Best coffee maker - is there a consensus?

[Leatherneck]

I am still a wet-shaving novice (6-weeks) so I post tentatively. But I am an Aeropress pro (1-1/2 years) It is the best coffee I have had in my own home bar-none. I threw five coffee makers away the day this came into my home. I kept only a French-Press (keeping the dream alive that it will produce good coffee one day), an Italian Moka Pot and a travel (camping) pour-over.

I stopped using cream the day my Aeropress arrived and I threw away the remaining spoiled creme a week or two later. I stopped using sugar the same day.

A summary of my findings:

Water temp is important 175-180 for brewing. I microwave 500ml for 3 minutes that is just off or at boil. I pour over half into the mug to preheat then add a dash of cool water to bring the overall temp of the remaining water down to 180ish.

Grind is less important, I have never bought a good grinder, the Aeropress does not care. Just grind the crap out of your beans in a blade grinder, 20 seconds or so, and scrape it out with the handle of the scoop.

Beans are less important, but a dark, low acid like Celebes Kallosi from coffeebeandirect.com is very good. The already low acid but big body accentuates the brewing characteristics of the Aeropress. It is all I buy anymore, I have gone threw 20lbs or so. At $6 per pound it is an incredible value.

The mug is important, Buy a nice one, your coffee is not starting out at the high drip pot temps so invest to keep it hot longer. I love the travel mug from Intellegentsia. I have two, one from each trip to their Silver lake Store. A Stanley or Alladin would be hotter longer though.

Brew time and agitation, just experiment stir for at least 20 seconds, maybe more. You will get a feel for it, use your lathering skills. Time temp and grind all work together for the right brew, for you photographers think of proper extraction as exposure and the variables as Shutter speed, Aperture and Film Sensitivity.

Push it through, top off the mug and enjoy your day. I do this every morning right after my shave, it makes for a great experience.

The only downside I have found is brewing coffee for a group of people, it can get very drawn out and if they are not coffee geeks they will wish you had a drip pot to brew some of the scalding, sour, bitter crap they are used to drinking and they will generally ask for cream.

I will watch this thread for new alternatives, but I have been hooked on the Aeropress since I received it.

Matt

The aeropress has become my daily brewer since last fall. I really enjoy it. Another advantage is that if more than one person is having coffee, they may not like the same strength. With the Aeropress, the coffee can be tailored to each preference without too much difficulty. (amount of coffee and steep time)

If guests are over, I get out my Bodum stovetop vacuum pot. If you preheat the water some in a hot pot and transfer to the bodum to finish heating and brewing, it cuts down on time. It also puts on quite a show that some folks like watching.

Just my 2 cents.

Kevin

 

[jtc33]

Best coffee is made with a French Press with fresh beans and the proper grind (coarse, not fine).

 

[Big_E]

I'm coming back to coffee drinking. I've tried to lay off 'cause I would drink coffee like a fish drinks water. But now I'm back and my electric coffee brewer decides to break down! It came complimentary from Gevalia. I had to shop for a new coffee brewer.
I went to my nearby grocery store and found this simple aluminum coffee percolator. This is simply made and sits on the stovetop like a kettle and makes darn good coffee! I was very suprised. I may stick to stovetop percolators but get a real nice one with an enamel finish. The one I have has a real plain spartan look but works great. It's very similar to this:

I'm looking into turkish coffees and will add an turkish coffeepot (ibrik?) to my collection.
Ernest

 

[Mark5-9]

I own an vintage Atomic espresso maker from the sixties. Does it make the best coffee? I'm not sure but it looks pretty cool.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x146/dh10au/P10405521.jpg

 

[BurkDarkpatches]

I don't drink coffee, that's why you don't see much of me here.

My Mom wants to know what's the coffee maker that gets the most "press" (sorry I couldn't resist,) around here.

<snip>

There _is_ a consensus if you're looking an automatic drip coffee maker. All (okay, I'll cover myself: MOST) modern auto drip make a fine cup of coffee. There, I said it.

If the person recommending a particular coffee maker doesn't say, "Hi. I participated in/ran a double-blind assessment of a wide range of coffee makers. Technivorm (or insert recommended coffee maker) was selected to make the best tasting coffee by subjects 51&#37; of the time and one guy who tested a Mr. Coffee coffee maker choked to death on its brew," then what you're getting is a well-intended, but uninformed opinion. The good news is that, apparently, what they're telling you is probably true. "I absolutely love the coffee made by XXXX coffee makers." That's true because it's hard to get a bad cup of coffee from ANY modern coffee maker. Even if it doesn't heat the water to 200F +/- .0001 degrees. Or if it takes 5 minutes or 7 minutes to brew.

How do I know this? Did _I_ participate in such a study? Nope.

Coffee Review

The owner of Coffee Review says so.

And Consumer Reports says it, too:

"You'll find coffeemakers for $100 and up, but you don't have to spend that much to get an excellent machine. One of our CR Best Buys costs $25, others $40. When shopping, consider how much coffee you brew, which features matter, and style. But remember, a good cup of coffee depends mostly on the coffee you use, not the machine."

That's the good news. Buy a coffee maker that meets your budget and has the features you want. I'm sure it's been suggested you get a thermal carafe instead of a glass one that continues to cook the life out of your coffee. You can hardly go wrong doing so.

The better news is that instead of worrying about the diminished returns of buying an expensive/better coffee maker, you (or rather, your Mom) can spend your time and money buying different kinds of coffee to find what you like best. It's much easier and cheaper to try 10 different brands/types of coffee than 10 different coffee makers. The added benefit is that you can actually and dramatically improve your cup of coffee.

The other bit of indisputable advice (that is, there is a real consensus among coffee drinkers and testers) is to grind your own coffee, not buy it pre-ground. And when someone inevitably recommends a $200 burr coffee grinder over a $12 blade grinder, please ask them what double-blind study they participated in.... ;-)

I will say that you should check the reviews at Amazon of any maker you're interested in. Just because it can make a decent cup of coffee, doesn't mean it's not a dud for one reason or another.

Good luck!

Steve

 

[MotoMike]

.... but it looks pretty cool.

+1 to that. I have never seen one. Way cool

 

[rjv71]

About the Aeropress.... So I put in the filter, add a few scoops of ground coffee and add hot water.... before I have time to even stir, most of the water has already gone thru the filter in the cup, leaving only about 1/3 of water in the press-container to stir and press. Is this normal?

 

[Wishoot]

About the Aeropress.... So I put in the filter, add a few scoops of ground coffee and add hot water.... before I have time to even stir, most of the water has already gone thru the filter in the cup, leaving only about 1/3 of water in the press-container to stir and press. Is this normal?

It normal and kind of annoying too.

Someone here suggested inverting the Aeropress and this works very well.

 

[BarryR]

The other bit of indisputable advice (that is, there is a real consensus among coffee drinkers and testers) is to grind your own coffee, not buy it pre-ground. And when someone inevitably recommends a $200 burr coffee grinder over a $12 blade grinder, please ask them what double-blind study they participated in.... ;-)

Steve

I used a blade grinder for many years. They work, but it's a bit of a struggle to get an even grind and, particularly with larger quantities, you need to keep shaking and checking to see how much you've ground the coffee. Then I got a Braun burr grinder and greatly prefer it. It's much easier to use and you get a completely even grind. This allows you to use a finer grind overall without ending up with lots of powder. I had the Braun for about ten years and then recently replaced it with a Breville (low speed) burr grinder and it's excellent.

I'm sure you can get an excellent cup of coffee with a blade grinder, but for me the convenience and uniformity of blend with a burr make it worth the price.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

BIG +1 to Barry R.
I had a blade grinder for years in college. I would fill it, grind and shake at the same time, check it, shake it, grind a little more, etc. After a while you do get a feel for how much and how long, but I find having a modestly priced burr grinder with a decent sized hopper is well worth the extra money.

I have a Capresso Infinity. It's by no means a high end grinder, and it has some minor quips, but I got it pretty cheap and it gives a nice uniform grind. There are others I'd love to have, but for now this gets it done with little complaint.

 

[Big_E]

I own an vintage Atomic espresso maker from the sixties. Does it make the best coffee? I'm not sure but it looks pretty cool.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x146/dh10au/P10405521.jpg

Aww man! I love that coffee maker!
Ernest

 

[BurkDarkpatches]

I used a blade grinder for many years. They work, but it's a bit of a struggle to get an even grind and, particularly with larger quantities, you need to keep shaking and checking to see how much you've ground the coffee. Then I got a Braun burr grinder and greatly prefer it. It's much easier to use and you get a completely even grind. This allows you to use a finer grind overall without ending up with lots of powder. I had the Braun for about ten years and then recently replaced it with a Breville (low speed) burr grinder and it's excellent.

I'm sure you can get an excellent cup of coffee with a blade grinder, but for me the convenience and uniformity of blend with a burr make it worth the price.

I was a gnat's wing away from buying a Burr grinder when I read somewhere on the Net to shake the blade grinder while grinding. (You guys must be geniuses for figuring that out. I don't think I would have on my own.) Once I started doing that, my ground coffee seems uniform enough to take me into the realm of diminished returns for anything more uniform. But that is only my supposition right now.

Also, it didn't seem that there were any low-priced Burr grinders that didn't have legitimate issues (gathered from reviews at Amazon) to dissuade me. I'll keep the Breville and Capresso in mind when I come to that fork in the road in the future.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[marvin100]

About the Aeropress.... So I put in the filter, add a few scoops of ground coffee and add hot water.... before I have time to even stir, most of the water has already gone thru the filter in the cup, leaving only about 1/3 of water in the press-container to stir and press. Is this normal?

You may want to try a finer grind. I use an espresso grind (okay, maybe slightly coarser than a good espresso grind...I have a low-end consumer burr grinder) and this never happens to me. At most, 10% of my water runs through.

 

[mmack66]

I had a blade grinder for years in college. I would fill it, grind and shake at the same time, check it, shake it, grind a little more, etc.

That made me laugh cause that is how I use a blade grinder as well.

 

[Luc]

There are only two devices that gave me extra good coffee.

First is a Bodum. Easy, simple, quick, good...

Second and I think it's the best one, an Italian Espresso maker. I've been using one of those for the past 8 years on a daily basis. Always great. I have a 2 espresso cups so it's good for 1 mug! I tried it in the 12 cups format and for some unknown reasons, the 2 cups is better...

 

[marvin100]

There are only two devices that gave me extra good coffee.

First is a Bodum. Easy, simple, quick, good...

Second and I think it's the best one, an Italian Espresso maker. I've been using one of those for the past 8 years on a daily basis. Always great. I have a 2 espresso cups so it's good for 1 mug! I tried it in the 12 cups format and for some unknown reasons, the 2 cups is better...

The Bodum is an example of a French press and the "Italian Espresso Maker" is a Moka pot. I used both of them almost daily until I got my Aeropress, which rendered the latter obsolete and the former obsolete unless I need a thermos full of coffee in one fell swoop.

 

[Luc]

The Bodum is an example of a French press and the "Italian Espresso Maker" is a Moka pot. I used both of them almost daily until I got my Aeropress, which rendered the latter obsolete and the former obsolete unless I need a thermos full of coffee in one fell swoop.

I might need to get me one of those...

 

[BarryR]

I was a gnat's wing away from buying a Burr grinder when I read somewhere on the Net to shake the blade grinder while grinding. (You guys must be geniuses for figuring that out. I don't think I would have on my own.) Once I started doing that, my ground coffee seems uniform enough to take me into the realm of diminished returns for anything more uniform. But that is only my supposition right now.

Also, it didn't seem that there were any low-priced Burr grinders that didn't have legitimate issues (gathered from reviews at Amazon) to dissuade me. I'll keep the Breville and Capresso in mind when I come to that fork in the road in the future.

Thanks,

Steve

The main quirk of the Breville is that with the dial set to max it's about enough for 8-9 strong cups of coffee. I think that's because it's made for espresso grinds in mind. I rarely make more than 6-8 cups, but when I do, I have to run it twice. I think this my only issue with it and it's not a big deal.

 

[Jasonian]

Aww man! I love that coffee maker!
Ernest

It's a snazzy moka pot.

To the guy who says all brewers are the same, and that you don't need a burr grinder to get good coffee: I would say, then, that you and I have VAST differences in taste perception, and VAST differences in what either would consider to be "good".

Double blind study? I don't need to be blind to be objective. I am not brand or beauty biased. I am results biased. 200F water makes better coffee. High quality burr grinders make better coffee. If you'd like, I can explain the logic behind it. I have a feeling you'll decline that offer.

The thing Ken got right, however, is that the coffee makes a bigger difference, all things considered. He is a name, and a brand, but I don't find his "reviews" to be very accurate very often. Especially when talking espresso. (the man has done great things for the promotion of coffee to consumers with his book on home coffee roasting, but his book on espresso was like watching a train wreck)

Do yourself a favor and drop $4.00US (that's four dollars) on a Melitta pour-over cone. Boil some water and brew some coffee through the Melitta in 3 min. at a 3min. grind setting and tell me it's "just as bad" as the coffee through your Mr. Coffee brewer. It's not about cost. It's about results. The problem is that convenience + results tends to cost a pretty penny. That's just the facts.

 

[BurkDarkpatches]

<snip>

To the guy who says all brewers are the same, and that you don't need a burr grinder to get good coffee: I would say, then, that you and I have VAST differences in taste perception, and VAST differences in what either would consider to be "good".

That may be true, but since I have an at least adequate taste for good coffee, your vast difference (sorry, VAST) is between you and the majority of coffee drinkers (which happens to include me). I didn't quite say they were all the same, just that most, apparently, can make a good cup of coffee. Great cups of coffee in my experience, by improving the quality of coffee. It's most certainly true that you don't need a Burr grinder to make a good cup of coffee.

Double blind study? I don't need to be blind to be objective.

To the OP: SEE! That's what I'm talking about!

To quoted poster:

If you're not joking, it's a metaphor. And you do need to be blind metaphorically, along with several of your coffee connesseiur friends, in order to try to factor out your biases to find the truth about what makes a good automatic coffee maker (see my next response). Coffeereview.com guy and the folks at Consumer Reports did that and came to the conclusion that most modern makers make good coffee. That the kind of data the OP needs.

I am not brand or beauty biased.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

How quaint. You must not be human. I recommend starting with Bias Blind Spot.

If I bought a $250 coffee maker, I _damn well_ would love it too.

I am results biased. 200F water makes better coffee. High quality burr grinders make better coffee. If you'd like, I can explain the logic behind it. I have a feeling you'll decline that offer.

I wasn't necessarily arguing that 200F and Burr grinders weren't better, just that they weren't "better" enough to justify their cost; hence the term "diminishing returns." The question seems to be, out of the variables I can control, what is the minimum acceptable performance for each one and and which one will give me a substantial bang for the buck if I spend more. Should I spend more on 1) the coffee maker? The answer appears to be "no" from people who prove their objectivity and don't just assert it. 2) Buying a (any kind) coffee grinder instead of buying pre-ground? Yes, also backed up by objective testing. 3) A Burr grinder instead of a blade (a 5 to 20x cost increase)? Maybe, I'm not aware of any testing to back this up either way. Two arguments for Burr are grain size uniformity and the blades heating up and altering the coffee. For auto drip, I find it hard to believe the former matters if you have good technique with a blade grinder. The latter seems unlikely as well. 4) Freshly roasted coffee. Seems to make a huge difference to me.

No doubt you can make a logical castle in the sky for 200F and Burr grinders, even if your premises are wrong, which I think they might be; esp. in regard to the OP's needs. Coffee websites make the argument for both, I'm only saying that I haven't seen evidence backing them up. People who aren't eager to spend $350 for coffee maker and grinder will probably want there to be more than a marginal improvement in the end result.

<snip stuff about Ken at Coffeereview.com that I don't disagree with>

Do yourself a favor and drop $4.00US (that's four dollars) on a Melitta pour-over cone. Boil some water and brew some coffee through the Melitta in 3 min. at a 3min. grind setting and tell me it's "just as bad" as the coffee through your Mr. Coffee brewer. It's not about cost. It's about results. The problem is that convenience + results tends to cost a pretty penny. That's just the facts.

The Melitta test is a good idea (double blind, of course; see cognitive biases above, if you dare). Let me know how it goes.

There are many ways to make coffee that are fairly inexpensive that have devotees. The automated drip machines (as well as, I'm guessing, espresso) get ridiculously expensive, which is a result, I think, of the market and their niche clientele.

'tell me it's "just as bad"'

Now you're just getting mean. ;-)

Steve