NOM

So in my small piece of heaven the winter means I live in a ghost town. The introvert in me loves it however I have decided to learn the art and science of making a good cup of joe.

The very good French press I perchased is working pretty well but I'm never entirely consistent so some days work better. I've recently heard that an aero press might be easier and better. For the amount I drink, a Starbucks makes more sense but it's 1.5 hours away. Plus it's kinda fun to learn new things.

Thoughts?

My son got me an Aeropress a while ago. Not sure if it was operator error or what, but I've never been pleased with the results.

I've done better with using my own coffee with k-cups in my Keurig, but that has been some trial & error, too.

I'm still a bit hit and miss on the perfect cup. Yesterday I was in town and had a very nice espresso double shot flat white which made me very happy.

There must be some secret shakes in there somewhere.

Are you grinding your beans yourself, or using store-bought, pre-ground?

wtfluff wrote:Are you grinding your beans yourself, or using store-bought, pre-ground?

I have only been using freshly roasted beans which I hand grind.

Update: My barista son, home for the holidays gave me a chemistry like lesson on the art of grinding, to get the particle size just right, carefully weighing(with a precision scale) the coffee as well as the water (which we heated to a precise temp. using a thermometer). Brewing time was experimented with as well. It took several times to get it just right.

It was quite a buzz by the end.

No Tof wrote:

wtfluff wrote:Are you grinding your beans yourself, or using store-bought, pre-ground?

I have only been using freshly roasted beans which I hand grind.

Update: My barista son, home for the holidays gave me a chemistry like lesson on the art of grinding, to get the particle size just right, carefully weighing(with a precision scale) the coffee as well as the water (which we heated to a precise temp. using a thermometer). Brewing time was experimented with as well. It took several times to get it just right.

It was quite a buzz by the end.

Sounds as if you son gave you better "training" than all the typing in the world could...

I'm not familiar with the aero press - back in the dark ages, we just had percolators on the stove & then graduated to electric makers (actually, the stovetop brews were outstanding). I got a French Press recently and I love it - it's a bit more 'work' in the morning, but the results are wonderful. I had a Kuerig for a while, but they're huge, and mine stopped heating after only a few months. I actually think the French Press makes better coffee, though. I buy coffee beans and grind them in the store to get the right size - as others mentioned here, the right water temp, grind and other things are key elements.

I haven't looked into a scale - not sure I will go that far with it. What's your thought on it, everyone?

Silver Girl wrote:I haven't looked into a scale - not sure I will go that far with it. What's your thought on it, everyone?

If you want to "up" yourself on the coffee-geek cred-scale, then then a getting a coffee scale might be fun. (Ha! That pun was completely unintended until my fingers produced it...)

If you're happy with your brew now, then I'm not sure the coffee scale is worth it, unless you enjoy the experimentation that a coffee scale would bring. Although I personally would enjoy getting a scale and playing with different grind sizes, water temps, pour-over vs. French Press vs. Aeropress, the don't ask/don't tell policy in my home at the moment doesn't led it'self to me becoming to coffee-chemistry geek...

wtfluff wrote:

Silver Girl wrote: If you want to "up" yourself on the coffee-geek cred-scale, then then a getting a coffee scale might be fun. (Ha! That pun was completely unintended until my fingers produced it...)

If you're happy with your brew now, then I'm not sure the coffee scale is worth it, unless you enjoy the experimentation that a coffee scale would bring. Although I personally would enjoy getting a scale and playing with different grind sizes, water temps, pour-over vs. French Press vs. Aeropress, the don't ask/don't tell policy in my home at the moment doesn't led it'self to me becoming to coffee-chemistry geek...

Thanks for the insight, Fluff! I may get a scale, simply to see what the difference is in taste and outcome. I guess I will need to get a thermometer, too, if I really want a Celestial Caffeine fix. The first few times I used the French Press, I fumbled a lot getting everything ready (so much more to do than with a Keurig) and timing the water twice - once to cool down after heating it & once to brew. Now, it goes pretty smoothly and I can probably add a few steps. After all, we are here to perfect ourselves, right? The other things I'm dealing with are the number of gadgets I am willing to add to my countertop and mastering the brewing part at the same time I make breakfast. I would never make it as a short-order cook.

I'm also contemplating a burr grinder - that's supposed to be the gold standard. But - my most excellent local grocery store has a great setup for grinding our own purchases.

Silver Girl wrote:I'm also contemplating a burr grinder - that's supposed to be the gold standard. But - my most excellent local grocery store has a great setup for grinding our own purchases.

I'm not an expert on organic chemistry, but it would seem reasonable to think that the oxidation of the coffee grounds could affect the taste. That is why a very fresh grind tastes good if you are willing to risk Eternal Hell Fire (and be excluded from the light of Bruce R. McConkie) for a pleasing sip of coffee.