Coffee

[Stenson]

Would you say that the quality of the beans is more important than brewing method? For example...would quality beans brewed in a cheap drip maker still make some good everyday stuff or would that be like putting race gas in a prius?

[Hanley]

Would you say that the quality of the beans is more important than brewing method? For example...would quality beans brewed in a cheap drip maker still make some good everyday stuff or would that be like putting race gas in a prius?

No. You need the water between 195-205 F....or the coffee will suck regardless of bean quality.

Cheap supermarket beans + pour over at proper temp is much better than exquisite beans in a shit drip maker.

Throw away the shitty drip maker. Cheap pour over filter holders will make much better coffee.

If you must have a drip machine, these machines are certified to not suck:

https://sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer

[psmith]

Would you say that the quality of the beans is more important than brewing method? For example...would quality beans brewed in a cheap drip maker still make some good everyday stuff or would that be like putting race gas in a prius?

I guess I'll take a slightly different tack on this and emphasize that once you get noticeably past a $20 Hario V60 and into the realm of the SCAA autodrippers that Hanley linked you're paying for convenience rather than quality. (Though of course this excludes espresso, a much more expensive proposition, alas.). The grind quality is often the weak link, and V60 (or French press, Clever dripper, very possibly Aeropress though I haven't tried it, etc.) plus cheapo food scale, gooseneck kettle, and as nice a grinder as you can afford is a much more powerful setup than a Moccamaster with a cheap grinder.

[Stenson]

Would you say that the quality of the beans is more important than brewing method? For example...would quality beans brewed in a cheap drip maker still make some good everyday stuff or would that be like putting race gas in a prius?

No. You need the water between 195-205 F....or the coffee will suck regardless of bean quality.

Cheap supermarket beans + pour over at proper temp is much better than exquisite beans in a shit drip maker.

Throw away the shitty drip maker. Cheap pour over filter holders will make much better coffee.

If you must have a drip machine, these machines are certified to not suck:

https://sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer

Good to know, thanks. I'm leaning towards the Chemex and supermarket beans to get started. Anything will be a step up from Folgers out of the drip machine...

Any recommendations for a reasonably priced grinder? This will be more of a "buy once, cry once" type of purchase since I'll be using it regardless of the brewing method I go with. The Kitchenaid grinder looks nice and I'm sure the wife will appreciate the fact that it matches our mixer, but I'm open to other options as well.

Edit: This one seems decent
OXO BREW Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

[Manveer]

This is the one I have:

Seems to be the cheapest real conical burr grinder. It’s also pretty quiet for a grinder and has a small footprint (things I care about, maybe they don’t matter to you).

Edit: I don’t think that OXO grinder existed when I bought mine.

[Stenson]

This is the one I have:

Seems to be the cheapest real conical burr grinder. It’s also pretty quiet for a grinder and has a small footprint (things I care about, maybe they don’t matter to you).

Edit: I don’t think that OXO grinder existed when I bought mine.

Our kitchen is small so yeah footprint is important, no kids and the Mrs is always up before me so noise isn't a concern.

Is a conical burr grinder the type to get?

[Stenson]

Another question - Paper Chemex filters or the reusable metal ones? I'd like to go with the reusable one if there are no glaring drawbacks

[Hanley]

Another question - Paper Chemex filters or the reusable metal ones? I'd like to go with the reusable one if there are no glaring drawbacks

The metal filters let more sediment through. I don't like that and prefer paper.

Some folks prefer the added oilness & richness provided by the metal filters. You should try both, really.

[Manveer]

Is a conical burr grinder the type to get?

Yes. More even grind and doesn’t heat up the beans as much during the grinding process, apparently.

[cgeorg]

I like metal, I can get past a bit of sediment. And the better the grinder the less an issue that is.

[Hanley]

I like metal, I can get past a bit of sediment. And the better the grinder the less an issue that is.

Have you ever tried cloth filters? They're a pain in the ass to clean, but the coffee is amazing. Best qualities of metal and paper with none of the drawbacks.

[Stenson]

Welp, I decided to go with this one since its a bit cheaper, comes with a metal filter, and some of the Chemex reviews said the new ones are overly fragile.



I went with the Oxo grinder since it had good reviews and is relatively inexpensive.

Thanks for the help, fellas. Now that I've done a couple hours of research, I know pretty much all there is to know #expertbeginner

[Hanley]

Welp, I decided to go with this one since its a bit cheaper, comes with a metal filter, and some of the Chemex reviews said the new ones are overly fragile.



I went with the Oxo grinder since it had good reviews and is relatively inexpensive.

Thanks for the help, fellas. Now that I've done a couple hours of research, I know pretty much all there is to know #expertbeginner

Nice. That's a damned good setup.

[Allentown]

I've got

Has been working well for two years.
Almost all coffee has been made in an 8-cup Chemex with paper filters (Sweet Maria seems to have the best price, but their packaging is absurd).
I tried

and honestly I'd just suggest getting the paper.

I like metal, I can get past a bit of sediment. And the better the grinder the less an issue that is.

What filter have you used?

Single-cup Pour Over

Pretty damned good:



^ super easy. Cheap. Uses filters you can get anywhere

Seconded. Makes pretty darn good coffee.

I've got an aeropress, but I don't use it often. I'll use it every once in a while when I buy anything that costs more than $1/oz, usually for the first cup. Then I'll do a single with the Oxo, then it goes into the grinder. For those single cups, I use

Yeah just the brewing stuff for now. This is super helpful, thanks. Maybe I'll get into roasting later on, who knows. Where is a good place to buy beans? If you don't roast yourself, is it best to just buy some roasted ones and grind them at home? I'm guessing that buying pre-ground beans is.....suboptimal

Hanley's recommendation is good, get a giant bucket of whole bean from somewhere like Costco, but make sure they stamp it with a roasting date. I don't think I would trust anything that doesn't at least give that date. Probably don't get anything more than a month old. While you work through that (figure out where to set the grinder, how you like constantly pouring hot water into your maker, etc...) look around for local roasters. Here we have a few places that actually will do brewing classes and stuff, and a wide range of local roasters from $8/12oz to $26/10oz bags. My favorite is a place toward the mid/low end ($16-$22/lb) that roasts it for you either while you wait or basically on demand, so it's at worst within a day or two of freshly roasted, but often still a little warm when they hand you the bag.

[cgeorg]

I like metal, I can get past a bit of sediment. And the better the grinder the less an issue that is.

What filter have you used?

I like metal, I can get past a bit of sediment. And the better the grinder the less an issue that is.

Have you ever tried cloth filters? They're a pain in the ass to clean, but the coffee is amazing. Best qualities of metal and paper with none of the drawbacks.

I am currently on a french press setup. I've thought about getting into pour over but that's as far as it's gone.



I did buy this in March. Looks like it's on sale right now. I don't use the timer, I weigh out the beans, put them in the hopper and run it till they're all gone. I've had to change grind settings with my last batch of beans, on 13 the grind was way too small. 15 has me back in business.

[Stenson]

I did buy this in March. Looks like it's on sale right now. I don't use the timer, I weigh out the beans, put them in the hopper and run it till they're all gone. I've had to change grind settings with my last batch of beans, on 13 the grind was way too small. 15 has me back in business.

I just ordered this, should be here today. You like it?

[cgeorg]

I did buy this in March. Looks like it's on sale right now. I don't use the timer, I weigh out the beans, put them in the hopper and run it till they're all gone. I've had to change grind settings with my last batch of beans, on 13 the grind was way too small. 15 has me back in business.

I just ordered this, should be here today. You like it?

Yeah, it's been working well for me, pretty consistent grind. Better than the Cuisinart I used to have (also in this thread), not as good as having the roaster grind it.

[Stenson]

@Hanley and others...

What do you like to use for a kettle? I already have a regular teapot but it sounds like the gooseneck style is the way to go due to the slower pour rate. I have my eye on this one, the auto temperature setting would be nice as well:

Bonavita BV382510V 1.0L Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle

[Hanley]

What do you like to use for a kettle?

I've had this thing forever:




I'd like to get an electric kettle at some point

[CamLeslie]

No. You need the water between 195-205 F....or the coffee will suck regardless of bean quality.

Cheap supermarket beans + pour over at proper temp is much better than exquisite beans in a shit drip maker.

How do you ensure this? Just pull kettle off at 212 and assume 205 by time you pour over coffee?