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[Vector]

Hi,

I am trying to learn to make coffee. I require the following two items that I do not yet possess:

• grinder
• french press

yeah yeah drip coffee is how our fathers, my father included, did it, I'm losing my right to call myself pro-union and pro-worker. I don't care. Tell me about what to look for in a grinder and in a french press.

[Doomblade187]

French press doesn't need much, you just have to be careful not to break it. For a french press, you could spend more money for a burr grinder (~$50) for more even grounds, but a typical bladed spice grinder will be fine in my opinion. French press uses a coarser grind than espresso and drip coffee because it uses a wire mesh filter as opposed to filter paper.

[wierd]

I always do pour-over when making fancy coffee.

(otherwise my drip machine is fine.)

[Rose]

I just want to point out that moka pots are also very good.

[gimlet]

The way to get around the grinder decision for a while is to have the coffee shop grind a bit of your coffee when you buy it.   Ideally you would not want to grind the whole bag (ground coffee flavor changes much faster than whole beans), but getting a few days worth will be fine.

It's well worth finding a good local coffee shop/roaster and tasting what they can do with their beans, then compare what you can do.  If you really get into it, there are a lot of variables to experiment with - water temperature, grind fineness, steep time, water-to-coffee ratio, etc.

Have fun!

[anewaname]

I grind about 2 weeks of beans with a nutri-bullet. The coffee comes out fine grain, nearly powder, like some pre-ground "European" coffees sold in the USA. The main thing for me is, only one tool on the kitchen counter.

[Strife26]

There's nothing wrong with buying pre-ground coffee.

Steel is much nicer than glass for a french press carafe, although you lose out being able to see the water level.

[Vector]

So, reality is that I have a small sample of unground beans that somebody gave me already. My dad does preground beans with a drip filter into his enamel camping cup and buys just about the cheapest shit he can find; don't worry, I know how to do that. I wasn't born yesterday.

Let's refine the question: I know someone whose daughter was allowed entry to Stanford because of her exquisite knowledge of European tea service. No shit.

No power on heaven or earth is going to denude me of my slightly rural accent, but it could help to be able to offer professors coffee reflecting a, I dunno, sensitive taste. I've got the tea thing on lock and I'll work on the wine thing later. I don't like spending money on nothing (a la crappy tea sold in silk teabags) but I am willing to spend some money if it generates actual quality. Similarly, don't mind buying some specialized equipment. I'm really going for the "drop some money on a good pair of boots" style of food production.

So, I'm hearing a few things:

• steel french press > glass. Uses bigger holes in mesh -> need bigger bean size
• some control over bean size is important. Might be worthwhile getting a variable grinder. (burr grinder)
• a moka pot is nice. What do we use this for? Espresso?
• go bother people at the local coffee house

[Rose]

Moka pot makes espresso, yes. Use if for all the usual things you do with espresso.

Only complication is that every size of moka pot makes a very specific amount of espresso, and can't really be varied.

[anewaname]

So, you are looking to improve your ability to deliver an "you have been served an enjoyable experience" to someone using coffee, in the form of a cultural experience, a chemical experience, or a reminiscent experience.

You want them to experience that caffeine high that makes everything so nice for a few minutes, alongside some other tasty flavors, and for that to be reminiscent of another place or something in their past. For additional flavors, seek out different cultural foods that were created to be served with coffee (or tea), like the Italian Biscotti, with strong anise, licorice, and almond flavors that compliment coffee (the good biscuits are not fancy, not large, and not sugar bombs, they are crisp and and smell only of the plant flavoring). There are many other cultural side-biscuits.

[martinuzz]

I have an ancient (around 1890) Peugeot coffee grinder. My great-grandma bought it.
It still works like a charm.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Peugeot made all kinds of steel hand tools and kitchen equipment, before moving on to bicycles and automobiles.

[wierd]

Again, pourover with a moistened cone filter produces excellent and strong coffe.  Drip coffee it is not.

I make an acceptable latte knockoff using the following method at work:

Take a tall coffe mug, fill it halfway with milk.


Put it in the microwave for 2 minutes, or until just scalded.


Add 2tbs sugar, and 2tsp quality vanilla extract.
(Taste a small portion to ensure it is right. I used about half the sugar pictured and all the vanilla. ~7.5ml)



Load up another tall cup with your pourover filter and cone.
Fill it appropriately with your grounds.
I have to make due at work with what is on hand. Proper kit is better.


Slowly pour just boiled water over the grounds in a continous, swirling motion, keeping all of the grounds wetted, but not heavily swimming.  The coffee should be very dark and staining but not muddy.

(No image. Not enough hands.)

Once you have half of a tall cup's worth of the pourover, combine it with the scalded milk.


Add whipped cream on top and stir in.


Add another shot of whipped cream as
Garnish, then serve.

[wierd]

I should point out the obvious:

PROPER LATTE does not use a microwave, nor does it use whipped cream.

Instead, it uses a milk steamer to steam and froth the milk. At work, i have no such fancy kit. I have a knockoff kureg machine(and its filter basket), industrial drip machines, a microwave, and a refrigerator. I got creative and made "fake latte".

It is quite passable though.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Most methods of coffee making are pretty easy methinks.

As others have said all you need for a French press are whole beans if you want to use a grinder.

If you are interested there are also espresso machines, stovepot pots/moka pots, Turkish coffee, pour overs, AeroPress, and cowboy coffee--there are more but they get increasingly complicated from here.

They do produce somewhat different textures/mouthfeels/etc. but the real magic is finding coffee beans that you like. Also how much you are willing to prepare them. Buy them pre-ground? Grind them yourself? Roast them yourself?

[delphonso]

My wife just broke out french press (very thin glass one).

Anyway, in this thread for whenever I buy a new device. Maybe  moka?