For most people, coffee is something that gets them through their day. It’s sugary, watery, perhaps acridly bitter, and handed to them through a drive-through window by a weary barista or picked up at a counter crowded with dozens of other orders. Recently, coffee dispensing chains like Starbucks have attempted to revitalize the coffee drinking experience by bringing back elements of traditional coffee houses. However, attempts to bring cozy coffeehouse vibes back into a chain where speedy service and high customer turnover are key to profits is antithetical to the the history and essence of coffee making.
Coffee has come a long way from their origins in the qahveh khanehs of the Middle East. In those days, coffee was held in high regard as a medium to exchange ideas, form friendships, and express hospitality. While coffee was certainly appreciated for its energizing and mentally stimulating properties, the process of making coffee and the act of drinking it were equally, if not more important than the buzz. Making a good cup of coffee was a matter of pride for the brewer. As coffee made its way around the world from the Middle East, so did the cultural element of socializing over a delicious and well-prepared beverage. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, we lost touch with the meditative element of coffee consumption.
On coffee forums, it’s not uncommon to find home baristas with coffee making setups that cost more than a month of rent. Often, the hobbyist side of coffee making is mocked for their extravagance because coffee in itself is seen as merely a means to get through the day. To the coffee consumer who is happy with a relatively cheap latte, spending large amounts of money on fancy gadgets for minor improvements in coffee seems like a huge waste of money. However, the coffee enthusiast sheds light on how our lackadaisical attitude towards caffeination reflects a deeper loss of appreciation for the small things in life.
The process of making coffee at home is time-consuming and laborious. Of course, one does not need to buy the most expensive machines and grinders on the market to make good coffee, but the process of making a good drink remains fairly the same. It is essential to buy fresh, whole, locally roasted beans and store them properly to deter spoilage. The beans must be weighed before and after grinding to account for grinder retention. It is essential to properly distribute the grounds and tamp them, if making espresso. Then, when making the actual beverage, one must monitor the extraction process and taste the final product to gauge whether adjustments need to be made to the grind. The reward for this process is fleeting, a cup of coffee consumed in a matter of minutes.
The time and effort invested by coffee enthusiasts is largely seen as privileged and snobby. However, the coffee nerd exemplifies the desire to make trivialities special, to find joy in simplicity. As an avid appreciator of slow living and disconnection from the noise of the digital town square, I admire coffee nerds for their dedication to mastering something taken for granted by others. It is easy to find flavor in complexity but taking a single ingredient and making it delicious is a testament to skill, practice, and devotion to art.
