What''s The Best Method Coffee

What''s the best method

misstracyflick 16 years ago

I know 'Rich_banff' has suggested a French Press as the best method the perfect cup, but beyond that I wondered what people thought was the best between these three:

1) Percolator - We have an old 70's model that I think makes the best cup of coffee, and of course, it keeps it warm. However I find after a while the percolator can attract a taint which is hard to get rid, even when thoroughly cleaned.

2) Drip - this is good for speed, but appears to require more coffee to make it as strong as the percolator. My chief complaint with a drip is that it begins by passing cold water through the milled coffee, only later does it pass hot water through the grounds as it nears completion - this seems a fundamental design fault.

3) A domestic expresso maker - this is pretty good, but makes too little coffee.

What do you think about each or any of the methods and what do you use?

Flag
zena824 16 years ago said:

to me the best perked cup of coffee... is the one out on the camp ground.... cooked over an open fire... it perks like a perculator....really good coffee......

Flag
misstracyflick 16 years ago said:

Thanks Zena - that sounds good, but not practical on a day to day basis. I was really looking for a domestic regular solution.

Flag
dogciao 16 years ago said:

I work for a coffee roaster and the way we suggest to people for the best cup of coffee is drip. Not a drip coffeemaker though, get a paper coffee filter and cone, bring your water to a boil and then pour the water over the grounds into your cup or carafe. I use about 1/4c of freshly roasted and ground coffee to 12oz water. The biggest flaw with drip makers is that you can't control the temp of the water, not to mention the hot plate that it then sits on for way to long.
I don't mind french presses, they make a heavier bodied cup of coffee, but to much mess. Percolaters are awful because they can boil the coffee. I'd rather go to Italy for an espresso, it all just seems better there. The water, the coffee, the cute waiters in bow ties!

Flag
coffeebean53 16 years ago said:

As I prefer a heavier bodied cup of coffee I want to get a french press. But I like Zena's way also when I'm camping. Nothing like a cup of joe made over the fire when your camping.

Flag
pointsevenout 16 years ago said:

Brew it however you do it, then pour it on the sidewalk.
Let it dry.
Add water and scrub off with a bristled long handled brush.
You will have the whitest sidewalk on the square.
The best coffee eats away grime, what is it doing to your innards.

Flag
misstracyflick 16 years ago said:

Thanks for all the responses.

Dogciao - I tried your method - well actually I substitued a Drip filter for the paper cone and I'm afraid it was a disaster. I think maybe I had ground the beans too fine, but I kept having to top up with water and it dripped through so slowly that the water was only tepid at the end. I'm guessing I should have stuck firmly to your paper cone suggestions and made the beans more course?

Coffebean - I have to say - the French Press is pretty good except for the mess with the grounds and getting them out of the pot when they've gone cold.

PointsEvenOut - Is it the caffine? I think Cola for instance can disolve rock and tea (less caffine) is a well known alternative cleaner also.

Flag
minkie 16 years ago said:

For every day coffee, I use the Bunn coffee maker. It has a reservioir that keeps the coffee hot and the water flows hot through the basket. It's also very fast - 3 minutes. I also have a french press, a Melitta drip maker, an espresso machine I rarely use, don't like the design, I need a new one - a percolater and a drip maker for our camp stove. LOVE this thing. Lmfao. I love coffee!

Flag
noir 16 years ago said:

I use a drip coffee maker plus I use natural brown filters which to me make a difference in the way the coffee tastes. I do not like the bleached white filters. I have used a french coffee press and I do like it for a short period of time, but the grounds can get to my stomach. When it comes to a great cup o' jo ...I do like simplicity. I have loved the old fashioned method on the stove percolating with egg shells in the filter like my Dad use to make...awesome!

Flag
saavedra 16 years ago said:

I use a Melita Carafe-boil my water and pour it over fresh ground coffee beans into the carafe..it is fine, but the best way truly is the french press, you can't beat it and it is so simple to do.

Flag