Coffee maker

[saintsfanbrian]

Brewing a simply perfect cup of Joe can be perfectly simple, if you stick to some basic guidelines:

Buy quality whole beans from a reliable purveyor (preferably a roaster). If you don't have a grinder at home, ask a salesperson to grind whole beans for you rather than settling for pre-ground.

Purchasing bulk (unpackaged) beans from a specialty shop is okay as long as the bins or jars are relatively small and refilled regularly. Large vats hold a lot of beans and therefore don't need frequent filling. That means that beans can hang around for a long time being exposed to light and air. That can mean stale beans, and staleness is not a desirable attribute.

Purchase pre-packaged whole beans only when sealed in a foil-style bag featuring a one-way valve. The dime-shaped plastic valve is usually integrated into the packaging so that it will be as unobtrusive as possible, so check carefully. The absence of a valve means that the coffee probably sat and "gassed out" before it was packaged. That means it could be stale. Stale, again, is not a good thing. And remember: paper bags with twist tops are temporary transportation vessels, not storage devices.

Try to purchase only a week's worth of beans at a time. If you live where this is impractical, purchase several small sealed packages rather than one large one. Unopened one-way valve bags will keep coffee fresh for approximately three months. If you buy bulk coffee (not sealed with one-way valves) in large amounts, divide into weekly batches, seal in Mason-style jars and freeze. Transfer these small batches to counter top storage as needed (see below) .

Store opened or bulk coffee in an airtight, opaque container and store at room temperature for up to a week.

Grind coffee as close to brewing time as possible. For drip method, grind in blade style grinder for 15 to 20 seconds. For French presses, grind for only 10 to 12 seconds.

Regardless of method, brew using 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee for each 6 ounces of clean (filtered or bottled), cool water. If you prefer a milder cup, brew to full strength, and then dilute with hot water. Brewing with too little coffee will result in over-extraction, and that means bitterness.

If you really want to taste the subtle nuances of regional coffees, consider a gold mesh filter.

When purchasing a coffee maker (either manual or electric), look for a model that brews into a thermal carafe rather than a glass pot designed to sit on a heating element. Continuous heating of coffee leads to bitterness.

Quality decaffeinated coffees usually cost more than regular beans.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_10020,00.html

This guy usually has good food. I have tried many of his recipes and so far haven't found a bad one.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

Slightly OT, but something you CAN do with that coffee pot.....

http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/235coffee.html

[Marswolf]

You should never freeze your beans as it will dehydrate them. Keep them in cool, dark place in an airtight container until ready to grind.

Well, you don't just throw them loose into your freezer.

You need to put them into something that is tightly sealed. The trick is to not let the oils oxidize, which starts happening about 15 seconds after you roast the beans.

The most foo-foo coffee beans I have in stock right now are from Godiva. Cost is currently $12.50 for 10 ounces. Not great stuff, but better than most.

They say:

STORAGE

Tightly secure the resealable closure and store in the freezer to ensure coffee of exceptional quality cup after cup.

Anything that reduces the oxygen content or molecular motion will help. Here's a site with a good overview. http://www.ineedcoffee.com/99/07/storage/

Did you melt the tip of an arctic glacier in order to get your water too? Or maybe go out to one of the clear mountain springs in your area.

I had Al Gore bring me core samples from Antarctic glaciers.

[Sean]

I just keep the beans in their bag and they are in the freezer. I guess thye are dryed out, huh? We dont drink coffee at the house much. I only have a cup on cold days at work, while im wating on the truck to warm up.

[The Rabbi]

Pikers.

I personally fly to Jamaica and climb up the Blue Mountain to the highest point. I verify this via GPS.

Then I hand-select the beans at their ripest. I bring them home in a temperature-controlled pouch. I roast them slowly using the latest in scientific equipment to measure progress. The I grind them using blades made from AU6 steel because 4140 just doesn't taste right.

I brew the coffee with triple-distilled water that came from melted glaciers that formed 1M years ago. The temperature is monitored until it is exactly 100C. It is filtered through silk parachute material. I dont pour it in a cup but use a glass straw so none of it gets cool or acquires an off taste.

And I do this every morning because I am just so *******ed sophisticated.

[Guest DrBoomBoom]

Just boil you a cup of cowboy coffee. You put the grounds in the pot, put water in the pot, then boil the water. After it's boiled a few hours, you pour the coffee through a new pair of jeans, it strains the grounds and helps break in the jeans. Save the grounds, they should be good for a few pots, then you can use them in your brass tumbler. When you're done, don't wash out the pot, but leave some grounds in it to "season" it. Yum, yum.

Then transfer it to one of these to keep it hot.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BODUM-ELECTRIC-COFFEE-or-TEA-CARAFE-5-cup-HEAT-BASE_W0QQitemZ230208339013QQihZ013QQcategoryZ38254QQcmdZViewItem

[Marswolf]

And you can bring back some herb to pay for the trip!

[Guest canynracer]

you can find a good perkalator (sp?) at a thrift store, goodwill...

[Guest Steelharp]

Guys... I had a coffee discussion at a gig tonight with Dane Bryant, Clint Black's keyboard player. He said the French Press method is the worst possible for your health. Let me explain. His family has zero cholesterol history problems. His jumped up to 300. His doctor tried to figure out what it was, because Dane has always eaten properly. The culprit was found to be the oil from the beans at his frequent Starbucks stops. He quit that, and he was normal in 30 days. Apparently they use the press process for a great deal of their products. Just fyi...

[saintsfanbrian]

Wifes grandmother has the kind you put on the stove and let it go. Might have to dig that one out next time we are over there.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

I use hand selected, perfectly ripe beans. Roasted to perfection. Brewed through a proprietary process. And then turned into instant coffee..... well, Folgers actually does most of the work....

[molonlabetn]

I just eat the coffee beans.

[Guest triggertime]

Guys... I had a coffee discussion at a gig tonight with Dane Bryant, Clint Black's keyboard player. He said the French Press method is the worst possible for your health. Let me explain. His family has zero cholesterol history problems. His jumped up to 300. His doctor tried to figure out what it was, because Dane has always eaten properly. The culprit was found to be the oil from the beans at his frequent Starbucks stops. He quit that, and he was normal in 30 days. Apparently they use the press process for a great deal of their products. Just fyi...

Mikey.... all coffee, no matter how its brewed, contains chlorogenic acid

and caffeol which raise homocysteine levels in the blood. Too much homocysteine raises cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

A french press extracts more of those acids from the coffee than the typical drip or perc method. Bottom line, If you have a problem with high cholesterol or blood pressure, then you should stop drinking coffee altogether.

[Guest db99wj]

Mikey.... all coffee, no matter how its brewed, contains chlorogenic acid

and caffeol which raise homocysteine levels in the blood. Too much homocysteine raises cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

A french press extracts more of those acids from the coffee than the typical drip or perc method. Bottom line, If you have a problem with high cholesterol or blood pressure, then you should stop drinking coffee altogether.

Hmmm, that is interesting (as I just finished my 2nd cup, getting ready to go get my 3rd cup)

[Marswolf]

Personally I dislike the French press because it's called French and is thus snooty and affectatious.

Everything is bad for your health. Screw it and enjoy yourself. You want another 60 years of deprivation or 30 years of joy and pleasure?

[The Rabbi]

Personally I dislike the French press because it's called French and is thus snooty and affectatious.

I'd hate to hear your opinions on a French letter.

[Guest flyfishtn]

A friend of mine owns this shop in Indiana and sells beans online. I keep stock on hand all the time.

If would you like to try any, let me know and I can send a sample of what I have. Very good beans.

http://www.killerbeans.com/site/home.html

[Marswolf]

I'd hate to hear your opinions on a French letter.

A French letter, or better known to us 1800s folks as a French Envelope is a only a matter of private intrigue.

(We're talking about rubbers folks. Penile sheaths, condoms.)

[Guest canynracer]

Mikey.... all coffee, no matter how its brewed, contains chlorogenic acid

and caffeol which raise homocysteine levels in the blood. Too much homocysteine raises cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

A french press extracts more of those acids from the coffee than the typical drip or perc method. Bottom line, If you have a problem with high cholesterol or blood pressure, then you should stop drinking coffee altogether.

you were Lewis on "Revenge of the Nerds" huh??? LOL

damn...

[Guest abailey362]

I don't drink coffee, but my wife does daily and I got her a Kitchenaid drip machine from work over a year ago and it's still going strong and is hot as hell.

http://www.hhgregg.com/ProductDetail.asp?SID=199B4BD6EFF447FB8A51249C692E88CE&ProductID=18913

I use a cheapie GE from walmart, cost like $30, for meetings. It makes about 45 cups and only uses the plastic filter at the top, but is scalding. If you drink a lot of coffee, I think it can make as little as 12 cups.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2178369

[Guest Hyaloid]

www.bocajava.com = Yummy goodness

[ZenDog]

How about a $250 coffee maker? It is made in Holland. My son-in-law is a coffee gourmet/snob and he thinks these brew the best coffee hands-down. To each his own.

http://sweetmarias.com/prod.technivorm.shtml

[Guest jcoyle6]

did I hear someone say starbucks?

(clears throat and coughs)

[Marswolf]

ABC had a story on the news tonight about McDonald's getting into the coffee business and taking on Starbucks. They had some coffee snob on who finally admitted he liked the latte at the golden crotches better.

[Guest Steelharp]

golden crotches

Oh, man... the visual with that was difficult to deal with!