I love coffee, period. My love of coffee stems from the opportunity to spend time in local breakfast restaurants when I was young with my dad, grandfather, and several crotchety men who would solve the world’s problems in an hour if anyone would take their advice. (See “History Repeating” below.) Throughout my high school and college years my love of coffee grew until I was drinking three pots a day in my mid-twenties. By this time, I started thinking more about quality than quantity and started exploring. I tried ‘gourmet’ grocery store coffee, coffee from a popular doughnut chain (known especially for their ‘dunk’-ability), and finally mail-order.
One day, through a strange series of Internet readings and searches, I found that I could roast my own coffee. Once I started down that road, there was no return. Freshly roasted coffee had a full, unique flavor that I had never gotten from other coffees.
For the last several years, as I stand between the twin five pound roasters prepping orders, I have thought about the journey of a coffee bean and the lessons that we can take from it. Over the next series of posts, we will explore some of these lessons.
Lesson One: Grow
Lesson Two: Ripen
Lesson Three: Harvest
Lesson Four: Rest
Lesson Five: Roast
Lesson Six: Brew
Lesson Seven: Share
I would LOVE to make this a discussion, like it would be if we were all in the same place; simply leave your comments under each section with your thoughts, experiences, and other feedback.
