Good Starter Coffee?

[TimmyBoston]

I thoroughly enjoy tea, but I've never been a coffee drinker. I'm going to try change this. So I'm looking for some good quality coffee that would fit the bill for someone acquiring a taste.

Thanks all

[morajam]

Guatemalan Antigua is a really nice starter coffee. It's a good mellow coffee that isn't terribly strong.

[ouch]

Din.

[letterk]

Din.

+1

[liege]

I think it's probably coffee, but what is Din?

[Samovar]

May I suggest a nice caffe latte in any nice Italian coffee shop. My first coffee at 13 or 14 was a cappuccino and I slowly moved toward black coffee. The milk might make it a bit lighter for the palate.

What is DIN?

[ouch]

I think it's probably coffee, but what is Din?

Din is an erstwhile moderator who owns a pretty nifty place-

http://www.ristrettoroasters.com/

Great coffee and service.

[Jim]

Din.


+1


Din is an erstwhile moderator who owns a pretty nifty place-

http://www.ristrettoroasters.com/

Great coffee and service.

+3

[TimmyBoston]

Din.

Guys, already thought of DJ, but I have no idea what the difference is between of his coffees or any idea what to order. :confused: That's the direction I was looking for, sorry for nothing be more clear. :redface:

[Tinzien]

Quit being so damn tame! +693403598247159204397206934295 to Din! :biggrin:

[scorpion]

Do you know if you like a light or dark roast? Although I like cream in my coffee, I also like a strong brew dark roast. Weak coffee + a little cream does not equal strong coffee in my opinion. I'm sure it will be viewed as kind of pedestrian, but I love a quality french roast just about any time.

[TimmyBoston]

Quit being so damn tame! +693403598247159204397206934295 to Din! :biggrin:

Fine Seth, but which damn Coffee from Din?!

:biggrin:

[rtaylor61]

Tim,

Send him a pm, with a link to this thread. He will have some suggestions!

Randy

[mental]

I may do the same, I'm already someone who enjoys coffee but I've never tasted anything beyond the usual Starbuck's, Peet's, etc. I've been looking for a good roaster, unfortunately I haven't found any in this area.

[Doc4]

Tim ... please ... please ... decaf!!

:lol:

[ouch]

I'd start with his Mexican Chiapas, then anything from Ethiopia or Sumatra.

[TULIP]

I found this on their web site:
************************
“But isn’t another coffee place in Portland like bringing coal to Newcastle?” asked an editor at the Oregonian, to which a reasonable response might be, yes, and at how many of these places does the coffee indeed taste like charcoal?
************************
And my reply is quite a few of them. I've not had Ristretto Roasters coffee because I roast my own (that, and I've never heard of them), but what drove me to it was Charbucks and their ilk whose beans could be used to fire up my Weber. If you want to taste good coffee, I'd go with this guy...it sounds like he knows what he's doing.

[boboakalfb]

Din.
Done.


I'd start with his Mexican Chiapas, then anything from Ethiopia or Sumatra.
Great recommendation.

[murchmb]

Tim,

Another thing to consider (there always is something, isn't there?) is your equipment. Go you have a grinder? What type of brewing equipment are you going to use?

I would suggest going the Aqua Velva route and finding something local, widely available, inexpensive, and generally accepted as good stuff. Dunkin' Donuts coffee comes to mind. It's a good, honest coffee and tends to be pretty fresh for a prepackaged product.

Another route would be to visit a local, independent coffee house or roastery. Sample their offerings and take home a 1/2 pound or two of what tickles your fancy. Once you start developing an appreciation, you can branch out and explore the vast offerings available though the internet/mail order.

[DEmac]

Why am I always the contrarian?

I think you will find the same thing to be true about coffee which is true of many other things. The price/relative quality of a coffee is much less important than what you are used to drinking. I know many people who think gourmet coffee is disgusting because they are used to drinking 7-11 coffee, but hey, the 7-11 coffee hits the spot for them, it's what they are used to drinking. So of course, if you like having expensive tastes go for the gourmet coffee, but it’s really not necessary. You will eventually develop a taste for what ever you decide to drink, no matter what it is. The nice thing about learning to enjoy a generic coffee is that no matter where you go you will be able to find the coffee you are used to and enjoy.

I have found it to be true of wines as well that the more expensive they get the more the vintner seems compelled to play with the wine too much, adding smoke and fruit flavors to the point that they ruin it. That it why the fifteen dollar bottle of wine usually taste better than the thirty dollar bottle. Getting fifteen dollars a bottle the vintner can afford to make a good wine, but not afford to go buy the supplies to muck up their wine with too many flavors.

[shavindave]

The best coffee I have found, and many other coffee fanatics agree, is Intelligentsia. They buy the best beens, roast them fresh (without over-roasting), and ship quickly. You can order from their website. Central American coffees tend to be a good starting point.

[boboakalfb]

I have found it to be true of wines as well that the more expensive they get the more the vintner seems compelled to play with the wine too much, adding smoke and fruit flavors to the point that they ruin it. That it why the fifteen dollar bottle of wine usually taste better than the thirty dollar bottle. Getting fifteen dollars a bottle the vintner can afford to make a good wine, but not afford to go buy the supplies to muck up their wine with too many flavors.

:blink:

[TimmyBoston]

:blink:

Big +1 right there Bobby boy

[Edcculus]

Here is the Good Eats episode on coffee

Part 1 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=6V-1O2nqars)
Part 2 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jEcMz4V7wuY&feature=related)

[Scotto]

Tim,

DJ roasts a fine bean, absolutely no doubt about that.

I take it that your question is more "What varieties should I start out with" rather than who to buy it from.

It depends a bit on your tastes in other matters. If you like a powerful, rich stout or whisky, you will likely enjoy similar notes in a coffee like a Sumatra. If you like things on the lighter side, then the recommendation of the Mexican Chiapas or similar coffee fits the bill.

If you just want to start to appreciate a really nice coffee that "tastes like coffee", if you will pardon the expression, then look towards the various Central American coffees, be they Guatemala, Columbia, etc. There are lots of very unusual coffees out there, such as the Ethiopias, Yemens, and such, but they can often be an acquired taste since they often be quite different from what your palate is expecting from "coffee".

Hope this helps.

BTW - I'd be happy to send you some samples of homeroasted coffee to try - just drop me a PM.

[letterk]

Tim,

DJ roasts a fine bean, absolutely no doubt about that.

I take it that your question is more "What varieties should I start out with" rather than who to buy it from.

It depends a bit on your tastes in other matters. If you like a powerful, rich stout or whisky, you will likely enjoy similar notes in a coffee like a Sumatra. If you like things on the lighter side, then the recommendation of the Mexican Chiapas or similar coffee fits the bill.

If you just want to start to appreciate a really nice coffee that "tastes like coffee", if you will pardon the expression, then look towards the various Central American coffees, be they Guatemala, Columbia, etc. There are lots of very unusual coffees out there, such as the Ethiopias, Yemens, and such, but they can often be an acquired taste since they often be quite different from what your palate is expecting from "coffee".

Hope this helps.

BTW - I'd be happy to send you some samples of homeroasted coffee to try - just drop me a PM.

Good advice Scotto. My personnal favorites from DJ are his Ethiopians. I'm never out of his Yirgacheffe and Harrar.

[ouch]

Tim, my advice is to drink heavily. No that was Gonzo in Fear and Loathing.

My advice is to take Scotto up on his offer. :ouch1:

[Zennmaster]

As a coffee geek from Portland, I have a couple more questions to ask: First off, are you planning on using the ol' Mr. Coffee machine to brew drip coffee by the pot, a small percolator, a french press, or an espresso machine?

These all take different grinds, and produce different flavors and effects. Most coffee dorks prefer using a french press, as it keeps all of the oils in the coffee, and produces a very well-rounded flavor. The other side is that all of the acids are preserved as well, so it may be more lkely to cause stomach irritation. Espresso actually preserves very little of the acid, and is much thicker, but sometimes lacks a little of the subtlety of the french press, unless the barista is well-skilled. Drip coffee is somewhat in the middle, but make sure not to leave it cooking for a long time on the hot plate, because it can degrade quickly.

In the most general sense, coffee beans come in two species: Arabica and Robusta. The vast majority of coffee drinkers find the Arabica to be by far the more flavorful bean, to the extent that Robusta is actually kind of hard to find, and then generally in large cans of pre-ground, ultra cheap stuff.

Beyond that, you're basically looking for the region where the beans grow, and the darkness of the roast. Do you generally prefer more bold, or more subtle flavors? Dark roasts tend to be more bold, and lighter roasts more subtle. Generally an "Espresso Roast" is pretty dark, and will give a strong flavor. If that's not really your cup of tea (:wink2: ), lighter roasts can preserve a lot of the subtle flavor notes of the coffee.

In general, I would suggest starting with a medium-boldness bean with a medium roast. You will buy more than one bag of beans in your quest for your perfect cup, so there's little point in not trying a lot of different beans!

I will echo an earlier suggestion that a nice Sumatra or Sumatra blend is a very flavorful, medium coffee that works very well in a lot of applications.

Enjoy the journey!

-Michael

[murchmb]

BTW - I'd be happy to send you some samples of homeroasted coffee to try - just drop me a PM.

Tim, I suggest scrapping my Dunkin' Donuts idea and go with Scotto's offer. :thumbup1:

[Ecuador Jim]

I've always liked Peet's "Major Dickinson's Blend".

[Aneurysm]

Try a Kenyan AA if you like something bright and winey

[Doc4]

Try a Kenyan AA if you like something bright and winey

+1 on that.

Tim, when I first got 'into coffee' I was in University. I went downtown to a local tea & coffee shop (that has been around for 100+ years) and got a half pound of their house blend (well, they had two house blends, and I got the cheaper one, called 9-to-5). It was great.

Remember all those old threads asking what's the best single malt for someone who's just getting started in Scotch? The answer, of course, is The Glenlivet. What you need to do is find the coffee equivalent in your local town: someone will be roasting a good house blend with lots of flavour. Cut your teeth on that, and then start experimenting with whatever tickles your fancy ... and unlike English shaving soaps and 100 ml bottles of cologne, you can drink your way through a pound of this coffee and that one and those over there too in short order without excessive expense!

[morajam]

Coffee was my obsession before shaving. I still home roast from time to time, but FINALLY found a good roaster. Again, i would start out with something from a central American coffee then move towards Africa.

[ouch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLL4khimqrw&feature=related

[mrcleanhead]

Tim my suggestion is to Google local coffee roasters and talk to them. If you don't have a decent burr grinder (not blade) get one. Or, and I hate saying this, have the local roaster grind it. You'll lose freshness with pre-grinding. Some local roasters will sell half pound bags too. So you can experiment. If you like tea I've found the lighter roasts to be brighter and more tea-like. And a cheap brewing method...boil water to 195-205 degrees (usually just off boil or check with a digital thermometer), a fine grind, and use a Melita drip brewer with a Swiss Gold filter or use their unbleached filters. Most brewers don't hit the right brewing temp.

John

[Hero6]

I'm a big fan of starbuck's Kenya. I'm not a fan of most of their coffee, but this one is a gem IMO. A bit robust, but smoothe. I like it black, but I'm sure cream and sugar would go great in it if that's what you're into. Also Ugandan Gold. http://www.ugandangold.com/ It's a fair trade coffe. It reminds me of the Kenya, but it's cheaper and lighter. I highly recomend it.

[iron maiden]

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee..............simply the best!

[kbuzbee]

As a coffee geek from Portland, I have a couple more questions to ask: First off, are you planning on using the ol' Mr. Coffee machine to brew drip coffee by the pot, a small percolator, a french press, or an espresso machine?

... or an aeropress, a moka pot, a Brikka, a turkish pot, a vacuum pot, a cold brew system.......... CoffeeGeeks don't only come from the left coast! We have all of the above. My favorite two are espresso (LaPavoni) and Brikka. My wife prefers her vac pot.

To me, any coffee can be good if it's well roasted and FRESH. Currently Indian Monsooned Malibar roasted dark city is IT.

Enjoy the trip Tim. Visit coffeegeek for a B&B or SB coffee equivalent.

Ken

[ouch]

I roasted up a half pound of some Ethiopian Ungaplotchka from sphughes (yep, I still have some! :thumbup1: )

The hardest part is waiting the recommended 12 hours or so for the carbon dioxide to dissapate before brewing. So I didn't.

[Jack Bauer]

Stumptown

[iron maiden]

Tim...with all this good advice, you might just break down and buy some Folger's:biggrin:

[Winzzy]

There is only one thing you need look for, a silver can that says ILLY...

[doleeo]

Along with my recent hobby of wetshaving, I've been into coffee for a few years now.

Tim, I know your in Indianapolis and there is a shop up there called Stanton Coffee..Their starting to source some stellar coffees.

http://www.stantoncoffee.com/

The Owner participates on a few of the coffee forums I use, she knows her stuff. My reccomendation is to go in there and talk to her or one of the baristas.

I just received my new roaster and have a lot of green coffee. I'd be willing to roast up a variety in order for you to find the one you like. PM me if your interested.

[SobBill2]

I think the best value in coffee is Columbian Supremo, Stop & Shop and many other stores carries it in coffee bean dispensers. The finer the grind the stronger the coffee.

[Dinder1]

I think the best value in coffee is Columbian Supremo, Stop & Shop and many other stores carries it in coffee bean dispensers. The finer the grind the stronger the coffee.

I won't even go there.....but I would advise anyone to stay away from coffee stored in bulk bins. Look for a "roasted on date". Buy fresh, drink fresh, in other words treat coffee as you would fresh produce, veggies, bread etc.
Only buy what you can consume in a rather short period...say 7-10 days.
Most of all, have fun with it! Coffee can be as much fun as exploring wine and equally as complex.
DJ.

[_JP_]

Let me warn you - the Secret is out about Folgers:
http://funny-advertising-pictures.blogspot.com/2007/12/funny-billboard.html

[ouch]

Tim, ever get any of Scotto's home roast? He's usually good for a surprise or two.

[Ecuador Jim]

"Buy the oldest, nastiest percolator you can find, buy the darkest, most intense french roast or espresso roast you can find, and brew yourself a pot. If you're a real land-lubber, put a broken eggshell in the brew basket.

Son, this is a man's drink, and if you can't hack it, then go back to some sissy drink."

This was my father's advice to me at age 13. He was a 30 year Navy veteran.

I would try going into a coffee shop when they aren't busy, and ask them to steer you to a mild blend. Try a couple of cups to see where your taste is. I think this is cheaper than buying a pound here and there, trying to dial in your palate.

I've even known this to happen at Starbucks. I've done some training for them, and have found that they really do celebrate a coffee culture. I do find most of their blends too strong for my palate, but I suspect any coffee shop will show you the ropes.

My current preference is Peet's Major Dickinson's Blend (just throwing my 2 cents into the mix)

[SilkySmooth]

Eight O'Clock


==Tom

[TimmyBoston]

Tim, ever get any of Scotto's home roast? He's usually good for a surprise or two.

I did, I'm still working my way through it, it's very good stuff though. :thumbup1: Thanks again, Scotto.

[guenron]

I did, I'm still working my way through it, it's very good stuff though. :thumbup1: Thanks again, Scotto.

I am disappointed that Nick did not kick in with one of his favorites (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=921&highlight=kopi+luwak) for your gustatory delight. :tongue_sm

[RoadKing99]

...advise anyone to stay away from coffee stored in bulk bins. Look for a "roasted on date". Buy fresh, drink fresh, in other words treat coffee as you would fresh produce, veggies, bread etc.
Only buy what you can consume in a rather short period...say 7-10 days.
++++++++++++++

Excellent advice, and a good way to achieve freshly roasted coffee is to roast the green beans yourself, about a week's worth at a time. A good source for green beans: http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.greencoffee.mvc.shtml

[jayvee81]

I really enjoy Ugly Mug coffee. The "Ethiopian" is great and so is the "first cup" blend that they roast.

[Daves]

You can't go wrong with a can of Illy.:thumbup1: :thumbup1:

[magnus]

I am also a tea drinker that never drank a cup of coffee. My curiosity about coffee was never really piqued until this thread.

My wife is a bit of a coffee wonk so I got the 5 minute lesson on how to operate a Mr Coffee (did I mention I'm a tea drinker that never drank a cup of coffee?)

She had a fresh pack of "Black Forest" coffee that she got for Christmas so I made a small pot of that. Aroma reminded me of a really nice pipe tobacco. I normally take my tea black, but that doesn't work so well for me with coffee apparently. This coffee was excellent with about a tablespoon of french vanilla creamer that my wife had in the fridge. No sweetener was needed.

A little later on I made a small pot of "Irish Cream decaf" (no alcohol!) and found it to be relatively weak/uninteresting.

The black forest was pretty good. I like the strong flavor. But it was a bit decadent, kind of like eating a fudge brownie drowning in chocolate ice cream and dark chocolate syrup with a black cherry on top. I don't know if I want something quite that decadent while I'm slaving over the keyboard all day. Where do I go from here?

When it comes to tobaccos (cigar & pipe) I tend towards very strongly flavored blends that would upset most people. For you cigar aficionados: I'm a double maduro kind of guy. For you pipe smokers: I tend to favor balkan blends or something like Dunhill Durbar. For tea, I consider Earl Grey to be the "lightest" flavor of tea that I enjoy. I more typically favor Irish Breakfast, sometimes a Chai if I want something more decadent. So applying that kind of taste preference to coffee, what would you suggest?

EDIT: I'm not endowed with my own coffee roaster or grinder. Just a Mr. Coffee maker. So I have to go to a conventional store like a supermarket or whatever to get my coffee, grind it at the store, and toss it in my Mr. Coffee. So nothing too exotic that is hard for me to get/prepare. :)

[_JP_]

You might want to start by sampling small cups of unadorned brews (black coffee, with perhaps some cream and sugar) at the local coffee houses. The "cup of the day" selection, so to speak. That would give you a variety in a hurry without buying cans and bags of various blends. Then take it from there.

[mental]

I am not new to coffee, although until recently I hadn't had anything beyond Starbucks, etc. I'm not sure if there are even any local roasters around here. Anyway, the coffee threads here piqued my interest and so while on vacation, I stopped into a local coffee roaster in Oregon to sample their brew. The brew of the day was a Sumatra, and Sumatra from Starbucks is what I typically drink at work (it's what the boss likes, so it's well stocked).

The difference was remarkable - whereas the stuff at work seems to be mostly about how dark and "strong" and bitter it can be, this freshly roasted coffee was not so much about kicking you in the teeth, but had an actual range of flavor that you could taste, not masked by burnt "flavor". Very good stuff, and enjoyable to drink black (which is my preference). I tried their Columbian the next day but found the Sumatra better.

I think that a lot of folks who fancy themselves "true" coffee drinkers, but have grown up on Starbucks & Co., think that the burnt, really "dark" flavor is the pinnacle of coffee drinking for aficionados, but in fact there's really not much flavor there at all. I'm hoping to either find a local roaster back home, or at least buy some fresh stuff from a place like Ristretto.

[andrews]

dunkin dounuts rocks no really

[TimmyBoston]

I am disappointed that Nick did not kick in with one of his favorites (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=921&highlight=kopi+luwak) for your gustatory delight. :tongue_sm

Wow, talk about your crappy coffee. :biggrin:

[merryjoulton]

The best coffee I have found, and many other coffee fanatics agree, is Intelligentsia. They buy the best beens, roast them fresh (without over-roasting), and ship quickly. You can order from their website. Central American coffees tend to be a good starting point.
It doesn't hurt that they're a Chicago company:smile: I agree wholeheartedly though. I've been drinking a different coffee every two weeks this semester and the best by far was the pound of Intelligentsia I had back in September. I placed my order on a Monday and received the bag on a Wednesday(I go to school in Champaign), with a stamp that said it was roasted on the date I ordered. A two day old roast isn't half bad for mail-order.

[KenS]

I am a home-roaster and I had no idea we had so many home-roasters included in this group; discriminating folk do seem to congregate:-)
One thing not mentioned is that the lighter roasts tend to have a higher level of caffeine, so if you are bothered by coffee jitters, you may benefit from a little darker roast as the caffeine gets burned off.
Good Luck, Ken.

[guenron]

Wow, talk about your crappy coffee. :biggrin:

When they say, "You want a pull of coffee?" this is what they are talking about (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=9052&postcount=6). :lol:

[ouch]

When they say, "You want a pull of coffee?" this is what they are talking about (http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=9052&postcount=6). :lol:

I missed that one the first time around, but it's a classic post. :thumbup1:

[mistercoffee]

As my namesake might suggest, I'm a coffee nut. My wife, is not. She hates coffee. But, the only coffee I can get her to drink (and she actually enjoys it (rumor has it she craves it from time to time)) is Coffee Fool Organic Fair Trade Peruvian.

It finishes extremely smooth - there's no bitterness at all. If you're new to coffee and want one that you can't go wrong with (it requires no special coffee making skills, no special equipment -- nothing), just give this stuff a try.

I keep 2 pounds of it in reserve at all times.

http://www.coffeefool.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1090

[sweetzen]

I think that a lot of folks who fancy themselves "true" coffee drinkers, but have grown up on Starbucks & Co., think that the burnt, really "dark" flavor is the pinnacle of coffee drinking for aficionados, but in fact there's really not much flavor there at all. I'm hoping to either find a local roaster back home, or at least buy some fresh stuff from a place like Ristretto.

The reason Starbucks "double roasts" (and if that isn't a recipe for burnt coffee, I don't know what is), is the same reason a McDonalds hamburger is pretty much the same everywhere: the customer needs NOT to be surprised. Individual crops of beans vary so wildly in flavor that getting "Kenyan" coffee from year to year (or even plantation to plantation) would mean an entirely different "cup." So, Starbucks eliminates the variable by roasting the hell out of it. It's understandable, but you're right... many coffee lovers simply don't know what they're missing. You sacrifice a lot for consistency.

Like others here, I home roast, and I love it. I think it builds an appreciation for coffee in the same way that getting a great massage builds an appreciation for the body. There is nothing like pouring a delicious cup of coffee in the morning and knowing two things: 1. It blows away any cup of coffee you're going to buy from Starbucks... et al., and 2. You did it yourself, in your own roaster, oven, or whatever. For me, that's a great feeling.

I'd always advocate home roasting, if you want great coffee. And it's so much cheaper than the commercial stuff, too! :biggrin1:

[TimmyBoston]

I've been drinking Scotto's homeroast for a while now and I am really, really impressed. Of late, I've been using an aeropress which makes fantastic coffee, but the downside is: It uses a lot of coffee. So now I need to get more. :a52: :biggrin:

Does anyone have any advice on getting started homeroasting your own coffee? I have absolutely no idea about any of it.

Also is there another good (reasonably priced) coffee maker besides the aeropress that both uses a more reasonable amount of grounds and allows you to make more than a single cup.

Thanks all!

[sweetzen]

Does anyone have any advice on getting started homeroasting your own coffee? I have absolutely no idea about any of it.

Also is there another good (reasonably priced) coffee maker besides the aeropress that both uses a more reasonable amount of grounds and allows you to make more than a single cup.

I started home roasting because we were poor, and didn't want to give up good coffee. If we ordered 20# of beans at a time, we paid less than $4 a pound for great coffee. The savings are substantial. We consume around 65 pounds of coffee every year, and the Nicaraguan coffee we have right now is about $10.60 less per pound than Intelligentsia's Nicaraguan coffee. That's a savings of nearly $700 for the year.

Here's a "how to" link. When we were in Iceland I was blogging a lot (what else was there to do?), and did a post on oven roasting your own coffee: http://www.kimmelhome.com/meditations/?p=136

Warning! Oven roasting is not for everyone. If you think of it as a science, well it just doesn't give you that kind of precise control. However, if you approach it like a cook, it works fine. Also, I roast 1 1/4 pounds at a time, which is much better than you will get from any <$1,000 roaster. The one piece of equipment that is essential to me is the stoneware pan. It makes a HUGE difference, and is much more forgiving than metal. If you decide to try oven roasting, just PM me with any questions. I'd be happy to help.

I don't know what "reasonably priced" is for a coffeemaker, but I love our Technivorm Moccamaster (model KB-741), which is $235. I've always wanted to try the Chemex brewers (basically a big pour through cone), and they're much cheaper. But even if you buy a $235 coffeemaker, you'll still come out ahead for the year, with the money you save on the coffee.

For years, I've ordered everything coffee-related from Sweet Marias. They've never let me down. Happy roasting! :biggrin1:

[ouch]

Also is there another good (reasonably priced) coffee maker besides the aeropress that both uses a more reasonable amount of grounds and allows you to make more than a single cup.

Thanks all!

Hard to beat a French press. They come in all sizes, make a fantastic cup, and will last forever.

[waliguy]

Home roaster here, with a french press. Good to see other home roasters on the board.

[TimmyBoston]

Hard to beat a French press. They come in all sizes, make a fantastic cup, and will last forever.

Thanks Jay, I'll look into that. :thumbup1:

[doleeo]

Does anyone have any advice on getting started homeroasting your own coffee? I have absolutely no idea about any of it.

I started on a popcorn popper. You can't roast very much at a time, but its cheap and effective.

[Scotto]

You may want to look through this (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23910&highlight=coffee+homeroaster) treatice.

My daily coffee maker of choice is a $5 manual pourover filtercone. Makes dynamite coffee for a ridiculously low price. The French Press is an equally good, but different cup.

Glad you enjoyed the coffee.

[sweetzen]

Hard to beat a French press. They come in all sizes, make a fantastic cup, and will last forever.

The coffeemaker is definitely a YMMV thing. We had a French press, but it ended up going to the thrift store. There were two reasons for this: 1. Capacity. My wife and I have found that a 10 cup coffeemaker is perfect for our morning routine (including travel mugs for later); and 2. Timing. Getting ready for work/school in the morning can be hectic. We need something that doesn't require perfect timing. For us, it just works better to flip the switch and then get our coffee when we're ready.

So it's not just about the coffee, but also about how the thing fits into your routine. You may even want different coffeemakers for different times of the day. Still, a French press is a cheap option to try. And you may find that it suits you just fine.

[mental]

I got my Aeropress tonight! It made a fantastic cup of coffee for me, from some stuff that tasted very bad when I tried to use it in my (admittedly low-end) drip pot a few days ago. Seems pretty foolproof, and it really eliminated the acidity and bitterness that made my last batch such a bad one.

Please note that this is not a "dig" against drip pots - I am certain that some folks use them with great results. I've just always had a tough time getting a good cup of coffee from one, quite possibly due in part to not getting the proportions right. However, the Aeropress is very simple and seems like it would be tough to screw up, and it was remarkable (to me) what a different flavor it produced from the same coffee. Whether it's the system itself or the fact that it made the process simple for me, I'm impressed, and I can see a second one for work in my future.

Now, to get some really good beans and put it through its paces...

[TimmyBoston]

I'm getting ready to purchase a French Press, but I've noticed there are quite a few out there. Which one should I purchase?

[tony mack]

Adding to all of the above, there is a radical difference between coffee beans that are ground immediately prior to brewing and those that are ground days, weeks or months in advance. The moment coffee beans are ground they begin to oxidize like apples. While an apple sliced open turns brown after a couple of hours exposure to the air, coffee beans acquire a flat and slightly sour taste if brewed more than a few hours after being ground. Even all the wonderful coffees recommended in other postings will not taste as good if you buy them pre-ground, even if packaged in a vaccuum bag. So, if you are brewing at home, buy in small quantities and have it ground at the coffee shop or do it at the supermarket before you bring it home.

Also, whatever method you use to brew--drip, French press, etc.--make sure you don't reheat the coffee after it cools. Drink it all when it's warm or drink it cold. But the moment coffee is reheated, it causes a chemical reaction that makes it sour. This is why old Mr. Coffee style machines, great as they are at brewing, don't keep a good pot of coffee. The heating pad clicks on as soon as the temerature of the coffee pot drops and reheats it, causing it to sour.

However, if all you have ever consumed is pre-ground, reheated coffee you won't notice how bad it is until you switch techniques. Once you do, you can never go back. So be careful. If you make the jump you will become a coffee snob...and since you are reading this on a wet shave devotee site, it's a safe bet you already have one fairly odd, perhaps ridiculous, time-consuming and costly passtime. Can you afford another?

[kbuzbee]

I'm getting ready to purchase a French Press, but I've noticed there are quite a few out there. Which one should I purchase?

Starbucks used to (may still? Dunno) sell a nice FP. It was probably made by Bodum. There are lots of nice FPs out there. But I'd avoid the cheaper models. IME they fall apart pretty quickly. It doesn't seem like there should be much pressure on a FP but there actually is. My last one had a plastic part holding the filter screen in place. Once that went loose it was too big of a PITA to use. My current one is all steel except for the glass vessel.

Ken

[biomesh]

Most of the decent ones I have seen are Bodum. Once you brew you need to move the coffee to another container so that the coffee doesn't continue to brew / extract flavors from the beans(it will get bitter). I would recommend a Bodum Chambord. There are quite a few different sizes out there, so I would say get something that will make at least enough for what you want to drink at a certain time. You can also decant the extra coffee to a thermos (to keep it hot) or move it to another container and refrigerate it to make iced coffee later.

The Chambord is nice in that it can all go into the dishwasher :biggrin:

When using a french press, just make sure you don't try to finish the cup. Depending on how the coffee was ground, you might end up with sludge at the bottom, and drinking that is not a good way to finish great coffee.

[biomesh]

You can normally find a few Chambord models at Bed Bath & Beyond or Linens n Things which is nice since (at least here) there are always 20&#37; off coupons flying around. BB&B accepts the coupons from LnT and doesn't care if they are expired, just FYI.