Goodbye Keurig

I’m a coffee addict. I absolutely adore coffee and have been drinking it since a young age, when I would steal sips of my mom’s coffee in the morning. For the past five years, I ditched a traditional coffee pot and traded it in for an exciting flea market find: a $20 Keurig. I was thrilled! I always felt like I was wasting coffee when I made a pot just to have a cup or two, and ended up tossing the rest. The Keurig solved my waste problem, it (supposedly) conserved more energy than a traditional hot plate coffee pot, and all of the neat flavors offered endless single serving possibilities.

Up until now I’ve indulged in the land of k-cups, enjoying the instant latte flavors and the now effortless task of coffee on demand. To save money, I purchased my k-cups at discount stores and local flea markets, refusing to pay a dollar or more per cup of coffee just for convenience sake.

However, whenever I go out to coffee shops locally, I find myself ordering and savoring the French Press options offered. I have a french press, buried deep in the recesses of my kitchen cabinets. Using it only occasionally I do enjoy the experience more, but laziness outweighed the flavor reward.

Until now.

Over the past two months I’ve been changing my eating and dietary habits. As a result, I’ve developed a different view on food and food preparation. I never have enjoyed cooking very much, and while that has not changed, my appreciation for preparing for meals has grown. I rather enjoy the ritual of getting my coffee and tea prepared for consumption, and forcing myself to slow down and enjoy the process.

I’ve been focused on reducing the amount of crap and consumption in my life. Keurigs, for what they are, are absolute resource hogs. The k-cups cannot be recycled, and the amount of sheer stuff that accompanies the coffee maker itself is space consuming. The coffee maker takes up counter space, and the k-cups inhabit more space than a traditional bag of coffee. Not to mention, if you have multiple flavors and try to sort or store them, you inevitably end up buying a rack or organizer for them, which subsequently ends up eventually lending itself to the problem. My kitchen storage is lacking, and dedicating precious occupancy to such an item got tiring.

I decided to return back to the basics, and indulge in what I really enjoy: french press coffee. I was amazed when going through my cabinets how many Keurig associated items I had gathered, and cleared out a decent amount of cabinet space as a result. My kitchen counter now seems lighter, and a small french press sits demurely on a platter. This small, sensible change has already made an impact on my morning routine.

Instead of waking up and rushing into my day using the Keurig as a faux IV drip to jump start my daily energy requirements, I ease into the morning. Working from home allows me a flexible schedule, and as I engage in my morning routine, the hot water starts to boil. The coffee and water are added to the press, and the brewing starts as I finish tending to my morning animal chores. Once done feeding the animals the coffee is ready, and I can sit in silence and sip upon the delicious, simple brew that has in a strange way, simplified my life.

From this I have learned: indulge yourself. Small, simplistic changes can drastically improve your overall level of happiness, even in unexpected ways.