Cheap French Press: How My Coffee Journey Began

I can remember it like it was yesterday. Went into my local grocery store, stopped by the coffee bins, dumped some beans in a bag and dropped them in the grinder. “Ooh you smell that, I’m about to make some REAL coffee.” I want just getting interested in coffee and picked up my first French Press from a TJ Maxx for like $4. No more Folgers, Maxwell House or pre-ground coffee for me, I’m about to make the good stuff. Man-o-man I was some kind of proud. Keep in mind the good stuff at the time was whole bean Community Coffee that was probably about 6 months old and sat next to Vanilla flavored coffee all day.

Why do I bring this up? Because so many of you reading this are at this point in your coffee journey. Let me go ahead and tell you that if you’re at that point, don’t stop there. There is so much more variety in coffee, brewing etc. and to simply stop there would be selling the potential of your best coffee experience short. Is there anything wrong with a French Press? Absolutely not. I began my journey at a French Press and still enjoy coffee from it today. Is there anything wrong with Community Coffee? That’s up for debate. Just kidding.

Specialty coffee is so dynamic. When diving into it for the first time, it can be pretty overwhelming. Coffee from this country or that country, grown on estates that most people can’t even pronounce without practice. If you’re wondering where to begin with specialty coffee, I recommend starting where you are at now. Do you currently enjoy dark roasts? Begin by selecting a high quality dark roast coffee from a local roaster. Do you enjoy sweet and balanced medium roasts? Select a medium roast coffee from a local coffee roaster. I’ve found that if you start your quality coffee from your current tastes, it’s easier move forward with exploration. Personally, I felt having a go-to coffee added a certain amount of safety to my journey. I knew that if didn’t find more coffees to my personal liking, I could always return to “home base” and be satisfied.

Coffee Blends are a great starting point for your specialty coffee journey. The coffee blends we offer are all designed to be balanced and crowd pleasing. If your used to buying coffee in a can at your local supermarket and you want to venture out, coffee blends are a safe place to start. Change nothing else when you begin your coffee journey. Do you currently brew your coffee with a Mr. Coffee? Keep it for now and change only the coffee. I’ve had friends of mine who wake up one morning with the bright idea that they are going to start making the best coffee ever at home. They go buy a Chemex, filters and a couple $30 bags of coffee determined to make the greatest coffee ever. Without any guidance on how to use the brewer correctly, they end up underwhelmed by their coffee experience. Since it doesn’t like they expect it to, they just call all this quality coffee stuff hype. With buyer’s remorse in mind, they revert back to their old coffee. Keep in mind they’re still not satisfied with their coffee experience, but at least they are not spending a lot of money while being dissatisfied.

In conclusion, start where you are at with coffee and make baby-steps. I recommend starting with a high quality coffee blend and your current equipment. Your best coffee days are ahead of you. Don’t settle and prepare to be amazed. Be blessed.