No one who knows me well would be surprised to hear me talk about how much I love lists. They’re a way for me to wrangle the constant hum of thoughts rushing through my head — work tasks, meals I’d like to make, appointments I shouldn’t forget. If I can just formulate that maelstrom into an orderly list, I can put it aside for a moment, content that, even if I haven’t checked anything off, I’ve at least done something about it.
Routines give me much the same sense of satisfaction. The bulk of my day may be chaotic, stressful, and unpredictable, but if I can at least walk through the same steps every morning, I sometimes think, maybe that order and peace will positively shape the rest of the day.
All this to say: man, I love coffee. The ritual of making coffee is one of my favorite and most consistent habits. Come rain or shine, good day or bad, early morning or lazy one, you’ll find me in the kitchen most days, slowly pouring hot water out of a gooseneck kettle and watching the steam curl over the brew. Those few minutes every morning are the best — unhurried and peaceful (with the promise of fresh coffee at the end, no less).
When I moved across the country a little over a year ago, my housewarming gift to myself was a nice coffee-making set. I may not have any friends or family in this city, but I’ll be damned if I can’t at least drink good coffee, was the thought, I suppose. The Wirecutter is generally my go to source for all these kind of recommendations. For single serve pourover, I love the Kalita Wave. Nowadays, I’m most often making coffee for two, and so I’ll use my Chemex. Either way, this Bonavita Kettle> is the best kettle I’ve ever owned; it heats up quickly, and its gooseneck shape is perfect for making pourover coffee. I have this single-setting one, but I know people who love the advanced multi-setting one, especially if you’re into tea. In an almost surprisingly hipster move, I also subscribe to a Scandinavian coffee delivery service, Kaffebox, which I love. When I’m out of coffee from them, I’ll usually pick some up from my favorite local coffee shop.