Living in a confined dormitory has its benefits, such as always having people to hang out with, hearing people scream in either joy or agony when Kentucky got their final four place today, and bumming free food off of upperclassmen. Something it’s extremely not conducive towards is making quality coffee. I have a coffee pot, of course, but it hasn’t really been the same since last semester, when my roommate ran milk through it for his hot chocolate. I’m sure my coffee pot feels rather taken advantage of.
Lately I’ve been using a French press mug that my sister gave me for Christmas. A delicious alternative, to be sure. I generally use my insecure coffee pot to heat up straight water, then combine that with some sort of roast in my french press mug and viola! Coffee for a late night of studying.
Recently, however, I’ve been craving more. I see my friends with their fancy shmancy Keurig-ish machines, putting forward steaming cups of “quality” coffee as if they’re making a bowl of cereal. I really don’t have a vendetta against Keurigs. In fact, from time to time, I enjoy a cup over at a friend’s room myself. It’s just that I know that there’s better cups of coffee to be made. And as good as a Keurig cup of joe can taste, it can’t be made any better. There’s no way to switch up the coffee/water ratio, no grind to adjust, and no way to truly alter the temperature.
So, I’ve decided to do a little experimentation. I started where I believe anyone wishing to try something out should – with my friend’s advice. A couple months back I explained my situation on facebook, and got back some interesting feedback.
A trusted friend suggested I give the “Aeropress” a try. Basically, it’s a simple mechanism that uses a combination of Newtonian physics and Dumbledorian magic to create enough pressure in order to make espresso. You throw in your grinds and hot water, put it on top of your mug, press down, and you’ve got a couple shots of espresso ready to go. Believe me, I would be more then skeptical had a friend not suggested it to me. This whole shabang was said to cost around $20 online.
To round out my coffee cravings, the same friend recommended I get a milk frothing wand – apparently they go for no more than $2 from IKEA.
It wasn’t until earlier today that the stars aligned (meaning I remembered the suggestion and had the money to purchase these things at the same time). I searched for Aeropress on Amazon and got several entries. After browsing for a while, I decided to go for the standard Aeropress with no additional filters or other nonsense. Due to having a gift card and using some sort of mystery “promotion” the $20 Aeropress was mine for $1.50. Score! (or #winning for all you hipsters out there).
The frothing wand was up next, and there seemed to be more variety here. Indeed, the IKEA version went for a mere $2 on Amazon, however the reviews indicated that it is prone to breaking and the batteries don’t always hold up well. Still, I decided to go for it (what do I have to lose?) After S&S the total cost was $6. Ironic.
So, in the end, I have a full on latte kit headed my way this week. I’m not sure I’ll love it, heck I don’t even know if I’ll like it, but let me assure you that you will be the first to know either way.
Do you have any suggestions for delicious and quick coffee? Or alternatives for people in confined living quarters like me?
The Coffee Guy
