How Do You Make The Best Cup Of Coffee?

[WhiteMaxima]

Kona or even blue mountain coffee, with French press 90 degC hot water.

[Second Round]

If things get really bad you can get a "snake", basically a very long stiff but flexible metal tube with a fork at the end, which you rotate to clear away debris. You just use it to punch a small hole in the debris, then water flows through and gradually wears away the rest of the debris until you're unblocked.

Thanks - I do have a snake, but it would be a bit more of a production to use it for my particular kitchen sink drain, as there is a sealed/seated metal grate of sorts that is shaped like the center of a Celtic cross, such that the openings for water to drain are a bit smaller than the diameter of the snake. While I do have a tool for removal of such a thing, I forget what it must be re-seated with - plumber's putty or what. I'd have to go find out. So I will probably wait til the only other option is to call a plumber.

Edit: just made 2nd cup of day - saucepan. Removing grounds when still hot/wet took two half-sheets of paper towels, but left almost no grounds, compared to waiting for them to cool & dry out a bit, then using one half-sheet to sweep them out, and soaking/washing out the rest in the wink.

[Elsebet]

I like to have 1 cup of coffee only on weekend days, so I am going to order a Chemex 3 cup coffee maker. I'd like a high quality manual burr grinder, any recommendations?

[WoostaGal]

For folks who use hand grinders, do you have issues with static electricity? A KINGrinder website video shows stirring the beans with a table knife dipped in water prior to grinding. I assume that is to reduce static electricity. Static is currently an annoyance with my electric burr grinder and I plan to try the table knife trick next time I grind.

From what I read online about KINGrinder, it sounds like it would take 30 - 40 seconds to hand grind 20-23 g of coffee beans. Does that seem accurate?

I spray one squirt of water on the beans after I dump them into the Kingrinder (prior to grinding). Static electricity problem solved.
Here is the spritzer I use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TL ... UTF8&psc=1

Yup, that sounds accurate! I use 12g of beans and it takes about 20 or seconds I assume. I like the "process", so I am not rushing or timing myself.

Thanks, C-man23! I tried the knife trick this morning and it helped a lot.

[FeralCat]

Those who only make nice coffee on the weekends are going to have a problem with keeping the coffee fresh. I get freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks, because it really matters in terms of taste. I certainly wouldn't buy more than 12 ounces of roasted beans at a time, and would also put the beans into an Airscape or similar canister immediately after opening a new bag. Good luck.

[Ivanhoe]

From my experience, once you have the main variables locked down, brewing a delicious cup of coffee can be achieved with most methods.

1. Buy fresh roasted (within 1-2 months) coffee beans. I personally prefer coffee roasted on the lighter side, since the darker you roast, the more you lose in flavor.

2. Grind your coffee beans before brewing. I personally think this is the most important variable. If you don’t have access to a decently good quality grinder, just buy pre ground from the roaster.

3. Use clean filtered water.

4. Once you have all the above set, you can get a really good cup with almost any brew method. French press, pour over, aeropress, etc.. I would avoid using a cheap coffee machine like a Mr. Coffee, simply because they a. Do not heat up to the right temperature to properly extract the coffee and b. The water spout never saturates the coffee properly and leaves too many dry pockets.

Depending on your budget you can get a high quality hand grinder and something like an aeropress for $200-$300.

Of course this is just all of my opinion and you should drink whatever and however you enjoy!

Do you have any recommendations for beans? It sounds like you like your coffee like I do.
I have been buying Fresh Roasted Coffee, Brazil Minas Gerais, 2 lb (32 oz), Light Roast, Kosher, Whole Bean and enjoy it, but feel like I can jump down the rabbit hole further.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q75Y6B1?re ... asin_title

I like low acidic and use cream and sugar.

For my setup, I have:
Aeropress w/Fellow Prismo
Kingrinder P2 (which I will likley upgrade this year and pass it along to someone else. Even though it is fine, I will enjoy enhancing my process)
Hoffman brew method (3 minutes total, stir after 2 min, wait 30 more seconds, press for 30 seconds)
Fresh Roasted Coffee beans

Would highly recommend the setup for people dipping their toes in the water. Cheap and easy to use. Have no plans to change from Aeropress.

Great set up! As for recommendations I find Guatemalan beans have generally be less acidic, but can still retain its flavor and characteristics when roasted light (which is what I prefer). I’ve recommended S&W Craft Roasting on here before and I think it’s a great place to start. Really fantastic quality beans that you will find at other third wave rosters for half of the price (They don’t have a storefront or fancy site or bag designs so they can keep costs low). I recommend getting the three bean sampler and trying whatever sounds good to you. The Guatemalans are one of my favorite..Feel free to message the owner on there, he is quick to respond and very helpful/knowledgable.

Also, even though I haven’t ordered from there in a while, I remembered George Howell being good.

[houseofnine]

I used to be a Chemex devotee, but have moved on to an espresso machine. As many have said, bean and grinder quality are crucial. Unfortunately there are many “necessary” accessories required to get a really nice shot/espresso drink. Still worth it IMHO and I’m enjoying the journey.

[eri]

I spray one squirt of water on the beans after I dump them into the Kingrinder (prior to grinding). Static electricity problem solved.
Here is the spritzer I use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TL ... UTF8&psc=1

Yup, that sounds accurate! I use 12g of beans and it takes about 20 or seconds I assume. I like the "process", so I am not rushing or timing myself.

Thanks, C-man23! I tried the knife trick this morning and it helped a lot.

Other thing that works is to sprinkle a few drops of water on the beans before you put them in the grinder.

[KlangFool]

Those who only make nice coffee on the weekends are going to have a problem with keeping the coffee fresh. I get freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks, because it really matters in terms of taste. I certainly wouldn't buy more than 12 ounces of roasted beans at a time, and would also put the beans into an Airscape or similar canister immediately after opening a new bag. Good luck.

A) I only drink one or two cups of coffee per day.

B) My coffee bean are freshly roasted with my $2,000 coffee bean roaster that roast 100g coffee at a time. It took about 10 minutes to roast 100g of coffee beans.

"I get freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks, because it really matters in terms of taste. "

C) That is not freshly roasted enough for me. I prefer 3 to 5 days after roasting.

KlangFool

[Padlin]

I like to have 1 cup of coffee only on weekend days, so I am going to order a Chemex 3 cup coffee maker. I'd like a high quality manual burr grinder, any recommendations?

I have a couple manual, I like the Handground, that’s the name of it.

[TravellingTechOnFire]

I drank coffee from a Keurig when I was younger before realizing how bad, wasteful, and expensive it is.

I drank drip coffee for many years and enjoyed it a lot.

I drank pour over coffee for a time, and like it a lot better than drip coffee.

I drank french press coffee for a time, and like it better than pour over.

I currently drink Americanos. This is espresso with hot water added for strength similar to coffee, but much more flavorful due to how it is extracted, with a nice crema you don't get with any other brewing method. We buy freshly roasted beans and grind them fresh each morning before brewing.

I have enjoyed all the above coffees, and they get better as you go down the list. The espresso isn't the simplest way to make coffee, but fast and mediocre(pretty much all the other methods) is not my highest priority.

This is also much cheaper than Keurig, Nespresso, or coffee shops. Better and cheaper. Yes please.

[FeralCat]

Those who only make nice coffee on the weekends are going to have a problem with keeping the coffee fresh. I get freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks, because it really matters in terms of taste. I certainly wouldn't buy more than 12 ounces of roasted beans at a time, and would also put the beans into an Airscape or similar canister immediately after opening a new bag. Good luck.

A) I only drink one or two cups of coffee per day.

B) My coffee bean are freshly roasted with my $2,000 coffee bean roaster that roast 100g coffee at a time. It took about 10 minutes to roast 100g of coffee beans.

"I get freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks, because it really matters in terms of taste. "

C) That is not freshly roasted enough for me. I prefer 3 to 5 days after roasting.

KlangFool

I'm not interested in roasting my own coffee.

[mikephfl]

Aeropress, Baratza Encore grinder, decent beans. Forget the fancy recipes, over time you'll find what process creates the best coffee for you.

[KlangFool]

A) I only drink one or two cups of coffee per day.

B) My coffee bean are freshly roasted with my $2,000 coffee bean roaster that roast 100g coffee at a time. It took about 10 minutes to roast 100g of coffee beans.

"I get freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks, because it really matters in terms of taste. "

C) That is not freshly roasted enough for me. I prefer 3 to 5 days after roasting.

KlangFool

I'm not interested in roasting my own coffee.

I know. But, there is a freshness difference between freshly roasted coffee delivered every 2 weeks versus home roasted coffee.

KlangFool

[PottedPlant]

I don’t. I have a SO who makes coffee every morning.

[mike@jb]

$2k for a coffee roaster?!? I’m glad I have an unsophisticated palate!
I grind my Eight O’clock beans once a week, make two cups every morning with my cheap Krups drip brewer and hit the road.

[KlangFool]

$2k for a coffee roaster?!? I’m glad I have an unsophisticated palate!
I grind my Eight O’clock beans once a week, make two cups every morning with my cheap Krups drip brewer and hit the road.

mike@jb,

A) One of luxury of being a BH. You have the money to spend on the stuff that you love.

B) This is an upgrade from my $300 Fresh Roast SR800.

KlangFool

[Jeepergeo]

Dear friends,

We currently have a k-cup type of machine that spits out coffee in minutes. It's great for during the week and times when we're on the run. On the weekends, I would like to enjoy a better cup.

I have heard that a pour over is the way to make better coffee? What do I need to get started? It sounds like I would need a bean grinder, a kitchen scale, a timer, goose-neck kettle, and a dripper (e.g., Kalita Wave). Any particular brands/recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

I use great coffee, home ground beans, and a Keurig brewer with refillable pods. Works great.

For coffee, I like Dog & Gun (Austrailia), specificaly their Death Punch coffee. Shipping is expensive, so email them to maximize shipping value (no free space in your box).

[Catalina25]

$2k for a coffee roaster?!? I’m glad I have an unsophisticated palate!
I grind my Eight O’clock beans once a week, make two cups every morning with my cheap Krups drip brewer and hit the road.

If you have an unsophisticated palate, why bother grinding beans at all? Just buy ground coffee.

[lazydavid]

For folks who use hand grinders, do you have issues with static electricity? A KINGrinder website video shows stirring the beans with a table knife dipped in water prior to grinding. I assume that is to reduce static electricity. Static is currently an annoyance with my electric burr grinder and I plan to try the table knife trick next time I grind.

Grounds do stick to the sides of the catch cup, but I find one or two knocks with a finger on the bottom of the upturned cup knocks >98% of them out into wherever you're trying to place them.

I spray one squirt of water on the beans after I dump them into the Kingrinder (prior to grinding). Static electricity problem solved.
Here is the spritzer I use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TL ... UTF8&psc=1

I don't recommend. Seen far too many reports of this causing the top bearing to rust, destroying the grinder.

[HighLonesome]

We have a Cusinart coffee maker that we love. Wont buy a KCup maker. Not thrilled about boiling hot water running thru cheap plastic or the millions of wasted plastic cups.

[mike@jb]

A) One of luxury of being a BH. You have the money to spend on the stuff that you love.

B) This is an upgrade from my $300 Fresh Roast SR800.

KlangFool

Sorry if i came off too judgmental - I agree with the luxury of being a BH.
I spend a lot on golf balls!

[KlangFool]

A) One of luxury of being a BH. You have the money to spend on the stuff that you love.

B) This is an upgrade from my $300 Fresh Roast SR800.

KlangFool

Sorry if i came off too judgmental - I agree with the luxury of being a BH.
I spend a lot of golf balls!

"Sorry if i came off too judgmental"

No problem.

The path to happiness is to live your own life as opposed to living someone's else expectation.

KlangFool

[Chan_va]

Drinking my pourover Hario v60 coffee as I type this. Just got back from a week in the coffee region of Colombia - if you are a coffee nerd, its a great visit. Not to mention that there is amazing hiking and scenery out there too.

[bbq&qqq]

One of the best values in the espresso world - A Breville Bambino with a Baratza Encore ESP.

It's a sub $500 ($400 if you time it right) espresso set up that makes awesome shots, americanos, lattes, etc.

[neilpilot]

$2k for a coffee roaster?!? I’m glad I have an unsophisticated palate!
I grind my Eight O’clock beans once a week, make two cups every morning with my cheap Krups drip brewer and hit the road.

If you have an unsophisticated palate, why bother grinding beans at all? Just buy ground coffee.

Just because you don’t spend $$ on an AMG, doesn’t mean you need to drive a Camry

[RJC]

OP here. I think I have all the tools (Kalita Wave, filters, burr grinder, scale/timer, gooseneck kettle).

My last question - how did you find the right beans? Just try a bunch? Is there something you would recommend to start out?

[lazydavid]

My last question - how did you find the right beans? Just try a bunch? Is there something you would recommend to start out?

Start with Sumptown HairBender. It's pretty widely available, and one of the few grocery store-sold coffees I've found that comes even close to what I roast at home.

[Ricola]

What are they using in Spain and Italy? I do see that their coffee machines have beans in them but the coffee tastes much better than anything I can get state side. Is it the beans they are using or the machine?

[WoostaGal]

OP here. I think I have all the tools (Kalita Wave, filters, burr grinder, scale/timer, gooseneck kettle).

My last question - how did you find the right beans? Just try a bunch? Is there something you would recommend to start out?

I recommend Dean's Beans. They roast the beans to order and mail out the same day. Prices are reasonable. The Deans Beans Sampler has 6 different kinds of beans to try:

https://deansbeans.com/

[protagonist]

1 Tbsp. Jot coffee concentrate (about $1 if you subscribe)
1 cup oat milk (you can use whole milk)
maple syrup to taste
touch of cinnamon

Froth it with a hand frother (price of frother < $10)

Prep time: 1 min
Cleanup (not counting washing glass): 15 sec.
Not the absolute best, but as good as or better than most iced coffee in high end coffee houses.
Good hot as well.

[BalancedJCB19]

Get a stove top Percolator like your Grandparents used. I promise you, you will never go back. I use Folgers Black Silk Coffee.