! :-) One hint - the stovetop espresso maker is my favorite, too, but I use it for my very favorite Cuban coffee! We Cubanos are crazy about out coffee (we drink it strong, hot, and very sweet!) so you might want to give it a try if you want something different... you can buy it in most Latin markets or in grocery stores with good Latin sections, look for Cafe Pilon or Cafe Bustelo. :-)

Love your blog and your podcast!

Best,

Lourdes

[Sonja]

I miss my old Cafeteria (that´s what the south Europeans call it, apparently it originated from Italy, but is used a lot in Spain as well). I used to make cappocino in on the weekend with a cheap little frother from IKEA.

I envy you of Peet's. That´s the best coffee in North America :)