Bring Back the Coffee Break

Posted by Regan

Why is the coffee served in offices so bad? If not weak and watery, it manages to be overly strong yet characterless. And who knows if that giant urn ever gets a good cleaning?

It's time to banish bad coffee for good. Do you have a hot water source and two hands? That's all you need (plus a few pieces of low-tech equipment) to brew a truly sublime cup right from your cube.

The Coffee
Good coffee is made with good beans. Try out different brands of small-batch "micro-roasters" until you find your perfect blend -- or better yet, enlist different officemates to bring in a pound of coffee whenever supply runs low. A few of our favorites are Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Gimme! Coffee, and Blue Bottle Coffee Co.

We grind our own beans here at the office, which requires a nifty (albeit pricey) burr grinder (whirly-style coffee mills heat the beans too much) but if you buy in small batches, it's fine to have your beans ground for you at the time of purchase.

Brewing
If you plan to enjoy your coffee solo, there are a few great options for brewing single-cup servings. The classic coffee-filter cone makes perfect drip-style coffee with no machine (these things are great for camping, too!).

Or try this cool single-serving French press and mug combo.

If coffee time turns into a social situation, take a collection and invest in a nice French press for the office. This version from Bodum brews eight cups and is made with insulating double-walled glass, which keeps your java piping hot for much longer than a traditional model. (Just be sure that you're not the one stuck cleaning it every day!)

Alternately, this ceramic coffee dripper by Beehouse is ultra stylish and fits over most teapots or on top of one of their own cool carafes. And if you just can't live without a dollop of foamy milk, a manual milk frother is key.

Comments

[sami k]

ohh, gimme! coffee, my special caffeinated friends in america. i stop by and say hello every time i'm in ithaca.

[brook.e]

mmmm, stumptown. best. coffee. ever.
seriously, try it.
blue bottle coffee is pretty hella good too. just tried that recently- (first trip to sf!!) awesome cafe decor as well.
sorry for the ramble, coffee is a subject dear to my heart:) unfortunately, i'm here in the south where people don't understand the love.

[anaclare]

I once worked at a cafe/roastery that had an 'office' service. Not only would they maintain your coffee supply with the same amazing coffee we served bulk and in the cafe - and roasted - they would also maintain the coffee makers. And here is the key: they would CLEAN the coffee makers. Very important.

So - if you are lucky enough to have a small family owned roastery in your area, maybe they would be so kind as to satisfy your craving for a quality brew?

[Rosemary]

A clean coffee maker is essential. And of course a good coffee. Someone once told me to add a pinch of salt to the water for perfect cup of coffee. Although I never did try it.

Rosemary
http://her-home-blog.com

[Hardboiledegg]

When was the last time any one ran vinegar through the coffee maker ?? so No one has mentioned running Vinegar through the coffee maker How come No one mentioned running vinegar through the coffee maker I run vinegar through a cycle then run water through it I dump the hot water and the hot vinegar down a slow moving drain Oh you don't have slow moving drains well la de da welcome to my world i have slow running drains that I try to remedy you would think I don't have slow drains well I guess my coffee could taste better if I do it more often well you know there are only so many hours in a day

[Hardboiledegg]

You folks in magazine production can get away with a coffee break grinding beans waiting for drip coffee yeah you are letting the creative juices flow pondering is this enough white space? or fretting about trapped white space. do I let my picture bleed off the page? no, her face can't be in the gutter!! how many picas are in an inch ?? oh gosh ,do we double truck STET decisions oh the coffee is ready now what kind of doughnut jelly or powdered??

[jennifer]

...And if you have an IKEA in your area, you can get a pretty decent hand held battery-powered milk frother pretty cheaply, under $5 if I remember correctly.

[jennifer]

My office does not have the traditional drip coffee maker. Instead we have a couple of the Melita one-cup filter holders, similar to the Sur La Table version you featured. I picked one up for myself at a local homewares store. They order coffees from FreshDirect, but I must admit I've taken to bringing my own Dunkin' Donuts ground coffee and I must say the filter holder/coffee combo makes a kick-ass cup of joe! Even better when you use the recycled paper filters. I actually use it with a tall travel mug, so some measurement adjustments were necessary, but it was a quick learning curve.

[Anne]

I'm all for abandoning the rancid taste of an old workplace coffeemaker. Without meticulous cleaning, they get gunky and start turning out terrible coffee. Instead, I use my little La Cafetiere 3 cup French press. It's adorable and makes great coffee.

[K.M.]

It's not true that blade grinders heat the beans too much. Cook's Illustrated tested this theory and found it to be false.

From their report:
"According to the infrared thermometer we used to measure the temperature of the grounds...the burr grinders actually caused a greater increase in temperature, albeit a slight one."

They also say that blade-ground coffee is less likely to turn out bitter.

A blade grinder is fine for everything but espresso. Oneo f the best coffee devices for office use is the Aeropress by Aerobie (available at Amazon).