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Everything Coffee & Tea

Afternoon tea, a handcrafted coffee, a fresh-baked cookie…what more could anyone want in life!?!  We can think of a few things, but not many.

We’re big coffee connoisseurs and love several brewing methods so we’ll start with that obsession first. Three tips for a great cup:

  • Weigh your coffee and water, use a 16:1 ratio (16 parts water to 1 part coffee; for example 30 grams coffee, 480 grams water).
  • Invest in a great grinder, makes a world of difference.  It’s all about particle size & consistency.
  • Use great coffee that’s relationally sourced by the roaster and roasted with respect and expertise.

Here is our coffee/tea bar set up aboard S/V Curiosity:

Espresso

I stumbled upon the Rok years ago and loved the manual, no electricity needed idea of it. It looks awesome, its made of heavy-duty stainless steel, it uses ground coffee (not pods) and it makes a good crema when the espresso is pulled nice and slow.

Aeropress is another fantastic hand operated, no electricity required method that falls somewhere in between an espresso and a coffee.  It’ makes a strong, concentrated coffee.

Pour Over Coffee

The Kalita wave dripper is highly rated but it requires special filters that are expensive and sometimes hard to find so that didn’t make sense for us. Right now we have the Chemex which is great because we can make five cups of coffee at once no problem (good for the whole crew).  But, the Hario V60 is the favorite among coffee farmers and roasters we’ve met and we totally see why!  Combined with our reusable cloth filter, it’s a waste-free and compact setup up for any style of travel.

French Press

French Press isn’t our go-to method of brewing coffee (very sooty) but, we love it for making loose leaf tea. We found this insulated french press several years ago and have absolutely loved it!  I can’t tell you how many glass french presses we have broken over the years.  No longer an issue with this stainless steel version and it stays hot for sooo much longer than the glass version.

It’s all about the Grind

We had a Bodum Burr Grinder for years and it’s was great.  But, it bit the dust in Panama.  Luckily we managed to track down a Cuisinart burr grinder in Panama as a replacement (crisis averted).  BUT, it’s not our top choice (beggars can’t be choosers).  Considering Panama is home to the most expensive coffee in the world, you would be shocked how hard it was to find a good coffee grinder!

As back up, we’re seriously considering a hand grinder and here is our dream:

Coffee Beans

We’re all about buying local, its one of the joys of traveling. Sometimes finding a decent coffee much less locally roasted coffee can be a challenge depending on the area.  But, the hunt is half the fun.  Coffee is a luxury treat and we drink it because we enjoy the experience, not because its a survival necessity (at least that’s what we tell ourselves). So, we have no desire to buy cheap, mediocre or mass-produced coffee. (yes, we’re those coffee snobs)

We’ve gotten into roasting our own coffee too.  If you are keen to see that process, drop us a note!

Want to see a coffee farm and learn about:  Experiencing Geisha, Most Expensive Coffee In The World

 

Afternoon Delight

Keep your pants on, I’m talking about afternoon tea.  A proper afternoon tea among friends is a delightful thing. However, we like tea any time of the day, hot, iced, herbal, or the all-out British way with scones and clotted cream. Yum!

We prefer loose leaf tea so we don’t have the extra waste or storage space that individual bags require.  We use the french press mentioned above to steep our tea.  If we want iced tea, we simply brew it double strength and add ice.

We love a local tea shop (so fun to smell all the different teas) if there is one.  When there isn’t, we have a few go-to brands and faves we stock up on.

Just a note…the links are affiliate links (meaning we get a few pennies but costs you nothing extra). Purchasing through these links helps us out tremendously and ensures we can keep sharing.  Thanks so much for your consideration!

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