I was recently asked if I use my wardrobe philosophy in other areas of my life.  I do!  One example, is how I  make  my coffee with a Vietnamese coffee maker, aka phin.  I can’t live without coffee and decided to make it at home to save time and money.  In my search for the best coffee maker, I was so close to buying this fancy highly rated coffee maker with all the bells and whistles after reading every coffee snob review out there.  Then I slapped myself, listened to my gut and said, no this is crazy.  Why do I need something so complicated? People have been making great coffee for decades with much less.  There had to be a better solution, it was the phin!  Now my favorite kitchen tool.

Here’s why I like it:

• it’s dirt cheap (amazon)
• it’s 100% stainless steel and has no plastic parts that can emit toxic chemicals
• your purchase supports small business owners in Vietnam
• it makes a range of strengths from espresso to light coffee
• requires no outlet
• no bells and whistles to break down
• it’s durable
• it makes coffee in less than 2 minutes
• it’s attractive
• it takes up no space at all
• does not require paper filters
• washing only involves a quick rinse under warm water (less than 10 seconds!)
• it’s the same method my parents use to make their coffee, in other words, it makes me feel culturally authentic
• it creates very little waste and does not kill our environment like K cups

Coffee snobs will say the best way to make coffee is by a careful pour over method using something like the Hario V60 or the Kalita Wave, but I decided against it because I felt the phin was good enough.  I just can’t be bothered with using a paper filter for marginally better coffee.  What’s your favorite minimalist kitchen tool?  Would love to hear your thoughts.