A Darn Good Cup of Jo

Attention coffee lovers: There's a new coffee press on the block.

I've tried several methods of non-electric coffee brewing: the two-chambered stove-top espresso maker that was the norm in Spain, french press, and the overnight cold brew for iced coffee. We've relied on french press since we decided to keep it simple and return the electric coffee maker we received as a wedding gift for cash. But lately I've grown weary of the bitter, almost muddy taste of french press as well the process of making it in the morning (clean-up being the biggest hassle).

Last weekend at the Homewood Farmers Market I consulted our farmers market neighbor and new friend, Woody, of FinerGrind Coffee Roasters. He told me about a couple different methods that he uses: the Clever Coffee Dripper, which is a pour over system, and the Aeropress. He made some pretty lofty claims about the Aeropress, something along the lines of "the best cup of coffee I've ever had" and offered us a deal that included a bag of his fresh-roasted artisan coffee, so we went for it.

Friends, we have not been disappointed. Using the press you can make a single up to a quadruple shot of pure, espresso gold in about 1 minute. Most mornings we add hot water to make an americano, but if we're feeling fancy we'll add frothed hot milk (perfect use for the old french press) for a latte.  The flavor is really up there with the most pure I've ever tasted. There is very little bitterness, so you can really taste the unique notes of the coffee you brew. And, clean-up is super simple, which is no small bonus on a busy morning.

And there you have it. A darn good cup of jo. Mornings just got that much better.