Purity Coffee's dark roast has sold me for life, and at my age, that is a feat in itself. I first stumbled across Purity on social media, checked out their website, and after reading a little about them, ordered my first batch online, a small 12 oz bag, just to see what they were all about. Since then, I've been ordering the dark roast whole bean 5 lb bag on a monthly subscription.
I recently started using a pour over which really takes this coffee to another level.
It’s a little before 10 am, and I’m sitting down at my desk to write. Crisp sunlight is pouring through the sliding doors and music is playing in the background. My fourth cup of coffee is deliberately placed about eight inches directly below my nose, the rich aroma slowly working its way up to my nostrils. If using both hands to type stops me from sipping on my full-bodied, velvety Americano, I might as well give my other senses a treat.
In much the same way a good soundtrack sets the tone for a great movie, a quality cup of coffee helps set the scene of a good day. There’s just something homely about it, something human.
We’ve had rituals for about as long as we’ve been around on the planet. While we differ culturally from region to region, most of the world starts its day with a good cup of caffeine-laced comfort.
My ritual
It’s the same thing every morning for me. Wake up around 6, have a quick shower, and make my way into the kitchen. Open up the curtains, let the light in, make coffee. My patience decides how I make it, but it’s usually with either a pour over or the home espresso machine.
Warm cup in hand, I head outside to sit in the outdoors for a while and watch the world go by. No emails, no social media, no news, no family time yet. Not until I’ve had my meditative cup of coffee. These are 10 minutes that are mine and mine alone.
I inherited this ceremony from my mother. She was a tea drinker, but the ritual was the same. As a high school kid, I’d lay in bed in the morning, refusing to open my eyes and accept wakefulness. But in the silence of the morning, disturbed by nothing but the chirping of birds, I’d hear her every move. I used to follow her routine in my mind -- filling up the kettle at the faucet, snapping the lid shut, finding her old favorite blue ceramic mug in the cupboard, and even the rustle of a tea bag being removed from its box. I’d hear with pure clarity the gurgle of boiling water hitting the cup and beginning to brew. A minute later, she’d step outside into the morning light to begin her ten minutes of peace.
When the doors shut again, I’d know she was coming to get me up and out of my bed.
Special moments
My absolute favorite cup of coffee doesn’t come around so often, maybe two or three times a year. It’s the weekend camping trip cup. Rising with the sun in the morning and starting a fire. Grinding up some beans as I keep an eye on the old blackened pot of water coming to the boil over flames. Keeping it simple, I just toss the grounds in and let them simmer for a few minutes, as I sit on the floor and savor the blend of smells -- fresh air, wood kindling, and brewing coffee.
My method
What I love about coffee is the variety. There are just so many ways to make it great, and while I’ve got mine, you’ve no doubt got yours, and that’s fine. Coffee is personal business.
But when I’m away from home in the outdoors, it’s times like these that owning a Bodum pour over comes in handy. The press is one of my favorite ways of making coffee, and it’s easily the most convenient. Dish in a few spoonfuls of ground coffee, add boiling water, and allow the grounds to steep (not filter). After a few minutes, slowly press down the plunger, and serve. Whereas paper filters remove so much of the oil and flavor, a press keeps it full-bodied, rich and flavorsome.
The press is also what I use at home when I’m feeling a little less patient, but the rest of the time, it’s the espresso machine for me. It’s just more of a process. It feels very mechanical, and I mean that in the best sense of the word!
I love settling into the task, pouring water into the boiler, grinding beans by hand, tamping them into the portafilter, locking it into place, and waiting for that black magic to happen.
What I'm using today
- Bodum Pour Over gift valued at $50 today.
- Breville Barista Express bought for $650 on sale and over 2 years old.
I use these equally and find both products make amazing coffee when paired with the premium coffee beans. The learning curve on the Espresso machine was higher than I anticipated. However, it helps if you read the instructions first.
The bean
This is what it all comes down to, really. You can make coffee any which way you choose. You can add milk or cream or sugar. You can fill your kitchen with coffee making equipment from the simple to the complex. It won’t matter unless you’re brewing a good bean.
Honestly, you wouldn’t buy a 100 dollar kitchen knife and use it to cut open delivery packages! No, life’s too short for lesser quality coffee. So how to sort the best from the rest?
First off, go organic. The word has been bandied about so much in the last few years that it’s almost lost its meaning to some people, so here’s a quick lesson in organic coffee: No artificial substances, no pesticides, just coffee.
Second, go for a specialty grade coffee. If you didn’t already know, there is a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). It’s their job to quality assure the beans we buy. For beans to be deemed specialty grade, they have to be entirely free of fungus, insect damage, sourness, or spoiling of any kind -- and that’s no easy feat when you’re going organic either!
There aren’t many coffee companies out there who can deliver to a high standard on both of the above while still making delicious, affordable coffee. But for the past number of months, I’ve been growing ever more keen on one brand in particular: Purity Coffee.
Purity coffee
There’s something different about Purity Coffee. They’re not just about cool branding and filtered images of busy, happy hustlers sipping on their brew. No, they take coffee seriously. They take a scientific, sustainable, and organic approach. They also source the healthiest coffee out there! Give me more of that, please.
When I reached out to Purity to express my gratitude, they kindly offered me 30% off for the entire month of April 2020. While I am keen on their Dark Roast I am very much looking forward to trying their Founders Blend. Try "mycoffeeritual" for a quick 30% off and hopefully it works. And even if it doesn't it is still worth trying.
There’s a common misconception about coffee that it’s bad for you, but quite the opposite is true! Sure, you probably ought not to gulp down ten cups in a morning. Still, the right coffee is loaded with antioxidants and can actually boost your health.
As well as sourcing only specialty grade, organic coffee, they ensure that the roasting process keeps it healthy. They use a smokeless roasting machine, keeping the toxins to a minimum, and test their beans for toxicity before and after this process.
And finally, there’s the packaging. It’s clean and tidy and uses repurposed material. Coffee with a conscience, basically.
Notice anything? (beside the dog!).
My old black coffee cup was replaced by this lovely new Purity Coffee mug. Nice right?
Always
Usually, when young people taste coffee for the first time, they splutter at its acidity. Its punch-in-the-guts flavor is too much for their taste buds. But not me.
I think I was about twelve years old when I first tasted it. By the time I was sixteen, my mother had given up trying to dissuade me. It was love at first sip, and it’s love to this very day.
The human hands that harvest it. The human relationships that must be kept strong to bring it from farm to table. The human connections that happen millions of times around the world every day, accompanied by cups of coffee. Most of all, for me, it’s that ritual. It’s a signal that something is about to begin, or that something has just ended.
Now it’s time for me to go make another cup. Once you've had a chance to try Purity, let me know what you think and if you love it as much as I do.
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