Top 5 tips for a GREAT cup of coffee

For many a good cuppa can solve most of life’s problems. It doesn’t matter if the drinker prefers herbal tea, black tea, green tea or one of the many aromatic coffees out there.

As a South African I had little trouble in understanding this British culture of ‘tea-drinking-problem-solving’ habits as we, too, solve our problems with a hot liquid. For us South Africans on the other hand our ho beverage of choice is coffee and we refer to it as ‘boeretroos’ (meaning a ‘farmer’s comfort’). For me a good cup of boeretroos need to make me feel like I want to burst with happiness.   For me it is not something to quench my thirst or do when I’m tired of walking around the shops; no. A good cup of coffee has to be an experience. A taste sensation. It has to make me feel like I can conquer anything that life throws at me.

Since we moved into a bigger property, my dear husband has been at the helm of coffee duties each morning.

My top five tips for an out of this world cup of coffee:

1.  Beans

Pick your beans carefully. I once bought a coffee subscription for my (then boyfriend, now) husband. Each month we were spoilt with freshly roasted coffee beans from all over the world. These beans were from fair trade farms and roasted on the day of packing and shipping. I remember how excited we got with every delivery. We would press the ‘smell me’ air vent on the back of the pack and try to smell the fruity notes or chocolaty undertone that has been in the description box.

2. Brew

I love a slow brew: The type of brew that fills your house and nostrils with its aroma and invites you to savour every delicious breath of coffee-filled oxygen. We are fortunate enough to own three coffee machines (long story, perhaps I’ll tell you about it in the future!) in our house and it is as if all five my senses are clapping hands the moment one of them gets switched on for a freshly brewed cup of boeretroos.

3. Temperature

There is nothing worse than a scalding from someone/something you love. Coffee is one of them. I like the warm liquid to embrace my insides with comfort; like a blanket that has been freshly tumble-dried and wrapped around your cold feet on a wintry evening.

4. Milk

Every brew lends itself to whether or not it wants milk. Some are begging for a good splash of milk and others are best to leave without the white foamy froth. I remember the first time I had a latte. It was served as a half-full glass of hot milk with a shot of espresso on the side. As I was only 12, I had no idea what to make of this weird drink. I could not resist the velvet smell of the robust espresso and I couldn’t see myself pouring the liquid gold into the glass of milk, afraid that I would ruin the taste. I therefore continued to sip the bitter espresso alternating with sips of milk to clear my palate ready for the next mouthful of coffee heaven.

Now I am older, we are very fortunate to have a milk frother. Each morning my heart smiles when I hear the whirring sound of the heating milk as I know the smell of fresh coffee will soon waft through the house.

5. Environment

Whether I take a coffee to go or sit down in my local coffee shop and do some people watching, I make sure to allow the experience of having my cuppa to transport me to a world that only belongs to me. Even if it is just for a moment.

For me coffee brings memories back. It transports me to a world that is peaceful and relaxed. It makes me feel like I can do anything.

How does your cup of Joe make you feel? Let me know in the comments below!

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