In Praise of Coffee

Fiḍál (Grace), 15 Qawl (Speech), 173 BE - Tuesday, December 6, 2016 AD about 13:36 PM Pacific Standard Time 

There is nothing like a strong black cup of coffee to get the day off to a good start. This morning, as usual, I brewed a fresh carafe of Folgers black silk coffee because this is my favorite brand and blend. I have coffee every morning, but I don't always have pre-ground coffee. Sometimes, on special occasions, I purchase coffee beans and grind my own coffee. It's been a long time since I purchased coffee beans, so I think I need to purchase a small bag. I love the smell of fresh ground coffee as much as I love the aroma of it brewing. 

I learned to drink coffee from Grandpa Frank, my mother's father. Every morning he would make a fresh pot of coffee before he went to work. He would drink a cup and then fill his thermos bottle before packing his lunch to go to work. On Saturday and Sunday, his days off, he would continue to brew coffee all day long. Grandpa used a percolator instead of a coffee maker. 

Morning Coffee in Las Vegas

Jamál (Glory), 2 Sulṭán (Sovereignty), 169 B.E. - Sunday, January 20, 2013 about 8:35 A.M. Pacific time

This morning, I am drinking coffee from Mom's favorite coffee cup. The design on the cup is a man playing a musical instrument, I think  the instrument is called a base fiddle. Mom always like to drink her coffee from this cup, so I decided to put my coffee in it today. I  believe this decision has something to do with missing Mom.

Mom and I always preferred our coffee dark and strong, but when she became ill I changed to a lighter blend of coffee. I did not change to decaf because neither of us liked it, I think it had something to do with the taste or the way it made us feel when we drink it. This year, I changed back to the darker blends of coffee because I prefer the taste.

Normally, I do not drink more then one or two cups a day even though I make coffee in a 12-cup carafe. When I have leftover coffee, I use the microwave to warm it up the next day. There is no use wasting a good cup of coffee, especially when warmed over coffee taste almost as good as fresh coffee. Of course, I use a drip coffee maker instead of a percolator. Because of the way a percolator works it brews stronger coffee.

One-Third can of coffee left

Jalál (Glory), 18 ‘Izzat (Might), 167 BE – Saturday, September 25, 2010 about 1:11 PM Pacific Time

I am almost out of coffee. I have one-third of a can left with five days left in September. I bought a large can, which contained 34.5 oz., which seems like lot of coffee. This is not very much coffee to a person to makes two percolators a day.

Making coffee in a percolator is different then making coffee in a drip coffee maker. When I use a percolator, I use 9 or 10 tablespoons of coffee, but when I use a drip machine, I put only 4 or 5 tablespoons in the basket. The amount of coffee I use depends on the grind and the type of coffee I buy. If i grind the beans myself, I use less coffee then if the beans are already ground.

This morning I made fresh coffee and then went out. When I came back home I added the coffee I had leftover from yesterday to the pot. Of course, I removed the used grounds first because a percolator makes coffee stronger if you leave the grounds in the basket.. If I am fortunate, I will have enough coffee for the rest of the month. This month I do not have whole beans as a backup; therefore, when I run out of coffee I have to drink tea. Tea is good, but it is a poor substitute for coffee.

Fresh ground coffee in the morning

Kamál (Perfection), 7 Sultán (Sovereignty), 166 BE – Monday, January 25, 2010 about 2:45 PM Pacific Time

I ran out of coffee yesterday; therefore, I had to open the 12 oz. bag of Guatemala Mayan Lake Coffee beans this morning. I opened the bag and used my new coffee grinder to grind enough beans for two percolators of coffee. Mom and I drank I one 12-cup percolator of coffee, so I made another this afternoon. I still have two-thirds of the beans left in the bag and this will give me enough coffee for the next two or three days.

I did not notice that these were organically grown beans when I bought them. At the time I bought the coffee, the important information was the type of beans and that they were dark roast. My priorities concerning coffee beans have nothing to do with them being organically grown. I look at the name of the beans and the roast. When I buy coffee beans, I pick beans that appear exotic.

I prefer whole bean coffee; however, price usually dictates that I buy regular ground coffee. I buy the whole bean coffee as a backup for when I run out of coffee before a check arrives. This way I never run out of coffee.

I bought an electric percolator

Istijlál (Majesty), 11 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Thursday, July 23, 2009 about 6:07 AM Pacific Time

I bought an electric percolator yesterday. It makes a maximum of 12 cups of coffee and you use between 8 to 12 tablespoons of coffee grounds to brew the coffee. Yesterday I make a pot of coffee using 8 tablespoons, but it wasn't strong enough. This morning I used 10 tablespoons and it still isn't strong enough, so the next time I make it I'll use 12 tablespoons.

I haven't had a percolator in the house for two or three years, so I have to experiment with the amount of grounds until I get the coffee to the desired strength. I like my coffee strong. I learned to drink coffee from my grandfather and he made "cowboy coffee" in an electric percolator. Grandpa's coffee was strong enough to walk under its own power.

I didn't know how much I missed the sound of a percolator until I made coffee yesterday. I just stood beside the coffee pot listening to it perk. That is one of the most beautiful sounds in the universe. I think that the sound of a percolator is comforting.

Coffee made in a percolator seems hotter then when I make it in a drip coffee maker. However, I think that is because the percolator keeps the coffee hotter then sitting the pot on a heating element to keep it warm.