The Quest for Quality Kava*

I confess: Heather and I are coffee snobs. Here in Slovakia, however, most peoples' idea of "good coffee" is Nescafe Gold — which, hate to break it to you, isn't really coffee. While it deceptively resembles coffee in appearance, it smells like burning and tastes like a dirty mug of warm water. Yep, I learned that info the hard way. I'll pass, thank you.There are a few alternatives to Nescafe, but nothing comparable to a cup of Starbucks coffee. Starbucks itself isn't available anywhere in the entire country. And so it was that I fell slowly into despair.

Then, on Saturday, our neighbor and new friend, Heather, appeared on our doorstep with warm homemade cinnamon rolls and a pound of genuine, whole bean Starbucks Sumatra and a French press coffee maker. I think I heard angels singing.

Immediately, a problem presented itself: neither of us had a coffee grinder. Undeterred, I poured the beans into a baggie, wrapped the baggie in a towel, and beat the beans into pieces with a small hammer. True story. Don't believe me? Watch the video:

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*Kava = coffee in Slovak