My Dad has taught me how to make coffee! How do you make yours?!

[I Have Hippos In My Garden]

Big yay!!

At the age of 25 I can finally declare I like coffee. Up until now I have despised it, and could not understand how people could like it.

However a few months ago I went on a round-the-world big trip and when I was in America found everyone drank it...a lot. So I kind of forced myself to drink it and I have come home liking it (ignoring the fact I put about half a pint of milk and a bucket of sweetners in it).

This morning my Dad, NineToTheSky gave me a rather large lesson on how to make coffee. We started with a cafetiere and I had fun pushing the plunger down. I did have to use two hands as it does take some effort. A good, mini workout there doing that! The cafetiere method was easier than I thought it would be. And tastes okay.

We then moved onto the coffee filter. I'm so keen so keen on this method. It took ages and involved too much faffing around. And the taste wasn't worth all of the effort.

Finally I made some coffee using good, old instant coffee. I like this method best. Quick, easy and it tasted the best.

How do you make yours?!

[cochrane]

Remove old grounds and filter from the basket. Throw out. Grounds and filter, that is. Not basket. Put new filter in basket, then add four tablespoons of ground coffee. Put basket in coffeemaker. Fill carafe with water to the 8 cup line. Pour water into coffeemaker. Make sure brew basket is aligned properly so hot water dips through it into carafe. Put carafe underneath filter. Flip "brew" switch. Wait for enough coffee to accumulate in carafe for one cup. Pour coffee out of carafe into cup. Replace carafe.

I'm not too picky about my coffee first thing in the morning. Except that it's hot and strong.

[Auntbeast]

I just use a drip maker. But I use Cafe Bustelo which is an expresso grind. Good Stuff.

Since you are new at this. Realize that coffee needs to be made with hot water. Some drip makers do not heat the water to a high enough temperature. It makes all the difference. Also, most people do not use enough coffee per pot. Alton Brown points out that the directions on most coffee is correct, just that most people don't follow them. He once had an episode on coffee and the guy he made the coffee for about had an aneurysm over how much coffee he actually used.

[cochrane]

Some drip makers do not heat the water to a high enough temperature.
I agree with that. I usually find myself heating that first cup some more in the microwave after it's brewed.

Like I said, first thing in the morning, I just care about jump starting my brain. YMMV, yadda yadda yadda.

[sandra_nz]

I love the smell of a jar of coffee, but once water is added, I hate it. Were you the same to start with, Hippos?

[legalsnugs]

We use a Senseo coffeemaker (like this (http://www.senseo.us/Products/Pages/ProductsOverview.aspx)) and it could not be easier to make espresso, cappucino or regular American coffee. Put a coffee pod (packet) in its little basket, put water in the tank and push a button. One perfect cup.

[Vambo]

First I start with the bean. It has to be fresh roasted and a dark roast is what I prefer. Once I get my beans alone, I grind only enough for the coffee I am brewing at the moment. I use a fine grind about what you would want for Espresso, then it goes into an Espresso maker. I heat and froth whole milk not too much with the frothing.

Slap that sucker together, add just a little cream to make it smooth and silky, and just enough sugar to feel like a hug. Boom! Bowl full of amazing coffee. I only have one a day with the odd cuppa in the afternoon. Once you get used to the method, you never would want to change it.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

Press the button on the machine. It grinds, dispenses and then make a cup of espresso. That's easy. And good.

[ivylass]

Oh, dear Lord. I got Ivylad a coffee roaster for his birthday and he has just skedaddled over the edge, especially since his new burr grinder arrived yesterday. This is a man who took his electric kettle, French press, and grinder with our own roasted coffee beans on vacation with us.

He buys the green beans, roasts them, then grinds and brews in a French press the next day. I will tell you I had my first cup of black coffee yesterday. Coffee, brewed correctly, is sweet and tasty all on its own. Which makes me wonder...what the hell have we been drinking that flavored creamers have such a sizable shelf in the dairy section?

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

I'm not hugely into coffee, but I do find I like the French press method a lot more than drip. The coffee is visibly oilier and those flavor compounds definitely come through. (If you use a paper filter most of the oils stay in the paper.)

I've also found that it's good to grind your own, especially with decaf. The flavor suffers enough due to the decaffeination process - it's best to avoid further deterioration by letting ground coffee sit around.

[Queen Tonya]

I've got a cappuccino machine that rarely gets used, lack of counter space and it's a pain in the ass to clean. We sometimes use the french press on a lazy Sunday, but the good ol' drip coffee maker is in near constant use here. It's only an 8-cup with a thermal pot so it never tastes burnt, and it's almost always full of hot coffee.

Folks are getting the idea we like coffee a lot, we received 6 different types of it for Christmas, as well as some large mugs and a t-shirt with the caffeine molecule on it. :D

[Enderw24]

I think the simplest piece of advice is this: garbage in, garbage out.

You want good coffee? Put in good water. Clear out the grounds from the past batch. Use a good filter (or go French Press and use no filter at all). And, above all else, use good, fresh, coffee beans. You use bad beans you'll get bad coffee. It's just as simple as that. Go down to a good coffee shop and grab a half pound of coffee. You should be able to get it for $7.00 (or pounds for around $12) and it will last you around two weeks for just your own daily use. If you think that's expensive, imagine a daily cup at $2 and see how far that gets you.
A good coffee shop should also be able to help recommend styles you like because not every bean is for everyone. Some are roasted lighter and some darker. Some have more acidity and some are more floral and some taste fruity and some taste velvety.

Good luck!

[Caprese]

I get my beans roasted and ground at a mom and pop coffee place down the street.
I especially enjoy Sumatra, but Costa Rica is good too.

I used to have a fancy cappuccino machine. No more.

Now I use the Aeropress (http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm) to make the espresso, and the Aerolatte (http://www.aerolatte.com/) to froth the heated milk.

Makes darned good coffee.

[RhapsodyInBlue]

Coffee is a religious experience at my house.

First the coffee itself - to some degree it's like wine. You can buy coffee roasts intended to be used with or without milk; espresso which is an ultra fine grind; decaf; flavored coffees, et. al.

Coffee is best when fresh. Whole bean coffee is at its peak within 72 hours of roasting (http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/CoffeeStoring.htm); 10 days after roasting it's already getting stale. Ground coffee deteriorates much more quickly. We buy the whole beans and grind as needed. Grinders are cheap and plentiful.

We're using a brand from Argentina (Bonafide Franja Blanca), which makes a strong, rich brew intended to be used with milk. Argentina isn't a coffee growing country, but they have a coffee culture beyond compare. The coffee is roasted with sugar, but that doesn't make the coffee sweet; it's just incredibly smooth.

A French press is the way to go for brewing. Using hotter water helps release the oils. The glass carafe doesn't add that weird plastic aftertaste. You have to deal with the grounds, but that's not too difficult; they're great in compost heaps.

Since we like coffee with milk, but dislike cold coffee, we put a smalll pitcher of milk in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Then, if we're feeling fancy, we use a small, battery operated milk frother (http://www.amazon.com/Aerolatte-Milk-Frother-Satin-Finish/dp/B0002KZUNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1261928642&sr=8-1) to add some foam.

OK...gotta go make some more coffee now!

[aceplace57]

My uncle drank Postum every morning for thirty years. It tasted like coffee and didn't have the caffeine. Mormons used to drink it as a coffee substitute. My uncle wasn't Mormon. He just preferred the taste of Postum. I drank it as a kid before I was old enough for coffee.

Sadly, the a-holes at Kraft stopped making it in 2007. :(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postum

[Chefguy]

I used to make nothing but cold-brewed coffee, and will probably go back to it soon as it is far superior to hot-brewed. When we embarked on our RV trip, we started using the drip maker that came with the RV, and are still using it in the house. I use between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of grounds for 10 cups of water.

[Chief Pedant]

Mostly cappuccinos, from a pretty manual pump machine.

This lets us select the bean and the grind (and we are very picky), and control the steamed milk. The automatics and the pod machines are fine, but they are the equivalent of instant coffee for espresso-based drinks. An automatic with only one hopper also makes it harder to switch to the occasional decaf.

Our spare cappo machine goes with us on any driving vacation; we take a little stove-top espresso maker like this when we fly: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=espresso+stove+top+machine&cid=5584130305494926413&sa=title#p

I occasionally use a french press.

[vivalostwages]

I have a Farberware percolator. I put in one scoop of Folgers mild coffee for sensitive stomachs, 1 to 2 scoops of regular Folgers, and one scoop of Trader Joe's gingerbread coffee. 4 to 5 cups of water. Let it perk. Pour it into mugs that already have a bit of milk and French vanilla creamer.

Mmmmmmm.

[Super Kapowzler]

I've been making it "Hobo Style" DAILY for the last, oh...13 or 14 years.

Take a slightly heaping Tbs. of Yuban.
Wrap in filter.
Crimp end of filter with Hemostat.
Immerse in small saucepan of 2 cups boiling water, "sponge" filter up and down untill air bubbles stop coming out of filter...about 7 seconds.
Remove from heat, let filter drip into water for about 5 drips.
Pour into cup, add a splash of cold water to bring it to a drinkable temp.
Enjoy.

It is always less-acidic/bitter than from a drip-style maker.

And best of all it is HAND-MADE.
I have the same great coffee in the mountains, desert, or the ice-shack.

[gonzomax]

My coffee maker starts with beans. It grinds them and does all the work. Cuisinart makes a decent coffee maker.

[faithfool]

Aww. I know how to make coffee (at least the instant kind), but am terribly saddened that I don't like it. With all the multiple kinds of yummy sounding varieties, I feel like I'm missing out. The closest I've ever come has been barely stomaching mocha. But I'm thrilled you like it now. Just have a carmel vanilla latte smoothie on me.

[tr0psn4j]

I stumble over to the machine, throw out yesterday's grounds and filter while cussing about how early in the morning it is, out in a filter, take a sniff of the coffee grounds, put them in, turn on the pot and leave to do some work. Then I drag myself back to the machine a few minutes later expecting a nice cup of coffee, realize I forgot to put the water in, cuss at myself some more, add water and make some coffee.

[CT_Damsel]

I have a Keurig. http://www.keurig.com/
I bought it hoping it would cut down on my coffee consumption. I was making a 4 cup pot in the morning and drinking all of it. Now I just make one Keurig.
I absolutely agree with the other posters that mentioned quality of the water. I have very hard water and use bottled in the brewer.

[ivylass]

How do you guys feel about robusta vs arabica? I think the consensus is arabica is far superior to robusta...Ivylad got a book called The Joy of Coffee, and it said while Vietnam is coming along as a coffee producer, they only produce robusta beans. So, don't get sucked in by the whole allure of foreign coffee...even beans grown on the same plantation at the same time can have different flavors. According to the book, this (http://www.laminita.com/) is the best run coffee plantation, but the book was published a few years ago and I know tastes vary widely.

Coffee truly is like wine...finicky, persnickety, nasty when it's wrong, pure heaven when it's right.

[porcupine]

French press with a course grind. I have various kinds I've bought at Trader Joe's or Caribou Coffee. My favorite right now is the Obsidian Dark Roast from Caribou. No caffeine for me after about 1 pm, so I shall make decaf now. Lots of cream, lots of sugar. Sometimes I add some cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, or cocoa powder.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

My espresso machine (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=542784) is described herein.

I just enjoyed a nice ristretto after dinner. Now that is what is meant to be made from fresh coffee beans.

[lissener]

I've been making it "Hobo Style" DAILY for the last, oh...13 or 14 years.

Take a slightly heaping Tbs. of Yuban.
Wrap in filter.
Crimp end of filter with Hemostat.
Immerse in small saucepan of 2 cups boiling water, "sponge" filter up and down untill air bubbles stop coming out of filter...about 7 seconds.
Remove from heat, let filter drip into water for about 5 drips.
Pour into cup, add a splash of cold water to bring it to a drinkable temp.
Enjoy.

It is always less-acidic/bitter than from a drip-style maker.

And best of all it is HAND-MADE.
I have the same great coffee in the mountains, desert, or the ice-shack.
I'll go you one easier, and I've never had better coffee. Starting with good coffee and clean water, boil the water in a small clean pot. When it's boiling, turn off the heat. Stir your preferred amount of coffee right into the water. Let steep your preferred length of time. Pour into a cup through a tea strainer. You get some lees, but otherwise it's the ghetto version of a french press.

[nashiitashii]

These days I switch between a French press and a stovetop cappuccino/espresso maker (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku5279260/). Because my preference for coffee means that milk is not optional, the stovetop cappuccino maker serves me quite well. There's a video on the link, showing the process by which I generally make my own coffee. Easy peasy.

[Martini Enfield]

I put one ground tablespoon of ground coffee and one teaspoon of sugar into a plunger, add boiling water, let it sit for a couple of minutes to infuse, plunge, then pour into a mug and add milk. Coffee-tastic!

[levdrakon]

I just enjoyed a nice ristretto after dinner. Now that is what is meant to be made from fresh coffee beans.I read that five times trying to figure out what coffee beans have to do with a nice risotto.

[AHunter3]

Dump grounds from filter. Wash filter thoroughly (it's gold mesh, not paper). Wash carafe if it hasn't already been washed.

Scoop-thingie is 1/8 cup (I measured it one day). My custom blend is one can of Yuban to one can of Medaglia d'Oro. Two scoops of blended coffee into the filter. 2 cups of filtered water into the water basin. Switch it on and let it gurgle and chatter until with a couple of gasping coughs it runs out of water.

Pour. Drink.

[luv2draw]

I have a Farberware percolator. I put in one scoop of Folgers mild coffee for sensitive stomachs, 1 to 2 scoops of regular Folgers, and one scoop of Trader Joe's gingerbread coffee. 4 to 5 cups of water. Let it perk. Pour it into mugs that already have a bit of milk and French vanilla creamer.

Mmmmmmm.

Wow! I have a Farberware percolator too! Mine's electric. It was my mother's.... Put the coffee in the metal basket, water in the pot, plug it in. It bubbles and boils and perks and the red light goes on when it's ready. Love the coffee it makes.

Now I'm going through $$$ issues so I'm getting Wegman's brand coffee for $1.99 a pound. It will do. But I can add cocoa and/or cinnamon and maybe vanilla to jazz it up a little if the mood strikes me. When I'm out of this crappy recession I'll go back to getting beans and grinding them. Oh wow, that's the best.

[amanset]

I'm an utter pleb when it comes to coffee. I have yet to find a fresh coffee, using any variety of grounding, beans and filtering methods, that I find tastes better than instant.

So I drink instant. With a bit of milk.

I'm the same with chocolate. None of that 90% cocoa gubbins. I want it cheap and milk.

[Spoons]

Drip coffee. Fresh ground beans (one scoop per mug) and clear, cold water. Even the scungiest truck stop in North America will have coffee made that way. It's been most welcome when I'm driving somewhere at weird hours.

I've enjoyed visiting friends and relatives in the UK and Australia, but they seem to think instant coffee anytime is okay. No, it's not. If the 24-hour Tim Hortons on Ontario's 401 eastbound can serve me a cup of fresh drip coffee at 2:30 in the morning, then Buddy in Coventry UK, or Pal in Perth Australia can at more reasonable hours.

[Martini Enfield]

I've enjoyed visiting friends and relatives in the UK and Australia, but they seem to think instant coffee anytime is okay. No, it's not. If the 24-hour Tim Hortons on Ontario's 401 eastbound can serve me a cup of fresh drip coffee at 2:30 in the morning, then Buddy in Coventry UK, or Pal in Perth Australia can at more reasonable hours.

Have you had instant coffee in Australia? Some of it is actually pretty good, IMHO. There's also a lot less mess and generally dicking around than with ground coffee. I really don't see a problem with serving guests instant coffee. And Tim Hortons can serve you drip coffee 24 hours a day because they have a machine that will let them do it. Your average Australian does not have a fancy coffee percolator on standby 24/7 in case one of their guests turns their nose up at the perfectly good Nescafe Gold on offer.

[levdrakon]

Yeah, Americans are pretty prejudiced against instant coffee, because it's usually crap, and the instant coffee makers haven't tried very hard to overcome the image. I'm not surprised the quality is better in other countries. It's also extremely easy and fast to make fresh coffee in a modern electric drip. With instant, or tea for that matter, you still have to heat the water in the cup. That's about how long a coffee maker takes anyway.

[aceplace57]

Since people are mentioning brands, I'll say mine is Millstone, the breakfast blend. My grocery sells the beans and they have a machine to grind them. Sometimes, I'll mix in some Hawaiian Blend beans to vary the flavor.

I always keep my fresh ground coffee in the freezer, because it stays fresher. I measure it out into the filter and wait about 15 minutes for the grounds to thaw a little. The boiling water does the rest. ;)

http://www.millstone.com/ourcoffees/bulk/

[valleyofthedolls]

My espresso machine (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=542784) is described herein.

I just enjoyed a nice ristretto after dinner. Now that is what is meant to be made from fresh coffee beans.

How do you make the ristretto? I thought you couldn't do that on an automatic machine?

[I Have Hippos In My Garden]

I love the smell of a jar of coffee, but once water is added, I hate it. Were you the same to start with, Hippos?

Yes, very much so. I remember when I was little I would come downstairs for breakfast and the warm wafts of coffee would be rising up the stairs and would smell so delicious. It is almost the smell that made me want to like the taste more than anything else. It was almost shocking to taste it and jump back in suprise at how bitter and disgusting it was!

It is a bit like hot cross buns and grapefruit. Hotcross buns smell so yummy and warm, but taste like cardboard. Grapefruits look so beautiful but again taste so bitter and disgusting.

Apparently we have Miles coffee at the moment from the south west of England. I drink their tea a lot and that is lovely. I can't compare the coffee to much else at the moment!

I know I do love (and I mean really love) froth. I could almost order a cappucino and just lick the froth off the top and leave the rest. I wish lattes had more froth than they do. In America and Australia lattes had a shockingly small amount of froth. In England they have a lot more, but still not as much as cappacinos. I wish you could just order a mug of froth! Yum!

[Fiveroptic]

I get my coffee by hanging out at Queen Tonya's house most of the time. But at home, I'm a big Millstone fan, particularly their Bed and Breakfast blend. As to my brewing method, tr0psn4j nailed it.

I stumble over to the machine, throw out yesterday's grounds and filter while cussing about how early in the morning it is, out in a filter, take a sniff of the coffee grounds, put them in, turn on the pot and leave to do some work. Then I drag myself back to the machine a few minutes later expecting a nice cup of coffee, realize I forgot to put the water in, cuss at myself some more, add water and make some coffee.

[Snickers]

I've really nothing to add - my husband makes the coffee which I then tart up with cream, sugar, sometimes chocolate, sometimes caramel syrup - but it's good to see you, Hippos!

My husband used to have a French press, but we broke the glass beaker it used. Now he's got a stainless steel percolator that he just plugs in and off it goes. We also have a stovetop percolator, but he doesn't use that much anymore. I suppose I need to find him a stainless steel press - that's probably just the ticket.

[I Have Hippos In My Garden]

Heya Snickers :D
How ya doing?!

[Chefguy]

I've really nothing to add - my husband makes the coffee which I then tart up with cream, sugar, sometimes chocolate, sometimes caramel syrup - but it's good to see you, Hippos!

My husband used to have a French press, but we broke the glass beaker it used. Now he's got a stainless steel percolator that he just plugs in and off it goes. We also have a stovetop percolator, but he doesn't use that much anymore. I suppose I need to find him a stainless steel press - that's probably just the ticket.

Et voila (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS353US353&q=stainless+steel+french+press&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=13002777052868499345&ei=WBY5S6DvJYXctgP0xLndBw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q8wIwAA#ps-sellers)!

[Hello Again]

Your average Australian does not have a fancy coffee percolator on standby 24/7 in case one of their guests turns their nose up at the perfectly good Nescafe Gold on offer.

Are coffee machines expensive or hard to find in Australia? Because you can buy a simple drip machine for $10 -15 in any hardware store, drug store, appliance store, mass retailer (Target/Wal Mart, etc) and many larger supermarkets in the US. (Percolators went out of fashion in the 70s and are widely regarded as making the worst coffee for the most trouble)

I bought a 4 cup Mr. Coffee on my first day of college (1993) and used it until 2007. Not a bad return for my 10 bucks and I could make my friends coffee whenever they wanted it. It only takes a couple of minutes to run - the same amount of time as to heat water as others have noted.

[Martini Enfield]

Are coffee machines expensive or hard to find in Australia? Because you can buy a simple drip machine for $10 -15 in any hardware store, drug store, appliance store, mass retailer (Target/Wal Mart, etc) and many larger supermarkets in the US. (Percolators went out of fashion in the 70s and are widely regarded as making the worst coffee for the most trouble)

I bought a 4 cup Mr. Coffee on my first day of college (1993) and used it until 2007. Not a bad return for my 10 bucks and I could make my friends coffee whenever they wanted it. It only takes a couple of minutes to run - the same amount of time as to heat water as others have noted.

A quick Google search tells me that although "Percolator" is actually a specific type of coffee machine (and not a filter coffee machine), the term is generally used here to mean "Any coffee-maker that isn't a fancy cappuccino machine".

Anyway, yes, coffee machines are expensive here. The cheapest one I could find the last time I went looking (about three months ago) was $49 and it was OK but nothing special

Australia's coffee culture evolved along European lines after WWII thanks to all the European immigrants bringing their love of coffee here. So instead of going down the American route of the "Cup of Joe" and 24/7 drip coffee, we got lots of trendy cafes with cappuccino machines that look like they belong in an H.G. Wells story.

Which means that it's actually surprisingly difficult to get a "Cup of Joe" here. Even McDonalds will serve you some wanky tree-hugger approved fancy coffee (which tastes like crap IMHO) unless you specifically request "filter coffee", and even if you request it many stores no longer have it.

So that's why people here like instant coffee. It's good quality, it's fast, and it's not pretentious or wasteful. I mean, I like coffee and I frequently think "I cannot be bothered making a cup of ground coffee" (with the attendant mess afterwards), so I get a jar of instant out of the cupboard and as soon as the kettle boils, it's coffee time.

[KneadToKnow]

This is a man who took his electric kettle, French press, and grinder with our own roasted coffee beans on vacation with us.

I don't have a roaster, but I will be taking my electric kettle, French press, and coffee grinder on vacation when I leave Wednesday.

My coffee routine is:

1.25 quarts of water in the electric kettle, kettle on.
beans scooped out of airtight light-proof container and into the grinder
French press ready
when the electric kettle clicks off, start the grinder
pour a little water into the press carafe, swish it around to warm the glass (I don't know why this makes a difference, but it does to my palate)
pour the grounds into the carafe, fill with water while stirring
lid on, brew for 4 minutes
press slowly (I aim for 30 seconds, usually hit 20)
serve

[Spoons]

Have you had instant coffee in Australia? Some of it is actually pretty good, IMHO. There's also a lot less mess and generally dicking around than with ground coffee. I really don't see a problem with serving guests instant coffee.I have had instant coffee in Australia, on the occasions when I've visited relatives. While it was better than the instant that's available here, it was still a long way from my daily drip. Interestingly, my Australian relatives now live here in Canada--and still serve instant. I've asked them if they would like a drip machine for Christmas or some other gift-giving event (they always offer me coffee and it's always instant), but they say no, drip is too much trouble. I don't see it; IME, drip is faster than waiting for a kettle to boil, and cleanup is no problem at all.

And Tim Hortons can serve you drip coffee 24 hours a day because they have a machine that will let them do it. Your average Australian does not have a fancy coffee percolator on standby 24/7 in case one of their guests turns their nose up at the perfectly good Nescafe Gold on offer.Tim Hortons' drip machines aren't much different than what I can buy to make drip coffee at home. A little more expensive maybe, but similar drip machines are found in many workplaces. And I haven't been in a North American hotel room in ten years that does not have a small drip coffee maker. They're pretty inexpensive, and they produce four cups of coffee in the time it takes to have a shower.

If you like instant coffee, Martini, then drink it; but I'll stick with my drip, thanks. :)

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

How do you make the ristretto? I thought you couldn't do that on an automatic machine?
Silvia is a semi-automatic machine. I grind my own beans and tamp my own shots.

I just grind it finer, and do it trial and error, until I only put out about an ounce and a bit of liquid with about 15 grams of beans.

One can also tamp it tighter, or combine a finer grind with a tighter tamp.

That's why I wouldn't get an automatic machine. I could not make a ristretto with it!

[valleyofthedolls]

Silvia is a semi-automatic machine. I grind my own beans and tamp my own shots.

I just grind it finer, and do it trial and error, until I only put out about an ounce and a bit of liquid with about 15 grams of beans.

One can also tamp it tighter, or combine a finer grind with a tighter tamp.

That's why I wouldn't get an automatic machine. I could not make a ristretto with it!

Thanks for the info. I'll have to look at the Silvia someday. A ristretto is beautiful thing.

And to answer the OP: A french press for regular coffee but if I have the time I use an ibrik to make Greek/Turkish coffee.

[Martini Enfield]

I have had instant coffee in Australia, on the occasions when I've visited relatives. While it was better than the instant that's available here, it was still a long way from my daily drip. Interestingly, my Australian relatives now live here in Canada--and still serve instant. I've asked them if they would like a drip machine for Christmas or some other gift-giving event (they always offer me coffee and it's always instant), but they say no, drip is too much trouble. I don't see it; IME, drip is faster than waiting for a kettle to boil, and cleanup is no problem at all.

My issue with filter coffee machines is getting the amount right. I don't drink cup after cup after cup of coffee- I want a cup of coffee, and maybe a second one if I need the caffeine. Drip machines are not really geared up to make single cups- you have to make lots of coffee, and if you don't drink it fairly quickly it goes blegh. So unless you're a real caffiend, they're not necessarily worth the extra hassle.

If you like instant coffee, Martini, then drink it; but I'll stick with my drip, thanks. :)

I prefer filter coffee but some of the instant stuff is pretty darn good and doesn't leave me with a filter to clean out or a carafe to rinse- perfect for the first cup of the day in the morning, in other words. ;)

[Noone Special]

The Plebian's plebian method:

- Take heaping teaspoon of extremely finely ground coffee (much finer than espresso grind -- the same grind used for Turkish Coffee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee), but without boiling. We call it "Mud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee#Israel)" ([i]botz[i])) Put in mug. Add more coffee if it's early / you were up late / drinking....
- Add boiling water.
- Add sweetener and/or milk to taste.
- Drink.

Basically like making instant, but with real coffee. Instant is the devil's brew. I always say "Instant is a drink. Some people like it. It is not coffee!! :p"

(Of course at work, we have a communal espresso machine, so I can spend long seconds frothing the milk, then waiting for the coffee to be ground, pressed and made by the machine....)

[The Vorlon]

If anyone is in need of a French press, for some reason Office Max has them on clearance for $10.

[Shirley Ujest]

Visiting your local Salvation Army can yeild Percolator's and french presses ( and possibly expresso/cappocino/fancy drinky machines) to tinker with at a fraction of the cost.





<----Works at a SA.

[Hello Again]

My issue with filter coffee machines is getting the amount right. I don't drink cup after cup after cup of coffee- I want a cup of coffee, and maybe a second one if I need the caffeine. Drip machines are not really geared up to make single cups- you have to make lots of coffee, and if you don't drink it fairly quickly it goes blegh. So unless you're a real caffiend, they're not necessarily worth the extra hassle.

I prefer filter coffee but some of the instant stuff is pretty darn good and doesn't leave me with a filter to clean out or a carafe to rinse- perfect for the first cup of the day in the morning, in other words. ;)

First, off it isn't true that drip machines must make a lot of coffee. The smaller 4-cup machines are common (4 "cups" is 2 mugs) At any rate, for people who do want that one cup at a time experience, in the US. the K-cup system (http://www.keurig.com/explore/brew.asp?mscsid=4QSNC33USUCD8KNCNGB77K8P97490B66) is become quite popular. There are little coffee "pods" you insert and it brews one cup at a time. Although home systems are relatively rare (most people encounter K-cup system in their office) they are becoming more affordable and popular.

I do not think instant will ever be really popular in the US. It goes against certain cultural beliefs about coffee. Imagine for a moment an American said "Oh I drink instant tea -- it's just as good and making tea is too much trouble." I don't know about Australia but I am certain that you could never convince a English person that instant tea is anywhere near as good, and they consider the "trouble" to be a satisfying ritual. (Americans take some shit for using tea bags vs. loose tea, and tea bags are filled with actual tea leaves, not freeze dried tea product). Likewise I do not think instant coffee will ever shed its association in the U.S. with really low-end processed convenience food (see also: Spam), and the idea that making coffee is any sort of mess or trouble is generally met with confusion.

[levdrakon]

I prefer filter coffee but some of the instant stuff is pretty darn good and doesn't leave me with a filter to clean out or a carafe to rinse- perfect for the first cup of the day in the morning, in other words. ;)I haven't rinsed out my carafe in weeks. A heavily coffee-stained carafe is the sign of a true coffee drinker. :)

Oh, and you can make a single cup o' Joe in an electric drip. Why not? A mug of water, a scoop of grounds, and there's your single cup.

[Spoons]

I do not think instant will ever be really popular in the US.Maybe that should be amended to read, "I do not think instant will ever be really popular again in the US." I do recall from my childhood that "making coffee" meant "get out the percolator," and that drip coffee makers for the home were expensive things that looked like they belonged in a mad scientist's lab. In those days, instant coffee was a godsend. And as I recall, a big seller too--I remember that all of us in North America were inundated with ads for Brim ("fill it to the rim--with Brim"), Encore ("get mellow, get Encore"), and Maxim ("America's first freeze-dried coffee"). For those who preferred less of a caffeine kick, there was Sanka ("it's decaffeinated, not decoffeed"). And there was a long series of instant coffee ads featuring the Taster's Choice Couple (http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_tasterschoice.htm).

But with one or two exceptions (weren't the Taster's Choice Couple from the 80's/90s?) those were also the days of instant Tang, Space Food Sticks, powdered milk, flaked mashed potatoes, and other conveniences that approximated real food but (IMHO) didn't quite get there. People's habits changed to prefer the real thing over the powdered/instant. I'd guess that this is what happened to coffee: drip makers came down in price and made coffee that tasted better than instant fairly quickly and easily. You can still get instant coffee, of course, but I don't know anybody who drinks it. Except my Australian relatives. :)

[Hello Again]

Brim wasn't instant - it was decaf. You could have a full cup (fill it to the rim) after dinner without getting jittery.

Other than that, yes, I meant it will not be popular again in the future.

[Martini Enfield]

First, off it isn't true that drip machines must make a lot of coffee. The smaller 4-cup machines are common (4 "cups" is 2 mugs) At any rate, for people who do want that one cup at a time experience, in the US. the K-cup system (http://www.keurig.com/explore/brew.asp?mscsid=4QSNC33USUCD8KNCNGB77K8P97490B66) is become quite popular. There are little coffee "pods" you insert and it brews one cup at a time. Although home systems are relatively rare (most people encounter K-cup system in their office) they are becoming more affordable and popular.

Not available in Australia, though. A point which some of you seem to be forgetting- I'm not in the US and I'm not speaking from a US perspective. Filter coffee machines here are expensive and inconvenient, especially if you're determined to grind your own beans.

[Lethal Babydoll]

1. Get married.

2. Tell wife how wonderful she is to have your coffee ready for you when you wake up.

Best method I've found.

:cool:

[Noone Special]

1. Get married.

2. Tell wife how wonderful she is to have your coffee ready for you when you wake up.

Best method I've found.

:cool:That's funny -- replace "wife" with "husband" and you have my wife's philosophy :D
Oh, OK -- replace "she" with "he", as well.

Actually, she doesn't usually even follow through with step #2. She just drinks her coffee without telling me how wonderful I am.... :dubious: :p

She still gets mud coffee (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11933081&postcount=51), though. But that's because that's how she likes it :)