Coffee Brewing Methods - Notes of a Homeroaster

[VR6ofpain]

Grrr...I'm almost considering not drinking coffee anymore. I have a Senseo and I've decided it's pretty much worthless and really expensive. I like coffee in the morning, but I want more than 6oz! And I hate being limited to 5 different blends of less than fresh coffee. Not to mention, 12 coffee pods cost $5, it's hardly cheaper than Starbucks and the quality is nothing like what they claim. It's ok, but not great, and not noticeably better than a drip. Can anyone recommend a good drip maker for under say...$50? I'd grab an Aeropress but I'm back to 1 cup again. I'd rather just fill the tank, add the coffee and get like 4 cups to fill my travel mug and be done. Can I get good coffee this way or am I doomed?

(Sorry to sort of hijack the thread!)

Ya your problem is the Senseo. My parents have one of those Keurig machines and I have been very unimpressed by the cup at a time coffee it makes. Bad coffee combined with bad brewing.

I got this drip maker from BBandB for $24 with a coupon:


It may not be anything special, but it is a nice 4-cup drip machine that uses the Melita triangle filters (which I prefer to flat bottom ones). I am more than happy with the coffee it makes. I also like how the hot plate turns off 30 minutes after you start brewing. That way it keeps the coffee warm, without getting the chance to reduce it down, since the burner turns off before that can happen. If you think about it, you really wouldn't want to drink coffee that was been brewed ~25 minutes ago (not really fresh anymore), so it is good that it stops keeping it warm.

 

[analog_kid]

Ya your problem is the Senseo. My parents have one of those Keurig machines and I have been very unimpressed by the cup at a time coffee it makes. Bad coffee combined with bad brewing.

I got this drip maker from BBandB for $24 with a coupon:


It may not be anything special, but it is a nice 4-cup drip machine that uses the Melita triangle filters (which I prefer to flat bottom ones). I am more than happy with the coffee it makes. I also like how the hot plate turns off 30 minutes after you start brewing. That way it keeps the coffee warm, without getting the chance to reduce it down, since the burner turns off before that can happen. If you think about it, you really wouldn't want to drink coffee that was been brewed ~25 minutes ago (not really fresh anymore), so it is good that it stops keeping it warm.

Thanks for the idea! I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those.

 

[Magnulus]

One thing about those Senseo's... some websites sell adapters for them that let you pack your own grounds into the coffee maker. I personally think Senseo makes OK coffee but not in quantities sufficient for true coffee junkies, er, aficionados.

 

[rtaylor61]

Scotto,

I'm not a coffee drinker, but this thread is outstanding. Easy to understand, and I know a lot of time went into the creation and development. I'm guessing you gave up shaving to spend time to put this together. The ultimate sacrifice!

Randy

 

[analog_kid]

One thing about those Senseo's... some websites sell adapters for them that let you pack your own grounds into the coffee maker. I personally think Senseo makes OK coffee but not in quantities sufficient for true coffee junkies, er, aficionados.

That is my main complaint with the thing. I'm by no means a big coffee person, but I like a big ole' cuppa columbian in the morning to clear the morning head-fog. 6oz just don't cut it for me. And I found the coffee just wasn't strong enough either. I like that kind of "whoa..." response on the first sip of strong coffee. Never got that from the Senseo. Even if I used 2 pods on and hit the single cup. I just got soupy, undrinkable slop.

 

[Tinzien]

I can't wait for the Aeropress portion of this thread to be posted. I love mine dearly but I am very curious as to what issues Scotto may have run into that lowered his opinion thusly. However, I believe Scotto is out of town for the week so there may be a delay.

 

[sphughes]

Very true....Scotto is on vacation so treat this like one of those times when 24 wasn't on and you had to wait that extra week while Jonesing........

-Scott

 

[bbqncigars]

I would hazard to guess that Scotto has issues with some of the flavor components that the Aeropress doesn't bring out to the extent that the french press does. The oils in particular are lacking due to the disparate methods of extraction between the Aero and the FP. (Top down vs. bottom up). This has been greatly remarked on in coffeegeek. The Aero excels at producing a very smooth cup, but don't look to it to deliver the nuances of the bean. Just my ¢2 worth.



Wayne

 

[Tinzien]

I would hazard to guess that Scotto has issues with some of the flavor components that the Aeropress doesn't bring out to the extent that the french press does. The oils in particular are lacking due to the disparate methods of extraction between the Aero and the FP. (Top down vs. bottom up). This has been greatly remarked on in coffeegeek. The Aero excels at producing a very smooth cup, but don't look to it to deliver the nuances of the bean. Just my ¢2 worth.



Wayne

Very interesting, I will have to nose around for the remarks you mentioned. Thanks!

 

[rexj]

Can you tell me the best place to get a 'good' grinder?
Rexj

 

[ouch]

The oils in particular are lacking due to the disparate methods of extraction between the Aero and the FP. (Top down vs. bottom up).

Wayne

That's why I always use my Aeropress upside down.

 

[Joedy]

Don't die without at least trying the Cold Pressed coffee brewing method.

I have the toddy system: http://www.toddycafe.com/index.php

It's simple and quick and gives all of the great flavor of coffee with less caffeine and less acids. The beauty is that you can make a single cup or a full pot from the concentrate and it will be just as fresh a week later just as it was immediately upon the completion of the concentrate production.

You can use any beans of any roast and of any brand. You can make it as strong or weak as you prefer.

Be sure to do some background reading if you're not convinced. This method has been the traditional coffee brewing method way, way before the invention of hot dripping coffee by (of course, by whom else) but pesky Americans looking for a quick fix.

Nothing --- absolutely NOTHING compares to Cold Pressed coffee. I've had the expensive Espresso machines and they sit dormant in my house.

I love that I can make a quick cup without the fuss of a machine and still end up with a better cup of coffee by using the Cold Pressed method.

I was a skeptic until I tried the Cold Pressed method. Now I spend most of my time raving about it.



I liken the machine production methods as akin to Gillette's Fusion and cartridges systems.... Nothing beats a DE blade in simplicity and performance and price. Don't let the big corporates steal the simplicity of good coffee away from you as well! Give Cold Pressed coffee a try.

-joedy

 

[rtaylor61]

Very true....Scotto is on vacation so treat this like one of those times when 24 wasn't on and you had to wait that extra week while Jonesing........

-Scott

24?

Randy

 

[sparkchaser]

I've had the expensive Espresso machines and they sit dormant in my house.

Feel free to ship it me.

 

[Badgerless]

Great thread. I use a FP travel mug at work and carry a jetboil stove with me when on the road - great coffee at all times.

 

[Smedley]

Now I want a cold drip system. Oh AD, you are everywhere, it seems. Get out the butterfly nets! Somebody stop me!

 

[Scotto]

I'm back from vacation. I'll program myself to ponder the mysteries of coffee tonight and will update things tomorrow. Next up - further thoughts on the Aeropress. I have also been drinking obscene amounts of vacuum pot brew lately in preparation for that post. Stay tuned.

 

[OldSaw]

I'm back from vacation. I'll program myself to ponder the mysteries of coffee tonight and will update things tomorrow. Next up - further thoughts on the Aeropress. I have also been drinking obscene amounts of vacuum pot brew lately in preparation for that post. Stay tuned.

Love the vacuum pot!

 

[Scotto]

I see you Gentlemen have kept this thread alive while I was gone. Anyway, today's installment is related to the Aeropress. One can peruse lots of detail about it both on B&B and at coffeegeek.com. In a nutshell, this is like a large syringe where coffee and water are mixed and then pressed through a paper filter. Very fast and convenient, and makes a good cup. I was (and still am, to an extent) a fan of this method, as are many others. There is a good tutorial on Sweet Marias web site here, so I won't go through the details on how it works here.

As I started to home roast coffee more and use the Aeropress, I noticed something. My first brew of a newly roasted coffee will be a French Press. Subsequent drinks in the days following would be an Aeropress or some other method. I began noticing that a lot of the nuances of the coffee that were there in the French Press were absent in the Aeropress. In a word, the coffee seemed lifeless in the Aeropress. The high notes and subtle varietal aromas were very muted in the cup. I'll admit this is a small effect, but this thread is from the perspective of a home roaster who is looking to get every molecule of flavor and aroma out of the coffee. The coffee from the Aeropress is by no means bad, it is just different, and lacking in my opinion.

Now I am sure Alan, the inventor of the Aeropress, will appear and chide me for not using proper temperature, etc., but I can tell you I have tried the Aeropress in dozens of different ways, varying temperature, amount of coffee, etc., and I get the same result. I have even done a blind tasting with the Aero and a pour-over cup and I can pick out the Aero every time. Again, it is a subtle thing, but I find the Aeropress lacks some of the interest of coffees produced other ways.

Why is this? I can't be sure. The one major variable that is different is time. The Aeropress is a very fast extraction, to the tune of 30 seconds to one minute versus 3-4 minutes with other methods. The mixture in the chamber is very concentrated, and must be diluted with water after the pressing. Perhaps the concentration of brew in the Aeropress chamber is reducing the amount of flavor exchange between the water and coffee, or the combination of grind and short time doesn't let the subtle flavor and aroma compounds shine through before being overwhelmed by overextracted flavors.

The other phenomenon, which has been widely discussed on coffeegeek, is the fact that when using fresh coffee, you get a huge bloom at the top of the Aeropress, where a lot of the essential oils are trapped. Vigorous stirring can help to mix these back in with the brew, but in the end the bloom is the last thing to get pressed through, and much of it never leaves the chamber. This can be reducing the amount of flavor as well. Some people have tried to mitigate this by Aeropressing upside down such that the bloom goes into the cup first. I have tried this, and discern no difference whatsoever. In principle, one would need to use a poly filter rather than paper (which traps oils) to get the full benefit, but without this material I cannot try it.

Let me repeat again- the Aeropress makes a good cup of coffee, is a neat invention, and is great for travel. It works well for coffees that have lower acidities (Indonesians, etc.) and/or darker roasts. However, for brighter or subtler coffees (Central American, Ethiopia, Kenya, etc.) my opinion is that it robs some of the character from them and you are better off using another method.

 

[ouch]

Aeropressing upside down? I, for one, was kidding.

Can't wait to read the vacuum pot installment.