Zen and the AeroPress coffee “hiss”

An earlier draft of this post was called Xen. I’ve been using Linux hypervisors too much again. I like my AeroPress a lot. No, scratch that, I love my AeroPress. I adore it. It’s been one of the best, most consequential pieces of kit I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. I’ve been using the same one for more than twelve years, and have only ever needed to swap the rubber gasket out once. This funky little gadget has made me thousands of cups of coffee, and made me have thoughts about the universe. My first, current, and only AeroPress is pictured below. As you can see, we’re both a bit worn down in our older age, but with our powers combined, our brews are wonderful! I’ve talked before about the “tea ceremony” of selecting a record, placing it on a turntable, cueing the stylus, and listening to an album. Could you hear better music from another medium? Almost certainly. Does knowing that detract from the experience? Absolutely not. I find the slow, deliberate process of setting up and…