May's other C - for Coffee

Following on from my personal promise to myself that it should be quality and quantity that counts, coffee has been the next thing to come under scrutiny.

Not that long ago I never drank coffee, only black tea.  Over the last few years I have developed a need for caffeine in order to face the day, in fact it would be fair to say that without my coffee in the morning I am not human, bearing in mind I am normally up at about 6.00am to start my day.

Over the years we have drunk any number of cheap brands, middle of the road brands, then cheapo brands, then anything we found on offer in the supermarket, never having developed a favourite flavour.

But on a recent flea market trawl I bagged one of these - an Italian coffee percolator.

I love the way these look, but looking good is not enough, it is time to use it now, with some good quality Arabica ground coffee.  Now that should have me bouncing around first thing ready to start the day!

How to use an Italian Percolator:

Unscrew the base from the top and remove the filter.

Fill the bottom reservoir with water to just below the expansion nipple.

Use a heaped teaspoon of coffee for each cup of water - this percolator makes coffee at expresso strength so don't stint on the coffee grounds!

Put the coffee into the filter and place that on top of the base, then screw on the top.

The top reservoir will be empty until you put the precolator onto the heat.

As the water starts to boil it will rise through the coffee grounds and emerge into the top of the percolator, when it has finished boiling, the coffee is ready. 

Beware the hot steam though, and let it finish boiling through before trying to pour.

If drinking black, serve into little expresso cups, but the coffee also lends itself well to cappucino and lattes as it is strong enough to hold its own against the milk.

Off for my second cup now, that should keep me awake through Thea's choral concert tonight.