Upgrading from Keurig: bathe me in coffee, Bore

[Tasty]

☕️

Keurig's always been reliable but (apparently) shitty (I have no real palate and stuff my coffee with sugar and cream.) Plus it's killing the planet or something.

But now I think I should branch out. Problem is there seems like a dozen different brewing methods (slow drip, french press, cold brew, espresso, etc. etc.) and not only do I not know how they differ mechanically, I can't visualize the differences in flavor either.

So, help me Bore. I want to drink better coffee (and I want to know the difference between good and bad coffee.)

[Great Rumbler]

[Tasty]

Hazelnut coffee makes me gag.

[Tasty]

Think I might try cold brewing for a spin.

Taste the difference with TAKEYA's Cold Brew Coffee Maker. The traditional hot brewing process releases undesirable acids and oils, resulting in bitter flavor and acidity that is intolerable to many. With cold brewing, only the naturally delicious coffee flavors are extracted, leaving behind the bitter oils and fatty acids, creating a perfectly balanced, smooth extraction of concentrated coffee. Once brewed, concentrated coffee can be kept fresh in the TAKEYA airtight Cold Brew Coffee Maker for up to 2 weeks and used for both hot and iced coffees.

But then I'd need a kettle for the boiling water to add.

[Mupepe]

I just grind beans, boil water, pour it over the grounds in a sock filter type setup. I'm not sure what the name of it really is but it works really well. It makes better coffee than my keurig or most commercial machines I've ran into. And it's quick and easy

[CatsCatsCats]

I drink Cafe Bustelo out of a black and decker coffee maker and really like it

I like to brew a big pot and let it get cold and drink it.it reminds me of the little Japanese black coffee drinks I got last time I was in Hawaii.

[nachobro]

I use a Mr Coffee and grind Dunkin beans. Easy and tastes good.

This one: https://www.mrcoffee.com/coffee-makers/mr.-coffee-advanced-brew-12-cup-programmable-coffee-maker/BVMC-SJX.html

[TakingBackSunday]

Chemex fool

[Syph]

all i'll say is that if you use any of those capsule machines, for the love of god, make sure to periodically do a couple dry runs with some boiling water to clean it out.

[Mupepe]

I will say that if you can't taste the difference and only care right now because people say it tastes shitty then bask in your ignorance. I was fine with Keurig for a long time. I was ruined when my mom bought me my setup and came back with fresh beans from Costa Rica. I drank that for a few weeks and when it ran out I thought my keurig was busted because it tasted so bad. Nah, my palette has evolved. Ignorance is bliss bro

[Samson Manhug]

Aeropress

Porlex grinder

And any electric kettle

This is great for single serving coffee and the Aeropress cleans itself every time you use it. No mess! Once you start drinking coffee this way, you’ll hate regular ground coffee. But that’s okay because the Aeropress and Porlex are super portable. This has been my go to coffee method for a few years. I’ve got one set at home and one at work.

Proper coffee is a pour over for sure, though. And French press is great for making company coffee.

[etiolate]

Get a simple coffee machine or a coffee press, get some good ground beans and enjoy.

Mupepe mentions Costa Rica and that would be my suggestion. Costa Rican beans have a nice aroma and flavor.

[VomKriege]

I'm too lazy and just pour water over ground coffee in a filter most mornings. But otherwise I'm partial to the moka pot. Though the latter makes for rather strong coffee better served as espressos.

[nudemacusers]

Drink tea like a real man

[chronovore]

AEROPRESS!


Jesus, +1 on Manhug's advice. I love my Aeropress from the bottom of my coffee-stained heart. I've had mine for 5 years now, and it's the first item to go in my baggage when I travel. Portable, simple to use, easy to clean. It makes even mediocre beans taste better.


The only two problems it has are:

• It is truly a single serving device
• The standard brew orientation is not as effective as inverted -- but it's "safer" from mess

Edit: added gif

[chronovore]

Then, there's this:

[Cerveza mas fina]

I used to slow drip but aint nobody got time for that  and now I got this bean to coffee machine

[Samson Manhug]

AEROPRESS!


Jesus, +1 on Manhug's advice. I love my Aeropress from the bottom of my coffee-stained heart. I've had mine for 5 years now, and it's the first item to go in my baggage when I travel. Portable, simple to use, easy to clean. It makes even mediocre beans taste better.


The only two problems it has are:

• It is truly a single serving device
• The standard brew orientation is not as effective as inverted -- but it's "safer" from mess

I have to warn everyone though that if you buy the grinder I linked and bring it in your carry on baggage on a flight, the security screeners will see it in the x-ray, will think it’s a hand grenade, and depending on the color of your skin take appropriate action.

[Cerveza mas fina]

The thing with brewing a better cup yourself it takes a bit of time and practice like most things, also finding the beans that work for you.

Took me a month to get all the settings on my machine right ( grind size, portion size and tupe of bean) and now the coffee I make is like from a coffee shop,.

I drink it black no sugar (americano with this machine but ill go for normal filter coffee when on the road)

[Cerveza mas fina]

I had to google Keurig but it seems like a budget Nespresso? You could just upgrade to Nespresso if you like burning cash.

[thisismyusername]

the security screeners will see it in the x-ray, will think it’s a fleshlight

FTFY.

What fleshlights have you been buying!?

[BobFromPikeCreek]

Tasty coffee and pretty much impossible to fuck up.

[chronovore]

Yeah, and a bitch to clean, unless you're a renter who doesn't give a shit about their kitchen sink getting clogged. Aeropress solves that problem with essentially the same brew technique, but easier clean up. The only difference in quality is missing silt from your cup, and some oils from the coffee which that metal mesh allows through.

[Samson Manhug]

That long ass post and then you recommend Trader Joe's and buying cheap coffee?

 

The price isn't what's important, but fresh roasted coffee is usually going to be the expensive stuff. The number one difference in taste won't be how you prepare it, but A) how fresh it is and B) when it was ground.

[chronovore]

Sorry, I'm with Manhug here. TJ's is great for all kinds of mid-range luxury stuff, but not coffee. I've bought their beans a half-dozen times, never been happy with the quality.

[chronovore]

Tell me about it. My wife has no palate for coffee. We have a standard drip coffeemaker for mornings, and I've used up a ½ pound of my hand-imported Phil'z Coffee running it through that. I need to go buy some morning cheap stuff to use in that instead. What a waste. Normally I just keep the Phil'z on standby until I need a religious experience.


Before the proliferation of Starbucks, Japan largely preferred lighter roast coffees, where I prefer medium to dark roasts. I tend to avoid Starbucks because everything tastes burned. I can find decent Colombian for my wife and a "European Blend" at a local coffee chain that aren't miserable.

[CatsCatsCats]

Yo cafe bustelo is inexpensive but it is the shitttttttt

[CatsCatsCats]

To be fair I don't really like coffee properly I'm just addicted to caffeine

[BobFromPikeCreek]

When people say French presses are a hassle to clean I'm like.

Idk, never really seemed like such a pain to me personally. Just scoop out the grounds and then wash the pot with some soap and water. I only bother completely separating and cleaning the filter component every like 5th+ brew. Otherwise I just scrub it when it's assembled.

[chronovore]

First 30 seconds of this video; this is easier than a French Press.

[Nola]

Been using an aeropress for years.

Was honestly one of those "holy shit" moments when I tasted my first cup of inverted aeropress coffee with a good roast after a life of keurig's, cheap pot brewers and  coffee shop concoctions.


...Still haven't tried a French Press though. Aeropress has just been so easy to use/clean that I haven't wanted to change. Am interested in getting into cold brewing though.

[VomKriege]

Went out of filters anyway so I took the old Italian Moka Pot out and I really like it. It's a lazy thing but you can't fuck up the dosage with this since the coffee and water both have their own compartiments. I'm a terrible taster and it probably comes from the coffee I buy (Grounded, Italian large brands) but it's on the acidic (edit: bitter) side, I'd say ? And it's strong since it's really meant to be served as an espresso, but I need my big dose in the morning.

It's easy to clean (slighty easier than a press, though I don't get the complaints on the large hassle anyway) and it's better to clean it with just running hot water without any soap.

The only part where it might be less convenient is choosing the right size of pot for your usage and that you need a stove. Don't cheap out and buy a no-name brand too, for a handful of dollar more you can get a Bialetti and the joints should last you longer.

[VomKriege]

I had to google Keurig but it seems like a budget Nespresso? You could just upgrade to Nespresso if you like burning cash.

You mentioned it but it's really a miracle of marketing that those companies sold people on buying coffee at such a price  the only setting it really makes sense is in offices (and apparently that's what they were designed for) because it produces much better coffee than the big vending machines at similar prices (0.30 euros a piece) for much less maintenance.

However Keurig and Nespresso do seem to differ in that Nespresso is better for making espresso (duh) and Keurig is more in line with more watery american coffee.

I wouldn't recommend either brand (and capsule coffee in general) in homes.

To come back to Tasty Meat's OP :
Espresso is a very strong, tasteful coffee served in a small serving (1 to 2 ounces). An espresso is made by water running through ground coffee at high pressure and high temperature. It's pretty much the "normal" sort of coffee you'll get in bars in some parts of Europe (Italy, where the first machines were patented, France and probably a few others in Southern Europe).

There's a ton a variations made using an espresso base :
- Ristretto, a super short coffee (Make sure to try that if you travel to Italy).
- Long coffee (more water passes through the coffee)
- A number of recipes with various quantities of milk (Macchiato, Latte, Cappuccino)...

The easiest option to make espresso at home is using a Nespresso capsule coffee machine but capsules are really not cost-effective. Otherwise you have a bunch of fancier options like the machine Premium Lager have but the device itself will cost 100-200$ minimum (and can go up to ridiculous levels, 5 figures and all). Unless you're really particular about having espressos, it's probably not worth it.

[Cerveza mas fina]

I don't even drink just espresso, I make it an Americano (which i just found out today is what italians said about how americans gjs liked their espresso watered down  ) but the machine is great as now my wife can have proper lattes and we are more flexible with making what we like and how we like it

Id recommend my DeLonghi, think its 300 dollars

[Samson Manhug]

Been using an aeropress for years.

Was honestly one of those "holy shit" moments when I tasted my first cup of inverted aeropress coffee with a good roast after a life of keurig's, cheap pot brewers and  coffee shop concoctions.


...Still haven't tried a French Press though. Aeropress has just been so easy to use/clean that I haven't wanted to change. Am interested in getting into cold brewing though.

Cold brewing is even easier than an Aeropress, if you can imagine it. Get a Toddy and go for it.

[Mr. Gundam]

French Press for most mornings and a Chemex for when I'm feeling fancy.

And get a grinder so you've got fresh coffee every day.

[nachobro]

im gonna pick up some of that cafe bustelo next time i buy beans, everyone talking it up so much

[Kara]

I love my Moka pot, but for Ethiopian beans (which I generally consume) I prefer a cold brew to bring out the citrus (or other) tasting notes.

Making ghetto cafecito with a Moka pot and Bustelo.

[Samson Manhug]

I like Ethiopian too but cold brew dulls the taste too much to be ideal for me. Simple pour over is the best way to get the most out of a Yirgacheffe. It needs to be hot.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Black

Smell is always going to be more powerful I think

[etiolate]

straight black as well

[Kara]

I like Ethiopian too but cold brew dulls the taste too much to be ideal for me. Simple pour over is the best way to get the most out of a Yirgacheffe. It needs to be hot.

Saying I drink Yirgacheffe is just hurtful.

[Kara]

I may or may not have come into possession of 250g of Cuban coffee.

I may or may not report back on how it tastes. (It may or may not be bad but it probably is counterfeit despite it possibly having been purchased in Cuba.)

[chronovore]

I may or may not have come into possession of 250g of Cuban coffee.

I may or may not report back on how it tastes. (It may or may not be bad but it probably is counterfeit despite it possibly having been purchased in Cuba.)

One of us finally gets illicit substances from a Caribbean country, and it turns out to be something already legal here.

This is why we can't have nice things.

[Kara]

The kitchen counter at the commune may or may not currently resemble a store that specializes in legal vices produced in Cuba (Havana Club, Cohiba, the aforementioned coffee) instead of a kitchen counter.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Watching Siglo VI tubos dry out because they were purchased by people who don't know anything about cigars.

[close]

[Madrun Badrun]

'Oh I'm so naughty with my cuban products' 

[chronovore]

The kitchen counter at the commune may or may not currently resemble a store that specializes in legal vices produced in Cuba (Havana Club, Cohiba, the aforementioned coffee) instead of a kitchen counter.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Watching Siglo VI tubos dry out because they were purchased by people who don't know anything about cigars.

[close]

Is this like that scene in Mr. Robot where we realize that the protagonist's unreliable narrator tendencies are revealed to be even less reliable than we'd thought?

[Nola]

Been using an aeropress for years.

Was honestly one of those "holy shit" moments when I tasted my first cup of inverted aeropress coffee with a good roast after a life of keurig's, cheap pot brewers and  coffee shop concoctions.


...Still haven't tried a French Press though. Aeropress has just been so easy to use/clean that I haven't wanted to change. Am interested in getting into cold brewing though.

Cold brewing is even easier than an Aeropress, if you can imagine it. Get a Toddy and go for it.

Finally took the plunge on a cold brew system last week. Can't praise it enough. Probably delivers an even less acidic cup then my Aeropress did.

This will definitely replace my Aeropress for the most part. I love the ability to use a whole bag of coffee and have the concentrate be able to last weeks. And yeah you are definitely right about ease of use. Once you finish a batch it's as simple as heating up some water and mixing it into a cup of concentrate....Or just throwing some ice and water together.

My one problem has always been that I am the only one that drinks coffee in my house and I only do so a few times a week, so the bags often went bad before I finished them. Even with storing the un-grinded beans in a air tight container. That doesn't seem like it will be a problem anymore.

[a slime appears]

Cuban Colada is factually the best coffee on this planet. Guarantee you there is nothing better.

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Sumatra coffee is shit.

[close]

[a slime appears]

It's great, but I know a lot of people that find it too bitter.

I can't even. It's COFFEE.

I always have some Bustelo or Pilon on hand, but I normally use it for cafe con leche w/ cuban toast. 

Try switching to La Carreta espresso instead. Pilon is trash and while Bustelo used to be decent, in the late 90's it switched to a low cost supplier to match their expansion so it's not great. I have other much better recommendations for legit Cuban Coffee but they're hard to get outside of SoFla.

Also what bread do you use for Cuban toast? If you say anything other than actual Cuban bread (with a palm frond down the middle) I will be very sad.

[a slime appears]

I haven't seen much La Carreta near me, but I do still switch between Bustello and La Llave because I have noticed Pilon coming out bad.

I'm lucky to live near quite a few good authentic Cuban bakeries in Tampa, so that's not an issue. I can snag a loaf from Faedo bakery (the second best Cuban bread bakery in town) for just a dollar 

Also I'm all for Cuban coffee recommendations. I've only ever been around family/friends/restaurants that use the brands interchangeably.

You name dropped Faedo, YOU ARE LEGIT. 

Drop by La Segunda off 15th and I-4 for some awesome pastries (and ok coffee). Go to West Tampa Sandwich Shop for the fuuucking best Cuban Sandwiches. I am an expert, I've had Cuban sandwiches literally across the planet; they are the best HANDS-DOWN.

While Tampa has some fantastic shit; it can't beat Miami for the real-deal "swing by at 2am and grab a cortadito" ventanitas experience. I mean that stuff is everywhere and the coffee is TOP-CLASS. Also it really encompasses the entire purpose of the drink; it's a working-class beverage to get shit done.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Refinery across the street from Faedo is also good.

[close]

[VomKriege]

So made some cold brew at home. Was Ok. Not as good as iced expresso but

[shosta]

I like freezing coffee into ice cubes so that my iced coffee doesn't become watery as it melts.

[team filler]

I like freezing coffee into ice cubes so that my iced coffee doesn't become watery as it melts.

It's called Covfefe 

[chronovore]

also something about storing shit in containers has been bugging me not just for coffee but also tea

if its full theres very little air in there

but lets say its half full... or only full by a third, isn't that bad? should i move that shit to a smaller container or just keep it there?

That won't affect anything.

One mistake people make, anecdotally, is having some moisture come in contact with your containers which can totally kill the life of your beans/tea.

This is especially the case with people who bag their espressos and, at some point, hold it over a sink/oven setup. The bags are very susceptible to moisture getting in, and often times you'll notice these bags feel a little weird or dried out. Lots of cubanos in Tampa have a moldy/stale espresso in their house because of it.

 

[remy]

I used to use the aeropress but nowadays i use a 3 cup moka pot like this and grind my beans with the hand grinder i got with the aeropress
drinking the whole 3 cup sludge in one cup

there's something about the way it's impossible to fuck up moka pot coffeee that makes it extremely desirable

[G The Resurrected]

Just got back from a trip to Hawaii and was able to hand select green kona peaberry and air roasted them. No acid, no acidity, just pure 100% kona goodness from bean to roast then brew. Getting through USDA inspection they thought I had brought back plants...

Also got some limited edition Lyon flavored coffee since the missus wanted that flavored crap.

[chronovore]

I ran out of coffee grounds this morning.

The struggle is real.

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j/k, there's a coffeehouse in the lobby of our building and I can get new beans during lunch.

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[close]

[close]

[bork]

Am pretty happy with the Keurig machine

[Cerveza mas fina]

Well it also depends on how you make it but you probably know that.

I make espressos and add boiled water (classic americano) so the beans aren't exposed to hot water for too long.