I really, really like coffee. I subscribe to the philosophy that if you really like something, you should learn as much about that thing as possible (followers of this philosophy are generally known as “geeks”). So I’ve done a fair amount of research about how to make really good coffee, and have arrived at an extremely satisfactory method. The required equipment can be obtained for under $100:

• an Aeropress
• a manual burr grinder. I have this one, which works great and looks beautiful, but there are lots of options. If you have a lot of money and not a lot of upper body strength or patience, you might prefer an electric model.

The remaining requirement is coffee. Hit up your favorite local coffee shop and get beans from them. Don’t let them grind the beans; that’s what your grinder is for.

I brew using Stumptown’s recommended method. There seems to be a divide in the Aeropress Community (such as it is) between “traditional” and “inverted” brewing methods; this one is in the “inverted” category, which ensures that water doesn’t leak into the mug before it has lingered in the presence of the grounds and thus become coffee. Your mileage may vary.

For Pete’s sake, don’t use milk. Milk is great when you’re having a cappucino or a latte or some other fancy European concoction, but we’re making coffee here. The other use of milk is to cover the bitter awfulness of shitty coffee, but that shouldn’t be necessary if your coffee is good and you’ve followed the vague guidelines presented herein.

And that’s how you make awesome coffee.