Official Coffee Thread
- Thread starter chicken
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Laurent.
Active member
Good, that's cheaper.
There are countless options, but here are a few well know, well discussed and proven solutions.
Be reminded that coffee is a world of heated debate, but without further ado:
The Bialetti Moka express, 80+ years old, but still an excellent solution and they last forever.
The French press, 1. get a Bodum, 2. get a timer. Also an old and excellent solution and dirt cheap.
The Aerobie® AeroPress®, I know the branding and look is reminiscent of a cheap tell sell product but it works, very well if you put in the effort.
Dripper: Hario V60, want to go fancy? Get the entire drip station, cheap? Just get the dripper. Can be finicky.
For the Bialetti you need a stovetop, for the others all you need is hot water, which you can get in any manner you prefer but (and especially so for the pour over) I recommend getting a kettle (electric or stovetop) with a long - let's call it a swan neck - spout, for more accuracy and better pours.
Again Hario also makes these.
For all you will need a grinder, grinder's might - very arguably - actually the most important thing.
I'm just going to highlight two but this is the most debated category by far:
Manual:
The Hario Skerton: Again Hario, they make great products and this hand grinder is definitely one of them.
Powered:
The Bodum Bistro Burr grinder: It's a bit left of field, available in cheerful colours and relatively cheap. The grind doesn't go fine enough for Espresso but it's pretty darn consistent for a rougher grind.
There are countless options, but here are a few well know, well discussed and proven solutions.
Be reminded that coffee is a world of heated debate, but without further ado:
The Bialetti Moka express, 80+ years old, but still an excellent solution and they last forever.
The French press, 1. get a Bodum, 2. get a timer. Also an old and excellent solution and dirt cheap.
The Aerobie® AeroPress®, I know the branding and look is reminiscent of a cheap tell sell product but it works, very well if you put in the effort.
Dripper: Hario V60, want to go fancy? Get the entire drip station, cheap? Just get the dripper. Can be finicky.
For the Bialetti you need a stovetop, for the others all you need is hot water, which you can get in any manner you prefer but (and especially so for the pour over) I recommend getting a kettle (electric or stovetop) with a long - let's call it a swan neck - spout, for more accuracy and better pours.
Again Hario also makes these.
For all you will need a grinder, grinder's might - very arguably - actually the most important thing.
I'm just going to highlight two but this is the most debated category by far:
Manual:
The Hario Skerton: Again Hario, they make great products and this hand grinder is definitely one of them.
Powered:
The Bodum Bistro Burr grinder: It's a bit left of field, available in cheerful colours and relatively cheap. The grind doesn't go fine enough for Espresso but it's pretty darn consistent for a rougher grind.
Microcosm
Active member
Solid reply above me from omnidata, and I'm not going to try to compete, just adding more.
I primarily use a french press.
I have a Hario hand grinder similar to the one omnidata posted above. These are great and consistent. BUT some days (okay a lot of days) you just don't feel like grinding for a minute or so first thing in the morning. I like my coffee good yet quick.
Again if you're like me you're not rolling in dough and would rather spend your money on better beans. So I have one of those cheap blade grinders you can probably find all over the place. Not too expensive at all. Like omnidata said this is debatable and I'm sure some will be angry at me for my grinder choice. Whatever.
I'd recommend a cheap scale if you go with the press.
You may already have one, this is the one I have and it's 8 bucks. Does the job.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weig...LS/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1391640174&sr=8-10
It helps you keep a consistent usage of beans every time and takes out all the guess work.
I start with ~30 g of beans to a 1/2 liter of water. Truth be told I rarely am 100% accurate in how much water I use, although my kettle has clearly marked 1/4 liter increments so this is possible to do.
This scales to ~60 g of beans for a 1 liter french press and is not a bad starting point.
So grind em up however and throw em in your press..
You want to keep your water at around 195 F to 205 F. You can measure temp with a cheap thermometer, but it really depends how serious you want to be. (Keeping in mind the temperature will be dropping while you're measuring and pouring, making this a slightly less than precise process at times.)
As a beginner I would go with the simple wait a moment following the boil, then pour. I used to pour very close to straight off the boil, but more recently bought a kettle that will heat to 200 F and stop. If you do a regular boil, don't wait too long. It will drop from 212 F quickly.
From thereon I start a countdown from 4 minutes, pour the water over the beans, immediately stir a bunch with a wooden chopstick, and put the press top on.
Four minutes later I press and immediately pour all the contents into my cup. Good shit.
I primarily use a french press.
I have a Hario hand grinder similar to the one omnidata posted above. These are great and consistent. BUT some days (okay a lot of days) you just don't feel like grinding for a minute or so first thing in the morning. I like my coffee good yet quick.
Again if you're like me you're not rolling in dough and would rather spend your money on better beans. So I have one of those cheap blade grinders you can probably find all over the place. Not too expensive at all. Like omnidata said this is debatable and I'm sure some will be angry at me for my grinder choice. Whatever.
I'd recommend a cheap scale if you go with the press.
You may already have one, this is the one I have and it's 8 bucks. Does the job.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weig...LS/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1391640174&sr=8-10
It helps you keep a consistent usage of beans every time and takes out all the guess work.
I start with ~30 g of beans to a 1/2 liter of water. Truth be told I rarely am 100% accurate in how much water I use, although my kettle has clearly marked 1/4 liter increments so this is possible to do.
This scales to ~60 g of beans for a 1 liter french press and is not a bad starting point.
So grind em up however and throw em in your press..
You want to keep your water at around 195 F to 205 F. You can measure temp with a cheap thermometer, but it really depends how serious you want to be. (Keeping in mind the temperature will be dropping while you're measuring and pouring, making this a slightly less than precise process at times.)
As a beginner I would go with the simple wait a moment following the boil, then pour. I used to pour very close to straight off the boil, but more recently bought a kettle that will heat to 200 F and stop. If you do a regular boil, don't wait too long. It will drop from 212 F quickly.
From thereon I start a countdown from 4 minutes, pour the water over the beans, immediately stir a bunch with a wooden chopstick, and put the press top on.
Four minutes later I press and immediately pour all the contents into my cup. Good shit.
OregonDead
Active member
^No need to get so fancy with the French Press. I've been using the French Press for about 14 years. I used to carefully measure my beans, time and stir but it really doesn't matter that much. Now I just eyeball the beans in my grinder and I don't bother timing it at all. Instead of stirring I just make sure that the hot water hits all of my coffee when I pour. Personally I like the Rogers SanFrancisco rain forest beans because the 3 pound bag is a good deal at Costco. I like to drink it early and often.
notspoicey
Active member
i throw some starbucks breakfast blend in my keurig whacu knooooooooo
DIPED_IN_SAUCE
Member
987321654hgfd
Active member
Thanks to this post I just bought 2 of these and 2 of the hand grinders. Perfect Valentine's day gift for my girlfriend.
987321654hgfd
Active member
Hahaha you definitely deserve it. Now another question. The Moka vs a French press. What do you prefer? Is the hand grinder take a lot of effort to get a fine grind and how fine should you go with the moka?
Laurent.
Active member
I never use my hand grinder for the Bialetti, I just dial the Mazzer down, to sort of fine but not fine enough for espresso. Grind should be fine, but not so fine that you are cranking for an absurdly long time.
There are tons of brewing methods for the Bialetti, it takes some trial and error and there isn't much consensus apart from the fact that if you get it right, oh boy do you get it right.
I mostly use the French Press because I like pushing the rod down. (Not even joking) and because my French press is so much larger then my mini Bialetti.
There are tons of brewing methods for the Bialetti, it takes some trial and error and there isn't much consensus apart from the fact that if you get it right, oh boy do you get it right.
I mostly use the French Press because I like pushing the rod down. (Not even joking) and because my French press is so much larger then my mini Bialetti.
Randy_Quench
Active member
I love this thread.
I'm feeling teased though! I've had to slow my coffee intake down for the time being.. can't be having all that caffeine with my recent injury. Don't wanna bust the clot off my spleen and start bleeding internally again haha.
inb4 decaf. fuck you, that shit ain't the same.
I'm feeling teased though! I've had to slow my coffee intake down for the time being.. can't be having all that caffeine with my recent injury. Don't wanna bust the clot off my spleen and start bleeding internally again haha.
inb4 decaf. fuck you, that shit ain't the same.
chicken
Active member
it's not. but you can still get pretty good decafs. I buy 500g bags of it and it lasts me about as long 2kg of regular beans. Mind you most of the time I make it I am sharing with company after dinner, so my ratio is probably more like 1:10 ish.
It's never going to be as good as the real deal, but still worth talking about, because you can still make a pretty good cup of decaf coffee.
I have made decaf coffees in a french press and still been able to see lots of oil on the top of the cup. It bloomed reall nice as well. I think they used swiss water.
Once we can genetically modify coffee to be naturally caffeine free, I think that it will be on par with real stuff (for the taste at least haha)
It's never going to be as good as the real deal, but still worth talking about, because you can still make a pretty good cup of decaf coffee.
I have made decaf coffees in a french press and still been able to see lots of oil on the top of the cup. It bloomed reall nice as well. I think they used swiss water.
Once we can genetically modify coffee to be naturally caffeine free, I think that it will be on par with real stuff (for the taste at least haha)
chicken
Active member
you could have a $1500 espresso setup and if you didn't have good beans, a french press would make better coffee.
get locally roasted coffee. There are some "bigger" brands that might be in your region, like in BC we have kicking horse which is not bad, but it's not as good as the stuff you can buy at farmers market/local coffee roasters.
what are you using to grind your beans?
get locally roasted coffee. There are some "bigger" brands that might be in your region, like in BC we have kicking horse which is not bad, but it's not as good as the stuff you can buy at farmers market/local coffee roasters.
what are you using to grind your beans?
louie.mirags
Active member
Fuck cream these days. Teaspoon on coconut oil is SLAMMING in coffee. Highly recommend trying it!
louie.mirags
Active member
Seriously it's bomb. I got the idea from "bulletproof coffee" which is coconut oil (or met oil) with grassfed butter for breakfast. I'd explain but the man behind it has so much content on it..
http://www.bulletproofexec.com/how-to-make-your-coffee-bulletproof-and-your-morning-too/
I needed more protein intake so I stopped making my coffee fully "bulletproof" and now just a splash of coconut oil.
http://www.bulletproofexec.com/how-to-make-your-coffee-bulletproof-and-your-morning-too/
I needed more protein intake so I stopped making my coffee fully "bulletproof" and now just a splash of coconut oil.
louie.mirags
Active member
Too many mistakes on mobile. I meant MCT oil not met oil.
Mama.
Active member
Ohhh I suppose I should join this thread.
My favorite method lately is the Aeropress. It's fucking delicious and almost effortless as far as prep and clean up. However, french press usually takes the cake, because it's easier and quicker to make a big pot of coffee at once. And espresso. I need a goddamn espresso machine.
What's everyones opinion on the chemex? I want one for coffee nerdery, but I'm not sure I need it.
My favorite method lately is the Aeropress. It's fucking delicious and almost effortless as far as prep and clean up. However, french press usually takes the cake, because it's easier and quicker to make a big pot of coffee at once. And espresso. I need a goddamn espresso machine.
What's everyones opinion on the chemex? I want one for coffee nerdery, but I'm not sure I need it.
chicken
Active member
I just tried it, and i'm seriously impressed. I never add anything to my coffee (except booze sometimes). I never liked cream & sugar, and those flavour shots just look nasty to me. I will definitely change it up with coconut oil once in a while now though.
Coconut oil is really good for you, especially good for people like me who need more (healthy) fats. I don't see why you would use it for protein though. As far as I know coconut oil is pure fat. However it's a way healthier fat than butter! (and butter is not a good protein source either).
Coconut oil is really good for you, especially good for people like me who need more (healthy) fats. I don't see why you would use it for protein though. As far as I know coconut oil is pure fat. However it's a way healthier fat than butter! (and butter is not a good protein source either).
louie.mirags
Active member
Word man glad you liked it. What I meant was i needed more protein for breakfast so i stopped drinking the full on bulletproof coffee and switched to a different breakfast. Now i just use some coconut to flavor my coffee. It's not so much the flavor though, I dig the consistency of it..
chicken
Active member
haha. classic coffee post.
My parents bought an aeropress to use when they go on motorcycle tours and they liked it so much that they gave me their espresso machine.
It's not a good one obviously. I think it's the model below, but it certainly shows that the aeropress can make better coffee than a $300 entry-level espresso machine.
My parents bought an aeropress to use when they go on motorcycle tours and they liked it so much that they gave me their espresso machine.
It's not a good one obviously. I think it's the model below, but it certainly shows that the aeropress can make better coffee than a $300 entry-level espresso machine.
Randy_Quench
Active member
currently sipping on some luke warm maxwell house brewed in a dirty old coffee brewer..
louie.mirags
Active member
sipping on some Green Mountain Breakfast blend with a teaspoon of coconut oil... amazing
987321654hgfd
Active member
Just made a cup of this. It's been my favorite for a while now.
Aaaron.
Active member
green beans are easy. sweet marias. i source through a local roastery though, they are really chill about it.
it's pretty hard to get a good roast though, still profiling this costa rican green bean, trying to get it on the medium side of light. The Behmor is an amazing machine, it gets you a lot of control over the process, it just takes a lot of trial and error to get the process right
it's pretty hard to get a good roast though, still profiling this costa rican green bean, trying to get it on the medium side of light. The Behmor is an amazing machine, it gets you a lot of control over the process, it just takes a lot of trial and error to get the process right
DIPED_IN_SAUCE
Member
My mom just got me one of these:
It's in the fridge now, I'll tell y'all what I think tomorrow, super excited. Unfortunately the directions where all in Japanese, so I just threw a scoop and a half of espresso roast, and some water, without measuring. we shall see how it turns out.
It's in the fridge now, I'll tell y'all what I think tomorrow, super excited. Unfortunately the directions where all in Japanese, so I just threw a scoop and a half of espresso roast, and some water, without measuring. we shall see how it turns out.
lorida
Active member
Ah, coffee. My favorite beverage, even over alcoholic ones.
My favorite preparation method is using my Bialetti stovetop espresso/moka maker, used with good beans. Typically, I source my beans (and tea!) from here: www.socialcoffee.com . If not, Montreal has some decent roasters, but their consistency is iffy at times .
As I live in Canada, $25 spent at Social gets me free shipping. That's two 12oz bags, which lasts me about a month or so. I order Monday morning, they roast Monday, I get my order Wednesday. It's a spectacular system, and quality coffee. $35 gets free shipping to the USA.
If I'm not using the Bialetti, I'll use my espresso machine...however, when I'm suited up & ready for work, I'd rather not start playing with the grinder, tamper, and so on.
My favorite preparation method is using my Bialetti stovetop espresso/moka maker, used with good beans. Typically, I source my beans (and tea!) from here: www.socialcoffee.com . If not, Montreal has some decent roasters, but their consistency is iffy at times .
As I live in Canada, $25 spent at Social gets me free shipping. That's two 12oz bags, which lasts me about a month or so. I order Monday morning, they roast Monday, I get my order Wednesday. It's a spectacular system, and quality coffee. $35 gets free shipping to the USA.
If I'm not using the Bialetti, I'll use my espresso machine...however, when I'm suited up & ready for work, I'd rather not start playing with the grinder, tamper, and so on.
DIPED_IN_SAUCE
Member
It's pretty damn good. Definitely smoother then mason jar, and much easier. cleaning the filter isn't too bad but not great either.
987321654hgfd
Active member
The Easter bunny dropped this off to me this morning.
_DUSTY_
Active member
454 Horsepower from Kicking Horse Coffee Company is easily my favourite in the morning. I'm currently using a chop grinder which really isn't ideal however not much I can do about it as a poor uni student.
With finals right now I'm going through at least three mugs a day, making a fresh cup is certainly a good study break.
With finals right now I'm going through at least three mugs a day, making a fresh cup is certainly a good study break.