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goroth wrote:Cowboy coffee is nice with a proper grind Chanks!

Yeah, my philosophy is generally that the method is less important than the grind and the proportions.

PetZounds wrote:Cool!
Since making that post I've been doing some reading, and yeah, it seems like a hand grinder would work fine for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=pd_sbs_k_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0GGS8XBN4FBV45K1FX9M
I was thinking of getting something along these lines.

I only drink coffee in the mornings occasionally.
Usually, I drink coffee after lunch or in the evenings, so I don't mind stuff that takes time.
I generally prefer my coffee to be thinner or weaker rather than super strong.
At least, I think I do, haha.

That's the one that I've got, PetZounds, I highly recommend it. Although, I don't think mine came with a lid like that.

You don't want coffee that's too strong or too weak. You'll get used to coffee that's brewed to the proper strength. It tastes much better.

Never tried Tim Hortons but that name ALWAYS comes up on boards when coffee threads start. I guess I will need to investigate.

I usually like the Ethiopian or Guatemalan stuff I get at Whole Foods. For everyday "in a pinch" I like Starbucks. Believe it or not, some of the 7-11 cpffees are not horrible.

I always drink it black though. No sweetener or creamer.

JerEvil wrote:Never tried Tim Hortons but that name ALWAYS comes up on boards when coffee threads start. I guess I will need to investigate.

Don't feel obligated. Their main proponent around here, Greenfuz, hasn't been around much lately.

I like Guatemalan coffee too. Probably my favorite of the Central Americans.

Chankgeez wrote:That's the one that I've got, PetZounds, I highly recommend it. Although, I don't think mine came with a lid like that.

You don't want coffee that's too strong or too weak. You'll get used to coffee that's brewed to the proper strength. It tastes much better.

Cool, I think I'm gonna go for it, then.
I also think I'm gonna get a subscription from that local roaster I linked a few pages back.

One thing that I also wonder about:
I have no idea what temperature I'm making this coffee at.
I heat it in the microwave until it's close to boiling, then let it sit a minute, then use it.
Does temperature matter too much, as long as it's in a decent range?
Should I get an electric kettle or something, or even just a thermometer?

Kettles make life easy - press the coffee button and if it's got a decent regulator your water wil come out at 96 degrees and you can pour it straight onto your coffee. The biggest problem with many all in one machines is that they don't keep the temperature consistent. Too low and you don't get an efficient extraction and too high and you'll burn the coffee.

If you're going to be doing any lattes and stuff in the future the a clip on thermometer can be a good idea because you can use that to monitor the temperature of the milk.

But a good kettle is always worth having at home!

Cool cool!
Thank you guys for all the info, help, and advice.

i have a "blade grinder" - standard mr coffee brand soccermom grinder.
it does suck - meaning that the "recommend time limit" for grinding the amount of beans you give it is never correct.
theres a button for # of cups you are grinding (up to 12) and how fine you want your grind (3 way selector)
i always have to grind it longer than the machine thinks i will.

it's a bit old though, it's probably lost some efficiency

if i was going to buy starbucks whole bean, spend that kind of money, id rather get seattles best
always preferred their beans to starbucks

Just ordered some Ethiopian Gedeo from Macaroni Island.

foomanfat wrote:Just ordered some Ethiopian Gedeo from Macaroni Island.

Yesssss
Let us know what you think of it!

PetZounds wrote:Cool cool!
Thank you guys for all the info, help, and advice.

Can't wait to hear how you go dude! But coffee is awesome, there's always something you can improve or something different you can try.

Oh yeah, all roasts are nice in their own way but often medium roast gives a good balance between the burnt toasty tones and the character of the beans.

This is what we're pouring today at the shop. I'm on cup number four.

I just tested out the Glass Dripper w/#4 filter for the first time yesterday. I used a 2 cup Hario Mill grinder set to a medium grind. It seemed to work pretty well. I'll say this much, aside from making an excellent brew. The preparation wasn't all that bad actually. 3-4 minutes for a cup, but it was worth it. Most of the wait time was boiling the water.

If you want to get into quick water, check out an electric kettle. Cuisinart makes a kettle with preset temps for different teas and it has setting for French press, which is the same for pour over.

Oh no kidding. Thanks! I'll have to look into that. One thing I've noticed is that it's a little tough to get a good slow circular pour over.

Getting it out and trying to run it, I find my old $30 Melitta espresso maker is caput. No big thing, I guess, but now the Bustello is just sitting there.

The $100 Delonghi 15-bar pump espresso maker reviews well, is a real espresso maker instead of the steam-driven imitation the Melitta was, and well, is $100. Anything else in that price zone I should look at getting instead? Get a mokka pot and save for something better?