This morning a coworker made too much coffee and offered me a cup. I don't normally drink the gasoline that comes out of the office drip pot, but this person grinds his own beans, uses an electric kettle, and brews in a Chemex pot. My mug was empty so I figured I'd give it a try. I usually add milk to my coffee and I have to admit this cup was super smooth and flavorful without a drop of anything extra. I started to happily sip the coffee, enjoying the flavor and even thought to myself 'gee, maybe I should drink coffee more often' when I was reminded why I stopped in the first place. After a few minutes I started to feel nervous. I felt an unpleasant quivery feeling in my core. This is not the same quiver I get when I hug my children or look into my husband's smiling eyes. It is more of an 'um, my body is telling me this is not good' sort of feeling. Even though I drink endless cups of tea during the day, a large cup of coffee still gives me the jitters.
So as much as I love the idea of preparing coffee and enjoying the diversity of flavors, it's just not for me. But I can absolutely understand why you'd want to drink both. I also admit I've been seen drinking coffee on an occasional weekend morning in a small restaurant cup. I do much better with a small serving and not the mammoth 'small' size most cafes use for to-go cups. Sometimes the smell is just too tempting to resist.
I found it interesting that my co-worker's brewing process reminds me a bit of my own tea ritual. The joyful attention to detail is an important part of the process. Hand grinding beans and watching the water brew through the glass pot can be a meditative experience. Chemex pots are gorgeous enough to tempt me to brew coffee, but I have to remember the after effects. Has anyone tried to brew tea in a small Chemex? I'd love to know the results.