Best method for making one cup of coffee?
- Thread starter blackdog1101
- Start date
Snce you asked nicely
I tend to use more like 25g of coffee for 385g of water (net coffee is close to 12oz). I use a thermometer in my kettle to get water temps where I want. Once the thermometer reads the temperature I want for brewing, I remove it from the burner, start the grinder and begin rinsing my filter. The tmeperature will creep up a couple degrees... By the time the grinder is done, I've poured my rinse water from my server to my mug, and the water in my kettle is back down right where I want it. I dump the coffee into the filter, and level it out, but - gasp - no divot. I somewhat carefully pour about 50g of water for bloom, starting the timer just as I begin pouring. Bloom is at least 30 seconds, super-fresh coffee closer to 45. Bloom for effect - when it starts to act like it's going to settle, I start the main pours. Two shifts (or one pause), half the remaining voume per pour. So the first 165g of water is poured in a growing spiral: never dead center, never on paper, but covering the whole bed. Once it's been one minute since I started this pour, I start the second one. This one is 170g, poured roughly within an area the size of a quarter in the middle of the bed. The last drops typically end up being 2 minutes after I started the first pour, for a total time of 2:30-2:45. I'm in no rush to get the dipper off of the server, though. I will go ahead and dump the rinse water while it's draining, and then pour the coffee into my mug. It's at least another minute or two before the first sip.
I use a server (Hario V60/Range server) because my diner mug doesn't hold all the coffee at once, and it's clear so I can monitor it. I dismissed the divot because I never found it to help. I don't stir - never really tried. Might experiment with that. I would describe the results as being on the clean side, whereas if I brew two cups at a time, it gets a bit fuller (I'm talking minor differences).
+1 on this as well. My GF bought me a 4-5 cup French Press from Starbucks for my last birthday and I use it every day. Very quick and easy with little waste. Now that I think about it, I need to run to a local coffee shop for some fresh coffee. Thanks!!
A stovetop bialetti can make a good single cup.
I normally just use my drip machine and make two cups and call it one!
I normally just use my drip machine and make two cups and call it one!
This is exactly my set up ddillas. I am partial to the Via breakfast Blend. While I'm not educated in fine coffee like many folfs on here, Don't knock the Via instant until ya tried it. It just doesn't taste like instant to me.
Interesting. Sometimes if I don't have a divot, the water wants to drift over to the edge of the filter too soon, and my OCD kicks in and I get all flustered thinking that the cup will be bad. This might be due to the fact that I don't have a pouring kettle, and I use a Pyrex measuring cup.
Coffee sticks are the most convenient, those prepackaged individual servings of instant coffee. Coming with or without "cream" and sugar. They are not the best, but if you have hot water you are 15 seconds from having a cup.
I've been drinking instant coffee off and on for most of my life ... nothing wrong with it when you only need one cup at a time.
I prefer to buy smaller bottles of instant, 8oz or less. It will go stale on you about 10 days after you open it, so anything past that point isn't going to be optimum, but it will still be drinkable.
I love Starbucks' VIA coffee ... best instant I've ever tasted. Kudos to them for making individual servings ... I just wish they weren't so expensive at around 75c a pop.
Count me in for another Keurig believer. For me there are definite sacrifices to be made one way or the other, and Keurig seems to balance my pros and cons nicely.
Best tasting drip IMO would be freshly ground french press. Although it doesn't take much time, the grinding, cleaning, boiling, cleaning etc is too much for me to regularly adhere to each morning.
Buying a cup of coffee each morning isn't really convenient or obviously cheap for me.
Keurig, while not the cheapest, is by far the most convenient, particularly if you are in a household where others drink coffee at different times. K-cups can be picked up at Kohls for $7 on sale, which isn't terrible for 18 cups of coffee. While not the greatest tasting, it is passable for me at 6:00 am, particularly since I only have to press one button and not worry about the cleanup.
Without my Keurig, I'd have to put more time and effort into my morning coffee leaving me less time for shaves!
Best tasting drip IMO would be freshly ground french press. Although it doesn't take much time, the grinding, cleaning, boiling, cleaning etc is too much for me to regularly adhere to each morning.
Buying a cup of coffee each morning isn't really convenient or obviously cheap for me.
Keurig, while not the cheapest, is by far the most convenient, particularly if you are in a household where others drink coffee at different times. K-cups can be picked up at Kohls for $7 on sale, which isn't terrible for 18 cups of coffee. While not the greatest tasting, it is passable for me at 6:00 am, particularly since I only have to press one button and not worry about the cleanup.
Without my Keurig, I'd have to put more time and effort into my morning coffee leaving me less time for shaves!
First I will say I have never had a cup of coffee from a K-cup that I thought was even drinkable, they are also ridiculously expensive per cup. So I think that option is out. I have a travel mug that is a french press that works well if you drink it fast but gets bitter quickly if you do not. Otherwise my suggestions are, in order of quality of coffee:
Pour-over filter
Aeropress
French press.
Simple and cheap! All of the above will require some way to heat the water, but that is easy. Either a teapot on the stove (liekly already have one), or just a sauce pan or if you want to get real fancy, an electric kettle. Throw in a grinder and you're all set. I like using a pour-over filter to go directly into my travel mug or thermos to keep down the dirty dishes.
Pour-over filter
Aeropress
French press.
Simple and cheap! All of the above will require some way to heat the water, but that is easy. Either a teapot on the stove (liekly already have one), or just a sauce pan or if you want to get real fancy, an electric kettle. Throw in a grinder and you're all set. I like using a pour-over filter to go directly into my travel mug or thermos to keep down the dirty dishes.
Keurig or French press I love both ways.
+1 for the french press. It works best with freshly ground coffee. We have one of the super cheap coffee choppers that works fine. The downside is more cleanup and some grind dust in the bottom of your cup. However, it's your ultimate adjustable coffee maker, no waste other than used grounds, and makes the best flavored stuff I've had.
The keurig is really convenient, but at 10$ for 12 cups it won't be saving you any money. I bought one of those eco-cups for ours and haven't quite perfected it yet. I've heard about the wonders of an aero press but haven't yet seen one.
The keurig is really convenient, but at 10$ for 12 cups it won't be saving you any money. I bought one of those eco-cups for ours and haven't quite perfected it yet. I've heard about the wonders of an aero press but haven't yet seen one.
For a big single cup (like, a cappuccino bowl), I use my Clever Coffee Dripper. Love the damned thing.
For a smaller single cup, I like the Aeropress.
What both have in common is that (1) the water gets to stay in touch with the grounds for as long as you want, and (2) cleanup is very easy.
I do like French Press coffee, but as Patrick said above, cleanup is a bit more of a hassle. I don't think I lose much (if any) flavor with the CCD or Aeropress, and the convenience of both is enough to sway me away from the press.
- Mark
For a smaller single cup, I like the Aeropress.
What both have in common is that (1) the water gets to stay in touch with the grounds for as long as you want, and (2) cleanup is very easy.
I do like French Press coffee, but as Patrick said above, cleanup is a bit more of a hassle. I don't think I lose much (if any) flavor with the CCD or Aeropress, and the convenience of both is enough to sway me away from the press.
- Mark
Keurig K-Cup is the way to go. I also have a Melitta that uses Senseo pods, but the K-Cup is better by far. You also have a very wide range of coffees to choose from. If you only drink 1-2 cups a day, it's great.
Like another poster stated, for me it's also my espresso machine. The hot water toggle is great for hot steam towels and warming the shave mug, too.
In Australia the stove top percolator, moka pot is really popular. I throw that on the stove, and while it is doing its thing I put about a third of a mug of milk in the microwave for a minute. Mix the two together, bingo! nice coffee on the cheap. Makes enough for two regular cups or one great big one. (I don't know ounces.)
Yes, but its can be hard to qualify. There is no single correct method, but the idealized way is to continuously add water during the pour, enough to agitate the grounds a little and enough to keep them saturated. To the point where the input flow equals the output flow. But I think most people do a series of individual pours (starts/stops) during a single brew, never letting the mound of grounds dry up to where they start to clump up or dry out and cake-over before making the next mini-pour. Pouring all the water in one shot will work, but if not using something like a clever coffee dripper, the water will not stay in contact with the coffee for as long so the coffee will be under-extracted and/or need to be ground finer. Its a balancing act between lots of variables.
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