coffee \ a shared pause

Coffee is one of the most widely shared rituals in the world.
Different names.
Different methods.
The same pause.

An average cup of coffee contains around 70–100 beans.
Each one grown, harvested, dried, roasted, ground - long before it reaches your hands.

It’s easy to forget that scale when the cup is already warm.

In many cultures, coffee isn’t something you grab and go.

In Ethiopia, where coffee originates, the traditional coffee ceremony can take over an hour, with beans roasted, ground, and brewed in stages. The time is part of the point.

In Italy, coffee is brief but deliberate.
A small cup.
Taken standing.
Never rushed.

In Turkey, coffee is finely ground and brewed slowly, then left to settle.
It’s served with the understanding that you don’t drink it all - the pause continues even after the cup is empty.

Across cultures, the details change.
The intention doesn’t.

Even the way coffee is kept reflects this care.
Whole beans are best stored at around 20°C, away from light and air — not to perfect the flavour, but to let them remain what they already are for longer.

Coffee brews best just below boiling, around 92–96°C.
Hot enough to draw out depth.
Not so hot that everything happens at once.

These numbers aren’t rules.
They’re reminders.

That coffee takes time.
That it responds to patience.
That it doesn’t reward rushing.

No matter how it’s made, coffee creates a small, reliable pause.
A moment shared across kitchens, cafés, and continents.

A reason to stop moving, briefly,
and let something unfold.

This pause often begins with the first pour.