- Joined
- Aug 3, 2024
- Messages
- 230
I wouldn't say I was a hardcore coffee snob, I'll drain a few cups at my favorite cafe or taqueria without complaint, but I do find that using the right machine/technique with the proper bean certainly makes for a better cup at home. For me a high-quality drip machine can do the job, but the real game changer is how the coffee is kept hot. Most of the cheap "Mr Coffee" style machines have a glass carafe sitting on a hotplate to keep the coffee at a drinkable temperature, and that's where they get a deservedly bad rap. Before long that hotplate will give the coffee a bitter, stewed taste that we've all experienced at some point, but fortunately there's a better option...the thermal carafe.
My first one was made by Melitta, which worked on the same principle as the standard drip machine but had a stainless steel insulated carafe that kept the coffee plenty warm for several hours, more than long enough for my wife and I to drink "12 cups" (seriously?). After a few years it started leaking so we found a Keurig machine that also had a metal carafe and could do K-Cups as well as a full pot. This one seems to do a better job at extraction resulting in a very smooth brew and the carafe keeps the coffee hot for quite a few hours. We don't use the K-Cups all that often but my wife like to make a flavored coffee every now and then, which is not my thing.
Coffee-wise I wasn't always that picky until my aforementioned bride, who's a closet Pacific Islander, turned me on to the Hawaiian varieties. Fortunately my local grocery store sells a whole-bean Kona blend in bulk that does the job nicely, unfortunately we both have to cut down on our caffeine intake so we do a 50/50 blend with a quality decaf. Not the same as the high octane stuff but better than nothing.
In short, what do you fine folks like to use the prepare your morning brew...French press, an old-school percolator, a high end espresso maker or just your basic drip machine? Whatever it is it certainly beats waiting in line for an overpriced, mediocre cup of warm brown water.
My first one was made by Melitta, which worked on the same principle as the standard drip machine but had a stainless steel insulated carafe that kept the coffee plenty warm for several hours, more than long enough for my wife and I to drink "12 cups" (seriously?). After a few years it started leaking so we found a Keurig machine that also had a metal carafe and could do K-Cups as well as a full pot. This one seems to do a better job at extraction resulting in a very smooth brew and the carafe keeps the coffee hot for quite a few hours. We don't use the K-Cups all that often but my wife like to make a flavored coffee every now and then, which is not my thing.
Coffee-wise I wasn't always that picky until my aforementioned bride, who's a closet Pacific Islander, turned me on to the Hawaiian varieties. Fortunately my local grocery store sells a whole-bean Kona blend in bulk that does the job nicely, unfortunately we both have to cut down on our caffeine intake so we do a 50/50 blend with a quality decaf. Not the same as the high octane stuff but better than nothing.
In short, what do you fine folks like to use the prepare your morning brew...French press, an old-school percolator, a high end espresso maker or just your basic drip machine? Whatever it is it certainly beats waiting in line for an overpriced, mediocre cup of warm brown water.
