Some of my friends have a pot of coffee going all day long, with some drinking coffee right up to bedtime. They really like coffee, just as I do, but each of us has our coffee in a different way! Most of my friends have something like a 12-cup coffee maker, and they drink pots of coffee. I don’t.

I make my coffee using a small Clever Coffee Dripper, which makes just a tad less than 8 ounces. When I begin making myself a cup of coffee, I start heating the filtered water in our electric pot, which heats the water to boiling, or 212 degrees. As it’s heating, I put an unbleached cone filter in and add two heaping tablespoons of coffee, a tad less if the coffee is from countries such as Mexico or a tad more if from Kenya. I try to allow the boiling water to cool down to about 200 degrees before pouring the water slowly over my coffee in the dripper. After four minutes, I set my dripper on my coffee cup, which allows the hot coffee to drain in my cup. I make every cup I drink in this same way.

For the past 30 years or so Mick, my brother in Nebraska, and I have bought green coffee beans and roasted our own coffee. I started using a manual Whirley Bird popcorn roaster. Roasted a lot of coffee using this old stainless-steel roaster. Eventually tried an old-school electric popcorn popper without the safety shutoff, which does a good job. Then, on to a Behmor coffee roaster, which will roast up to a pound. Down through the years, some of the coffee was undrinkable, some decent, some pretty good, and, now and then, outstanding. We’ve roasted coffee from dozens of countries — Kenya, Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru, Sumatra, Bolivia and Columbia. Coffee can be roasted from “first crack” which is barely roasted on up to virtually burnt and close to charcoal. We both prefer just beyond first crack, which is around a light to medium roast.

Both of us roast the green coffee beans and then allow it to rest for a couple days and degas. One can roast and grind and make coffee in a matter of minutes, and I’ve done this, but it’s better to let it rest. I’ve used manual burr mill grinders where I grind a serving at a time, but I’m using an electric burr mill coffee grinder right now. I grind my coffee on the coarse side for my dripper, but coarse grind also works in the French Press.

I prefer black coffee because one can taste the origin flavor better when it’s black, however a dash of half and half makes my tummy happier. Each country has a little different origin taste. Coffee from Mexico tastes totally different than from Ethiopia or from Columbia. What I’ve found is the higher the altitude where the coffee is grown, the better the taste, in my opinion. Some regions, such as in Ethiopia, the coffee trees will be around 2,000 meters high or more 6,500 feet of elevation.

I try to make my coffee times special each day. Not all of them will be, but I put an effort into each one. I try to use a special cup that matches my mood for the day or one that appeals to me. I prefer old cups, with my very favorite ones being cups that dear friends who have passed used to use. Most of my cups are from 8 to 12 ounces. (The size of my Clever Dripper!) If a friend is on my mind, especially if I’m praying for them, I try to use a cup they have given me.

For me, having my coffee is almost a religious experience. I try not to plan or have coffee with an agenda but simply have coffee with an open mind that’s listening. I enjoy having a slow cup of coffee with friends when we have the time to enjoy the coffee and the time together!

Just me,

Rennie

Phillips began life as a cowboy, then husband and father, carpenter, a minister, gardener and writer. He may be reached at phillipsrb@hotmail.com.

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