Coffee—sometimes it’s the little things

I don’t mean that coffee, itself, is a little thing. But little touches with respect to coffee and the gear I use to brew it are very much appreciated. What follows is a partial list of some of these that happen to be on my mind lately, in no particular order:

- The Clever dripper’s lid. For a long time I made do without a lid because gen.-1 Clevers like mine didn’t come with them. A saucer worked fine. Recently, however, I ordered a second Clever with the intention of occasionally brewing two different Clever cups side-by-side for guests. A lid was included, and I’m happier than I have any right to be as a result.

- Freebies. I bought the Clever from Deep Cello, and Justin Kagan (their roaster) snuck half a pound of some fresh Kenya Kirimara Peaberry into the box. It’s tasty, and I’m grateful for the gesture. Furthermore, I think I understand it; after all, when you love something—in this case, coffee—it’s a pleasure to share it with fellow enthusiasts, no?

- The way my LIDO’s handle spins freely now that I’ve run a few pounds through it. There’s a “grind-in” period during which the shaft and bearings “mate,” so to speak, and I seem to be past that. To me this counts as a little touch because I suppose the folks at Orphan Espresso didn’t have to design a precision machine built to such high tolerances, and yet they did.

- The smell of manually ground coffee. Grinding by hand stimulates the senses, for sure, and my impression is that aroma is enhanced in the process (slower, cooler, etc.). At the very least aroma is more *noticeable* both during and after each grinding session, and that’s an aspect of making coffee that I savor.

What little coffee-related things do *you* enjoy?