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The Aeropress makes this odd concentrated coffee (it's not espresso even if it claims it is), and once that's in the cup you add the rest of the hot water to dilute it. You can add as much as you like to decrease the strength, but I've found that the aeropress makes the smoothest, least acidic coffee I've ever had and I've never needed to water it down. It's a strange little device and a somewhat annoying to store/clean, but the coffee's delicious.

mrasg1, i must agree with the french press/grinding set. i went that route after my drip coffee maker broke and never looked back. it's really no more effort and there's something beautifully mechanical and ritualistic about the whole process that is more gratifying.

i got a $30 bodum press and have a cheapy grinder that i believe came from starbucks and have had for years. both work like a charm.

as for the sediment, it IS a problem if you grind the coffee too fine. just control the grind and you're good to go -- and worse comes to worse, just don't drink the final little sip, just as you'd leave the very bottom of a good home brew in the bottle. :)

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I have several coffee makers including the Bialetti. Your coffee is as strong as you make it. I like mine medium in the morning and strong in the afternoon so vary your grinding of your beans.

I also have this wonderful combo press and thermos:

Nissan Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Coffee Press


* Easy to clean stainless steel press parts with a replaceable steel mesh screen.
* 1.1 quart (1 liter) capacity.
* Full five year warranty.

Thermos Nissan brings extra enjoyment to coffee occasions of every sort with the vacuum insulated coffee press. This time honored European method of making coffee is now more efficient, more convenient, more delicious than ever. Enjoy the rich full flavors of piping hot, pressed coffee - that stays at just the right temperature three times longer than coffee made in a glass coffee press.

Our vacuum insulated coffee press requires no plugs, no wires, no messy paper filters. Just spoon the coffee into the press. Use either purchased press-ground coffee or your own beans ground for 6 seconds. Add boiling water. Place the press lid on the press body with the plunger in the up position. Wait 4 minutes. Then push the plunger down slowly until it touches the top of the lid. Simple as that and now the next hour or so belongs entirely to you. And to whomever you decide to share it with.

I just got one of those Keurig machines for christmas. Thing is awesome. I never was a big enough coffee drinker to actually buy a machine before this, but after looking at all the different flavors and coco's, I'm happy to give it a shot.

Easy to use and no cleanup.

Your best bet is to get your hands on an old glass Pyrex coffee maker. The entire structure is made of glass including the inserts. The only non glass parts were the strainer and metal band around the pot that secures the handle. This is what the ladies of yore used when inviting company over for "cake & coffee"
Put this link in the address bar it is a picture of the pot

http://pics.rubylane.com/graphics/shops/five4us/101709.1N.jpg

Still haven't made any purchases as have been out of town. I saw the Technivorm in store but would love a demo.

I have a question about the Bialetti: I like moderate coffee, not too overpowering etc but flavorful. If I get a Bialetti, would the coffee be too strong? Does anyone have the Brikka? That produces cream I think. I wonder about the coffee being too strong from the Aeropress and French Press as well but I could be wrong.

And for the French Press lovers, is there a problem with sediment in your cup, and do you put the coffee in a thermal container after you use the press?

One thing is for sure, a good grinder is a definite. Just have to figure out the coffee maker thing!

Thanks for all your replies!

+1

We grind beans and use our Bialetti moka express. We bought ours in Rome about 6 years ago, but you can get them just about anywhere these days, even at Target or Century 21 for about $10-$15 (depending on size).





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- grind your own
- French press or Melitta.

if you really like coffee, that's all you need. you can go camping and have the same coffee you get at home.

Get a burr grinder and a Bialetti.

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What exactly is wrong with coffee?

The $15 drip coffee maker. Foolproof coffee with zero fuss and easy to clean. French press? Wasteful, slow, not commodious enough to make enough brew for my morning needs. Clean-up hassle.
IF I had the means to roast and grind raw coffee beans, I would go for it! But failing that, I?m sticking with my drip coffee machine and my Caribe.

We have a$10 Mr. Coffee!

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-NL12- ... n&qid=1261447617&sr=1-214

I have a hand-me-down Braun coffeemaker that must be 20 years old. It's ugly, but it works great. They don't make them like they used to!

I agree with many of the sentiments here. The grinder and the coffee are the most important components. I use a Rancilio grinder (probably overkill) and buy beans fresh at Stumptown (29th St.) or mailorder them from several sources, my favorite (but expensive) being Terroir. (that's what we used at Melt.) And I use a simple French press - I have one that makes enough for a big mug and another larger one.

A great resource is http://coffeegeek.com/.

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3rd.

After breaking probably the fifth glass carafe plunge pot we got the Bodum polycarbonate one and are very happy. For those worries about the polycarbonate leaching issues, this one clearly has a scratch resistant quartz coating like polycarbonate glasses lenses, so I think it would minimize that issue.

You can take all those fancy/smancy coffee makers and throw them out.

Go out and purchase yourself a perculator and you'll never go back to any of those other wannabees....

Good Luck.

Did you try calling cuisinart to fix it? How long have you had it? I've found that calling always helps. I've had lots of things replaced with a little complaining.

I agree that burr grinder and french press is the way to go. But I don't like the insulated french presses - then the coffee ends up sitting on the grounds too long. We have a separate insulated carafe for when we want to make large quantities and keep them warm. And although the burr grinders are expensive, you can get a Bodum french press and an insulated carafe for cheap, so the whole system ends up being fairly affordable.

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2nd

We?ve been in the market for a drip coffee maker too (I'm assuming the OP is talking about drip).

Some of my hard-core foodie friends rave about Technivorm. They claim that it?s all about a consistent brew temperature and that Technivorm is one of the few to really crack that. Some of the coffee aficionado websites support the rec for Technivorm. The dowside ? it?s expensive (~$250). Supposedly, an American company, Newco, is considered up there with Technivorm on temp regulation and is about ? the cost.

To confuse matters more, Consumer Reports favorite drip maker was the Cuisinart Brew Central. CR claims that the Brew Central rivals the Technivorm for temp regulation.

Not sure what we?ll ultimately do, but we can wait until after X-mas to see if there are any dips in price. Whatever we get, I?ll probably get a burr grinder at the same time.

Have done a ton of research on this topic as my cuisinart broke too (don't suppose you found ours in front of our place and took it home to be equally disappointed? LOL).

I bought the kitchen aid burr grinder you link to in this post and I couldn't be happier. The kicker is that I need to adjust the inside of the grinder (which requires tools) in order to have the 1-8 grinding level feature grind finer. Luckily I french press so coarse grinds are needed. Also, I ordered and paid for it and they didn't inform me it was on backorder. I waited over 11 weeks for my product. Other than that, fantastic.

In doing all my research I learned having a grinder of that quality and still using a percolating coffee maker is really pointless. Coffee connoisseur's are all about the french press baby. Found one that is Bodum, double walled/insulated stainless steel good for 10 cups. Keeps it as hot as it would be on a coffee maker hot plate. But a hundred times better. Also takes up much less space on your counter top but looks cooler. Can't find it on their website any longer.

I boil my water. Let it sit (as you don't want to pour it boiling) while I grind my coffee. I pour the hot water in the french press covering all the grinds and then do four stirs with a chop stick, time it for four minutes and BAM! The perfect cup of jo. Found those instructions on a website and have been blissfully happy ever since.

It doesn't hurt to get McNulty's Coffee from the west village at 109 Christopher Street. Incredible roasters.

In my opinion nothing better then the good old simple French Press. Simple yet effective.

Get an Aeropress. It's like $25, bizarre looking, works differently than any other coffee maker I've ever encountered... and makes utterly amazing coffee.

http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffe ... den&qid=1261429813&sr=8-1

We use this at work, pretty much the best coffee i have ever had:

http://www.capresso.com/prod_super_f7.html



also first time i have seen the price... holy crap what a waste of money

Cusinart with bells and whistles, figures. Just stopped turning on. Googled the model and what a surprise happens a lot.

So now I have been going out every day for coffee and in the market for a new one.

So any coffee lovers on here? Do you love great tasting coffee?
I would like to get this coffee maker and this grinder. LOTS of money I know, but other addictions can cost more! Plus I think these two items will last a really long time.

http://www.boydscoffeestore.com/brewing/

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/video/default.asp?docid=17108

http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/1 ... enaid-coffee-grinder.aspx

What do you guys and gals use at home? Anyone have any of these items I want to get? Do you like them?

Thanks!