By the time I finish my workout at the gym in the morning, I am craving my first cup of coffee of the day.
I pass the local coffee shop and I am tempted to stop. But instead I blissfully wander home drawn by the vision of a relaxing brew at my dining room table, while I do a crossword puzzle and listen to classical music (my Zen).
There are several reasons why I prefer a coffee at home:
- I love flavored coffees. At home I always have at least one or two flavors in my pantry – usually Hazelnut Vanilla, Irish Creme, or some similar variation often with “chocolate” in its name – and unfortunately many coffee shops do not offer flavored coffees.
- I use Agave Nectar To sweeten my coffee. Sometimes I enjoy the added flavor of Irish Creme, Hazelnut or Vanilla. Most coffee shops only provide white (or sometimes brown) sugar (which I avoid as much as possible) because it isn’t as healthy for me.
- I have a favorite cup. It says “mornings aren’t MAGICAL” and my grandchildren gave it to me when I moved to Montreal. It’s much better than a paper or Styrofoam cup.
Since I usually start my day with only one cup of coffee in the morning – I like to use a single cup coffee maker to brew it. These are my favorites:
- I think the best single cup coffee maker system is the Bodum Belgique Filter – because it is so simple. The system comes with a permanent filter and a mug, but the filter also fits on most coffee cups. (I know because several years ago I broke the glass coffee mug, and I still use the Bodum permanent filter with all my favorite mugs, including my travel coffee mugs.) It is such a simple system: fill the filter with a tablespoon of coffee; put the plastic insert over, and fill it boiling water. Once it has dripped through, I discard my coffee grains into the composter. And it is Eco-friendly because the filter is reusable .
- The second most convenient method of making a single cup is the Melitta one cup coffee filter system. I drop a small (#1 or #2) paper filter into the plastic filter-holder, add a tablespoon of ground coffee, and pour boiling water over until the cup is filled. You can see through the bottom of the filter to see how much water is required. Both the paper filter and the coffee discard easily into the composter.
There are also many electric single serve coffee makers on the market. So if you are like me and only drink one or two a day, you might consider one of those systems. They do take up a bit more space on your counter, or in your cupboard.
TIP: Select a method of making coffee that allows you to compost the coffee grains. Coffee is good for plant growth.
What is you favorite method of making coffee? Do you drink: one, two or many cups a day?
Update: I just found some health benefits for drinking more than one cup of coffee per day in this Health.com article entitled 5 reasons to have another cup of coffee. Because I love my coffee really fresh – even when I increase to two per day – I will still be using one of my single cup brewing systems (described above).
