Ultra high tech coffee brewing

[ouch]

A recent thread made mention of a halogen powered, $20,000 coffee brewing contraption and an almost as expensive setup from Clover. Bah. Thanks to resident genius Scotto, I'm enjoying the heck out of my new rig, pictured next to an equally low tech tea pot.

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=10969

There is a gentle beauty in the simplest of devices. This setup offers more control than any of the dozen or so drip brewers I've burned through over the years, and makes a terrific single cup o joe. :thumbup1:
It's easy to spend big bucks on impressive looking gadgetry, but with the products shown above I can produce a great cup of tea or coffee for a whopping tvelve bucks or so, including the fifty cent Ikea mug.

[indykramer]

Thats exactly what Alton Brown recommends!

[rabidpotatochip]

Is this thing using the barbecue as a backdrop or is it actively involved in the heating process?

[ouch]

Is this thing using the barbecue as a backdrop or is it actively involved in the heating process?

:lol: Nah, I just get decent lighting back there, and shoot all of my pics in the same spot because it's so easy.

[rabidpotatochip]

:lol: Nah, I just get decent lighting back there, and shoot all of my pics in the same spot because it's so easy.

That works too. :biggrin:

I had concocted this elaborate story that you were testing out your meat vision and capturing waste heat from the grill to brew coffee.

[merryjoulton]

That reminds me of Vietnamese style coffee filters.

[mozart]

I like the fact that the grounds container/flavor-morsel extraction/filtration unit of your equipment is made of high-quality plastic, and not of some low-grade gold/platinum alloy. :eek::eek:

Seriously, there is indeed something very satisfying (in terms of esthetics, economy, and flavor) in using a simple filter. But where is the Zassenhaus?

Best - MM

[letterk]

Your grass isn't so green.

[Scotto]

Told ya so. :tongue_sm

[Frank7580]

When you use a pour-over filter how long does the process take? Do you have to continuously and slowly poor water over the grounds?

I'm just trying to gauge how different the process would be from using a press pot. While I love pressed coffee, I would love to have another maker that is easier to clean up than the press pot.

[boboakalfb]

Your grass isn't so green.

I guess the grass isn't always greener on the other side...

$20,000 would sure buy a lot of beans.

[ouch]

Your grass isn't so green.

Hey, it's February, for crying out loud.

I'm glad it isn't covered with 6" of white stuff at this point.

[rabidpotatochip]

Hey, it's February, for crying out loud.

I'm glad it isn't covered with 6" of white stuff at this point.

I'd love to have that much... it's about half of what's up here.

[Edcculus]

When you use a pour-over filter how long does the process take? Do you have to continuously and slowly poor water over the grounds?

I'm just trying to gauge how different the process would be from using a press pot. While I love pressed coffee, I would love to have another maker that is easier to clean up than the press pot.

Ideally, it should take as long as a normal drip pot (depending on how many cups). I haven't used them too much, but I'm pretty sure you should keep enoug water in to keep the grounds wet, but not so much that the whole filter is filled up.

For a demonstration, watch the Good Eats episode True Brew:
Part 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6V-1O2nqars

Part 2
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6V-1O2nqars

[Confuzius]

I've got a melita in the camping gear with strategically melted edges to grip the coffee pot to avoid early morning catastropes.

[ouch]

So is it worth getting a gold filter for this contraption? What are your thoughts on paper vs. gold?

[JerimiahC]

So is it worth getting a gold filter for this contraption? What are your thoughts on paper vs. gold?

My thoughts are that paper works better. It seems to take some of the bitter out. The coffee tastes sweeter IMHO.

I have to mention that I'm just starting to get in on this higher end coffee sampling. A couple of threads that I've read have got me hooked. I love coffee and I drink it black because I love the taste of the coffee, not the cream and sugar. Sorry to hijack, just wanted to give a little background. As with shaving someone more knowledgable could answer. :biggrin::thumbup1:

[Scotto]

A lot of die-hard coffee drinkers like the Swissgold filters, but personally I do not. In principle they let more of the coffee oils through, but I like the cleaner cup of the paper filters. Though it is likely junk science, there is also some evidence of an increase in cholesterol levels of people who routinely drink non-paper filtered coffee. There are a zillion passionate threads for and against out there awaiting you via google if you choose to peruse them. I drink French Press and espresso without any hesitation, but for my morning drip I stick with paper.

[MotoMike]

Hey, it's February, for crying out loud.

I'm glad it isn't covered with 6" of white stuff at this point.

you mean like these snappys I took before I went to work this morning? sorry about the screen, but ya got to keep the bugs out!

[doleeo]

Nothing like a good Pour-over brew!

[ouch]

A lot of die-hard coffee drinkers like the Swissgold filters, but personally I do not. In principle they let more of the coffee oils through, but I like the cleaner cup of the paper filters. Though it is likely junk science, there is also some evidence of an increase in cholesterol levels of people who routinely drink non-paper filtered coffee. There are a zillion passionate threads for and against out there awaiting you via google if you choose to peruse them. I drink French Press and espresso without any hesitation, but for my morning drip I stick with paper.

And so it shall be written.......... and so it shall be done. :thumbup1:

[Must Dash]

you mean like these snappys I took before I went to work this morning? sorry about the screen, but ya got to keep the bugs out!

Is that left-over lather from the morning shave?

Cheers

Jeremy

[rabidpotatochip]

you mean like these snappys I took before I went to work this morning? sorry about the screen, but ya got to keep the bugs out!

What kind of bugs do you have?! Ours die in the winter!

[letterk]

A lot of die-hard coffee drinkers like the Swissgold filters, but personally I do not. In principle they let more of the coffee oils through, but I like the cleaner cup of the paper filters. Though it is likely junk science, there is also some evidence of an increase in cholesterol levels of people who routinely drink non-paper filtered coffee. There are a zillion passionate threads for and against out there awaiting you via google if you choose to peruse them. I drink French Press and espresso without any hesitation, but for my morning drip I stick with paper.

I enjoy both, but always stick with paper for drip. If I want more oils, I'll just go French Press.

[adamjaskie]

I use auto drip in the mornings. I got a decent machine that heats the water sufficiently; it brews great coffee, as long as I remember to dump it into a thermos or drink it all before it gets cooked on the hot-plate. It's just more convenient. I crank the dial on my grinder and fill the reservoir, drop in a filter, dump in the grounds, and hit ON. I'm convinced that good coffee ground shortly before brewing has more of an effect on the quality of the brew than the exact control of temperature and brew time afforded by a manual drip coffee maker, and I'll gladly sacrifice the slight difference in quality for the convenience of an auto-drip.

The problem with most auto-drip machines is that they don't heat the water enough. To properly extract the flavors from the coffee grounds, the water should be right up around 200°F, and most brewers simply don't get that hot. Mine has a second heating element near the shower-head (right up at the top) that gets the water up to the right temperature just before it gets sprayed over the grounds. It does have high-tech features; I can put in the grounds and water the night before, and set it to start brewing coffee 15 minutes before I wake up, but it definitely loses a noticeable amount of flavor if I do that, so I don't.

[letterk]

Get yourself a Technivorm!

[e d o]

or one of these.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg86/edo-t/Cona_kitchen_D_01.jpg
I use mine every morning.

[BroJohn]

or one of these.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg86/edo-t/Cona_kitchen_D_01.jpg
I use mine every morning.

The Cona's are very nice. I agree, that vacpots make a great coffee. Well worth the clean-up effort.

-- John Gehman

[letterk]

Here's my next brewer.

http://www.avenue18.ca/image/HARIO/375_nca3.jpg

[ouch]

The all in one vac pots (as opposed to those that just go on your gas range [you are cooking with gas, aren't you?]) look as if they would take a very long time to fire up a cup.

Do they?

[Scotto]

Yep. You need to start with hot water or it is going to take a long, long time.

I have a Yama stovetop version that I love.

[BroJohn]

I have a Yama stovetop version that I love.

Me too.

I have others, as well. (went through a year of vacpot AD) The Yama works quite nicely. Recommended.

-- John Gehman