Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz

If you got the reference you are my bff. If not... it's a kind of ice cream, don't judge me.

Today I want to talk to you about coffee. A very serious subject. I am a coffee addict. I blame my father, who has an obsession with good coffee like no one I've ever seen. He has an espresso machine, some fancy drip maker (that I can't figure out how to use for the life of me), french presses galore, etc. Several Starbucks in the Little Rock area know him by name, or more specifically by order "doppio espresso per favore." He has been a proud owner of a gold card for several years (I'm still loving mine) And whenever I go home I realize what a coffee novice I really am. I started drinking coffee for real in college, but I dabbled during high school. Super sweet Starbucks drinks... does anyone remember the chocolate brownie frappaccino? I sure do. Then I moved to Spain for a study abroad in 2008 and I was introduced to cafe con leche, espressos y cortadas. The cortada was my drink of choice. Delivered in a shot glass was straight espresso with a some steamed milk. You can sip it or shoot it, but whew, is it a caffeine rush. yum.

Needless to say all of this coffee training has failed me of late. I bought one of these a few years ago

and while it's awesome on the go, it doesn't exactly brew a great cup of coffee for my discerning pallet. Since I get free coffee at work I have somehow trained myself to wait until 9 for my first cup of the day... but it's not cutting it anymore. I've recently fallen in love with the idea of french press coffee.

Look at that rich coffee goodness. If you don't know how a french press works, you basically fill up the bottom with your grinds then add boiling water, stir and steep. Then you "press" the coffee with a nifty plunger, pour and enjoy. Pretty easy right?

Some of the reasons I'm thinking about switching to the french press:

It's a relatively cheap investment (compared to a more expensive drip machine)

You can easily control the number of cups you make (most make 2-3)

You get everything out of the coffee-- with drip coffee the water spends very little time with the grinds, and just strains through. With a french press you make more of a coffee soup then you strain it, leaving you with a stronger and fuller flavor.

I can have "fresher" coffee. Coffee goes stale once it's been ground, and how long have k cups just sat around after they've been assembled? Weeks? Months? Years? who know... and should I waste my time with stale coffee? no gracias.

I'll no longer be a slave to the k cup- don't you just hate it when you run out of k cups and your left up the creek without a paddle? *yes I have one of those reusable k cup things, but they are such a mess I rarely use it. 

Okay, I think I've just convinced myself. French press here I come... Do any of y'all have recommendations for a good one? I'm officially on the hunt.