At home coffee

[CornHunka]

We make at home coffee only on the weekends, otherwise I drink the stuff at work and there I don't really care. I've tried pretty much all the national brands and they suck. My wife puts so much flavor creamer in it that she can't taste it, so she doesn't care. I've got Dunkin Donuts now and am not too impressed.

 

Can anyone recommend a good brand? I really don't want to grind my own beans, but I will if it's worthy.

[knapplc]

Grinding fresh beans is one of the keys to good coffee. Buy yourself a French press, a coffee grinder and learn the amounts of beans and steeping time you prefer.

 

Once you go French press you'll never go back.

[NUance]

 

Route 66 blend from Misha's in Alexandria VA is my favorite. LINK

 

But really, just plain ole Folger's is pretty good.

[rawhide]

We buy fresh green coffee beans. Roast to our preference and enjoy. My wife likes Kenya AA coffee and I'm partial to Sulawesi Toraja. Have never tried a french press but heard that it's the way to go. I use a Black&Decker 1 cup drip coffee maker. We don't drink a lot of coffee maybe 2 cups a day.

 

By roasting our own coffee, we control the amount of coffee we have made on hand and it never goes stale. I roast about once a week.

 

The draw back to this method is it's really, really tough to drink coffee in a restaurant. BLECH

[coop]

As many posters have stated...French press is the way to go! Believe it or not most coffee that tastes like crap when brewed in a coffee maker taste surprisingly good in a French press because it doesn't strip out all the oils that give the coffee an amazing flavor. I've even had great results with instant coffee in a French press.

[carlfense]

Also, a burr grinder is just as important (some serious coffee drinkers would say more important) than the brewing method. They're more expensive than blade grinders (choppers, really) but they actually get a consistent product.

[teachercd]

Man, I love me some Dunkin Pumpkin Spice

 

I am not really a coffee snob though, I just need to have milk and sugar...lots of it

[Husker_x]

Grinding fresh beans is one of the keys to good coffee. Buy yourself a French press, a coffee grinder and learn the amounts of beans and steeping time you prefer.

 

Once you go French press you'll never go back.

 

I'm living proof of that. I drink coffee like the Irish drink booze. Once you go French press you can't even look at drip machines without shaking your head. Absolutely night and day with the fullness of the flavor.

[rawhide]

Thanks, now I've gotta go get one and try it. Are all presses the same design or are there differences?

[coop]

Thanks, now I've gotta go get one and try it. Are all presses the same design or are there differences?

 

Basically all about the same. Regardless of the design the concept is the same. The difference is in heat retention. The stainless ones will keep the coffee hot longer than the glass ones IMO. I have a glass one and I usually find myself having to either reheat the coffee at the bottom or reheat it because it gets lukewarm before I can drink it. The steel would insulate and keep it hot longer.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Dammit, now I have to try a french press as well, guess that's a Christmas item!

[sd'sker]

french presses are great to have.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

How do you use the darn things? Just pour hot water in there, press down and boom coffee?

[sd'sker]

How do you use the darn things? Just pour hot water in there, press down and boom coffee?

pretty much. but you want it to steep for a little bit.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Ah, okay, sounds easy, I'll need to get one.