Beer Baron 🍺 said:In reply to DarkMonohue :
For which? Coffee makers or burr grinders?
Burr grinders, please, if you have any input to share.
Beer Baron 🍺 said:In reply to DarkMonohue :
For which? Coffee makers or burr grinders?
Burr grinders, please, if you have any input to share.
For my palate, I find the modern light roast trend kinda gross.
The whole "We have been destroying these flavor compounds by over-roasting the beans" thing that was pushed hard for quite a few years doesn't jive with my mouth. No thanks, I don't want acidic, lemon juice and beef broth flavors in my morning brew.
I guess I spent too much time in espresso houses in the 80's and 90's. My coffee taste profiles are largely nostalgia based perhaps?
I do fresh ground Italian roasts brewed in a Bonavita coffee maker that mimics the "pour-over" method with no hot plate under the carafe.
Illy's single origin coffee seems to work the best in that the SWMBO and my super automatic both don't complain when I use it. My wife likes the flavor of the Brazilian Arabica single source and other alternatives like those from Lavazza, and other italian roasters and they seem to gum up my super automatic. For a latte (my preferred drink) it doesn't seem to matter, Intelligentsia is local to Chicago and I like them as well.
https://www.intelligentsia.com/
In reply to DarkMonohue :
I have this Cuisinart. It was a gift. It's been very solid and reliable. Looks like they go for about $100. They also have one for $50, that I'm sure works very well.
A friend of mine has had the same one for around 20 years that I believe is a Baratza. He got it when he was worked at Starbucks back in college. They go for about $150.
I'd got with a Conical burr grinder from pretty much any reputable brand.
This thread made me dig out my AeroPress again and wow, I forgot how good of a cup of coffee it makes. A little more effort than using the drip machine but totally worth it.
DarkMonohue said:Beer Baron 🍺 said:In reply to DarkMonohue :
For which? Coffee makers or burr grinders?
Burr grinders, please, if you have any input to share.
My Bodum Bistro just turned 7 years old this past Christmas. It's not super high end, but it's been a good, reliable mid-range grinder for everything except espresso grinds.
golfduke said:DarkMonohue said:Beer Baron 🍺 said:In reply to DarkMonohue :
For which? Coffee makers or burr grinders?
Burr grinders, please, if you have any input to share.
My Bodum Bistro just turned 7 years old this past Christmas. It's not super high end, but it's been a good, reliable mid-range grinder for everything except espresso grinds.
I also have this grinder, I got it from my uncle who bought it at a garage sale so I am not sure how old it is but it works great.
I tried several grinders over the years. Most of them do a fine job of grinding. What I couldn't get past was the unholy amount of noise the inexpensive ones made.
I have settled on an Aromaster. I won't call it quiet but it makes half the noise of the others I've used. Mine is a couple of years old. They sell for about $80.
My morning dose comes out of a pour-over. This guy. I strongly recommend having an extra on hand. They do get broken on occasion.
I will also second Beer Baron's recommendation on using more coffee beans. I use over half a cup of beans for 30 oz of coffee. It makes for a surprisingly smooth coffee even using the cheapest beans.
As for additives, I prefer Mayola heavy cream with a touch of pure cane turbinado sugar.
One other thing. If you are using a pour-over or aeropress I would suggest getting a decent electric kettle with adjustable temperature.
I used this one at home. Easy to set and will hold temperature until you lift the kettle off the base.
The "Fellow Ode Brew" grinder is quiet (for a coffee grinder, that is): https://www.amazon.com/Fellow-Ode-Brew-Grinder-Footprint/dp/B09RM1ZB6R/ Somewhat pricey, however. That one is $200 and there is a "Gen 2" version which is even more. We bought it as a gift for my son and it is quiet and works well.
I have had the Baratza Maestro Plus for 14 years. It is noisy but grinds well. The nice part is that Baratza stocks parts for for their grinders, which is good because I had to repair it a couple times. Don't know if TCO is less than buying cheaper grinders and throwing them away when they break but more satisfying to me.
In reply to DarkMonohue :
Baratza Virtuoso for a burr grinder, although it looks like the Encore is its replacement in the lineup.
For coffee, our "house" go-to is the La Colombe Afrique blend. Nice balanced medium roast. We use a standard Bunn drip coffee maker. Need to use a pretty fine grind because of the speed of the Bunn brewing process.
Biggest coffee surprise over the past year is a little coffee shop in Winchendon, MA that roasts their own coffee. Their Wicked Beans Breakfast Blend is fantastic (and I just realized I can order it online!). It was one of those happy discoveries - in Winchendon early one morning for a kid's baseball game and needed coffee...
This is my jam
In reply to peanutpckrupper :
Sir, that is coffee.
This morning I gave Supreme by Bustelo Espresso a try. I used a medium grind and ran it through the pour-over.
It has a fairly bold flavor compared to my regular bean. It is a nice change of pace. I bet it would be really good to run through the espresso pot.
I'll have to put it in the regular rotation.
In reply to peanutpckrupper :
I don't acknowledge the existence of decaf... 
mtn said:In reply to peanutpckrupper :
Sir, that is coffee.
I kid, I kid.
nlevine said:In reply to peanutpckrupper :
I don't acknowledge the existence of decaf...
A little over a year ago caffeine started making my heart do wonky things so decaf is all I can have now. It's still tasty!
One of my good friends ruined me with expensive coffee. I have fresh beans shipped to me a few times a month... the rabbit hole is deep.
I like fruity aromatic stuff. If you do too I can highly recommend Prospect in Ventura, CA and Livit in Walla Walla, Washington. These are my personal favorites.
Pour over, cortado, aero press, it's all good.
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