It’s More Than A Morning Coffee

What is your morning ritual? Some like to work out first thing. Some start with a cleansing shower. Others reach for their favorite coffee K-Cup and load it into the machine for that quick caffeine fix as they rush to get around. I am none of those people.

For me, I do reach for the caffeine, but it’s not the instant fix of a K-Cup. I am a reformed K-Cupper. My husband and I have evolved over the years into having much more sophisticated coffee palettes. We enjoy the slow morning brew, crafted with intention and precision. We have researched and devoured all kinds of “best coffee practices,” from World Barista Champions to local coffee shops to our grandparents.

Of course, nostalgia is a big part of the morning brew for us. My husband loves the memory of drinking pure cream and brewing Folgers every Sunday with his grandma. My grandma’s coffee was usually instant and loaded with the cheapest French vanilla creamer that the local grocery had to offer.

Both memories were a created ritual with our morning brew. It was more than a cup of coffee. It was time around the table and conversation with our loved ones. It’s our five senses being invoked every time we hold that steamy cup.

For us, it’s more than a morning brew. We now have our own coffee rituals. When we take a vacation, we take our own brewing supplies and scope out the best local spots for a cup. We listen to podcasts to learn about sustainable, relational coffee and its history. We watch YouTube videos on brewing techniques and devices. We hang the Central Perk coffee mug ornament on the Christmas tree each year. We subscribe to a local subscription box to experience all kinds of roasts from our favorite coffeehouses. We grind beans and boil water to perfection. We sit around the breakfast table with our family as we invoke those five senses with that freshly brewed cup of joe in our hands.

Do we still grab the occasional PSL or a cheap bag of Costco beans? Absolutely. Are some mornings too hurried to sit in our designated seats and sip slow? Yep. Do I sometimes forget my coffee cup in the microwave (that I’ve already reheated two other times) until 4 p.m.? You betcha. But the ritual of the morning brew will always be meaningful. I love doing it together, and I love that we’re passing it down to our own kids now. One kiddo asked for a pour-over and a bag of beans for Christmas last year. They’ll ask to make their own coffee to enjoy all together (decaf, heavy on the milk, and topped with whipped cream, of course). For our family, it’s more than a morning brew.