I use a French Press. 1 cup of pre-ground coffee and a kettle of boiling water in a 12-cup press, steep for four minutes (stirring with a wooden spoon after 1 minute to get the floaty grounds down into the water). I get my beans pre-ground because somebody once pointed out that you can get used to the taste of pre-ground coffee, but your sleeping roommates don’t get used to the sound of a coffee grinder at 5:00 in the morning…
I usually use a drip machine because of the larger capacity but I also like the French press when I’m just making two cups, well, mugs. I also grind whole beans but if you get good ground coffee and use it before it gets stale I think you get really good results that way.
BTW you might want to check out the newsgroup alt.coffee. This is a humorous take on the question.
We own a Cuisinart “Grind & Brew” automatic drip coffee maker with a clock and timer. Put in the beans and water the night before, and the next day when it reaches the time you’ve set, the grinder starts up, grinds the beans, drops them into the cone filter, and then heats the water.
Dear sweet Trunk, Folger’s is NOT coffee. Just because it’s hot and brown and liquid doesn’t make it so.
Ivylad and I have gotten spoiled, first with Gevalia and now with Green Mountain. We grind the beans and make a fresh pot every morning. A spoonful of Splenda, a squirt of flavored creamer, and I’m out the door.
We use a drip coffeemaker. We like to use Starbuck’s beans which we have ground when we buy them, or we also like Chock Fuil O’ Nuts when finances are tight. We make our coffee in large insulated mugs of the sort often seen in cars. We microwave some whole milk (enough to fill the mug a little less than halfway) until it’s hot but not scalding, and add it to some sugar (varies, depending on who’s drinking the coffee – I like about a teaspoon) and a heaping tablespoon of Ghirardelli hot chocolate. (This is key – no other brand will get the same effect, or even come close. HAS to be Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix.) We mix it with a hand-held blender so the milk gets a little frothy, then pour the the coffee in. Mrs. Evil Captor and Evil Captor Jr. both like whipped cream on theirs. I prefer my coffee plainer.
Fresh ground with a burr grinder. Usually I use my Briel Chamonix Pump Espresso Machine. But sometimes I go for French Press. I bought a French Press a few years ago, based on reputation only. After the first cup, I gave my drip maker away.
I have a Krups drip coffee maker with an on-board grinder. It’s not only my favorite way, it’s my only way.
I want to buy one that has a timer in addition to the grinder, but there’s really nothing wrong with my Krups. Can you put me in touch with the jar of spices that took out your Chemex? Tell him I’ve got a little wet work for him. . .
I don’t drink coffee, but this is almost exactly what my husband does. KitchenAid burr grinder and French Press. He also ordered an Ibrik and he finally won a commercial espresso machine off eBay. If it ships and works, he’ll have this monster of a machine. No drip coffee maker for him, and I’ve never known him to buy pre-ground coffee, unless it was small sample packs.
It is my understanding that you can get timers at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot that will work on anything that plugs in. Originally, I understand, they were to connect to lamps when you were going on vacation, so that the house wouldn’t look deserted. But you can attach them to any electri appliance to use the timer feature.
Me too. They’ve got a newer model now that costs $59.99 at Penney’s (the old one cost more like $100+), it’s quieter than the old one, and it’s much easier to clean, too.
You understand correctly - timers like that cost < $5, and you can plug anything into them. When I had a cheap drip coffeemaker, I hooked it up to one of those timers, and loaded my grounds and water the night before.
Yeah, I like those. A little out of my price range, and I wonder about the availability of the pods, too. I’m also waiting for the second generation.
That said, I’m a french press fan through and through. I have two; one for coffee and one for loose tea. You need to have the beans ground chunkier. If they’re ground really fine, you’ll get little gritty bits in your cup.
I only make coffee on the weekends as well. I get my daily cup here at work during the week.
I use a stovetop espresso pot just like my mother does, and my grandmother did, and probably her grandmother did. We’ve had a couple of the fancy, expensive machines/cappucino makers, they never seem to make the espresso hot enough and they’re bulky/take up too much space. And the smell throughout the house is different. The smell of coffee brewing in an espresso pot reminds me of my mother’s house, my grandmother, and my aunts’ homes during the holidays/on weekends/etc.
I drink my espresso black with one Equal, and a piece of lemon or orange rind if I remember to save some.
We have a drip coffee maker that I usually use when we have company, since it makes a larger quantity, and most folks want regular grind coffee, not espresso. Nothing fancy, just some Target special.
I drink my regular coffee with 2 Equals and a little cream.
I have a French press but I’ve never been able to make the coffee come out right. I know you’re supposed to grind the coffee more coarsely for it, but I don’t seem to have the knack. When you have your beans ground at the shop, do you tell them it’s for a French press and they grind accordingly?
Another vote for French Press. Regular grind (medium grind) is just fine. You can even use fine grand but expect a more esspresso type taste and consistancy.
I’ve tried almost all types of methodes and this is the only one that I really enjoy without fail.
Yeah, tell them it’s for a French press. Love da French press. We have two of them and take one camping with us. Key to making good coffee:
Use enough grounds.
Allow the water to stop its rolling boil before pouring into the pot.
Pour the water in slowly and make sure that all the grounds get saturated.
Let it steep for a few minutes before using the plunger.
