After years of promising myself a decent coffee machine, I no longer have to deny myself one. Now that we’re in our own home in a city and country we have no plans to leave, we can furnish and equip our domicile with the character and atmosphere that has always been lacking from our homes in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View and, yes, even our last rental on the Elandsgracht, here in Amsterdam.
And so to my latest gadget, the Jura Impressa Z5. Words are hardly an appropriate medium for describing the taste of something, so I won’t rave about this machine. Suffice it to say that, in the two days one of these Swiss beauties has been gracing our kitchen counter top, I’ve enjoyed several grand cups of espresso and even a capuccino.
For the purists amongst you who sneer at the use of an automatic machine, I should tell you that this machine allows one to vary the grind of the beans and adjust just about every other variable that comes into play in the pursuit of the holy grail of that perfect cuppa. And then there’s the bonus of not requiring a separate grinder, a milk frother, etc. There’s also less mess, which keeps Sarah (who can get very territorial in the kitchen) happy.
I’m now looking forward to months of experimentation with various types of coffee bean — there’s a great shop on the Van Baerlestraat — and sitting at my dining-room table, reading the paper whilst sipping a truly great cup of coffee. I’ve been dreaming of this simple, yet voluptuous pleasure for years; and that’s no exaggeration.
It’s so nice to realise a long-term goal every now and again, to finally be back in the place one wishes to be, to be able to take my daughter for daily walks in the Vondelpark, to be beholden to no-one… simple, yet meaningful pleasures that lead to lasting contentment. Add to that the new ability to drink excellent coffee in the privacy of one’s own home: bliss! Life is good.