Coffee

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · January 29, 2009, 5:57pm

How do you make your morning cup? For years I used a chemex pot, a cheap burr grinder, and beans from Trader Joe’s. Then I got into making espresso at home-- I started with Illy pods, but the more I paid attention to flavor and aromas (as we do with wine), the less I liked the pods. I upgraded to a middle-of-the-road Solis grinder, worked on my espresso technique, and NEVER loved the shots I got out of my FrancisFrancis brushed stainless X1. I put the thing on Craigslist, and started over.

I decided that what I didn’t want to do was invest a fortune in a “serious” at-home espresso machine, so I returned to regular, brewed coffee. I messed around with my Chemex pot, a little Melitta drip-thingy, and a french press. Then I read about Aeropress on another wine site, and for $29, found a syringe-type system that makes far better coffee than I’ve ever had at home:

Then I started to try different beans. Stumptown is a local favorite, but Bob Wood suggested another Portland roaster, ZBeanz. I like both, but I prefer ZBeanz. Their Yirgacheffe is my house coffee now. In theory, I’m supposed to drink decaf, but I rarely drink more than one cup a day.

What does “coffee” mean to you? How do you make it at home, and how much do you drink?

Bob_Wood · January 29, 2009, 6:02pm

Okay, seriously . . .

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · January 29, 2009, 6:04pm

Same Cuisinart we have. We keep it in the garage and pull it out so that my mother has a dedicated device for her 12 daily cups of Folgers when she visits.

Bob_Wood · January 29, 2009, 6:16pm

I dated a woman who liked Folgers. NEXT!

Rob_MacKay · January 29, 2009, 6:28pm

I use this thing:

Works great. We’ve had it for about 3 years now and pressed ~3800 espressos in that time.

Rick_Gregory · January 29, 2009, 7:31pm

I went through the espresso/latte phase, but I love the taste and smell of coffee, not coffee flavored milk. So I went back to black coffee. I have a cheap Krups maker with a filter and it’s actually find (Coffee is not really that complex - run hot water of the right temp over grounds of the right grind… )

I’ve tried various coffees and when I remember to get it the best is Espresso Vivace which can be mail ordered. But, frankly, any well selected coffee roasted competently is fine.

mike_pobega · January 29, 2009, 7:55pm

first thing:

afternoon/after dinner:

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · January 29, 2009, 10:28pm

Mike, ditch that grinder at once. It’s a blade grinder, and it basically beats the crap out of your beans, heats them up, and leaves you with an uneven grind. Starbucks sells good burr grinders under their very own label, so next time you stop in for your beans, get a burr grinder! You will never regret it.

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · January 29, 2009, 10:28pm

But btw, I have the same bodum french press, and I like it very much.

zachary_l_a_n_g · January 30, 2009, 2:43am

I have the cuisinart listed above for the AM and evening and we have a keuring at work. Not the best tasting by any stretch but VERY convenient for a small office

Phillip_F_r_a_n_k_s · January 30, 2009, 2:46am

If you are going to use a French Press, and I do, I highly suggest you invest in one that really holds the heat. This one works very well.

Frieling French Press, comes in several sizes.

ToddFrench · January 30, 2009, 2:49am

Plus, Phil knows 100 ways to kill you, without any weapons!

If I get a French Press, I know what I’ll get now!

jan.brekke · January 30, 2009, 3:05am

I’m waiting for my Cuisinart to die, so I can upgrade.
As far as coffee beans go, I’m hooked on Alterra out of Milwaukee. Amazing coffee.
http://alterracoffeepro.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chris_Freemott · January 30, 2009, 3:12am

I drink a Sumatran that Costco is currently carrying

2 TBSP’s of coffee per 6 ounces of water

Breville Hot water pot taken to a boil then rested to 200 degrees (measured with a thermapen)

French Press Pot by Bodum

Per 12 ounces of coffee - one heavy tablespoon of heavy cream and 2 equal packets.

Thermal mug - tempered during a 3 minute 20 second soak by the remaining hot water from my pot.

Not that I’m picky about my coffee

zachary_l_a_n_g · January 30, 2009, 4:14am

Wow…that’s some project…I have no patience in the morning for that , but will gladly share a cup of yours when i come to Chicago

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · January 30, 2009, 5:18am

YOU are the perfect aeropress candidate. Very similar, but I brew at about 180 and the extraction time is 10-15 seconds instead of four minutes. It’s what Alton Brown would do.

ToddFrench · January 30, 2009, 5:27am

M_M_c_C_a_l_l · January 30, 2009, 5:58am

Don’t make me start that “thousand things you can do to Todd’s name” thread.

Dave_Morris · January 30, 2009, 6:06pm

Same Cuisinart at home - Costco’s Kirkland brand (I think anyway) coffee beans ground daily with our Kitchenaid grinder (metal grinder I believe!). I’m not 100% sure about the beans any more because the coffee is already made in the morning when I get downstairs and my wife dumps the whole bag of beans in some airtight container and tosses the bag it came in (had to justify my ignorance, sorry for the rambling).

I just got a personal Keurig for my office b/c the coffee in the office kitchen is not very good.

Mark.Ricca · January 30, 2009, 6:39pm

I’m pretty much straight outta Pobega’s camp. I’ve been using the same Braun blade grinder and Bodum 8 cup press for about 21 years. Beans come from Unique Coffee Roasters on Staten Island (I believe) and I use Kenya AA. We added a 12 cup Melior pot a few years back and I have a thermos carafe where the coffee goes straight away after pressing. (the 12 cup only, the 8 cup doesn’t get the chance to get cold). I have looked at burr grinders but I always come back to the question: “If it ain’t broke, why fixit?”.