How to make the best cup of coffee: a studio must have

How to make the best cup of coffee that will get you through your toughest painting session.

Coffee, java, cup o' joe... it's the first thing many people reach for in the mornings, and I am one of those people.  It is warm and soothing like a morning hug, it jump starts my brain, and it makes me easier to be around (ask my family).  It goes out the door with me so I can sip the warm liquid as I wait in the drop off line at my daughter's school, but my most favorite time to sip coffee is in the studio.

I keep my coffee close by my easel on a warmer so that every time I step back to study my canvas, I can reach for my coffee and enjoy a few warm sips.

I know what your thinking... why are you writing about coffee on an Art Blog?  

1.  I know I'm not the only artist that thinks coffee is a studio must have, in fact many Americans add coffee to their work days, nights, and weekends.  You can find coffee stations in business offices, teacher lounges, nurses stations, waiting rooms, etc...    

2.  It has taken me many years of drinking o.k. coffee before I discovered this, and I want to share what I've learned with other coffee lovers.  I've used the drip coffee maker and then the keurig, I've tried various brands and strengths of coffees, and I've tried ground coffee and whole beans.  But...it was just recently I discovered my absolute favorite BEST coffee. 

 

Cropped from my original painting "Table for Two"

 

I was out doing a little thrift-ing when I came upon this french press that was under $5.00 and brand new.  I heard talk about french presses, but never tried it so for 5 bucks...I was up for the try.

I'm not going to bore you with all the trial and error I've done the past couple months so I will just get to the point cause I know you just want to get to your studio/office.

(French presses come in different sizes so the following measurements are based on my 34oz (8 cup) French Press.)

1. Grind your beans.  I've heard some say to grind your beans coarse.  I've tried coarse and fine.  Coarse requires the use of more beans to get the strength I want (I use medium blend coffee) so I prefer using the fine.

2. Fill your electric or stove top kettle with filtered water.  I will either use the filter water from my fridge dispenser or I use my Brita pitcher.

3. Add 2 1/2 - 3 TBS of fine ground coffee.  (I like to use organic coffee to avoid pesticides found in most coffees.) 

4.  Pour hot water over the grounds filling the french press about 2/3 the way to the top.  Place the french press lid on and press the filter down until it touches the water/grounds mixture.

5.  Let it steep for about 5 min. and then press the filter all the way down to the bottom of press.  Pour into a cup and add your favorite cream.  I use 1 TBS of heavy whipping cream or I blend the coffee with 1TBS of grass fed butter, 1TBS coconut oil, collagen peptides, and pinch of cinnamon for a delicious bulletproof coffee. 

Tip:  If you don't want to take the time to grind your coffee every morning (I don't mind grinding my coffee, but I don't like cleaning my grinder daily), grind enough coffee for the week and store it in a mason jar with the lid tightly closed.

That's how I make my most fave coffee to pair with a good painting sesh.  If you want to know how to make your coffee using the coarse method and to hear another's advice on making great coffee using the French Press, check out this post from Lisa at Farmhouse on Boone's blog.

 

 

If you try this way of making coffee let me know what you think in the comments, and if you already use the french press I would love to hear your tips since I'm still fairly new to this method.  

-Enjoy!

You can shop this french press here.

You can shop my coffee grinder here.

You can shop my kettle here.