It's not if you get natural brown sugar - we get brown sugar [in the US] all the time, and it is _not_ processed white sugar with molasses added
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Looking for a new coffee machine...suggestions?
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It's not if you get natural brown sugar - we get brown sugar [in the US] all the time, and it is _not_ processed white sugar with molasses added
American brown sugar is just white sugar with just enough molasses to color it, and likely some additive to keep it moist. I've never actually read the ingredients. Now watch: ingredients will read something like this: "Sugar. Brown. Manufactured in a facility that is next door to a factory where a temp once thought about eating a peanut."
But, @Melrose, and @SwitchFX - not all of us are from the US. Not only that, some of us are aware that (some of? much of?) the sugar from the US is a very strange product, and, as a consequence, tend to give it a very wide berth.
Moreover, much of what passes for brown sugar in the US (and yes, I know about the colouring of mass produced brown sugar) is not what mildly environmentally aware individuals purchase and consume elsewhere.
Anyway, the only brown sugar I have bought in almost two decades is the stuff produced by companies such as Billington's, which is organic, ethical, natural, unrefined, and traceable.
These brown sugars also passes the taste test with flying colours, as they taste far, far better than the mass produced sugars available in the supermarkets.
The issue, at least in the US, when it comes to labeling something as "natural" is that it isn't regulated. It's not defined by the FDA. http://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/transparency/basics/ucm214868.htm
The FDA does, on the other hand, have restrictions on food items such as brown sugar, and that it must have a certain percentage of molasses to qualify as light or dark brown sugar, and the crystal size. While we, and by that I mean my wife and I, eat healthy, nothing is truly chemical free. A banana, for instance, is composed of at least 30 different chemicals, most of which I can't begin to pronounce. Coincidentally, I've seen most of these chemicals in "non natural foods." Some of them are also in certain poisons meant to kill vermin. These can be broken down over and over again until you reach a single hydrogen molecule.
![Banana-Chemical-Compounds-011416084470.jpg]()
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The FDA does, on the other hand, have restrictions on food items such as brown sugar, and that it must have a certain percentage of molasses to qualify as light or dark brown sugar, and the crystal size. While we, and by that I mean my wife and I, eat healthy, nothing is truly chemical free. A banana, for instance, is composed of at least 30 different chemicals, most of which I can't begin to pronounce. Coincidentally, I've seen most of these chemicals in "non natural foods." Some of them are also in certain poisons meant to kill vermin. These can be broken down over and over again until you reach a single hydrogen molecule.
The issue, at least in the US, when it comes to labeling something as "natural" is that it isn't regulated. It's not defined by the FDA. http://www.fda.gov/aboutfda/transparency/basics/ucm214868.htm
The FDA does, on the other hand, have restrictions on food items such as brown sugar, and that it must have a certain percentage of molasses to qualify as light or dark brown sugar, and the crystal size. While we, and by that I mean my wife and I, eat healthy, nothing is truly chemical free. A banana, for instance, is composed of at least 30 different chemicals, most of which I can't begin to pronounce. Coincidentally, I've seen most of these chemicals in "non natural foods." Some of them are also in certain poisons meant to kill vermin. These can be broken down over and over again until you reach a single hydrogen molecule.
![Banana-Chemical-Compounds-011416084470.jpg]()
![4ZbbJWw.jpg]()
Well, some may mock it, - because such regulation occasionally may have seemed somewhat ludicrous, (while, on occasion, the US Government has actively sought to circumvent, or otherwise ardently lobby against, or actively oppose the application of such things as enforceable and regulated labelling standards), but the EU does tend to have quite strict standards - standards which are quite strictly enforced and regulated - on how food is - or can be - labelled.
And that is no bad thing, in truth.
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Yeah, the whole "All Natural" thing is a joke; it's just marketing jargon that gets a free pass, basically. Any company that heavily advertises "all natural" or "100% natural" I tend to look at with suspicion.
Oh, yeah I realize that - I get unpurified/unfilterd/organic/whatever they call it sugar instead of white sugar. "American" brown sugar has few legitimate places in the diet... a cake, or semi/pseudo-healthy muffins, maybe. :/It's not if you get natural brown sugar - we get brown sugar [in the US] all the time, and it is _not_ processed white sugar with molasses added
Because our government has its own stakes in farmers' lands. It's a huge handout.
I like the PDO or for Italy's sake, DOP. Though even with strict regulation, you still get garbage. I'd personally never purchase an Italian EVOO because despite regulation, it's likely tampered with. Spanish and Greek oils are far more pure and tested often. There's a lovely oil from Australia, Cobram Estate, that fetches a high dollar and it's the real deal. That throat burning acidity of real EVOOs. In California, here, we have a special seal of accreditation. That and the universities here will randomly go out and purchase various lots and do extensive tasting and report their findings to the body, which will then, in the case of fraud, heavily fine the estate(s). California Olive Ranch is possibly one of the best EVOOs the US produces and has managed the bump lauded oils of European origin off the table. They're also in wine country so it does make the trip up there worthwhile. Drink lots of fine wine, beers, lovely coffee roasters, fantastic cheesemakers dedicating themselves to old world style cheese, olive oil, and delicious vinegar.
Though I've read Britain makes some fine sparkling wines.
But a degree of regulation and official (and enforced) oversight are a lot better than nothing.
And, for all of its flaws, Europe - in general, tends to be a bit better at that than large parts of the US, partly because some of the countries define their culture in gastronomical terms, and hence their reputation and sense of self come under attack if tankards are not upheld, and also because European law has become increasingly supportive of the consumer over large multi-national producers.
Re Italian EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), I tend to buy it from a specialist cheesemonger's - who imports directly from small producers, or, from a stall in the farmers' market, which imports directly from small producers in Spain, Greece, Portugal (some superb stuff), and Italy.
British wines? I still think - as far as wines are concerned - we are not yet quite where Ancient Britain was when the Romans legions departed in the fifth century. Mind you, that could simply be my own palate judging such matters too harshly.
And, for all of its flaws, Europe - in general, tends to be a bit better at that than large parts of the US, partly because some of the countries define their culture in gastronomical terms, and hence their reputation and sense of self come under attack if tankards are not upheld, and also because European law has become increasingly supportive of the consumer over large multi-national producers.
Re Italian EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), I tend to buy it from a specialist cheesemonger's - who imports directly from small producers, or, from a stall in the farmers' market, which imports directly from small producers in Spain, Greece, Portugal (some superb stuff), and Italy.
British wines? I still think - as far as wines are concerned - we are not yet quite where Ancient Britain was when the Romans legions departed in the fifth century. Mind you, that could simply be my own palate judging such matters too harshly.
Thread Revival
You may know my story:
Questions:
![5B8F4767-F135-4E79-B3B9-FF9A6CBFF24F.jpeg]( "5B8F4767-F135-4E79-B3B9-FF9A6CBFF24F.jpeg")
However at Amazon there is a Secura brand $40, with 11000+ ratings at a solid 5 stars.
![50B67CF1-ACF6-4079-997B-55562431845D.jpeg]( "50B67CF1-ACF6-4079-997B-55562431845D.jpeg")
You may know my story:
- Coffee drinker 32oz per day, using a drip coffee maker
- quit cold turkey, had a headache for a week
- went a year or two
- got tired of getting drowsy after dinner on occasion
- started drinking instant coffee (16oz per day) and admitted it.
- got ridiculed in this forum, traumatized...you know how you are! ?
Questions:
- What brand of French Press do you use? Purchase price?
- How often do the filters need to be changed or can they be expected to last a long time?
- Does preground beans work or are they too fine as a rule?
- My understanding is that French Press coffee tastes better than drip, due to paper filters removing coffee oils.
- What have I overlooked?
However at Amazon there is a Secura brand $40, with 11000+ ratings at a solid 5 stars.
Bodum products are pretty nice for the price. I currently use a small Bodum pourover carafe and Bodum gooseneck kettle. But I've done lots of French press in the past so here's some answers:
- If by filter you mean the wire mesh piece, I always washed those after every use (along with the rest of the parts). The same one lasted for years until I stopped French pressing.
- Pre-ground coffee works just fine, but you'll get responses here that will say otherwise. I used to grind beans beforehand, but I just buy high quality (and locally roasted) ground now.
- To my palate French press tastes different, but I wouldn't say stronger than pour-over drip. There's more residue in the cup for sure.
- Overlooked? The cleanup is a lot more work. Disposing of the grounds is quite messy, especially if you don't have a garbage disposal.
- French presses are beautiful by design so if you go this route, choose one that pleases your eye as well as budget. Definitely buy one with a glass carafe, and not plastic. Maybe they're all glass; I'm not sure.
- A French press is a nice way to make great-tasting coffee without any plastic parts. That was one of the reasons I chose my current pourover method and gear too.
Hope this will be a fun exploration for you and I'll be curious to see where it leads.
- If by filter you mean the wire mesh piece, I always washed those after every use (along with the rest of the parts). The same one lasted for years until I stopped French pressing.
- Pre-ground coffee works just fine, but you'll get responses here that will say otherwise. I used to grind beans beforehand, but I just buy high quality (and locally roasted) ground now.
- To my palate French press tastes different, but I wouldn't say stronger than pour-over drip. There's more residue in the cup for sure.
- Overlooked? The cleanup is a lot more work. Disposing of the grounds is quite messy, especially if you don't have a garbage disposal.
- French presses are beautiful by design so if you go this route, choose one that pleases your eye as well as budget. Definitely buy one with a glass carafe, and not plastic. Maybe they're all glass; I'm not sure.
- A French press is a nice way to make great-tasting coffee without any plastic parts. That was one of the reasons I chose my current pourover method and gear too.
Hope this will be a fun exploration for you and I'll be curious to see where it leads.
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1) See below
2) Stainless mesh lasts a LONG time, the products below come with a second set, that's probably good for 4-5+ years (we're on our original set, over 2 years old)
3) Some does, some is a little too fine, you can experiment or grind your own - even a big brand, grocery brand whole bean is way better if freshly ground (and you can easily control the grind size)
4) Yeah, that, and better heat control, improved water / coffee distribution (also use filtered water)
5) A grinder
Oh and an electric kettle is a super accessory for this type of coffee, 6 minutes to heat, easy to pour)I make this kind of coffee just about every morning
Get this. The "classic" style with the glass container is more fragile, and provides _zero_ insulation. The Secura (or any of this exact style) are built like tanks - we even travel with ours - they're easier to clean (and don't have all sorts of fasteners, different materials, it's just one solid piece of SS), and they're dual walled stainless like a thermos so they keep things hot for a long time.
I say this as an owner of the glass style (more than once), and the above solid stainless style (that we also bought as a replacement to the glass/cage style for my ILs).
FWIW, this is the same product under a different name, for 35oz for $25:
Bellemain French Press Coffee Maker Extra Filters Included, 35 oz, Stainless Steel
Bellemain French Press Coffee Maker Extra Filters Included, 35 oz, Stainless Steel
www.amazon.com
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@Huntn, I'm a fan of the French Press method; apart from the dripper, it is probably the most forgiving method of coffee preparation.
I use a Le Creuset French Press (ceramic, raspberry coloured, as they were sold out of the classic 'volcanic orange' that I had originally planned to buy).
@Namara makes some excellent points, a key one being to buy something you like the look of, that appeals to your eye, rather thanking guided solely by price.
@D.T. also makes some excellent points.
So, I use a Le Creuset French Press, that I bought in a sale some years ago - it was around €40 $40,£40 - and would usually retail at close to twice that price.
Like @Namara, I wash all of it each time I use it, and yes, they last a long time.
Ground coffee is okay, - sometimes I buy pre-ground (or have the store grind it), sometimes, I grind my own, but do buy good coffee.
@Namara is also correct about the clean up, (in summer, the garden & plants get the grounds) being rather messy.
Heat the French Press before you use it, and heat the cups/mugs before use, as well, otherwise, especially in winter, your coffee will be lukewarm when you first drink it.
I use a Le Creuset French Press (ceramic, raspberry coloured, as they were sold out of the classic 'volcanic orange' that I had originally planned to buy).
@Namara makes some excellent points, a key one being to buy something you like the look of, that appeals to your eye, rather thanking guided solely by price.
@D.T. also makes some excellent points.
So, I use a Le Creuset French Press, that I bought in a sale some years ago - it was around €40 $40,£40 - and would usually retail at close to twice that price.
Like @Namara, I wash all of it each time I use it, and yes, they last a long time.
Ground coffee is okay, - sometimes I buy pre-ground (or have the store grind it), sometimes, I grind my own, but do buy good coffee.
@Namara is also correct about the clean up, (in summer, the garden & plants get the grounds) being rather messy.
Heat the French Press before you use it, and heat the cups/mugs before use, as well, otherwise, especially in winter, your coffee will be lukewarm when you first drink it.
Tip: Clean it the morning you're making coffee, with nice hot water, and it also provides an excellent "pre heat"
On the occasions where I clean it the night before, I just overfill the kettle a bit, pour a little in, swish it around.
@Huntn It may sound like this is sort of complicated, but it's actually fun, I have coffee brewing in 10 minutes. Fill kettle from the fridge (filtered water), and in the time it takes to heat, I clean the French Press, and toss some beans in the grinder, measure out coffee into the pot, heck, I usually even queue up a cup and supplies before the kettle clicks off
This would be me first thing on a Monday morning:
I’d water and kettle fridge the fill the day after, clean the French and press the grinder, then measure the cup with some heated beans then be back in bed from exhaustion before I’ve kettled the click off...
There’s a reason I drink Keurig coffee weekday mornings. and it’s got bugger all to do with taste and quality and everything to do with pressing a button first thing is pretty much all my morning brain can handle.
Now, on weekends is when the press comes out...and then we’re talking!
Tip: Clean it the morning you're making coffee, with nice hot water, and it also provides an excellent "pre heat"
On the occasions where I clean it the night before, I just overfill the kettle a bit, pour a little in, swish it around.
@Huntn It may sound like this is sort of complicated, but it's actually fun, I have coffee brewing in 10 minutes. Fill kettle from the fridge (filtered water), and in the time it takes to heat, I clean the French Press, and toss some beans in the grinder, measure out coffee into the pot, heck, I usually even queue up a cup and supplies before the kettle clicks off
Agreed, it is great fun, coffee preparation as elegant fun (is there anything nicer - or, more attractive looking - than a handsome French Press on a breakfast table)?
For me, preparing French Press coffee (as, when I prepare moka pot coffee), is either for a relaxed morning pottering around - usually Sunday - or, for when I have a friend in for a lingering coffee.
Yah I'm a fan of pour-over first thing in the morning (ever since my Keurig died) and French press on weekends. For one thing I'm the kind needs coffee to figure out how to make coffee. So pour-over is almost as good as a Keurig. Even on weekends I start with a small cup of pour-over or else a cup of breakfast tea, and use the French press at mid morning.
For a press, I just have an inexpensive 34-ounce Bodum. I've been careful with it and so haven't had to replace it yet, although I came close to smashing the carafe once when it slipped out of my hands in the sink. I had had the foresight to drop a rubber drain mat in there first and so have done that again ever since when using that press. I wash and air-dry the pieces of the thing when done with breakfast, which is why I only use it on weekends. For me those days offer more leisure in general, and so I don't resent the time it takes to look after that press properly.
For a press, I just have an inexpensive 34-ounce Bodum. I've been careful with it and so haven't had to replace it yet, although I came close to smashing the carafe once when it slipped out of my hands in the sink. I had had the foresight to drop a rubber drain mat in there first and so have done that again ever since when using that press. I wash and air-dry the pieces of the thing when done with breakfast, which is why I only use it on weekends. For me those days offer more leisure in general, and so I don't resent the time it takes to look after that press properly.
@Huntn
Good, inexpensive kettles (I've owned/used):
BTW, in addition to the FP, we also own a couple of Chemex, they're also outstanding, really great to liven up a pre-ground coffee that's not a good match to a press. They tend to remove some of the more "earthy" flavors, brighten up a really dark roast, remove some oils, their filters are very specifically engineered, not the same as the white paper ones you'd buy for a drop machine.
Hahaha, well, there's no doubt the Keurig is super fast and convenient, and we've found some decent K-cup manufacturers. In fact, sometimes we'll do a pot in the french press, but do a flavored K-cup and have a little of each. The New England Coffee blueberry is excellent, and add 3-4 ounces of a nice strong French Press pot, and go with a sweet cream, wow, it's delicious in the morning
Good, inexpensive kettles (I've owned/used):
Proctor Silex Electric Tea Kettle, Water Boiler & Heater Auto-Shutoff & Boil-Dry Protection, 1000 Watts for Fast Boiling, 1 Liter, White
The Proctor Silex 1 Liter Electric Hot Water Kettle, Boiler & Tea Heater with Auto-shutoff & Boil-dry Protection creates hot water for tea, soup or hot chocolate. Faster than a microwave and safer than the stovetop, this functional Kettle boils water in a snap. Perfect for your dorm, The office o...
www.amazon.com
BTW, in addition to the FP, we also own a couple of Chemex, they're also outstanding, really great to liven up a pre-ground coffee that's not a good match to a press. They tend to remove some of the more "earthy" flavors, brighten up a really dark roast, remove some oils, their filters are very specifically engineered, not the same as the white paper ones you'd buy for a drop machine.
Hahaha, well, there's no doubt the Keurig is super fast and convenient, and we've found some decent K-cup manufacturers. In fact, sometimes we'll do a pot in the french press, but do a flavored K-cup and have a little of each. The New England Coffee blueberry is excellent, and add 3-4 ounces of a nice strong French Press pot, and go with a sweet cream, wow, it's delicious in the morning
Yeah Chemex, the mother of all pour overs, and so durable. There's a Chemex 3-cup I've got my eye on. I'd get one when my Bodum 4 cup breaks, but the filters are a bit expensive. I use Melitta filters now, $3.50/100 versus the Chemex which looks to be (on Amazon, at least) $18/100.
We've got a classic 3-cup and a classic 10-cup, originally I got the smaller one just as sort of a "test" loved it, went to the 10. I think I've generally paid $10-12 for 100, one time I scored them for like $7/100 from William Sonoma, some kind of promo, got 4 boxes, had enough for more than a year!
There's supposed to be a real magic to their filters.
The 3-cup is fun, I took that, a small kettle, a Hario ceramic hand grinder and a fresh bag of beans to the Hard Rock one time, best in room coffee ever
I'll also mention that although I'm happy with my current setup, one of my favorite things to do occasionally is check out what's new in coffeemakers. I can't believe the size of some of these rigs! And some of the very fancy siphon sets are too ostentatious. Do people really use them? And the Technivorm Mochamaster is reputed to make an incredible brew, but I will never spend $300+ on a coffeemaker ... or even $100 for that matter. It is fun to look, but I'll stick with my minimalist combo for now.
I hope you will let us all know what you decide.Thanks all for the feedback!
I've always liked having coffee in a french press brought to my table, especially when the table is at an outdoors cafe surrounded by palm trees and having a view of the ocean......I went thru a french press phase at home, but I've switched to a pour-over cone. It's quicker, easier to clean up afterwards and produces decent coffee
That is exactly the reason why I will use my Hario dripper/pour over method on mornings during the week, but my French Press, or moka pot, at the weekends.