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[Jimmy]

I invested years ago in a stainless steel french press pot, enough to get four cups of decent coffee and a half cup of dregs if you're desperate enough to drain it completely. Decades of use, still get good coffee every time.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You want to buy one with a body that's a single piece of brushed stainless steel. The inside should have no hard corners where grounds can become stuck. The body should be insulated so the coffee inside stays hot and the outside doesn't become hot to the touch. The pouring lip should be a moulded part of the body of the pot, not a welded extra. Accept no plastic in construction.

The press itself is the most important piece of the pot, and so you don't want to buy budget. A cheap mesh or flimsy connection with the press rod will mean the filter will wobble, shudder or otherwise fail to separate the grounds, meaning you get gritty, bitter coffee. The mesh connection should feel solid when you examine it, not wobbly or loose.

Lastly, the best french press in the world won't compensate for poor preparation technique. Allow the coffee enough time to properly brew before you press it, and when you're ready, press slowly. As in, go at your slow speed, but actually twice as slow as that. Do it like you're a five year old kid annoying their older sister by trying to do something as slowly as possible.

As a confession, being Australian means we're all pretty used to European coffee. Drip coffee is rare over here. Proper espresso is king of the cafe, but a good french press is enough for home use when you don't want to invest in a home unit.

[nenjin]

Late to the party but I'll chime in:

Coffee fanatic here. After quitting soda pretty much it's my go-to caffeine source.

Did drip coffee for years and hated having to buy a new one every 2 years, or when something got fucked up like having two grounds in the drip exit blocking the whole thing and causing it to overflow while you're in the bathroom getting ready for work.

After I started doing coffee shops more regularly and realizing just how fucking bad domestic big brand American coffee is, I started buying bean and knew I shouldn't waste the money putting it through a drip machine. (Forgive me pour-over fans, but I just can't. I don't know if it makes a superior tasting cup of coffee or not, it just looks kinda absurd to me to have to stand over it and babysit it.)

I tried an AeroPress first because it was compact, easy to clean, durable, etc....but after 6 months I realized that a) it's particular about how many grounds you put in and b) is pressure sensitive.  When you've spent the last 3 minutes steeping it and go to plunge and the paper filter moves or tears......frustrating. (And it's plastic so even if it works properly it tastes like shit.) You also need the right shape of cup; if you've got a big, wide mouthed cup the AeroPress may not be able to sit firmly over it, which means you have to transfer the coffee from another receptacle. Not ideal.

So yeah, went to a French Press and never looked back.

I've broken two? so far in about 6 years. Knocking it out in the trash, it connected with a glass bottle and broke. I think the other one I was moving it in the vicinity of the sink and it caught the edge of a plate or glass or something.

Other than that, I think it doesn't really matter. (I'm not at Jimmy's level of sagacity when it comes to French Presses.) I've bought three? of the generic Badum Chambord: https://www.bodum.com/us/en/1928-57-chambord?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz-GF6Lf87wIV4oFbCh3o3w7yEAQYASABEgLDuvD_BwE

You can find them pretty much everywhere that has a household goods section.

It's a run of the mill French Press but it gets the job done. Make sure to get the one that has little metal legs raising the beaker off the surface. I've bought one before where the base is encased in rubber. Seems better right? More stable? Protected from hits by the rubber? Well, the beaker is in direct contact with the rubber base and I think the glass got cracked at some point when plunging too aggressively.

As for a grinder, meh. I've been using the same coffee grinder my mom had back in the 80s that she gave to me. I think it's this model: https://cdn.cutleryandmore.com/products/large/27678.jpg

The blades are probably dull as shit by now but it's always done the job none the less.

Coarse or fine ground, I don't think it honestly matters. Coarse ground can be plunged sooner than fine ground, what really matters for fine grounds is how long you let it steep. The longer it steeps, the more stuff that floats to the bottom and makes it easier to plunge. I like my coffee strong AF so I'll let it steep for 5+ minutes. Less than 3 and you can definitely feel resistance on the plunger which you don't really want. More than 5+ and you likely won't notice a difference between coarse or fine ground (on plungability anyways.)

I'm also a firm believer in grinding coffee beans to order. If you have it pre-ground by a coffee shop or something, keep it air tight, drink it within a week I don't know if there's much of a difference. I typically go through a pound of coffee beans a week but even then I still prefer it have it freshly ground. You can just tell by the froth that gets generated by pouring water into freshly ground beans that you're getting maximum goodness out of it. When it's ground the oils in the beans are exposed and start to dry out. Again, within a week? Probably not a noticeable difference. Longer than that though and you will notice that ground coffee, even airtight coffee, just doesn't have the same body and freshness and richness because those oils have started to breakdown. Still good if you bought good bean, but if you're going to be buying good bean....make every cup worth it.

Only other things I'd advise you to watch out for with a French Press: stirring it. After you pour water in you'll want to stir it pretty well so it mixes evenly. But if you're using a metal spoon, do NOT let that thing clack and hit the side of the press, or it will eventually crack and break it.

Last thing: after you've poured your cup I'd recommend emptying and cleaning the press immediately. It's much easier when the grounds are still hot/warm and the fact the beaker is still warm or hot too causes you to treat it with more care. When those grounds get cold they're harder to get out because they're compressed, which means you may have to clean more aggressively, which means you increase your chances of breaking it. If you're like me and you use a kettle to bring water up to boiling, be aware that the glass of the press after the water has been added is also at boiling temp. Never put actual boiling water in your glass press. Wait for it to stop boiling and bubbling before you put it in or you risk the glass shattering. Along with that, when you go to rinse out your press that you just freshly poured coffee from, use HOT water. If you put cold water in the press after you've freshly poured coffee, that thing WILL shatter because of thermal contraction. I dunno what it is about the glass in French Presses. It's not thin but it seems rather fragile.

And for the record...my bean of choice is Columbian Supremo. I used to drink a lot of African coffees but CS is just so full bodied, smooth, vaguely chocolately. And it's common enough I don't have a problem finding it.

[Jimmy]

Great advice from nenjin above.

The big benefits of the stainless steel design I use is the durability, since there's no glass to break, and the insulation, since a Bodum Chambord will let the coffee grow cold faster, meaning if you make a four cup pot, you'd best be prepared to drink all four within fifteen to twenty minutes. A well insulated steel pot will have hot coffee inside an hour later.

The downside is that some complain the steel adds an unsavory taste. Personally, given that all french press pots use a steel plunger in their design, I doubt this claim has anything to do with the pot's construction, though possibly cheap pots might be different. Can't really attest to their taste, personally. [insert snobbish sniff]

Regarding alternatives, there's a growing market, at least down here in kangaroo land, for pod coffee machines. It's a mini-espresso machine that uses disposable, single use coffee 'pods' that are basically a barista shot of grounds pre-packaged to fit inside the machine, which you use and throw away.

I've tried them, and altogether, the flavour isn't terrible. They actually can get a decent crema, the sealed shot pods mean you don't have to choose between grinding your own coffee or having half a bag of grounds turn stale, and clean-up is fairly straightforward with most models, though if you're an environmentalist, you'll probably balk at the amount of single use plastic consumed for a single cup of coffee.

However, my personal gripe with them is that I've never had a cup come out of the machine that's the right temperature. They're all lukewarm, tepid concoctions. Despite the fact they pull a decent crema, by avoiding the burnt flavour an amateur barista might produce if they run the water too hot, the machine errs on the side of caution by keeping the temperature consistently low. This is no doubt because the machine's design forces all the water through the coffee grounds during preparation, so you can't two-step the process by creating a low temp shot followed by high temp water. Plus, most of the time, the heating element's pretty gutless anyway, and they never come with a steamer, so forget getting a latte.

Still, I'd drink one over drip coffee any day of the week.

Finally, I'd steer clear of any 'home' espresso machines. They're messy, they're finicky, and the quality is frankly not worth the hassle over simply using a french press. If you want a real espresso, either spend a few thousand dollars on a commercial grade machine, or just go out and buy a damn coffee from a cafe.

Regarding bean source, I'm with nenjin in preferring South American beans over African. The majority of the African beans I've experienced end up too high on the bitter, acidic end for my palate. South American blends tend towards a lower profile of flavours, which means there's less chance of being stand-out, but also less chance of offending. I'm not so snobbish as to regularly source my beans from a single supplier; I just get a bag of whatever's available at the supermarket. I also use a bullet blender to do my grinding, but if you grind in bulk, I'm told freezing the grounds can preserve their aromatic properties longer.

[nenjin]

The big benefits of the stainless steel design I use is the durability, since there's no glass to break, and the insulation, since a Bodum Chambord will let the coffee grow cold faster, meaning if you make a four cup pot, you'd best be prepared to drink all four within fifteen to twenty minutes. A well insulated steel pot will have hot coffee inside an hour later.

It's true. I don't even know how many cups mine actually makes, I use a big oversized coffee mug that's already like 16oz or something, so I usually pour in the whole thing. So getting cold isn't an issue for me but surely it will be for someone who is less of a fiend than I am.

Regarding alternatives, there's a growing market, at least down here in kangaroo land, for pod coffee machines. It's a mini-espresso machine that uses disposable, single use coffee 'pods' that are basically a barista shot of grounds pre-packaged to fit inside the machine, which you use and throw away.

However, my personal gripe with them is that I've never had a cup come out of the machine that's the right temperature. They're all lukewarm, tepid concoctions. Despite the fact they pull a decent crema, by avoiding the burnt flavour an amateur barista might produce if they run the water too hot, the machine errs on the side of caution by keeping the temperature consistently low. This is no doubt because the machine's design forces all the water through the coffee grounds during preparation, so you can't two-step the process by creating a low temp shot followed by high temp water. Plus, most of the time, the heating element's pretty gutless anyway, and they never come with a steamer, so forget getting a latte.

I tried a Keurig for a while and I had many of the same experiences. I thought "hey, reusable k-cups, use my own bean, cool." But as you said, it came out luke warm at the end and the grounds never really seemed like they got truly saturated. So I ended up with a weak, tepid cup of coffee. I think I did that for maybe two weeks before I shelved it and started trying the AeroPress.

Regarding bean source, I'm with nenjin in preferring South American beans over African. The majority of the African beans I've experienced end up too high on the bitter, acidic end for my palate. South American blends tend towards a lower profile of flavours, which means there's less chance of being stand-out, but also less chance of offending

Yeah the bitterness and acidity of African coffees is kind of a turn off. But what really cut it for me was the lack of body. I like cream and a little bit of sugar in my coffee and after adding some cream to African coffees, it's all I could taste. That and the bitterness of the aftertaste. But the actual body was missing, or was so subtle that it was completely eclipsed by the dairy. I don't seem to have that issue with South American beans. The dairy actually seems to accentuate the flavors and bring them to the fore.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

It's gonna be a hard disagree from me on the Bean Source. African Beans have awesome flavor, I recommend them from Ethiopian regions.

[nenjin]

Just comes down to taste. I can drink African coffees but they just don't get me excited for the flavor like South American beans. Like, South American coffees are lip smacking good to me after I'm done with it. I don't get that with African beans. I can appreciate the flavor profile and what not, it's just not as satisfying to drink.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Just comes down to taste. I can drink African coffees but they just don't get me excited for the flavor like South American beans. Like, South American coffees are lip smacking good to me after I'm done with it. I don't get that with African beans. I can appreciate the flavor profile and what not, it's just not as satisfying to drink.

indeed, vice versa, my King

[Vector]

I had a loooong post that was eaten by being forcibly logged out but I wanted to just say thank you for what everyone has said so far.

I wouldn't mind roasting and grinding the beans myself, a Keurig or drip machine is definitely not in my interest. This post about sums it up:

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.

r.e. Robusta vs. Arabica, perhaps part of the problem here is that most of Africa's peoples cannot process milk as adults, so people would not be motivated to develop a coffee that goes well with cream.

I was invited to share a cup of coffee by some Ethiopian women once and it's definitely different, but still very pleasant. I think the smell might be more important/as important as the flavor. And of course, you have to consider the food that you're having it with.

[martinuzz]

Really? I thought the inability to process milk is more an Asian thing. Milk cows are pretty common in Africa.

EDIT: Oh hey, you're right. Genetic lactose-intolerance is not just Asia, it's Africa too.
Learn something new every day.

[nenjin]

r.e. Robusta vs. Arabica, perhaps part of the problem here is that most of Africa's peoples cannot process milk as adults, so people would not be motivated to develop a coffee that goes well with cream.

That would make sense. You need less body when you're not putting anything additional in there, and you cultivate a flavor where the high end notes are what you pay attention to.

[EuchreJack]

And now I know that African coffee is probably going to taste better to me than South American (I don't add milk to my coffee).  Thanks folks!

[nenjin]

I'd get a cup of each and see what you think. I'd still prefer South American over African, additives or no.

[ChairmanPoo]

I like robusta, if prepared in the right way. Nespresso´s kazaar is my favorite and its mostly robusta.

I do drink it without milk. Not because of lactose intolerance, mind you, I just used myself to espresso because back when I was in speciality training I had a coffee machine in my room, but no fridge, and thus no way to keep milk. So I drank my espressos straight.

[Kassire]

As someone who is not the greatest coffee connoisseur and likes to use excessive amounts of evaporated milk and sugar in their coffee: Moka pots are legit. However, the coffee they produce is not really comparable to (real) espresso, even though the coffee they make is somewhat stronger than your average drip machine.

[delphonso]

Bought a stainless steel french press that is nice enough (and well worth the price) and enjoying real coffee every once in a while. B)