Hello Old Friend: Missing Coffee and Coffee Fatigue

Sitting in front of my monitor, I quietly type away sipping my afternoon coffee.  Generally this is not a new experience, except I haven't imbibed coffee since yesterday morning.

What!?  You have not had  coffee since when? Yes, I was suffering from coffee fatigue.  Coffee fatigue, according to me, is when a coffee lover is over caffeinated, gets no pleasure from drinking coffee, and suffers from a coffee "grimyness" all over. (Any other possible symptoms? Drop a comment below)

I went into a self-imposed coffee detox for ~30 hours. Partly due to my busy schedule, partly to the aforementioned coffee fatigue.  I agree, sometimes I do not have time to make coffee, or I need to rush out the door to make my class or finish the last few pages of reading.  Some days aren't conducive to brewing coffee.  Additionally, I have pressed myself not to buy coffee unless I am reviewing the cafe or serves some purpose to writing a blog post.  This policy, albeit austere, pushes me to brew at my coffee bar in the apartment.  Not ten minutes ago (as of 4:12 PM on Friday), I had my first taste of coffee since 6AM yesterday.

What is so significant of this coffee development?  Being away from any cherished thing or person, makes you appreciate it that much more.  With coffee out of my system for more than 24 hours, drinking a cup of coffee sends a caffeinated jolt through my body.  Similar to drug addict without their fix (An image not without basis, caffeine is a drug you know!), going through a self imposed or contingent detox for coffee, when you indulge in coffee again, you appreciate the flavors, the brewing ritual, and your favorite cup all the more.

What about you?  Have you ever though that improving the taste of the coffee could simply mean having longer intervals between cups?  Ever suffer from "coffee fatigue?"  Comment below!         

The Perfect Cappuccino: A Documentary

"It might be the worst of the best coffee, but it is." (Referencing Starbucks)  I have to say I can't disagree.  While not bad, the image of Starbucks betrays the quality of the product produced.  But this is another post.

Looking for a coffee documentary?  Look no further. 

I stumbled over this coffee gem about a person's search for perfect cappuccino foam.  Intertwined with this obsessive caffeinated search, is a critique of Starbucks and how Americans are buying into corporate coffee culture.  I have only viewed the trailer, but take a look at their website, (www.cappuccinomovie.com), buy a copy if you like it, and become a fan on their Facebook page.  (I would but I do not have Facebook.)

Pour Over Method and the Popping of my Coffee Ballon, aka Ego

  

Buying my pour over a few days ago, I felt empowered!  Not only would I brew excellent drip coffee, but since I have a coffee blog it would logically follow that I would make an excellent cup the first time.  No skill or knowledge need apply.  How wrong I was!  This is not to say that it turned out badly, but my first cup, despite the wonderful aroma of Counter Culture's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, was watery.  Bruising my coffee ego further, the Fiance chimed in agreeing with this assertation.  How could this be?  It was as if someone broke into my apartment, seized my coffee ego in the form of a balloon, and popped it with extreme prejudice.

Let me start from the beginning.  A few days prior, I visited Northside Social and bought the pictured pour over and coffee.  When I go to Bourbon coffee in Foggy Bottom, I order the pour over because you can pick the kind of beans you want and it is always fresh.  My enjoyment of pour over coffee prompted me to buy said contraption for home use to save money.  Spending a few hours reading reviews of Hario V60, Melitta, and the Chemex and the different paper filters, I concluded that I was going to buy the Hario.  The accompanying Hario kettle was out of my price range, but I have a green tea pot that is something quite similar.

Arriving at Northside Social to buy my pour over, I found they didn't sell the Hario!  I was crushed.  Me being the impatient one, I reconciled my feelings and bought the Counter Culture version.  Walked the 2 miles to my apartment and eagerly started prepping for the ensuing coffee gloriousness.  I ground my coffee (too coarsely I soon found out), heated the water, whetted the filter, and brewed.  I followed the directions most baristas give.  Wet the grounds for 30 seconds, then pour slowly spiraling out, and always keeping the "bloom" alive.  2 minutes later, my 12oz cup was full.  Not the four minutes of steep time I hoped for.

As already mentioned, the results were decent.  The coffee itself was good, roasted on Feb. 11 and Counter Culture coffee isn't to be scoffed at.  What can I change to improve the end result?  Is it simply that I ground it too coarsely?  I want to get my coffee balloon back!  Thanks, I needed this stream of consciousness/semi-humorous post.  

What is a pour over you ask? Look at this video.

*Update*
Today, I ground the coffee finer, and nuances of the jasmine and honey tasted muted.  Is that because the coffee is now being overextracted?  Perhaps, I will have to video myself and have you guys comment on it :-).

DC in the Morning!

Hi everyone, I am out and about in the DC area, but take a look at these wonderful pictures of DC this morning!  Enjoy the weather if you are in the Metro area.  I will be back this weekend with some more coffee related posts on pour overs and Ethiopian coffee.

First Impressions of Northside Social

Until today, I had not visited Northside Social in swanky Clarendon.  My friends, knowing that I am monstrous coffee lover, could not believe this omission.  It's a few minutes walk from the Metro due to crossing some busy intersections, but distance-wise one can see it from the Metro stop.   A specialty coffee and wine bar that sells Counter Culture coffee, pour overs, French Presses, and pastries, Northside Social is the real deal.  (Not really a revelation, but its good to know that it's not hype.)  There was ample seating inside, a second floor, and an outside patio area.

What was particularly impressive was the drip coffee.  One of the best ways to judge a coffee shop, is how tasty the drip coffee is.  From my experience, drip coffee is easy to make, but hard to keep it flavorful and interesting resulting in a "wow."  Since I bought a bag of coffee, I received a medium sized cup of drip (Ethiopian Yirgacheffe) for free!  Let me tell you, wow!  It was flavorful, pleasantly warm (not scalding), and tasted fresh.  The jasmine and honey notes were particularly noticeable in the taste. 

The baristas were engaging, and answered all my questions about the pour over and getting the right filters for it.  I will post about that later, but Northside Social serves excellent coffee, and I highly recommend it to anyone if they haven't visited already.  I will be reviewing Northside Social in a later post as I hadn't the opportunity to look at prices, offerings, ambiance...etc.