**HELP! How Do You Make Your Coffee?**

[DallasJane]

We have the Bosch/ Porshe designed coffee maker. The secret to this coffee maker is that it has two canisters...one for water that filters over to the finished coffee canister. That canister is like a thermos so there is not a heater under the coffee. It keeps the coffee tasting freshly brewed for about 4 hours. We use one tablespoon for two cups. Hubby likes it strong. He's the coffee lover and did all the research to find the best coffee maker. We've had it for years...you can get them at Lowes much cheaper than at dept. stores.

[SweetPoison2]

Originally Posted by Charski

Marie, did you ever get/try the french press? !

NO!! But me thinks I am gonna text my daughter NOW to bring one home today, C!!

She opened so she is there now

[SweetPoison2]

Originally Posted by Neecy08

I use a French Press Gourmet Coffee Zone - French Press Tutorial

Okay...so be nice here! A french press...makes the coffee IN IT? Or presses it and then i put it into my Mr. Coffee?

[SweetPoison2]

Originally Posted by scandalouslyglam

Yum...having my coffee now, tyvm.

Originally Posted by scandalouslyglam

I use 5 Tablespoons Dunkins and Cold water....Mmmm.

...to 5 oz of water?



Did I ever tell you that I LOVE your avatar pic? I am going to take one in that pose! Do you mind?

[CurlsNCuffs]

You know I feel like that - just want a good cup of coffee. For years and years I had a Automatic brew pot - not a drip - hated drip.

I LOVE dunkin donuts coffee - I order it black and fix it myself.

Any how - I wanted to be able to make 1 cup at home when I wanted it - on a whim I bought the Folgers coffee in the single bags - thought okay - try it - I know I'm not going to like it - YOU know what - I DO! I was shocked - looks like a tea bag........I brew to my liking - add a little cream - sweetner - it's good...

[Elloise]

Originally Posted by SweetPoison2

Okay...so be nice here! A french press...makes the coffee IN IT? Or presses it and then i put it into my Mr. Coffee?

Yes, you press the coffee. You take the top with the silver dome off. It's attached to a plunger with a screen. You can see part of the plunger in the picture - it's that stick going down into the coffee. You put your grounds in the bottom of the pitcher and add boiling water nearly to the top. Let it sit a few minutes, 5 maybe? Stir it a little bit now and then. Then put the top with the plunger back on and press the screen slowly down to the bottom of the pitcher. This leaves the grounds trapped on the bottom of the pitcher and the coffee on top. Drink up!

It's a great way to make coffee because the oils of the bean stay in the coffee rather than trapped in a paper filter that gets thrown away. And you don't have to make 10 cups at a time. The biggest press I've seen makes 32 oz. I have one that is in a travel size mug.

[shapeup1]

I love my french press too......

[shykins]

the french press (cafetiere) are very common over here in uk and europe.. i didnt realise they werent used much in the us or canada til my aunt came over and commented on the ones i use

i gave her one to take home with her and she was so pleased said she hadnt seen them anywhere in canada lol

oh and i can remember bringing home 10 bags of dunkin donut coffee when we last went to florida, we dont have them here in england

[shadowzip]

The French Press for sure!

Eight o Clock brand 100% Columbian
100% Kona, pricey but awesome. I got some at Costco last Christmas and am hoping they carry it again this year.
Zingerman's Espresso Blend #1, It is local but can be ordered online.

We do use pre-ground when in a hurry but grinding your own really good beans makes a huge difference.

[goohsmom]

I received a Cuisinart burr grinder for Christmas a few years ago. It was the best present ever! It doesn't heat the beans while grinding them, so it helps to reduce the bitterness........it also has lots of settings, so you can tweak it to your personal tastes. For my 10-cup thermal carafe, I use slightly under medium grind and enough for 11 cups. Push the button in the morning and it grinds while I fill the pot.

I also buy my beans at the local farmers market. They roast fresh in-store, so the beans are never more than a week from having been roasted. I alternate between Sumatran and Yergachefee; lately, I've had some of their Limu as well, which is very good. My rule of thumb on buying a new type of coffee bean is, if I like the taste of the bean when I chew it up, I'll like the taste of the coffee--and yes, I've been known to taste-test the beans when making my choice. Brewing brings out the flavor of the bean, but it doesn't get rid of bitterness or burnt flavors, so this is a good way to test whether you like a particular roast or not.

HTH
Pam

[Tyrone Bill]

I use an old stainless steel stovetop percolator. I don't even know the brand. It was my grandfathers.

As far as the coffee, I buy Eight O'clock 100% Columbian whole bean(BTW this was the best tasting coffee in Consumer Reports taste test). I grind it myself in a Cuisinart Burr grinder. I make 8 cups with 40 ounces of water and use 5 standard coffee scoops(appx 2 tablespoons ea). Comes out perfect every time.

[FloridaShell]

Mr. Coffee. It uses #4 filters, I just shake a little coffee in the filter until it's half full.

[msbaggypants]

Originally Posted by Charski

Marie, did you ever get/try the french press? Man I will NOT make coffee any other way ever again, and I've been through numerous coffeemakers - drip, espresso, the cold filtered stuff, the Melitta single-serve filters....

For MY tastebuds, this french pressed coffee beats everything else all to heck!

I use one of my big mugs which holds about 14 ounces - I put that in the microwave filled with Brita-filtered water and nuke on High 2 minutes 20 seconds. Meanwhile I put 2 level scoops of whatever coffee I have (usually bought at Trader Joe's) into the press; when the water is hot, pour it in, and immediately set the timer for 4 minutes. When time's up, press down slowly on the plunger, don't shake the pot up, and pour "quietly" into your cup. It gets a nice "crema" on it like good espresso does and it's just delicious!

I LOVE my french press. I grind about 1/4 cup of beans for my 30 oz pot. Makes 2 big mugs for DH and I. If I want the taste of a latte, I use a little less water and then put lots of cream in it and some flavoring. We just boil the water on the stove and pour it in the press, and let it sit while we pack our lunch, prob. 3-4 minutes.

[wyterayven]

I have tried the french press on a number of times, and I just dont like it. I much prefer the drip or percolated. Not that I get to taste percolated anymore.

[Diva2themax]

I use one of those classic stove top espresso makers (percolator's the name I just found out). We don't do drip in my house lol it's a cultural thing. Just a couple of scoop fulls & sometimes a cinnamon stick & that's it.

[Krissy66]

I grind beans fresh each morning in my coffee grinder-I like to grind them medium course--not too fine. 1 heaping TBSP for each two cups. Two heaping tbsp for a four cup pot, etc. Different coffees may determine the ratio though, as I find starbucks beans to have more oil content, and DD's is less so.

[faithgirl140]

Hi I just use the coffee singles 1 cup of water and nuke 1 min 35 seconds. It is so good without the hassel!

[Ilpirata]

Originally Posted by Diva2themax

I use one of those classic stove top espresso makers (percolator's the name I just found out). We don't do drip in my house lol it's a cultural thing. Just a couple of scoop fulls & sometimes a cinnamon stick & that's it.

This is what I use to. Mine is little makes one mug of coffee at a time.

ETA I buy the little canister of "hazelnut creme" coffee from TJs

[pocahontas]

I have a Cuisinart Grind & Brew. I put 1/2 cup whole beans in for 1/2 pot and 1 cup whole beans in for 1 pot. 1 pot = 12 cups but more like 4 of our big ol' mugs.

[SweetPoison2]

Great ideas, guys!! Thanks so much!

[LisaWV]

I like a little coffee in my heavy cream...

[goheels]

I always had the same problem, could never reproduce a good cup of coffee. I investigated and found a forum called singleservecoffeeforums.com and got hooked on the idea of one cup at a time.

I ended up with a Grindmaster Opod form Tuesday Morning and use pods which I order online, there are several good vendors and the coffee is great.

Good Luck in your quest for a good cup of coffee, Keurig is another popular machine fo singleserve.HTH

[Krissy66]

Just some ideas to consider before running out and grabbing expensive beans, etc.
-Clean that coffee maker every month or two with a full bottle of white vinegar, followed by at least four cycles of water to clean it out. When the heating element gets clogged/covered with mineral deposits, the results are obvious in flat or acidic coffee.
-make sure your water is good (bottled if necessary, if you are in a place where the water is not very good)
-grind fresh beans if you can
-drink immediately or carafe for sipping that morning (leaving coffee on a burner just continues to cook it,making it bitter and burnt tasting)
-remove the used coffee filter and grinds immediately. (the constant leftover dripping just adds bitterness)

[SweetPoison2]

I actally DO all that, if you can believe that! Thank you! My prob is that I don't add water to coffee ratios well ~ I think....and it taste like crap.

I am about to make some now as my daughter brought me home some new coffee!

I had heard as well that, as you stated, to remove the coffee filter and grinds right away as it can turn the coffee bitter?

Not sure how, but okay!

[Blood Sugar 101]

The "Cups" are half the size of the mugs we use. So we use 2 scoops of coffee per cup and it works out great. We are both very sensitive to caffeine, so we use half regular half decaf and limit ourselves to two cups a day. More than that, and I can't sleep.

We also mail order our coffee from Deans Beans because their coffee is so much better (and cheaper) than any other we have ever tried. And Dean is a real person who we've met. He really cares about the people who grow the coffee and travels all over the world finding growers and making sure they are being paid properly for their work.

Win win all around.

[CherryCola]

Originally Posted by LisaWV

I like a little coffee in my heavy cream...

[Krissy66]

Originally Posted by SweetPoison2

I actally DO all that, if you can believe that! Thank you! My prob is that I don't add water to coffee ratios well ~ I think....and it taste like crap.

I am about to make some now as my daughter brought me home some new coffee!

I had heard as well that, as you stated, to remove the coffee filter and grinds right away as it can turn the coffee bitter?

Not sure how, but okay!

thd water/grind mixture will continue to drip into your pot even after the brewing cycle.

[susan41]

This is how I make coffee

Get up.. blindly make my way to the kitchen.
Trip over cat 2-3x
Fill pot with culligan water and hope it is the right amt
Push cat away 2-3x
Fumble in pantry for Maxwell House filterpack
Yell at cat to GET BACK!
Put in filterpack
Turn on switch
Somehow make it back to bathroom and turn on light
Discover cat has strewn q-tips all over the bathroom
Pee, strip from jammies and weigh. take CO spoonful
Kick scale and push cat away again 2-3x
Pickup and discard ruined q-tips.
Find raggy grandma robe - the one with the cat hanging on the hem everytime I swish.
Pad back to kitchen and pour first cup.
Decide I really do love my cat after 2-3 cups.

[SweetPoison2]

That is so funny!!!

[Sandi76]

When I used a Mr. Coffee drip pot, I filled the water to 10 cups and then used five scoops of either Folgers or Maxwell house (whatever was on sale) Columbian. It made for a strong, delicious pot of coffee.

Now, I have a Keurig and won't use anything else. I've even stopped going to Starbucks all together. I use the Coffee People Organic Extra Bold. MMMM MMM