Coffee drinkers! Got a question...

[13ALPHA]

I love coffee. I will start off with that. Each day consists of way too many cups of black goodness.

I have a coffee maker with a carafe, so no heated bottom to burn coffee, just nice hot coffee all day with no burnt taste. Here is my dilemma:

I have a wire mesh filter and paper filters. I have used both, and can say I didn't notice a huge difference. Paper is convenient, but mesh is reusable just a hassle to rinse out (not to mention I am not supposed to put grinds in the septic).

Coffee gurus is which is better? What do you use and why?

Thanks!

 

[SiBurning]

It's all good.

I use both paper filters and a gold filter for manual drip. The gold filters let some fines through making a "richer" tasting, but less clean cup.

I also have a chemex that uses chemical-quality paper filters, a vacuum pot, a stovetop espresso machine, an ibrik for turkish coffee, a press pot, and even make cowboy coffee.

It's all good.

 

[gurana]

I've read that the paper filters are supposed to be better at keeping some of the oils naturally in the beans out of your finished coffee. I've read reports that this is supposed to be better for you... something to do with your cholesterol, but other aspects of your diet/lifestyle/genetics play much larger roles.

A gold tone reusable filter is supposed to make the end result closer to something like a french press, though they're not the same.

As for which is better, I don't believe there's really a consensus on that... like with everything else, it's all about preference. I think your question assumes that there's something inherently wrong with one or the other, and that's not really the case here... they're just different methods providing different results and people have their preferences...

I prefer the gold tone reusables. I think the end result tastes better, and the fact that it may be slightly worse for my health is a plus in some ways

 

[13ALPHA]

It's all good.

I use both paper filters and a gold filter for manual drip. The gold filters let some fines through making a "richer" tasting, but less clean cup.

I also have a chemex that uses chemical-quality paper filters, a vacuum pot, a stovetop espresso machine, an ibrik for turkish coffee, a press pot, and even make cowboy coffee.

It's all good.

Nice, my wife's family is from the middle east and they make some awesome Arabic coffee. That's what I need right now.....

So is there no real effect on taste? Similar to how french press are supposed to be different?

 

[raisindot]

I love coffee. I will start off with that. Each day consists of way too many cups of black goodness.

Amen, bro! Sittin' here with cuppa numba 6 today and the day's only half d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-ddone!

I have a wire mesh filter and paper filters. I have used both, and can say I didn't notice a huge difference. Paper is convenient, but mesh is reusable just a hassle to rinse out (not to mention I am not supposed to put grinds in the septic).

Coffee gurus is which is better? What do you use and why?

Thanks!

I really have never noticed a difference, tastewise, between java run through gold filters and paper filters. But I have noticed that the gold filter lets through little coffee bits. So, those are really my grounds for using paper filters instead.

Jeff in Boston

 

[13ALPHA]

I've read that the paper filters are supposed to be better at keeping some of the oils naturally in the beans out of your finished coffee. I've read reports that this is supposed to be better for you... something to do with your cholesterol, but other aspects of your diet/lifestyle/genetics play much larger roles.

A gold tone reusable filter is supposed to make the end result closer to something like a french press, though they're not the same.

As for which is better, I don't believe there's really a consensus on that... like with everything else, it's all about preference. I think your question assumes that there's something inherently wrong with one or the other, and that's not really the case here... they're just different methods providing different results and people have their preferences...

I prefer the gold tone reusables. I think the end result tastes better, and the fact that it may be slightly worse for my health is a plus in some ways

I didn't mean for one or the other be be wrong, I have done both and like them. More of going for what others prefer and why.

I guess for me, convenience of paper helps, and can't put grinds down the drain anyway.

Anyone roast their own before???

 

[SiBurning]

Nice, my wife's family is from the middle east and they make some awesome Arabic coffee. That's what I need right now.....

So is there no real effect on taste? Similar to how french press are supposed to be different?

There's a difference in taste. It's not only the body of the coffee, but someone mentioned how paper filters trap oils. It's not just the filter, but how fines accumulate on the filter. The chemex paper is strong enough to stand up to stirring the grinds and scraping with a spoon, and I get more deep flavor when I scrape it. Unfortunately, the chemex paper is actually lab grade filter paper that traps ALL of the oils and fines, making for a very clean cup that lacks other nice things.

I can't make up my mind and enjoy all of these says of making coffee. I'll set a drip or press pot or cowboy coffee anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes to get a different tasting cup. Wish I had it down enough to know which types of coffee work better with which method, but I usually end up just trying each batch different ways and leaning to what's best for that batch.

 

[13ALPHA]

I didn't mean for one or the other be be wrong, I have done both and like them. More of going for what others prefer and why.

I guess for me, convenience of paper helps, and can't put grinds down the drain anyway.

Anyone roast their own before???

Woops! Just realized I have "grinds" in there. Grounds I guess.

 

[13ALPHA]

I suppose I will switch to the mesh and see how it goes. Cup #3 now.... especially now that we are supposed to get snow, I drink more!

 

[13ALPHA]

Uh oh, disagreement with SWMBO.

Grinds or grounds? You grind them, but afterwards they are ground.

 

[mkevenson]

I started using cloth filters about 9 months ago. Wash in edible soap and no waste. Throw bulk of gounds in trash and the rest in garbage disposal. I do use brown paper from Traders Joes also when I add Brandy to my coffee on weekends and at night. I use a large Japanese glass pot with wire cloth filter holder and hot water. Fresh ground beans and I roast my own. Haven't found a better way yet but still willing to learn.

 

[Tanksfurnutin]

About two days ago my wife broke the top of our vacuum pot so we had to dust off the drip maker and start using it.

After two days I can't get over how much more I enjoy the coffee from the vac pot. Now I understand why we go through the hassle of making it this way. Hopefully, it will only be another week before the part arrives.

 

[SiBurning]

Forgot all about it until the mention of cloth filters. I also have a coffee sock. I don't recommend it.

 

[13ALPHA]

I started using cloth filters about 9 months ago. Wash in edible soap and no waste. Throw bulk of gounds in trash and the rest in garbage disposal. I do use brown paper from Traders Joes also when I add Brandy to my coffee on weekends and at night. I use a large Japanese glass pot with wire cloth filter holder and hot water. Fresh ground beans and I roast my own. Haven't found a better way yet but still willing to learn.

Brandy in coffee! Bailey's is not too bad!

About two days ago my wife broke the top of our vacuum pot so we had to dust off the drip maker and start using it.

After two days I can't get over how much more I enjoy the coffee from the vac pot. Now I understand why we go through the hassle of making it this way. Hopefully, it will only be another week before the part arrives.

What exactly is a vacuum pot? Brews into a vacuum? How?

Forgot all about it until the mention of cloth filters. I also have a coffee sock. I don't recommend it.

COFFEE SOCK?! Better explain

 

[WhosYerBob]

Coffee gurus is which is better? What do you use and why?

Neither. I roast my own beans, mill them in a hand grinder and make cappuccinos every morning.

 

[Jasonian]

I didn't mean for one or the other be be wrong, I have done both and like them. More of going for what others prefer and why.

I guess for me, convenience of paper helps, and can't put grinds down the drain anyway.

Anyone roast their own before???

No, never. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=53


Paper, as others have said, results in a cleaner up, but with the oils filtered out of the brew. Some will say that they can taste the paper in the finished product. (I can) Rinsing helps, but nothing gets rid of it entirely.

The mesh filter does allow coffee oils through. I personally consider this a good thing. The resulting sludge in the bottom of my cup owed to its use is not all that bad. Sometimes I like a little of the coffee mud. But only, and I stress this part, if the coffee was recently roasted. Stale coffee mud is atrocious.

 

[13ALPHA]

I too like a little substance to my coffee. Next pot will have the mesh in.

I like the idea of roasting coffee, bet it smells awesome. I imagine you buys bean online?

Edit: Read more in the group...hmmmmm....getting interested ...

 

[SiBurning]

coffee sock

Okay, some socks are worse than others

vacuum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_coffee_maker

 

[13ALPHA]

Very interesting the vac pot. I might stick to french press and drip. But roasting I may venture into.

 

[gurana]

I didn't mean for one or the other be be wrong, I have done both and like them. More of going for what others prefer and why.

I guess for me, convenience of paper helps, and can't put grinds down the drain anyway.

Anyone roast their own before???

at least one B&B member has done this (sticky in the Cafe)