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this is the kind of question where you're gonna get a variety of views. they may not conflict necessarily, but you may end up scratching your head about which what and why. for what I'd call a good cup of coffee, you need: (1) good (not necessarily super-fancy) coffee beans roasted correctly and (preferably) within the past few weeks. this may surprise you, but a dark roast does not necessarily make a cup stronger/more flavorful. the strength of the coffee depends much more on the quantity of grounds you use (among other things). I really, really suggest using a medium roast, not a dark roast or french roast or whatever, you will actually taste the coffee and not the deep roasting, which can make many beans bitter and/or burnt. if you decide you really prefer the dark roast taste, well a lot of people agree with you--I used to be that way--but I've come to realize that lighter roasts are so much better. (2) the right grind. yes, you'll be better off with a home grinder, even the electric whirly kind, because coffee goes stale quicker when it's ground up. you say you want to start with preground coffee, that's okay; ideally you're getting it ground from whole bean at the store when you buy it, and using it up pretty quickly. you want the grind to suit the method you're going to use to make the coffee. an espresso grind is way too fine to use in a filter coffee maker or french press. french press coffee is usually fairly coarse, probably coarser than you'd use for filter coffee. if in doubt go with a middle/filter coffee grind. cost of a coffee grinder: $10-20 for an electric blade (whirly) or manual burr mill unit. geeks would probably tell you to get the latter but it's work, and you may not notice the difference. personally I use an electric burr mill, but whirly grinder coffee is really just fine (except for espresso, it's not fine for that). (3) the right ratio of coffee grounds to water. if you skimp on the grounds your coffee will be too weak, full stop. if you make it too strong, you can always dilute the coffee with hot water to get it to the strength you like. I would always err on the side of more grounds rather than less, it may be more than you're used to using. (4) contact with water at the right temperature for the right amount of time. temperature and time are both pretty important, and when people go back and forth about types of coffee makers they're really measuring whether the device lets the coffee grounds steep properly. this makes a huge difference. no one device is foolproof but several are good bets. french presses can make great coffee. it's easy to control the water temperature you put into it (unlike an automatic drip brewer) and the amount of time you let it steep. they're a bit of a pain to clean, but it's really not a big deal. generally a good investment. pourover filters are pretty cheap and they have the advantage of being able to use a paper cone filter, so they don't have the sludge that forms at the bottom of any cup of french press coffee. ideally you want a cone filter where the water goes through relatively slowly. and that's kind of a downside: you have to be pouring the water in at just the right rate, and you can't exactly measure the steeping time. the larger the quantity of coffee you're making, the more of a hassle it is. my preferred compromise for making 1-2 cups at a time: the "clever coffee dripper". it's like a cross between a french press and a pourover filter. you put a paper filter and the grounds into a cone and pour hot water into it. there's a stopper in the bottom, so you can let the coffee steep for exactly as long as you like. when it's ready, you put the dripper onto your mug or whatever, and the stopper automatically lets the coffee drain into your mug. cleanup is much easier than with a french press, and you don't get any sludge. but: it doesn't make large quantities of coffee at one time. aeropress is good, I've heard. stovetop espresso makers can be hit-or-miss--they're nothing like "real" espresso makers and I've been disappointed with the quality of the brew, but they have plenty of fans. chemex is a brand of pourover device that uses special filters, they've been popular with some folks for a long time. other types of coffee makers are good too, although maybe a bit fancy for your needs and probably too expensive. I'd go with french press, pourover cone, or clever coffee dripper. do not boil your coffee. that will make bad coffee. you can heat your water in a microwave. you can heat it in a stovetop kettle. you can heat it in an electric kettle. heat it any way you want, just make sure it's at the right temperature when it comes to brew time. you want it in the range 195-205f, on the warmer side is better, I usually just go with 200 because it's easy to remember. boiling water (212) is too hot, but it's okay to start with boiling water and let it cool to the right temperature. a thermometer is quite handy for this (you want a digital instant-read type, should be less than $10 for decent quality). electric kettles are hard to beat for convenience, and some of them are temperature-controlled so you don't even have to use the thermometer. but you don't want to spend too much money, I get it, so try boiling the water and letting it cool off for a minute-ish (less cooling off time for smaller amounts of water). how exactly to brew in your device of choice? so, so many people have written instructions on this. I often turn to sweet maria's guides for advice: http://legacy.sweetmarias.com/grind.brew.php cold brew is sort of unique, different from the stuff discussed above, but can be very good. try it out if you're so inclined, it doesn't require much equipment. e: alnilam's advice is good, a cheapo pourover is definitely cheaper than the clever coffee dripper (which will run you around $20) but I love the convenience of the clever coffee dripper.
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Jan 20, 2017 23:58
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| # ¿ May 12, 2024 07:06 |
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