I experiment on and off with different types of brewing methods, but currently, I love using my Aeropress. If I'm ever running late or need to make more than one or two cups of coffee, I'll pull out my trusty french press.
How do you take your coffee?
Typically black. Though I'm a sucker for a good specialty coffee.
Where can I get these specific coffee beans?
There's a link at the bottom of every post where you can order said beans.
What's your favorite roast?
Dark roast is best roast.
How can you drink all of that coffee? Don't you ever sleep?
Ha
hahA
HAHAHAHAHA
What's the difference between dark, medium, and light roasts?
-In a light roast the beans have been roasted for a much shorter time and therefore have enveloped a lighter body and flavor which often results in mellow, nutty, earthy flavored coffees. This is also where you'll find the highest acidity and brightness.
-As the cooking continues, you begin to add body, decrease acidity, and see a slight drop in origin distinction. This is where you'll find a medium roast which gives a nice balance of bitterness, acidity, and fullness.
-Dark roasted beans have been roasted much longer and will have flavor notes that rely more on the roasting itself rather than the unique character of the bean. It will also lose brightness and gain bitterness, along with a fuller body. Dark roasts are notorious for their bold, rich, smooth,dark, and if cooked too long, charred flavors.
Storing/Brewing/etc. Beans:
-Keep in cool, dry place
-Do not store in your freezer. Your beans will absorb all the odors in your fridge. You want the exact opposite of this.
-Buy whole bean and a coffee grinder. You won't regret it.
-Don't grind all your beans in one day.
-If you're worried about freshness, most vacuum sealed, airtight containers are relatively cheap.
-Hand-grinders are your friend.
-You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on "optimum" brewing contraptions to get a good cup of coffee.
-Don't burn yourself and enjoy~
Manual Brewing Methods:
$25 - The Aerobie Aeropress Very portable, produces very strong coffee. A bit of dilution will give you a good cup of normal-strength coffee. Pretty much for single cup use only.
$5-25 - Any french press will do well, and do so cheaply. Bodum is the go-to brand. The french press makes coffee that is characteristically full of body. A longer body vs clarity list is in the notes.
$40 (30oz size) - Chemex. The chemex is probably my most highly recommended option if you want to make coffee for more than one person. Very tasty, very high clarity cups. Available in different sizes, for use with the Chemex filters (I recommend bleached squares).
$25 - Moka Pot(s). Stovetop coffee brewer, makes an espresso-like cup of coffee. Does NOT make espresso.
$5 or more - Pour over cones. A gooseneck kettle spout's shape makes it much easier to control your pour, and that's extremely helpful to utilizing a pour over brew method, so consider that when looking at these or the chemex. I'm worthless at explaining these so I'll export this section. Here is the Prima coffee guide to pour overs, notably absent is the clever coffee dripper which definitely deserves a look at.
------------------Important notes!------------------------
- I'm biased, as might be anyone else. Keep that in mind. Read comments and extra reviews. 10 minutes of research pays for itself.
- No cream or sugar before tasting. At the very least try your coffee black first, it's not bitter. Wean yourself off cream and sugar slowly if you want to try to enjoy your coffee black. Do what you like though, just don't pre-judge your coffee to require either additive.
- I cannot stress this enough. CLEAN. YOUR. UTENSILS.
- Don't spend your entire budget. Filters and beans and whatnot are a continuous cost of making coffee. Keep that in mind.
- This entire thing is a WIP.
- Paper filters mean less oils in the cup, this isn't good or bad it's just different. Metal filters tend to mean more oils.
- Grinds from finer to coarser, espresso > drip > french press.
- If you like iced coffee it can be as simple as pouring coffee made in any of these over ice, or you can brew a chemex with ice in the bottom, you can put water and grinds into a jar and leave it cold overnight before filtering.
- Watch videos and read guides for whatever you end up buying, it'll lead to you making better coffee.
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