I love coffee.  My wife loves coffee.  Except when now that she’s pregnant (again).  A few weeks ago I received a request to cease coffee making at home because the smell was a little much for my wife to take.  Apparently baby on the way (#3) does not appreciate coffee.

This situation wasn’t going to work well because the logistics of taking my coffee making paraphernalia to the office every day is not ideal.  Here’s my current set up:

  • Aerobie Aero Press
  • CoffeeMate coffee grinder
  • 1 lb espresso & 1 lb decaf espresso, whole bean, in sealed containers (Kaldi’s or Mississippi Mud beans are the best)
  • A collection of Monin syrups (almond, toffee nut, hazelnut to name a few)

I’m at the point where I have my “system” and I can make my coffee fresh each morning in under 5 minutes, including setup & clean up.  I really enjoy coffee this way and I am determined to continue it.

I devised a new “system” based on some input from a coworker and trial and error. 

Additional items needed:

  • Ventilation fan above stove
  • Spray bottle with white Vinegar

The new process takes a few extra minutes but minimizes the coffee odor and lessens its effects on my wife.  I now perform the process under the hood of the stove with the fan on low.  Prior to opening the sealed can of coffee beans and grinding it, I spray a little vinegar in the air near the kitchen doorway.  After grinding the beans I spray a little more.  The “puck” (as named by the Aerobie documentation) is discarded into a plastic bag with a sprits of vinegar and promptly taken outside to the trash. 

In my first few trials my wife still complained about the odor.  However, I found that if I do this about an hour before she wakes up and use a healthy amount of vinegar in the air it is far more tolerable.

Fortunately the vinegar odor does not change how fabulous the coffee tastes and I don’t have to deal with the daily grind minus my home brew.