I remember the first time I ever drank coffee from a French press. It was ten years ago, and I was working at the OSU Food Innovation Center. I had traveled to Seattle for a conference at the Westin, and was staying at a delightful B&B near Pike Place Market called Pensione Nichols. There were amazing European duvets on the bed, which the owner acquired herself while traveling abroad. The common room faced the Puget Sound and the windows overlooked the market, with window seats where one could linger with a cup of coffee in the morning and watch Seattle wake up.
The breakfast portion of bed and breakfast consisted of orange and banana slices, freshly made scones, accompanied by jams and marmalades, and a French press of coffee. She placed it on my table, and said, “Wait until you’ve finished your fruit and then slowly press down on this plunger,” indicating the long prong-like device protruding from the glass carafe. As the carafe was glass, I could watch the color of the coffee change as it steeped in the hot water. Finally, I pressed the plunger, amazed at the resistance, and poured the coffee into my waiting mug. I smelled, then sipped, and my eyes flew open. Now THIS was coffee! The flavor was so smooth and rich and deep, it required no sugar or cream to enjoy. I sat up straight in my chair, buttered my scone with my pinky out, and suddenly felt very sophisticated and grown up.
That was the beginning of my love affair with coffee and my entrance into the coffee culture. Fast forward five years, and I was managing a Starbucks in Gresham. However one may feel about Starbucks, if offered me a tremendous opportunity to learn about every aspect of coffee—from preparation to production, buying and roasting, single-origin and fair trade. I worked very hard to become a Coffee Master, and I still own my black apron. My palate changed as I tasted more and more coffee, and soon I could distinguish the subtle flavors of earth, water, air and sunshine.
I no longer work at Starbucks, and now prefer an even higher quality bean. I love places like Barista in the Pearl District, where you can buy coffee beans from several different roasters, and have them prepared exactly to your liking by people who care as much about coffee as you do. As I write this morning, I’m drinking a French press of Guatemalan coffee that I purchased when I visited the Filadelphia Coffee Estate in Guatemala. Every coffee lover should have the opportunity to see how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed at the source. Just like my first French press, it is a magical experience I shall never forget, and one I remember each time I drink a great cup of coffee.
What will you remember about drinking coffee in Portland?
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I will remember being here for the changes that kept getting better, and better and better…we are very lucky to live in a town that has so many options for such a diverse product delivered in so many ways.
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