Instant vs brewed coffee

I’ve switched to instant coffee a few years ago when I became a parent. I just wanted my caffeine hit done and with minimal fuss. This led to preparing several cups of coffee during the day (I only needed a steady supply of coffee and hot water).

Lately I missed the smell of freshly brewed coffee beans (probably due to not hanging out at coffee houses in recent years). I bought a bag of Arabica beans and took out my brewing equipment from the cabinet (my brewing gear consists of a French press and an electric grinder, nothing fancy).

Having to prepare coffee using a press these days seems laborious to me, but at least it allows me to throttle my caffeine intake by adding friction to the process. One batch equals one-and-a-half mug of this freshly brewed stimulant, which is enough to jumpstart the day.