If you thought that I would just give up after my recent adversity regarding coffee, you were totally wrong, of course.

It bothered me quite a bit and I considered that maybe I shouldn’t think of coffee as a simple beverage but rather approach it as a ceremony, like they do with tea.

If you read up on the subject the most important suggestions for improving the quality of your brew are:

  • grinding the coffee beans yourself, and
  • preferably buy them from small roasters.

Turns out there’s actually a roaster just around the corner!

So I bought a pack of Bastien beans and then I went to a local kitchenware store and got me this cute grandma-style coffee grinder:

Coffee grinder

And then I started grinding and brewing!

Now I can say: the coffee is a lot better than when I first tried the Bialetti. Apart from the grinding I made another change to the way I usually drink my coffee: I now use hot milk instead of cold one - I need more milk for a Bialetti coffee, and it would cool the coffee too much.

It’s probably not the best coffee I ever had, but I know I’m on the right track, probably can improve it by experimenting with different roasts, different courseness; I enjoy the culture, I like the fact that I support local businesses, fair trade, and I’m producing less waste.