Let's Hear About How You Make Coffee

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 12:58 pm

Strong, and Black. Half High Octane/Half DeCaff these days for my well being

My 2nd cheap (25 buck) Mr. Coffee just died a week ago. Total of maybe 4 years for two coffee makers. Unacceptable, even if they were giving them away for free. The Braun I had before that held up for prolly 10 years.
I started using the old camp percolator (blue with white dots) and it makes pretty good coffee....just takes awhile.
Yesterday, I saw a Keurig on sale, and picked it up. It's going back today. PizzPoor, weak coffee at best. I got the special cup for your own coffee, and you can't get enough coffee in that little basket to make a very small cup of decent coffee.
I might keep using the stove top percolator for awhile.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:42 pm

I don't. Don't drink it either. Stuff's for grownups... I refuse. Caffeine free diet Sam's cola is my poison... in the morning, noon and nite. But, not to worry, I'm still thousand's of daily recommended limits below the amounts fed to laboratory rats!

gcs · Post by **gcs** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:46 pm

Gevalia does give them away, or they used to, all you had to do was buy a couple bags of their coffee on the special deal. My mom had 6 of them stored in the garage when I cleaned out the house. I guess she liked free, lol.

That said, all the drip machines I've had over the last 30 years were all about the same...poor.
Kuerig?, darn poor, unless all you want is a average,single, small cup of overpriced coffee.
I recently got sucked into buying the coffee Ninja, that Sophia B. was pimping, It's not that bad, but I never use the special features so it's basically a slightly upgraded drip machine. The stove top percolators just seem to burn the coffee, My MIL was a pro at that, worse then battery acid.

I did an informal survey once looking for a good cup of coffee at the local deli's etc, even with the expensive commercial machines, the coffee was poor to fair, it all depended on the grade of coffee they bought from the coffee service, most of them cheaped out.

So... not sure what to tell you, I'm told a french press is very good, but never tried one.

3leggedturtle · Post by **3leggedturtle** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:49 pm

Very strong and in a percolator. Course I like it blonde and sweet at times too!

Montana_Jon · Post by **Montana_Jon** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:25 pm

Black, ground from the bean and always full strength

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:06 pm

Krups espresso machine (wedding present when I was a Barista (24 years ago!... good product! )
French Press
Cold Filter (Chilean method)

Depends on how long I have to make the cuppa.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:39 pm

.

Anyone can make GOOD Cowboy Coffee:

1 ) Figure out your coffepot/saucepan capacity, add water to your pot, and bring it to a boil.

2 ) Once the water’s boiling, remove the pot from the heat/fire and let it sit for 30 seconds.
(This will lower the water temperature to about 200°F — the perfect temperature for brewing coffee.

3 ) Add 2 tablespoons of finely ground coffee for every 8 ounces of water.

(You measured how much water your pot holds, didn't you ?)
(You have a tablespoon measure, don't you ?)

4 ) Stir the grounds into the water.

5 ) Let the brew sit for 2 minutes and stir again

6 ) Let the coffee sit for 2 more minutes.

7 ) After a total of 4 minutes of brewing, sprinkle a little cold water on the grounds, to help them settle to the bottom.

8 ) Slowly pour the coffee into your cup(s), so the grounds remain on the bottom of the pot.

.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:12 pm

In camp, or at home if I run out of the civilized supplies, similar to above. I simmer the water and dump a heavy tablespoon of coffee for each large cup/mug though, and add an extra cup/mug portion of water and grounds to account for settling the grounds. At altitude, the temp is a little lower than the flatlands I guess, it doesn't scorch to simmer it a few minutes after the grounds are dumped in. I then just let it set a few minutes, then pour slowly enough the grounds don't get stirred up. It can be very strong and still be smooth. Done right, theres only a small bit of grounds at the bottom of the cup, which is tossed, then a full cup of wet grounds at the bottom of the pot that's tossed.

In the cheap drip maker usually. Its been going 10 years. I clean it with vinegar every few months when it seems to get too slow. It used to be mainly regular or Columbian Folgers. Ive gone to McDonalds now most of the time. Like it at their place, and like it better than the Folgers at home.

I aint near man enough to drink black coffee. It tastes like used motor oil to me. With sweet stuff and a bit of cream or milk, it somehow transforms into something fit for human consumption. Like the difference between unsweetened baking cocoa (ugh!! Bleh-bleh nasty spit it out!!!) and milk chocolate. I wouldn't even consider drinking coffee black, Id just stop if that was the only choice. Ive tried it many times, its terribly nasty to me. Totally completely don't get what the attraction is. I think peoples individual chemistry plays a part in that somehow. I know people that like dark chocolate. One gave me a piece and was horrified when I spit it out. It was disgustingly bitter and nasty. Was hard tog et the taste out of my mouth.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:22 pm

I'll admit to occasionally stirring a spoonful of Swiss Miss Sugarless cocoa powder into a cup of coffee...Them fancy coffee places charge five bucks for that.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:33 pm

Malamute wrote:.....

I aint near man enough to drink black coffee. It tastes like used motor oil to me. ....

Your problem with black coffee is your method... cowboy or cheap drip (or eternal percolator (see "firehouse/Precinct/Army" coffee )

The problem with those methods is the length of time the (hot) water stays in contact with the grounds.

Coffee is definitely a case where MORE (coffee) and FASTER (less contact with grounds) is Better (with the exception of Cold Brewing...(very slow))

The longer the grounds stay in contact with the hot water, the more gut-ripping acids leach out.

Espresso drives the water (steam) through the grounds so fast that all that comes out is flavor and caffeine (a good espresso draw is actually somewhat sweet by itself).

French Press allows one to let the grounds steep to one's palate as once the grounds are pressed they retain almost no surface contact with the water, isolating most of the acid.

Cold Filtered/Cold Press/Chilean method works exactly as it sounds. sort of like sun tea but in a refrigerator. you use a LOT of grounds in cold water to create a very thick "coffee syrup" sort of like cold espresso that you mix by the ounce with hot or cold water (if you like Ice Coffee). Because the grounds are not in hot water, the acids do not leach out.

See: http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Cold-Brew-Coffee/
https://food52.com/blog/7317-how-to-mak ... wed-coffee
http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/basic- ... ffee-30487
https://toddycafe.com/cold-brew/why-toddy-cold-brew
https://www.kickinghorsecoffee.com/en/b ... rew-coffee

Find a good espresso bar (NOT Charbucks and their burnt beans) and try a proper straight espresso. Other than the Caffeine shakes, you could drink a whole coffee cup of espresso without getting the Coffee Squirts...

(Note, the higher the altitude, the lower the temp of your boiling water, thus, the less Acid it will leach from the grounds - QED.)

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:47 pm

Keurig. Costs a bit more per cup, but it's always fresh. And there is a wide variety to choose from. That being said, my favorite is Folgers Black Silk.

The wife is into the fru fru stuff. I got her a Keurig Lavazza. She makes all sorts of lattes, cappacinos and what not.

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:53 pm

Unsweetened electric percolated I bought a vintage 4-8 cup Farberware prolly 10 years ago on ebay that'l rock up a quick brew I check ebay for them now & then and conclude everybody either hated the coffee they make or the things just keep working...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FARBERWARE-SUPE ... SwawpXq7ko

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:56 pm

strongest coffee I've ever enjoyed was made similarly to sun tea. grounds steeped in water for days, forget the numbers, but it produces something you could overdose on. then you take a small quantity and add water. it's a process and you have to get a little bit ahead in order to not run out of the concentrate.

I'll ask Wife if you want more detail, but I bet it's all online at U2oobUniversity . . .

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:00 pm

Green beans bought online from sweetmarias.com
We like Guatamalan Huehuetenango.
Roast a pound in about fifteen minutes in a large dog dish with a Porter Cable heat gun.
Coarse grind about 55 grams in an early 1900s Universal grinder.
Put in 32 oz French press with 200 degree water for seven minutes.
Drink black or with a tablespoon of Kerrygold butter and MCT frothed in.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:12 pm

You can get a decent light roast from an old Air (popcorn) Popper too...

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:55 pm

Some of Y'all get real fancy...

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:12 pm

I have always heard about "Cowboy Coffee" with the advice about floating a horseshoe in it to make sure that it's strong enough. Since I never had horseshoes with me while camping, I never tried that. But Pete44ru's recipe sounds familiar.

But how about the eggshell thing, Pete? My foggy memory brings up something about putting in eggshells to cut the acid or - something. What was that all about?

ollogger · Post by **ollogger** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:20 pm

Bunn coffee maker with Petes dark French roast & black

Brad

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:25 pm

Deleted.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:25 pm

Griff wrote:I don't. Don't drink it either.

Ditto.

I do like tea though.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:31 pm

Ray wrote:Tuba guy.....hope you can find a good coffee maker soon....in the meantime, keep making that cowboy coffee......don't pay any attention to these girly coffee peoples....its supposed to be strong, bitter, and acidic....think mess hall and truck stop diner memories....

as for this so called chilean method....sounds like a bunch of internet twaddle.....i used to live and work there but 1993 was a long time ago.....best i can tell from recent social networking, it is still a nescafe instant culture and not expected to change anytime soon....i've been from the high atacama where the good chileans are ethnically bolivian to the low atacama where they are genetically peruvian all the way down to punta arenas where the waitress who pours the hot water for your next cup of nescafe looks just like the patagonian dude depicted in the famous statue.....never had one decent cup of brewed coffee.....they don't even know what brewed coffee is when you try to describe it to them.....chileans can be set in their ways and v e r y slow to change......

not long ago we put up a mining engineer and wife and daughters from lota for their month long holiday.....coming home from atlanta where we picked them up he asked to stop somewhere for a cup of coffee.....seems they are used to a five minute coffee break and a five minute pee break every hour during the working day along with a half hour tiffin and a hour siesta....you do the math....that is only 5 hrs. 10 minutes of work out of 8.....ever wonder why chileans don't rule the world?....taking a coffee/pee break every hour kind of changes the tide of battle.....

anyway we stopped at the next sonic and i ordered a large black coffee for them.....they were amazed by the size but not the flavor......at the welcome center on the bama side of I-20 we got them all instant cups from rest area machine and they were happy, taste from home and all that.....the free and continuous coffee refills at the 24 hour diner absolutely blew his mind as did the chinese buffets.....

I never had a bad cup of Army Coffee. (Well, those little envelops of powdered pelosi in MREs sucked pretty bad....C-Rats, too.)

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 8:38 pm

I only like ice coffee with milk and sugar

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 9:26 pm

Fred Meyers is pretty cool...Lots of places wouldn't take back a used appliance.

I got another cheap Mr. Coffee for about 30 bucks.... They don't last long, but they make good coffee about as strong as you can stand it.

claybob86 · Post by **claybob86** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:51 pm

Once upon a time, aboard the USS Constellation, I accidentally made a 36 cup urn of coffee with salt water. (The deep sinks had both fresh and salt water spigots) This coffee was NOT good.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 11:05 pm

Believe it or Google it, that is pretty much how we got Decaf.

http://coff.ee/tag/sanka/

Sometime back in the day a shipload of coffee beans got soaked with seawater.

Rather than just dump it, the buyers (already compensated for loss) ran a variety of tests... and found that saline decafanted coffee beans.

They called the resulting product "Sanka".

(And it still tastes like drek)

Udy · Post by **Udy** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 1:46 am

I use this malita coffee strainer thingy for 2.99 https://shoponline.melitta.com/product/ ... fgodvG8KEA

Set a #2 filter in it right on top of your cup. Grind some fresh Sumatra beans and dump in the filter. Before this process is started start boiling your water in the microwave for 90 sec. or so, by the time you've fooled around with the filter and beans the waters ready to be poored over the freshly ground coffee and it goes right into your cup ready to drink... Too ******* simple. I let the wife fool around with the other coffee gizmos and just use this thing.

Camel73 · Post by **Camel73** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:50 am

I'm a fan of the cowboy version also... A couple heaping tablespoons of ground per big cup into whatever will hold water, fill with water, bring to boil, splash with cold and enjoy.

jcw · Post by **jcw** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 7:10 am

Mr. Coffee, fresh ground beans. Full strength during the workweek. Half de caf on the weekends. #3 Daughter gave me a cold press brewer for Fathers day. This thing makes some of the smoothest coffee I have ever tasted.

rbertalotto · Post by **rbertalotto** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 7:43 am

Kureg

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:25 am

JohndeFresno wrote:
But how about the eggshell thing, Pete ?

My foggy memory brings up something about putting in eggshells to cut the acid or - something.

What was that all about ?

If an eggshell or salt is added atop the coffee in a conventional drip maker, it's said to mitigate the acidity, but I could never taste the difference - I'm guessin' my palate isn't all that sensitive .

.

piller · Post by **piller** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:41 am

French press. Simple. I have always liked the taste of coffee. As a 2 year old, I used to drink coffee with family members, or so I have been told.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:17 pm

I have never tasted coffee

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 4:05 pm

claybob86 wrote:Once upon a time, aboard the USS Constellation, I accidentally made a 36 cup urn of coffee with salt water. (The deep sinks had both fresh and salt water spigots) This coffee was NOT good.

Heck, I saw the results of trying to run a boiler on salt water. Not pretty they had to re-tube the entire thing!

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:30 pm

Pete44ru wrote:...If an eggshell or salt is added atop the coffee in a conventional drip maker, it's said to mitigate the acidity...

Oh, OK - Thanks!

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:31 pm

rjohns94 wrote:I have never tasted coffee

It tastes like chicken.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 6:54 pm

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:14 pm

I use a Stainless Steel stovetop perculator I got from Cabelas.

41 Redhawk · Post by **41 Redhawk** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:53 am

Let's see, I picked up my mug, get on the elevator, cross the alley to the little convenience store, fill aforementioned mug, pay the man a buck, and go back to my office.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:18 pm

41 Redhawk wrote:Let's see, I picked up my mug, get on the elevator, cross the alley to the little convenience store, fill aforementioned mug, pay the man a buck, and go back to my office.

That's roughing it!

41 Redhawk · Post by **41 Redhawk** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:34 pm

JohndeFresno wrote:
41 Redhawk wrote:Let's see, I picked up my mug, get on the elevator, cross the alley to the little convenience store, fill aforementioned mug, pay the man a buck, and go back to my office.
That's roughing it!

You got that right....our elevators stink!

wecsoger · Post by **wecsoger** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 2:54 pm

Green beans bought online from sweetmarias.com

whoo-hoo! Another Sweet Marias fan! For those of you who don't know, he (Maria is his long suffering wife) is a coffee uber-geek. He moved from Columbus OH to San Fran to be closer to the docks and import action. He has an all-things-about-coffee here: https://www.sweetmarias.com/

May not have everything you need to know about coffee on his website, or every product, but so far I haven't missed anything. (no, I'm not an employee, just a fan and long time buyer)

French press guy here, Nissan stainless for my daily start-up, a small glass Bodum for the sometimes afternoon 'fix' and also a GSI plastic one for camping

Been using an Aeropress, still experimenting but pleased with the results

Also have a Rancilio Silvia for espresso with Rocky grinder.

Roast my own beans, I'm using a whirly-pop popcorn maker with a cast-off turkey fryer base, along with 14" x 14" x 3/8" steel plate to moderate and spread the BTU's

Personal favorites, long walks along the beach, colorful sunsets and mostly Central American coffees.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:27 pm

I'm such an unsophisticated piker....

gcs · Post by **gcs** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:31 pm

Me too, so long as it's HOT

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 5:15 pm

Since my throat cancer and radiation therapy I can't taste much coffee (or chocolate). So I make it as strong as I can (I tried one of those little cast aluminum things but it didn't work very well). My wife likes her Keurig and when she's home, I drink that with either French roast of Italian roast and just run 1/2 cup through. When she's away, I'll make my own "City Boy Coffee" (like Cowboy coffee, but I'm from L.A.). I'll bring a pot of water to a boil, take it off the heat, dump 3/4 handfull of grounds in it and let it sit for a while. I know about the egg shells, but I just pour it slowly...

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:50 pm

JohndeFresno wrote:
rjohns94 wrote:I have never tasted coffee
It tastes like chicken.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:51 pm

JohndeFresno wrote:
rjohns94 wrote:I have never tasted coffee
It tastes like chicken.

Or egg...

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 6:03 am

If I can't make campfire coffee, I just put a spoonful of instant coffee in a mug and add hot water....

I prefer tea anyway...

J Buck · Post by **J Buck** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:51 am

Using the kuerig nowdays. I only need 1 cup or I get jittery. We buy Café du Monde chicory coffee cheap at a Vietnamese market and use a little basket insert. Cheaper that way. Makes a pretty good cup in my special mug with a dollop of honey and a splash of half-n-half. If I have the time I use a stovetop Bialetti espresso maker. If I get desperate at camp though, I'll take anything!

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:13 am

J Buck wrote: If I get desperate at camp though, I'll take anything!

First time I went camping with the ex, she was grossed out seeing me make coffee in the enamel pot. The grounds floating on top when I first dumped them in were more than she could take. For a few minutes.

Watching me drink it, she broke. Once she had some, she looked surprised and told me it was the best coffee shed ever had.

PriseDeFer · Post by **PriseDeFer** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:55 am

Perc, boil, seep, drip, whatever>>>if you're making it it is your responsibility to make sure there is something decent for the nightriders and the guys on drag who'll be showing up whenever. The only thing you have to remember is to use enough coffee.
What's that Stanley? How much is that? Never made it before, OK, watch your wife do it, count the spoonfuls and triple that for starters. Take a teaspoonful of what you get. The liquid in the spoon should be opaque, you should not be able to peer into it. If you can see the bottom of the spoon just give up and find something else to do.