Coffee makers

[Bmi48219]

We’ve had every variety of coffee making appliance except the K Cup brewer. That’s where I draw the line, convenient or not.
The last 20 years we’ve returned to percolators.
The drip (Mr. Coffee) type seem to require 50% more coffee grounds to make a reasonably strong coffee. Daughter bought us a quality French press model but between the excess grounds in my cup and the fact a second cup isn’t hot enough I’m not impressed.
Our percolator will brew 6 cups in less than 5 minutes, and it stays hot. Plus you can’t beat it for the aroma it releases while brewing.
What method do you guys use?

[Froogal]

Bought a Bunn several years ago. Never regretted that decision. Makes 10 cups in about 3 minutes and the last cup is as hot as the first.

[smithnframe]

Keurig K cup and not going back!

[Half Dog]

Another member suggested a Clever so I think I’m going to give it a try.

[Cast10]

Been using a Ninja…..I Like It!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

In the past, I've used Mr Coffee and other inexpensive drip coffee makers...they make bitter coffee, IMHO.

then one day, I was given a Gevalia Kaffe CM500 (they are no longer made), it's a drip coffee maker, but for whatever reason, the coffee isn't nearly as bitter as other drip types. The Gevalia uses a cone type filter, I think that's part of it. I like stronger coffee and instead of a paper filter, I use a Cone stainless steel permanent filter. Let's more of the flavor through.

I see these Gevalia's at Goodwill all the time. They seem to last forever, but when buying a used one, you may need to do a vinegar decalcification treatment.

[Randy Bohannon]

Bunn,three scoops of coffee=one big cup or a whole pot, keeps water hot,brews fast. I can’t do the whole pot thing ,one cup at a time. Kuerig are good…….. in other people’s houses.
Mother had restaurants, Bunn for 40 hrs, Fire Department, Bunn coffee makers plugged in never turned off for 25 years.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Percolator for the win , 12 cup stainless , only one for me , a regular perc for campfire and camping , but the presto electric is what i have used for years .

Have watched the cheap drips die on boats for years if it was not a bunn commercial they did not last , but I prefer percolator coffee over all .

[Ickisrulz]

I use a percolator when serving multiple people. But, if it is just me, I use a French press that makes an 18 ounce serving. I usually have two cups in the morning and a cup sometime in the day after that. Since I make it to order, it's always hot and fresh.

[Bmi48219]

…The Gevalia uses a cone type filter.

We had a drip type with the gold mesh cone. I’ve since repurposed the cone to drain my SS pins after a session of tumbling. Pins stay in the cone and the water drains out.

I drink mine black and pretty strong. The wife adds powdered cream and sugar and a teaspoon of instant to boot! Best coffee I’ve had was in Ponce at the Hotel Melia. They brewed it in a restaurant sized percolator urn. One urn for black (‘negro’) the other was C & S (‘blanco’). I think they added the cream and sugar before they brewed it.
Not big on the creamer thing except for the occasional shot of Bailey’s.

[Nobade]

Moka pot for me. Works either at home or out camping, makes massively strong coffee, and nothing left over to throw away except the coffee grounds.

[Nueces]

Then one day, I was given a Gevalia Kaffe CM500 (they are no longer made), it's a drip coffee maker, but for whatever reason, the coffee isn't nearly as bitter as other drip types. The Gevalia uses a cone type filter, I think that's part of it. I like stronger coffee and instead of a paper filter, I use a Cone stainless steel permanent filter. Let's more of the flavor through.

I see these Gevalia's at Goodwill all the time. They seem to last forever, but when buying a used one, you may need to do a vinegar decalcification treatment.

I've been using a little Gevalia BCM-4C (4 cup) for about 15 years, since it's just me. The electrics tend to fail first, so I have ebayed some spares. Takes #2 Melitta brown paper filters. I fill my Nissan Thermos 14 ounce tumbler with an ounce of heavy cream and the rest with the coffee from the Gevalia - a half cup of beans and 16 ounces of reverse osmosis water. Some research tells me that Gevalia designed these to brew a little cooler than most other makers, 195F to 200F, which makes a better tasting coffee. I buy Jamaican Blue Mountain roasted beans and grind them here. It's the very best coffee I've had anywhere.

[gc45]

We have a Bunn and like it. Bought it used years back, to many years now to remember. i trid those K cup things in my office but not to my liking so gave it away..

[Dekota56]

Yes I enjoy a fresh cup of coffee brewing from the bun. We bought a commercial model has 3 pots. At an Auction a few years back. Love it when the hunters come over.

[dale2242]

We use the Keurig almost exclusively.
The drip o lator only on occasion.

[Lloyd Smale]

im not a designer coffee fanatic. I drink folgers and out of an coffee maker. Dont much care what brand. Dont need or would ever bother with a late or capichino and dont even know if i spelled it right. I drink my coffee black and dont want to stand a fork up in it. Had a bun for many years. Liked it because it was FAST. It just always bugged me because your paying to heat water 24 hours a day. I know thats petty but it just didnt make sense to me. when i was working it was great to have fast but now its not like i cant wait 5 minutes for coffee and my wife now makes it at night and just sets the timer and its ready when i get up anyway. Im a simple man. I drink regular coffee and id rather have a bud then some designer peach beer. Dont need a tesla truck my ram works just fine. Dont need a ferrari either my challenger works fine.

[winelover]

Key to strong coffee is the grind. The finer the grind the stronger the coffee. Just take a look at expresso grind. I grind my beans with a blade type grinder to power like consistency. Commercial ground coffee, out of the can, is coarse, on purpose. They sell more of it cause it takes more to make a stronger brew. The roasting of the beans also has an effect on coffee strength. The darker the roast the stronger the favor and less acidity.

Winelover

[Nazgul]

I have a Breville expresso machine that makes a great cup with steamed milk. Used it for 10 years or so. Next to it is a Mr Coffee 4 cup maker. Bought a stainless percolator a month ago for camping. It has been on the stove ever since, using it every morning. Forgot how good a perced cup was. we have a Kuereg as well which I don't mind at all if in a hurry.

I drink too much coffee. Retired so it doesn't really matter.

Don

[trapper9260]

I had got in the past a camping percolator to put on the stove , because the electric ones did not last long for me. I was spending more on getting news ones then just the camping percolator. So I stay with it , I was brought up one any ways . I did kept the pots from the electric ones and just put the coffee from the percolator in the pots of the electric and put it on a hot plate to keep hot. That way I know how much I got left and still have use for the pot. Works for me and if I needed to make another pot of coffee the percolator will not be tied up and can take the percolator anywhere . Works for me .

[Wag]

I just use a drip maker, essentially the same as a Mr. Coffee. I use a flat-bottom mesh screen because it doesn't strip out all of the natural oils like paper filters do. The taste is a lot better. The grinder is a burr grinder which is a lot more consistent then the spinning blade grinders I used to use. I have the burr set moderately fine and it's plenty strong. Finally, I buy a great quality whole bean from a local roaster who really knows what they're doing. There are several stores around town that roast on site but they screw it up more often than not and the coffee is horrible.

There's a Keurig in the house but gets used when time is short. Otherwise, it's just dang expensive..... Ugh.

--Wag--

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've been using a little Gevalia BCM-4C (4 cup) for about 15 years, since it's just me. The electrics tend to fail first, so I have ebayed some spares. Takes #2 Melitta brown paper filters. I fill my Nissan Thermos 14 ounce tumbler with an ounce of heavy cream and the rest with the coffee from the Gevalia - a half cup of beans and 16 ounces of reverse osmosis water. Some research tells me that Gevalia designed these to brew a little cooler than most other makers, 195F to 200F, which makes a better tasting coffee. I buy Jamaican Blue Mountain roasted beans and grind them here. It's the very best coffee I've had anywhere.

Yeah, I've heard that temperature thing also.
I recall an expert telling me that 191ºf was the ideal temp to pull the flavor from the beans, but won't extract the bitter acids from the outer shell of the bean.

[762 shooter]

Wife uses a Ninja coffee bar.

I started using an Aeropress because it's like reloading.

762

[Big Tom]

I'm a coffee snob. Roasting my own green beans (about $3.10 per lbs) and have a fully automatic coffee maker (Saeco) that makes one cup at a time with grinding the beans, heating the water etc. Have been doing that for about 10 years now and will not go back to other ways of making coffee. Ever :-)

[Bmi48219]

Fifty years ago there weren’t many varieties/ brands of coffee available, at least not in our neighborhood. My folks favored ‘Chock full Of Nuts’ or ‘Eight O’clock’ brand. Most processors canned three different grinds; Drip, percolator and Regular. Although I’m not sure what style coffee maker used regular.
My buddy’s mom had a glass pot with upper & lower chambers. When heated on stove the water was drawn up into the top chamber and then drained down through the grounds.

[376Steyr]

I've had instant coffee from a package of C-rations made with lukewarm water in a metal canteen cup. Just about anything is a step up from that. I use a Mr. Coffee and have a spare one, still in the box, stashed away just in case it dies on me. There's also a big jar of Taster's Choice instant stashed in the pantry to get me through the first month of the zombie apocalypse.

[ripshod]

Aeropress for me.Throw away the paper filters and get the metal screen.

[winelover]

Fifty years ago there weren’t many varieties/ brands of coffee available, at least not in our neighborhood. My folks favored ‘Chock full Of Nuts’ or ‘Eight O’clock’ brand. Most processors canned three different grinds; Drip, percolator and Regular. Although I’m not sure what style coffee maker used regular.
My buddy’s mom had a glass pot with upper & lower chambers. When heated on stove the water was drawn up into the top chamber and then drained down through the grounds.

I remember that type well. Ours was all stainless steel except for the glass rod that held the grounds at the top. There was a rubber gasket sealing the top from the bottom carafe. I still have the bottom carafe. Don't remember what happened to the funnel like top. I'm pretty sure the gasket was shot and no longer available. Over the years of use, the glass rod broke and Dad (a toolmaker) made a new one out of aluminum. Was my job, every morning, to have the coffee made and bicycle to the bakery for fresh bread and donuts.

Winelover

[762 shooter]

Aeropress for me.Throw away the paper filters and get the metal screen.

I have a metal filter but never used it.

762

[almar]

Nothing cheaper, simpler and more reliable than pour over or an aeropress. Nothing makes a better coffee either. But i roast my own. Work has that keurig thing...its tastes like dishwater to me, its the worst coffee i ever had.

[DougGuy]

I also roast my own green coffee beans in a roaster that I fabricated myself in a converted gas grill.

For brewing, I use a vintage Farberware Superfast model 134 2-4 cup electric percolator and I simply unplug it after the brew cycle. Percs got a bad rap way back before the microwave was invented because the "keep warm" heating element would boil the coffee and ruin it.

I hunt out specific percolators, I prefer the early original "Gold Badge" models with the TWO LINE address on the bottom, 1955 - 1966. Later gold badge models used a three line address with either LCA or Kidde Corporation in the address 1966-1972. After 1972, the badge changed to red and gold on black.

The originals seem to have the best brew cycle, they didn't heat quite as fast so the coffee was in the immersion phase longer and to me they brew more consistently although there may be slight differences in one to another. Some make more of the knocking sound when brewing, some seem to hang on to the last minute of brewing until the water is just hissing through the siphon, these are the keepers! They make the BEST coffee IMO. Every bit as strong and robust as a French Press, 75% less sediment in the cup.

I used to be able to buy these on ebay for around $35 shipped, pre-pandemic, now they are bringing $50 to $60 but you can still find some very nice models. I got one recently that was almost new, it had hardly ever been used. I paid $50 for it shipped. These vintage pots will still outlast any of the new China made pots.

Ok late breaking news... I can't post a link to auction but I can give you an item number for the EXACT vintage Farberware Superfast percolator that I hold in the highest esteem, and priced pre-pandemic to boot!! This is a GOOD DEAL on the best vintage percolator you will find, gold badge, 2 line address.. Look up 224694988298 somebody's going to get a GOOD one!

For reference, this is the "Gold Badge" emblem 1955-1972:

293525

This is the TWO-LINE address on the bottom 1955-1966:

293526

Farberware has an interesting history, starting with Simon Farber, a Russian immigrant in 1897, the company was founded in 1900 and have produced some of America's best loved and longest lasting cookware and other kitchen tools and implements. The company was sold many times over during the last 120+ years.

[Nueces]

I have heard the gripe that paper filters strip out oils from the brew and also have heard that metal elements in the brewing process contribute a bad taste. Dunno, I'm a trained investigator but, once I achieved the best coffee I ever had, I was OK with stopping there. I used a metal screen years ago, but like the paper filters.

Doug, thanks for the heads up on that Farberware perc, it's on the way here! If it does not thoroughly beat the little Gevalia, I'll put it on here in SNS.

[DougGuy]

Doug, thanks for the heads up on that Farberware perc, it's on the way here! If it does not thoroughly beat the little Gevalia, I'll put it on here in SNS.

Ha! Good one! I saw it gone and my heart sank, GLAD you got it! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Santa gonna hook you right up! :bigsmyl2:

Trick of these is getting the grind just right. Store bought drip grind is too fine, it will fall through the basket too easy, although if that's all you have it will work. I use an old Grindmaster commercial grinder and set it between perc and drip, it churns out the perfect grind.

Oh, and you want to start with cold water. My daily mix is water to 1/2" below the bottom of the spout, and coffee 1/8" below the stem in the center of the basket. Usually I put it flush with the end of that stem, but some coffees taste better if they aren't too strong. You will like this pot.. Of all the methods of brewing coffee, this to me is the best of all of them. Be sure and put the slot in the spreader to the front.

Do NOT immerse the base in water! Water inside the phenolic base will corrode the heating element really quick.

Furthermore (LOL) at the rate scientists and coffee snobs are uncovering nutritional and medicinal benefits in coffee, I believe one day that they will come out and say something like "Americans are throwing away one of the most beneficial aspects of coffee, every time they empty their coffee maker and throw away the paper filter."

We know there are antioxidants in caffeinol, the oil in coffee, but paper filters remove most of it before you pour your cup, and there is a lot of dietary fiber that is filtered out as well.

[RogerDat]

I have no desire to buy little cups that allow me to make my own coffee as expensive as buying it from a barrista at Starbucks.

I use a Melitta which has the cone shaped filter and one pours in the hot water at work. Only 6 cup pot but I can microwave the water and do a pour through pot in a few minutes.

Home we had (still have in the basement) a nice Bunn. I loved it. Stores the water in the tank hot enough to brew with. From pour to pot is very fast. Doesn't have a burner auto off so wife banished it. Or maybe it was an auto off on too short of a timer so coffee was cold. I don't recall exactly but she didn't like so gone it is.

She buys a steady stream of different Mr. Coffee or clones which are "ok" but nothing special. All work better than grounds boiled in a clean tube sock. AKA what you do when ex packs only the electric coffee pot on a rustic camping trip.

I have a 6 cup Faberware percolator that is great. Thing must be 30 years old but still makes good coffee and fast. Smells great brewing as others have mentioned. It keeps getting snatched out of the pantry and moved to the basement to keep the Bunn company. But I like it enough I bring it back. Also take camping for when we camp with electricity. In a pinch can even run off of the inverter and battery.

Use a stove top percolator for camping. Big old stainless that makes about 16 cups. I can have after dinner coffee and fill a pre-warmed thermos to have coffee first thing in the morning because that monster takes a long, long, long time to perk the morning pot. Works on Coleman stove, camper stove, campfire. I know it will work and can be relied on.

Have a couple of french press makers, small and large. Both from thrift stores. Have literally made the best cup of coffee I ever made in one but way too much fiddling around for too small output. I want a pot of coffee not a demitasse cup of the stuff.

I would go with the Melitta or even a french press for camping due to just needing hot water BUT the metal ones are very pricey and glass camping equipment is a pain. Probability of breaking increases based on distance or difficulty involved in getting a replacement.

[RogerDat]

The old Faberware pots can get water into the lower heating element area and the thermal strip with contacts can get corroded which is an easy fix. One center screw to remove the bottom. Clean the area well. Run some really fine wet/dry sand paper across the contacts and it is good to go for another several years.

Have done that to my parents pot twice over about 30 years. My own got it a year or so ago. Cuts out the power too soon or won't get hot and perc. Check those contacts first, and the connections in the pot bottom.

Figure if is already broken.... you can fix or not fix, in which case you are not any worse off than when you started unless you lose the center screw.

[warren5421]

I know this is an older post but I was served a cup of coffee today at cards that was some of the best. The lady had a a wood platform with a cloth filter she put 2 tablespoons of Costa Rican Peaberry med roast coffee, set a 16 oz mug under it then poured boiling water into the filter, when cup was full she handed it to me and it was to die for. She said it was the way her mother made it and the way her marine husband liked his coffee.

[BLAHUT]

I like it strong, stand a spoon up in it, my tea the same way. Started making cold brew coffee, put very fine Growns in a fine SS mesh cylinder and soak in cold water over night.
No bitterness, all the flavors and oils remain. Put coffee in cup and in microwave for a minute or two. Hot anytime.

[CastingFool]

After many, many years of drinking percolate coffee and grinding beans, to use in a French press, I've gotten lazy. I hate grinding coffee and I'm not that picky that I have to have fresh ground, so I tried bustelo instant expresso. While it's not great, it's good enough, and I enjoy the ease if preparation. I'm the only one in the house that drinks coffee anyway.

[Wayne Smith]

I just ordered my mix - two pounds of Tanzania Peaberry medium roast and one pound of Colombian dark roast. Whole bean, combine them and grind each morning. I have tried about all styles of coffee makers and started with a French Press recently - broke a carafe, then broke the center rod, ordered a Stainless Steel Mueller French press and have been satisfied. It uses a double screen, but still needs a relatively coarse grind to avoid grounds in the water. Nothing has broken in the past three years.

[DougGuy]

I just ordered my mix - two pounds of Tanzania Peaberry medium roast and one pound of Colombian dark roast. Whole bean, combine them and grind each morning. I have tried about all styles of coffee makers and started with a French Press recently - broke a carafe, then broke the center rod, ordered a Stainless Steel Mueller French press and have been satisfied. It uses a double screen, but still needs a relatively coarse grind to avoid grounds in the water. Nothing has broken in the past three years.

I got away from the French press because of more sediment than I wanted, and of course the likelihood of breaking the glass carafe. I have been seeking out and using the Farberware Superfast percolators that have a gold badge on the side and a two line address on the bottom, those are the original first model made by Farberware 1957-1962 before it was sold off to LCA or Kidde Corp. These to me seem to have the longer and more consistent brew cycle.

These nice old vintage percs usually cost $50 or less from auction, I have given quite a few away as wedding gifts, housewarming, etc, they will still outlast the current Asian made offering in the box stores and people love them because of the coffee that comes from them.

Coffee every bit as good as the French press, 75% less sediment.

I have long had a feeling that eventually they will figure out that a lot of the fiber, andioxidants, and other beneficial parts of coffee are found in the sediments, and they will announce that a study shows that Americans throw away the most beneficial part of their coffee every time they toss the paper filter with the grounds into the trash.

Yesterday was a perfect day for roasting coffee. I roasted about 25lbs in 2.5 lb batches, coffees from Yemen, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Brazil, the show stopper? Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Konga-Sede Natural (sun dried process) Gr. 1

When they say Gr.1, that's Grade 1 and they aren't kidding, after a dark roast sits for a bit, opening the lid will pleasantly reward your senses with the strong baker's chocolate aroma, which years after radiation destroyed most of my taste buds, this is the aroma and taste I go for. Ethiopia Yirgacheffe does not disappoint. It's also quite costly compared to other coffees, but not near as costly as the Jamaican, with green coffee beans, sourced from a reputable supplier, you pretty much get what you pay for.

Here's a youtube from May of this year of my home made roaster at work..


http://www.youtu.be/watch?v=Bk4oM0uyN7c

[farmerjim]

Any kind of coffee maker is fine as long as the coffee is community dark roast.

[GhostHawk]

I recently experienced a change in my coffee brewing. For 5 years I have been a die hard Aeropress fan with the Metal mesh instead of paper filter.

Well the Aeropress works fine for a single 6 to 12 oz cup but at times I would like to be able to share and make a bigger pot.
So I bought one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FXKLCZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

At 24$ it seemed pretty reasonable. While looking at those I noticed these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WR1FLX3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@ 16$ it was even more reasonable. So in the process of testing these 2 new devices I discovered that I liked the last one best of all.

Aeropress got washed and put away. I have been making my morning coffee with it for 10 days now and the flavor is even better than the Aeropress.

Also I noticed with the Aeropress and the glass carafe I had a dark spot of sediment in the bottom of my cup. But with the double mesh pour over filter I do not see this sediment.

I use an old Corelle teapot on the stove to heat one measured 11 oz cup of water.
These are the cups I prefer.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QBF2CD6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They run about 10$ ea, I have 4. They just feel elegant, and I like being able to see the color and level of coffee remaining.

The Filter sits on top of the cup nicely. And I only have one item to wash when the coffee is done. Dump the filter, wash it well inside and out and set it ready for the next use.
With the Aeropress it was 4 parts to wash plus what I pressed it into.

So this system is faster and easier to clean up.

The Carafe is cool, and great for when I have extra cups to make.
But for daily use it is IMO hard to beat the little pour over filter.

The other thing I noticed is that it takes a little longer for the water to seep out of the grounds.
So I was able to reduce the amount of coffee I was grinding slightly. 70 to 80 turns of the hand crank grinder down to 55-60 turns is not a lot. But it tastes the same and it does save me coffee long term.

[DougGuy]

While looking at those I noticed these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WR1FLX3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@ 16$ it was even more reasonable. So in the process of testing these 2 new devices I discovered that I liked the last one best of all.

Also I noticed with the Aeropress and the glass carafe I had a dark spot of sediment in the bottom of my cup. But with the double mesh pour over filter I do not see this sediment.


The other thing I noticed is that it takes a little longer for the water to seep out of the grounds.
So I was able to reduce the amount of coffee I was grinding slightly.

You could likely grind finer, at least until it starts leaving sediment then back off just a bit, this would probably use less coffee as well, which in turn would again slow the infusion.

[DougGuy]

While looking at the links GhostHawk posted, this one drew my attention:

https://www.amazon.com/Dripper-Stainless-Reusable-Paperless-W60/dp/B09HB8LNGK/ref=psdc_284507_t1_B09WR1FLX3

Check out the video!

At $19.98 it's also in the very affordable group, but it has an interesting design, it has an inverted cone within the infusion cone that extends the area of the filter. I thought it was a pretty clever design and may ask Santa for one!

The maker also has a no-return 180 day guarantee, if you don't like it they will give you a 100% refund and you keep the product.

[scattershot]

Mr. Coffee, for years now.Tried a Keurig, and besides being terribly expensive, I didn’t like the coffee it made. Moot point now, it broke after a couple of months

[Mint]

If anyone in this thread is not familiar with Aeropress........ I *highly* recommend it as my ultimate highest recommendation I could ever give. If all you have ever had is a french press or drip coffee, and you don't really care much about coffee other than making it or drinking it (if you already know coffee you will know everything below).. let me just say as an analogy this might be like buying factory ammo and never realizing there is an entire world that is orders of magnitude better. Not just a LITTLE noticeable, but a LOT.

True coffee when made right will not be bitter at ALL. In fact, it will almost taste like tea. It will be wild and full of all kinds of notes, flavors. I'm not the type of person who has a "wine tasting palette" ... I'm not that sophisticated. When I taste wine, I just taste wine. But coffee is different, you literally CAN taste the difference.

The biggest thing outside these videos to learn is how coffee beans release flavor, and what ORDER the 3 flavors are released in the 'extraction' phase: sour, sweet, bitter. The key to bad coffee is stopping right between sweet and bitter. It's important to keep all variables the same during extraction: temperature, percolation, grind size, and brew time. This is the magic of the Aeropress, is that it does this for you, better than you could do by hand unless you have 500 pour overs worth of practice.

First, coffee extraction releases sour / acidity. If you stopped brewing a good light roast coffee too early it would literally taste like lemon water, so sour your teeth would hurt. It is like pure battery acid (no joke). After the sour comes all the sweet and flavor notes. As you keep extracting (time passing), then you get to bitter. This is ideally where you want to stop, RIGHT before bitter starts. Often times, 99.999999% of the time, all bad coffee is poorly ground or brewed way too long. In fact, in all my entire life I've never had a cup of non bitter coffee until I brewed it the proper way (the way they do at coffee championships etc)... it literally blew my mind.

The easiest variable to control in what I said above, is grind size (with all other variables staying the same). The aeropress formula uses the same coffee/water ratio, brew time, water temperature. With the below aeropress formula, grind size will allow darker/lighter roasts to be extracted at different speeds (think of 1 chunk of ice melting vs breaking it into 1000 chunks and watching those melt in the same amount of time). A finer grind size means you will approach the bitter wall FASTER. So... you need a nice hand grinder like the hario skerton.

A Good grinder is THE most important thing for this. This hand grinder I used for a year before getting a fellow ode with expensive burr upgrade. If you use a cheap coffee grinder that doesn't use the same grinding method as this hand grinder (burrs), then all your grinds will be different sizes. This hand grinder is as good as a $500+ non-burr grinder and it only costs $50. This is critical, because think of the ice example above. A cheap grinder will grind inconsistently, so SOME coffee pieces melt fully (over extracted) and some dont melt enough (sour). So what you get is a very SOUR BITTER cup of coffee with very little sweetness. You want all ice pieces ot melt consistently, which means they HAVE to be the same size. Only burr grinders will attain this. Considering most burr grinders are $300+, a hand grinder is a perfect starter grinder that is really quite fun.

You will also need a weighing scale, ideally one made for coffee. This is a cheap one, but any kitchen scale will do that can see .1g accuracy. Search amazon for "Timemore coffee scale"

First, watch these videos (in this order) to see what the fuss is about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aidvrssMSGo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6VlT_jUVPc

My only variation to this video is I prefer 15.0g coffee to 250-255g water, depending. This is because I use sugar and cream, and I like my coffee to be more intense, to bite through the sugar/cream.

I have tried pour overs maybe 50-100 times. Once you get into it, you see how even the SLIGHTEST change in variables (2 degrees of water temperature, stirring 5 less times, 6 g/s pour rate instead of 10) make surprisingly noticeable changes in the taste of your coffee.

With this realization is.... if its really THAT hard to make a cup of coffee, where (literally) 5 stirs will make a difference, or a 5 grams per second pour rate variance... then how is someone at starbucks or a gas station going to nail it? They wont, and thats mostly why unless you really look into coffee to look at these variables, you might not even realize they exist and you just have had bad coffee.

Thats why the Aeropress is so amazing (or I wouldnt be writing all this). Its really the first device (and I've tried a lot of them), where it handles ALL these variables perfectly to very consistent tolerances. Its quite forgiving and STILL makes better coffee than a pour over unless you truly are master coffee maker. Like I said, even after half a year of making pour overs, I just stopped right then and there when I tried aeropress for the very first time. It absolutely stomped me.

Also.. as far as coffee. This all works best with light roasts. I've tried every light roast from our local organic store, and if I placed them on a scale from 1 to 10, I would say they never get higher than a 3. To taste the truly 10 out of 10 coffees with this, sign up for fellow drops:

https://drops.fellowproducts.com/

Fellow is a maker of high end coffee brewing equipment, and they really know their stuff. They text your phone once a week with an exotic bag of single origin coffee thats most pure/ripe around the world. You have to text back "1" (how many bags you want) within like 2 hours or so as they sell out every week. THe price of the bags are the same as whats at the store so there is NO REASON NOT TO DO THIS. Also they do a new coffee every week, so you really start to very rapidly tune your palette. All the coffees they send are nearly the same lightness, so you won't even have to change or adjust your coffee grinder 90% of the time. If you go buy coffee from the store, it varies so wildly you will need to adjust it every single bag to not remain bitter.


https://www.homegrounds.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/custom-grinder-article-under-extracted-vs-over-extracted-1024x731.png

[GhostHawk]

Doug I already grind quite fine, which is why I had some sediment before.

But I will agree that is an interesting looking product. I think I will hold off a few weeks for financial considerations. But I do intend to give it a try.

[trebor44]

Buy 'em cheap and throw them away when they go TU. Filters are your friend and the 'grind' gives you the 'flavor' along with the quality of the water and temp of the water! Who really drinks poofy coffee? Stick to the cowboy method!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP>>>

True coffee when made right will not be acidic at ALL. In fact, it will almost taste like tea. It will be wild and full of all kinds of notes, flavors. I'm not the type of person who has a "wine tasting palette" ... I'm not that sophisticated. When I taste wine, I just taste wine. But coffee is different, you literally CAN taste the difference.


This is humorous to me, as I have a Wine tasting palette, but coffee? I just taste coffee.

Folgers...vintage Gevalia drip with cone shape Metal filter (no paper filter)
works every time.

[Mint]

This is humorous to me, as I have a Wine tasting palette, but coffee? I just taste coffee.

Folgers...vintage Gevalia drip with cone shape Metal filter (no paper filter)
works every time.

Sorry I meant to type "bitter" there not acidic. Good coffee should have a hint of acidity

[GhostHawk]

While looking at the links GhostHawk posted, this one drew my attention:

https://www.amazon.com/Dripper-Stainless-Reusable-Paperless-W60/dp/B09HB8LNGK/ref=psdc_284507_t1_B09WR1FLX3

Check out the video!

At $19.98 it's also in the very affordable group, but it has an interesting design, it has an inverted cone within the infusion cone that extends the area of the filter. I thought it was a pretty clever design and may ask Santa for one!

The maker also has a no-return 180 day guarantee, if you don't like it they will give you a 100% refund and you keep the product.

Well it arrived yesterday. So this morning I swapped it into the lineup and tried it.

Same amount of coffee as normal, burr hand grinder, 30 turns with each hand. For kicks I compared what I ground with the scoop that came with the new filter. Almost a perfect match!

Proceeded to pour almost boiling water over the grounds. Instantly noted that the interior cone = much more filter. So it is faster than the other one I have by at least half.

Silicone ring around the top so you don't burn your fingers. Nice touch.

The real proof comes with the pour. No sediment. Another plus.

The second real proof comes with the first sip. WOW is the only thing that works.

Now this is the same roasted bean blend I've been drinking since early Sept.
But today I'm tasting things I did not taste before.

So triple win in my book. I will be buying a second for backup. (2 is 1 and 1 is none)

Good eyes doug!

[pworley1]

Just a cheap drip maker with auto on. We wake up each morning to hot coffee.

[jonp]

Grandmother used a perc for as long as I remember. Farber probably, plugged it into the stove and set the timer for 0430. Best coffee. We have tried a ton of different coffee makers and settled on a Bunn. Keeps the water hot in a reservoir so it comes out nice and hot and very fast. Works great for us.

[Good Cheer]

Anybody remember the 1960's dripolator?

https://i.imgur.com/Ycb9tzR.jpg

[jonp]

Anybody remember the 1960's dripolator?

https://i.imgur.com/Ycb9tzR.jpg

No but I've put a number of cans of soup, beans and ravioli on the engine of my semi to heat up while going down the road for a hot lunch

[HollandNut]

Bunns for more years than I can tell you , drink too much to go with the Keurig crap , besides they rarely have "coffee" , always some funky fancy smancy named garbage ..

[winelover]

Anybody remember the 1960's dripolator?

https://i.imgur.com/Ycb9tzR.jpg

What I learned to make coffee with when I was a kid. Yours looks like Revere Ware brand. The one we had, the bottom carafe was shaped like the restaurant carafes. The top, where the grounds go, was sort of funnel shaped. No copper bottom.
There was a glass rod that held the grounds in the top. Also, there was a rubber gasket, on the outer top, that firmly held two pieces together. We used that in our house till it was replaced with a stovetop Corning Ware Percolator........... could no longer get the rubber gasket.

Winelover

[Good Cheer]

Yes sir, a never used Revere Ware purchased in a charity resale shop for pocket change.

[Scrounge]

We’ve had every variety of coffee making appliance except the K Cup brewer. That’s where I draw the line, convenient or not.
The last 20 years we’ve returned to percolators.
The drip (Mr. Coffee) type seem to require 50% more coffee grounds to make a reasonably strong coffee. Daughter bought us a quality French press model but between the excess grounds in my cup and the fact a second cup isn’t hot enough I’m not impressed.
Our percolator will brew 6 cups in less than 5 minutes, and it stays hot. Plus you can’t beat it for the aroma it releases while brewing.
What method do you guys use?

I don't actually drink coffee, but have been in charge of making it in a number of places, since I was knee-high to a short sheep. Dad was fond of what we called "Cowboy Coffee." Throw a couple of fists full of coffee grounds into a pan full of water, bring it to a boil. Throw a handful of cold water in the pan to settle the grounds, and pour. It was supposed to be strong enough to hold the spoon upright while you stirred you choice of adulterants in. Not that he used such. When I drank it as a kid, it was more cafe con leche. Lots of leche! And heaping tablespoons of sugar! ;) While I was waiting for my security clearance to come through after I enlisted in the USAF, I was the designated coffee guy for the OMS Yellow Section hangar. 40-cup percolator. They freaked out when I scrubbed the inside of that thing with cleanser, but even the Chief liked the coffee I brewed in it afterwards. About double what they used before, in the way of grounds, and refreshed several times through the day. Nowadays, I still make coffee, though I don't drink it. SWMBO fell in love with Turkish coffee when we were stationed there in the mid-80's. It's kind of hard to find, and expensive when you find it here in OKC, but Amazon carries both the Turkish coffee grounds, the spices they put in coffee over in that part of the world, and a coffee maker like our friend Mehmet used to make her coffee at the diner in Ripoff Alley, outside Incirlik AS. A single coffee is 2 level tablespoons of the fine Turkish coffee grounds, a couple of sprinkles of the spice mix, and a tablespoon of the Demerara sugar she likes. Bring it to a boil, and let it stop boiling three times, then serve. The Turks tell fortunes in the coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup, and they use demitasse cups. Some days she wants a double. Same amount of water, and 5 tablespoons of the coffee grounds.

https://www.amazon.com/Kurukahveci-Mehmet-Efendi-Turkish-Coffee/dp/B003WLY4HO

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZKWSWR7

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K0BBSCC

You cannot walk away and leave it, so it's not really convenient, but it only takes about 5 minutes to make a cup of coffee this way.

Amazon has a variety of the little Turkish coffee pots in a variety of sizes, as well. We've thrown away several Mr. Coffees and some other drip coffee makers, and a couple of French Presses, since SWMBO didn't always remember to clean them out after use. She's not able to stand long enough to do it herself anymore, and this works for us. YMMV!

Bill

[Scrounge]

Yes sir, a never used Revere Ware purchased in a charity resale shop for pocket change.

Been looking for one of those for years. About 50 of them. Even though I don't drink coffee, I'd like to have one around for visitors who do.

[deces]

The only coffer maker that I will go out of my to buy is one of the battery powered ones that using batteries from cordless tools.

[Sudsy]

I recently experienced a change in my coffee brewing. For 5 years I have been a die hard Aeropress fan with the Metal mesh instead of paper filter.

At 24$ it seemed pretty reasonable. While looking at those I noticed these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WR1FLX3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@ 16$ it was even more reasonable. So in the process of testing these 2 new devices I discovered that I liked the last one best of all.

Also I noticed with the Aeropress and the glass carafe I had a dark spot of sediment in the bottom of my cup. But with the double mesh pour over filter I do not see this sediment.


I've been doing something similar since we spent two weeks without power during Superstorm Sandy.

I put two scoops of coffee (I like a good Sumatran or Folgers French Roast) and 16 oz of water into a pyrex pot.

306957

Bring it to almost boiling, just a few bubbles at the edge. Give it a stir, let it settle for about a minute and strain it through a gold mesh strainer directly into my cup - Basically I've gone back in time and am making Cowboy Coffee. We like it so much we sold our fancy combination coffee/expresso machine

I like the strainer you're using, I might have to pick one of those up

[GhostHawk]

I have experimented with cowboy style. I heat the water with a corelle 6 cup tea pot. But it made a mess in the pot, was harder to clean.
And really tasted no different than using the filter and a pour over.

I have 3 different filters of that type now and prefer the one linked. My backup arrived last night.
Always good to have a spare!

[GhostHawk]

The last month I have gone back to Aeropress. The pour over made a good cup of coffee, but I hated waiting for that last tablespoon of coffee to drip down through.

With the Aeropress once I have all the water in, I seat the plunger and time 30-45 seconds, then press.

Just made my first cup of coffee with a Moka Pot. Flavor is really great, but it is stronger than I am used to. Seems like a lot more fuss.

Anyone else using a Moka Pot?

[Thundarstick]

Before I started drinking Turkish coffee I used a moka pot. I brew both over a small back pack gas camp stove. It's not for anyone who likes to put on their coffee, go do other things, and come back to a ready cup of joe. I enjoy this kind of coffee, but hey, I'm a reloader and gadget guy! If I smoked, I'd probably roll my own!;)

[wilecoyote]

I have experimented with cowboy style....

...my reading about cowboy-style said to add enough coffee powder to the cup full of water to keep the teaspoon upright if you stuck it in. then boil everything_
I've never had the courage :p, or enough coffee, to try

[GhostHawk]

"Real cowboys never dumped the grounds. They would just keep adding fresh coffee to the pot.

Eventually even a 24 cup pot is going to fill up and be a 1 cup pot.

I never could see the sense in it.

I will say that coffee cooked on an open fire out in the boonies does have a special place in my heart. It may not be cowboy coffee but its close.
And at the time it was mighty tasty. Watching the sun rise while a river flows by close, smelling wood smoke and tasting it in your morning cup, that's livin in my book.

[reloader28]

"Real cowboys never dumped the grounds. They would just keep adding fresh coffee to the pot."

That is what a wantabee cowboy would say. Real cowboys have better sense than that. You cant store away a half pot of coffee anywhere on a horse or wagon without making a mess.

[Lloyd Smale]

question for all you fancy coffee drinkers. do you hold your pinky in the air when you drink it?:kidding: folgers black in a cast bullet coffee cup thank you. ill let them poor columbians grind it. they need a job too;-)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP>>>

I will say that coffee cooked on an open fire out in the boonies does have a special place in my heart. It may not be cowboy coffee but its close.
And at the time it was mighty tasty. Watching the sun rise while a river flows by close, smelling wood smoke and tasting it in your morning cup, that's livin in my book.
In my case, it'd be called Indian coffee, thanks to my great Uncle who moved to AK in 1917 and him marrying into a Yupik tribe. I visited my native cousins in '97. During my visit, we went on a boat trip and camped on a small rock bar in the middle of the Aniak River during a midnight sun. My cousin Guy-Guy (his nickname) said a brown bear is less likely to mess with us in the river :neutral: We setup a lean-to and had a fire all night. Coffee cooked in the can over the open fire and a fresh caught fish for breakfast. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life..."livin" indeed.

[buyobuyo]

I've been using a drip coffee maker for the last 4.5 yrs. I used an AeroPress for about as long when I only made coffee on the weekends. Now that coffee is a daily thing, the drip coffee maker is more convenient. I should dust off the AeroPress and start using it on the weekends again.

[WILCO]

Stove top and saucepan is how I brew coffee.

I like the old school ways.