Starbucks is dropping their often slow & crappy AT&T Wi-Fi for hopefully lickety-split Wi-Fi from Google. While Starbucks' coffee is subpar, I greatly enjoy the atmosphere there for getting some stuff done away from the home office. And while Google as an ISP gives me a bit of the heebie-jeebies, fast Internet is appreciated.
Besides, that's why I have Cloak for public Wi-Fi.
On episode 87 of The Talk Show, John Gruber jokingly shared the three things necessary for becoming Internet Famous:
Now, I do not have a clicky keyboard, nor do I have the desire to have one. I would gladly accept a Sodastream, as I love carbonated water with a little lime in it. I do, however, make my coffee in an extremely fussy way.
I start off my coffee making process by setting my Cuisinart PerfecTemp kettle to 200°F. While that heats the water for a few minutes, I weigh out 12g of coffee beans from my favorite local roaster.
Here is where the fussiness sets in. I then grind my coffee manually in a Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim grinder. After grinding the beans, I use an AeroPress to brew a single cup of coffee into my awesome coffee mug.
I repeat this process 3-5 times a day.
So why bring all this up, other than to give fellow coffee nerds a peek at my secret public vice?
It's a matter of craft. The built-in OS X dictionary's primary definition of craft is:
an activity involving skill in making things by hand
An alternative definition is:
skill in carrying out one's work
It is often all too easy in this digitally driven world to lose the tangibility of accomplishment. When you labor physically to make something excellent — yes, even a cup of coffee — you benefit greatly from the achievement.
As far as coffee goes, my comparatively laborious method yields a much better tasting cup of coffee than my automatic dripolator can provide. Quality over quantity.
As our society has moved to the intangible, it has become easy to forget what craftsmanship looks like. People scoff when a great app is not free. A dollar is deemed as spendy when it comes to software, for example.
But you know what I noticed? Many of the very best apps — the ones where it is apparent that the developer sweats every detail — cost more than a buck. It's these kinds of apps that are my favorite. And that is because their makers are true craftsmen. And I'd wager that they sweat the details and fuss over other tangible things, as well.
I think what I am really trying to get at is if put a lot of care and detail into something tangible, it will help you to apply that same care and detail into intangible work.
Get fussy.
There is so much to love about this video by Adam Lisagor about the AeroPress, which happens to be the way I have been making every cup of coffee at home for months.
The other day I talked about my new favorite cup. Today I'd like to kick off a new series on the site that will show up from time to time. What's In My Cup will showcase a new coffee I am drinking on occasion.
Normally, I have a standard that I get from the store, which is fairly good coffee, but not really anything to write home about. That isn't what I'll talk about in these posts. Every now & then, I am either gifted, or just treat myself, to a coffee that I consider special. That is what you will find in these occasional articles.
Why coffee? Because I practically have a love affair going on with coffee. And I don't know very many geeks who will disagree with the idea of coffee being essential to workflow and general brain functionality.
I'd like to introduce you to Cultiva Coffee. Cultiva is a local roaster here in Lincoln, NE, and many of the shops around town serve Cultiva exclusively. Their beans are definitely pricey, but worth every penny. They are certainly artisans in their craft.
In honor of my own birthday last week, I treated myself to a pound of Ethiopian Dernaye — Amaro Gayo. It's a light roast, which is a bit of a departure for me. I tend to go for medium. But, man, is it really good.
This coffee goes down really smooth and is downright refreshing in the morning. I've also been enjoying the extra perk of caffeine from a light roast. The taste is reminiscent of a hint of the roasted bit on the top of a crème brûlée.
And that is what is in my cup.
I love coffee. I have a very difficult time functioning day-to-day without it. I may have a slight caffeine addiction.
Even more so, I love good coffee. I always buy whole bean, and usually I go for a nice blend from TJ's. When I feel like a special treat, I'll buy directly from a roaster. (The latter is my preferred, but it's expensive).
I have a very nice coffee maker that my wife bought me (which I'll go over some other time), and have been pondering trying a french press or aeropress.
One part of my coffee drinking that I haven't really paid much attention to is my mug. I mean, really, it's just a cup with a handle, right? There really can't be much difference, right?
Wrong.
I present the Intelligentsia Filter Coffee Mug. After reading some nice words about this, I decided to purchase it. So far, I'm very happy.
The design is classic, and reminiscent of a 1950's era diner. The red stripe offers a bit of visual flair. When you hold the mug, you can instantly tell that a lot of thought went into its design. It is balanced well, and the handle comfortably accommodates two fingers while the flat top gives secure place for your thumb. That flat top makes all the difference in this mug as it provides the right amount of balance when holding the mug.
The mug holds 9 ounces of coffee (or tea), which is neither too much nor too little for my preference — it's just right. Also, the mug has thick walls, retaining the heat of the coffee for a while longer than most generic mugs.
For $12, it seems a decent price for the thought and design put into something that makes drinking your coffee a little more enjoyable.
