Coffee. Now. Gimme. But Minimize.

For Mother's Day, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Dallas showing of the Minimalists'  documentary, "Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things".  The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, were there and did a Q&A after the screening.  I sat in my seat in the theater where Lee Harvey Oswald was captured after the JFK assassination (really, that's where it was) and thought "These!  These are my people."  Well, not EXACTLY my people, because I am not a 30-something hipster with cool glasses.  But they all were there for the screening, and we all lapped up what Ryan and Josh were ladeling out.  I highly recommend the film, which will be available soon for interweb purchase, so look that up: minimalismfilm.com.  It also is in release May 24 in many nationwide theaters, so catch it then.  

I listened to their podcast while on the road this week, and they had several references to coffee.  Let me preface this prattle by saying I have only been a coffee drinker about 8-9 years.  Which is truly blasphemy, I realize.  I grew up with parents who smoked Pall Mall reds and drank coffee like it was their life blood (which it was).  I must have associated coffee with smokes, because I spurned both.  

For some reason, I started a morning ritual with coffee after my mom died.  Maybe to honor her memory sans cigarettes?  Perhaps.  I began with the standard Mister Coffee drip thing. Matching my kitchen decor, of course.  Then came the K cup.  The three-times-more pricey appliance that makes your cup hot and ready to the tune of $0.45 to $0.65 a cup, depending on whether you buy at Costco or Fancy Pants Grocer.  With a button press, my love in a cup came pouring out to greet me.  A monumental discovery. 

Not minimal.   Like, at all.  

Back to the podcast.  The Minimalists prefer the pour over style of coffee, and pretty much said not only is the k-cup a huge ass waste, but it tastes like shit.  Oh.  I started to think about the french press I had always thought about using, because I heard they make great barista-like coffee.   I ordered some coffee beans from Ryan's favorite place in Minnesota (dogwoodcoffee.com) and had Amazon deliver my french press.  When the coffee arrives, I will let you know my review.  

While I sulkily look at my Keurig, me full of disdain and wasteful regret, I thought about the waste.  The sorry amount of coffee in a plastic cup that I wasn't even responsible enough to recycle.  Coffee shame spiral.  

So I am reforming.   I never looked at coffee as an art; I don't buy much at the 'Bucks.   I just like to drink it.  But I am trying to appreciate the nuances of grinding your own beans, fresh coffee via french press, and not tossing little 2 ounce empty cups in my trash.   Crap, I may be a middle aged mom hipster in the making.   

If you are a french press user, I welcome your comments and opinions.  If you are a minimalist AND a coffee consumer, I am happy to be on your planet.