Let's Talk Coffee: Conservation, Creativity, Composting, and Learning

Acorn coffee?!!! Keep reading....

Do you ever have those weeks when the world seems to be pointing you at some topic or other? I am having one of those, and it's pointing me to coffee this week. So, here we go!

A guy from work (Hi Matt!) was lamenting the poor flavor and the waste of K-cup machines. The conversation turned to more flavorful - and less wasteful - methods of brewing. These days there are lots of choices: French presses, old school stove-top espresso makers and coffee percolators, pour-overs, chemexes, etcetera ad nauseum. Oy vey! It's overwhelming. (I think I'll get the percolator out tomorrow and bubble up a cup or two.)

9 low-tech ways to brew great coffee with minimal waste

Refillable cups and mugs: My wife was turned away from another place this week. (She and I have been striving to get away from disposable dishes, but we both love our coffee.) I am needing to do a little research to find out what the local regulations are. When we are turned away, the issue is always blamed on health codes - never on company policy, but all anecdotal evidence leads to that not being the case. I'll update this when I have an answer. Until then, check out this Ask Umbra response:

Which is worse, a K-Cup or a throw-away coffee cup?

Other stuff

Have you always wanted to roast your own beans (That sounds inappropriately painful.) I read about this a while back and discussed it with Mad Science Rusty. As always, he was way ahead of the curve and had used this method for quite some time until stepping up to a real roaster. If you strive to be like MS Rusty (and you should) here is an Instructable to help you get started and help you find unroasted beans.

Roast Your Own Instructable (using a popcorn popper!)

How else would you expect a mad scientist to dress?

Devoted readers of this blog (Hi, Keith) may have seen a mention of Yellowhouse Coffee. Yellowhouse, J and B, and a few other coffee places around town freely share their used coffee grounds with local gardeners and composters. If you are intrigued but don't know what to do with those grounds, here is an article for you:

Composting Coffee Grounds

Free coffee!

Speaking of Yellowhouse, if you want to become one of those discriminating coffee connoisseurs who drink with their pinkies sticking out, Yellowhouse is offering another coffee class next month. Be sure to sign up soon - the spots always fill up fast. Tell them that the Mesquite Hugger's pinky sent you.

Sign up!

And now for something completely different for those of you overwhemled by acorns:

Acorn Coffee Instructable

I raise my cup to you, Dear Reader! May you drink joyfully and sustainably!