When I want coffee, I stop at WaWa and pick up a cup. I love the smell of coffee, but am a tea drinker.
I have tried auto drip (cone and basket filter), manual drip (stove top and glass carafe with cone Melitta filters), french press, electric percolator and stove top percolator, and vacuum. I have currently settled on a $9.00 stainless steel stove top percolator from Farm King (a regional midwest farm implements and miscellany store) and whatever big can of ground coffee that catches my eye. Every so often I'll buy some Eight O'Clock whole bean regular or Columbian and grind it up. Folger's regular whole bean is surprisingly good IMO.
For the last few months its been all pour overs for me. Melitta #2 Cones, with a vintage copper pouring vessil with a fine spout. 23g or 25g/450ml ratio. Fratello Nicaraguan Los Placeres Single Estate blend has been the bean of choice as of late, freshly ground every morning in a Bodum Bistro burr grinder.
I see these around occasionally, in fact saw what looked to be a minty one a few weeks ago, and I've been tempted. Anything particular to know/look for before buying one?
This talk of perculators made me think of how I made coffee 30 years ago , cheap stove top perc and cheap CDM coffee and chicory. Gas stove , the sound and smell of coffee perculating, and that strong black bitter coffee, nice . I ordered both online, coffee comes from Louisiana tomorrow the cheap perculator from Amazon by Friday if lucky.
Check the gasket that seals the two bowls together. These seals tend to dry out and crack. Make sure the filter holder is in the upper bowl. Enjoy your coffee.
Howdy! A couple of secrets to pass on about making great coffee. Whatever you use, be it a percolater, a Mr. Coffee, etc., is to make sure you wash out the basket and carafe after each pot of coffee. I've seen some that just throw out the left over grounds and filter and put in another filter with fresh coffee without rinsing out the basket and the coffee pot. Also, it helps to use good water. I have tried a number of coffees, but I have not had one that I really dislike. Some are better than others, but they have their place. Always, Gene
+1 for the Aeropress. This is a great way to make a cup of coffee. I also have a Bunn drip machine. Love it also. I roast my own beans quite often. I started out using a pop corn popper but now I have a Behmor 1600. It is a great roaster and I highly recommend one if you are interested in getting started. Check out sweetmarias.com. Anyone who likes coffee can learn a thing or two on that website.
Fellow home roaster, here. And a big fan of Sweet Maria's! I've been using a stove top popper for a little over two years now. Any favorites? I've developed a great fondness for the Kenya coffees.
Is it easy to use the stove top popper? The instructions for use at Sweet Maria's seem pessimistic about this method.
I grind my own coffee and big difference from preground. A big difference in home roast versus store bought beans, in terms of taste? Worth the extra trouble?
Outstanding coffee, always fresh, varity, fast, makes iced and hot tea on demand, what's not to like.
"They" say coffee is only really fresh for about 7-10 days. Anything you buy in the store, no telling how long it's been there. Air is the worst thing you can allow to get to your coffee. That's what makes it go stale - kinda like leaving a loaf of bread out. It really bugs me when I see "gourmet" coffees sitting around the shop out in an open bag. Sure, they smell great, but that's part of the sales pitch. Even the gourmet beans you see in the grocery stores or coffee shops in the mall that you can measure out for yourself are not air tight. And again, no telling how long they've been there. That being said, you roast your own and you're guaranteed fresh coffee. Yes, to me there is quite a taste difference. And yes, to me it is worth it. I don't see it as "extra trouble" since it only takes me about 40 minutes from the time I take the stove top popper out of the cabinet, roast and bag my coffee, and the popper goes back into the cabinet. I roast up a pound at a time and that will last me about eight days, grinding up only a quarter of a pound at a time to minimize air exposure to the rest of the beans.
I can't say I have any favorites as of yet. I have enjoyed all that I have tried. The quality and freshness of homeroasted coffee is really hard to beat. I do find that the flavor of coffee roasted in my Behmor 1600 is excelent but maybe not quite as bright as in a popcorn popper. The benefit is I can roast a pound in one batch with a roast time of about 18 minutes. Love the speed.
Favorite beans at the moment: Red Sombrero French Roast by Flamenco Coffee Co. Cocoa in the nose, gram cracker in the cup...splendid
