coffee drinkers--how do you make the best cup of coffee?

[Gingersnap]

Hi,

I have an embarrassing confession. I used to drink coffee everyday until my old Krups broke. I got a Cuisinart "grind and brew" and the coffee it makes is so bad, I've stopped drinking it. I'm dying to start drinking coffee again (after 7 or 8 months of tea) and want to be able to make very good coffee at home.

Anyone have any opinions? Does percolated coffee taste better than drip? Any particular machines?

Oh, I also saw that there is a new kind of grinder out--a "burr" grinder, anyone tried that?

Thanks,
Gingersnap

[Nlighten1]

1. Get a French Press

Never heard of a "burr"...what is it?

[Gingersnap]

4. apparently, instead of a blade it is a "burr"

a spiky ball? I heard it is supposed to retain the oils or something. Anyway, these grinders are a lot more expensive than regular.

[Catshrink]

2. I like my French press best....

but only use it on weekends. During the week I use my coffee maker because I can set it up at night and just hit the button in the morning. I don't do mornings well.

[Gingersnap]

7. I can't be bothered to boil water in the morning

I prefer something I can plug in and preferably time. But we did have a French press in the past, but tossed it after Mr. Gingersnap broke 3 carafes.

[supernova]

8. Agreed. French Press is best

But I use my drip coffeemaker. I have a Braun electric grinder. I grind just enough for a couple of days and it works fine. Oh, and the finer the better. I buy the plain old 3 lb 8 o'clock coffee.

I'll tell you what is good. I found a chocolate bar that is 85% cacao (no sugar). I drop of square of that into the coffee pot. I'm in heaven. :9 :9 :9 :9 :9

[Snow]

3. Just get a simple Melitta pot,

with the plastic filter funnel that sits on top of the pot. Toss your finely ground coffee of whatever sort you like into there, boil water, pour it into the cone, & you're set. Groceries sell the things; they're simple & cheap, & you can still make coffee in a power outage (assuming you have a way to heat the water). With coffee, grind the beans you'll use at the time you brew, and get the stuff that's fresh - fresh out of the roasting oven is good.

[Fovea]

12. I agree

and I also have a small Italian stove top espresso pot.

I like Brazilian,French Roast, Kenya AA, and Mexican Organic Altura, roasted at my favorite coffee shop in KC's RiverMarket.

Wonnerful.

[Pobeka]

20. I third that. Simple Melitta pot, faster than drip = less bitter

The advantage of the Melitta is due in part because you can grind it finer, and the pot fills faster, so it's less bitter.

[girl gone mad]

5. French Press..

and a coffee grinder. Grind your beans fresh to a coarse consistency.

I haven't tried a burr grinder, because they are so expensive. There are some under $100, buut make sure you buy a "conical" one.

I'm happy with my $20 Bosch grinder.

[Lostmessage]

6. I am a coffee connoisseur

It's all in the type of coffee that you buy and how you measure it.

Try to find a place that sells Hawaiian Coffee like Kona ???

[jpgray]

9. Get a stovetop espresso dealy

And get a frother. Just make the espresso, nuke and froth the milk, and you're all set. Have to do a little work, and be careful, but you get coffee house quality for much less cost. I don't use sugar or flavoring, but you can throw those in if you want.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

26. Agree-I bought one in Italy

use Lavazza coffee and dream of sitting in a cafe in Rome!

It is more labor-intensive than drip, but the flavor is outstanding.

[DemoTex]

10. I buy Cafe Bustelo for $1.79 to $2.50 a can (cost of a cup of Starbucks)

I use a cheap Krups machine with a cone filter.

[GalleryGod]

39. Without a DOUBT the Best Bang for your BUCK in an Espresso World!

:hangover: :hangover: :hangover:

[DS1]

11. With this

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-9/qid=1076036570/ref=sr_1_9/601-8159179-0170527?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00005OTXH


Bought one this weekend, it makes amazingly strong coffee, I love it!

[SOteric]

13. Skip the percolator and the drip machine.

Either get a French Press, or get one of those little funnels you set over a cup with a filter in it. (Cheapest and actually the best).

Grind your own beans. 'Burr' grinders are fine. Brew the coffee within 2 minutes of grinding the beans. Simply put the beans into the funnel (or French press) and pour boiling water over the top.

Coffee becomes acrid if it sits on a heated burner for any period of time. If you want to make a whole pot but drink it slowly, better to decant it immediately after brewing into a thermos. Funnel users can simply brew right into the thermos.

[chefgirl]

28. Actually, I have to disagree

All the suggestions you've gotten have been good ones, but I must disagree with SOteric about pouring boiling water over your coffee grounds.

Never boiling water, but water that is just off the boil or just about to boil. Boiling water breaks down the coffee's volatile oils too quickly and makes for a very bitter cup.

I would also suggest, for a very good 'off the rack' coffee, try Dunkin Donuts brand...whole bean of course.

-chef-

[nuxvomica]

14. I agree with the French pressers

Though I've never done this, I've read about a technique of cold steeping in a glass jug in the fridge overnight. That's supposed to produce the least bitter but very strong coffee. You just add hot water to each cup at serving time.

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. Friend of mine has the apparatus for the cold seeping

Makes a very dense coffee that can then be set in the fridge, and whenever one wants a cup of coffee, can mix the seeped coffee 1:1 (or whatever ratio) with water, and warmed up in the microwave.

It's not my preference for coffee, I like fresh brewed, but it's tasty, and can be convenient at times.

I couoldn't find the apparatus, but it's called a "cold water press". Her apparatus is different from, say, using a pitcher in that the apparatus has a specil filter spout making it easier to get the grounds out of the coffee.

I found a way to do it: http://homepage.mac.com/scott_r/coffeeFAQ.htm#coldwater

[Liberal Christian]

35. I have three favorite coffee brewing methods

First of all, before we get to brewing, buying freshly-roasted beans and grinding them just before you use it produces the best off all possible coffees.

I used to use a "regular" coffee grinder, one of the whirly-blade kind. I ponied up the dough for a burr grinder, and I like it a lot better. The problem with the whirly-blade grinders is that they tend to heat the beans as they grind, which can interfere with the coffee flavor. At least that's what all the coffee gurus say.

Brewing:

1. Current favorite method is French press, which many people have weighed in on. There's a great article about French press brewing here: http://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/presspot

2. The Coffee Toddy. This is the cold-water extraction method listed above. You have to remember that you are out of coffee about 12 hours before you run out, but it does produce a less-acid, less-bitter, very convenient cup of coffee. Read about it here: http://www.toddycafe.com/shop/product.php?productId=56

3. Espresso/cappuccino. I go in streaks on this one. It always seems like more of a treat than a Life Producing Injection of Caffeine (tm).

When all else fails, I'll drip brew. Least favorite brewing method is the 100-cup percolator at church.

[Rabrrrrrr]

37. Especially since that 100-cup percolator at church

has coffee grounds sufficient for only about 30 cups of coffee.

:P

Coffee Toddy - is that really what it's called? What a funny name.

(and I must ask, did you pony up the dough, or did you actually cowboy up and suffer the cost?)

[Liberal Christian]

42. Welllllllllllll . . .

I cowgirled up, suffered the cost, ponied up the dough, then lassoed up that saddleburr grinder, and wrassled it all the way to the counter.

[Rabrrrrrr]

43. How utterly butch of you

Bet you kill your own antelope meat. Probably do it with cars, too, just to be more dangerous and toughnik. On the highway.

[Liberal Christian]

45. Well, just the one

Alas, it ran off a distance before it succumbed to its fatal injuries and, much to my eternal shame, I allowed my broken ribs and the puny little "don't leave the scene of an accident" law to keep me from tracking it down, wrassling it to the ground, and grinding it up for chili meat.

http://members.aol.com:/wyomee/wreck.jpg

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. Personally, I think you should have "cowboy up"ed

and rassled it, but I'll cut you some slack. :-)

It's an expensive hobby, running down antelope, and I applaud you for it. It is the hobby of a true warrior.

[Lostmessage]

15. Do you like cinnamon?

Sprinkle a tiny bit on top of the coffee grounds before brewing and it will make Aldi Coffee taste good.

[Ready4Change]

16. My coffee tastes are pedestrian

Hate Starbucks. Love a generic, mellow cup'a'joe.

While dark roast sounds good to me, I far prefer the taste of light-medium roast. As unsophisticated as it sounds, Folgers Breakfast Blend is just my thing.

That from a drip maker, a dallop of milk (not cream,) a level teaspoon of sugar, and I'm set.

[tigereye]

17. french press or Melitta

ooohhh, Kona coffee, I got some for Christmas, it was heavenly.

[indigo32]

18. Hmmm I must be a little weird

cuz french press is good but it doesn't strike me as the best.
I get fresh beans and grind them right before making it. I would never percolate... it's gotta be drip... and then get it off the heat and into a carafe to keep warm without cooking.

[Robb]

19. Absurdly overpriced at ~$200

Well, actually not; I wrote an Epinions.com thing on it awhile back, and my analysis is it's kinda like North Face stuff. Costs twice as much and is about half again better than the next thing.

My Capresso autodrip is about as good as you can do outside of a French press, which I hardly ever get it together to do in the morning. Coffee has always been my biggest luxury, and I saved up quite a long time to get that sucker.

Of course, garbage in, garbage out. Peet's rules, but I'm states away from the nearest one. And avoid percolated coffee at all costs.

[grasswire]

21. from my barista nephew

1. French press.
2. Grind your beans while the water is boiling.
3. Always start with cold fresh water from the tap for the teakettle.

There are so many different beans that you may have some fun tasting to find what you like. Buy just 1/8 pound of some different varieties in bulk and taste away!

I happen to adore French Roast, and use real cream. Delicious!

[Djinn]

22. Go downstairs

ask politely for Kerry to make me a coffee - done

the best coffee, like the best food is prepared by someone else (unless that someone else is a Starbucks employee of course)

[aQuArius]

23. I hop on my bike....

ride to the coffee mess, pour a cup and enjoy, lol.

[grasswire]

24. honestly...

...if you don't want to take the time to boil water in the morning, just drive through an espresso stand and get your cuppa that way.

Then get a Melitta or French Press for weekends.

[stilpist]

25. Lotta coffee info

Everything you ever wanted to know ...

<http://homepage.mac.com/scott_r/coffeeFAQ.htm>

[greendog]

27. I walk 4 blocks....

....and get my morning cup at Montana Coffee Traders....different blend every morning. For me, that little walk is an essential part of the coffee ritual. :)

[Zomby Woof]

29. I suppose I am expected to weigh in

But I gave away my secrets to great coffee, no one would come by ZombyCoffee any more. :evilfrown:

[Catshrink]

36. Let me guess at the recipe for Zomby coffee....

2 parts water
1 part yak pee
2 parts coffee beans

steep it all in a French press for 5 minutes.

[Zomby Woof]

48. very close!

But you left out the ZombyLoooooove it takes to make the perfect cup! :loveya:

[ChoralScholar]

31. I know lots of people like gourmet coffees, and I do as well

but for something cheap to make at home in a regular coffee pot:

I make Luzianne Coffee with Chicory according to the directions on the can. I put one scoop of Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix in the bottom of an extra large cup, and fill the rest up with coffee.

Other than being pretty damn good, it will JACK YOU UP!

[Snow]

32. Oh, chicory, Yuck! My great-grandmother used to keep

her yard happily inhabited by dandelions. Let 'em get as big as a dinner plate, she used to say. Then she'd harvest the flowers (during mid-day when they were open so you wouldn't get ants in them) and make wine, she'd take the leaves and boil them up with ham fat. Both of those were actually pretty good. But she'd take the dandelion roots, slice them and roast them, then steep them in water and drink the awful stuff! Claimed it tasted like coffee. Wrong! It was really nasty! Other than that, she was a cool old lady. Got thrown in jail at least three times for marching for the right to vote, which took some courage in Indianapolis.

[welshTerrier2]

40. yup .. i like Luzianne too

and also another chicory brand called French Market ...

fwiw, i use .6 scoops of coffee for each cup of water in my Krups drip coffeemaker ...

[Blue-Jay]

33. Another vote for French press.

Seriously, nothing beats it for flavor and high caffeine content.

When I'm in a hurry or want a tasty less-potent coffee, I have a Bunn coffee maker that always keeps a resevoir of hot water ready to go.

Also, it's best to grind your own beans from the coffee shop. The place I get most of mine has the beans vacuum-sealed as soon as they receive them, so it stays fresh.

[DemNoir]

34. My suggestion

An auto-drip coffee maker when used with one of those gold mesh filters, instead of the paper type is very close to French Press quality. They cost about 20 bucks and you have to clean it each time, but its really worth it. Paper filters tend to absorb the oils released by the coffee, where as the mesh filter lets them pass.

The best device for making coffee is the old fashioned vacuum pot. It delivers the ultimate quality in my opinion.

[welshTerrier2]

41. we use a gold filter too

never really did a taste comparison to the paper filters ...

[geniph]

38. I don't like the all-purpose machines

the ones that both grind and brew seem to do a fairly poor job of both. I'm fussy about the coffee's roast (can't be overroasted, that gives it a burnt flavor), the freshness, and the coarseness of the grind. Grind it too fine for the method you're using, and it'll be bitter. Grind it too coarse, and the coffee will be weak and flavorless. The all-purpose machines don't seem to do the right grind for their brewing method.

I was a Melitta fan for years, but switched to French press for the flavor. You definitely get the strongest hit of pure coffee flavor from a French press. However, there's some anecdotal evidence that drinking a lot of unfiltered coffee can cause a rise in serum cholesterol, and mine was noticeably higher than normal on my last checkup. So I've switched back to filtered drip coffee for awhile.

The worst coffee in the world is coffee that's sat on a burner for more than two hours. It completely ruins coffee to sit on heat; all the volatile oils break down and you're left with a very acidic, nasty cup of charcoal. Never let coffee sit on the warmer; put it in a carafe.

I dislike percolated coffee. That method seems to produce a particularly flavorless brew.

If I were you, I'd grind the coffee in a normal grinder and use your Cuisinart thingie only to brew it, see if that helps. Vary the coarseness of the grind until you get a brew you can drink.

[northofdenali]

44. We love our "Coffee Toddy" method -

I can even use the cheapo stuff and get great tasting coffee. My mom-in-law found this cold-brew method back in the 70's and we've been using it ever since.

From their website: "According to The Washington Post, the Toddy cold brew system creates "the perfect cup of coffee..." Our patented cold water brewing process extracts the coffee bean's true delicious flavor, but leaves behind bitter acids and fatty oils - 67% less acid than conventional hot brewing methods.

The Toddy brewer produces a low acid, espresso-like concentrate - good for about 32 cups of HOT coffee per batch. Just add water for a distinctively fresh, smooth taste that has delighted connoisseurs for some 40 years.

Cuisine at Home gives our process its top rating, "pure, bold coffee flavor without a trace of bitterness." And, refrigerated, there's no waste - Toddy can be made one cup at a time.

Toddy is also yummy served iced cold - just add milk or cream. Many of the world's leading coffee houses have used our process to make their best-selling iced coffee drinks. http://www.toddycafe.com/

You can brew it as strong - or weak - as you like, and it never is bitter, but always has that wonderful fresh-coffee flavor. Try it with Jamaica Blue Mountain and you'll never, ever go back!

[BonjourUSA]

47. First : buy a good coffee

You put a little spoon (well-full) per cup into the paper-filter or into the filter of the French press. (If you are a coffee amateur, the perco is the best).

NEVER REHEAT IT !!. When your coffee is ready, serve and drink it.

I prefer "arabica" because it's sweeter and it makes me less "nervous".

[Odessey]

49. French Roast.....

Made in my Bunn Coffee maker. It makes decent coffee. And then I stop on the way to work for a cup of Sheetz European Roast (strong, the way I like it with lots of cream and sugar!)

[tishaLA]

50. I use one of these

Cause I think vacuum coffee makers make the best coffee, but clean up is a bitch.

I also have a really nice Braun grinder that has 12 different grind options. It's kinda unnecessary, because I cannot use a fine grind with the vacuum maker like I did with my drip coffee maker. But when I make espresso, it is necessary.

And I get beans from Trader Joe's (their Yemeni beans are good) and Whole Foods, where I am not supposed to shop.

[grasswire]

51. tips from pros

1. Using fresh, cold water from the tap is important because it contains elements that disappear as it sits or is warmed in a water heater. The people who pour water into their drip machine timed for the next morning won't have great taste, just convenience.

2. I watched Martha Stewart's guest who was a coffee expert make french press coffee. He says to pour it only half full with boiling water, let it "bloom" (that lighter colored layer it gets) for several minutes, then add the rest of the water.