Making Coffee

[steve_bank]

I used to use a French Press. Then I used a coffee maker. I'd end up making and drinking too much.

I tries the single cup drip funnels. They were messy with the wet filters and required more coffee to make a good cup.

Now I put a cup of water in a Pyrex cup. Add coffee and stir. Then microwave for 5 minutes. I let sit for a minute and then drain through a stainless steel screen that was meant for kitchen sink drains.

Minimizes the amount of coffee I use and I get the same brew every time. Easy cleanup, rinse in the sink.

 

[rousseau]

I've been using a french press for about seven years now, more recently a stove top as well. Oddly enough my grinder (Baratza Virtuoso) is the most expensive piece of equipment I own, next to that it'd be a programmable kettle with a french press setting.

When I initially got into grinding my own beans I had a pretty mediocre grinder, took me a long time to bite the bullet on an upgrade. Expensive (think it was just shy of 400 CDN), but it's a flawless grinder, and will likely last me well over a decade.

 

[rousseau]

Minimizes the amount of coffee I use and I get the same brew every time. Easy cleanup, rinse in the sink.

Guess people have different priorities. I buy freshly roasted, unground beans. Can't imagine microwaving coffee making it taste very good, but if you were using something like grocery store grind then.. meh.

 

[steve_bank]

In the past I used Pete's. Tully's Starbucks and others.

Now I use good old Maxwell House Columbian grocery store coffee.

 

[rousseau]

In the past I used Pete's. Tully's Starbucks and others.

Now I use good old Maxwell House Columbian grocery store coffee.

I'm doomed to drink expensive coffee. I've been drinking it for so long now that the sheen's worn off, but when I've tried to switch back to cheaper varieties I find it undrinkable.

For most people this isn't a problem because they add cream and sugar, which is how you make it palatable.

 

[steve_bank]

In the past I used Pete's. Tully's Starbucks and others.

Now I use good old Maxwell House Columbian grocery store coffee.

I'm doomed to drink expensive coffee. I've been drinking it for so long now that the sheen's worn off, but when I've tried to switch back to cheaper varieties I find it undrinkable.

For most people this isn't a problem because they add cream and sugar, which is how you make it palatable.

Black no cream or sugar. There are coffees I find undrinkable.

 

[rousseau]

In the past I used Pete's. Tully's Starbucks and others.

Now I use good old Maxwell House Columbian grocery store coffee.

I'm doomed to drink expensive coffee. I've been drinking it for so long now that the sheen's worn off, but when I've tried to switch back to cheaper varieties I find it undrinkable.

For most people this isn't a problem because they add cream and sugar, which is how you make it palatable.

Black no cream or sugar. There are coffees I find undrinkable.

To be fair undrinkable was a bit strong, I could drink grocery brand. But compared to freshly roasted beans it's a bit harsh, as tea-bags are to loose leaf tea.

About a month ago I tried drinking a Tim Horton's coffee black.. that was undrinkable.

 

[Tharmas]

For many many years I have been grinding coffee beans with a cheap spinning blade grinder which produced mostly powder. I used a drip filter to keep the powder out of the coffee. Then thanks to a thread on these boards some months ago (thanks Rousseau) I learned about burr grinders and the idea of spending more than $15 for a grinder was presented to me. The result – I am now the very happy owner of a Baratza Encore (perhaps their starter model?). I drink French press on Sunday mornings when I make brunch for the Missus but for day to day I use a drip machine.

Recently my old Krups filter machine broke down after many years faithful service and I replaced it with a Bunn. My review of the Bunn tends to be mixed. It brews a pot of coffee in 3 minutes, which is its claim to fame, but does so by keeping a tank of water hot all the time. Since I drink half a pot a day, this means the water is always a day old, sitting in the machine and keeping hot.

However it payed off over the recent holiday when my daughter, son, and son-in-law visited for five days, all coffee drinkers.

 

[rousseau]

The result – I am now the very happy owner of a Baratza Encore (perhaps their starter model?). I drink French press on Sunday mornings when I make brunch for the Missus but for day to day I use a drip machine.

Glad to hear something I wrote here was of some use. The Encore is their entry-level model, but more entry-level to what coffee snobs would consider standard, rather than the sub 100 dollar category (which the snobs would avoid at all costs). When I was searching it had great reviews, but the Virtuoso was better for espresso so I indulged.

Before that I was using one of these for a good long while, which was passable, but it made an uneven grind and produced a lot of dust, which the Virtuoso doesn't do at all.

As an aside the guy who pointed me to Baratza Grinders gave me some espresso maker recommendations recently, too:

Breville BES840CBXL Infuser Espresso Machine
Gaggia Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker.

I go back and forth about it but so far haven't pulled the trigger on either of these. My stove-top makes pretty good strong coffee, will never break down, and is only about 25 bucks to replace. If I buy an espresso maker that's pretty much the point of no return when it comes to expenses. There's that and I also switched to half-decaf recently, so really what's the point of espresso.

 

[PyramidHead]

No love for AeroPress? That's my go-to these days. I also have a French press and a drip machine that sprays the water on the grinds in a pourover-esque way apparently.

I have a Baratza Virtuoso and I love it. Like my pal rousseau, I'm getting spoiled on the good stuff and right now I tend to hoover up anything unwashed from Ethiopia. I don't think there's room on my countertop for a dedicated espresso maker unfortunately, because I'm itching to get into that as well. The AeroPress can make strong, concentrated coffee that tastes somewhat similar to a shot of espresso, but the pressure is nowhere near high enough to get the same taste.

 

[rousseau]

No love for AeroPress? That's my go-to these days. I also have a French press and a drip machine that sprays the water on the grinds in a pourover-esque way apparently.

I have a Baratza Virtuoso and I love it. Like my pal rousseau, I'm getting spoiled on the good stuff and right now I tend to hoover up anything unwashed from Ethiopia. I don't think there's room on my countertop for a dedicated espresso maker unfortunately, because I'm itching to get into that as well. The AeroPress can make strong, concentrated coffee that tastes somewhat similar to a shot of espresso, but the pressure is nowhere near high enough to get the same taste.

I've heard of Aeropresses but never looked into them. Just looked them up and thought they sounded similar to stove-tops.

Turns out they are very similar

(at least in their use of pressure, not as much the end result)

 

[Treedbear]

In the past I used Pete's. Tully's Starbucks and others.

Now I use good old Maxwell House Columbian grocery store coffee.

I really enjoy Chock full o'Nuts half-caff. Goes on sale frequently for $1.99 for 10.3 oz can. I need sugar and half-and-half with any coffee. I drink 3 to 4 cups per day.

 

[PyramidHead]

No love for AeroPress? That's my go-to these days. I also have a French press and a drip machine that sprays the water on the grinds in a pourover-esque way apparently.

I have a Baratza Virtuoso and I love it. Like my pal rousseau, I'm getting spoiled on the good stuff and right now I tend to hoover up anything unwashed from Ethiopia. I don't think there's room on my countertop for a dedicated espresso maker unfortunately, because I'm itching to get into that as well. The AeroPress can make strong, concentrated coffee that tastes somewhat similar to a shot of espresso, but the pressure is nowhere near high enough to get the same taste.

I've heard of Aeropresses but never looked into them. Just looked them up and thought they sounded similar to stove-tops.

Turns out they are very similar

(at least in their use of pressure, not as much the end result)

Coffee snobs can be really gate-keepy about espresso. There's actually no definition of espresso regarding how much pressure there should be, and early designs from the inventor of the machine were closer to the Moka pot style than anything in a Starbucks. I was reading about that pot this morning, apparently the company (Bialetti) isn't doing so well. Might pick one up while I still can, as they seem to be high quality.

 

[rousseau]

No love for AeroPress? That's my go-to these days. I also have a French press and a drip machine that sprays the water on the grinds in a pourover-esque way apparently.

I have a Baratza Virtuoso and I love it. Like my pal rousseau, I'm getting spoiled on the good stuff and right now I tend to hoover up anything unwashed from Ethiopia. I don't think there's room on my countertop for a dedicated espresso maker unfortunately, because I'm itching to get into that as well. The AeroPress can make strong, concentrated coffee that tastes somewhat similar to a shot of espresso, but the pressure is nowhere near high enough to get the same taste.

I've heard of Aeropresses but never looked into them. Just looked them up and thought they sounded similar to stove-tops.

Turns out they are very similar

(at least in their use of pressure, not as much the end result)

Coffee snobs can be really gate-keepy about espresso. There's actually no definition of espresso regarding how much pressure there should be, and early designs from the inventor of the machine were closer to the Moka pot style than anything in a Starbucks. I was reading about that pot this morning, apparently the company (Bialetti) isn't doing so well. Might pick one up while I still can, as they seem to be high quality.

I'd be curious to know what differences there are from pot to pot. There are basically no components besides the water catch, the area for your grounds / siphon, and the coffee catch. Can't imagine much of a functional difference between them besides aesthetics, and maybe the quality of the metal for health reasons.

 

[PyramidHead]

True, it's a very simple design. Maybe the metal quality is it. They were originally made of aluminum because so was everything at the time, but stainless steel should work just as well. I think IKEA makes one?

 

[rousseau]

True, it's a very simple design. Maybe the metal quality is it. They were originally made of aluminum because so was everything at the time, but stainless steel should work just as well. I think IKEA makes one?

I just had one of my parents point out Aluminum as a potential cause of health problems, but on some searching just now it doesn't look like that's the case.

 

[rousseau]

Missing that Italian coffee today.

Had a heavy Christmas lunch with team, wanted coffee, Tim's won't do.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I used to use a French Press. Then I used a coffee maker. I'd end up making and drinking too much.

I tries the single cup drip funnels. They were messy with the wet filters and required more coffee to make a good cup.

Now I put a cup of water in a Pyrex cup. Add coffee and stir. Then microwave for 5 minutes. I let sit for a minute and then drain through a stainless steel screen that was meant for kitchen sink drains.

Minimizes the amount of coffee I use and I get the same brew every time. Easy cleanup, rinse in the sink.

I remember the Folgers coffee singles and actually used them on occasion. But typically I'd pick up an assortment of beans at one of the coffee shops and use the blade grinder, stainless steel screen and a filter. It was all heaven one cup at a time.

Once I had a pound of fresh beans done to a turkish extra fine grind. Great kick and aroma but tasted a bit like brewed sawdust as I recall, but no bother, coffee was always spelled L-O-V-E.

Still have the stainless steel screen that along with a mesh cover now gets used to strain wine into the secondary fermenter.

 

[rousseau]

I'm almost two months into half-caf now, and it looks like coffee has been completely stripped out of my brain's reward system. Half-caf is about the equivalent of a black tea, which really has no punch at all and so coffee is feeling less like coffee, more like coffee flavoured water.

I still get an occasional craving, but they're way less intense and frequent.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Anyone tried Laughing Man Coffee? I read about it in People, in an article listing perfect Xmas gifts. I think it's Hugh Jackman's brand (not that that matters.) I ordered a bag, won't get it for 5 or 6 days.