Coffee Rituals

When I scroll through my social media feeds there seem to be a lot of inspirational quotes and idioms being shared and enjoyed. I’d like to call your attention to a very simple idiom, perhaps antiquated, yet more valid in our times than ever. I am referring to the idiom, Stop and Smell the Roses, which as we know is an invitation to take the time needed to enjoy and appreciate the finer and simpler things in life. 

I invite you to reacquaint yourself with one of the simple pleasures of life, which is a good rich, dark, fragrant cup of Java, prepared the old-fashioned way. A simple pleasure that many have simply forgotten, since preparing coffee at home has become an unremarkable daily activity. Where is the pleasure when you drop a sealed coffee pod in your Nespresso and push a button?

From stovetop, drips, and espresso coffee makers to Nespresso, the choices are endless when it comes to choosing how we want to engage in this daily ritualistic pleasure. This post is dedicated to stovetop coffee makers. A stovetop Moka or espresso maker, are, in my opinion, the best, cheapest, and simplest way to really enjoy the ritual of coffee making at home.

Stovetop Mokas typically produce a concentrated rich coffee brew, with a nice golden cream on the top as you would expect from a barista-made espresso. If you use less coffee and more water you’ll get a more diluted, less potent, black coffee.

You can add milk to whatever comes out of your Moka for lattes or cappuccinos.

For coffee devotees, it is no different than for tea lovers with tea rituals worldwide. Coffee also has an interesting history, for example, coffee rituals were observed as a sacrament in communal Ethiopian ceremonies, and to keep up energy.

Personally, I take an artistic ritual approach and as such, would never give up the pleasure of opening a sealed bag of fresh ground coffee and taking in the rich exotic aroma.

One of the small pleasures in life is waking up to a heavenly cup of aromatic coffee. There are many who couldn’t imagine welcoming a new day, without a cup of this dark rich nectar of the gods. A good, well-prepared cup of coffee is pure ambrosia to boost our senses.

If you are a coffee aficionado, then you know that not all coffees are created equally. To experience the full pleasure of coffee, you can’t beat coffee beans, set aside ground coffee and coffee pods, for alas these pale by comparison.

The selection of coffee beans is vast. Similar to wine, coffee can have a light, medium, or strong body, and the selection is further enriched with an array of flavored coffee beans to choose from. Flavored coffee beans are enhanced with flavored natural oils from spices, nuts, or herbs, once the beans have been roasted.

Chuck away your Nespresso and Nespresso lookalikes or any pod coffee maker if you want to experience the pleasures of java to the fullest and for a more sustainable lifestyle. Rituals are an integral part of many pleasure-related activities and the ritual of preparing a delectable cup of coffee is just as important in enhancing the overall enjoyment.