Coffee and Coffee Maker Recommendations - UPDATE!

[LyndeeLoo]

I'm sure there was a thread on coffee, but blast if I can find it. Sooo...I'm starting another one.

I have recently gotten into the habit of drinking a coffee in the mornings, especially when I've stayed up late the night before. In those cases, I will typically run to the nearest McDonalds / QuikTrip / Starbucks on my way to work to purchase a medium 'whatever they have' - black, no sugar. Trust me when I tell you that the taste varies from the "meh, I can get through it", to the "what the #$*(&#! did they put in this stuff?" and frankly I don't know if what I'm drinking is "good coffee" or not.

What I am looking for are two things. First, a recommendation on coffee brands and roasts (is that the word I'm looking for?). What I would like, I think, is something that's mellow but rich, flavorful, consistent in taste and something that's not strong and bitter. And is there such a thing as a coffee that has a touch of sweet to it?

The second thing I'm looking for is a recommendation on inexpensive coffee makers, something that a non-techie novice like me can use. Keep in mind that I've never made a cup of coffee in my life, so I'll need something simple that a not-quite awake person can operate at 4:30 in the morning.

Thanks in advance, everyone, and by the way, what's a burr press??

 

[Butlerkid]

I'm sure there are plenty of coffee connoisseurs here, but Justin really likes the Keurig coffee makers and the K cups. It's fast and simple to make one cup of coffee and the K cups are made by many manufacturers and available in many roasts and flavors. We even have a small Keurig in our RV so he can have his one cup in the morning...and at night.

Maybe it's not considered "great" coffee, but even our friends like it. (Although they buy whole beans, grind them, and do it the old fashioned way. Maybe they are just being nice when they come to dinner? LOL!)

 

[jbailey930]

My wife and I love our coffee. We prefer dark roast beans from Starbucks - Komodo, Yirgichefe, etc. We have been using the Bonavita for 5+ years. Does the optimal temp heating and has a pre-infusion for the grounds. The carafe keeps coffee warm for couple of hours without need for running electric burner/warmer.
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1...nless/dp/B00O9FO1HK?tag=roastycoffee-20&psc=1

I am sure you will get a lot of great suggestions here!

 

[Palouse]

I buy my beans from a roaster in Salt Lake City: roasted fresh, darker than some, and at my door in a day and a half. Grind it in a burr-grinder (precise and consistent small grinds) weigh the coffee, and weigh the water as I pour over using OvalWare reusable filter and carafe.
Low tech, I'm in control and I love the little ritual.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I love the little ritual

Though I don't drink coffee, I can certainly appreciate any ritual having to do with anything enjoyable.

 

[Palouse]

Though I don't drink coffee, I can certainly appreciate any ritual having to do with anything enjoyable.

And since my wife is not a coffee drinker, I am in complete control

 

[bsinc1962]

I still buy my beans from an artisan roaster back in Massachusetts. http://razzocoffee.com/
His product is consistent and not mass produced. I'm not a fan of Starbucks which tends to be too strong and bitter for my taste.

To brew it I either use:
An Aeropress https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Co...547-4d9b-b4f8-fe31bfe05040&tag=hotbike_osp-20

A pour over https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coff...e-garden&sprefix=pour+over,garden,217&sr=1-19

A Chemex pour over https://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Class...=home-garden&sprefix=chemex,garden,215&sr=1-5

Or a Drip Machine https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-EC...-garden&sprefix=drip+coffee,garden,198&sr=1-2

 

[drr1531]

What I am looking for are two things. First, a recommendation on coffee brands and roasts...

The second thing I'm looking for is a recommendation on inexpensive coffee makers, something that a non-techie novice like me can use. Keep in mind that I've never made a cup of coffee in my life, so I'll need something simple that a not-quite awake person can operate at 4:30 in the morning.

I'm sure there are plenty of coffee connoisseurs here, but Justin really likes the Keurig coffee makers and the K cups. It's fast and simple to make one cup of coffee and the K cups are made by many manufacturers and available in many roasts and flavors...

I'm not a coffee snob but over the years have spent a lot of money on exotic coffees and every known method of brewing it. Based on your description of what you're looking for I second Karen's recommendation. A Keurig machine is simple and you can purchase variety packs with several different coffees to try out. Then when you find what you like to can buy just that kind. If/as your taste for coffee starts to develop there are dozens of varieties and different roasts available in the cups/pods that work in the machine. For a cup a day coffee drinker it's really the way to go.

 

[pictureted]

The best coffee you can make is either with a French Press or a drip pot. Recently roasted (I've done my own many times) and ground with a burr grinder. Water temp no higher than 185 for my taste. That said, I never do it anymore.

I now use either the original Nespresso or the Nespresso Professional I graduated to when I had a lot of meetings at my house. You brew it cup by cup, you can buy a considerable variety of coffees (caf and de-caf) and all provide a lovely crema with excellent flavor.

Does roasting my own and brewing it carefully yield a better cup? Yup, worth it to me anymore?
Nope. Burr grinders are essential, but messy and it was time consuming, albeit a nice ritual.

 

[Palouse]

My hang up with Keurig and other pod-based machines, is the cost to "try it out". Unless you have a friend with one you can be out a whole lot of dough. And a bigger hang up, it the incredible amount of waste, pods are not recyclable, biodegradable or refillable.
Coffee grounds make a great compost, and most paper filters are biodegradable. I use a reusable (metal + membrane) filter.

 

[Mike Buckley]

And since my wife is not a coffee drinker, I am in complete control

The downside of that is that you have nobody to blame when things go wrong.

 

[pictureted]

My hang up with Keurig and other pod-based machines, is the cost to "try it out". Unless you have a friend with one you can be out a whole lot of dough. And a bigger hang up, it the incredible amount of waste, pods are not recyclable, biodegradable or refillable.
Coffee grounds make a great compost, and most paper filters are biodegradable. I use a reusable (metal + membrane) filter.

Nespresso provides bags for the used caps for recycling either back to their store or UPS. Quite a few of the stores that sell their household lines provide samples. Their lowest cost machines are around $100 when discounted. Cost per cup can be higher, but you don't waste any since it's cup by cup.

 

[Palouse]

Nespresso provides bags for the used caps for recycling either back to their store or UPS. Quite a few of the stores that sell their household lines provide samples. Their lowest cost machines are around $100 when discounted. Cost per cup can be higher, but you don't waste any since it's cup by cup.

Glad to learn this!

 

[drr1531]

My hang up with Keurig and other pod-based machines, is the cost to "try it out". Unless you have a friend with one you can be out a whole lot of dough. And a bigger hang up, it the incredible amount of waste, pods are not recyclable, biodegradable or refillable.

Keurig machines can be had for well under $100. And you don't have to use the K-cups. They come with a re-usable filter that you can fill with the grind/roast of your choice. No waste at all. Not even a paper filter to dispose of.

 

[Beagledog]

Keurig machines can be had for well under $100. And you don't have to use the K-cups. They come with a re-usable filter that you can fill with the grind/roast of your choice. No waste at all. Not even a paper filter to dispose of.

cool, I didn't know that.... Stuck inside drinking coffee made from a bag of coffee I found in the bottom of the freezer..... my nice supply of blond roast from Starbucks has been consumed. Even Georgie is complaining about the quality of the coffee.

I am using a bodhum to make my coffee... now if only I had some good beans...

cheers,
alexis and Georgie Beagle

"mom, your coffee is the best... I use it as a drain cleaner..." - Georgie Beagle

 

[jbailey930]

This is going to be a long thread!!

For taste I do prefer pour over or French press, but its super convenient to have warm coffee on hand vs. remaking cups with those processes. Maybe now that I am working from home, I will swap out processes!

 

[Beagledog]

Instant coffee or death???

Cheers,
alexis and Georgie Beagle

"so do I get all your camera gear when we only have instant left???" - Georgie Beagle

 

[Palouse]

Here you go, lots to read while you "work" at home . . .

https://thewirecutter.com/kitchen-dining/coffee/

 

[drr1531]

I buy my beans from a roaster in Salt Lake City...I love the little ritual.

For morning coffee we've always kept things simple. We just use a Mr Coffee style drip machine and national brand pre-packaged coffee. But our after dinner coffee is a whole different deal. For many years we used a high end espresso machine to brew various varieties/roasts ground fresh with a burr grinder. For a long time I ground it by hand to reduce the friction so as not to affect the roast. If you really want to get every bit of flavor from the beans try a hand ground turkish grind. Now THAT was a ritual. During one trip to Hawaii we got hooked on Kona coffee. For several years all we would drink was 100 percent Kona from a particular plantation/roaster in the little town of Capatain Cook. Hand ground as described and brewed with the espresso machine. The machine was expensive and a hassle to maintain.

Then a few years ago we rented an Air B/B for a few days in Venice, Italy. It was equipped with a Bialetti stove top espresso maker and a supply of coffee from a major Italian coffee company. We loved it. Since then that is our evening coffee of choice. Nowadays we just order the Italian coffee via Amazon pre-ground in vacuum packed "bricks". So the ritual is a little simpler. Which means that my bride will make it when I'm not up to it

 

[Palouse]

For morning coffee we've always kept things simple. We just use a Mr Coffee style drip machine and national brand pre-packaged coffee. But our after dinner coffee is a whole different deal. For many years we used a high end espresso machine to brew various varieties/roasts ground fresh with a burr grinder. For a long time I ground it by hand to reduce the friction so as not to affect the roast. If you really want to get every bit of flavor from the beans try a hand ground turkish grind. Now THAT was a ritual. During one trip to Hawaii we got hooked on Kona coffee. For several years all we would drink was 100 percent Kona from a particular plantation/roaster in the little town of Capatain Cook. Hand ground as described and brewed with the espresso machine. The machine was expensive and a hassle to maintain.

Then a few years ago we rented an Air B/B for a few days in Venice, Italy. It was equipped with a Bialetti stove top espresso maker and a supply of coffee from a major Italian coffee company. We loved it. Since then that is our evening coffee of choice. Nowadays we just order the Italian coffee via Amazon pre-ground in vacuum packed "bricks". So the ritual is a little simpler. Which means that my bride will make it when I'm not up to it

You're a man after my own making! Yup, yup, yup, tried 'em all, and still have and occasionally use them. I no longer do coffee after about 12 noon, except for the occasional espresso or Bialetti equivalent.