Best Coffee Maker

[mrex]

Best Coffee Maker

My suggestion is to get a hand burr grinder and a french press. It's a very simple and cost effective set-up. And for beans yes you'll want stuff that's fresh (like less than 2 weeks old)

This is what I use for a grinder: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic...8&qid=1420569649&sr=8-4&keywords=burr+grinder

I think it's the best thing on the market without spending a lot of money for an electric grinder. It's difficult for electric grinders to obtain the proper torque without burning the beans.

Is it light to use? I first bought a manual grinder and soon it started to feel like i should be a bodybuilder to use that grinder =D if i made espresso fine powder it took some time to grind it enough and my hand went sore... finally i ended up to buy an electric grinder which is more expensive but much easier to use...

 

[smallcoffee]

I only use it for my French press, so I don't know about espresso. But I have no problems grinding beans with it at all.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Is it light to use? I first bought a manual grinder and soon it started to feel like i should be a bodybuilder to use that grinder =D if i made espresso fine powder it took some time to grind it enough and my hand went sore... finally i ended up to buy an electric grinder which is more expensive but much easier to use...

All of the aficionados here (and coffee experts elsewhere) stress the importance of a burr grinder over other alternatives chiefly because it preserves the flavour of the coffee beans and does not annihilate them in the process of grinding them. However, burr grinders tend to be a bit more expensive than the alternative.

For easy coffee making, - and initial coffee making on a budget - I do suggest sourcing and buying freshly roasted, good quality, pre-ground coffee from a reputable outlet, one which prides themselves on the quality of what they supply.

 

[mobilehaathi]

All of the aficionados here (and coffee experts elsewhere) stress the importance of a burr grinder over other alternatives chiefly because it preserves the flavour of the coffee beans and does not annihilate them in the process of grinding them. However, burr grinders tend to be a bit more expensive than the alternative.

For easy coffee making, - and initial coffee making on a budget - I do suggest sourcing and buying freshly roasted, good quality, pre-ground coffee from a reputable outlet, one which prides themselves on the quality of what they supply.

The burrs do a much better job crushing the beans into equal sized pieces this allowing for an even extraction. Without an even grind you'll find some bits over extracted and others under extracted.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The burrs do a much better job crushing the beans into equal sized pieces this allowing for an even extraction. Without an even grind you'll find some bits over extracted and others under extracted.

Actually, I was hoping that someone would rescue me (and brief me, into the bargain!) Indeed, I was hoping that someone would rescue me before I felt compelled to post by way of (inadequate) reply.

Thank you very much for the (clearly needed) explanation. (Memo to self: Commit this reasoning to memory).

I couldn't face trawling back into the deep depths of the wonderful espresso thread to find a similar definition/explanation, so, my grateful thanks to you.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Actually, I was hoping that someone would rescue me (and brief me, into the bargain!) Indeed, I was hoping that someone would rescue me before I felt compelled to post by way of (inadequate) reply.

Thank you very much for the (clearly needed) explanation. (Memo to self: Commit this reasoning to memory).

I couldn't face trawling back into the deep depths of the wonderful espresso thread to find a similar definition/explanation, so, my grateful thanks to you.

Of course then you still need the proper grind size, otherwise all bits will be under/over.

 

[smallcoffee]

The burrs do a much better job crushing the beans into equal sized pieces this allowing for an even extraction. Without an even grind you'll find some bits over extracted and others under extracted.

In addition the electric grinders you see (not the nice ones) add heat to the beans because they don't have the proper torque to grind properly. Or so I've read.

 

[ctdonath]

I've got at least a dozen coffee makers.

Best is AeroPress (about $25) plus a Hairo hand burr grinder (about $35). It's some work, but the quality turns that into a pleasant ritual: grind beans, heat water to 200 degrees, mix in press, wait 30 seconds, press thru filter. Good enough that some coffee shops use it exclusively.

Keurig is fine for "I want a cup of coffee, right now, zero hassle." Not bad, but certainly not great. Our first machine lasted at least 5 years until we got bored with it and the temperature seemed degraded. Most expensive per-cup, but still much cheaper than buying a cup.

Bean-to-caraffe machines are good for parties. No need to remember the proper ratios (a prime cause of lousy coffee is wrong ratios), just fill the bean & water hoppers, press go - 10 cups of it'll do. I don't use it most of the time because it just makes too much, even smallest amount practicable is too much & wasted (coffee more than 20 minutes old is done). I keep it because it's the only thing I can make a decent large quantity in on short notice.

My son "won" a one-cup drip maker as a door prize. Sits at work, occasionally used when I want something better than the office "hey let's throw 3 bags in" dreck but don't want to fiddle with the AeroPress. Takes grounds in a fine wire mesh filter, so that still comes out decent.

My next maker will be a Hairo alcohol-flame vacuum brewer (about $65, a good one tops $200). Visually interesting, the flame heating the water to the right temperature where the water moves from the carafe to another glass container holding the grounds, brews there, then (heat removed) returns to the carafe.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Of course then you still need the proper grind size, otherwise all bits will be under/over.

A form of knowledge acquired by trial and error or by assiduous reading and research?

In addition the electric grinders you see (not the nice ones) add heat to the beans because they don't have the proper torque to grind properly. Or so I've read.

Bravo. Well said. This, too, seems to be true.

Now, my grinder (hand made to order), a manual beauty - (the Lido) which took months to manufacture and, indeed, deliver, - has yet to be tried and tested. Apparently, it is the only manual burr grinder which meets the exacting requirements of my good friends, my fellow coffee experts…….

 

[mobilehaathi]

A form of knowledge acquired by trial and error or by assiduous reading and research?



Bravo. Well said. This, too, seems to be true.

Now, my grinder (hand made to order), a manual beauty - (the Lido) which took months to manufacture and, indeed, deliver, - has yet to be tried and tested. Apparently, it is the only manual burr grinder which meets the exacting requirements of my good friends, my fellow coffee experts…….

Oh, trial and error. You may find rough visual guides useful for reference...but trial and error. Adjust, grind, brew, taste, repeat until you hit perfection or you can't steady your hands enough to adjust the grind.

This is why serious coffee folks get upset if someone touches their grinder and why some grinders password protect the settings!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh, trial and error. You may find rough visual guides useful for reference...but trial and error. Adjust, grind, brew, taste, repeat until you hit perfection or you can't steady your hands enough to adjust the grind.

This is why serious coffee folks get upset if someone touches their grinder and why some grinders password protect the settings!

I do so love the folks on this thread (and Those Who Dwell On The Other Thread). I do. Dearly.

It is just that I really am not a morning person. Actually, I have had colleagues (you know, the kind that chirrup a happy greeting to the lark before heading to the gym at 6 a.m…) who would moan to me Actually, I once read that POTUS has worked out that the stress and hassle of decision making (the sort of distracting and time consuming decision making that asks 'What do I wear today?') is best addressed by trimming his suit wardrobe to two colours - charcoal and navy. (Which is why some individuals responded with stupefaction when he wore a cream suit some months ago). I digress.

However, the point I wish to make is that I am a little (no, a lot) like that. I don't want hassle, the stress of choice (clothes, grinder settings) or anything that resembles work other than the work I am supposed to do, thought, debating minute adjustments in the morning; mornings - especially if I am giving a briefing - I want the ease of the familiar, the comfort of automatic pilot, as I am focussed solely on that and on the kind soul who will see to it that I am fuelled with espresso in advance of that briefing.

However, at night……..well, then, I am a demon.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I do so love the folks on this thread (and Those Who Dwell On The Other Thread). I do. Dearly.

It is just that I really am not a morning person. Actually, I have had colleagues (you know, the kind that chirrup a happy greeting to the lark before heading to the gym at 6 a.m…) who would moan to me Actually, I once read that POTUS has worked out that the stress and hassle of decision making (the sort of distracting and time consuming decision making that asks 'What do I wear today?') is best addressed by trimming his suit wardrobe to two colours - charcoal and navy. (Which is why some individuals responded with stupefaction when he wore a cream suit some months ago). I digress.

However, the point I wish to make is that I am a little (no, a lot) like that. I don't want hassle, the stress of choice (clothes, grinder settings) or anything that resembles work other than the work I am supposed to do, thought, debating minute adjustments in the morning; mornings - especially if I am giving a briefing - I want the ease of the familiar, the comfort of automatic pilot, as I am focussed solely on that and on the kind soul who will see to it that I am fuelled with espresso in advance of that briefing.

However, at night……..well, then, I am a demon.

Well the grinder only needs to be set once for a particular brew method and bean. Just to say.....

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well the grinder only needs to be set once for a particular brew method and bean. Just to say.....

Very useful to know. (You mean, successfully set once, after several trial and error hapless blunders?)

Evidently, an activity best pursued - mulled over, planned, and executed - and on an idle morning, or an easy going evening……

You know, I am keen to take my Lido out to play…....

 

[mobilehaathi]

Very useful to know. (You mean, successfully set once, after several trial and error hapless blunders?)

Evidently, an activity best pursued - mulled over, planned, and executed - and on an idle morning, or an easy gong evening……

You know, I am keen to take my Lido out to play…....

Yes, successfully. If I'm making grind adjustments I usually do it on a morning I don't have to work.

Go ahead, take a few turns on the Lido!

Oh, and conditional on brew method, new beans don't typically require radical readjustment.

 

[SurferMan]

Even easier, my recommendation to Dontazemebro would be to start with (fresh) very good quality pre-ground coffee, sourced from a good local roaster, the sort of place that cares about quality and freshness, and a nice, French Press. That is fool proof, and will guarantee you consistently good coffee, as well as slowly corrupting your taste buds so that they will not accept anything less.

Then, when you have decided that this is how you like your coffee, graduate to a decent (by which, I mean a burr grinder) grinder and buy your coffee as beans rather than pre-ground.

No way, fresh preground is an oxymoron , preground is stale in 15 min. Good example is taking an apple and leaving on counter, and cutting up another one, watch how fast the cut up one starts going bad.

Hario hand grinder and fresh whole beans will be a much much much better start for cheap $ (not store brought unless you want nasty stale swill), don't touch anything with one of those best by or similar dates written on the package.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

No way, fresh preground is an oxymoron , preground is stale in 15 min. Good example is taking an apple and leaving on counter, and cutting up another one, watch how fast the cut up one starts going bad.

Hario hand grinder and fresh whole beans will be a much much much better start for cheap $ (not store brought unless you want nasty stale swill), don't touch anything with one of those best by or similar dates written on the package.

Well, sometimes, - indeed, often in life - it is not possible to comply with the "15 minute rule". In an ideal world, yes, but much of the time, that is not where most people live.

Besides, when trying to wean anyone off products such as Folgers, or Nescafe, I prefer to tempt with that which is accessible, not that which sounds as though it may be the sort of hard work which may be off-putting. Only if people think that they can do something fairly easily, will they be willing to try out something new and unfamiliar.

I will happily accept pre-ground coffee if it has been packed within the previous week or so; and I have worked in parts of the world where a tin of Illy is gold dust, not to be sneezed at, and is gratefully received and savoured by my colleagues and myself.

 

[SurferMan]

I've had Illy and LaVazza, blechhh, and their charging an arm and leg, like $15 for an 8 ounce can at my Publix. They nitro pack preground and whole, preground is still stale tasting vs fresh ground, whole beans are "passable" for about a day or two then fall off a cliff. Even had in Italy and still didn't like it, much better coffee there then that stuff. Was just in Cali with wifes fam and one of them bought Illy at the italian market place down the street as it was the "greatest coffee in the world", her cousins words lol. I went to a roaster like 5 min away, picked up beans (I travel with the Hario slim) and house we were renting had a regular cuisinart drip machine. Nobody touched the "greatest coffee in the world" after that lol . And for a what a can of that stuff cost, I got a pound of fresh beans roasted 4 days earlier so they already had a nice resting period (actually 2lbs but a lb was same price, well cheaper by a buck)

Good stuff. I'll swing by Albertsons after work today and report back what they have to offer.

Get a Hario hand grinder, slim or skerton, and a aeropress, and fresh beans. Albertsons will have nothing but stale commercial swill. If you really want to see the difference from Folgers etc, you'll see a massive difference. I don't know where in West Texas you are, but TX has some good roasters. Look up your area online on google or yelp and see what pops up, if not a roaster nearby you should at least have a good coffee shop close that gets fresh shipments from roasters in.

You'll never touch Folgers again

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I've had Illy and LaVazza, blechhh, and their charging an arm and leg, like $15 for an 8 ounce can at my Publix. They nitro pack preground and whole, preground is still stale tasting vs fresh ground, whole beans are "passable" for about a day or two then fall off a cliff. Even had in Italy and still didn't like it, much better coffee there then that stuff. Was just in Cali with wifes fam and one of them bought Illy at the italian market place down the street as it was the "greatest coffee in the world", her cousins words lol. I went to a roaster like 5 min away, picked up beans (I travel with the Hario slim) and house we were renting had a regular cuisinart drip machine. Nobody touched the "greatest coffee in the world" after that lol . And for a what a can of that stuff cost, I got a pound of fresh beans roasted 4 days earlier so they already had a nice resting period (actually 2lbs but a lb was same price, well cheaper by a buck)


Get a Hario hand grinder, slim or skerton, and a aeropress, and fresh beans. Albertsons will have nothing but stale commercial swill. If you really want to see the difference from Folgers etc, you'll see a massive difference. I don't know where in West Texas you are, but TX has some good roasters. Look up your area online on google or yelp and see what pops up, if not a roaster nearby you should at least have a good coffee shop close that gets fresh shipments from roasters in.

You'll never touch Folgers again

In general, I agree with the points in your post. However, needs must.

Actually, I don't buy Illy or LavAzza when I am in the west; instead, I do as many here do, and source high quality coffee from good suppliers.

However, when I am working abroad I do buy Illy and LazAzza; indeed, I buy them - because nothing else is available in some of the places where I work and rather glad I am to be able to lay hands on them, too.

 

[D.T.]

More outstanding success with the Chemex Better setup, slight ratio change, a little longer grind. The smell is _incredible_!

The wife was actually asking for some Choffee after we got back from XFit Had some delicious smoked salmon (fresh smoked from the local grocery), a little chive cream cheese, fresh bagels <homer_drool_sound>

 

[sdilley14]

Can someone recommend a decent coffee maker for a newbie coffee drinker? Well, I've been drinking coffee for a few years now, but I've never actually made coffee myself - I just drink whatever we have available to us at work, at the gas station, etc. So I'm not an aficionado by any means. But I have gotten to the point that I can tell that some of the coffee we get at work is garbage.

FWIW, I don't drink coffee straight. I usually dump in a half scoop of vanilla protein. Adds some nice flavor without the sugar and carbs of regular creamers.

I'm not really interested in pressing and grinding and making a whole lengthy, complicated ritual out of my morning coffee. But I also don't want "bottom of the barrel" either.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Can someone recommend a decent coffee maker for a newbie coffee drinker? Well, I've been drinking coffee for a few years now, but I've never actually made coffee myself - I just drink whatever we have available to us at work, at the gas station, etc. So I'm not an aficionado by any means. But I have gotten to the point that I can tell that some of the coffee we get at work is garbage.

FWIW, I don't drink coffee straight. I usually dump in a half scoop of vanilla protein. Adds some nice flavor without the sugar and carbs of regular creamers.

I'm not really interested in pressing and grinding and making a whole lengthy, complicated ritual out of my morning coffee. But I also don't want "bottom of the barrel" either.

I'll let folks with more experience with auto-drips respond with machine suggestions. However, I can't recommend grinding your own enough. Pre-ground coffee tends to taste more flat and insipid than freshly ground beans.

It doesn't add very much work at all.

 

[sdilley14]

I'll let folks with more experience with auto-drips respond with machine suggestions. However, I can't recommend grinding your own enough. Pre-ground coffee tends to taste more flat and insipid than freshly ground beans.

It doesn't add very much work at all.

Could you suggest a grinder? And some quality beans?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Can someone recommend a decent coffee maker for a newbie coffee drinker? Well, I've been drinking coffee for a few years now, but I've never actually made coffee myself - I just drink whatever we have available to us at work, at the gas station, etc. So I'm not an aficionado by any means. But I have gotten to the point that I can tell that some of the coffee we get at work is garbage.

FWIW, I don't drink coffee straight. I usually dump in a half scoop of vanilla protein. Adds some nice flavor without the sugar and carbs of regular creamers.

I'm not really interested in pressing and grinding and making a whole lengthy, complicated ritual out of my morning coffee. But I also don't want "bottom of the barrel" either.

The easiest method of making coffee is the French Press. That involves coffee (pre-ground if that is what you want), a kettle and a French press.

The the pour over drip method is also extremely easy to make.

Personally, I dislike the automatic coffee machines that you see in a lot of houses for the simple reason that the coffee is never hot enough and - even years ago, stuff I made myself always tasted nicer.

 

[D.T.]

Could you suggest a grinder? And some quality beans?

I'd say the hands down "go to" mid-level is the Baratza Encore:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

(you'll want a burr type grinder)

If you don't want to spend $130, or just want a simpler manual grinder, Hario makes a couple of outstanding products in the sub-$30 category (plus you get some exercise )

I'm also assuming from some of your previous posts you don't want to get up into the $250+ range for a grinder

 

[sdilley14]

I'd say the hands down "go to" mid-level is the Baratza Encore:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

(you'll want a burr type grinder)

If you don't want to spend $130, or just want a simpler manual grinder, Hario makes a couple of outstanding products in the sub-$30 category (plus you get some exercise )

I'm also assuming from some of your previous posts you don't want to get up into the $250+ range for a grinder

Your assumptions are correct. Thanks for the info!