Coffee

[Jeff V]

As for the hassle of boiling water, an electric kettle makes a big difference for that. You can boil it quicker and not worry about leaving the stove attended.

In civilized parts of the world, we use this new-fangled device called a "microwave" to rapidly heat water.

And your mug (or whatever vessel you've put your water into)!

I was a µwave believer until someone brought an electric kettle into work. After using both the kettle is vastly preferred. I'm especially happy to not be grabbing a (sometimes molten) hot mug handle any longer (depending on the make-up of the ceramic in the mug).

I use a pyrex measuring cup. It doesn't get molten hot.

I do like electric kettles -- I used them in the Philippines (which have not by and large moved to embrace magical cooking boxes). But my kitchen already has too much clutter, and as Alton Brown advocates, single-tasking devices are best avoided when something you might already have can do the job and more.

[Binktopia]

Ahh heaven,

I am having my Hario hand ground grinds, with locally roasted coffee, that has been brewed with the french press method. Hmm, so fine, so fine.

Ahh, now I need a scale and I will be an almost barista!

[mori]

The only real drawback, IMO, for the Aeropress, is that it takes a TON of coffee. If you compare the grounds needed to make an equivalent cup of auto drip, it's significantly more. But given how much smoother the end result is over everything out there that makes coffee (IMHO obviously), it's worth it, and the slight mess and time it takes/makes.

It does use a ridiculous amount of grounds for 8oz of coffee. I do not mind right now as I am still working through the beans I bought on the cheap, but if I start using expensive beans, I may have an issue. Another thing I do not like about it is the amount I can brew at one time. I would rather do one large batch and be done with it instead of 8oz at a time if I feel like multiple cups.

[dbt1949]

I'm still trying to figure out why my 4 cup coffee maker only makes three cups.
You would think someone would have made allowances for the water soaked in the coffee grounds.

[Isgrimnur]

Are you measuring 8oz imperial cups or 5oz "coffee" cups?

[mori]

Using 8oz recipe suggested in the AeroPress instructions.

[Alefroth]

How much do the instructions recommend? It does make a concentrated cup and is expected to be diluted. Haven't seen the official instructions for a long time, but I think they have been improved upon. I like using the inverted method best.

[mori]

For American coffee it says to use 1.5 level scoops and fill the chamber to (2), stir, press, and then add water to dilute to make 8oz.

[Bad Demographic]

I am pretty inexact.
I pour filtered water into a coffee mug - "about the right amount". That goes into the microwave for 2:45. While that's heating, I put 2 scoops of coffee beans into the grinder. Use the coarsest grind. Transfer the grounds to the filter holder part of the Aeropress. This takes nearly the same amount of time as heating the water. Get the mug of hot water, pour it into something else (usually a large measuring cup because it has a spout), put the Aeropress on the (now hot) mug, pour in the hot water to about the 3 line, stir, press, add the remaining hot water to the mug.
I'm not sure I can taste the difference if the water is a little too hot or not quite hot enough, nor if I added water to only the 2 line instead of the 3 line. I can tell the difference between some varietals and also between using the Aeropress and a drip (drip is more acidic).

And yes, dbt, you don't get 4 mugs of coffee out of most coffee makers because their "cup" is less than a mug.

[PLW]

All about Alan Adler and Aeropress.

[Jeff V]

And yes, dbt, you don't get 4 mugs of coffee out of most coffee makers because their "cup" is less than a mug.

Coffee "cups", like serving sizes in ice cream, Cheetos, bacon, whatever; are governed by the Bureau of Inadequate Measurements. Typically, you need to multiply everything by at least 2.

[tiny ogre]

Time lapse of my roaster just for fun.

[Alefroth]

Cool. Did you have to add a temperature probe?

[Alefroth]

I am pretty inexact.
I pour filtered water into a coffee mug - "about the right amount". That goes into the microwave for 2:45. While that's heating, I put 2 scoops of coffee beans into the grinder. Use the coarsest grind. Transfer the grounds to the filter holder part of the Aeropress. This takes nearly the same amount of time as heating the water. Get the mug of hot water, pour it into something else (usually a large measuring cup because it has a spout), put the Aeropress on the (now hot) mug, pour in the hot water to about the 3 line, stir, press, add the remaining hot water to the mug.
I'm not sure I can taste the difference if the water is a little too hot or not quite hot enough, nor if I added water to only the 2 line instead of the 3 line. I can tell the difference between some varietals and also between using the Aeropress and a drip (drip is more acidic).

And yes, dbt, you don't get 4 mugs of coffee out of most coffee makers because their "cup" is less than a mug.

Since you are pressing almost immediately, try a much finer grind and see how you like it. It sounds like you might be underextracting.

[tiny ogre]

Cool. Did you have to add a temperature probe?

No, the SR700 has one built in, which it provides over the USB channel. The software it comes with just displays it, but the new program I'm using uses that data to precisely control the temperature. I get really consistent roasts now without any real-time fiddling.

The software is Roastero. Currently you have to be a little techy to get it working, but once it is, it's way easier to use than the default software.

[em2nought]

I can't make good iced tea, wish there was as much interest in making a good cup of tea. lol

[gameoverman]

Time lapse of my roaster just for fun.

That's great. It made me think of the Outer Limits. There's something cool about the juxtaposition of the high tech with the organic in that video.

[Z-Corn]

Cool. Did you have to add a temperature probe?

No, the SR700 has one built in, which it provides over the USB channel. The software it comes with just displays it, but the new program I'm using uses that data to precisely control the temperature. I get really consistent roasts now without any real-time fiddling.

The software is Roastero. Currently you have to be a little techy to get it working, but once it is, it's way easier to use than the default software.

Very cool!

[Bad Demographic]

Since you are pressing almost immediately, try a much finer grind and see how you like it. It sounds like you might be underextracting.

Actually, I don't press immediately. Usually I stir for about 10 seconds, rinse the stirrer, wet and insert (that's sounds suggestive!) the plunger, then either slowly press down or wait a couple seconds then slowly press down. The "wait a couple of seconds" depends on whether my attention wanders - if 'yes', then there's usually a couple second wait.
Also, I've tried using a less coarse setting on my grinder but the finer grinds tends to escape the filter/filter holder and I don't really like grounds in my coffee.

But thanks for the suggestion.

I tried a home-brew version of cold press a couple of times but found that no matter how long I let the grounds soak, when I added enough hot water to have a hot coffee it was a little weak. Too bad, too, because it would have been perfect to take sailing - since eventually I was the only coffee drinker on our trips and cold press would have been so much easier to deal with. No muss, no full, just add hot water. Oh well.

[Alefroth]

I've been wanting to make a cold brew also, but am concerned about the issue you mentioned.

[Isgrimnur]

Make sure your coffee is cool enough:

In a review published today by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, drinking very hot beverages was classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

More specifically, the review by a panel of global experts stated that drinking beverages at temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius -- 149 degrees Fahrenheit -- could cause people to develop cancer of their esophagus, the eighth most common form of cancer worldwide.

Drinking tea, coffee or other hot beverages at this temperature can cause significant scald burns in the esophagus when they're consumed and has previously been linked to an increased cancer risk in this part of the body.
...
The findings come after a group of 23 international scientists analyzed all available data on the carcinogenicity of coffee, maté -- a leaf infusion consumed commonly in South America and other regions -- and a range of other hot beverages, including tea. They decided that drinks consumed at very hot temperatures were linked to cancer of the esophagus in humans.

Evidence for the findings was limited, but studies in China, Iran, Turkey and South America found positive associations between the risk of this form of cancer and temperatures at which drinks were consumed. Forms of tea, including the leaf infusion maté, are typically drunk at very high temperatures, above 70 degrees Celsius in these regions, according to the agency.

"These results suggest that drinking very hot beverages is one probable cause of esophageal cancer and that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible," said Dr. Christopher Wild, director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

[Isgrimnur]

And a buried corollary to the story...

Freep

The World Health Organization's research arm has downgraded its classification of coffee as a possible carcinogen, declaring there isn't enough proof to show a link to cancer.
...
Experts convened by the Lyon-based IARC concluded that there was inadequate evidence to suggest coffeemight cause cancer, according to a letter published in the Lancet Oncology.

"I'm not really sure why coffee was in a higher category in the first place," said Owen Yang, an epidemiologist at Oxford University who has previously studied the possible link between coffee and cancer. He was not part of the IARC expert group. "The best evidence available suggests that coffee does not raise the cancer risk," he said.

[LordMortis]

It's not the hot coffee that I screw up on. It's flaming hot food that burn my mouth on and rather than spit it out like a normal animal would do, I swallow it. 45 fricken years old and I know what I should do and I screw the pooch every time. Let pizza cool for five minutes before devouring it? Nope. Stupid. I think it's because I come from a family of 7. Food that was a treat was rare and didn't last long. I've never learned to eat anything slow, actually.

[WarPig]

...and also, oddly related: Why You Should Keep Your Coffee Beans in the Fridge

[Kurth]

My contribution to this thread: The Bonavita 1900S.

I've owned a lot of coffee makers. In terms of the quality of the coffee it brews, this one is so far superior that it's not even in the same league.

Also, it is (1) incredibly simple; and (2) relatively inexpensive coming in at $130 or so on Amazon.

[Jeff V]

I think it's because I come from a family of 7. Food that was a treat was rare and didn't last long. I've never learned to eat anything slow, actually.

I have a friend who eats pizza so quickly he actually breaks out in a sweat. All I can come up with that growing up, his family didn't get enough pizza to satisfy everyone. When he orders pizza for a group (such as the FF draft), the tends to overestimate by a factor of 3.

[Blackhawk]

I saw this earlier. It led me to sticking a food thermometer in my tea at what I consider 'drinking temperature', then putting it on my cup warmer for 20 minutes and testing again - both resulting in temperatures in the 130 range (which is safe.)

...and also, oddly related: Why You Should Keep Your Coffee Beans in the Fridge

I always heard to use the freezer rather than the fridge in humid regions, as the fridge can lead to condensation and mold.

[Jeff V]

Alton Brown said don't store in a fridge or freezer, just in an air-tight container. I trust his judgement.

[Carpet_pissr]

I always assumed putting them in the fridge or freezer would take moisture out of the bean, and dried out beans are nasty, IMO.

I will at least try it to see if I can tell a difference.

[Alefroth]

Alton Brown said don't store in a fridge or freezer, just in an air-tight container. I trust his judgement.

Yep. If you need to preserve freshness by keeping it cool, you're buying too much coffee at once.

I may freeze tomorrow's beans though, to see if I can taste any difference.

[Alefroth]

I tried a home-brew version of cold press a couple of times but found that no matter how long I let the grounds soak, when I added enough hot water to have a hot coffee it was a little weak. Too bad, too, because it would have been perfect to take sailing - since eventually I was the only coffee drinker on our trips and cold press would have been so much easier to deal with. No muss, no full, just add hot water. Oh well.

I managed to make a pretty good cold brew concentrate last week. I used 6oz of coffee and 24oz of water in a French press. I let it sit at room temp for 12 hours. I plunged it, then filtered through my drip cone. It made just under 16oz of concentrate, which I used at 1:3-4 with hot water. It also worked well with ice and creamer.

Apparently now nitro dispensed cold brew is becoming popular.

[Bad Demographic]

I tried a home-brew version of cold press a couple of times but found that no matter how long I let the grounds soak, when I added enough hot water to have a hot coffee it was a little weak. Too bad, too, because it would have been perfect to take sailing - since eventually I was the only coffee drinker on our trips and cold press would have been so much easier to deal with. No muss, no full, just add hot water. Oh well.

I managed to make a pretty good cold brew concentrate last week. I used 6oz of coffee and 24oz of water in a French press. I let it sit at room temp for 12 hours. I plunged it, then filtered through my drip cone. It made just under 16oz of concentrate, which I used at 1:3-4 with hot water. It also worked well with ice and creamer.

Apparently now nitro dispensed cold brew is becoming popular.

Nice!
And now I want coffee.

[Moliere]

Coffee in the clear. Hot beverages not so much

The Working Group found no conclusive evidence for a carcinogenic effect of drinking coffee.
However, the experts did find that drinking very hot beverages probably causes cancer of the
oesophagus in humans. No conclusive evidence was found for drinking maté at temperatures that
are not very hot.

“These results suggest that drinking very hot beverages is one probable cause of oesophageal cancer and
that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible,” says Dr
Christopher Wild, IARC Director.

[RunningMn9]

I feel so inadequate. I used to work in a local coffee joint where we roasted our own beans and stuff (greatest smelling workplace of all time). I've ground my own with multiple grinding technologies. I've used just about every coffee making device except the Aeropress.

Eventually, I just had to stop. Virtually all of these other methods produce better coffee than what I do. But now I'm cheap and lazy, and I really need just a base level of coffee. So I've gone from self-ground Kona beans in a French Press to shitty pre-ground Folgers in a reusable K-Cup.

It's worse, don't get me wrong. But I can't live in a world where I need a digital scale to ensure precision anymore. To the original poster - start cheap and awful and work your way up until you get to "Alright, I can drink this every day". If that doesn't happen until you are roasting your own beans and grinding them by hand with a grinder made of unicorn dust, then that's what you'll need. If cheap trash coffee does the trick, that's a lot of time and energy saved.

Edit to add: I am typically very judgmental about X snobs, but coffee is one of the things that I understand, even if I can't be bothered to do it anymore.

[Jeff V]

Edit to add: I am typically very judgmental about X snobs, but coffee is one of the things that I understand, even if I can't be bothered to do it anymore.

I've made some concessions along these lines. I can't do the uber-cheap crap like Folgers though, to me it's like drinking some sort of caustic acid. I'll buy whatever is on sale, generally for $5-6 per bag (12-16 oz), and recently stopped seeking out whole bean, settling for the ground. I'll go through a bag a week. I use a French press, because it's the quickest way to make the coffee, and the easiest to clean. One full "pot" of the press will fill my sippy mug/thermos (which, after 20 years is battered and beaten, having been around the world, but still keeps it hot 12 hours, more than anything I can find to replace it) and a standard coffee mug. I drink the mug right away to kick start things, the thermos generally lasts all through my work day.

[Smoove_B]

I will strain Folgers coffee through a paper towel if that's my only option for caffeine in the morning. The idea that I would somehow grind, press, massage or otherwise process the beans in some complex manner to get the caffeine? Y'all are clearly not addicted. Who has time for that???

[Isgrimnur]

Not I

[Trent Steel]

I will strain Folgers coffee through a paper towel if that's my only option for caffeine in the morning. The idea that I would somehow grind, press, massage or otherwise process the beans in some complex manner to get the caffeine? Y'all are clearly not addicted. Who has time for that???

Says fancy-pants shaving snob.

[Carpet_pissr]

So I've gone from self-ground Kona beans in a French Press to shitty pre-ground Folgers in a reusable K-Cup.

MERCY!!!

Good God, man, there are in between options there...no need to set yourself on fire and jump off the damn cliff! Just...walk down a few hundred feet.

[Alefroth]

I don't think my coffee is spectacularly better than what I can get in a coffee shop or with a Mr. Coffee and Trader Joe's beans, but I enjoy the whole process, so I come out ahead.