Romancing Filter Coffee

Filter coffee is a focused flow, not a force. My morning cuppa of kaappi is black gold caffeinating a literary soul — and no, that is not an exaggeration.

What makes this humble coffee superior to the cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites of the sophisticated world is the brewing. Steamed droplets fall through the mesh or the tiny holes of the classic two-piece steel filter, completely surrounding the grounds before dripping down, gathering every note rather than only the top ones a pressurised machine musters. Well-rounded, subtle, slow — then strong.

And then the ritual: the decoction foams almost of its own accord, and you raise the tumbler high to pour it down into the dabara, hiding the golden concoction under a light brown froth. That ritual is the charm.

Published in Liquid Magazine.