Nectar of the Gods

I'm gonna talk about a subject close to my heart this morning. First is the fluid of the gods, the nectar of consciousness, ahhh....coffee. I have to admit, I'm a coffee snob. I know you read below where I mentioned I was saving you from having to listen to me rant and rave because I was out of coffee. I'm pleased to announce that the coffee stores have been replenished, and I am appropriately fueled this morning. Let me explain something to you, however. Not all coffee is created equally. Ooooooh no. Sure, you can go out to the supermarket and buy just any old bag o' joe and get the job done, but to really enjoy your brew, to really appreciate the perfection that is a great cup of coffee, you have to be particular about what you buy.

Before we even start talking about types of coffee, though, let's talk about ground vs. whole bean. Now, for the quick cup in the morning, there's nothing wrong with pre-ground coffee. But, if you have the time and can grind your coffee without waking up the entire household, please, for the love of pete, go with whole bean. You'll be amazed at the difference in depth of flavor, and the different "essences" you'll get in your coffee. Just try it once - you'll see what I mean.

Now, you can get surprisingly good coffee in the discount or store brands. It's not my favorite, but it'll do in a pinch (or if I'm especially poor at the moment). If you've got the cash, though, and the inclination, there are a few brands and varieties of coffee that I highly recommend. The first is the medium-roast Dunkin' Donuts whole-bean coffee. It's really, really good. The next is a Starbuck's Sumatran blend, again, whole-bean. The last is any brand of Kona (a Hawaiian variety). Preferably, you'll want to buy a "pure Kona" - not a blend - but, more often than not you'll find Kona in a blend. That's okay, as long as it's Arabica it's blended with, but if you can find the pure stuff, well, you're golden.

And thus ends today's instruction in coffee selection.