Coffee makers...

[iJohnHenry]

Perhaps proper punishment for all that pedantic rambling would be forcing me to drink the coffee "served" at one of the Nursing Homes at which I consult.

Generic coffee makes them long for an early release.

Are you there to prevent coffee suicide deaths?

 

[ravenvii]

French press.

Vietnamese coffee FTFW.

 

[waloshin]

Anyone hear try Kicking Horse coffee?

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

French press will shake the ground beneath you... I made a cup at 7:12pm just today!

 

[Lone Deranger]

The ultimate burr grinder, the 'HG one'.

Designed, and manufactured by a friend of mine.

 

[JoeG4]

Image

When you guys are talking about drip coffee, I hope you're refering to this... No need for any machines when you can just boil water and pour it.

Every drip coffee maker I can think of works the exact same darn way, you stick cold water in, it heats the water, and then the water is (slowly) dropped into the filter basket which functions exactly the same as that cup does.

What could possibly be different? Other than you having to heat the water in a pot and then empty it into that cup? Same thing. Of course, your method will probably be cleaner since hardly anyone I know actually bothers to clean their coffee maker, and they can get slightly yucky when they get old.

I'm surprised nobody here grinds their coffee with a mortar and pestle.

 

[Shrink]

Generic coffee makes them long for an early release.

Are you there to prevent coffee suicide deaths?

When I first read the post, I read "geriatric" for "generic"!! Been in the nursing homes too long!

I can't keep the residents from drinking the stuff...no death by coffee yet.

But you couldn't get me to drink the stuff with a gun to my head.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Tea and hot chocolate, too.

Hot chocolate should never be made with water, ever.

 

[QuarterSwede]

It's not the coffee, its the shot of Bailey's Caramel I put in it. That makes any coffee about 10,000% better.

If you think that you've never had a great cup of coffee.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Aeropress, $13,000 machine for $30. Technically it makes a Café Americano (watered down espresso) but it makes it so well it's product is on another plain ... pure coffee bliss.

For me it's a Keurig with ekobrew filter/whatever beans I fancy for workdays. On the weekend it's the Aeropress (wet paper filter, brew for 50 sec). The Keurig is pretty good but the Aeropress is mind blowing.

Drip ... barf.

Hot chocolate should never be made with water, ever.

Unless you're allergic to liquid milk. Then it's Land-O-Lakes hot chocolate. You'd be hard pressed to guess it was made with water if someone gave you one that way.

 

[zhenya]

As for a grinder:

Under no circumstances, on penalty of death, but one of those chopper things. Never, ever.

Go for a BURR grinder, preferably a conical burr grinder.

Get one with at least 25-30 settings...it allows some fine changes that make a lot of difference. Also allows for very coarse (french press) to very fine (espresso) grind. I have a Rancilio Rocky Grinder which has 55 settings. I'm very pleased with it.

As for tamping...that depends on you espresso machine. My Gaggia is best with a very gentle tamp, while other machines recommend 30-50 pounds tamp pressure. It all depends on your machine.

Finally,IMO, the gold standard of all coffee information websites: www.sweetmarias.com
It has a Library and is a gold mine of information.

I basically agree with Shrink. I put quality beans as the most important, a good brewing setup and procedure next, and then the grinder - EXCEPT in the case of brewing espresso.

In that case, every step is important, but the grinder is more important than the espresso machine. The Rocky is a very good one, although I'd prefer one that is continuously adjustable.

As for tamp pressure, in my opinion the amount of pressure is not terribly important, as long as it is a decent amount - the important part is that it is the SAME every single time. The trick with brewing espresso is that you control every variable; coffee blend, water temperature, machine pressure, coffee dose size, tamp pressure, extraction time, etc, and then the ONLY variable you change is grind. That's why an infinitely adjustable one is so important for espresso.

If you think that you've never had a great cup of coffee.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Aeropress, $13,000 machine for $30. Technically it makes a Café Americano (watered down espresso) but it makes it so well it's product is on another plain ... pure coffee bliss.

Forgot to add Aeropress to my list of owned makers. Another one that I enjoy but it isn't so much better than the other options that it compels me to take it out all the often.

 

[avro707]

Some of you already know I'm pretty serious about my coffee, that's my coffee machine in the image above. It's the best thing ever. I've become quite good at using it over time as well, though it was daunting at first.

This thing is a professional grade machine, and has performance like it. So texturing milk as I might have done on a home style coffee machine just didn't work at all. Once I got the hang of it and adjusted to how powerful the machine is, no problems.

This machine can easily handle doing coffee as well as texturing milk at the same time. And it'll do it numerous times over and over without any trouble. And you can follow that up with hot-water if someone wants tea. I went for the one with the 3 litre tank rather than the plumbed in version. The only thing I tend to have to fix all the time is the seal in the group head, they seem to be parts that expire quickly. I've got a local supplier that has the genuine Nuova-Simonelli parts at cheap prices. They import them in huge batches and sell them to you in a little bag at cheap prices.

I grind coffee beans at home using a Gino Rossi CC45A, but don't roast them. I tend to use Illy beans because they are properly sealed in a tin, rather than those hopeless vacuum packs that the others use.

 

[Shrink]

The ultimate burr grinder, the 'HG one'.

Designed, and manufactured by a friend of mine.

I checked out the HG-One.

What an incredibly gorgeous machine!! Both mechanically and esthetically it is the most beautiful machine I've ever seen.

BUT...$850!!!!

Unfortunately, waaaayyyy out of my price range.

 

[lewis82]

Every drip coffee maker I can think of works the exact same darn way, you stick cold water in, it heats the water, and then the water is (slowly) dropped into the filter basket which functions exactly the same as that cup does.

What could possibly be different? Other than you having to heat the water in a pot and then empty it into that cup? Same thing. Of course, your method will probably be cleaner since hardly anyone I know actually bothers to clean their coffee maker, and they can get slightly yucky when they get old.

I'm surprised nobody here grinds their coffee with a mortar and pestle.

Coffee makers supposedly doesn't heat the water enough. I read somewhere (I think it was on Lifehacker) that it was only about 85 to 90°C, and that running with no coffee, and pouring it back into the reservoir (as a form of "pre-heating) actually improved the taste.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Wally, this machine makes pretty good espresso. Get one of these for your dorm room.

 

[zhenya]

Coffee makers supposedly doesn't heat the water enough. I read somewhere (I think it was on Lifehacker) that it was only about 85 to 90°C, and that running with no coffee, and pouring it back into the reservoir (as a form of "pre-heating) actually improved the taste.

Water temp is the primary issue, but others include the spray pattern coming out of the brewer (which may not evenly soak the grounds) and filter material which can affect extraction time. There are plenty of variables that can affect the quality of drip coffee.

 

[MacLadybug]

I've been using this machine for ages... Jura Capresso Z5. It makes every kind of coffee beverage to your taste. It was a big investment, but we use it every day, all day and it works flawlessly.

 

[Lone Deranger]

I checked out the HG-One.

What an incredibly gorgeous machine!! Both mechanically and esthetically it is the most beautiful machine I've ever seen.

BUT...$850!!!!

Unfortunately, waaaayyyy out of my price range.

I share your sentiments. I can't afford one either. Well, I could, but I can't justify the cost.

 

[rendevouspoo]

I'm more of your run-in-the-mill southerner who likes his foldgers coffee black. I know, I know. There are better options out there but I just don't need them. I have a residential Bunn drip machine. Great and it will scurry up a 12 cup pot in 1:00 flat.

 

[Shrink]

I share your sentiments. I can't afford one either. Well, I could, but I can't justify the cost.

OK, here's the psycho part...if I had the $$$$$, I'd buy the thing.

That's what happens when you're as big a coffee freak as I am!

So, talk to your friend and tell him to give me a HUGE discount!

 

[twietee]

When I find myself in such a crucial situation, I'd estmate (generously of course) what I'd save up with my home roasted coffee over the next x years, add a little bonus and tell myself that it would make perfectly sense to invest into such a beauty with those 'savings'.

 

[Shrink]

When I find myself in such a crucial situation, I'd estmate (generously of course) what I'd save up with my home roasted coffee over the next x years, add a little bonus and tell myself that it would make perfectly sense to buy such a beauty with those 'savings'.

I love your logic, and I'm doing my best not to let it sway me! The rationalization that I have been working on is: I'm an old guy, life is short, what the ***k.

The only flaw in your logic is the "x years" part. That time frame would turn into decades with the home roasting "savings"...especially since you have to factor in the cost of the Gene Cafe Roaster.

But I appreciate your effort to help me justify a totally unjustifiable expense.

 

[SmithErick]

I use a Nespresso Pixie, its quick and easy!

 

[twietee]

I love your logic, and I'm doing my best not to let it sway me!

And I like that logic.

The rationalization that I have been working on is: I'm an old guy, life is short, what the heck.

that's the spirit!

The only flaw in your logic is the "x years" part. That time frame would turn into decades with the home roasting "savings"...especially since you have to factor in the cost of the Gene Cafe Roaster.

Yes, for me it will be more difficult, but I can always blame it on my unexperienced youth, you instead already own that roaster
I recently saw the Gaggia grinder..that was even more pricey and less beautiful - so again one would save quite some money with that HG one.

But I appreciate your effort to help me justify a totally unjustifiable expense.

You're welcome. But life ain't easy doc!

 

[Micky Do]

Least hassle

The French Press is easy to use and produces a decent brew with fresh grounds.

But I seldom have coffee at home, where I do most of my work....... Tea is my drink, best made in a pot with loose leaf tea. I drink a litre most mornings. When I am busy I often brew up another pot as a mid afternoon reviver.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Coffee makers supposedly doesn't heat the water enough. I read somewhere (I think it was on Lifehacker) that it was only about 85 to 90°C, and that running with no coffee, and pouring it back into the reservoir (as a form of "pre-heating) actually improved the taste.

I can confirm this, either pour hot water in, or run it without coffee once, makes a massive improvement with cheapie drip machines. That said, no longer use one, French press only.

As for roasting, I'm kickin it poor, pan roast with fan on and windows open. When it's cold I roast using a 1200w heat gun with a stainless colander on my porch! Could never buy a machine when my results are so repeatable with minimal effort and preexisting infrastructure. But I do crave one...