Here's To The Simple Life

Here’s To The Simple Life

The “simple life”. Everyone talks about living a simpler life. Often times people refer to the past as being a simpler, less complicated time. Everyone seems to want a simple life but how many actually practice it? Well, the simple life doesn’t have to be a thing of the past. There are ways to make life simple in the present. One of those is to use the “Melitta Perfect Brew Filter Cone” coffee maker.

As I mentioned in a previous post my coffee maker recently quit and I was having a difficult time deciding what to replace it with. Being a coffee addict, I was in a dilemma. I didn’t want to spend big bucks on a replacement without first taking the time to do some research, but at the same time I needed my daily coffee fix. That’s when the Melitta Perfect Brew caught my eye. A coffee maker for less than 5 bucks, how could I go wrong. So, I decided to purchase it to use while I did some additional research for a permanent replacement. When I opened up the box I couldn’t believe it. There was no electrical cord, no pot, no nothing, just this plastic cone with a tiny hole in the bottom. How was I going to make it through my day without a coffee maker that started automatically, told me not only the date but the hour, minute and second updated via satellite feed from the atomic clock located somewhere important, cleaned itself and then retracted into a hidden compartment under the counter to await its duties the following day? But then that desire for the simple life kicked in and I figured what the heck I’ll give it a try. Surly I could make coffee with this simple device, after all I had seen that wimp on Man vs. Wild make coffee by first boiling water over a fire started with nothing more than two sticks and a piece of thread pulled from his sock and then filtering it through a filter formed from dried yak dung, surly I could do this. So in the interest of the simple life I proceeded. With the Melitta Perfect Brew you simply place the plastic cone on top of your favorite cup or mug, put a #2 cone filter in the plastic cone, then add about 2 to 4 teaspoons of ground coffee into the filter and pour hot water into the cone. When I drank my first cup to my surprise the coffee was the smoothest most balanced cup that I had tasted in years. The key to this smooth taste I believe is two fold. First of all, with the Melitta Perfect Brew the water has very limited contact with plastic parts. Although the cone is plastic there is no plastic water tank or internal plumbing that the hot water comes in contact with. The second reason I believe has to do with water temperature. Optimum water temperature for coffee extraction is approx. 190-200 degrees F. When using the Melitta Perfect Brew I first bring the water to a boil (212 degrees + -) then I allow the water to cool for a little less than one minute before pouring it through the filter. Most coffee makers do not heat the water to a high enough temperature and thus you get under-extracted coffee with a bad taste. With the Melitta Perfect Brew you are in total control of one of the most important variables in making a perfect cup of coffee, water temperature.

Ah you say, but what if I want a whole pot of perfectly brewed coffee? Well then there is the Melitta 10 cup Manual coffee maker. It operates on the same principle except with a bigger cone and a coffee pot included.

So, whether you’re seeking the simple life, or just a better cup of coffee, I recommend giving the Melitta Perfect Brew a try. You Can find it at http://www.gourmetcoffeespot.com/ Click on “Coffee Makers, Pods & Accessories” under the category on the left side and then type Melitta in the search box. Then you can join me in raising a cup to the simple life and a great cup of coffee.