So, this looks like the start of a relatively new community (at least for me), and we surely have some new people coming over from the coffee subreddit, so let’s get some conversation going!
What’s your current favorite brew method? I’ve been really getting into my flat bottom brew lately, with the Stagg XF. I just feel it’s been a bit more forgiving than my v60, and it’s been pulling out some pretty solid tasting notes in my latest beans.
What’re y’all brewing with?
EDIT: I absolutely love the traction this post got! And I love seeing all the methods everyone is using daily. Thank you all
Nothing too fancy. Kettle and a french press.
My daily method. Cheap, easy and good coffee.
This is the way
I recently started using my French press for cold brew and lovvve it. The cheap Amazon cold brewer I have gets so much sediment since I don’t grind my own beans, but the french press is perfect. Downside is the one I have only brews half a gallon so I’m saving/looking for a bigger one
That’s what I have done for decades.
This thread is demonstrating one of my favorite things about the coffee community: There is a fundamental semi-seriousness, acknowledgement of diminishing returns, and awareness of varying tastes in (almost) all quarters. A lot of gear-heavy hobbies take themselves way too seriously, but the coffee folk with an $8000 La Marzocco espresso setup, with a $7 plastic cone and a kettle, and waiting in front of the microwave with a bottle of instant and a spoon are all just trying to have a pleasing coffee experience.
My fancy, ritualistic coffee is a shot of espresso in the morning, usually prepared like a Brauner with a dash of milk inversely proportionate to how well I did at making the espresso that day.
A few weeks ago I upgraded from my old (ca. 2010) Lello Arite 1375 Chinese thermoblock pressurized basket “espresso” machine and Capresso Infinity grinder combo ($140+90+accessories) that were kind of mediocre to start with and literally falling apart by the end, to a Brevelle Bambino and Turin SK40 ($350+200+accessories) and have been delighted by the additional ability to play with parameters (and occasionally revolted by the results while I was getting my bearings). The old set up produced a long-tuned pleasing thing that may or may not technically count as espresso, but in retrospect may have been a relative of the extraction optimum from that “Systematically Improving Espresso” paper from a few years ago. The new one is full grind-controls-infusion espresso experience. The bambino is “nice for the price” and has a delightfully fast heat up and surprisingly good steam wand for when I’m feeling foamy, but slightly annoying manual shot controls. The SK40 is just great so far, my only tiny complaint is that every now and then I have to give it a little rock to get the last of a dose of beans out of the feed cone.
I also really enjoy how this setup is sitting in superposition of ($600 is an absurdly expensive way to make coffee | $600 is absurdly cheap to make real espresso).
Home espresso is never really practical, but I find the ritual of preparation deeply pleasing (weights and ratios and times and gadgets! Instant feedback! Total focus!), and enjoy the experience of varying parameters.
I also drink a fair amount of Instant when I’m out during the day, I’ve been recommending Mount Hagen to everyone who will listen lately because it’s like $10 a jar and so much better than any of the other instants I’ve tried.
…and I have a coworker with an office aeropress that I sometimes play with, and I want but have no real reason to have one for home. The super clean immersion brew is a really interesting way to experience a coffee, and of course one never has enough coffee paraphernalia.
This is easily my favorite response, and a clear representation of just loving coffee for coffee. From the extreme scientific end of it, to just needing that caffeine fix in the middle of a long day, to the intrigue of trying something new.
Thanks for the response and a walk through your day in caffeine.
Amusingly, for the last several years I pretty much only have two significant caffeine doses in a normal day, typically coffee shortly after I wake up and at around 2 in the afternoon.
I used to slowly creep my consumption up until I had to painfully detox myself down once or twice a year, but I’ve been trying to be more consistent and mindful about that. It’s also made me more thoughtful about having good coffee at the times I have coffee.
…and I’ve been listening to/reading a lot of James Hoffmann and his slightly florid self affacing style while I was learning the new setup, and it’s creeping into my writing.
I like to think I know a little about coffee, but this thread shows that I don’t really know anything. My brew method? I have a shitty little $50 espresso maker I got as a birthday gift a while ago, and use that to make the best damn lattes I’ve ever had.
use that to make the best damn lattes I’ve ever had.
Hey man, that’s all that matters
I’ve got a stupidly expensive espresso machine and several stupidly expansive grinders. I used my machine every day for about 5 years. But lately I’ve been pouring water from my kettle into a plastic cone like my dad did in the 80s. Haha. Full circle. I’ve upped my bean quality though.
Hey, pour over is just a good old classic. You can’t really repeat the ritual or flavors you get with it anywhere else. And sometimes the most simple is the most enjoyable.
Great idea! I use a La Pavoni Europiccola (lever espresso machine) when I have time, Bialetti Moka pot or pour over when I don’t.
I’ve wanted a Europiccola for so long but I’ve currently had a Cafelat Robot for the last year and a half. Did you get a new one or vintage?
Ours is vintage, got super lucky and found it at Goodwill. It’s a pre-millenium model from about 1980. A little descaler and new gaskets, and it works great.
I wish it had a bigger portafilter, but it’s really not a big deal for us.
At home, it’s a cheap pour over setup. In the summer I’ll sometimes do a Japanese iced coffee pour over if it’s hot. (Just adjust the ratio and start with ice in the pot.)
At work it’s a flair 58.
Camping it’s a moka pot.
I’ve been looking at the flair 58 as a potential entry into espresso. I have a JX Pro, which I have read should be serviceable to grind for espresso.
How have the shots been on your 58? Only complaints I’ve heard are in relation to preheating, anything else that you love/dislike?
I use a flair signature and love it. The 58, IIRC, heats the brew head for you. It takes some trial and error, but I love using my flair. I’ve noticed different beans require different quantities and grinds to get the right flavor. I can take two bags of different beans, use the same grind setting, same amount of grounds, and have one shot pull in 15 seconds, while the other pulls in a minute. You won’t see this with the auto espresso machines so you won’t get the quality.
It is a bit more work, but having control over the entire process means that once you get good, you will make really good espresso with it.
I’ve done it enough where I can eyeball bean amounts, don’t have to time the pulls, and can tell the water temp by how much is in the pot I use and how long it has been off boil, so it only takes me 5ish minutes from grind to pull. When I first started, it would take me 15 or so minutes.
As far as lattes and such, you will need to get a steamer, frother, whatever for that, but I have learned to love cortado since it is just microwaving some milk.
See my other comment about preheating.
French press, but using our boy James Hoffman’s method. If I do it how I initially learned, I find my coffee turns out too acidic and dusty. With his method it’s amazingly good.
Though if I need to make a large amount of coffee, filter coffee.
I was so surprised how much more I enjoyed his method over my previous attempts. Don’t get me wrong, I still think most French press attempts turn out pretty good and are much harder to screw up than a v60. But after switching to Hoffmann’s method it has been consistently solid
Bialetti Moka pot. I switched from espresso to the moka pot over a year ago and it is my favorite brew now.
I’ve been loving light roasts for a while now so I haven’t been going near my Moka, but I suppose I should explore what it can do with lighter roasts?
French press. Pre-heat with boiling water before adding freshly ground coffee. Slowly pour water at 95 degrees over the coffee. Stir with wooden spoon, insert lid and let stand 5-10 minutes. Slowly press plunger to bottom. Serve and enjoy.
Aeropress daily. Using James Hoffman’s method, more or less. Occasionally I need to get the French press out.
I’ve been toying with the idea of getting an espresso machine. However, everyone I know who has one has gone back - sooner or later - to their previous method of brewing. And the espresso machine ends up being for special occasions. I’m not sure it’s worth it at that point.
I might get a prismo for the aeropress to see if that will satisfy my “What’s next?” craving…
I was real nervous about the step from Aeropress to espresso, but I knew that I liked good espresso from cafes nearby so I eventually took the plunge.
I got a basic Breville grinder/espresso machine, which makes decent coffee, not great, but good enough, but I really prefer espresso to other coffee drinks, and my wife loves it when I make her a latte, so overall it’s been a huge upgrade.
If you prefer espresso or latte style coffees, or you just enjoy trying new sorts of coffee things and tinkering with grind size, then an espresso machine will be great, otherwise you are wise to stick with the style of brewing you know you enjoy.
Right now it’s aeropress and it will remain aeropress until I make a shit cup or have a bad morning, then it’ll switch to v60 and repeat the same process until I switch to chemex. Then, eventually we will come full circle back to aeropress and start everything all over again. The circle of life. The ouroboros of my morning coffee, if you will.
My second cup of the day is and will always be an espresso.
My go to is my trusty v60. I used to scale and weigh everything before grinding. Now I just eyeball everything.
I just got the Orea V3 and I gotta say, it’s really turning out some great coffees!
I know pour over is seemingly the norm at the moment but I’m still chugging along with my 10 years old Bodum stainless steel french press. Tastes fine to me and keeps the coffee hot decently long. Though I’ve been pondering to do the additional step of pouring it through a Hario filter and see if it refines the taste any further.
Just pouring into another pre-heated vessel to stop the brewing process is the move!
Might use this as an excuse to buy a second french press, thank you!
Yeah that or a thermos or a nice serving vessel is the move! just keep hot water in that while you brew your frenchpress and after you plunge, you can slowly pour it over into the pre-heated vessel! Then you won’t have a bad cup on the last one due to continuous brewing
Just an old school Bonavita with Melitta style filters. I can’t appreciate the added subtleties of pre-infusion or even pour-over over a good drip.
Back when I did cold brew, I just used a French Press, which works pretty well.
Very much understandable. I just love the morning ritual of making a good cup of coffee, and after tons of practice and hundreds of different beans, it’s fun to mix it up with different brew styles and recipes!
