Author Topic: What makes the BEST cup of coffee? (Read 1243 times)

Wanker · « **on:** February 04, 2004, 08:11:46 AM »

What makes the best cup of coffee? Automatic drip? Perculator? French Press?

Fresh ground beans every morning is the only way to go, of course, but what about the actual machine or method used to produce that hot, steaming cup of joe?

I just picked up my first perculator last week, and I've been extremely impressed with it. I never would've guessed that perculated coffee could taste so good. But I find that perculated coffee has a more robust, full flavor than automatic drip.

Anyone out there have a French Press? I've never tried that before, and was wondering if someone can recommend it.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:12:39 AM »

Starbucks.

Swoop · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:13:25 AM »

Rip does have a point there.....

But I would say that the best coffee is anything with some scotch in it.

banana, try Jamaican Blue Mountain. Buy fresh beans and grind them yourself, keep the beans frozen.

Dowding · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:17:42 AM »

I got given a coffee maker by one of the girls at work when I moved into my flat - I've only just got around to figuring out how to use it since it came without instructions or packaging.

It might be a perculator. It doesn't have one of those glass jugs underneath where the coffee from - you put your gorund coffee in this round hole which is attached to a handle. Pack it down tight and click it back into place in the machine. I think it uses pressurized steam to push through the coffee and into your cup. I've seen them use this sort of thing in restaurants and bars etc, but what is it exactly?

You see I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Dago · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:25:56 AM »

Curval · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:29:27 AM »

Dowding...sounds like an espresso machine.

Dowding · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:32:10 AM »

It has a nozzle for milk frothing (?), so it is supposed to do normal coffee too. At least I know it isn't a perculator anyways.

ygsmilo · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:35:04 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Starbucks.

Sucks ----- There is a reason that MOST folks who know their coffee call them CHARBUCKS.

banana with a french press you get a good cup mainly because the oils from the coffee are not stripped by a filter. I have one and use it on the weekends. The best thing I ever got for coffee was a bur grinder. It is gravity fed thus the beans never overheat when you grind them.

LePaul · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:39:33 AM »

Yea, ditto on the Starbucks...if you like burnt coffee, they're for you.

Dunkin Doughnut coffee is great.

I upgraded from a regular coffee maker (heater element on bottom, etc)...to a thermal carafe...no heater after made. Insulates it very very nicely, I've made coffee at 7am and its still hot at 4pm.

I found this brand of coffee..."BreakFast Blend"...mm, good stuff. 2 Sweet n Low's, add some of that Carnation French Vanilla creamer and Im set for the day.

straffo · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:52:49 AM »

I know several way to do a coffee each one as advantage and inconvenient

Expresso machine : unique taste but it's not really a coffee it's an expresso ...
+ taste unique
+ fresh coffee for each cup
- if you have a weak machine it can taste funny and even bad

Napolitan/italian coffee machine :
+ good taste
+ easy to use

Vacuum coffee machine :
- weak coffee
- taste like

Turkish coffee machine :
+ good coffee
- sometime you eat more coffee than you drink

What you call "french press" (1st time I hear this name)
+ the best way IMO to have a good coffee
- if your filter is bad you like eat coffee like with the turkish one

Traditional coffee machine :
+ cheap
+ easy to find
- depending on the filter the taste can be completly good or ruined

But independantly of the system you will never have a good coffee if you use a bad product personnaly I prefer the Ethiopian ,kenyan or Maragogype (from Guatemala I think).

Ripsnort · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2004, 08:59:57 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by LePaul
Yea, ditto on the Starbucks...if you like burnt coffee, they're for you.

Ask for a cup from a fresh pot. Their coffee will taste burnt (the house blend is similar to the columbian blend) if its not fresh. And, its "european" strength, not for the taste bud sensitive.

CavPuke · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2004, 09:00:53 AM »

1st off get a good whole bean coffee, such as Kona coffee beans (expensive but well worth it IMO). Then get a good burr grinder and either a good French press or drip type coffee maker with a thermal carafe. (I'm assuming you wanted just coffee not an expresso type machine) Enjoy !

Wanker · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2004, 09:07:34 AM »

Quote

What you call "french press" (1st time I hear this name)
+ the best way IMO to have a good coffee
- if your filter is bad you like eat coffee like with the turkish one

Straffo, from what I understand, the "French Press" operates by placing your ground beans on the bottom of a glass beaker, then you pour boiling water on top of the grounds, then you push, or "press" this permanent filter-type thing down onto the water & beans, and it smushes the coffee grounds to the bottom, leaving the coffee sitting on top. Never had it, but it sure sounds good!

Quote

Sucks ----- There is a reason that MOST folks who know their coffee call them CHARBUCKS.

banana with a french press you get a good cup mainly because the oils from the coffee are not stripped by a filter. I have one and use it on the weekends. The best thing I ever got for coffee was a bur grinder. It is gravity fed thus the beans never overheat when you grind them.

LOL Milo. I agree, I have never like Starbuck's coffee, although their desserts are pretty good!

Since the percolator I've been using doesn't have a paper filter, either, maybe it tastes better to me because I'm getting the oils, too.

It takes about 10 minutes to get a full pot of percolated coffee, but it tastes much better than the Bun "3-minute per pot" makes I have been using. Probably because the water in the Bun stays heated, and is not fresh.

Where does one find a "bur grinder"? Right now, I use the standard Krups bean grinder.

Wanker · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2004, 09:11:32 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Ask for a cup from a fresh pot. Their coffee will taste burnt (the house blend is similar to the columbian blend) if its not fresh. And, its "european" strength, not for the taste bud sensitive.

You know Rip, I love strong coffee, the kind where you almost need a fork to drink it.....but there's something about the flavor beans that Starbucks uses that I don't like. Not to mention that their coffee is WAY over-priced.

Lizard3 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2004, 09:12:00 AM »

I used to dump as much crap in a cup of coffee as I could get and it still look a bit brown, but I've evolved. Now I put just a touch of sugar to take the edge off.

I'm with straffo for once, Kenyan coffee is my favorite.

edit: Oh yeah, I just got one of those thermal jug/maker gizmo's and I like it much better than Mr. Coffee. Need for a grinder and shipments in beans will be next.