I spent some quality time with my first love this weekend. Coffee, that is. We’ve been together a long time, starting back in high school when my first journalism teacher plopped a giant coffee (with two shots of espresso mixed in for extra pizzazz) in front of me. I was a goner.

Since then, I’ve devoted many an hour to honing the craft of coffee making, drinking and spilling. The last being an unintentional byproduct of the first two. There are many schools of thought when it comes to the proper ways of coffee brewing. My general approach is coffee-me-now, which can admittedly lead to rather unsavory brewed beverages. I’ve seen some things.

So this Sunday, rather than taking the fastest possible route to Coffeeville, I moseyed my pre-caffeinated bones into the leisure zone (I don’t even know, professional intervention is needed) and set up a new tool in my brewing arsenal: the beautiful Chemex.

There are dozens of videos on YouTube concerning proper Chemex brewing. None of which I watched before diving into the process for the first time myself. Wild outlaw that I am. I folded the paper filter into a cone somewhat matching the three-sides-to-one description printed on the box (I don’t know how they expect someone who hasn’t had any coffee yet to solve word problems), ground up the beans and poured the not-quite-boiling water over the bunch.

I have yet to work out the kinks — my first attempt was a smidge watery — but I successfully passed my high school chemistry class once upon a time. (And I only broke one sink in the process.) Thus I feel confident I can indeed prevail over the chemistry project of my life: achieving the perfect cup of joe.

What’s your favorite Sunday beverage? 

Love and coffee to you,

-ae.