OT: Your Favorite/Best Coffee (Including Decaf) And Brewing Method

[gmay8]

Because of this thread I just went and bought a percolator off Amazon. I've never tried it that way and i'm real sick of the Kuerig K Cups. I love coffee and can't live without it... i'm a 4(ish) big cups per day kind of guy, and my wife a few years back got me a Kuerig instead of the pot i used to use thinking it would be easier.

I miss my big ground pots of coffee... Kuerig isn't the same.

So I'm excited to try the percolating method, never tried it but love strong black coffee.

 

[bob-loblaw]

The Rancilio was on my list of machines to consider...but I decided the Breville with the built in grinder was a more convenient package

I mulled over getting a breville as well. I had a friend w a Breville and one with the Rancilio. The output on the Rancilio was much better IMO. The convenience of the Breville was amazing and almost swayed me in that direction. I managed to automate some of the Rancilio process by putting the machine on a smart outlet that comes on the preheat in the am for me.

He just has strong coffee-fu. Or to put it another way, he's very Zen about his coffee. The process is at least as important as the end-result.

I'm like that with driving. It's never about the destination for me. It's about the exquisite details of the trip. About taking the best line through every curve and turn, about being in the right gear at the right time. About absolute smoothness and perfectly judging weight transfers to optimize car balance. Always highly focused even when driving very slowly. Makes driving a joyous and meditative experience. Never a chore.

Blind master Po would approve. 🙂

Thanks! Very good comparison with driving, and one I never thought of. Im very similar in my mindset.

 

[mildone]

I like the Sumatra from Costco. I use a grinding brewer that I hate. I have an aero press I take out occasionally.

Any recommendations on a coffee pot are welcome. I have had the Breville which was good but I don't want another.

Why do you not want another Breville? And why do you hate your current coffee pot?

 

[611george]

Why do you not want another Breville? And why do you hate your current coffee pot?

It's a grind and brew that takes a lot to maintain. And the coffee is not hot.

The Breville Grind and Brew was good for like 8 years but is massive. My wife wants a Moccamaster and I like this steel caraffe machine from Mr Coffee. We will see where we land.

 

[RUinPinehurst]

That reminds me of a kind of interesting thing I discovered, centered around drinking coffee/caffeine (or not) in the morning before hard exercise.

I used to drink tons of tea. I usually play soccer games once a week around 8am. At some point about a half dozen years ago, I had to stop drinking tea prior to games due to calf cramps and even sometimes calf muscle pulls. I figured it's cause caffeine is somewhat of a diuretic. Even if I balanced out the tea w/just water, calf problems were common. Cutting out the pre-game tea made the calf problems disappear.

So when I started drinking coffee, I continued to not drink anything but water in the morning before the game. But... at some point, after a late night, I had a a cup of coffee along with my pre-game hydration. And played and had no calf problems. Doing the exact same pre-game routine as with the tea. Thought it might be a one-off, but I kept it up, one cup about 80 minutes prior to the game, and the calf issues haven't returned.

I'd have to drink tea again before the game and see if I experience calf problems to make it conclusive, and I haven't done that. But at the moment, it's looking very much like tea is somehow problematic prior to strenuous exercise, but not coffee.

Try an electrolyte drink (Gatorade) the night before and morning of your match, to help with those legs woes. While hiking, I drink water with an electrolyte mix (Propel) via a liter bottle, alternating between plain water and the electrolyte water throughout the day. Especially important during warmer temps.

 

[mildone]

Try an electrolyte drink (Gatorade) the night before and morning of your match, to help with those legs woes. While hiking, I drink water with an electrolyte mix (Propel) via a liter bottle, alternating between plain water and the electrolyte water throughout the day. Especially important during warmer temps.

I actually did try drinking Gatorade the morning of, but not the night before. I did, at some point, start eating a banana, or half of one, the morning of for potassium and other 'iums. But perhaps both things are more effective if consumed the night before.

I haven't had the calf issues since switching to coffee from tea. But I might give Gatorade zero and a banana the night before a try. See what that does.

 

[Leonard23]

I like the Technivorm Moccamaster and try to buy from local NJ roasters or coffee companies, so I like Lucid Coffee Co.'s Eclipse (Organic Indonesian) or Nova (Organic Columbian), and Rook Coffee's Sumatra or New Orleans Style, which is just Sumatra with Chicory. Both have good cold brew too. From Starbucks, I liked Hawaii Ka'u, Espresso roast, Sumatra, and Caffe Verona. Can anyone recommend other good NJ places?

 

[bob-loblaw]

I like the Technivorm Moccamaster and try to buy from local NJ roasters or coffee companies, so I like Lucid Coffee Co.'s Eclipse (Organic Indonesian) or Nova (Organic Columbian), and Rook Coffee's Sumatra or New Orleans Style, which is just Sumatra with Chicory. Both have good cold brew too. From Starbucks, I liked Hawaii Ka'u, Espresso roast, Sumatra, and Caffe Verona. Can anyone recommend other good NJ places?

How do you like the Technivorm? It's been on my radar for some time.

 

[Leonard23]

How do you like the Technivorm? It's been on my radar for some time.

I like it a lot. Coffee tastes great, brews quickly, never burns, stays hot for a long time, and it's easy to clean. Some family members with more expensive, high end coffee makers like the taste better from our Moccamaster.

 

[RUSK97]

My affordable go to most mornings is Peet's Major Dickason. But weekends or whenever I have the hankering, I break out the Bodum french press and brew some Ethiopian single origin coffees. I buy Sidamo and Yirgacheffe, light to medium roast from cofeeam.com. Ethiopian coffee has an indescribable floral taste to it.

 

[29PAS]

I usually grind my own coffee and have started doing it in small batches so it's never ground more than a few days before use. I've also tried keeping the beans in the freezer until use because I tend to buy coffee in bulk. But haven't really noticed much difference between storing frozen or at room temperature.

And I play a bit with the coffee-to-water ratio. I tend to like stronger, darker, richer coffee. The machine I have does have a "rich mode". And it does result in stronger coffee. Also has a small-batch mode for when brewing less than 6 cups. But that's about the extent of it's features, other than maybe some auto-cleaning and timer functionality.

I think my next evolution towards coffee nirvana is to get a better machine that eliminates most of the plastic and grinds beans on demand. And I might look into other at-home cups to drink from. And I might have to expand my horizons a bit and try out espresso or cappuccino and so forth.

Might have to look into what I drink from as well. I almost always drink from one of my contigo travel mugs without using the spill-proof top, when at home. They hold a decent amount of coffee, and are narrow which limits heat loss at the top. And without the top, they don't seem to affect the taste at all. But maybe I can do better.

When travelling, I use the same travel mugs, but with their tops. But in that scenario, the leak-proof tops very noticeably alter the taste of the coffee, adding an unpleasant plastic flavor to it. OTOH, it's been 100% leak-proof which is an absolute requirement depending on which car I'm driving. In that case, I'll sacrifice taste for lack of stains. Not sure it's possible to create a truly leak-proof travel mug without using plastic in the top.

About the freezer part, I used to keep beans there but read somewhere that's not necessary. They, whoever they were, said it's more important to keep them out of the air so now I put them in a zip-lock bag and squish as much air out as possible. I don't know if it makes a difference but I had a small bag of expresso beans zip-locked in the freezer for years as I lost track of them. When I ground them and made expresso, it was great!

 

[RUJohnny99]

I'm a cold brew guy. I have a 48 oz brewer that I use every other day or so, pour it into a mason jar and dilute it to individual tastes. Any beans taste pretty good cold brew. My current favorite is Mayorga from Costco. Back in the late 90s, Marty Mayorga put out some really good cigars. His coffee is pretty good too.

 

[bob-loblaw]

About the freezer part, I used to keep beans there but read somewhere that's not necessary. They, whoever they were, said it's more important to keep them out of the air so now I put them in a zip-lock bag and squish as much air out as possible. I don't know if it makes a difference but I had a small bag of expresso beans zip-locked in the freezer for years as I lost track of them. When I ground them and made expresso, it was great!

Ya, the freezer part is a common err. Air is the enemy.

 

[red sail]

Mildone I always pictured you as a Coke guy.

 

[mildone]

Mildone I always pictured you as a Coke guy.

And hookers? 😀

Or did you mean the soda brand? I mostly avoid sugars these days, although I've done a poor job of it since April. I and dislike the sickly sweet taste of diet soda. So no soda for me. I don't miss it.

Was a lifelong tea drinker who switched to coffee only recently. It's so good.

 

[toby83]

anyone fan of Black Rifle? was going to stop at place on main street in chester that sells the syrup, they carry Black Rifle as well.

 

[RU-05]

I'm an over the cup dripper.

My GF is the connoisseur and she's been buying starbucks pikes something or other lately that is pretty good.

 

[Jm0513]

anyone fan of Black Rifle? was going to stop at place on main street in chester that sells the syrup, they carry Black Rifle as well.

I've heard Joe Rogan talk about Black Rifle. I wanted to try it after watching the podcast

 

[Randal7]

You're very welcome.

 

[mildone]

You're very welcome.

Canadian coffee, eh?

It's what keeps the Mounties in their saddles through the night. 🙂

 

[fsg2]

I've heard Joe Rogan talk about Black Rifle. I wanted to try it after watching the podcast

View embedded media

Interesting. Looks like veteran-owned coffee roasters are a bit of a trend. Concept sounded familiar, but Black Rifle didn't. "Got Your Six" is the one I had seen before, and there are a few others.

 

[DJ Spanky]

My introduction to coffee was freshman year in the Towers after an all-nighter, when I went to Tillet and had 2 cups of their mud black.

Currently I go for a medium roast along with flavored coffees. I brew the flavored coffee for Corey and I in the morning, since we're both working virtually. We buy bags of a pound or two of whole bean coffee, keep it sealed in a ziploc bag and refrigerated, then grind it fresh every morning. I've got a Capresso conical burr grinder and a Cuisinart 4 cup auto drip into a stainless steel carafe. I like my coffee with a bit of 1% milk and some demerara sugar.

Oh, and I don't drink decaf. Leaded only. If I want a non-caffienated hot drink I'll make hot chocolate with 50% milk, 50% water, Swiss Miss and a spoonful of Ghirardelli double chocolate or hazelnut.

I really miss Fairway, with their on premise roasting and the open barrels of beans. I sampled a lot of different coffees there.

I saw a "what do you drink besides beer" thread, or something like that. And people did discuss coffee in it. But I didn't see the one just for coffee. My bad.

Here ya go, from 2017:

OT: Coffee

 

[mildone]

My introduction to coffee was freshman year in the Towers after an all-nighter, when I went to Tillet and had 2 cups of their mud black.

Currently I go for a medium roast along with flavored coffees. I brew the flavored coffee for Corey and I in the morning, since we're both working virtually. We buy bags of a pound or two of whole bean coffee, keep it sealed in a ziploc bag and refrigerated, then grind it fresh every morning. I've got a Capresso conical burr grinder and a Cuisinart 4 cup auto drip into a stainless steel carafe. I like my coffee with a bit of 1% milk and some demerara sugar.

Oh, and I don't drink decaf. Leaded only. If I want a non-caffienated hot drink I'll make hot chocolate with 50% milk, 50% water, Swiss Miss and a spoonful of Ghirardelli double chocolate or hazelnut.

I really miss Fairway, with their on premise roasting and the open barrels of beans. I sampled a lot of different coffees there.



Here ya go, from 2017:

OT: Coffee

I'll have to read through that one. Thanks. I won't be surprised if I posted in it and forgot. Nothing wrong with my memory; it's just short. 🙂

If it's that far back, then I don't feel bad about starting another. On lots of forums, I'd get a short ban for thread-necroing if I restarted it.

 

[DJ Spanky]

If it's that far back, then I don't feel bad about starting another. On lots of forums, I'd get a short ban for thread-necroing if I restarted it.

 

[mildone]

😀

 

[Jm0513]

really miss Fairway, with their on premise roasting and the open barrels of beans. I sampled a lot of different coffees there.

Me too and Rowe-Manse(sp) in Clifton.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Me too and Rowe-Manse(sp) in Clifton.

The Rowe-Manse Emporium!!! I remember seeing that from Route 3.

 

[B0ski]

The Rowe-Manse Emporium!!! I remember seeing that from Route 3.

I remember Rowe Manse before it moved to the Levy Brothers location. Was just a kid but that place sure smelled good.

 

[R U Crazy]

I received "Death Wish" Coffee Beans for xmas.
I am probably going to grind the beans and try the coffee this weekend.
If i never post again, you know the wish was granted


Also got "Valhalla java" coffee beans for xmas

 

[bac2therac]

Aargh my Mr Coffee which was only 2 months old wouldn't turn on this morning requiring a sleepy trip to Walmart for another cheap replacement

 

[fsg2]

I usually have good luck with Mr Coffees ...maybe just because they're so cheap, I don't mind so much when they break.

Warranty has become a top selling point for me, and coffee makers/grinders are the only thing I consider adding protection to. They just take too much daily abuse.

 

[tico brown]

Good old fashioned Cafe Bustelo.

Or any coffee in a Dominican Restaurant strong enough for you to use as a pre workout drink.

 

[chickenpatty2]

When local, I like this one:

When out West (and if I feel like splurging to have it shipped), I like this one:

To grind it, I have this little thing, bought off of Amazon -- so far, so good.

 

[RC1991]

I am definitely a coffee addict. there are some really good local brands out here like Tony’s and Stumptown though they are a little more expensive. Will also buy Peet’s, san fransciso bay, Costco whole bean, etc. we generally use a drip coffee maker but when camping have been using a percolator on the stove with Costco ground Colombian. It’s always really good but maybe it’s more a factor of being outdoors. I also use a French press from time to time and bought an aero press for quick afternoon single cups now that we’ve been working from home. The aero press makes a good cup.

 

[DJ Spanky]

To grind it, I have this little thing, bought off of Amazon -- so far, so good.

Do yourself a favor, splurge for ~$50 and get one of these:

Capresso Disk Burr - Coffee Grinders

Grinds much better than a blade grinder like the one you pictured.

 

[RUevolution36]

Do yourself a favor, splurge for ~$50 and get one of these:

Capresso Disk Burr - Coffee Grinders

Grinds much better than a blade grinder like the one you pictured.

I would concur. Burr is best. Most consistent and uniform grounds.

 

[gmay8]

Because of this thread I just went and bought a percolator off Amazon. I've never tried it that way and i'm real sick of the Kuerig K Cups. I love coffee and can't live without it... i'm a 4(ish) big cups per day kind of guy, and my wife a few years back got me a Kuerig instead of the pot i used to use thinking it would be easier.

I miss my big ground pots of coffee... Kuerig isn't the same.

So I'm excited to try the percolating method, never tried it but love strong black coffee.

Had my first percolator experience this morning and it was awesome! Blows the KCups out of the water in terms of taste and boldness which I like.. obviously not as convenient and quick.

I used ground Kona Roast from "Organics" which is an ACME brand i think, definitely not the best actual coffee i could have used, but the result was very good and i really enjoyed it. I'll keep tinkering and experimenting with better ground coffee

 

[DJ Spanky]

Had my first percolator experience this morning and it was awesome! Blows the KCups out of the water in terms of taste and boldness which I like..

Boiled mud might accomplish the same thing!

I used ground Kona Roast from "Organics" which is an ACME brand i think, definitely not the best actual coffee i could have used, but the result was very good and i really enjoyed it. I'll keep tinkering and experimenting with better ground coffee

Consider getting a grinder similar to what I mentioned above - once you go that route, you'll rarely buy ground coffee again. That's what happened with me.

 

[RU-AGK]

Bought my wife one of these for Christmas many years ago and have never regretted it.

Bunn VPR Series

I enjoy coffee, my wife mainlines it so speed is king. This thing will make you a full pot of diner quality coffee using commonly found ground coffees in about 2.5 - 3 minutes. I have a Cuisinart burr grinder for when we are experimenting with whole bean.

It has a reservoir that holds 64oz. boiling hot at all times as long as it is plugged in. When you want a pot you add another 64oz of cold and a Smurf that lives inside exchanges the hot for the cold. My only complaint is if you leave leftovers on the burner for too long (45+ minutes) it will burn (rarely a problem in our house). The quality of the coffee is only limited to the quality of the bean used. As long as we use a consistent amount (2/3 cup ground) it makes excellent, dependable coffee. We use a wide variety.

When we're feeling fancy and have the time and patience we use this

10 Cup Chemex Classic

Standard pour over Chemex. It makes a great pot of coffee but in our opinion, after having the Bunn for so long, it just takes too long to make a smaller pot of coffee that is only marginally better than the Bunn. We'll bust it out a few times a year when we're feeling snotty and found some beans that are supposed to be special.

 

[RUevolution36]

Anyone try Eric's coffee yet?

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