The coffee problem

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
pammys
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2017 10:55 am

Re: The coffee problem

Post by pammys »

A couple things I've done over the years: put some grounds in a coffee filter, twist up the top, clip It with a clothespin, and steep that in hot water. I've tried a Melita, it uses a filter and grounds, just place over the cup, pour hot water over and it drips into the cup. The also have easy cheap single cup makers, they are small and take up only a little room, instead of the coffee pods that are crap, I make my own with some grounds in a filter, twist it up, and brew a cup at a time, these usually don't have a warming plate so no worry about forgetting to turn it off, and they also work well with tea bags, if tea is your thing.

Finn
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:18 am

Re: The coffee problem

Post by Finn »

You can get all kinds of kitchen appliances, gadgets and utensils for free these days. I'm on several local social media groups where people give away/ask for stuff.

herp
Posts: 171
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 1:11 pm

Re: The coffee problem

Post by herp »

I've cut down on coffee over the past months so that I'm now down to 2-3 cups a day. I've entirely stopped drinking coffee in the evening and I'm also wary of drinking it late in the afternoon as I've found it disturbs my sleep too much.

I bought a Bosch coffee filter machine some years ago for 60 euros. Not the cheapest solution around, but it's been the best value for money filter machine that I've owned.

Thinking about it, when I wear this machine out, it might be interesting to explore cheaper options that can effectively brew 3 cups per use.

plow_2
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:27 am

Re: The coffee problem

Post by plow_2 »

https://www.amazon.com/Vietnamese-Infus ... fee+filter

vietnamese coffee filter. very cheap.

I have one of these and it works well

https://www.amazon.com/MSR-Mugmate-Coff ... sr++coffee

EdithKeeler
Posts: 1099
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: The coffee problem

Post by EdithKeeler »

Ikea French Press. I have one of these, though I use more for tea than coffee. (Coffee's free at my work, thank goodness).
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60241389/

A slightly cheaper one:
https://smile.amazon.com/French-Press-C ... ench+press

Pour-over permanent filter:
https://smile.amazon.com/Reusable-Filte ... +pour+over

BWND
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2018 3:08 am

Re: The coffee problem

Post by BWND »

@Plow, do you use the vietnamese coffee in it or just regular coffee? I love the vietnamese coffee as a treat but I'm not sure I could have it as a staple.

How does it go with a regular brew or does it give a distinctive flavour?

plow_2
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:27 am

Re: The coffee problem

Post by plow_2 »

@Noal
I use regular coffee in a similar device. I was going to buy one of those but my fiance pointed out that we have like 8 different coffee devices already. It should work with plain old coffee though. At home I use either drip or a moka pot which I love love love. but for work french press, one of the vietnamese makers would work (super cheap) or the msr device are a one time cost and its fresh coffee with very little fuss. the MSR one linked is great but if youre looking for the cheapest option go with vietnamese.

BRUTE
Posts: 3797
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Re: The coffee problem

Post by BRUTE »

brute used the vietnamese coffee maker for a while, but eventually went back to french press. most of the vietnamese ones are only good for about a shot glass worth of coffee, and brute likes to have lots of coffee. he bought the biggest vietnamese coffee maker he could find, which would give a full cup - but that's still more effort than a french press, which allows 2-3 cups at a time, easy.

cleaning and using the thing is about the same effort as a french press.

one thing brute didn't like was that he couldn't really tell when the coffee was finished - using a coffee mug instead of a clear glass, he couldn't see the drip, and the metal lid gets very hot from all the steam.

overall a pretty cool idea, but not quite as practical as a french press.

RealPerson
Posts: 875
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 4:33 pm

Re: The coffee problem

Post by RealPerson »

One thing I dislike about the french press is the fact that the coffee grinds stay in the brew. They impart a bitter flavor the longer they stay in. The french press is great to make several cups that are all served after the coffee is made. But if you make several cups for one person, the later cups become increasingly bitter. You could pour the coffee into something else right away, but then I have another thing to wash, which violates my laziness principle!

Note that I am a real coffee snob and don't put sugar in my coffee. Plenty of sugar would solve that problem but comes with other issues.

SavingWithBabies
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 2:50 pm
Location: Midwest, USA

Re: The coffee problem

Post by SavingWithBabies »

Unsurprisingly, Walmart has even cheaper generic coffee filters than the dollar store (a 200 pack for some amount slightly over a $1 versus a 150 pack at the dollar store for $1).

I've thought about the coffee making more and if I had to chose one thing, I would now go with a metal pour-over/dripper - a Kalita Wave 155 or 185 in stainless steel. I think that would last the longest and be suitable for taking on the road. I have the glass version with a matching glass carafe and it's very nice and has lasted a couple of years but I do worry it is going to break at some point. In combination with the cheap filters of course (still comparing back to back with Kalita filters and so far good enough).

I have same problem as @RealPerson with french press -- I also dislike the potential for excess oil (which is partly due to roast/beans of course). I find the dripper-style easier to clean as you simply lift out the filter with grounds and then can easily wash the dripper (big hands makes cleaning french annoying).

BRUTE
Posts: 3797
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Re: The coffee problem

Post by BRUTE »

brute typically makes 2 cups worth in the french press and pours them into 2 cups. cleaning the french press just means holding it under the faucet for 20 seconds.

plow_2
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:27 am

Re: The coffee problem

Post by plow_2 »

I used one of these at home for several years before buying a moka pot. Makes great coffee as well

https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-B ... +pour+over


the downside being that you need to buy filters for it, but they are really cheap.

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