Looking for an inexpensive coffee maker. What do you recommend
- Thread starter oli
- Start date
pour over - so many benefits starting with flavor
last summer I had a family over who were coffee growers in Latin America. The father says, "now this is coffee made properly"
you can also save on filters if you get something like the Bodum with a permanent filter, which comes in a larger size so you can serve several cups. (I think this is around $35) And all you need is a hot tea kettle to start another batch immediately. No waiting for it to "brew" / drip. Depending upon what type of filter you use you can adjust strength and flavor. Bodum's is not as fine as some others which affects both the flow rate and the amount of sediment.
Alternatively Chemex with filters will have way less sediment and a lighter flavor. There are many other variations.
last summer I had a family over who were coffee growers in Latin America. The father says, "now this is coffee made properly"
you can also save on filters if you get something like the Bodum with a permanent filter, which comes in a larger size so you can serve several cups. (I think this is around $35) And all you need is a hot tea kettle to start another batch immediately. No waiting for it to "brew" / drip. Depending upon what type of filter you use you can adjust strength and flavor. Bodum's is not as fine as some others which affects both the flow rate and the amount of sediment.
Alternatively Chemex with filters will have way less sediment and a lighter flavor. There are many other variations.
Huge fan of pour over coffee. It's been my go-to for several years -- got rid of
the coffee makers we had as I just don't care for coffee that's been sitting for even 10 minutes after brewing. To my taste the coffee changes rapidly as it sits to a flavor I don't care for. So every morning the first thing I do when I get up is put on the tea kettle and within minutes I've got a cup of freshly brewed delicious coffee. Trader Joes has the paper filters at a decent price or I buy the store-brand paper filters at the grocery vs paying the higher price for Melitta or name brand filter papers (though I've used Melitta and like them just fine). Round paper filters work just as well as the V-shaped.
At the link is the coffee cone I'm currently using. Have some ceramic Starbucks cones too but I tend to like the lovely red color of this one as well as how lightweight it is. Uses paper filters of which I'm currently using unbleached paper filters and liking the coffee flavor better than bleached filters.
Very portable too. I take the cone and filters with me when camping and traveling.
I also grind beans fresh each morning.
https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Coffee-Filter-Number-1-Size/dp/B01HXGDYMO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501203578&sr=8-1&keywords=HIC+Coffee+Filter+Cone%2C+Red%2C+Number+1-Size%2C+Brews+1+to+2-Cups
the coffee makers we had as I just don't care for coffee that's been sitting for even 10 minutes after brewing. To my taste the coffee changes rapidly as it sits to a flavor I don't care for. So every morning the first thing I do when I get up is put on the tea kettle and within minutes I've got a cup of freshly brewed delicious coffee. Trader Joes has the paper filters at a decent price or I buy the store-brand paper filters at the grocery vs paying the higher price for Melitta or name brand filter papers (though I've used Melitta and like them just fine). Round paper filters work just as well as the V-shaped.
At the link is the coffee cone I'm currently using. Have some ceramic Starbucks cones too but I tend to like the lovely red color of this one as well as how lightweight it is. Uses paper filters of which I'm currently using unbleached paper filters and liking the coffee flavor better than bleached filters.
Very portable too. I take the cone and filters with me when camping and traveling.
I also grind beans fresh each morning.
https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Coffee-Filter-Number-1-Size/dp/B01HXGDYMO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501203578&sr=8-1&keywords=HIC+Coffee+Filter+Cone%2C+Red%2C+Number+1-Size%2C+Brews+1+to+2-Cups
well certainly HOWEVER
once you get past that and onto what makes a difference at the next step, there are methods that make better coffee. For me it is also a crying shame to waste high quality coffee getting mediocre results from a machine and not realizing the full quality of that coffee.
I've been experimenting with this for years. Roasting my own beans. I've built three different roasters experimenting with roast. I had a commercial Bunn machine after trying a bunch of different coffee makers and espresso machines. Bean, roast and grind are the base and I'd include also getting the right roast and in some cases the right grind to match the bean but my biggest shift in quality results have been from an Aeropress and pour over. And I stopped using the aeropress because the pour over is just better, easier and I don't have to buy filters.
once you get past that and onto what makes a difference at the next step, there are methods that make better coffee. For me it is also a crying shame to waste high quality coffee getting mediocre results from a machine and not realizing the full quality of that coffee.
I've been experimenting with this for years. Roasting my own beans. I've built three different roasters experimenting with roast. I had a commercial Bunn machine after trying a bunch of different coffee makers and espresso machines. Bean, roast and grind are the base and I'd include also getting the right roast and in some cases the right grind to match the bean but my biggest shift in quality results have been from an Aeropress and pour over. And I stopped using the aeropress because the pour over is just better, easier and I don't have to buy filters.
Yes, yes, and yes. Our kids have some really neat machine and roast their own beans.
Oli said--they use this for when they are having a crowd, and use a Keurig otherwise. Maybe he will be swayed into the other coffee crowds.
Others will swear by the French press. And then there is even the coffee toddy style.
And if you're going to grind your beans then you need a burr grinder.
Theirs is a Mocchamaster at $300. The best cup I've had in someone's kitchen was from the Jura.
Oli said--they use this for when they are having a crowd, and use a Keurig otherwise. Maybe he will be swayed into the other coffee crowds.
Others will swear by the French press. And then there is even the coffee toddy style.
And if you're going to grind your beans then you need a burr grinder.
Theirs is a Mocchamaster at $300. The best cup I've had in someone's kitchen was from the Jura.
Grasshopper, I will give you a Zen answer: it depends...
This is what I would suggest:
Get yourself an Aeropress. It is hard to get the ratios wrong with it. It is easy to use and inexpensive. Get a good quality coffee. If you have a grinder, good. Get whole beans and grind enough just before use.
Now if you are one of these people that have bought into the lie of (burnt) Starbucks style coffee, go ahead and do a dark roast (if you have to) but keep an open mind and over time work your way down to medium and you will start to get it. If that is coming across as patronizing, it is not intended as such other than my disdain for Starbucks and burnt coffee. There is a time for a medium-dark roast but not for regular coffee in my opinion.* You may disagree with me right now but once you start enjoying good coffee, I am confident that you will come around and see the light!
*there are two beans that I have found to do better on the darker side but personally in roasting I only go just to the very edge of darkness so to speak to avoid that burnt flavor but still maximize those oils.
This is what I would suggest:
Get yourself an Aeropress. It is hard to get the ratios wrong with it. It is easy to use and inexpensive. Get a good quality coffee. If you have a grinder, good. Get whole beans and grind enough just before use.
Now if you are one of these people that have bought into the lie of (burnt) Starbucks style coffee, go ahead and do a dark roast (if you have to) but keep an open mind and over time work your way down to medium and you will start to get it. If that is coming across as patronizing, it is not intended as such other than my disdain for Starbucks and burnt coffee. There is a time for a medium-dark roast but not for regular coffee in my opinion.* You may disagree with me right now but once you start enjoying good coffee, I am confident that you will come around and see the light!
*there are two beans that I have found to do better on the darker side but personally in roasting I only go just to the very edge of darkness so to speak to avoid that burnt flavor but still maximize those oils.
lana-in-fl
Well-known member
I also love my Aeropress. I found pourovers drip too quickly.
you can adjust the drip with a pour over based upon
the grind and the filter. For example I have been using the Bodum lately. This one has a pretty liberal permanent filter so I use a finer grind to make the coffee stronger. It slows the drip but I do get more sediment. If I use Chemex filters I get very little sediment. But the sediment doesn't bother me and I prefer the stronger flavor than I get with the paper filters. If I use a finer grind with the Chemex filters the drip can actually take quite a long time and even stop. In either case you can play around with them until you get what you like.
Aeropress you can also do some adjusting with it to get varying degrees of strength but generally it will give you a strong coffee. It was my go to for a few years and makes for a great cup of coffee. It was nice for road trips too. It even comes with a little carrying bag... When I'd stop somewhere I'd ask for hot water and just shoot out some gourmet coffee in the parking lot of a truck stop or wherever. Some place would even give me a cup of hot water (like for tea) for free. Do the same in a hotel room. I either pre-grind the beans or bring my Zassenhaus Coffee Grinder and grind the beans manually.
I should add that there are also permanent filters available for the Aeropress. I never bought one but you can get them on Amazon.
the grind and the filter. For example I have been using the Bodum lately. This one has a pretty liberal permanent filter so I use a finer grind to make the coffee stronger. It slows the drip but I do get more sediment. If I use Chemex filters I get very little sediment. But the sediment doesn't bother me and I prefer the stronger flavor than I get with the paper filters. If I use a finer grind with the Chemex filters the drip can actually take quite a long time and even stop. In either case you can play around with them until you get what you like.
Aeropress you can also do some adjusting with it to get varying degrees of strength but generally it will give you a strong coffee. It was my go to for a few years and makes for a great cup of coffee. It was nice for road trips too. It even comes with a little carrying bag... When I'd stop somewhere I'd ask for hot water and just shoot out some gourmet coffee in the parking lot of a truck stop or wherever. Some place would even give me a cup of hot water (like for tea) for free. Do the same in a hotel room. I either pre-grind the beans or bring my Zassenhaus Coffee Grinder and grind the beans manually.
I should add that there are also permanent filters available for the Aeropress. I never bought one but you can get them on Amazon.
lana-in-fl
Well-known member
Thanks for the information!
I prefer a filter as otherwise I get heartburn from the tiny coffee grounds, but the Aeropress permanent filter sounds interesting.
I prefer a filter as otherwise I get heartburn from the tiny coffee grounds, but the Aeropress permanent filter sounds interesting.