Interesting discussion! I think there may be a touch of OCD. But, the reason that I say “touch” is that I would think it would manifest itself over many, many activities if that were the case. For me, I know that I do have that, but it feels like the activities that I mentioned come from a different place.
For me, I think the simplicity and elegance is a major part of how I view things. To some degree, that probably relates to my engineering background, but I suspect that the initial part started well before college.
Lauren, I also use a burr grinder, but it is a motorized variety! Anyway, my progression was from stove top clear Pyrex percolators to French Press to pourover to a vacuum coffee maker. I often look for coffee varieties that I haven’t tried before, so it is common for me to have 6-8 varieties on hand across medium, medium-dark and dark roasts. The problem with the Pyrex percolators is that you decide when it is done by the color. However, across different roasts you get somewhat different coloring. You can make very good brews with it, but the problem is consistency across different varieties.
Ultimately, what I’ve found is that the vacuum coffee maker is the most consistent as the human interaction is limited. Measuring the water and coffee right and doing an appropriately course grind is about it. The only other variable is making sure to remove the pot from the stove when it just starts to bubble in the upper globe. While the physics may be a bit complicated, the usage is simple and elegant. Works for me!
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