I already had a coffee machine at home. My De’Longhi could make the Americano I usually drink with very little effort. Recently, I bought a small pour-over setup and gave myself a few more things to do before the coffee was ready.
After trying it, I found that I liked the coffee more. I also enjoyed making it by hand. Grinding the beans, weighing the water and pouring it myself made the whole thing more interesting.
That was a good enough reason to keep going.
Putting the setup together
I had been looking at simple Japanese coffee sets, and I liked the design of KINTO’s pieces. I ended up choosing the SCS-S04 four-cup set, along with SEPIA cups and a tray.
For the rest of the setup, I bought a TIMEMORE Chestnut S3 hand grinder, a HARIO Polaris scale and a CHiATO flowPLAY kettle. Each has a straightforward job: grind the beans, measure what goes in and pour the water.
Choosing the pieces was part of the fun. I wanted something I would enjoy using and looking at. The KINTO set appealed to that side of me: simple shapes, a small collection of objects and everything there for a reason.
Once it arrived, there was a different kind of interest: finding out what I could make with it.
Enjoying the preparation
Making coffee this way gives me something physical to do. I measure the beans, turn the grinder handle, put the filter in place and pour the water over the grounds. I can watch the coffee collect in the server as I go.
The extra steps have turned out to be part of the appeal. I like being involved in making the cup, from the beans at the beginning to the coffee I finally pour.
There is also something satisfying about a task with such a clear ending. A few tools come out, I use them, and there is coffee to drink. It is a small thing to make with my own hands.
The machine still gives me an easy way to have an Americano. Having the manual setup as well gives me a choice about how I want to prepare it.
Finding what I like
These are still my first impressions. So far, I prefer the coffee from the manual setup, and I am curious to see how that develops as I get more familiar with it.
There is plenty for me to learn: which beans I enjoy, how I like to grind them and what kind of cup I want to make. I like having something concrete to try next. I can prepare another coffee, taste it and decide what I think.
For now, I am happy to start with that. Enjoying the process makes me want to try again.
Coffee already has a place in our home. In an earlier post, I wrote about the small sitting area in my office, where my wife and I sometimes sit with a coffee and talk. Making it by hand gives me another part of that experience to enjoy.
I bought a few things to make coffee. What I have enjoyed most so far is actually using them.