How do you brew?

Put the whistler (glass) kettle filled to the 8 cup mark with filtered water on the back (low BTU) burner over high heat.

Fill a 12 Tasse French press with hot (125° F) water from the tap.

Weigh 35 grams of fresh roasted coffee, grind it in a burr grinder to medium coarse.

When the kettle starts making noise, the water's 180° to 185° F, it's time empty and dry the beaker, and add the ground coffee to it.

At the first sign of bubbles in the kettle, the water's 195° to 200° F, it's time to pour and set the timers, one for 2 minutes and one for 5.

With cup and French press in hand I head for my desk, put tobacco in a pipe or clip the end off a cigar.

When the first timer sounds... while holding the lid with one hand, move the plunger up and down with the other to agitate the grounds, this gets most of the grounds to sink and provides better extraction.

Light the pipe or cigar, and when the second timer sounds, slowly press the plunger to the bottom of the beaker and pour a cup.

Can't say exactly how long this takes, but the waters usually ready to pour just about the time I've added the grounds to the beaker.

And the coffee... Just in time to enjoy with that first smoke of the day.

D.