I use a percolator most of the time I have three of them a 9 cup, 14 cup and a 28 cup but I moved so I can't find them so I've been using the k-cups
The extra garbage created by using nonrefillable K-cups versus other brewing methods can't be good for the environment. There will never be a Keurig in my household. Besides, instant Cafe Bustelo is better than many K-cup blends. When the coffee is just for me: A 4-cup Mr. Coffee drip coffeemaker Cafe Bustelo instant A French Press When I am entertaining guests: A 10-cup Bunn-O-Matic My grandmother's Corning Ware percolator
true the k-cup aren't the best choice to make coffee or tea I like to buy the organic compostable kind so it's not as bad and I think I found one of my percolators so i'll clean it up and start using it again
I bounce around a little, but it's basically cowboy coffee all week (or pour-over if I'm in a hurry), and often a moka pot on the weekends for single cups. Sometimes an Aeropress for single weekend cups. I used a stove top percolator for many years, but have found cowboy coffee easier and smoother. I also used a french press for several years before that. The biggest factors are good coffee and water, and perfecting a given technique. Black Rifle is my go-to brand. I used to roast my own in smaller batches, but have too many hobbies right now.
Surprised to see the French Press getting so much love on this thread. I tend to use it with decaf as well as cheap and/or stale regular coffee. There's something about the French Press method that gets the very best results out of subpar coffee.
I’ve found that the french press does a reasonable job of extracting flavor from any coffee. If it’s great coffee, I get lots of great flavor. If it’s bad coffee, I get lots of bad flavor. Same with pour-over. Cowboy coffee on the other hand somehow brings very good flavor from even budget coffee. I used to think proponents of the technique were full of beans, then I got things dialed in and haven’t looked back.
Eh, I don't have to imagine. I use a French Press with the good stuff, too! Water quality is critical too. I use one of those big PuR tank-style units with the spigot on the front. It sits on the counter near the coffee and tea station. Keeping it in the fridge imparts a certain "refrigerator" off-taste to the water. Once that off-taste entrenches itself in the water tank, it's a chore to get rid of it.
You are absolutely correct, in the springtime most water treatment plants seem to increase chlorinated water to fight off decayed run off from melting snow and I can taste & smell it in the water with the fresh brewed coffee. I use a activated Charcoal Brita filter attached to our facet and it works well for knocking out the chlorinated taste and smell for making good coffee and tea.
After researching water filters, I decided to go with a distiller instead. I was absolutely blown away with how much bad flavor and smells were removed. Coffee and plain water consumption both improved, and I’m much more sensitive to other water outside the house. On a side note, the chlorine added by my town was enough to stain the my aluminum cookware and Moka pots. That problem is gone with distilled water. I also spent several years trying to get my pet sourdough starter strong enough to use. I almost gave up and threw it out several times. Once I started using distilled water I almost couldn’t control the starter! I had to throw it on the fridge just to control the constant growth. I think I raised a super strain that was able to survive chlorine.
On another note that has nothing much to do with coffee, I’m reading an eye opening book about gut health and “good bacteria” and am glad that I now drink distilled water. Coffee is supposed to be good for our gut bacteria........and to get back on topic.
I’ve got a sweet looking electric perk (Westbend if I recall correctly) in the 70’s gold. Lots of memories as it belonged to my grandparents who’v passed. I can brew some brutally strong coffee with it, but prefer the better control and flavor of a stovetop model. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for a Copper Clas Revere Ware stove top perk. eBay has ‘em but they’re over-priced, so I watch thrift and antique stores. No real hurry, just a longing to connect with a bygone era.
Revere Ware would be a cool one to score. I also have a no name 70’s glass stovetop I just picked up for $3 at a garage sale. Needs a good cleaning before I start experimenting with stovetop perking. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
A stovetop model lets you slow the perk speed down to really slow idle (like the old single cylinder hit & miss engines) once you learn your gear. Then dial in the amount of coffee and percolating time, and you have total control over the process. Pretty cool deal for certain personality types.
1. Fine grind my beans; 2. Place two table spoons of those grinds in a Krup mesh filter and place filter over mug; 3. Pour boiling, pre-filtered water over grinds; 4. Enjoy the beverage of the gods; and 5. Repeat process.