This site participates in the Amazon Associates Program.
If you found this article helpful and decide to purchase any of the products introduced here through Amazon, using the links on this site would really support my work!
Hi, I’m Monolith.
In this article, I’ll share how I enjoy coffee not just as a “bitter drink,” but as something that includes aroma, flavor, aftertaste, and even the slow passage of time itself.
I have visited more than 100 specialty coffee shops, and this article is especially for those who want to start brewing coffee from whole beans at home.
I wrote this for people who:
- still do not really understand what makes coffee enjoyable
- want to start coffee as a hobby
- want to try brewing coffee from whole beans at home
There is no single correct way to enjoy coffee.
Rather than explaining coffee through technical knowledge, this article is based on my own experience and how I personally enjoy coffee.
- Coffee Is Enjoyable Even Before You Drink It
- Enjoying Coffee as Whole Beans
- Grinding the Beans Changes the Aroma Completely
- Smelling the Coffee Before Drinking It
- Flavor Is Not Just “Bitter” or “Sour”
- Enjoying the Aftertaste
- Enjoying Coffee at a Café and Brewing Coffee at Home Are Different Experiences
- I Use a French Press at Home
- If You Want to Start Brewing Coffee at Home, I Recommend a Grinder and a French Press
- Summary: Coffee as a Hobby Is About Creating Slow Time
- Coffee-Related Articles
Coffee Is Enjoyable Even Before You Drink It
When we think of coffee, we tend to think of it as something we drink.
Of course, in the end, coffee is something we taste and enjoy.
But once you start brewing coffee from whole beans at home, you begin to notice that there are many enjoyable moments even before drinking it.
The aroma when you open a bag of coffee beans.
The aroma the moment you grind the beans.
The aroma rising from freshly brewed coffee.
The flavor when you take a sip.
The lingering aftertaste after swallowing.
Coffee is a drink that lets you enjoy the entire process from start to finish.
From here, I’ll introduce the points I personally enjoy, following the flow from whole beans to the final sip.
Enjoying Coffee as Whole Beans
First, I enjoy the aroma of the coffee beans.
Being able to enjoy the aroma while the beans are still whole is one of the great pleasures of brewing coffee at home.
When you open a bag of coffee beans or a storage container, the aroma that has been sealed inside gently spreads out.
I really like this moment.
I store my beans in resealable coffee bags, so before measuring them out, I first open the bag and enjoy the aroma.
Even with coffee beans, the impression of the aroma can vary greatly depending on the roast level and origin.
Some beans have a sweet aroma, while others smell bright and fruity.
Sometimes, I notice calm, comforting aromas like nuts or chocolate.
The small moment of opening a bag while thinking, “Which beans should I brew today?” is one of the little joys before drinking coffee.
Grinding the Beans Changes the Aroma Completely
Next, I enjoy the aroma when I grind the beans.
Personally, this is one of the biggest pleasures of brewing coffee at home.
When you grind coffee beans, the aroma trapped inside them spreads out all at once.
The aroma when opening a bag of coffee beans is already nice, but the aroma of freshly ground coffee is even richer and clearer.
If you want to brew coffee from whole beans at home, having a grinder makes the experience much more enjoyable.
When drinking coffee at a café, you may not often have the chance to slowly enjoy the aroma of freshly ground coffee.
At some shops where the barista brews coffee right in front of you, you may be able to enjoy the aroma of the ground beans.
Some shops also let you smell the beans when choosing which coffee to order.
Even so, I think the aroma that spreads the moment you grind beans at home is something special that you can only fully experience when brewing coffee yourself.
Smelling the Coffee Before Drinking It
Once the coffee is brewed, I do not drink it immediately.
First, I enjoy the aroma.
Compared with the aroma of freshly ground coffee, the aroma after brewing feels a little calmer.
But that does not simply mean the aroma becomes weaker.
Brewed coffee has a different kind of aroma from freshly ground coffee.
Depending on the coffee, the impression can change: it may have a refreshing aroma that hints at acidity, or a rounded aroma that feels slightly sweet.
Also, the aroma and flavor of coffee change depending on temperature.
When coffee is hot, the aroma tends to rise more easily.
As it cools slightly, you may begin to notice sweetness or acidity more clearly.
Even just smelling the coffee once before drinking it can slightly change your impression of that cup.
Flavor Is Not Just “Bitter” or “Sour”
Now, it is time to taste the coffee.
When people think of coffee, they may strongly associate it with being “bitter” or “sour.”
I also used to think of coffee flavor in a very rough way.
But after drinking many different kinds of coffee, I realized that coffee flavor contains many elements.
Sweetness, acidity, bitterness, body, mouthfeel, and the way the aroma passes through.
These elements blend together to create the flavor of that coffee.
For example, you might think:
“This has a smooth mouthfeel.”
“The sweetness lingers after I swallow.”
“It has acidity, but not an unpleasant sourness.”
“There is bitterness, but it is not too heavy. It feels comfortable.”
Of course, you do not need to understand all of this in detail from the beginning.
I cannot describe coffee perfectly like an expert either.
I think it is enough to start with simple impressions like:
“I like this bitterness.”
“I’m not a huge fan of this aftertaste.”
“This sweetness feels pleasant.”
For me, the definition of delicious coffee is quite simple.
It is coffee with few unpleasant elements.
Even if there is bitterness, it is delicious if that bitterness feels pleasant.
Even if there is acidity, it is delicious if that acidity feels refreshing.
On the other hand, if strong bitterness or astringency remains, I find it a little harder to drink.
At specialty coffee shops, I often feel that the coffee is prepared in a way that brings out individuality—bitterness, acidity, aroma, and so on—while still avoiding unpleasant impressions.
Searching for that balance is one of the joys of coffee.
Enjoying the Aftertaste
After swallowing coffee, I enjoy the aftertaste.
By aftertaste, I mean the flavor that remains in the mouth and the aroma that lingers through the nose.
With coffee, the flavor you feel the moment it enters your mouth and the flavor that remains after swallowing can be slightly different.
Sometimes, you may notice acidity while drinking, but sweetness remains after swallowing.
On the other hand, sometimes coffee tastes good at first, but leaves behind astringency or unpleasant bitterness.
The coffee shops I personally find delicious often have a clean aftertaste.
No unpleasant bitterness or astringency remains after drinking.
Instead, a pleasant feeling remains, making me want to take another sip.
I enjoy a cup of coffee including that lingering aftertaste.
Enjoying Coffee at a Café and Brewing Coffee at Home Are Different Experiences
So far, I have mainly introduced ways to enjoy coffee itself.
But the enjoyment of coffee is not only about flavor and aroma.
When visiting a specialty coffee shop, you can also enjoy the atmosphere of the shop and the interactions with the barista.
A calm space like a traditional coffee shop.
A modern and sophisticated space.
A counter with a pleasant wooden texture.
A shop filled with coffee equipment.
The atmosphere is completely different depending on the shop.
I also like the time spent drinking coffee in those spaces.
Sometimes, communicating with the barista is also enjoyable.
“What kind of flavor does this bean have?”
“Between light roast and dark roast, which one do you recommend?”
“What kind of brewing method is used for this coffee?”
Casual conversations like these can expand the way you enjoy coffee.
On the other hand, brewing coffee at home has a different kind of enjoyment from drinking coffee at a café.
You can choose the beans at your own pace, grind them, and brew while enjoying the aroma.
When you find beans you like at a café, buy them, take them home, and brew them yourself.
In that way, the enjoyment of drinking coffee at a shop connects with the enjoyment of brewing coffee at home.
I Use a French Press at Home
At home, I brew coffee with a French press.
There are two main reasons.
The first is that I like the texture of coffee brewed with a French press.
Compared with brewing methods that use paper filters, a French press tends to leave more of the coffee’s oils in the cup.
Because of this, the flavor often feels rounder, and the mouthfeel becomes slightly fuller.
I really like this texture.
The second reason is that it is less affected by brewing technique.
With hand drip coffee, the flavor can change depending on how you pour the hot water and how long you brew.
That is part of what makes it interesting, but it can feel a little difficult at first.
In that sense, a French press is relatively simple.
If you decide the amount of coffee beans, the amount of hot water, and the brewing time, even beginners can brew coffee with relatively stable flavor.
That is why I think it is also suitable for people who want to start brewing coffee at home.
If You Want to Start Brewing Coffee at Home, I Recommend a Grinder and a French Press
If you want to start brewing coffee at home, I personally think starting with a grinder and a French press is just right.
With a grinder, you can enjoy the aroma of freshly ground coffee.
That aroma is one of the easiest ways to understand what makes coffee enjoyable as a hobby.
And with a French press, you can enjoy the flavor of the beans without being too affected by brewing technique.
You do not have to do anything complicated.
Just grind the beans, pour in hot water, wait a little, and you have coffee.
Of course, there are many types of coffee equipment.
Hand drip, espresso, AeroPress, siphon, and many others.
There are truly many ways to enjoy coffee.
But as a first step, I feel that the combination of a grinder and a French press is very easy to start with.
I introduce the grinder and French press I have used since I was a beginner in the article below.
（Coming soon）
Summary: Coffee as a Hobby Is About Creating Slow Time
Starting coffee as a hobby may sound a little difficult.
Types of beans, roast levels, brewing methods, differences in equipment.
If you want to go deep, there is no end to what you can learn.
But I do not think you need to make it difficult from the beginning.
Open a bag of beans and enjoy the aroma.
Grind the beans with a grinder and enjoy the freshly ground aroma.
Smell the brewed coffee and taste it slowly.
Feel the lingering aftertaste after drinking.
Even that alone is enough to make coffee enjoyable.
For me, coffee is not just a drink.
In the middle of busy everyday life, it is something that slows down the flow of time, even if only a little.
When you brew coffee at home, you can enjoy that entire sequence at your own pace.
I think the best way to start is simply to brew one cup at your own pace.
Coffee-Related Articles
