I like my coffee how I like my men....

French and Pressed...

Now that I live in California with my boyfriend I've started doing some really grown-up/domestic things that I never thought I'd do. We do house projects, cook (healthy) dinners together, go to bed at 10, take day-long trips to Ikea and Home Depot and Target that remind me of Old School, clean.

It's really pathetic and sickening and fabulous.

The other weekend, on one of these infamous Ikea trips, we bought a French Press. Let me just say. I. Love. This. Thing.

I gave up caffeine about two years ago and was going strong au natural. Then came Sactown Magazine. Unfortunately, Sactown killed any ability I had to avoid caffeine. This awesome magazine is awesome for one very big reason -- the relatively small staff works its collective ass off, literally pulling all-nighters to get the issues out on time.

It was around the third 15-hour shift that I became dependent on Temple Coffee
If you live in Sacramento, or anywhere within a 50 mile radius, you have to go to here. Amazing coffee, excellent tea, cool baristas that make you want to quit your job and go farm cocoa beans in Hawaii.

If you don't live nearby (unless you're a lucky bastard that lives in the East Village and can go to Cafe Pick Me Up -- this place alone is enough to make me miss New York) or if you don't want to spend eleventy-billion dollars a year on coffee, consider a french press.

This thing is awesome --- in fact, excuse me while I go make myself a cup... (seven minutes later).... and we're back.

See how easy that was? Okay, since you couldn't really see and since the instructions which come with the Ikea French Press are a series of indecipherable pictures (Swedish people are smart), this is how you use a French Press:


1. Boil 2-4 cups water (how many cups of coffee do you want to drink?)
2. Grind 4-8 tablespoons of coffee (I like my coffee strong so I recommend 1 tablespoon of coffee per 4 oz of water, otherwise it comes out too watery for me)
3. Pour ground coffee and water into French Press.. stir briefly and let steep 3 minutes
4. Press down handle slowly and evenly until sediment is separated from liquid
5. Wait a minute or so to let small sediment settle on bottom
6. Pour and enjoy

I also recommend investing (all of two bucks) in one of these --->
My friend Becky turned me on to this and it is, in a word, amazatron. Dip this little guy in a few tablespoons of milk, press the button, and in seconds you have foamy, cappuccino-quality froth to add to your delish french press coffee. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and you may never step inside another coffee-house again.