My wife’s taught me much over the years.  Among the things I can mention publicly, she’s instilled a love for stick shifts, shirt pressing, lechon kawali and, very importantly, real coffee.  Until we met, I drank instant.  On our first date, I invited her up and served  Taster’s Choice.  Such an idiot!  Thank God I give good love.

With a little effort (very little) I’ve come to really enjoy the morning coffee ritual.  For an extra 3 minutes a day, our brew becomes a great way to start the day versus a mug of brown wake-up water.  And our gear is super simple:

• Peerless beans – Delicious, dark, oily and no quakers in sight.  Under $6 a pound at Smart & Final and made in Oakland.  Recognize!  Comparatively, Tasters Choice is over $20 a pound and made who knows where.

• Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinder — Technically, a coffee chopper versus a true grinder, but it works good enough for us.  Plus we stole it from our parent’s basement so who’s complaining.  Purists and millionaires will want a true burr grinder, but unless you’re making espresso, the difference may be too subtle to warrant the extra cost.

• Bodum Columbia Thermal Press – The combination of a french press and a thermos is so logical, I’m surprised more manufacturers don’t make them.  Nothing’s worse than hurrying through your first cup just to make sure your second cup’s still warm.  Our Bodum Columbia is just the ticket, and worth the steep(er) price.  (By and by, when manufacturers say “X” number of cups capacity, they’re referring to 4-ounce cups.  Who the hell drinks 4-ounce cups of coffee? That means our “8-cup” Columbia makes 32 ounces of coffee, or about 3 1/2 real cups. Justsoyouknow.)

• St. Tropez Coffee Mug — What? It’s pretty.

A big bonus is, of course, money saved.  I’m a cheap bastard, okay?  I can get a great cup of coffee for basically the price of the beans.  The famous latte factor in full effect.  At work I use an AeroPress.   It gets strange looks but produces a surprisingly mild brew that really lets you taste the differences between blends.  Previously, I used my Bodum 16-Ounce Travel Coffee Press which makes a stronger, less-nuanced brew, but comes with a built-in mug.  For only $10, you get to actually enjoy your coffee on your coffee break, instead of spending it in line at Starbucks.