Originally published at: I switched up my brewing method for coffee, again | Boing Boing
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I use a Hario V60 pour-over setup instead of a Chemex, but the idea is the same - and it’s the best coffee I’ve ever made. The only downside for me is that I’ve got a manual grinder, and it’s a pain to grind the beans every morning. Been looking for a good electric burr grinder, but haven’t found one I like yet.
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I use a cheap plastic Melitta pour-over–all of these things basically work the same way. It’s only a matter of how much you like fussing with things before you get your coffee.
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Aeropress
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COFFEE TOPIC!
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I use a Gaggia espresso and Rancilio grinder for my morning coffee. Aeropress when travelling. And a pour over is really good too. The grind is less fine so I use more coffee by weight. I use ready ground for this so it’s not a fair comparison.
One thing is if you use one of that machines to make it, take it off the hot plate immediately. Hot plates are evil and will make your coffee absolutely vile.
ETA
Not a big fan of French presses, not economical and I don’t find the coffee as pleasant as pour overs (or the other methods I go for).
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i was watching the mary tyler moore show recently, and at the beginning of the series she used one of these in her apartment. Not sure the logic, but my guess was it was a cheaper alternative to a percolator because she was a struggling single working woman? Or maybe they were cool back then and they were just showing she had good taste. (Mr coffee wasnt released until two years after that show started)
I did notice she used a different coffee maker later in the series.
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I’ve had a Baratza Preciso for years that I’m really happy with. I know at least 3 others with Baratza grinders that have been running for years. The only difference I’ve seen between the more expensive ones is the time it takes to grind, but I’d be willing to bet it’s still faster than manual 
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Fussy. Yes that’s the word I’m looking for. A coworker was going off about ceramic burrs versus blade grinders the other day. Just shoot me.
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Good recommendation, thanks!
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That’s what we’ve used for over 40 years. It’s really not much more fuss than a machine, with the advantage that you can play around with all the factors that go into good coffee (or not, as you choose). Also, you can clean all the parts easily, rather than letting the oils build up over the years.
We have an Aeropress, and it’s good too.
IMO, the important things about coffee are, in order:
- Buy good quality coffee.
- If possible, buy beans and grind them yourself.
- Don’t stint. Use enough coffee per cup (it takes less water to make good coffee than most people think
). - Whatever the brewing method, experiment until it’s to your liking.
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Good lord, some people drink a lot of coffee. I have two cups from my 24 oz. French press each morning, and I thought that was almost too much. The Chemex is not really to my tastes, though I might do an Aeropress and/or V60 at some point.
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Tea, anyone?
Maybe a loose-leaf… erm… Finest Golden Tippy Flowery Orange Pekoe?
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I struggled to find a coffee maker rugged enough to live in my van. I did buy a french press in Ikea but I left it on the conveyor belt at the till. I concluded that it just wasn’t meant to be…
So I change tack and decided to get accustomed to morning coffee with no special equipment.
So for the last year or two, I’ve been dumping two generous scoops of ground coffee into a pint beer glass and filling it about 20 mm from the top with water that’s just off the boil. Stirring vigorously with a long teaspoon and leaving it for the couple of minutes it takes to make and eat two slices of toast. I give the coffee another vigorous stir and top off with milk.
I then carry the full, fairly hot pint glass carefully up my office and begin my day.
It’s a surprisingly rich, sensuous experience. The best part is the coffee oil slick at the very top which usually contains just a couple of grounds that didn’t sink.
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That’s one of the joys of pour over coffee. You can put at much fuss into as you want to get things to be “just right”, or you can mess it all up but if you’re still personally happy with the outcome, that’s fine too. You can even change day to day which mood you’re in.
I say, if your brew method makes you happy with the outcome, you’re all set. Ignore everyone else. No matter what your method is.
PS: That cheap plastic Melitta pour-over has a bunch of advantages, don’t sell yourself short. I prefer to use a ceramic one instead of plastic, but I’m sure it’s all in my head. In fact, I know that the ceramic one absorbs a ton of heat that the plastic one doesn’t. It’s not a hard argument that my head is wrong, but then I like my coffee closer to room temp after it’s brewed, so I’m sure I’m a poor judge here.
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We have a Breville that has worked for years and grinds consistently. It’s quieter than many I’ve run across.
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My mom used a Chemex with freshly hand ground beans as early as I can remember (late 50s). A Chemex was more expensive than the typical (cheap) percolator, it was a sign you took your coffee seriously.
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Aka cowboy coffee. That’s basically the method we use on canoe trips, except we carry a little fine-mesh strainer because we don’t especially like the grounds. Of course, a French press is basically the same thing with a built-in strainer.
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I like hand grinding, but a huge majority of manual mills I’ve found have grind adjustment that self-tightens if the beans are too stiff, resulting in jammed grinder and increased chance of re-jamming. So I make do with a clunky/cheap hario that’s usually uneven but gets the job done even on my hearty preferred beans
Lately the (cheesey drugstore) pourover at work and the aeropress at home haven’t been getting many miles, but I bet that’ll change with freezing temps back in town here in the NW
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