Coffee

audioluvr wrote: »

I really like Folgers French Roast blend.

I hope that this is sarcasm… 😱

Costco's Kirkland French Roast, their Columbian Roast, and they carry the Ruta Maya - $45 for 2.2 lbs.

I must be a caveman compared to all y'all.

I ditched all the electric coffee maker stuff years ago now. Got tired of the maintenance, the cleaning and then the breaking and needing replacement.

So I fell back on my trust, stainless steel, camping coffee pot. 9 cup stove top percolator. The thing is probably 20 years old at this point and all I have to do it replace the stupid glass bulb that breaks every so often. I descale it with some Bon Ami and a scrubby sponge then wash it out with dish soap. Good as new!

I had an electric blade grinder that was noisy as hell but easy to use. Hard to get a good grind for what you were making so I went to a Cuisinart deal that was only slightly less noisy but about as consistent as it gets. Daily use, though, it gave up the ghost after about 14 years. Now I have a hand crank deal from Germany.

The percolator works fine for me, makes a strong cup of coffee and upsets every coffee nerd out there.

Jstas wrote: »

I ditched all the electric coffee maker stuff years ago now. Got tired of the maintenance, the cleaning and then the breaking and needing replacement.

I hear ya'.

That's how I ended up buying the Moccamaster. I would go through a coffee maker about once every 8 months. They always failed when I was cleaning the machine. Turned out, they were never designed for constant coffee brews.

Long story short, I went to Cook's Illustrated and looked at their recommendation. I think it was a Braun or something like that. I read every review I could find and it seemed like they would break down often too. That and their coffee makers were (at the time) $150.00. $150.00!!!

I literally yelled at the computer when I saw the price, complaining to my wife that I would NEVER pay $150.00 for a damned coffee maker. That was just over the top to me for something that (in my experience) never lasted long. Anyhoo, getting back to the short story. As I was reading the review, I kept reading about people mentioning this "Moccamaster" thing. The one thing they all stated was that it was the best cup o'Joe they had ever had......AND that they have replacement parts......that this was not a "throw away" coffee maker. Hmmm....

So, I researched everything about them. Read every review I could find. The empirical evidence was overwhelming. This coffeemaker was the ticket to low maintenance, replacement parts and a great cup o'Joe. The price, even double the $150 cost didn't seem to phase me at the time because I figured that I went through a $70-90 coffee maker every 8 months, this thing would eventually pay for itself.

It has. I purchased it back in 2020, so it's 4 years old now. Zero dollars spent so far on replacement parts and she still brews like the first day I got her. The cost was around $320 shipped back then, which I thought was high but was justified because I could replace the parts (if needed) and keep using the same machine for decades. PLUS, this was built to handle constant brewing, so it wouldn't break when I went to clean it (which ALWAYS happened to me in the past)

Since I bought this Moccamaster? I have purchased 3 cups of coffee from a store and with all 3 cups? I took a sip or two and threw them out. Nasty! I couldn't believe how much this brewer has spoiled me with a great cup o'Joe. The amount of money I have saved (even buying what used to be 99 cent coffees) easily makes up for buying the coffee and the little bit of effort it takes for maintenance.

Once a month or two (or whenever I start detecting off flavors), I will spend about a hour maintaining the machine. 30 minutes and a brew for the Dezcal, then the cleaner and two rinse cycles.

AFAIK, it is one of maybe two or three coffee makers that is endorsed by not only the American coffee nerd club, but also the European coffee nerd club. They have not changed the design in.....well, I don't know if they have ever changed the initial design on HOW it makes coffee. The science behind almost every aspect of this thing really intrigued me, as I was researching about it. It kind of reminded me of us and our never ending quest for audio nirvana. They literally thought of every aspect of making a great cup of coffee. Some of it made for very interesting reading as well, from a highly technical point of view.

I'm not saying that it is the best out there. I haven't tried French Press, I haven't had a pour over and I haven't had a percolated coffee in probably 35 years. What I am saying is that with the amount of coffee I go through, it is a fine solution that checks all of the boxes for me. Paired with a dedicated SS milk frother carafe for filling the water supply and a Baratza Sette 270 grinder? To me, they are a match made in heaven. In fact, it's a little slice of heaven here on Earth, if you ask me.

It has spoiled me so much, that I take the entire coffee kit on vacation with me (unless we are flying). I love it so much that I even have dedicated bags with enough room and protection for everything.

Tom

Jstas wrote: »

I must be a caveman compared to all y'all…

Certainly not!

I’ve gone through periods where I loved to use a basic Italian stove top coffee pot from Bialetti. The ones that screw off in two pieces. The water starts in the bottom and gets forced through the coffee into the top as it heats up.

However, I find that nothing extracts flavor from coffee like a basic espresso machine, such as those from Gaggia. The basic models (that were sold at Costco previously) are built like tanks and last for decades. I have a couple that are 30 years old in the garage that I bought used and they still work. Parts are available if necessary (unlike some of the newer stuff). Most espresso machines die from lack of descaling, not from mechanical failure.

Nothing beats the convenience and ease of use of single serve espresso pods. The Nespresso machines seem very reliable. I’ve come across some quite old ones still in use in European rental accommodations. Too early for me to judge my Illy for reliability.

treitz3 wrote: »

I hear ya'.

That's how I ended up buying the Moccamaster. I would go through a coffee maker about once every 8 months. They always failed when I was cleaning the machine. Turned out, they were never designed for constant coffee brews.

Long story short, I went to Cook's Illustrated and looked at their recommendation. I think it was a Braun or something like that. I read every review I could find and it seemed like they would break down often too. That and their coffee makers were (at the time) $150.00. $150.00!!!

I literally yelled at the computer when I saw the price, complaining to my wife that I would NEVER pay $150.00 for a damned coffee maker. That was just over the top to me for something that (in my experience) never lasted long.....
Tom

Way back in 2005, I went through a similar experience...
I wanted a coffee maker that could brew at 195F and had a stainless steel boiler and a thermal carafe...
Back then, there weren't many options.
There was a Capresso that was still made in Europe (Portugal) at the time. Amazon had it for something like $190. I watched it for a long time and it went on sale for $169, plus a $17 coupon or something. That was all it took for me to bite. I still have it today, but I keep it in the basement and only bring it to the kitchen when I have a lot of coffee drinking guests staying with me. I use the carafe for my pour-over though.
19 years of use, and it still works great for the most part, although, it has never really tasted right if you tried to brew a small batch. It was always best as a full pot brewer. I've only run de-scaler through it a few times. The stainless boiler really does reduce the amount of buildup compared to the cheaper aluminum ones.



So back in the days when I was rushed to get out the door every morning, I brewed a full pot every other day and drank microwaved coffee on the non-brew days. Gross! My ex never drank coffee, so it was just for me. I upgraded from a crappy blade grinder to a Baratza encore about 10 years ago and that made a huge improvement in the consistency of the grind.
Since I no longer rush out the door every morning, I decided about 2 years ago to move to pour-over. For years, that is how I did coffee when camping, so why not at home too?
Overall, for brewing 2ish mugs on a daily basis, the pour over method is far superior for my needs. It's inexpensive. The V60 was under $20 for the plastic one (preferred by most baristas) and 300 filters run about $15. I also grabbed a stainless pour over kettle that has a built in thermometer and a small spout. I can control the exact temperature. It is a bit slower, but I can make my 25-30oz of brewed coffee in less than 10 minutes. Water comes from my filtered refrigerator supply. Nothing other than a splash of half-n-half goes into my finished coffee.

@mhardy6647 Doc is more of a tea drinker, I think.

I am a bit of a coffee nerd. I bought from local roasters for a long time but have been using Trade subscription service for a few months and have really liked the variety. I generally do Espresso/Lattes but do. Sport over from time to time.

This is my little coffee bar

stangman67 wrote: »

This is my little coffee bar

That is perfection right there! Absolutely beautiful! 🤩

What is the black thing on the countertop next to the grinder?

What is that white box on the power outlet?

The only thing you mentioned that undermines your obviously elevated coffee nerd status is the use of the word “latte” which is anathema to any perfectionist coffee nerd, as that is a recent (and very unfortunate) American invention, not Italian, and it’s basically coffee with far too much, thick creamy milk froth. Cappuccino, on the other hand, is acceptable. 😜

Has anyone mentioned French press?? That is my next move....

Nightfall wrote: »

CottageChz wrote: »

A fellow GS driver? 👍👍

Yeah I just got it a few months ago after my car got stolen. 350 F Sport AWD

Ah sorry to hear about the car getting stolen, but enjoy the GS, it’s a great car - I’m on my second.

Anyway, coffee - I like the Bialetti Moka Pot that someone else here mentioned. I use that on the weekends and use a Cuisinart automatic drip machine on weekdays.

dammit. I know if I make the coffee this morning I'll wind up in rehab again... but it's calling to me... and you guys are coffee enablers not sponsors.

Maybe just a half cup...

NO! I WILL NOT!
I've lost 6 marriages, 7 jobs, 3 homes, and countless hours of sleep to the evils of coffee.

besides, dudes, yerba's just chill and focused. Coffee makes me Taz out.

Enjoy the ritual. Kinda like vinyl.

charley96 wrote: »

CottageChz wrote: »

Nightfall wrote: »

Viking64 wrote: »

Sometimes

A fellow GS driver? 👍👍

I'm a fellow GS driver, 18 F-Sport RWD.

Wow another one! I’m surprised, it’s not a very common car.