Coffee

[RobbieB]

When I was young I didn't drink coffee, didn't like the flavor. I started when I got my first job after school and there was free coffee at the office. Even then I didn't much like it but hey it was free.

At 40 I was in love with coffee, that was the first thing to do out of bed. I've been through all sorts of machines, drippers, pour overs, mocha pots and at least 3 French presses. When the office got a Keurig, I got one too.

Then I retired and I got to thinking that I was making a lot of enviro-waste with all those little plastic pods so I went back to the french press and I got a grinder for whole beans. Wow, fresh ground was really better. But coffee "dust" seemed to get everywhere.

My latest gadget is a Jura Ena Micro 1 superautomatic. This thing Rocks! Faster than a Keurig, no envirowaste, uses whole beans. You just fill the hopper with beans and the tank with water. You turn it on and it heats and flushes and is ready to go in 45 seconds. Then place cup under spout and push a button. It grinds the beans, loads into the chamber, pre brews, then dispenses the coffee into you cup. After that it ejects the coffee "puck" into a bin and you are ready to make another cup.

Very good stuff, here's my fav with a teaspoon of half & half;

That's a sweet quarter inch of crema on top! Magnificent -

 

[Marita40]

That looks good! My favorite "find" for a coffee maker is the very low tech "Clever Coffee Dripper" sold on amazon (and elsewhere). Essentially it is a pour over Melita-type thing, but it allows the brew to steep so that you get a substantially stronger java than Melita. With fresh ground beans it is heaven!

 

[RobbieB]

I have one of those too!

I still have my french press and summer is coming and I've heard they are excellent for making ice tea.

 

[BrianB]

We absolutely agree! Our first de Longhi superautomatic lasted 10 years. When it developed a leak we looked at getting it refurbished but we found a new one on sale for just a little more than the repair would have cost.

What brand / roast beans do you use? We've experimented with different beans and found our favorite is Velvet Hammer from Sam's Club.

These machines are expensive but save a lot when compared to a daily Starbucks or Caribou addiction.

 

[RobbieB]

I've been ordering fresh "City Roast Columbian Supremo" from Coffee Bean Direct in New Jersey in 2.5 lb bags. Go through about that in a month.

 

[HFWR]

Having survived everything from vending machine coffee to the black muck from various company cafeterias to late night Denny's, I do fresh-ground most mornings. Nothing too fancy, just Seattle's Best or somesuch from Costco.

But I drink a pot of coffee, not a cup...

 

[robnplunder]

Looks pretty good.

We drink coffee a la French Press. I like the little bit of coffee residue taste/flavor at the bottom and will keep using the French Press made coffee. We enjoy drinking room temperature coffee as it brings out more coffee flavor.

 

[rodi]

I have several coffee making systems... I'm a lightweight compared to HFWR... I only drink 1/2 a pot (or less)... since I have to share with DH and elder son, age 15. (Somehow the argument that it would stunt his growth is useless as he stares down at me from 6'2").

We use a simple auto drip maker in the morning... but if we start jonesing for a fix in the afternoon - out comes the Moka pot. I sometimes pull out my french press - but not as often as I used to.

I really enjoy coffee.

 

[Hermit]

A 14 ounce cup of Folgers, black, every morning. If I have to go to a Starbucks to get my morning fix, I order Blonde and don't leave room for cream and sugar. BTW, I've tried all kinds of fancy stuff. I like what I like.

 

[HFWR]

A 14 ounce cup of Folgers, black, every morning. If I have to go to a Starbucks to get my morning fix, I order Blonde and don't leave room for cream and sugar. BTW, I've tried all kinds of fancy stuff. I like what I like.

I've drank my share of Folger's, Maxwell House, Chase and Sanborn, and store-brand, not to mention whatever instant was on sale. Those were the bad old days!

I still buy Kirkland Columbian three-pound cans, for when I'm too lazy to grind beans. Heavy cream, no sugar, or sometimes black, when the choice is vegetable oil disguised as "creamer"...

 

[nash031]

Been using a french press for eight years, at home it's all I use. I find drip and Keurig too thin (not weak, but thin if that makes sense). I've enjoyed a few pourovers, and whenever I retire or on weekends might start doing some of that.

I love my coffee.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I was lost until I re-discovered percolator coffee. Don't let so-called experts fool you, percolator coffee is best. It has a nuttier taste than other brewing methods. I have all the other makers... The French Press, the drip machine etc. and they make OK coffee..... But I tell you... Percolator coffee is best.

Michael Ruhlman is a food writer, and wrote these delightful articles on percolator coffee

Percolator Love | Michael Ruhlman

Percolator re-Love | Michael Ruhlman


I now have three percolators, just in case.

 

[zinger1457]

At the price for a Jura I'll stick with my $25 AeroPress, makes a great cup of coffee.

 

[W2R]

Coffee:

One of the more enjoyable things I chose to do early in my retirement (I think?), was to conduct my own very extensive coffee taste test. Dunkin Donuts was the winner. YMMV


Coffee-maker:

I use a small 4-cup Mr. Coffee ($11), with only 1 scoop of coffee instead of 2. Caffeine affects me more now than it did when I was younger.

Not too long ago I bought a Melitta cone, remembering fondly the coffee I made back in my college days. However I never seem to use it.


Caffeine:

Getting older is crummy and part of that is that the effects of caffeine are more intense for me now. I drink only 2-3 cups of coffee, before 11-12 AM so I can get to sleep before 3 AM.

 

[aja8888]

When I was young I didn't drink coffee, didn't like the flavor. I started when I got my first job after school and there was free coffee at the office. Even then I didn't much like it but hey it was free.

At 40 I was in love with coffee, that was the first thing to do out of bed. I've been through all sorts of machines, drippers, pour overs, mocha pots and at least 3 French presses. When the office got a Keurig, I got one too.

Then I retired and I got to thinking that I was making a lot of enviro-waste with all those little plastic pods so I went back to the french press and I got a grinder for whole beans. Wow, fresh ground was really better. But coffee "dust" seemed to get everywhere.

My latest gadget is a Jura Ena Micro 1 superautomatic. This thing Rocks! Faster than a Keurig, no envirowaste, uses whole beans. You just fill the hopper with beans and the tank with water. You turn it on and it heats and flushes and is ready to go in 45 seconds. Then place cup under spout and push a button. It grinds the beans, loads into the chamber, pre brews, then dispenses the coffee into you cup. After that it ejects the coffee "puck" into a bin and you are ready to make another cup.

Very good stuff, here's my fav with a teaspoon of half & half;

That's a sweet quarter inch of crema on top! Magnificent -

That's an expensive cup of coffee you have there!

http://www.amazon.com/Jura-13626-En...d=1461102378&sr=8-1&keywords=jura+ena+micro+1

However, the Micro 1 is on sale!

 

[W2R]

That's an expensive cup of coffee you have there!

http://www.amazon.com/Jura-13626-En...d=1461102378&sr=8-1&keywords=jura+ena+micro+1

However, the Micro 1 is on sale!

Wow! That's WAY more than I want to spend on coffee, especially since the Amazon reviews only gave it a 4.4 score. For $763.57 I'd expect a little higher score.

Makes me even happier with my unimpressive little $11 Mr. Coffee.

 

[RobbieB]

The Micro 1 is one of the least expensive superautomatics out there and yes, it's a luxury indeed. All that automation costs a lot.

So far I find the value to be good. The coffee is some of the best I've had and it's cheap (just cost of beans), it's easy and fast and makes no mess. End of the day cleaning is dump the grounds bin, slide out the plastic drip tray, rinse everything with water and slide it all back in.

The machine promps you to clean it about once a month and that's just as easy. You load a cleaning pellet and follow the prompts. It uses a whole tank of water to dissolve the pellet and repeatedly flush the pipes and the chamber. Then you just dump the solution, rinse the plastic and slide it all back in. Cleaning is as automatic as making coffee, it literally cleans itself in 15 minutes.

Genius!

 

[Retiired]

I am keeping my fingers crossed that one of these will show up at my local Good Will store. Maybe the Cubs will win the world series while I am waiting!

 

[CaliforniaMan]

I was lost until I re-discovered percolator coffee. Don't let so-called experts fool you, percolator coffee is best. It has a nuttier taste than other brewing methods. I have all the other makers... The French Press, the drip machine etc. and they make OK coffee..... But I tell you... Percolator coffee is best.

Michael Ruhlman is a food writer, and wrote these delightful articles on percolator coffee

Percolator Love | Michael Ruhlman

Percolator re-Love | Michael Ruhlman


I now have three percolators, just in case.

I have been using an electric percolator as well for the last couple of years or so. Was tired of lukewarm coffee, and have had some nice comments about my coffee, but cleanup is a bit more work than just throwing out the paper. The coffee is best of course immediately after brewing.

Don't get all the expensive coffee makers, after all it is just hot water and ground coffee. Get it the right temperature and it is not rocket science.

Seems to me that a lot of these fancy coffee makers are a bit like fancy fishing lures, designed more to lure fishermen than to lure fish.

 

[RobbieB]

For all you pooka-pooka-pook-pook fans;