Best method for making one cup of coffee?

[Frankthetank]

Pop the portafilter into the grinder, press a button, grinds a preset amount, tamp, espresso machine, little bit of boiled water from the kettle on top.

Nice americano in a few minutes. I love my new smart grinder.

 

[Try em all]

1.Moka pot

 

[poison]

You melitta folks should try a Clever. It has the added benefit of not flowing through until you set it on the cup, so it's a full-saturation brew.

 

[JohnYaddy]

I'm partial to the Aeropress. Also have a Melitta and a ceramic pour over, and an ibrik. But the Aeropress gets daily use.

 

[August West]

You melitta folks should try a Clever. It has the added benefit of not flowing through until you set it on the cup, so it's a full-saturation brew.

I am going to look into this.

https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/abid/clever

 

[gearchow]

A clever is worth the purchase.

-jim

 

[coloradomonkey]

A 1-cup Moka pot (Bialetti) can be obtained which delivers coffee which is pretty close to espresso in quality.

+1

Moka is great

Pour over is another option.

 

[Hexabuzz]

I'm partial to the Aeropress. Also have a Melitta and a ceramic pour over, and an ibrik. But the Aeropress gets daily use.

+1 Aeropress

I have one at home and at work

 

[Slash McCoy]

A superautomatic espresso machine. Great coffee, very convenient. Push the button, beans get ground, tamped, brewed, pushed out into the bin, while coffee squirts magically into your mug. Only takes a couple of minutes from a cold machine start, unless you also want to froth milk for a cappuccino. Largely self cleaning, I just deep clean mine once a week or so. Does espresso or regular type coffee which is still more aromatic than drip or press or even moka. I don't use fancy pants beans, just 8 o'clock Columbian.

 

[gearchow]

A superautomatic espresso machine. Great coffee, very convenient. Push the button, beans get ground, tamped, brewed, pushed out into the bin, while coffee squirts magically into your mug. Only takes a couple of minutes from a cold machine start, unless you also want to froth milk for a cappuccino. Largely self cleaning, I just deep clean mine once a week or so. Does espresso or regular type coffee which is still more aromatic than drip or press or even moka. I don't use fancy pants beans, just 8 o'clock Columbian.

and get off my lawn!



-jim

 

[poison]

I am going to look into this.

https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/abid/clever

Hope you try it. It brews a really good cup, and it's really easy!

A clever is worth the purchase.

-jim

Hi five! Bonavita makes a ceramic version, but I prefer the plastic: it doesn't need to be prewarmed. Hey, it's BPA-free (blah whatever, there are bigger concerns anyway)!

A superautomatic espresso machine. Great coffee, very convenient. Push the button, beans get ground, tamped, brewed, pushed out into the bin, while coffee squirts magically into your mug. Only takes a couple of minutes from a cold machine start, unless you also want to froth milk for a cappuccino. Largely self cleaning, I just deep clean mine once a week or so. Does espresso or regular type coffee which is still more aromatic than drip or press or even moka. I don't use fancy pants beans, just 8 o'clock Columbian.

Coffee snobs tend to ridicule super-autos, but when convenience is necessary, it's the best option. They are a bit more work than Nespresso, but potentially a lot better, and still reliable. I've used a bunch, in different work scenarios, and I enjoyed them (and was very grateful it wasn't a Keurig!).

 

[Slash McCoy]

Hope you try it. It brews a really good cup, and it's really easy!



Hi five! Bonavita makes a ceramic version, but I prefer the plastic: it doesn't need to be prewarmed. Hey, it's BPA-free (blah whatever, there are bigger concerns anyway)!



Coffee snobs tend to ridicule super-autos, but when convenience is necessary, it's the best option. They are a bit more work than Nespresso, but potentially a lot better, and still reliable. I've used a bunch, in different work scenarios, and I enjoyed them (and was very grateful it wasn't a Keurig!).

Convenience is VERY necessary for me. I simply have too many projects always going on, besides that "job" thingie they expect me to go to 5 days a week. Seriously sometimes I don't even have time to drink it. Or wash my mug... I went to paper cups and now there are paper cups nearly full of days old espresso all over the place. A less convenient way of making coffee simply would never be used by me.

Keurigs? When they first came out I thought people would be too smart to fall for that hustle and the company would fall flat on its face, but look now! They are everywhere! Those pods full of pre-ground coffee are a rip off IYAM. Convenient, yeah maybe. Definitely only practical when you need to brew and individual cup. Refillable pods? Sure but then you are right back to grinding and filling something where with my Delonghi I just dump a half sack of beans in the hopper when the blinkies blink "feed me". Fill the water tank when it blinks "Im thirsty". Empty the puck bin when the lights say "empty me". And push the button when I want espresso which I don't care... it is at least as good as starbucks if not a bit better.

 

[Larry C in Texas]

Boy, I know I am going to catch much grief for this, but I use Starbucks Via instant coffee (Italian or Italian Decaf). I can only drink one cup of coffee per day, and this is the easiest way for me to get coffee I like. I have several other things - French Press is a huge pain to clean up, Aeropress is easier to clean up but takes time/effort. Haven't tried any pour-overs, but they look fairly painless but still not as easy as the VIA. I do have a Gaggia Classic espresso maker for the occasional iced lattes and normal lattes in winter, but that's a lot more effort than I want to do on a daily basis.

YMMV, of course. I expect no one else uses the Via packets, and that's OK since they work for me.

 

[takeshi]

Coffee snobs tend to ridicule super-autos, but when convenience is necessary, it's the best option. They are a bit more work than Nespresso, but potentially a lot better, and still reliable. I've used a bunch, in different work scenarios, and I enjoyed them (and was very grateful it wasn't a Keurig!).

Best is always highly subjective and not all with a particular preference for coffee are snobs. Superautos and single serves are nonstarters for me given what they produce. If others place convenience above all else and such solutions work for them then that's great for them. Convenience does not trump all else for me. My DB is plenty fast. As with most things, YMMV.

Boy, I know I am going to catch much grief for this, but I use Starbucks Via instant coffee (Italian or Italian Decaf).

If you like it that's all that matters. Each has to do what works best for the individual. There isn't just one way to prepare or drink coffee.

 

[AJ123]

I've tried everything and Aeropress is the best.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Cof...UTF8&qid=1439327609&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

The clincher is the instant clean-up. You just pop the grounds and filter into the trash can. Rinse and you are ready to go for next day. I dish wash it all once a year. I've made over 2,000 cups in mine and the O-ring is still perfect. My wife offered to buy me an expresso/cappuccino machine for Christmas and I said no! I like my Aeropress best.

A good accompanying product is the battery milk frother:

http://www.amazon.com/MatchaDNA-Han...39327676&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+milk+frother

For $29 Aeropress and $7 milk frother, you can make cappuccino, lattes, or all manner of coffee that is the equal of any $10,000 machine.

AJ

[An oldie but a goodie thread!]

 

[JohnYaddy]

I've tried everything and Aeropress is the best.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Cof...UTF8&qid=1439327609&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

The clincher is the instant clean-up. You just pop the grounds and filter into the trash can. Rinse and you are ready to go for next day. I dish wash it all once a year. I've made over 2,000 cups in mine and the O-ring is still perfect. My wife offered to buy me an expresso/cappuccino machine for Christmas and I said no! I like my Aeropress best.

A good accompanying product is the battery milk frother:

http://www.amazon.com/MatchaDNA-Han...39327676&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+milk+frother

For $29 Aeropress and $7 milk frother, you can make cappuccino, lattes, or all manner of coffee that is the equal of any $10,000 machine.

AJ

[An oldie but a goodie thread!]

As stated by Takeshi, YMMV. I'm a hearty Aeropress advocate, especially in response to OP's question. However, the "espresso" capabilities are dubious, IMO. Makes a darn fine cup of coffee, but not enough pressure for a true espresso shot with all the body and delicious crema.

 

[AJ123]

Here's my recipe for latte. You won't find this in the box or on line very easily. I do this in a little over three minutes each day:

1. Turn on water pot to 190 degrees.
2. Put 3 oz of milk in your coffee mug and put in microwave for 60 seconds.
3. Assemble filter on Aeropress. I put the octagonal piece on the top to catch the grounds and water and put the filter and tube right on a second coffee pot. ( Some use the octagonal funnel between the mug and the aeropress cylinder.)
4. Put the assembled Aeropress on a second mug.
5. Grind a few spoonfuls of coffee. Dump it into the Aeropress
6. Pour the hot water on top and stir with the plastic piece
7. Remove the now-hot milk out of the microwave and froth for 30 seconds. Leave frother in the milk.
8. Take off the stirring plastic and the funny octagonal funnel piece off the Aeropress cylinder and rinse them
9. Now put the plunger into the Aeropress cylinder while it's sitting on the second mug.
9. Put a hand next to the Aeropress in case a few drops of coffee shoot out the side and would otherwise get on your clothes.
10. Press the plunger down - no matter how hard you press, it will only go down so fast!
11. Once it is pressed down all the way, give it a really good heavy press to get the last few drops of coffee oil out.
12. Unscrew the filter piece and pop the grounds and filter into the trash and wipe/rinse off and put back on shelf for next day.
13. Do some more frothing on your milk and pour the just-made expresso/coffee on top of the frothed milk, perhaps while you are frothing, if you like it mixed with the frothed milk.
14. Rinse this second mug you just used with the cylinder and rinse the frother. You are cleaned up and ready to enjoy your coffee/expresso/cappuccino/latte.

Vary the water amount, coffee amount, choice of beans, amount of milk, and amount of frothing until you get the exact expresso/cappuccino/latte/froth combination that you prefer.

You won't find these in the directions. You will find a lot of oddball variations on Amazon and youtube.


FYI, I leave my beans in a plastic holder on top of the grinder, so I just turn on 15 seconds when I want the ground coffee.

I've learned from factory techs that the above procedure with immediate cleaning also is what keeps the O-Ring healthy. Mine has no degredation after 6 years.

I've tried everything and Aeropress is the best.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Cof...UTF8&qid=1439327609&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

The clincher is the instant clean-up. You just pop the grounds and filter into the trash can. Rinse and you are ready to go for next day. I dish wash it all once a year. I've made over 2,000 cups in mine and the O-ring is still perfect. My wife offered to buy me an expresso/cappuccino machine for Christmas and I said no! I like my Aeropress best.

A good accompanying product is the battery milk frother:

http://www.amazon.com/MatchaDNA-Han...39327676&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+milk+frother

For $29 Aeropress and $7 milk frother, you can make cappuccino, lattes, or all manner of coffee that is the equal of any $10,000 machine.

AJ

[An oldie but a goodie thread!]

 

[AJ123]

I'll admit that getting the crema and body exactly just the way you like it is a bit of an art that takes a while to master. I've given this product to friends and they come over a month later and want to see me make it again and they get the subtlety of all the variations possible, so I'm probably overstating how easy it is. For example, there's a big difference between old and run down batteries in the frother. Working the air or not working the air into the frothing makes a big difference. Of course, if you just want a good quick cup of coffee, that's easy. I admit that if you want true expresso, it's hard - you do need to really apply the pressure at the end and not use too much water and use plenty of fresh ground expresso beans. I don't really care about perfect expresso since I usually make a generous cup of latte.

As stated by Takeshi, YMMV. I'm a hearty Aeropress advocate, especially in response to OP's question. However, the "espresso" capabilities are dubious, IMO. Makes a darn fine cup of coffee, but not enough pressure for a true espresso shot with all the body and delicious crema.

 

[poison]

Convenience is VERY necessary for me. I simply have too many projects always going on, besides that "job" thingie they expect me to go to 5 days a week. Seriously sometimes I don't even have time to drink it. Or wash my mug... I went to paper cups and now there are paper cups nearly full of days old espresso all over the place. A less convenient way of making coffee simply would never be used by me.

Keurigs? When they first came out I thought people would be too smart to fall for that hustle and the company would fall flat on its face, but look now! They are everywhere! Those pods full of pre-ground coffee are a rip off IYAM. Convenient, yeah maybe. Definitely only practical when you need to brew and individual cup. Refillable pods? Sure but then you are right back to grinding and filling something where with my Delonghi I just dump a half sack of beans in the hopper when the blinkies blink "feed me". Fill the water tank when it blinks "Im thirsty". Empty the puck bin when the lights say "empty me". And push the button when I want espresso which I don't care... it is at least as good as starbucks if not a bit better.

I agree. Nespresso is the best-tasting pod option, but your choice is even better. Kind of funny about the paper cups!

 

[docjude]

Small French Press