Coffee Pot Rant!

[MacGyver]

I'm a Chemex guy.  Grind right before I brew... boil the water in a sauce pan and pour with a pyrex.  ... No need to buy a grinder right away...you can grind at the store where you buy it...  

 

- fairly coarse grind in the chemex brings wonderful things.  smoooooooooth.  no beeps.  no plastics - takes maybe 10 minutes... (that includes doing other things while the water boils).  I like the ritual in the morning... it is calming - if a bit artful.

 

I still drink Starbucks coffee, black - when I have a meeting there (worst coffee in town), but the Chemex and grinder have turned me into a coffee snob.  

 

 

Good luck with your journeys.  

Resist the urge to get a grinder until you can get a good burr grinder.  I got pretty geeky about my methods for a while, and grinding it right before you brew it prevents a lot of oxidation.  It really did change the whole cup.

 

With three kids, I've got plenty of routine in the morning.  I generally set the water to boil as I'm making lunches.  By the time I'm done, so is the water.

 

I'm also the only coffee drinker in the house, so once I leave, the rest of a pot would be wasted.

 

Oddly, Fresh Market has become my goto place for coffee beans.  I look for the freshest beans available, and they usually have some that have been roasted in the last week or so.  Along with a burr grinder, freshness seems to be a big contributor to a good cup.  Most of the bagged beans that Fresh Market has have a six-month use by date, so it's easy to figure out when they were roasted.

[Ted S.]

I don't think my french press beeps, but I have been wrong before...

[RC3]

How can you guys stand coffee? Vile treacherous substance. I see more people dependent on it than drugs. 

[Raoul]

Resist the urge to get a grinder until you can get a good burr grinder.  I got pretty geeky about my methods for a while, and grinding it right before you brew it prevents a lot of oxidation.  It really did change the whole cup.

 

With three kids, I've got plenty of routine in the morning.  I generally set the water to boil as I'm making lunches.  By the time I'm done, so is the water.

 

I'm also the only coffee drinker in the house, so once I leave, the rest of a pot would be wasted.

 

Oddly, Fresh Market has become my goto place for coffee beans.  I look for the freshest beans available, and they usually have some that have been roasted in the last week or so.  Along with a burr grinder, freshness seems to be a big contributor to a good cup.  Most of the bagged beans that Fresh Market has have a six-month use by date, so it's easy to figure out when they were roasted.

 

New Harvest Coffee.

I've sourced coffee for years and these guys are one of the best.

I only buy 10 pounds at a time and when it arrives i separate it into 1.5lb packages and Food Saver it and put it in the freezer.

It will stay "fresh" for about 90 days before it begins to lose it's edge.

[Raoul]

How can you guys stand coffee? Vile treacherous substance. I see more people dependent on it than drugs. 

Are you a morning soda guy?

[MacGyver]

You French press guys should try an AeroPress.

 

http://coffeegeek.com/resources/noteworthy/aerobie

 

Several folks I know swear it's hands down the best cup of coffee they've ever had.  I keep meaning to pick one up, but my pour over filter seems to fit my needs okay.

 

Oddly, it was invented by the same guy who made the Aerobie. 

[BigK]

Resist the urge to get a grinder until you can get a good burr grinder.  I got pretty geeky about my methods for a while, and grinding it right before you brew it prevents a lot of oxidation.  It really did change the whole cup.

 

With three kids, I've got plenty of routine in the morning.  I generally set the water to boil as I'm making lunches.  By the time I'm done, so is the water.

 

I'm also the only coffee drinker in the house, so once I leave, the rest of a pot would be wasted.

 

Oddly, Fresh Market has become my goto place for coffee beans.  I look for the freshest beans available, and they usually have some that have been roasted in the last week or so.  Along with a burr grinder, freshness seems to be a big contributor to a good cup.  Most of the bagged beans that Fresh Market has have a six-month use by date, so it's easy to figure out when they were roasted.

 

I don't think I've ever seen a Fresh Market in my neck of the woods.

 

There's a place over in M'boro called Just Love Coffee that roasts beans in house. I love that my coffee is never more than a week or so past when it was roasted.

 

Another good place that roasts the beans before they ship is CappoJim.com. I've tried several of their beans and been damn impressed. If you use coupon code: jimbeans on a $25 order, you get 10% off.

[ls3_kid]

There is a time and place for decaf coffee.  Never and in the trash.

[tartanphantom]

There is a time and place for decaf coffee.  Never and in the trash.

 

Very well said.

[Oh Shoot]

... I see more people dependent on it than drugs. 

 

Admittedly so here. Ironic that the nation became so dependent on two beverages that aren't even grown here to speak of, coffee and tea. (yeah, I know, Hawaii is exception, but only recently in history).

 

'Course the coca plant and opium poppy aren't either. :)

 

- OS

Edited April 25, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[broox]

To be clear, I usually drink beer that comes in a 24 ounce can.  I desire about the same level of quality in my coffee. 

[Spiffy]

The beep is the Angels calling that your coffee is ready.

[peejman]

I really studied the coffee pot to see if I thought I could, I am afraid too much of it is just plastic pressed together.

 

 

Usually there's a handful of small phillips head screws holding those things together.  It's usually not too hard to get them apart, but then I like taking stuff apart. 

 

Here's an alternative.... there must be a hole where the sound exits.  Get a drill and a bit slightly smaller than the hole.  Go until the beeping stops. 

[MacGyver]

I don't think I've ever seen a Fresh Market in my neck of the woods.

 

There's a place over in M'boro called Just Love Coffee that roasts beans in house. I love that my coffee is never more than a week or so past when it was roasted.

 

Another good place that roasts the beans before they ship is CappoJim.com. I've tried several of their beans and been damn impressed. If you use coupon code: jimbeans on a $25 order, you get 10% off.

Yeah, Just Love is a good company.  I really like some of their stuff.

[Ted S.]

How can you guys stand coffee? Vile treacherous substance. I see more people dependent on it than drugs. 

 

 

There is a time and place for decaf coffee.  Never and in the trash.

 

"I like cappuccino, actually. But even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all." ~ David Lynch

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrO9FQ0tXkA

[QuietDan]

How can you guys stand coffee? Vile treacherous substance. I see more people dependent on it than drugs. 

 

Do you prefer rainwater and grain alcohol??

[Dustbuster]

its not too hard to take coffee makers apart,that little beeping demon will prob look like a small stack of watch batteries with a gold hole in the center. drill into the hole gently or fill it w glue and let it dry.disconnecting it may keep the pot from working due to some safety crap....french press ran by the girls wins as my best cup made! followed by genuine slow roast...

[Raoul]

I bought one of these retro Bodum 1950's vacuum pots just for fun. It probably makes the best cup of drip coffee I've had.

 

 

[cj0e]

Sounds like a backwoods version of turkish coffee. :)

 

quite popular at civil war encampments, too.

 

The civil war (reenacted) encampments is where I picked the method up :up:

[Oh Shoot]

I bought one of these retro Bodum 1950's vacuum pots just for fun. It probably makes the best cup of drip coffee I've had.

 

 

 

Seems to be "perk" more than drip to me. Just looked at demo of it on YT, don't really see significant diff tween "vacuum/siphon" and percolator as long as you remove grounds when done from the percolator.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q00RyGA3iHU

 

- OS

Edited April 25, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[Raoul]

I stand corrected...lol.

[LagerHead]

Still rocking the Senseo. I hear the newer models aren't as sturdy but I have an older model ready to go if my current one dies. There was a scare on the pods for a little while (cheaper then Keurig) but plenty of sources online for various blends.

 

French press is backup but I play with this once in a while. Usually just to show other people.

 

 

I refer to those as "Coffee Bongs" for reasons obvious to anyone who has ever seen them work.

 

How can you guys stand coffee? Vile treacherous substance. I see more people dependent on it than drugs. 

 

I suspect you've never had a really good cup. Good coffee has amazing flavor. 

 

You French press guys should try an AeroPress.

 

http://coffeegeek.com/resources/noteworthy/aerobie

 

Several folks I know swear it's hands down the best cup of coffee they've ever had.  I keep meaning to pick one up, but my pour over filter seems to fit my needs okay.

 

Oddly, it was invented by the same guy who made the Aerobie. 

 

Sounds interesting. I love French Press coffee, so I might have to give this a try.

 

There is a time and place for decaf coffee.  Never and in the trash.

 

Meh, some of us can't tolerate caffeine. 99.99999999% of people couldn't tell the difference in flavor if their life depended on it. 

[RC3]

Do you prefer rainwater and grain alcohol??

Over coffee? Yes. And plus, rain water is good for you. Builds your immune system. 

[Peace]

Resist the urge to get a grinder until you can get a good burr grinder.  I got pretty geeky about my methods for a while, and grinding it right before you brew it prevents a lot of oxidation.  It really did change the whole cup.

 

With three kids, I've got plenty of routine in the morning.  I generally set the water to boil as I'm making lunches.  By the time I'm done, so is the water.

 

I'm also the only coffee drinker in the house, so once I leave, the rest of a pot would be wasted.

 

Oddly, Fresh Market has become my goto place for coffee beans.  I look for the freshest beans available, and they usually have some that have been roasted in the last week or so.  Along with a burr grinder, freshness seems to be a big contributor to a good cup.  Most of the bagged beans that Fresh Market has have a six-month use by date, so it's easy to figure out when they were roasted.

 

 

     Agreed about the burr grinder.  I didn't want to geek-scare anyone.  Even storing beans in a vacuum container and grinding them right before brewing, I can still taste the beans going south after about 5 days.

 

I buy my coffee at WholePaycheck Green Hills... or Roast on Eighth - since that is what I mostly drink.

 

***Oh, and BigK... Just Love Coffee are actually solid roasters!  "Whole Lotta Love" makes a good cup.

 

 

     I'm pretty picky about ingesting hormone-mimicking chemicals... so in our house, we try to keep plastics and hot water from ever meeting.  That limits what I can use to boil & brew.  I like the aeropress idea... but even without BPA... anything plastic is some kind of petrochemical (like most of our medicines), and it will most likely be leaching something in to your water when it gets hot.

 

     A good french press with no plastic parts is cheap and will last a long, long time.

 

Though,... if you think a nice artful pour-over brewing would be fun, try a Chemex out!  again.   smoooooooth.   :)

[Patton]

While I enjoy coffee from a French press it is actually bad for your health. If you are otherwise young and healthy you do not have too much to worry. My FIL drank coffee from a French press for years, the doctor is pretty sure it lead to him having a stroke. When you press coffee you release cafestol that otherwise aren't released when filtering, cafestol stimulates the production of LDL, bad colestrol, in your body.