Coffee expertise needed
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Agreed on the water temperature comment.
Disagree heavily on the coffee press comment. Press makes the best coffee, hands down. And cleaning is a royal pain? It's literally dumping out the grounds and rinsing it out.
Get yourself a proper stainless steel insulated press (1.5L) and it will be the best cup you can get, and zero hassle. We also purchased an electric kettle to heat the water and it really streamlined the process!
Also, transfer your grounds into the press inside the sink, so the stray grounds don't make a mess all over the counter.
As for the beans -- I agree with buying whole beans and grinding your own, but you don't have to start there until you settle on some candidates. If you like high caffeine content, stick with light or medium roast blends. There are many local roasters around that sell quality beans. Typically a "breakfast blend" is a solid, mild place to start.
After a trip to Kansas City for the Big 12 Basketball tournament, we discovered The Roasterie in KC and now I get all our beans shipped to our house from there, and they are fantastic.
Love all these ideas, but seems like a big step for someone drinking folgers or worse. For store bought stuff I like Dunkin Donuts Classic Beans. I do agree with the comments above that you should buy a grinder. It is a simple step to a more satisfying coffee. Then I would experiment with other beans. I really like costa rican beans, or nicaraguan. My typical go to now, is to buy beans from a local coffee house or someone that roasts there own. But start simple, you are basically drinking the worst coffee known to mankind right now. If your not already, drink it black also.....
I'm sure I'll get flamed here, but I've switched from grinding my own to just buying it at the store pre ground as it doesn't sit for more than 14 days at the house. You can still buy good coffee that's preground just check the packaging date.
If your primary concern is caffeine, lighter roasts will have more kick and be less bitter.
As long as your ratios of water to coffee are correct it'll be better than what ever mass produced swill they're serving up at work.
If your primary concern is caffeine, lighter roasts will have more kick and be less bitter.
As long as your ratios of water to coffee are correct it'll be better than what ever mass produced swill they're serving up at work.
i go for the middle ground (pun intended) and use the nice burr grinder at the store. most Hy-Vees and co-ops will have grinders.
I use a French on the weekends and throw the grounds in the garden.
Don't know if I should be doing it but I put the glass and the smasher in the dishwasher top rack.
Don't know if I should be doing it but I put the glass and the smasher in the dishwasher top rack.
I have a Cuisinart coffee maker that has a grinder built into it. I have had it for 5 years and really like it. It also has a mesh filter, so no need to buy paper filters. I buy my whole bean coffee at Costco. May not be as good as some other places, but the prices are good and can buy in 2-3lb. bags so don't have to buy as often. They have a pretty good variety too.
Freshly ground beans are hands down far better. The vixen and I are fond of Dunkin Donuts beans also, we haven't really tasted a lot of stuff. We found something we like, so we stick with it. I'm sure there are lots of other good ones out there, too.
That means you're letting humidity into your storage container every time you open it.
my preferred brew method is chemex/pour over.
As far as roasters, Windmill (Burgie's, served at La Mie) and Horizon Line are my local go-to's. Other shops that carry good coffee I enjoy are Mars (Kickapoo/Windmill?), St. Kilda's (Counter Culture), Stomping Grounds (Counter Culture), Scenic Route Bakery (Intelligentsia), though the non-local roasters ones you could probably just order directly from them or check out different roasters at Trade Coffee (drinktrade.com).
Mentioned earlier, but will echo the burr grinder and buying whole beans. Also would recommend a scale to get a consistent measurement (16:1 water:bean ratio is a good start). I prefer paper filters over mesh in general because it'll do a much better job with the fines/dust that is produced by the grinders which can result in that sludge at the bottom of the cup like you normally would with a french press.
Water can probably hang around 195-203, darker roasts at lower temps with lighter roasts on the higher end, but really adjust to your taste. Something else to keep in mind - most specialty roaster's dark roast is probably comparable to common coffee shops' light roast.
As far as roasters, Windmill (Burgie's, served at La Mie) and Horizon Line are my local go-to's. Other shops that carry good coffee I enjoy are Mars (Kickapoo/Windmill?), St. Kilda's (Counter Culture), Stomping Grounds (Counter Culture), Scenic Route Bakery (Intelligentsia), though the non-local roasters ones you could probably just order directly from them or check out different roasters at Trade Coffee (drinktrade.com).
Mentioned earlier, but will echo the burr grinder and buying whole beans. Also would recommend a scale to get a consistent measurement (16:1 water:bean ratio is a good start). I prefer paper filters over mesh in general because it'll do a much better job with the fines/dust that is produced by the grinders which can result in that sludge at the bottom of the cup like you normally would with a french press.
Water can probably hang around 195-203, darker roasts at lower temps with lighter roasts on the higher end, but really adjust to your taste. Something else to keep in mind - most specialty roaster's dark roast is probably comparable to common coffee shops' light roast.
Maybe, but I haven't noticed this as a major problem. I freeze small amounts, 12 ounces or less.
It is the best coffee in town. The only caveat is that it's not the best option if you're in a hurry or have somewhere to be. They take their time, which is fine if you plan for that. If you're in a rush then Starbucks is ok but Grounds for Celebration is also fine if you want to buy local.
Friedrich's on 42nd and University has a nice selection of beans, too. I keep some of their mocha java on hand for coffee on the weekends.
As far as how to make it we have a Cusinart with a built-in grinder in storage. I liked it but it became impractical to take up so much counter space when we cut back our caffeine consumption to weekends only. Since I only make it maybe twice a week I use a french press. It's a bit labor-intensive and I wouldn't want to do it every day but it's a nice Saturday treat.
Got a facebook ad a few minutes ago that I can take a coffee pour over seminar at Metro CC for $19. Damn facebook spying on CF
