Good To The Last Drop

Yesterday's post about my choice of containers for toting my crochet project, and the reaction it recieved got me to thinking about coffee, the choices we have, and the prices we pay for this magical brew.

There's the good ol' ground that many of us grew up around. That which our Mother's measured into the basket, placing in the top of the pot filled with water on the stove. Then we stood back and watched as the heat did it's magic, forcing the water up into the bubble in the top of the lid, where it merrily danced, and sang before descending back through the coffee grounds awaiting it's attention in the basket below, resulting in the perfect cup of pick me up for our parents.

Of course, by the time I was old enough to fully appreciate the benefits of this brew, the coffee pot's design had changed a bit. Mr. Coffee had made it's debut.It was no longer called a coffee pot, but a coffee maker. I still had to measure my water in, although it was in the back of the machine, rather than in the pot itself, and I needed to measure the grounds into the basket. Then it was just a matter of pushing a button and the machine performed it's magic. I gotta admit, although I did enjoy the convenience, there did seem to be something missing in the experience. I didn't get to sit back and watch the water pulsing up through the magic bubble, nor did I experience the familiar sound of percolation. However, it was kinda nice to have the coffee ready for consumption within a few minutes time.

These days we have more choices, both in our coffeemakers of choice, and in the types of coffee we purchase. No longer is it merely a choice between brand names. We have various grinds to choose from, multitudes of flavors, and even whole beans, for which we pay a premium price to take home and grind ourselves.

This takes me to my big question of the day. Does it not stand to reason that the less work a manufacturer performs to provide a product to the masses, the lower the cost would be? Although the whole beans, ground fresh daily at home is my preferred choice, it has always struck me as odd, that I need to go out and purchase a grinder for this purchase, perform the work of grinding myself, and pay at least twice the price for the pleasure.

I've seen the old fashioned coffee grinders in antique shops, and as decorative pieces in restaraunts and such. There is a warm, nostalgic feeling that rushes pleasantly over me as I view these pieces, even though I never actually saw one being used. I have to wonder how the folks who did use these things on a regular basis, as part of their daily morning routine would view our current coffee rituals, and the price we willingly pay to do it ourselves.