The Way I See It

Begin a working day with a smile – and a mug of good, freshly brewed coffee

Being the ever attentive woman that she is, my mother got word that the demanding workload in this very competitive industry that I’m in has made me resort to the percolating powers of caffeine to survive.

Initially, it was purely utilitarian, using coffee to help me slog through the long days and nights in my cubicle.

But slowly I’m starting to like this coffee thing.

Back to my mum, so what did she do about it? She got me a pack Davidoff Dark Roast No. 57 and a Bodum one cup coffee brewer set so I can luxuriate in the experience of drinking coffee the way it was intended.

Actually, she got it for my birthday way back in March but I didn’t open the coffee because I’m the only coffee drinker in the house. I didn’t want the coffee to go stale before I could finish the whole 250g pack. On the other hand, leaving it unopened is just a waste of good coffee.

Last week I brought both the brewer and coffee to the office where it will be appreciated by my hard working and hard worked colleagues. I feel really good coffee should be shared and could make a really bad day at the office more bearable – at the very least.

First, some snaps of the coffee “opening ceremony” at the office.

A good brewer and good quality coffee is all you need to enjoy freshly brewed coffee everyday

Good coffee comes from fresh grinds. The Davidoff Dark Roast No. 57 is exceptional

No many makes better coffee accessories than Bodum. This simple one cup brewer set is pure simplicity and quality

On the coffee. I can’t say that I’ve tasted the best roasts to compare it with but from what I’m used to the Davidoff is a real treat. Before this, my coffee came in packs with 3-in-1 written on it. It was the instant type, the kinds for people who can’t be bothered or who didn’t know any better – people like me. I’ve tasted all kinds of varieties if this instant coffee with all kinds of extras added in, like ginseng, tongkat ali (gasp), hazelnut bla bla bla.

To me, making coffee was just a matter of putting water to the boil, ripping up a pack of the instant powder and then mixing the two together. This brewing thing wasn’t even a concept to me. Like I said before, coffee was purely utilitarian.

I didn’t know what I was missing.

With the Davidoff roast, I’m not drinking coffee but I’m experiencing it. From the intoxicating aroma of the grounded coffee rushing up my nostrils to the first sip of a freshly brewed cup, it’s an experience that I now look forward to every morning.

Then there’s the Bodum brewer. Bodum is the best when it comes to product design and making stuff to make your coffee with, particularly french presses. Read more about Bodum here, here and here.

With the two combined, coffee is now an occasion. No more ripping a packet of instant coffee. Now I take a carefully measured portion of the dark roast, then I evenly distribute the portion inside the Bodum strainer, then I pour in filtered water just off the boil. After that I patiently wait for the beautiful black liquid to drip slowly but surely into the stylish transparent Bodum mug. To finish it off, I add a little bit of sugar. Perfect!

After a little stir, I prepare to indulge. First I take a whiff, then I swirl the coffee around a bit, and then I close my eyes and take a sip. I let the coffee rest on my tongue for a while to wake up my taste buds. Then I swallow, accompanied by a deep satisfying breath while letting the aroma and taste dance around in my head.

I’m not exaggerating, it’s seriously that good.

The taste is smooth yet strong but its not overwhelming. It’s nothing like the coffee I’m used too before. It’s like I’ve discovered a whole new world of flavours that I didn’t know existed. Okay, that sounds a bit clichéd (alright, maybe a lot) but it’s true. You don’t know what you’re missing on until you actually try it and it’s something I would highly recommend you try at least once even if you don’t really like coffee.

After this, I don’t know if I can go back to instant coffee. Haha!

Thanks mum!

Oh, and speaking of coffee. Starbucks is having a special on their tumblers. Purchase any one and you get a free tall-sized beverage of your liking. I’m not sure when the promo will end but it’s quite a good deal. My teammates at the office thought that it’s such a great deal that everyone when out and bought one. I got a pink one for Narisha too.

Starbucks tumblers now come with a free tall-sized beverage of your choice. You also get a RM1 discount of all your beverage purchases if you tell the barista to use your tumbler instead of the disposable plastic container

Snaps taken from Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX36 courtesy of a friend at my office. To the owner: Thanks.