July 15, 2008

backup coffee supply

I don't have a great deal of tips and tricks to share--at least not yet. Still, everyone has their little habits and shortcuts that, if shared, might make another's day just a smidge more pleasant.

Here's one I like:

We use usually use a French press for making coffee. I prefer to grind my coffee for each pot, but I can't quite eyeball the perfect bean-to-grinds ratio and thus always have unused grounds lingering in the grinder. What I've started doing, rather than throwing them out or tossing them in a compost heap*, I like to store that extra teaspoon or two in a little ziploc bag in the freezer.

*which would be just lovely, but would mean less coffee for me and besides, I've grown to busy or lazy to maintain my compost properly.

This way, when I run out of coffee mid-prep and am desperate for just an extra 1/3 tablespoon of coffee to fully flavor the pot, I have a little back-up supply.

Got any tips and tricks for easier prep, saving money, or anything else appropriate to post online? Don't be shy.

6 comments:

  1. You would probably be horrified to know that I make a very large pot of coffee about twice a week and then just re-heat as necessary. I only drink chicory coffee though, which is pretty bitter on its own, so I don't think sitting around makes a difference. And it does make it much easier to have iced coffee in the summer.

    Hmmm, tricks? Um. Oh, here's a good one! You know how when you cut brownies, especially really good, fudgy, moist brownies (I'm drooling now), the knife collects crumbs and rips the brownies into messy pieces? Well, if you use a plastic knife, the brownies will slice cleanly.

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  2. Hah--Yeah, I haven't really acquired the taste for chicory coffee! That must originate your Acadian roots??

    Good trick, though the last brownies I made (last week) contained wheat flour and ground flax; and the damn things were so nasty and grainy, I had to throw them out! :/

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  3. I'm the same with the french press and fresh grind. Though I've got you beat on the lazy- I just eyeball the beans (cover the "axel" of the grinder) and go to town. Though, I do save the excess morning coffee to make iced-coffee-post-workout-milk in the afternoons...

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  4. I also like to grind my coffeebeans before I make a pot. But sometimes there's no time, especially when you're desparate for a cup. So I grind enough beans for three pots of coffee at a time. It's still good. I usually make 2 pots a day. Thanks for sharing,

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  5. AnonymousJuly 21, 2008

    i only drink Cuban espresso and i always put it in a old Planters peanut glass jar to keep it from spilling out of its bag...

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  6. We measure ours out. For instance... we found that Expresso roast takes 37 grams to make the perfect French Press pot...

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