Dorm room - Coffee / Tea preparation

[Alacrity59]

A lot of folk are headed back to school. What equipment would you recommend for Coffee / Tea preparation.

• Should be minimalistic
• Relatively inexpensive

I really like my Aeropress for the office along with (gasp) an electric blade grinder.

What do you guys suggest? (Tea and Coffee)

 

[cb91710]

French press and an electric grinder comes to mind as the most elegant solution that is still practical.

Most practical, but also more expensive and likely not the quality you're looking for... one of the K-cup systems.

Middle of the road practicality, but definitely not the quality... 4-cup Mr Coffee and a 3lb can of Folgers

 

[Mick]

Porlex grinder (or a Hario... both are pretty small and amazing grinders capable of handling everything from espresso to french press grind)

A Hario V60-01 (small) ceramic pour over (will make 1 or 2 cups)

there is not a good way around a decent kettle. Most are going to run $60 or more but the V60 is around $16 and the Porlex or Hairo grinders can be found $20-30 if you look hard.

This will make the best cup for the least cost.

Now if someone is lucky and can find a Melitta or Chemex at goodwill.... Even better

 

[EricBNC]

Bonavita travel kettle eats up $30 but will boil 500 ml of water fast - compact too. Durable metal without exposed element heats water for coffee, tea, and Ramen noodles. Melitta Ready Set Joe cone and a cup will eat up less than $10 and Bob's your uncle.

 

[Drybonz]

I would also recommend a good electric kettle, as most dorm occupants won't have access to a stove. I have a Saeco, but it's probably not the best value out there.

 

[Alacrity59]

Can one boil water in a microwave without super-heating it and making a dangerous mess?

 

[Sullybob]

Can one boil water in a microwave without super-heating it and making a dangerous mess?

I think you can. You could also put a popsickle stick in the water and it will allow the water to boil. Edited to add a link to Snopes.com on super heating water in a microwave http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave.asp



I'd recommend a Chemex or Aeropress along with a tea pot and a hot plate. For a grinder it would depend on how much coffee is going to be consumed, you could go with a hand grinder or pick up a refurbished Baratza.

 

[StillShaving]

Good thread to generate ideas.

If I could spare a few extra $, I would build a foundation around the Bonavita variable temperature kettle. If I couldn't afford the ~$100 on the kettle or I had other method to boil water I could accept that, would just need to pay more attention to temperature and allow time for cooling, especially if making tea.

For tea brewing I would get a metal infuser, something like this or this.

For coffee grinding I would first consider a small hand grinder such as those from Hario or Porlex. But I would not scoff at getting a whirly blade grinder or anything I could get from family member or second hand.

For coffee brewing would start with a basic pour-over set. Should be able to get a V-shape or conical shaped plastic base with filters for around $10. A glass/ceramic base would be a preferred upgrade option. Aeropress is another fine idea.

 

[ANeat]

For me I would probably use the microwave for boiling the water, probably already have one there anyway,

For a grinder get a Hario hand grinder if youre really watching cost, if you can splurge a little get a Lido hand grinder, awesome grinder.

Go for a pour over, Hario or Chemex, Clever coffe Dripper.... as much as I like french press one appealing feature of the pourovers is not having to rinse out the grounds like on a french press so its a little quicker to clean up, but you have to buy the filters....
The Aeropress also makes a very good cup, or Mypressi twist if youre into espresso, very handy.

 

[Slash McCoy]

First, the grinder.
http://compare.ebay.com/like/281147284900?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar#
This is a Turkish type grinder and I have a couple and they work okay. More convenient than the wood box type grinder. The problem is, the grind only adjusts just so much. It comes out fine, even at the coarsest possible adjustment. Good for espresso. So-so for drip. Worthless for FP. But you can do like me, and disassemble the grinder, and carefully grind down the burr cone on a bench grinder to increase the gap, if you want to use it for FP coffee. These go for about $10 in Istanbul. Elsewhere if you get it including shipping for $20 you are getting a good deal.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/grinders/manual-grinders/zassenhaus-175-m-turkish-mill.html
Zassenhaus is well known in Europe. This is a Turkish style grinder made by them, with a much higher quality burr and it grinds much coarser. In fact I would guess that it can't grind fine enough for espresso. It certainly grinds too coarse for Turkish coffee. For pourover, perfect. However, for THIS price, you could just as well have a Hario.

If you pass by a grocery every day, just use the store grinder. Get just a few ounces of coffee, run it through the grinder, and use it til it's gone, hopefully no more than a couple of days. Store it in a SMALL airtight container for best results. Okay, not as good as fresh ground right when you brew it, but nearly there. And you are in college, after all. Your station in life is to endure hardship LOL!

Now the coffee maker. For a dorm room might I suggest a $3.99 Melitta pourover from the grocery store? More and more are stocking this cheap little unit. Don't look for it at walmart, though. They make too much money selling applicances for 10x that amount that do the same job. A French Press makes better coffee (YMMV) and is cheap, but you got to scoop out the grounds and stuff. With a pourover just toss filter and all. Easy Sneezy.

Hot water... try to find a "stinger" type immersion heater if you are just wanting to make a cup for yourself. Yes, you can boil water in a microwave. The popsicle stick trick just makes it a little faster. Be sure your water container has no metal and won't melt in the micro. Any cheap electric kettle will do, too. Don't expect it to last more than a year, unless you move up a notch in quality and price.

 

[Chevyguy]

When I went to college I used a basic 10-cup Braun drip coffeemaker and used whatever canned columbian coffee was on sale. I used the natural brown paper filters to keep cleanup easy, and I kept my coffee hot in a Stanley metal thermos that I bought at a 2nd hand store for five bucks. I didn't have time for a french press or grinding my own coffee. The thermos was great because I had hot coffee all day, and I still use it today.

Clayton

 

[Deltaboy]

Get a top end Mr. Coffee and a bag of Community Coffee.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

When I was in the dorm I wasn't allowed anything with a heating element so I would say a french press or pour over system while microwaving water in the microwave. A pour over that can utilitize pre-ground coffee while not the best tasting will be the easiest and probably the cheapest solution.

 

[VeLoRoK]

The cheapest way to go is the aeropress. No need to buy a pouring kettle, and the filters are cheaper and will last you longer. Get a hario mini-mill and the cheapest electric kettle you can find. You'll be set up better than anyone.

 

[StillShaving]

If convenience was a priority one could also try instant coffee or a 3-in-1 coffee packet that included cream and sugar. Not my first or second choice, but it might work for some. It would certainly be appealing for a small dorm room.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I also never liked coffee until I was out of college... Oh well.

 

[Mick]

I was an instant coffee drinker in college unless I was somewhere that had fresh coffee already made....

 

[Alacrity59]

I learned to like coffee in college. At some point I tried caffeine pills while studying . . . not a good thing for me at all. I might have coffee at lunch but no later if I want to sleep well.

 

[Mick]

I learned to like coffee in college. At some point I tried caffeine pills while studying . . . not a good thing for me at all. I might have coffee at lunch but no later if I want to sleep well.

For me, I can drink a cup of strong coffee and fall right asleep. Something about the warmth in the tummy puts me right under if I am tired.

 

[Gunney]

Gents,
I was hoping to get your opinion on Quick Fix's for both Coffee and Tea for while I am at university. Obviously the tea bit is easy, but any particular suggestions for a 'go-to' tea for tea-time? As for the coffee, any suggestions for instant? I can get the 'real' stuff at the cafeteria and a few shops on campus, but how about instant for those mornings where I don't get out to the cafe or feel like spending the money on shop stuff.

Cheers