To the editor:

“My Morning Dilemma (Don’t Reheat Coffee)”

By Hannah Gochenaur

Don’t reheat coffee.

I’m told that flavor declines with declining temperature until the coffee is lukewarm in all ways.

Always, “because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” I revel at this revelation (3:15), clearly, I cannot be as picky as this. God does not reheat his coffee, I get it … but listen, I’m not God. Maybe coffee’s declining flavor reclines with climbing heat? The question remains: Is twice heated coffee twice as good? I ponder this at the microwave door for the second time today.

Don’t reheat coffee.

So each morning I make a new cup. I preheat water, to heat up percolation ensuring good taste. Water, into coffee water with coffee grounds, into coffee. My mocca pot is Jesus turning water into … coffee? Remove heated beverage and add creamer for taste.

Don’t reheat coffee.

Yes, I know, but just this once. This mug has been forgotten at my elbow for an hour — you forget caffeine is a drug, and I’m addicted to this mug that is still full. After waving at the microwave to stop, my coffee is now reheated to a heat that is too hot. I add not just creamer but milk too, to cool it down.

Don’t reheat coffee.

But I repeat this madness: microwave, creamer, milk, now heavy whipping cream. The taste of preheated, heated, cooled, reheated, cooled, re-reheated coffee doesn’t taste great, but sugar makes everything taste better. Wash, rinse, repeat. Except don’t actually wash or rinse because I have decided I am not throwing out the contents of this mug.

Is this going to be my morning routine forever? The microwave and the death of all coffee connoisseurs.

Don’t reheat coffee.

If I make a new pot, the coffee tastes better but the guilt I have to swallow tastes worse. I made two cups this time, two cups to be destined to fill my sink to the brim. Why? Because they were cold? Great depression raised Grandma would be horrified. A great waste these grounds — I am more grounded than that.

Don’t reheat coffee.

But don’t ask me “How do you take your coffee?” Because preheated, heated, reheated, hot coffee to be cooled down by creamer, is just the way I like it.

“Hannah, come on don’t you know you’re not supposed to do that?”

Don’t reheat coffee.

Hannah Gochenaur

Rainbow Lake