Quality Coffee on a Budget

[Mick]

......as far as beans go, find a local roaster and get freshly-roasted beans.

best advice anyone can receive.

I know that if I lived that close to Intelligentsia Coffee I would be in there once a week MINIMUM for either green or fresh roasted.

http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/locations

GO THERE!!! Get some REAL coffee. It won't matter HOW you brew it, you will be blown away once you taste FRESH coffee1!!

 

[musicman1951]

In terms of coffee makers I don't think you'll find one that makes great coffee in your price range - except a French Press (which makes great coffee).

Do you live anywhere near a coffee roaster? I have a great one only a few miles from the house and purchase a 5lb bag of beans for $36, but if you had to pay for shipping I don't think it would be a bargain.

 

[gearchow]

I don't have one of those Mr Coffee style makers, but I've read - on the internet mind you - that they have issues with get the water hot enough. Is that true?

Regardless, I know cheap coffee setups. Get a #4 Melita cone and filters, a blade grinder and buy whole roasted beans from the place that has the highest turnover. That will probably be a costco. Go to the specialty roaster for those special occasions or until you get a bump in salary and can afford to go to them all of the time. When you get to that point, you need to start roasting your own beans. That continues the cheap path.

Down the road, the first thing you should upgrade is the grinder. Go with Mick's suggestions. The blade grinder will still be useful. I use my old one for my wife's decaff.

-jim

 

[OldAF]

I recommend a Clever Coffee Dripper. I use it every day. It looks like a pour over but unlike a pour over it holds the coffee and allows it to "brew", so functionally it is like a french press. You just don't have the mess to deal with because it uses filters. They are only about $20 and worth every penny. I think they make a small and large size now so be careful there... When I bought mine they only had the large. Available at Amazon and several other places.

 

[Mick]

I don't have one of those Mr Coffee style makers, but I've read - on the internet mind you - that they have issues with get the water hot enough. Is that true?

Most inexpensive automatic home coffee brewing systems do not heat to an acceptable coffee making temp. Some DO, some DON'T.

If you already have a coffee maker, do a dry run (no coffee or filter in the basket). Put a digital instant read thermometer in the water steam coming out of the brew basket and see how hot the brew water is coming out. You WILL get a drop in temp from the boiler to the carafe so don't expect to see 205º water regardless of your machine, 185º to 190º and up, exiting the brew basket should be acceptable for making good coffee with a home coffee machine. The higher the temp the better but unless it is very low it should not be an issue

If you are getting readings in the 150º to 160º range you may need to descale your machine. You can use vinegar in most home makers (diluted with water) and run a brew cycle with the mixture, then run 3-4 cycles of clear water to flush the vinegar and scale out. If your water comes out white or has chunks of "stuff" in it, you may need to run another batch of descaling solution again. After you get a clean un-junk cluttered brew cycle with clean clear water, test your brew temp once again and see if removing the scale from the boiler has helped. If it still comes out 150º to 160º find a nice box, put your coffee maker in it, and take a trip to goodwill with it (tell them it has been descaled, cleaned inside and is ready to go). Most of the inexpensive brewers cannot have their brew temp changed/adjusted so you are stuck with what the brewer does (or doesn't do).

IMPORTANT: Some machines do NOT like vinegar as it can harm the rubber seals and gaskets. For those machines (mostly the more expensive ones) purchase a commercial coffee descaling product and FOLLOW the directions on the product. There are 2 types of commercial products. One is a descaler (Dezcal) the other a coffee residue cleaner (Urnex). Don't get confused and use the wrong product as one dissolves minerals (scale) the other dissolves coffee oils (brown stains). You cannot interchange these two separate cleaning products.

Before you use anything in your coffee brewer do a google search for the name/brand of your machine plus the word "descale"

Regardless, I know cheap coffee setups. Get a #4 Melita cone and filters, a blade grinder and buy whole roasted beans from the place that has the highest turnover. That will probably be a costco. Go to the specialty roaster for those special occasions or until you get a bump in salary and can afford to go to them all of the time. When you get to that point, you need to start roasting your own beans. That continues the cheap path.

Down the road, the first thing you should upgrade is the grinder. Go with Mick's suggestions. The blade grinder will still be useful. I use my old one for my wife's decaff.

-jim

Any manual pour over system using either a stove top or electric kettle will make great coffee IF (big if here) you use freshly roasted beans (beans roasted within 14 days of your brewing), use hot enough water (195º-205º), and you grind the coffee just before brewing to the consistency that allows your brew cycle to fall within the prescribed time which will vary depending on how much finished coffee you are making (cup or pot).

You should be able to find the Melitta #2 and #4 drippers and filters at most grocery stores. Most Melitta drippers you will come across at grocery stores will be plastic drippers. Nothing wrong with plastic. I prefer heavy porcelain drippers as I preheat it along with the vessel which helps keep the brew temp stable as the brew water does not need to heat up the dripper AND brew coffee.

As far as grinders go, even a blade grinder will be more than enough for filtered pour over coffee as the consistency is not that important as long as the time it takes to brew the amount you want is not too short (too coarse a grind) or too long (too fine a grind). when using a blade grinder, always pulse it rather than turning it on constantly.

Two reasons for this:

#1 pulsing will move the beans into the blade when you stop (heaver/larger partials will settle) so you are grinding the "chunks" when you pulse and your finished grind will be more consistent. Don't be afraid to remove the lid and check your grind a few times during your grinding and STOP when you get to the consistency you desire. Don't be afraid to grab some of the grounds between your finger and thumb and examine the grind. Do this and you will soon learn what the proper grind looks and feels like.

#2 pulsing will not introduce as much heat to the beans as the blade is not in constant contact moving all of the coffee around the grinder. Heating the beans before you brew will make the subtle flavors go away as the volatile oils leave the bean when heated (that is what brewing does), so always pulse, check, pulse, check with a blade grinder. It's more work than pushing a button and walking away but if you practice and pay attention to what is happening in your blade grinder anyone should be able to get a decent pour over grind out of a blade grinder

Coffee is very forgiving (at least filtered pour over is). Some people want to make it MUCH more difficult that it needs to be.

To make great coffee just follow a few simple rules

#1: Use fresh roasted beans (2 to 14 days post roast)
#2: Grind the beans right before you brew.
#3: Grind the coffee beans as consistent as you can so it does not take too long or too short a time to brew.
#4: Use water that is within the right temp to make coffee (195º to 205º)

If you grind your beans when your water comes to a boil (assuming you have a non regulated kettle or are heating on your stove top) the water will cool down to the proper temperature to brew coffee as you grind the beans and get them into the filter. Boil, wait until temp drops from boiling to brew temp!!!

Now don't think that I am some kind of coffee guru just because I can write a long post. What I DON'T know about coffee could easily fill a couple books on the subject

Find what works for you and stick with it. Just like with shaving, if you want to try something new, change one part at a time, keeping every other part of your coffee making process unchanged. That way you can evaluate whether the change was good, bad, or did not make a difference

 

[emt88]

Alright guys, quick update. I tried descaling my coffee maker this morning, and let's just say it was bad. I used a diluted white vinegar solution, and had some big chunks coming out of the thing. I was able to do 5 fresh water (bottled) cycles before I had to pack it in and go to work. I will be giving it another round with the vinegar solution this evening. I was able to find a fresh roaster about 10-15 minutes from me. A shop called "mean bean". I will be stopping in there this weekend, as well as picking up a cheap blade grinder from wally world. I am also going to take a look at the miletta drippers while I am there.

 

[milkmanv1]

If you can't get your brewer up to speed, there always seem to be a few for 5-20$ at thrift stores around me. I'd check out secondhand shops, I'm a college student, and also generally pretty broke.

I've really been hoping to come across a good auto espresso pot on the cheap, but thats a lot harder than finding a "pretty damn good" automatic drip.

I think the biggest thing is your coffee, if you're used to higher quality coffee, than maxwell house or folgers won't exactly cut it. Its better than no coffe at all...but...get the fresh/locally roasted beans and report back.

You seem to be on to something with your coffee maker if you're getting a lot of gunk out of it!

Best of luck!

 

[SinnerinRehab]

Get a sample of the mean bean to taste. They might have two or three brewing. Pick what tastes better to YOU. What is sweet and light to my wife is sour to me.

 

[Mick]

I was able to find a fresh roaster about 10-15 minutes from me. A shop called "mean bean". I will be stopping in there this weekend, as well as picking up a cheap blade grinder from wally world. I am also going to take a look at the miletta drippers while I am there.

When you go to the roasting house see if you can get a couple cups of different coffees (served at the same time). Most will server pour over at a "coffee bar" so you can have several cups at a time and find one you like. THEN ask how they brewed it (ratio of beans to water) so you can duplicate it at home with your brewing method and their products.

If you show an interest you will find that most coffee roasters will be more than happy to talk to you about brewing their product as they want you as a customer.

 

[life2short1971]

Buy the freshest beans you can which is not Maxwell House. In fact if you buy a used hot air popcorn popper you can buy your own green beans at about $5 a lb or so and roast your own. After I have the best beans I could budget I would next move to something like a French Press for $10-$20. Your maintenance cost will be $0 because they have no paper filter to replace. You just pour the proper amount of of water that is 195º-205ºf and you will get the best coffee you have ever had. I love French Press coffee if I am not drinking Espresso.
I think you can buy a hot air popper, cheap grinder, and a French press for under $50. If your budget is that tight I'll send you some green or roasted beans to help you get started.

Scott

 

[emt88]

Thanks guys! I am headed to the roaster tomorrow and really excited about it. I am still looking at French presses, but I was able to score a dripper and porcelain vessel from my parent's basement. Very exciting!

Scott, I would love to try your roast out. I'll shoot you a pm this evening.

 

[mretzloff]

Thanks guys! I am headed to the roaster tomorrow and really excited about it. I am still looking at French presses, but I was able to score a dripper and porcelain vessel from my parent's basement. Very exciting!

Scott, I would love to try your roast out. I'll shoot you a pm this evening.

Let us know how it goes.

If you are still looking for a French press, give Bodum a try. Sur La Table carries them, but so does Amazon. Just make sure you get one big enough. I got the smallest, which is advertised as three cups, which is probably correct, but it only makes one mug full.

 

[life2short1971]

Sure but I will let you know now that I no longer use an air popper. Although that is how I cut my teeth on fresh roasted coffee it has been quite a while since I used one. I now use a HotTop roaster but shoot me a pm I would love to help.

 

[mretzloff]

For any fresh whole bean in the grocery, you are looking for glossy, oily beans. Dry beans mean stale beans.

Thank you for sharing. I did not know that.

 

[Mick]

Just make sure you get one big enough. I got the smallest, which is advertised as three cups, which is probably correct, but it only makes one mug full.

There is a difference between a European cup (6 oz) and an American mug (16 oz and more) in size.

Watch out when you read cups when relating to coffee as it can range anywhere from a 2 oz espresso shot all the way to a big gulp.

I have one of the "3 cup" presses and I can get (almost) 2 cups out of it but I use a 10 oz coffee cup.

 

[SinnerinRehab]

There is a difference between a European cup (6 oz) and an American mug (16 oz and more) in size.

Watch out when you read cups when relating to coffee as it can range anywhere from a 2 oz espresso shot all the way to a big gulp.

I have one of the "3 cup" presses and I can get (almost) 2 cups out of it but I use a 10 oz coffee cup.

+1. Go for a big one. The one pictured here is a classic bodum. I used it for years. Look for the best price. They are all about the same. FYI if you have an Ikea nearby, theirs is just as good as the bodum.

 

[Mick]

+1. Go for a big one. The one pictured here is a classic bodum. I used it for years. Look for the best price. They are all about the same. FYI if you have an Ikea nearby, theirs is just as good as the bodum.

I also have a red Bonjur 3 cup press (no idea why I have duplicate size presses but for some reason I do)

I've found that making TOO much in a press lets the 2nd and 3rd cup out of it go off a little. I will use my larger one when I am making coffee for the wife and myself but if it is just me I want a cup (2 tops) and the little 3 cup press is just right for that. OR I will pour off the coffee from the press into a heated thermal carafe rather than let it sit in the press with the grounds.

For more coffee I have the larger Frieling 6 cup (which makes 4 cups) Gee this sounds really lame... 6 cup press makes 4 cups of coffee... Oh well...

 

[SinnerinRehab]

My coffee station set up (or den if you prefer). My last French press just broke and I haven't gotten a new one yet. The Krups is the daily brewer for the wife. The espresso machines are mine. At one point I think I had three presses but have since thinned down the herd.

 

[SinnerinRehab]

Btw for $15, you can't beat a stove top espresso brewer.

 

[Mick]

Btw for $15, you can't beat a stove top espresso brewer.

Absolutely agree with this 1000% Everyone needs a Bialetti style stove top maker.

I have some of the aluminum (classic style) around here somewhere but I got a couple of the stainless Bialetti Class Black models that I found in a basement cabinet recently and have been using those lately.

Fantastic coffee from those if you like your coffee strong or drink it with milk.