Step away from the coffee and no one gets hurt. Confessions of a coffee snob.

Growing up I drank coffee with a ton of milk and sugar. I remember begging my dad for a cup because he drank it and as a 6 or 7 year old girl I wanted to be just like my daddy. My dad was a truck driver. When he made coffee it was able to stand on it's own without a cup. We always used Folgers and Butternut in 5 pound cans. There was a Butternut Coffee roasting plant in the down town area. I remember the smell of the roasting coffee filling the car as we drove by on the way to a friends house. It was a shame that coffee never tasted as good as it smelled. I drank coffee in the winter and while on motorcycle trips to get warm. I used a lot of milk and sugar. The smell of the coffee just didn't match the strong bitter taste. Fast forward to present day. I still drink coffee but with a small amount of real cream and just a bit of sweetener. I am a real coffee snob. I admit it. I will give up other things to afford the fresh roasted Thursday and delivered to my door Friday coffee. I discovered this elixer of the gods three years ago at the farmers market. Free samples are a good thing on a tight budget. Unless that free sample changes your willingness to drink bitter acid filled hot stuff that has to be disguised with sugar and fatty liquids to be swallowable.... Is that a word? The taste of the coffee was rich and smooth and had flavor notes of fruit and spices that were present because the vendor was a miracle worker with the heat of the roaster. He chose his beans carefully and roasted them to perfection. I was hooked with the first bag of whole beans. I am such a coffee snob. I carefully grind the beans as needed. My prefered method of brewing is a French press. I find them cheap at the local thrift stores. The ground coffee goes in and the water is poured over it. I paid a lot for a temperature controled hot pot to get the perfect temperature of water needed to pull the flavor out of the grounds. The 5 minute wait is the hardest part. I put a bit of sweetener in the cup with a glug of heavy cream. Yes, heavy cream. It is thick and has a very specific rich velvety taste when it is mixed with the final brew. One teaspoon is enough to make the magic happen. Coffee made this way is rich enough to be breakfast or at least keep the hunger pangs at bay for a while. A quick stir is needed just before the plunger is pushed to the bottom and the coffee is perfectly brewed waiting to be poured into a deep mug. The first taste is too hot to sip with out risking a scorched tongue. But waiting is not an option. The second sip brings all the flavors forward and the coffee tastes as good as it smells. Really. I am such a coffee snob. I try to take my coffee beans the French press as well as a grinder the hot pot and cream and sweetener with me when I travel. I save quarters and dimes and dollar bills carefully to be able to attend conventions. I know that coffee is free and there is usually a 2 cup pot in almost every hotel room. I have the reusable Kcups I carry with me just in case. I struggle to pay all the bills every month. Some months I can not afford the coffee. It is horrible but I do with out. I have tried other brands of coffee and found a few that were passable. When I make a pot I barely finish one mug. I still have some of the passable coffee in the freezer. I use it when friends come over. I am crazy not stupid. I save the good stuff for me. Today I made a trip to the farmers market to get a bag. TapDancer coffee is only stuff I drink. The Guatemalan bean is my favorite of this years crop. The beans change each year because of rain temperature fertilization and location. I can hardly wait for breakfast in the morning when I break open the new bag and grind the fresh beans. It is almost better than sex..... Almost. I am such a coffee snob.