"Kaffe"

Not-too-long ago, I bought myself a French Press, not knowing what it was, and certainly not for its intended use. More recently, I finally discovered how to utilize it correctly, and it has changed my life (especially with regard to my coffee-drinking experience). I thought I’d share:

Somewhere, in some coffee shop, at some university in Chicago (the specifics escape me), I tried a delightful red tea called Rainbow Rooibos. Enamored, I found an amazing website called CulinaryTeas.com, and bought myself a package of the loose-leaf version. I didn’t think too much of it until I tried to make the damn stuff; it was still delicious, but it had the unfortunate habit of slipping through the strainer of my teapot. My tea needed help.

Weeks later, while at IKEA picking up cheap, one-year-use-only furniture for my sophomore year at school, I noticed at item labeled under the unfortunate name of “Kaffe,” (pictured right) and it looked a lot like a tea pot. It had a pretty fine strainer, so I thought, “what the hell,” and picked it up. SUCCESS, it worked.

This guy? No good.

I soon discovered that the “Kaffe” wasn’t actually intended for making tea. In fact, it’s a coffee maker (I was confused too). A quick Google search revealed a lot about it. It’s called a French Press, it has a strainer rather than a filter — filters take out a lot of the essential (read: not unhealthy) oils of coffee, which are responsible for a ton of the flavor — and most importantly it looks a lot better on your desk / counter than a Mr. Coffee.

As it is, I’m a pretty big fan of coffee. As a busy and often sleep-deprived college student, it gets me through many of my days. Most of the time, I can take the time to enjoy it, but occasionally, it starts to become a chore, and the flavor and taste gets lost in the mess.

The French Press restores much of what gets lost in the shuffle. They’re cheap (about half the price of percolators), they’re easy (warm up water, toss it in, add some grounds, and let it brew), and they’re fantastic when it comes to restoring coffee to the way it was meant to be.

Most important, though, is their value as pieces of functional design. Many companies have turned theirs into fashion pieces, matching the decor of consumers’ kitchens or homes. I, for one, don’t keep it around for its decorative value so much as for the improvement it brings to both my coffee and my daily routine. Finally, my daily caffination is less a chore and more a pleasure.

They get fancy, too.