Coffee Makers

[v-girl]

I don't own a coffee maker to make the coffee part. LOL

[spotty_dog]

We just placed an order for our second Keurig. We got the first one in 2008, and it's on its last legs after brewing pretty much 4+ cups of coffee per day, every day. I think that longevity is not too shabby. We LOVE that we can each have fresh coffee on our own schedule, whether it's me getting up with the kids an hour or two before him, or him wanting a cup before he goes to a night shift at 7pm.

I'm a medium coffee snob, clearly not on a par with some of y'all but I really like the consistent performance of the K-cups. Still, I hate the waste...can someone who uses reusable filters give me any tips? I never got the hang of it, I think we needed a finer grind and the filter we have always left grounds in the cup, so I finally gave up and assuaged my conscience by buying organic and/or free-trade K-cups.

[diggitydot]

The finer the grind, the more tannins that are released. That's part of the reason why espresso is more bitter; the grind is pretty small and many places use steam at too high of a temp. The high heat also brings out the bitterness. Good baristas know how to properly "pull" a shot and that it should be strong, smooth and creamy, not barely palatable due to bitterness. Best caramel macchiato I've ever had was at a hole-in-the-wall cafe 50 miles from the Canadian border -- truly BFE, WA. It was smooth, full-flavored, creamy, slightly sweet from the small amount of caramel drizzle, and zero bitterness.

We have a bean grinder that has different settings. If you're going to grind your own beans, I'd highly rec getting a decent grinder that has different settings for the size of the grains. The little mesh filter that came with our Keurig has a very fine mesh screen and rarely do coffee grains escape that bad boy.

Also, the roast of the bean is important, too. You'll never have a strong cup of coffee with a light roast. Region where the beans are grown may be a consideration for you, too. You might find that you like the beans from one region over another.

Yeah, it's stupidly complicated sometimes. A lot like wine in that once you figure out what you like, it becomes a lot easier to navigate the aisle at the grocery store.

[Thirteen]

Coffee snobs, here.
We get ours delivered to our door, bi-weekly, from out-of-state. Oh, the shame!

[spotty_dog]

Coffee snobs, here.
We get ours delivered to our door, bi-weekly, from out-of-state. Oh, the shame!

Shameful that you're *not* drinking coffee from beans grown in Texas?

I blame my preference for Colombian coffee on the fact that I started drinking coffee for the first time while living in that country. And I do love a good 100% Kona when I can get it. I'm no better at articulating the reasons behind my preference than I am at explaining why I like the wine I do, though! I like darker roasts, probably because the caffeine is roasted out a little more and I can drink it without getting jittery. My current favorite is Black Tiger from Coffee People.

[diggitydot]

Coffee People is fucking awesome. There's really no other way to put it.

Mmmmm...I'm now craving Black Tiger mochas.

[SuzySunshine]

Ooh do share! Where are you having coffee delivered from? I'm always looking for new good coffees for DH - he's a snob too!

[v-girl]

Coffee snobs, here.
We get ours delivered to our door, bi-weekly, from out-of-state. Oh, the shame!

My mom gets her coffee from Panama. Any relatives who come to visit must bring the biggest bag of coffee beans they can fit in their luggage.

[Meenah]

I order from Green Mountain and have been happy, but will definitely check out the Bean Traders from NC.

[HouseofWool]

If I ever have the money, my fav bean, hands down, is Jamaican Blue Mountain. The smoothest coffee ever, even in a crappy dripmaker

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[SoonerTexan]

Made in my in laws Jura machine...it really is that good.

[JaneDoe]

Made in my in laws Jura machine...it really is that good.

Love that Jura-made crema!!!! They are expensive, but they do make the best cup of coffee. Worth. Every. Penny.

[DCJenn]

We buy ours from a roaster out of Austin. Delivered once a week with the Greenling.com order (they're up in Dallas now for you DFW residents)

We have the Cuisinart w/ the grinder attached. Kind of a pain to clean (once a week or whenever you refill the beans) and we also have a Mr. Coffee espresso maker w/ the steamer attachment which is GREAT. Love it.

J.

[SoonerTexan]

Mr. Coffee espresso maker w/ the steamer attachment which is GREAT

I have this. Not sure what model you have, though. Pretty good for $80, though it is a pain to clean so I don't use it often.

[Vishenka69]

We also have a Nespresso and love it. In fact, every single person we've ever had over who tried it, ended up buying one. We have "sold" probably at least a dozen this way. I was very skeptical about having to use only their pods but in the end it's the easier machine to use and the coffee is much better than Starbucks. The latte/cappuccino frother is separate but also has a one button operation.