Good Coffee & Good Inexpensive Machines?

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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,115
30,394
Hawaii

I’m still by no means a connoisseur, maybe one day LOL. I’ve never heard of Stauf’s, seems reviews are mixed, and looks a little pricey.

@jpmcwjr I’ve only just heard of Peets, wife brought home a bag of their French Roast, I thought it tasted cheap, and bland, didn’t like it. But, the Mrs. also uses a cheap drip machine, and I don’t see her as someone that really knows how to brew good coffee either, which doesn’t help Peets’s case.

I’m more of a Micro Brew drinker, big corporate companies you find in a grocery store I don’t like.

When I was in Sitka Alaska, a small locally owned grocery store called Sea Mart, I bought some Raven’s Brew Coffee, Deadman’s Reach I thought was really good. You could say it’s the only so called in a grocery store, coffee I liked.

@alaskanpiper Have you ever drank Raven’s Brew Coffee?


 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,330
Humansville Missouri
By the way, coffee is as indispensable as red wine, rye whiskey, rain, mother, semi trucks, dimes in a juke box and blue heartaches in classical honky tonk country music lyrics.

There are so many country songs that mention coffee I can’t count them.

But the coffee is always poured, usually by a waitress, and not ever squeezed from a French press.

It would be difficult to get French press to rhyme with much, I suppose.





They never put cream or sugar in the coffee, either.

The assumption is they use a Bunn if they can afford one.
 

Paul 3.0

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 10, 2019
197
1,308
Anderson, SC
I don't think one can beat Peet's for quality.

LINK to site.
Peets is rock solid stuff. Been a fan for years though lately, I have gotten hooked on George Howell coffee out of Massachusetts so much so I get a new sack every 2 weeks. Alchemy is the blend that is my go to from them. Pairs incredibly with cream. In a rush Ill grind some and k-cup it, but prefer to press over a drip machine.
 
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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,431
43,843
Alaska
I’m still by no means a connoisseur, maybe one day LOL. I’ve never heard of Stauf’s, seems reviews are mixed, and looks a little pricey.

@jpmcwjr I’ve only just heard of Peets, wife brought home a bag of their French Roast, I thought it tasted cheap, and bland, didn’t like it. But, the Mrs. also uses a cheap drip machine, and I don’t see her as someone that really knows how to brew good coffee either, which doesn’t help Peets’s case.

I’m more of a Micro Brew drinker, big corporate companies you find in a grocery store I don’t like.

When I was in Sitka Alaska, a small locally owned grocery store called Sea Mart, I bought some Raven’s Brew Coffee, Deadman’s Reach I thought was really good. You could say it’s the only so called in a grocery store, coffee I liked.

@alaskanpiper Have you ever drank Raven’s Brew Coffee?


A bunch of it. They have quite a few of them these days.
 
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Auxsender

Lifer
Jul 17, 2022
1,104
5,693
Nashville
IMG_0687.pngIMG_0688.png
This is what Consumer Reports like for machines.
We love our DCC-3200.
It brings the water to the correct temperature and it brews the coffee for the correct amount of time.

We like to get whole bean coffee from Costco as its value is, in my opinion, unmatched.

I use a hand cranking burr grinder.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
10,199
41,436
RTP, NC. USA
Everyone seems to have different taste in coffee. I like American coffee. Not Americano, not espresso with hot water, but coffee you get at fast food joint with cream and sweetener.

Aeropress is great. I don't add anything when I brew with it. With paper filter, it seems to absorb oil and acid. Very sweet without anything added.

Moka pot. Hmm.. not impressed. My wife loved it. Not my thing.

French press. I don't like grits in my coffee. But I do like the coffee from it.

Espresso machine. A lot of detailed prep, and more clean up. But now I have a routine, and don't mind them. I like my espresso with milk sometimes, but mostly straight. Prefer traditional Italian beans. Gotten to a point, I can taste the difference from one blend to another. Shots are not bitter to me. And always that sweetness at the end. Just have to play with beans to find your sweet spot. Dialing in was pain at the start, but it's pretty straight forward now. No, I don't do third wave acidic espresso shots.

But Mr. Coffee with blade grinder using Starbucks French Roast or Italian blend is my favorite. With a heaping amount of sugar free Coffee Mate hazelnut creamer, and that's a good morning.
 

deepspringfarm

Might Stick Around
Dec 29, 2013
86
20
I had issues with mouth irritations. Decided to try an Aeropress and have not had any issues since I started using it. It is supposed to have way less acid in it. The cofffee is also very good as well.
 

Sigmund

Lifer
Sep 17, 2023
2,984
28,526
France
Just for the record a french press is called an Italian press in France. At least many people I know consider it such.

But its not Italian . I looked it up once and signs point to the original concept (though really a distant cousin) was invented in France but the coffee press as we now know it came from Belgium.

It seems sellers stick whatever name is more romantic in front of it to get sales. Stuff from Italy is romantic here. In the US everything French is a selling point. Poor Belgium just gets waffles despite deserving more :)
 

Sam Gamgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 24, 2022
649
1,696
50
DFW, Texas
What an interesting discussion and a fun read-through! I'm flat out amazed at what some folks go through to make and enjoy a cup of daily coffee.

I've gone through several iterations of coffee-making over the years: for a long time I used a stovetop perk and mostly used Community Coffee or Eight O'Clock. People would come over and rave about the coffee I served them, and then laugh when they saw the old beat-up tin pot I made it in. I used that perk for so many years that the heat changed its shape, and eventually the lid wouldn't shut flat enough and it made a big mess once it got rolling. I tried replacing it but no other pot made the same great coffee. I guess that old one was "seasoned." I still keep it around for making coffee outdoors.

These days we have a Ninja that makes lots of versions of coffee and tea. They go for about $200 at WM, Amazon, et al. I make one cup at a time and it tastes great to me. I ran Dunkin Donuts coffee in it for a long time but recently switched to Tim Horton's medium roast for my morning cup.

I also have a Bodum French Press, a small Bialetti, hand-pumped milk-frother, etc, etc. -- lots of gadgets. All great but it's a PITA on a daily basis. YMMV.

Years ago the Mrs. got me one of these for Xmas. It was hands-down one of the best gadgets I've ever owned. I made tens of thousands of the best espresso shots I've ever had with this thing, foamed up a sea of milk, and it finally gave out after about 15 years. I wish they still made them.



sbux.jpg
 
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mpjetset

Starting to Get Obsessed
My beverage of choice with a pipe is rich, blabk coffee. An Aeropress is a wonderful and very popular coffee maker, which is simple-stoopid (why it's appropriate for me) yet permits no end to dialing-in different experiences in balance, caffeine hit, roasts, and places to brew.

All it requires is the chamber, plunger, a steel or disposable filter, hot water (thermos, microwave, Keurig, or stove-top), and any coffee. It requires six minutes including microwaving the water.

I can char a bowl while doing it in the kitchen before getting rushed outside by my family if caught.

I love our Keurig, moka, and Mr, Coffee espresso machine but I would not miss them for what the Aeropress produces.
 
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ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,997
13,030
Covington, Louisiana
postimg.cc
My beverage of choice with a pipe is rich, blabk coffee. An Aeropress is a wonderful and very popular coffee maker, which is simple-stoopid (why it's appropriate for me) yet permits no end to dialing-in different experiences in balance, caffeine hit, roasts, and places to brew.

All it requires is the chamber, plunger, a steel or disposable filter, hot water (thermos, microwave, Keurig, or stove-top), and any coffee. It requires six minutes including microwaving the water.

I can char a bowl while doing it in the kitchen before getting rushed outside by my family if caught.

I love our Keurig, moka, and Mr, Coffee espresso machine but I would not miss them for what the Aeropress produces.
I bought one last summer, primarily for iced coffee.
 
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Sigmund

Lifer
Sep 17, 2023
2,984
28,526
France
How is an Aeropress really any different than a French Press? The only difference I see if I have the right pictures is that it will press it into a cup or container. I like French press coffee but it doesnt like me. Paper filers take out some of the oils that tend to give me indigestion now that Im old.
 

dermotfahy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 14, 2013
173
4
Florida, USA
An aeropress is basically a French press in a single serving size with a paper filter. So if you like the flexibility of the French press but would like to filter out some of the oils, an aeropress is probably right up your alley. I love mine, it makes a nice rich cup of coffee, but without the muddiness that a French press has.
 

bangzoom

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 25, 2023
165
633
North of the Equator
An aeropress is basically a French press in a single serving size with a paper filter. So if you like the flexibility of the French press but would like to filter out some of the oils, an aeropress is probably right up your alley. I love mine, it makes a nice rich cup of coffee, but without the muddiness that a French press has.
PLUS...they're much easier to clean than a french press.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
26,256
30,255
Carmel Valley, CA
The paper filters can be reused also. I was able to rinse and reuse one for many dozens of Aeorpress cups. It's a great invention, but now I take it only on trips, as I am using a good espresso machine at home.