Coffee: drip vs percolate vs...

[LuxLuthor]

It's the taste... lol

LOL! Could you actually make out what the chimps were saying?

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Okay, a bit of an old thread to revive, but thanks to you guys I picked up an Aeropress, and it is definitely my fave way of brewing now, probably the best coffee I've ever brewed myself.

 

[kwkarth]

Congratulations Joe! The AeroPress may not be fancy, may not be expensive, may not be prestigious, may not be complicated, but it sure makes great coffee!!

Cheers!

 

[TedTheLed]

be sure to read sweetmarias.com comments on the thing..and they are being very kind, especially regarding the low brew temperature Aero recommends, and the fact that it uses a paper filter.. it may be good for someone who travels alot or wants to brew in a hotel room, but there are other better methods to try, like press..
when I drove around alot I used a French press..I'd get a thermos of very hot water from a cafe or diner, grind my beans in an old Spong cast iron grinder sitting at the roadside scenic view picnic table, (what is that guy doing over there?) and brew it up..
probably being able to add hot water to the Aero concentrate until it tastes right to you adds a great deal to it's acceptability, but that's a good method to try with any method; brew it on the strong side, ie. using less water, then add hot water to taste, like they do with tea..

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Thanks Ted, I'll have to try a French press at some point. For me, the paper filter was a positive ... not to take things off course, but in the decades of coffee studies, there were few alarms, but one was some problems with non-paper-filtered coffee, though I'd have to run back and look up why. Since the Aeropress makes better coffee than any drip coffee maker I have ever tried, I think it's a pure win vs even really good drip makers. I agree with SweetMarias that aeropress "espresso" is not espresso at all but concentrated coffee, but I'll forgive them that. Still, though I want to drink filtered coffee most days, I am interested in what the best non-paper-filtered methods are.

BTW, I couldn't find a review section anywhere. Am I just retarded?

 

[TedTheLed]

does this count as a 'review'-- ?

http://sweetmarias.com/prod.aeropress.php

...and more details about how to use it; with pictures..

http://sweetmarias.com/aeropress/aeropress_instructions.php

as for paper vs, non-paper health issues, I have heard nothing really,
and coffee in general seems to have just about all good press if you keep it below 4-6 cups a day..

as for tatse that is entirely your call, it's what you like thst counts, still, you want to keep an open mind, (or is it mouth? ) when it comes to exploring,.you don't want to try a pot of press brew one day, and have it brewed too dilute or cool, or whatever, and then blame the brew method..
I say it's possible to get great tatsting coffee from any method, as long as it's done right. Getting the grind/water ratio right is trickier than you might think, especially if your using different beans all the time..

and re: sediment vs. paper; letting a pot sit a couple minutes and then pouring gently avoids getting nearly any the grounds in your cup.. and what's more; there are even finer filter available for press; fine nylon mesh you add on to the press screen..Maria's has 'em... enjoy.

 

[Joe Talmadge]

does this count as a 'review'-- ?

Okay, saw those, thanks. I'd misread what you wrote as "review", now I realize you specifically said "comments". Overall, the comments seemed to indicate the coffee was good from the aeropress -- I'd heartily agree -- though I also agree the recommended brewing temperature was too low. Very quickly figured that out when my coffee kept turning out lukewarm!

as for paper vs, non-paper health issues, I have heard nothing really,
and coffee in general seems to have just about all good press if you keep it below 4-6 cups a day..

Here's one of the studies being described in an overview:

http://news.bio-medicine.org/biolog...offee-may-increase-heart-attack-risk-11968-1/

The above is unfiltered coffee only (by unfiltered, read paper filter). Paper filtered coffee had no such results.

as for tatse that is entirely your call, it's what you like thst counts, still, you want to keep an open mind, (or is it mouth? ) when it comes to exploring,.you don't want to try a pot of press brew one day, and have it brewed too dilute or cool, or whatever, and then blame the brew method..
I say it's possible to get great tatsting coffee from any method, as long as it's done right. Getting the grind/water ratio right is trickier than you might think, especially if your using different beans all the time..

No doubt, the goal is to get the best coffee, not fall in love with one particular method and never try anything else...

 

[TedTheLed]

Joe I read the link, and come away with this;

... They concluded that while heavy coffee consumption is probably safe for the majority, individuals at risk of cardiovascular diseases should not drink large amounts of unfiltered coffee. Possible health effects with filtered coffee remain to be determined..."

..I'd be interested if any other learned institutions come up with similar results, meantime I'll try to keep it down to five cups a day! thanks...

..but sure you should keep trying different neans, it's large exciting world to explore...after a few years you might find a bean you'd like to settle down with, and buy a big sack of it.. (I won't tell you the bean I chose, because I like it so much I'm afraid of it becoming too popular and then unavailable..but it is from sweetmarias 😉 )

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Joe I read the link, and come away with this;

... They concluded that while heavy coffee consumption is probably safe for the majority, individuals at risk of cardiovascular diseases should not drink large amounts of unfiltered coffee. Possible health effects with filtered coffee remain to be determined..."

Yes, and I'm fairly sure I"ve read followups that show no such problems with filtered coffee... note also that I just did a quick lookup of one study, I'd seen at least one more that showed concerns with unfiltered coffee, but I'd need to hunt it down

..but sure you should keep trying different neans, it's large exciting world to explore...after a few years you might find a bean you'd like to settle down with, and buy a big sack of it.. (I won't tell you the bean I chose, because I like it so much I'm afraid of it becoming too popular and then unavailable..but it is from sweetmarias 😉 )

Heh, cool... by nature, I'm a "variety uber alles" kind of guy, I can't resist taking the risk of having a crappy experience with a new bean over a guaranteed good experience with a known one. Perhaps one day I'll settle down 🙂

 

[LuxLuthor]

...after a few years you might find a bean you'd like to settle down with, and buy a big sack of it.. (I won't tell you the bean I chose, because I like it so much I'm afraid of it becoming too popular and then unavailable..but it is from sweetmarias 😉 )

Awww come on....spill the beans! It will be our little secret.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Awww come on....spill the beans! It will be our little secret.

Yeah, just the three of us. 😀

Bill

 

[kwkarth]

I made a pilgrimage to Costco today, and rand across this by accident...

Gadget Alert! -------- Gadget Alert!

You guys remember the Breville electric kettle we were discussing earlier in this thread? Well, I still have mine and I love it, but if I had been wanting one and not gotten it yet, here's the solution to your needs...

This kettle is so cool, it should be the official kettle of CPF... It's simply BRIMMING with LEDs!

It is the Saeco Electric Kettle Mod. 101167 (1167)

It has four temperature settings, and a three digit temperature display that seems to be quite accurate. When the water boils, the display happens to be reading 212. When the temperature hold (up to 2 hours) is set to (High = 200F) the display happens to go as low as 199, at which point the heater cycles on and runs until it reads 202, then the heater shuts off... Pretty cool eh?

That's nuthin'. There are leds inside the kettle that illuminate the water. When the water is stone cold, it's illuminated ice blue, and as the water heats up, the temperature cycles through the colors of the rainbow, (ice blue, green, yellow. orange, purple, red) indicating the water temperature until it boils, at which point the water is illuminated red. Very cool.

Here's the bad news... THe retail on this baby is about 90 bux US.
Here's the good news... The price at Costco is about 35 bux US.

You know how Costco is, here today and gone tomorrow, so if you want one, I would advise you get 'em while they're hot!

Cheers!
kevin

 

[LuxLuthor]

I would question the reliability of something that has multiple color LED's and thermal sensor display for only $60. This review on Amazon says it keeps tasting like plastic after multiple boils. I'm hesitant to consider something that has the heated water in proximity to electronics. I think Breville got it right putting the electronics/display in an isolated, water free base, and kept the caraffe as a separate stainless pitcher.

 

[saabluster]

I have never really bought good quality teas, but found those two samples that came with it interesting and enjoyable...enough to make me look at that www.rishi-tea.com website. I could never give up my beloved coffee, but maybe some tea would be fun.

I just found this thread. I don't come down here all that often. I feel I have to chime in here though. I am quite fond of both coffee and tea. For coffee I have not had much that beats Starbucks Ethiopia Sidamo. Of course proper preparation is essential. The grinder(must be fresh ground) must be cleaned out throughly before adding new beans. The old bits can fall into the new batch and give it that bitter taste. Have everything set up and ready before grinding the beans. After you start brewing take the first full cup brewed instead of allowing the whole thing to finish first. That first bit is the most flavorful and least bitter. It's three o'clock AM here but just talking about it makes me want to put a pot on.

Now as to the tea thing. I am extremely fond of a good cup of tea. I have over 65 flavors of tea. Lux might I suggest you check out Silk Road Teas. Absolutely exquisite stuff. Want to wow your wife for a special night? They don't carry one of my favorites anymore. Camels breath. Very earthy and just wonderful.

 

[kwkarth]

I would question the reliability of something that has multiple color LED's and thermal sensor display for only $60. This review on Amazon says it keeps tasting like plastic after multiple boils. I'm hesitant to consider something that has the heated water in proximity to electronics. I think Breville got it right putting the electronics/display in an isolated, water free base, and kept the caraffe as a separate stainless pitcher.

I ran three pots from cold to boil and on the 4th pot, I made some tea. If you stick your nose into the pot at that point you may still smell plastic as I did, but the odor does not seem to be imparted to the water itself, and had no presence in the tea that I made.

Granted, the Breville is still a superior product, and I will continue to use mine after I'm done playing with this Saeco. 😀 Remember this critter retails for 90 but is only 35 or so at Costco.

 

[Fulgeo]

I have been drinking coffee for about 30 years and can admit it is probably my only vice. Coffee is such a sweet mistress. I have used a french press which made a decent quick cup. I have one of those Cuisinart - Grind & Brew 12-Cup Automatic which also produces great coffee. You could load it up with beans and water set the auto function and early in the morning you have fresh coffee. Plus when it grinds the beans in the AM sort of acts as an alarm clock. For the last couple years thou I have used for the most part one of those cheap Mr. Coffee 4-Cup coffee coffeemakers. It only cost $14.00. Just an on/off switch with a heat pad. It is very easy to clean and just gets the job done and most importantly makes coffee quick. On a side note I have tried many different types of coffees. Someone signed me up as a gift to one of those coffees of the months clubs which is a story in itself. I really like some of the Costa Rica coffee. They are a bit different almost fruity in taste to my pallet. As an old standby I just buy Dunkin' Donuts coffee. I believe it is the 2nd best coffee you can buy. People usually question me when I say this but where as the number one coffee changes all the time I always go back to the old standby Dunkin' Donuts cup of Joe.

Harry Java!

 

[The Mad Scotsman]

Re: Coffee: drip vs percolate

Up front disclaimer - I am admittedly a coffee snob.

Friends don't let friends percolate coffee. This over-extracts undesirable compounds from the coffee that increase the bitterness of the drink. :green:
Drip is definitely preferable. That said, I do not drink either. I go for espresso at home or what they call stovetop espresso at work.

A stovetop espresso maker brews under low pressure and makes a drink almost as rich as espresso, but it can be done with much cheaper equipment and the grind does not have to be as precise as with true espresso. To anyone looking into a stovetop espresso pot, I only recommend buying one in stainless steel. The aluminum ones lend an undesirable flavor to the coffee.

I could keep blabbing on about coffee for a very long time, but your question does not warrant it at this time. 😉

Friends don't let friends become coffee snobs. I'll take a regular coffee; don't care where it comes from. Tea, now that's a different story. Tea is to sirloin as Coffee is to cheeseburgers.

 

[kwkarth]

Re: Coffee: drip vs percolate

Friends don't let friends become coffee snobs. I'll take a regular coffee; don't care where it comes from. Tea, now that's a different story. Tea is to sirloin as Coffee is to cheeseburgers.

Ignoring the unlearned comment about coffee for now 😗 , I want to learn more about teas. Educate me please!!

 

[The Mad Scotsman]

Re: Coffee: drip vs percolate

Ignoring the unlearned comment about coffee for now 😗 , I want to learn more about teas. Educate me please!!

I would recommend you start by picking up The Harney and Sons Guide to Tea by Michael Harney and The Story of Tea by Mary Lou Heiss. Those books will give you a good look at the rich history of tea and a good overview of the different varieties and methods of brewing.

Edit: I never saw that dig when I first saw your post. I can assure you that I am quite educated on the subject.

I see you are a fellow christian. Let's not get started on each other eh?🙄

 

[kwkarth]

Re: Coffee: drip vs percolate

I would recommend you start by picking up The Harney and Sons Guide to Tea by Michael Harney and The Story of Tea by Mary Lou Heiss. Those books will give you a good look at the rich history of tea and a good overview of the different varieties and methods of brewing.

Edit: I never saw that dig when I first saw your post. I can assure you that I am quite educated on the subject.

I see you are a fellow christian. Let's not get started on each other eh?🙄

No doubt you are intellectually educated about coffee itself, and I didn't mean my comment to be a "dig." You seem however, by your choice of words, to see those who are discriminate about and appreciate good coffee, as "coffee snobs" and the bit about cheesburgers and steak... I can assure you that the opinion that you expressed is FAR from true. Just for the record, while we're at it, good coffee has to be neither expensive, nor exclusive. Conversely, bad coffee can be found in many coffee boutiques these days, masquerading expensively, as the good stuff, when it is not. Perhaps you've never had a really good cup of coffee. Perhaps it was only coffee masquerade?

I would love to treat you to a good cup, come on over some time, Bro!

Thanks for the recommendation on the book! I have some teas by Harney & Sons. I will have to get a copy of that book to read!!

I've got a number of Herbal, White Teas, Green teas, Pekoe, and Black teas, as well as a number of mixed blends.

What's the difference between Irish Breakfast and English Breakfast??

Thanks!