Coffee

[Tom_T]

Paging coffee lovers... I'm thinking about graduating from the mediocre stuff that comes out of my drip machine, and grinding my own. A recent podcast on the subject mentioned a few key points:

1. Get a good grinder. A "burr grinder" is the best type, from what I understand?
2. Good beans, of course. Where do you get yours?
3. Proper storage of beans.
4. Best coffeemakers. My mother still percolates hers in an old metal pot with the little basket sitting on a stem inside the pot. I'm thinking that something beyond that and Mr. Coffee might be the way to go.

Thoughts/advice would be appreciated.

[The Wizard]

Bean quality is #1 for sure.
Go with Colombian beans if you want the best.
Both Folgers & Maxwell House charge a premium for Colombian, so those of us in the know can't be wrong.
You can grind your own and/or pay more for some other brands, but I'm not sure you'll do much better.
Let me know if I'm wrong.
*One litre of Colombian each workday...*

[Bungo]

As I understand it, a burr grinder makes a difference only if you're making espresso (very fine grind). Otherwise, an ordinary cheapo grinder should be sufficient.

I use a press pot, ordinary grinder, and decent beans. I used to be more of an elitist about beans than I am now. I used to consider Peet's to be the bare minimum, and Blue Bottle or similar was my preference. But these are expensive and over the years I've found that cheaper beans, e.g. Whole Foods 365 Pacific Rim, or even some of the Safeway beans, make a pretty good cup of coffee.

The key is to store the beans properly or to use them quickly enough that it doesn't matter. Obviously store them in whole bean form and grind only as needed. A ceramic air-tight container is usually recommended for this storage. If you don't do this, you'll notice the taste degrades if you let the beans sit around for too long (a couple of weeks).

I personally think press pots make the best tasting coffee, by far. Good news is they're cheap and easy to use. Don't use boiling water - let it cool for a minute or two before pouring into the pot. Stir and let it steep for 3 minutes, then plunge the filter down. I even have a steel press pot that I use for camping. (I compromise and bring pre-ground beans, though.) For a press pot, don't grind the coffee too finely. It should be a bit coarser than you would use for a drip coffeemaker, let alone espresso.

[gasman]

www.peets.com

Best coffee I have found. I prefer aged sumatra whole bean. Buy a burr grinder. Not a blade grinder. The coffee psycho that I know swears by sweetmarias.com Roast your own. I am Not quite to that level.

[Toons]

Try Folgers Black Silk

[chaz]

I like Maxwell House in my Black & Decker drip machine - easy prep.

[tludwig23]

Many good reviews of everything related to coffee on coffegeek.com. You can buy anything you might fancy from wholelattelove.com

[Jake46]

Jackie's Java, my favorite.

http://www.jackiesjava.com/

[Bungo]

http://www.peets.com

I prefer aged sumatra whole bean.

Agree, that stuff is heavenly. Their Jamaica Blue Mountain is also lovely but expensive. The Mocha Sanani is nice too.

Another good contender is Philz Coffee:

http://www.philzcoffee.com/Online-Store

[nonnie]

http://www.peets.com

Best coffee I have found. I prefer aged sumatra whole bean. Buy a burr grinder. Not a blade grinder. The coffee psycho that I know swears by sweetmarias.com Roast your own. I am Not quite to that level.

I blend Peets Kanya Auction Lot and Decaf French but Peet's IS starting to get a bit pricey. Still it's one of my few indulgences. I'd love to be able to find a burr grinder where static electricity doesn't cause too much of the ground coffee to stick to the plastic. I don't have this problem with my plain old Krups grinder but if you have a rec for a burr grinder without this problem I'd love to hear about it.

Nonnie

[mhalley]

No question that the beans are the key. For a really good cuppa, you need to pay $160 a pound for some Civet Coffee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak
I see that there is an imitation called coffee primero.
http://www.coffeeprimero.com/category/5 ... order.aspx
Mike

[joe8d]

I like Maxwell House in my Black & Decker drip machine - easy prep.

Same here , except use a Mr Coffee .

[Rob5TCP]

From an earlier discussion on here, I learned of www.coffeeam.com
I have found them to be quite reasonable on cost, good quality, and quick delivery. They come in one way vented bags (when beans are roasted, gas builds up and the vent allows it to escape, without letting oxygen in).

I buy all my beans and my tea from them.

[tooluser]

I find that the greatest difference in flavor comes from choice of bean (or brand) and roast, followed by ratio of coffee to water. Experiment with those three in any coffee pot/brewer you like, and you will find an optimal for your own taste.

I use:
Moccamaster drip brewer
Melitta-type filters (white or brown, any brand, whichever is cheapest)
Cheap blade grinder, if coffee is whole bean
Whatever type of coffee catches my eye (I like variety, but Trader Joe's Colombian Supremo or Illy Cafe seem to be the best for me)

I do not like:
French press coffee -- Allows too many grounds through, and not enough flavor, every time, no matter the ratio of coffee to water, no matter the type of grinder used
Gold filters -- allows too many grounds through, easier to throw away the used filter and grounds than to wash a gold one

[BigD53]

All that bean grinding fancy stuff is too complicated for me. I just plug in the ol' Mr Coffee, add a couple scoops of "Black Silk", set the timer, and wake up to a nice cup of hot Joe.

Keep coffee (and investing) simple.

[westcoastinvestor]

Save yourself the trouble. Try this French Market Coffee with chicory. It is from a can, but taste great.

http://www.luzianne.com/french-market-c ... -1760.html?=

[angceejay]

1. Yes go for burr but if you have a budget, blade grinder is fine too.
2. Counter Culture - so far the best I've tried. You can order them online. Based on the roast date in the packaging, it looks they ship the same day the beans are roasted.
3. Use airtight container and ideally, consume the coffee within two weeks.
4. Bialetti Moka Pot. If you have money to spend, get one of the quick mill espresso machines.

[gofigure]

Costco sells Starbucks French Roast 2.5 lb. whole bean coffee for just under $20. That amounts to about half lb. free when compared to the price per lb. at the local supermarket. You can grind it at home or in the store. We usually use the store grinder. Mmmmmm love good coffee....

[bb]

Starbucks from Sam's Club
Hario Skerton Ceramic Coffee Grinder
French Press

[curly lambeau]

Almost no drip coffee machines get the water hot enough to brew coffee properly. They just drop tepid water through the coffee and then heat it up on a plate. It's much better to simply boil the water in an electric kettle and pour it through a Melita filter into a pot. French press is OK but requires cleaning for no real benefit in my opinion.

[Orygun Jim]

Try the clever coffee filter. Lets you "steep" the coffee for 3-4 minutes in the cone filter before releaseing it into a pre heated cup or
carafe. I got mine from badbeards coffee online. I Gave up electric drip makers and their lousy tepid coffee.

[ryuns]

Haha, I just listened to that "Stuff You Should Know" podcast yesterday.

I felt they were overstating the importance of a fancy grinder for most types of coffee. Buying whole beans and using ANY grinder, is a big step for a lot of Americans.

For us, fancy beans come from a local roaster. (Temple, if you're ever in Sac, is fabulous). But usually we use beans from Costco. Certainly not the best out there, but a great value. $6/lb for Fair Trade.

[chudder]

Fine grind with burr grinder, water a couple minutes off the boil, fresh-ground beans (fresh-roasted if possible!), and press it with this: http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm using one of the following methods http://worldaeropresschampionship.wordp ... m/recipes/

[jln]

We like Metropolis Redline Espresso. We use a DeLonghi espresso coffee maker. We buy a 5lb bag mail order every 3-4 weeks and store it as is in the closed bag in a dry closet. We use a cheap blade grinder but grind it fine. Metropolis is a local small Chicago company.

John Norstad

[texasdiver]

There are an extraordinary number of factors that go into making the perfect cup of coffee. But there are 3 that will get you 95% of the way there.

1. Start with fresh high quality whole beans. Most urban areas have a good selection of grocery store and coffee shop options for buying beans. I prefer Central American and Colombian beans which I find more acidic and crisp. Others prefer Asian beans (Sumatra, Java, etc.) which tend to be more earthy. If you are buying whole roasted beans the best bargains I've found in fresh beans are at Costco which buys high quality beans in bulk and roasts them in the store. Cannot beat Costco for price and freshness. I find that Starbucks over roasts their beans. Some like them. I find them too dark for my taste.

2. Store your beans in a dry sealed place. Not the fridge where they will absorb moisture. Just a sealed container on the counter. Then grind them right before using. Ground coffee goes stale much much faster than whole beans so you are much better off buying a cheap grinder and grinding your coffee before each pot rather than buying ground coffee at the store.

3. Use a method of brewing that gets the water hot enough. 98% of the coffee makers on the market do not get the water hot enough. Coffee beans have both bitter and aromatic oils in them. The aromatic oils which give the most coffee flavor require higher temperature water to release than the bitter oils so you need hot water to make full flavored coffee. Brewing coffee in tepid water like most cheap coffee makers produce will give you bitter coffee.

As for coffee makers that brew coffee correctly. As others have mentioned, you can boil your own water and pour it manually. But if you want a coffee maker that does it correctly there are only a few brands that do it right.

A. The old fashioned Bunn coffee makers that use flat filters can be pretty good. The commercial and some home models maintain a reservoir of hot pre-heated water so that when you make coffee the machine can get the already hot water hot enough for proper brewing. These don't make so much sense for the one pot a day person but they are what many restaurants use and why good restaurant coffee is often good. I don't really like the idea of maintaining a warm water reservoir 24 hours/day on the counter as that just seems like a perfect way to raise bacteria. So I would stay away from the Bunn models for home use. But that's just me.

B. Technivorm is a Dutch company that is obsessive about making machines that produce the correct temperature of water in the correct quantity to make ideal coffee. They are probably the only company that really does it correctly for home makers. Most cheap machines sold at retail stores just do not get hot enough. They have a whole lot of Moccamaster models in various shapes and sizes. You can't go wrong with one of these.

C. Capresso is a Swiss company that makes coffee makers and espresso machines. Their coffee makers are of similar quality to the technivorm and manage to get the water hot enough to produce proper coffee. I have one of these at home and it has been producing great coffee for 10 years.

If I was buying a new coffee maker today I'd probably buy one of the Technivorm moccamaster machines with a built in thermo carafe. But I'm happy with my Capresso for now.

[Caboose]

Best is www.stumptowncoffee.com in Portland, Oregon - be sure to try their "Hairbender"blend - smooth as silk and no bitter aftertaste

Next is www.gorillacoffee.com in Brooklyn

[Tom_T]

Thanks for all the great information - very helpful.

[soaring]

Folgers Colombian is our choice. But whatever brand at least try 100% Colombian as one of your choices. We don't grind the beans anymore. Costco has Kirkland 100% Colombian beans or already ground.

The grinder should put the ground bean into a separate holding reservoir from the original beans or the coffee will have a burnt taste.

[camper]

Based on another coffee thread here, I bought the Aeropress. I find that on weekdays when I have to get up early for work and to get my boy ready for school, it just takes too much time to grind beans and use the Aeropress. So on weekdays its the old Auto-brew Black & Decker drip with Folgers for me. On weekends, I go for the Aeropress and currently Starbucks extra bold french roast (Costco).

[BGJ]

Here's a Boglehead response. My father had a Jura Capresso automatic coffee/espresso maker that sometimes malfunctioned and leaked a little water onto the counter. This bothered him and the company's service is you send it back (a major hassle, it's big and heavy for a coffee maker) and for $350 and like 4-6 weeks later we'll send it back fixed. Rather than do this he bought a new one for $1000 and gave me the old one. It still leaks occasionally, but we just wipe it up. The one I have has made about 10,000 cups now (they have counters so you can tell) and is going strong. At $1000, this is just 10 cents a cup and the coffee is quite good. It fresh grinds the beans for every cup and produces a layer of crema foam on top that you don't get from regular machines, even Keurigs don't do this. I don't think I would ever have paid $1000 for a coffee machine before this, but when this one dies I probably will, as I have become spoiled and can rationalize about the free one I used for thousands of cups.

[leo383]

I have used lots of different coffee making apparati over the years, and have found the Melitta Ready Set Joe to be the easiest and simplest way to get a good cup of coffee.

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Sin ... B0014CVEH6

You can control every variable exactly as you like with one of these. And for $5.00, very Boglehead.

[4stripes]

The Gimme Coffee Barista Manual is the only coffee guide you'll ever need.

The basic tenets are:

Burr grinder
Grind only immediately before making
Drink within 2-3 weeks of roasting date
Do not freeze or refrigerate
Clean your machines daily

[Qtman]

Best coffee I've had is Hawaiian Pea berry Kona, not cheap but excellent, you grind it as needed. Best canned coffee is Community Coffee from Louisiana. It's in most southern supermarkets - dark roast is awesome. Their chicory mix is ok, but not as good as dark roast.

Cuban in Miami is excellent, had a cup of Cappacino in Florence Italy that blew my socks and shoes off, but long way to go for a cup of Java.

Jamaican Blue Mountain is ok, but Hawaiin Pea Berry is better.

Some Ethopian friends used to make their own in a bizarre Ethopian coffee pot, but it rocked - kept you up for two days, intense flavor.

Don't smoke, don't drink, but coffee is my one vice.

[OldOne]

I was gonna say I liked instant coffee made with tap water but changed my mind.

[V572625694]

Recently started grinding beans for each pot I make and was astonished at how much better the coffee tastes, even in my old Krups drip pot. Well worth the extra step and cleaning up a few grounds that scatter.

[the_martian]

Coffee is one of my big splurges, and I'm still working on how to brew a better cup. I'll list some of the things I have learned, including some reiterations of the above points:

1. Good, fresh beans. I like a couple of local coffee shops that sell high-dollar coffee and roast their own. I'm talking about 3 to 5 times the cost of generic ground coffee in the supermarket. This one is well worth it to me. Also, if it sits around it loses its flavor.

2. Grind just before you brew. I use a blade grinder. I was using a burr grinder but it broke and I haven't taken the time to fix it yet. I really couldn't tell the difference. The main thing is to grind just before you make it.

3. Clean. Despite what everyone says, I keep my stuff surgically clean. I think it tastes better than leaving the skank residue folks seem to recommend.

4. Right Strength. This can make a huge difference. Strong vs. Weaker coffee are almost like different beverages. Try different concentrations... it brings out different flavors. I measure by volume. I usually try for somewhere between 6 water to 1 coffee up to 4 water to 1 coffee. My ex girlfriend used to go as strong as 2 water to 1 coffee, but that is not for the faint of heart! Keep in mind that a typical coffee maker uses 5 ounces as one cup instead of the standard 8 ounces, and that there are two tablespoons per ounce.


From there, I like to mix things up occasionally

I really like the "stovetop espresso makers" by Bialetti, among others. This makes some seriously good coffee! Buy the stainless steel model, in 6-cup or larger. Aluminum may be connected with Alzheimer's, so I avoid it in my food if possible. Use lower heat, just enough to boil the water. Too much heat makes it brew too fast.

I like a french press. When doing this:
1. Water temperature. I bring the water to a full, rolling boil, then remove from heat and let it cool for one minute (timed).
2. STIR!!! Stir the stuff for 3 or 4 minutes using a wooden stick or spoon... it makes ALL the difference.
3. Let it sit for another couple of minutes before you press and then serve immediately.

If you do the drip thing, try using two filters. This holds the water on the grounds longer and makes a much richer brew.

Mmmmm.... Coffee!

[Padlin]

Tried cold brewed about a year ago and prefer it as 95% of my stomach acid problems have cleared up, no more drugs! Takes a bit more work but the health Bennie's are worth it to us. Takes some time to get the correct coffee to water ratio figured out for the individual taste,
Tried many beans over the last year, at the moment we like the French Roast Starbucks from Costco. In all honesty I can only tell the difference in some of them, I can tell if the coffee is lousy or if it's good, shades in between are lost to m wife and I. Interesting is that the Sumatra from Whole Foods was the worst we've had, we threw it away after a couple pots.
If I had a burr grinder I'd do it pot by pot but the cheapie I have doesn't work very well for cold brewing (you need a coarse grind) so I do the 2.5 lbs at Costco and store it in a couple sealed storage containers. The 2.5 lbs last us about 2 weeks and we can't tell the difference between the last pot of one bag and the first pot of a new bag. Guess we're not coffee connoisseurs.

[kingsnake]

Another vote for Capresso...I received an entry level Jura Capresso when I started fellowship. That was eight years ago and its still going strong. It grinds whole beans and makes coffee by the cup. You dial in amount in ounces and strenght (mild,nomal,strong) strong is esspresso. It also has a frother so my wife uses it to make lattes.
We use it every single day...still going strong.

BTW I use Starbucks Espresso Roast whole beans...I dont store them in any special way.

[ABQ4804]

OK, I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do still have my dad's Revere Ware copper-bottom 8-cup coffee percolator, from the 60"s. I only use it when coffee-drinking company comes, and you know they're mostly too polite to comment on the quality of the coffee. I do grind the beans, but wonder if the percolator can produce quality coffee by today's standards (knowing the beans make a difference)? Is there really new coffee-brewing technology that makes better coffee than my percolator? I love the smell and sound of the coffee percolating - that's why I keep it; and of course the nostalgia of it being my dad's. Frugal here - please clue me in, coffee drinkers!

Edit: OK, found the other threads for coffee makers, lots of recommendations, including a couple of votes for percolators. Thanks!

[letsgobobby]

Those in the know: there is a sourness in coffee, sometimes, especially as it cools down. Is that what is called acidity? I detect the same thing in some red wines.

I use a burr grinder set at coarse, Starbucks and tullys whole bean coffee, grind 1/4 cup of beans per 12 oz of water, use a French press with less than boiling water, and steep for 4 minutes. Great stuff. I've experimented with other brands but the above are reliable and available and affordable.

I have also found that the Gevalia coffeemakers are quite good. Their coffee is terrible, but sign up for the free coffeemaker and cancel your subscription. Especially the large 12 cup makers make good coffee for guests.

French press coffee definitely has more body, which I like. Mine is a Bodum, from Amazon.

Biggest mistake is to not use enough beans. Increase by 25-50% and your coffee will taste much better, no matter how you brew.

[HongKonger]

Agree on the civit cat coffee ..I have a couple of pounds from Vietnam that a friend brought me. Some of that in my stovetop moka - utterly superb!

For me the biggest difference is ensuring that you grind according to the method you are going to use - finest for espresso, rougher for Cafetiere (AKA French press) and roughest for percolator (drip).

[GregLee]

1. Get a good grinder. A "burr grinder" is the best type, from what I understand?

The best moderately priced burr grinder: Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, $87.88 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000A ... hs_product

2. Good beans, of course. Where do you get yours?

Black Gold Coffee, http://www.blackgoldcoffeecompany.com/index.html, has a variety of premium beans roasted as you specify for around $8.50 a pound, free shipping if you order $50 worth. (They also have unroasted beans.)

3. Proper storage of beans.

Just keep them out of the open air and not too long. (Don't freeze or refrigerate.)

4. Best coffeemakers. My mother still percolates hers in an old metal pot with the little basket sitting on a stem inside the pot. I'm thinking that something beyond that and Mr. Coffee might be the way to go.

Pour almost boiling water over freshly ground beans in a paper cone, into a thermos.

[Sidney]

Those in the know: there is a sourness in coffee, sometimes, especially as it cools down. Is that what is called acidity? I detect the same thing in some red wines.

I use a burr grinder set at coarse, Starbucks and tullys whole bean coffee, grind 1/4 cup of beans per 12 oz of water, use a French press with less than boiling water, and steep for 4 minutes. Great stuff. I've experimented with other brands but the above are reliable and available and affordable.

I have also found that the Gevalia coffeemakers are quite good. Their coffee is terrible, but sign up for the free coffeemaker and cancel your subscription. Especially the large 12 cup makers make good coffee for guests.

French press coffee definitely has more body, which I like. Mine is a Bodum, from Amazon.

Biggest mistake is to not use enough beans. Increase by 25-50% and your coffee will taste much better, no matter how you brew.

Acidity is low PH which can cause a sense of sourness or tartness.

African coffee tends to be high acidity. Central America, moderate. If you prefer low acidity, try something like Sumatran beans.

I have always found Starbucks to be over-roasted for my taste.

[Toons]

I use eight o clock coffee to grind up or folgers black silk already ground
Life is good

[reggiesimpson]

Best coffee i have ever had? From India. Madras in particular. Good luck finding it.

[anonenigma]

Capresso black (not the chrome) burr grinder (<$90). Blade grinders burn the beans. Worth the investment.

I use a Melitta cone ($14) with inexpensive Costco filters (<$5 for 300). Goes directly into a Zoijirushi pour Thermos (about $25). (The drip machines, no matter the cost, are all disappointing - read the reviews on Amazon. They either don't get the water hot enough, stop getting it hot enough after a few months or a year, and the electronics are too often destroyed by moisture. You also don't want to leave the coffee on the heated pad - will turn it bitter.)

Some Costcos in California roast beans in the store. We like the Sumatra, which is under $17 for 2.5 lbs - around $6.50 per pound. The French Roast is also good. We haven't had the Columbian or Costa Rican. They also do a decaf (side bar: We once went to a coffee house with a friend, who ordered a decaf capuccino with nonfat milk. The woman at the counter yelled out the order to the guy making the coffees: "One Why Bother!).

Think I'll pour another cup.

[SurfCityBill]

Yuban, Folgers, Walmart Brand, Maxwell House - all good all comparable. Serve black and hot.

[OAG]

On 1 & 2 don't know (always used cheapest stuff I could find).
3 - In the Refregerator (try to use it all up in about a year or so).
4 - "Mother knows best". Or just boil it in a pot of water for about 10 minutes.

Drink it black.

[FRANK2009]

It pays to read Bogleheads.org. Great investing advice and coffee too. People here mentioned the "clever coffee dripper" and Folgers Black Silk. Tried both. As close to coffee perfection as possible. Thank you all!!!

[LonePrairie]

I'm another fan of Folgers Black Silk. By the way, Walgreens is selling the 10.3 oz. container for $3.49 this week.