Wait....y'all had a coffee conversation while I wasn't watching!?!
As a serious coffee enthusiast marching towards coffee connoisseur (maybe someday I'll graduate to a Phd coffee purist)....I'm saddened.
First order of business (hangs right next to the coffee machine in our kitchen):
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Now....coffee non enthusiasts...it's ok. TLDR, I get it. Skip the rest...
Bonavita - awesome machines. We have a BV1900-TS. Rock solid for 2.5 years, then a few weeks ago stopped brewing halfway into a cycle (even with monthly cleaning cycles). Ugh...thought it had given its due. Searching said to run it through back to back cleaning cycles. Went through 4 Urnex packets, took it apart and gently scrubbed/washed/rinsed it 5 more cycles with the 'chemical water' and the 1900 is back like new. Yay. Saved me some serious bucks.....was already searching Technivorm machines while the 1900 was brewing the first Urnex packet.....
Pour Over -> Bodum = Poor man's version of a Chemex. Have had two. First lasted many years, then finally bit it on a soft bump in our ceramic sink. Second Bodum is now also 2.5 years old. This one came with a plastic/stainless filter insert. Cone filters work. But, Chemex filters fit.
Second purchase to go with a pour over system is a water kettle with temperature gauge. 206 degrees is the ticket. Our Bonavita is within a degree or two before it hits the grounds.
Between the Bonavita 1900 and Bodum pour over....equal amounts of coffee to water, hard to tell a difference. It's the water temp that makes it (that science part). And...yes, I've had a throw down to see if I could do pour over as fast as the Bonavita (and for the same quantity for me and wifey). Not quite. Bonavita wins. The pour over system is about to start traveling in the toter rig for coffee on the weekends.
Surprisingly, Mr. Coffee machines (well, at least the one's my parents had) are close....about 195ish degrees out of the first spout most of the time. Mr. Coffee simple brew machines are like Timex watches though.
Keurig....I'll have to test better. I measured 180 between bottom spout and drinking cup. Some temps lost in the pods. Need to measure at the first spout. We have a Keurig now, a present for my oldest daughter this year, and even she will say (begrudgingly) it's not as good as the Bonavita or pour over, but she gives in to quick convenience. The Keurig sits next to the Bonavita, and it cowers from the piercing stares every time I make coffee....it's just not worthy.
I also tried some stainless kcup inserts so we could use our own grounds...they just don''t hold enough for the correct ratio. Bland coffee, bleh.
Percolator....brings me back to why I have a coffee addiction. First, percolators are near perfect temperature. Mix with great ground coffee....it's just coffee goodness. Second, staying at my grandparents over the summer school break (usually several weeks). My grandfather was the wet shaver. My grandmother the coffee connoisseur for her times. Smaller house, 1800 square feet maybe, all with a common hall in the middle, could smell coffee percolating several times a day. She would drink it well into the evening, and still sleep 7-8 hours. 40ish years as a school secretary of very early mornings. It was either New Orleans Blend or with Chicory. Not much beats these two for awesome childhood memories in my world.
Now...coffee beans. It's like soaps....can't try them all, so many options & opinions. For the longest time we used Coffee Bean Direct. Before that it was the store bought brands (but beans got to $9+ per pound in DFW area, $8+ even in the discount stores). Coffee Bean Direct shipped beats typical grocery store pricing, and are much much fresher. However, as they became more popular, even making it into the Amazon Prime world, prices went up. Last 10 months, we're using Coffee AM. Their beans seem even more freshly roasted, and we like their Hazelnut flavor better (stronger). We can get ~2 months of coffee beans shipped in for less than 5 weeks of buying grocery store options.
Coffee grounds....the two places mentioned will grind it for you, just choose the grind size for the method of brewing. Coffee grounds in bags (even Community coffee, my favorite), still a good cuppa joe most times, just not as 'smooth' tasting when brewed at the coffee/water ratio recommended by the SCA (specialty coffee association).
Ok.....if you've read this far......I'm on the first step of the coffee connoisseur graduation stage.
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