New to The Cafe

[jhadsell1883]

Thanks in advance for your input. I am having a hard time choosing a good starter setup for brewing coffee. I am replacing my Keurig from 4 years ago and I really like the convenience it provides but I am wanting better quality coffee. I have been researching options for a few days now and am looking at the Aeropress, Clever, or a pour over system.

I received a Hamilton Beach 2 way brewer along with a kitchen aid blade grinder for Christmas and so far I'm not impressed with the single serve side. I'm not sure how often I would use the carafe side since I'm the only one in the house drinking coffee on a daily basis. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to get out the 12 cup coffee maker in the last 4 years

With that being said I'm leaning towards the Hario Skerton or Mini burr grinder and the Aeropress due to cost and speed of brewing. At this point, I can't bring myself to spend over $100 on an electric burr grinder like the Encore. I can always use my starter setup at the office or for travel eventually. I also already have a Bodum french press but typically get more grinds in the bottom of the cup than what I prefer, maybe a better grinder would fix that.

Any suggestions are welcome. Today is my first day of a week's vacation at home so I now have time to dig through reviews and try some different options to find my first good coffee setup!

 

[Mick]

1 cup press is the ticket. NO muss. NO fuss. You can even heat 1.5 cups of water in the microwave to boiling in a few minutes. 30 second bloom followed by 3 minuet steep and you are drinking joe. One cup on the right four cup on the left for a size comparision

For a grinder ditch the whirly blade and get a Kyocera Hario standard (not mini) grinder. Both the Kyuocera and Hario are the same grinder just different branded for resale. Kyocera makes the ceramic burs. Mini is a good espresso grinder but not too good for pour over. Orphan espresso makes a 2nd bearing modification for the Hario/Kyocera grinder which is worth doing for grinding med to coarse ground beans

I use my Mini for grinding espresso which it does very well

 

[Alacrity59]

All I can say is "Freshly roasted whole beans ground just before you brew your coffee". I don't think there is any other thing that makes a larger impact.

 

[StillShaving]

If you plan to continue to broaden your coffee horizons and can fit into your budget now, a lido-2 from orphan espresso is recommended.

Over the coming months you would likey enjoy getting a French press, Aeropress, and some type of pour-over. All are inexpensive and will give you a slightly different cup.

But as the previous poster noted the most important thing is to get fresh coffee beans. With fresh beans and a $5 plastic pour over, you can very good cups from your current blade grinder.

 

[gearchow]

If you don't like a bit of "mud" at the bottom of your cup, you should try the pour over. A plastic melitta cone and some #2 filters worked for me for years and still does for car camping. My wife still uses one for her single morning cup. I use a Clever mostly these days. Easy to clean and I think it's tolerant of grind (although too fine seems to clog paper filters) - very much like the presses that Mick suggested.

-jim

 

[jhadsell1883]

I appreciate the info, it's nice to hear from experienced users. I've done some more digging (and brewing/drinking).

I have used the HB 2 way brewer a few more times and like the coffee out of the carafe side better. I got a decent amount of grounds in the cup from the single serve side with the metal filter scoop that is included. Does that mean the grind is too fine or that it doesn't work that well? I am getting no grounds in the carafe side and it seems to be a decent cup of coffee (better than what brews at work at least). I used it yesterday with a fresh ground batch of Ethiopian beans that I got from a fellow coffee enthusiast. I tried measuring the temp while it was brewing and right when it was done. It showed 180 degrees at the highest point, is that good enough?

I do already have a french press, a Bodum brazil french press. So maybe I just need a good grinder to get started, like the hario. Is there an automatic burr grinder someone would recommend? It looks like the Baratza Encore and Capresso Infinity may be a good starting point. I see there are also a couple lower end models (around $50) and am wondering if it's worth spending twice as much?

Another quick question, is there a specialty coffee website everyone orders from or does amazon/retail store do the trick?

 

[jhadsell1883]

Just ordered an aero press and skerton grinder, they will be here on Wednesday! I think it will be a nice setup along with the French press.

 

[ouch]

The aeropress (the inventor is a B&B member, although I haven't seen him around in some time) makes a nice clean cup and a decent faux espresso, and I hear good things about that grinder.

I mostly use a French press, a pour over, or the Clever.

 

[jhadsell1883]

The aeropress (the inventor is a B&B member, although I haven't seen him around in some time) makes a nice clean cup and a decent faux espresso, and I hear good things about that grinder.

I mostly use a French press, a pour over, or the Clever.

That's awesome, I guess you learn something everyday

 

[Mick]

The Skerton should work well for you and not take too much time grinding medium level.

If you think that the consistency is not spot on, go to Orphan and get their bottom bearing mod. I can say it makes a HUGE difference with med to coarse grinds. NO fines, just a consistent size grind so not a lot of float through.

Here is the thread I did when I modified my CM-50 (same grinder as the one you bought just a different badge on it)

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/365858-Orphan-Kyocera-Skerton-bearing-mod-on-CM-50

If you want a decent starter automatic grinder, haunt the Baratza refurb page. They put refurbs up every Thurs so go early as they sell out FAST.

http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=RFRB

Their refurbs have the same 1 year warranty that new grinders do with the advantage that they have been on the bench at Baratza and get "special attention" which does not happen on the assembly line so I always look for refurbs from them when considering a new grinder as I feel I will get a better more consistent machine if it has passed through the inspection re-calibration bench

 

[jhadsell1883]

I got the skerton today and tested it with my French press and new Cuisinart coffee maker. It is working great and doesn't take too long to grind a few cups worth of beans. I used the Ethiopian blend I had a small bag of and got more flavor out of the press but good cups from each