How to make a good cup of coffee

[darjama]

If you can, don't keep coffee on the burner, stick it in a thermos or a thermal carafe, and microwave a cup if it's gotten cold.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

+3 on stronger than recommended. i make coffee so dark, light cannot escape its grasp.

that tip about preheating the thermos is genius.

[ballpein]

My secrets to good coffee:

2) use White Castle brand coffee (best coffee ever IMHO). or Dunkin Donuts brand, in a pinch. remember kids, the less healthy the restaurant, the better the coffee!

North of the border the best shitty-restaurant coffee that can be had is Tim Horton's. When combined with 18% cream and white sugar, it's proven to be four times more addictive than crack cocaine. When this stuff starts exporting to the US, it'll be a bigger cross-border trade item than BC bud.[/url]

[Smitty]

My secrets to good coffee:

2) use White Castle brand coffee (best coffee ever IMHO). or Dunkin Donuts brand, in a pinch. remember kids, the less healthy the restaurant, the better the coffee!

North of the border the best shitty-restaurant coffee that can be had is Tim Horton's. When combined with 18% cream and white sugar, it's proven to be four times more addictive than crack cocaine. When this stuff starts exporting to the US, it'll be a bigger cross-border trade item than BC bud.[/url]

dude, it's already here. i live in ohio and there's 2 of them within 10 minutes of my house. good donuts.

[lyle76]

Wendy's purchased Tim Hortons... they're already popping up in Michigan.

LOOKOUT.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

When combined with 18% cream and white sugar

this is no longer coffee.

BC bud

i'm in for two and i can pay.

[centurymantra]

Ah yes....very important topic. Shouldn't this be in 'Gear Talk'?


I've recently switched over to press-pot and it's definitely got it's own thing going on with respect to the flavor. Funny thing is, I can't necessarily say I like it more than drip pot coffee. My coffee maker went out on me recently, thus my switch to the press pot.

I will say fresh ground beans are the key, will concur with using a good amount of the beans and a big +1 on keeping the brewing gear clean. Using R.O. water or the like does make a difference as well, mainly for keeping the chlorine taste out.

I've spent a bit of time on the coffee geek forums when I was researching coffee pots when mine crapped out on me (being a bit of a coffee geek myself). Apparently, all coffee makers are NOT created equal. A big part of this equation is the water temp. that's created by the coffee maker. There were two coffee makers that seem to be the leaders of the pack in the coffee-phile crowd:

Technivorm

and the slightly less expensive and easier to find

Capresso

I don't doubt that the taste difference between brewers could be notable, but just couldn't quite bring myself to shell out the bucks for one of these...yet. There are apparently 'gems in the rough' coffemakers that are cheap but make surprisingly good coffee...some prob. just by accident of design. Sort of like seeking out cheap mics that outperform their pricepoint.

For the ultimate in coffee, i really, REALLY like Peet's coffee, though it may be not for every taste. When I lived in California, I used to be able to keep the kitchen stocked with Peets's, but have to mail order it here in Michigan if I feel like I've got to have some.

Peet's Coffee

[mjau]

Tim Horton's is good stuff. Canadians rule.

[Jon Nolan]

+ how-ever-many on the french press.

i don't drink alcohol anymore, so, coffee is kinda where i nerd out like home brewers nerd out on beer. that said, i wont turn my nose up on an offered cup. but i'm set up at home when i want to snob out.

- fresh whole bean coffee, roasted by a local joint. African coffees rule.
- dont freeze the beans. it harms the oils in the coffee, tastes worse.
- burr grinder, not one of those spinning jobbies. "spinners" can ruin taste too.
- 2 tbs. coarse ground coffee for each 6 oz. hot water.
- brew fo' 5 minutes. plunge.
- yum.

i guess i'm a coffee nut.

[Jon Nolan]

For the ultimate in coffee, i really, REALLY like Peet's coffee, though it may be not for every taste. When I lived in California, I used to be able to keep the kitchen stocked with Peets's, but have to mail order it here in Michigan if I feel like I've got to have some.

Peet's Coffee

yah, peets is good!

[;ivlunsdystf]

Any other Whole Foods beans drinkers out there?

[MoreSpaceEcho]

- dont freeze the beans. it harms the oils in the coffee, tastes worse.

really? do you keep them in the fridge or at room temp?

[Boogdish]

- dont freeze the beans. it harms the oils in the coffee, tastes worse.

really? do you keep them in the fridge or at room temp?

yeah, this is news to me as well.

Also, has anyone out there tried roasting their own beans? I keep telling myself I'm gonna try it some day, but I never do.

[GodDamn]

Man, it's a spoonful of Nescafe in a mug where I work. What a shitty intern I must be.

I do - if I say so myself - make a damn good cup of tea though.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

North of the border the best shitty-restaurant coffee that can be had is Tim Horton's. When combined with 18% cream and white sugar, it's proven to be four times more addictive than crack cocaine. When this stuff starts exporting to the US, it'll be a bigger cross-border trade item than BC bud.[/url]

This addiction seems to target people past the age of retirement.
I myself would rather drink piss than another cup of Tim Horton's coffee.