How do YOU make coffee?

[Jazzysoon]

Lot of replies to cleaning the French Press question I asked. Thank you. Well, my answer is I have no idea if grinds are bad for the plumbing and/or septic systems. I am on a septic so typically exercise much caution with anything that goes down the drain. Perhaps it doesn't matter and I am making it more difficult than need be. As of late I have been pouring them over the deck into the flowerbed and rinsing the remaining few down the drain.

More importantly, I am not sure I taste the difference between the pour over and French Press. I am undecided on that.

+1 for this method of dispensing of French Press grounds. Or I pour them directly into compost pile. For drip coffee the paper filter with grounds also goes into compost pile. I have septic and have heard from multiple sources coffee grounds aren't great for system.

[InvisibleAerobar]

French press w/ pre-ground coffee. Considering grinding my own beans but not sure if it's worth the cost and if I'll notice the difference. Looking into the baratza encore, not interested in hand grinders right now.

With a grinder, you'll at least retain freshness for longer periods of time. Oxidation and evaporation are both surface phenomena, which means higher the specific surface area, higher the oxidation and evaporation on a per gram basis. Whole beans goes stale after 2 or 3 weeks, ground beans much quicker (though French press grounds, being more coarse than espresso grounds, should fare slightly better than the latter)

the Encore will serve your needs well

---------------------------------------------------------------

I guess another advantage of espresso is that the pressurized steam really compacts the grounds into a puck, and that puck will detach from the portafilter (which holds the grounds) with a flick of the wrist (occasionally it requires a quick ding from a metal utensil), and it goes directly into the trash.

Fancier places have so-called knock boxes, but i've never found a need for them

[Faerris]

I subscribe to a bi-weekly coffee delivery service from a craft roaster. Beans usually arrive 2-3 days after they’ve been roasted.

Currently exploring single-origin heirloom varieties in the light to medium light range. Really enjoying the Ethiopian and Yemen sourced.

I use a V60 carafe with Hario filters and gooseneck electric kettle, along with digital scale/timer. Currently hand grinding but want to upgrade to an electric in the next few months.

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

This provides me with 16 cups per 12oz bag. Better than any cafe I’ve been to and so much cheaper.

I love my morning routine.

[lazydavid]

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

If you brew with this degree of specificity, you are at extreme risk of becoming a home roaster.

[golfer292]

Very cheaply, Single serve Black and Decker, I think its called brew and go. It makes 20 oz with 4 tablespoons of 8 o'clock coffee i buy at Sam's Club

[TomatoTomahto]

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

If you brew with this degree of specificity, you are at extreme risk of becoming a home roaster.

And, a Breville® Variable Temperature Kettle™ BKE820XL, or similar to heat your water.

[dsmil]

On the weekends, I use a stovetop coffee maker (like a Moka Pot) and use a manual grinder to grind the beans. We visited family in Italy a few months ago, and everyone over there has a stovetop coffee maker. I picked one up while over there and have used it ever since. It makes a great cup of very dark coffee. On weekdays, I just use the k-cups that my office has.

[1130Super]

anyone else use metal screens in there coffee pot Instead of paper filters, I find it produces a taste your cuppa coffee because it doesn’t absorb the oils in the coffee beans, is environmentally friendly and saves me from buying coffee filters

[jminv]

I live in Europe and use a Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine. Has a small counter footprint, really like it. It's a replacement for an older Nespresso machine I wasn't nearly as happy with. If I want to use Nespresso capsules, it's about $0.35 per cup here but I often use generic capsules for about $0.10 per cup. I know capsules cost at least twice as much in the USA.

When I'm brewing my own coffee, ie, not at home, I grind my own beans and make a strong pot of coffee since I prefer smaller cups of coffee.

[Faerris]

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

If you brew with this degree of specificity, you are at extreme risk of becoming a home roaster.

Don’t tempt me! My current roster also sells green beans, and my uncle does his own roasting so the temptation is definitely there.

[Faerris]

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

If you brew with this degree of specificity, you are at extreme risk of becoming a home roaster.

And, a Breville® Variable Temperature Kettle™ BKE820XL, or similar to heat your water.

That’s the other upgrade I’m considering. My current kettle just heats to boil then turns off. I’d love to keep it at a consistent 202F from pre-wetting the filter to the actual pour.

Please send help.

[TomatoTomahto]

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

If you brew with this degree of specificity, you are at extreme risk of becoming a home roaster.

And, a Breville® Variable Temperature Kettle™ BKE820XL, or similar to heat your water.

That’s the other upgrade I’m considering. My current kettle just heats to boil then turns off. I’d love to keep it at a consistent 202F from pre-wetting the filter to the actual pour.

Please send help.

I use a MoccaMaster for coffee, but I got a similar Breville for tea, and it works well at keeping water at the correct temperature. Coffee/tea are life’s simple pleasures; it’s obviously something that matters to you; go for it.

[lazydavid]

Rather than a kettle, I've been using a Japanese-style hot water pot for close to 20 years now:

like this Zojirushi

I leave mine at 195 most of the time, but it only takes about a minute to bring it up to 208 if I want it hotter.

[fizxman]

BJs brand Donut Shop coffee plus reusable K-cups from the Dollar Store in my Keurig.

[Sandtrap]

Very cheaply, Single serve Black and Decker, I think its called brew and go. It makes 20 oz with 4 tablespoons of 8 o'clock coffee i buy at Sam's Club

+1
Used this for many years. Simple, quick, and no paper filters.
Then switched to bean grinding.

Now, with "lifestyle creep". . . .
Premium Kona Coffee beans shipped from Hawaii.
Burrr Grinder.
French Press

Tried going back to the "8 o'clock Beans" lately but got spoiled on the Kona Peaberry.

j

[Church Lady]

With a coffee pot!!

We use a drip coffee maker and canned, ground decaf. I can't have a lot of caffeine for medical reasons.

Can someone explain to me the whole K-cups thing. No offense to people who like them (like my sister), but I just don't get it. The coffee doesn't seem to be any better (to me), they are expensive, and isn't there a lot of packaging waste?

Sure. Megacorp had one in the break room for us while I was still working. Two siblings have one.

For break rooms:
- It's tidier to discard a k-cup than a coffee filter. Before the Keurig, the plumber was a regular
visit to our break room to pull coffee grounds out of the drain. There's always one person ...
- You don't have the coffee maker accidentally left on all weekend burning coffee into
the pot
- No one is stuck changing the filter and making a new pot
- Megacorp did not provide k-cups, so each person could personalize their brew for flavor, caffeine content, etc.
- Even if you get the first cup of the day and have to wait for the machine to warm up, it's faster
than brewing a pot.
- At work, folks drink coffee at all hours. No matter what time they walk up to the machine, the coffee is freshly made.

For home use:
- If you want just one cup, it's the most economical way. That's what my siblings say. (They use
re-usable k-cups that they fill themselves.)
- Coffee is always fresh

I liked having one at work, but I wouldn't have one at home. It takes up a lot of counter space, is expensive to buy and use, and doesn't go in the dishwasher like my drip coffee maker. If you are making coffee for more than one person, you may as well brew a pot (in my opinion ).

I used a drip coffee maker until I discovered store brand Aldi instant coffee tastes better.
(Regular, not decaf. Aldi decaf does not impress me at all!) If you want just one cup, and that not every day ....

I happily drink convenience store $1 coffee from the ones that keep the brewed coffee in thermoses. A pot on the burner of a commercial drip brewer in a convenience store is a bad sign!

[TomatoTomahto]

Very cheaply, Single serve Black and Decker, I think its called brew and go. It makes 20 oz with 4 tablespoons of 8 o'clock coffee i buy at Sam's Club

+1
Used this for many years. Simple, quick, and no paper filters.
Then switched to bean grinding.

Now, with "lifestyle creep". . . .
Premium Kona Coffee beans shipped from Hawaii.
Burrr Grinder.
French Press

Tried going back to the "8 o'clock Beans" lately but got spoiled on the Kona Peaberry.

j

I tried the Peaberry, but went back to Medium/Dark Kona. Maybe I got a bad batch, but the Peaberry tasted bitter.

[Sandtrap]

Very cheaply, Single serve Black and Decker, I think its called brew and go. It makes 20 oz with 4 tablespoons of 8 o'clock coffee i buy at Sam's Club

+1
Used this for many years. Simple, quick, and no paper filters.
Then switched to bean grinding.

Now, with "lifestyle creep". . . .
Premium Kona Coffee beans shipped from Hawaii.
Burrr Grinder.
French Press

Tried going back to the "8 o'clock Beans" lately but got spoiled on the Kona Peaberry.

j

I tried the Peaberry, but went back to Medium/Dark Kona. Maybe I got a bad batch, but the Peaberry tasted bitter.

Yes. Peaberry spoils very fast because it is partially roasted and "oily/wetter" than normal. I have it special shipped in 3-4 large bags from Kona Plantation, then freeze all but one bag.
Lately, I've been going partly back to Medium/Dark Kona, also shipped in direct, because it's cheaper and keeps longer.
You're right, the Peaberry is temperamental and can be very rich and deep flavored or a little bitter. There is also a difference in taste depending on plantation source.

j

[unclescrooge]

Can someone explain to me the whole K-cups thing. No offense to people who like them (like my sister), but I just don't get it. The coffee doesn't seem to be any better (to me), they are expensive, and isn't there a lot of packaging waste?

I usually pay about $0.23 cents a K-cup. I'm the only one in my house that drinks coffee, and I only have one cup each morning. Not worth dealing with the grinds, filters, pots, etc for one cup each morning. In the scheme of things, I don't mind paying less than a quarter for a simple and quick way to have a mug each morning.

The cheap plastic leeches chemicals into your coffee.

Pay $10 and get a few reused cups made of BPA-free plastic.

I think it'll come out to $0.20 per cup but time saving the environment and your health.

[praxis]

We are particular about our morning cup and have been buying 2, 1-kilo bags of Ruta Maya whole bean dark roast on line for about 4 years, keep it in a room temp sealed jar and grind each morning before using a French Press. I've found the Ruta Maya is cheaper (no ship charges) from Costco but freshness is hit or miss. Direct from the roaster is always fresh so far.

For Christmas I got a cold brew kit and bought a bag of Starbucks Verona ground coffee and tried it. The kit says to put 1 1/2 cups ground coffee and 7 cups of water in the reservoir for 24 hours, then drain it through its filter and mix it 1 part concentrate to 3 parts hot water or milk and adjust as you like. We weren't expecting how much we liked the cold brew. We've been alternating lately and have some observations.

The cold brew is slightly smoother and less bitter and a little stronger caffeine buzz. The aroma of the fresh brewed is more pronounced, which we enjoy, but we like both. Because we store the concentrate in the fridge, for hot coffee, it takes as long to heat our two cups of cold coffee/milk up to steaming as it did to heat our water and wait for the French Press, so except for iced coffee, it doesn't save us time.

[Prudence]

I have a Corningware 10 cup coffee percolator circa 1974. Grind Starbucks medium roast beans. I like it but the coffee tastes better to me at Starbucks and I don't know why.

[El Greco]

Hamilton Beach electric percolator. I use this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Bea ... R/54270863.
Coffee scoop, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Ekco-1094900-Cof ... 1175&psc=1
Chock full o Nuts regular grind coffee. Or Kirkland Columbian Supremo Dark Roast Fine Grind for those who like a heartier cup. Both in cans and both available at most Costco stores)
Ground Cinnamon

1. Fill percolator with water to 8 cup line
2. Put 7 level scoops of coffee in basket. (Usually one scoop less than the amount of cups. If making 6 cups, 5 scoops, etc.)
3. Shake about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon on the ground coffee.
4. Plug in and perk.
5. Enjoy.

Sounds ridiculously simple and inexpensive. It is, and it's absolutely delicious. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, from casual coffee drinkers to coffee snobs LOVES this coffee. The snobs are incredulous when I tell them how I make it. Nothing gets the water hotter than a good electric percolator, which is the key to making good coffee. The proof? I've converted at least ten people to my method.

[nisiprius]

Cheap coffee (Folger's Classic Roast or Maxwell House Original Roast) in a good drip coffeemaker ($200 Technivorm; reusable filter basket instead of paper filters).

[Dottie57]

I live in Europe and use a Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine. Has a small counter footprint, really like it. It's a replacement for an older Nespresso machine I wasn't nearly as happy with. If I want to use Nespresso capsules, it's about $0.35 per cup here but I often use generic capsules for about $0.10 per cup. I know capsules cost at least twice as much in the USA.

When I'm brewing my own coffee, ie, not at home, I grind my own beans and make a strong pot of coffee since I prefer smaller cups of coffee.

I have a pixie and it works well 4 me.

[furikake]

I roast my own coffee, rest the beans for a day and then use them. I use a burr grinder, and depending on what I want, I use my 21-year old espresso machine, or aeropress, or Chemex, or single cup drip, or french press. The tastiest is probably from the espresso machine, second is aeropress.

[LilyFleur]

Keurig K-mini with Kirkland's Breakfast coffee k-cups, or
Best Choice espresso maker with Peet's pods from Costco
The two machines look nice lined up together on my black granite kitchen counter.

People in my household and visitors like having the choice of either.

I have some wonderful Duralex clear coffee mugs for the coffee and small Duralex "Picardie" glasses for espresso. (Duralex is used all over France in cafes.)

It's all part of the experience.

[beginner]

Order roasted beans from happymugcoffee online.

Grind with baratza virtuoso and make pour over every morning with hario v60.

25-30grams coffee. 16:1 water to coffee ratio.

[Halicar]

A few years ago I decided I was going to figure out how to make the proverbial perfect cup of coffee--gourmet whole beans, burr grinder, French press and other fancy brewers, etc. Eventually I realized that ground Starbucks beans from the grocery store brewed in a $10 Mr. Coffee gave me exactly what I wanted.

[Arabesque]

Open a can of supermarket coffee (Wegman's dark roast), pour an approximate amount into the yard-sale drip machine. Add an approximate amount of tap water. Drink all day.

[batpot]

Peets (especially Major Dicason or Big Bang) or Starbucks Pikes 71 Roast, whichever is on sale.
Also bought a couple bags of cheap coffee from Amazon, the most recent of which was a 32 oz bag of Don Francisco for <$8, but havne't tried it yet.
Kicking Horse is OK, but not worth the price.
The other one was awful: Cameron's Kona Blend.

Have a Hamilton Beach drip coffee maker on BOLD setting, and a cheap KRUPS grinder, which isn't very consistent.

[FrugalConservative]

This thread made me realize I really know NOTHING about coffee, though I do enjoy it very much.

[KFBR392]

I buy Intelligentsia whole beans from Whole Foods, usually the House Blend or the El Gallo Breakfast Blend. Intelligentsia has gotten huge so the quality has suffered a little since their early days. Bags are $14 compared to $19 for some superior competitors. For me this is a good balance between cost, quality, and convenience.

I weigh my beans using an Oxo digital scale, grind them with a Capresso electric burr grinder, and boil filtered water with a Bonavita gooseneck kettle. I do the pour over method using a V60 dripper.

We have a toddler at home and since his birth, I have found it rather hard to have 10 dedicated, uninterrupted minutes to complete the entire process. I broke down and got a Bonavita coffee maker about a year ago, and on mornings that are a little more hectic, I resort to using it. With freshly-ground beans, it's still pretty good but I vastly prefer the pour over results when possible.

I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and my cardiologist has instructed me to take it easy on caffeine so my current pour over ratio is:

15g coffee beans
250g water

[d0gerz]

I drink two cups of coffee a day.

Morning cup: make at home. Hand-grind espresso beans from a local shop using a Hario Skerton grinder, make it pour-over style using a gooseneck kettle and a Kalita Wave dripper. To be honest I can't really say whether this tastes better or worse than other methods, but it's more that I enjoy the process from start to finish. It has become part of my morning routine.

Afternoon cup: I buy the store brand Colombian coffee pods from Walmart and make a cup using the office Keurig machine.

Every few months, usually on a weekend, I use my Bialetti stove-top Moka pot to make stronger coffee, which I split into two cups of hot milk for my wife and I to share. She's not a regular coffee drinker but prefers it this way.

If I have people over who want coffee, I grind the beans using an electric grinder and then use a french press that can make 3 cups at a time.

Once a year I give up coffee for around 5 weeks.

[Jimmie]

Can someone explain to me the whole K-cups thing. No offense to people who like them (like my sister), but I just don't get it. The coffee doesn't seem to be any better (to me), they are expensive, and isn't there a lot of packaging waste?

Convenience.

Not to mention for guests (or yourself) you can make regular coffee, decaf, all kinds of varieties of tea, hot chocolate, and cider.

[StevieG72]

K-Cup for the last few years. Good coffee, price is reasonable.

Received an unexpected gift for xmas, Nespresso machine. About twice the per cup cost, but it makes some excellent coffee! Came with a milk frother, can make a variety of coffee beverages.

I am not crazy about the per cup cost, but love the coffee. I use a combination of both machines now.

[Theseus]

Saeco machine. Makes great espresso and good foam for my mocha. And has to be medium roast Colombian. Been using Costco beans. But need to look for better Colombian roast.

[Nicolas]

My current process is as follows:
- 21.2g coffee to 360g filtered water
- Pour 42.4g water (bloom) by 0:20
- Let bloom til 0:40
- Pour 216g total water (60%) by 1:15
- Pour 360g total water (100%) by 1:45
- Drawdown til 2:45-2:50

If you brew with this degree of specificity, you are at extreme risk of becoming a home roaster.

Don’t tempt me! My current roster also sells green beans, and my uncle does his own roasting so the temptation is definitely there.

Try it! I’ve been roasting for 17 years and will never go back.

[watchnerd]

We use one of these DeLonghi latte / espresso machines:



Whole beans go in the top in a reservoir. It grinds as many beans as it needs per serving.

The capital cost is high, but after that, amortized per cup over the years, it's now cheaper per cup than Starbucks or Nespresso. And less waste.

[Yukon]

. I have it special shipped in 3-4 large bags from Kona Plantation, then freeze all but one bag.
Lately, I've been going partly back to Medium/Dark Kona, also shipped in direct, because it's cheaper and keeps longer.
You're right, the Peaberry is temperamental and can be very rich and deep flavored or a little bitter. There is also a difference in taste depending on plantation source.

j

Can you share a link for your kona plantation delivery source? Google seems to suggest it's a heavily marketed search term.

[Yukon]

I subscribe to a bi-weekly coffee delivery service from a craft roaster. Beans usually arrive 2-3 days after they’ve been roasted.

Currently exploring single-origin heirloom varieties in the light to medium light range. Really enjoying the Ethiopian and Yemen sourced.

Which craft roaster?

[TomatoTomahto]

. I have it special shipped in 3-4 large bags from Kona Plantation, then freeze all but one bag.
Lately, I've been going partly back to Medium/Dark Kona, also shipped in direct, because it's cheaper and keeps longer.
You're right, the Peaberry is temperamental and can be very rich and deep flavored or a little bitter. There is also a difference in taste depending on plantation source.

j

Can you share a link for your kona plantation delivery source? Google seems to suggest it's a heavily marketed search term.

I have used BuddhasCup and KonaBliss. They ship Priority Mail.

[bondsr4me]

I have yet to taste a "smoother" cup of coffee than what I get from my percolator.

We also have a $19 Mr Coffee drip and a nice Cuisanart drip.
They both make an "OK" cup of coffee; but just "OK".
AFAIC, ya just can't get all the flavor of coffee beans on just one pass of water over them.

I do like an occasional cup of Starbucks vanilla flavored latte'....pretty good stuff.

I'll take my percolator.

[likegarden]

I am retired. No high gourmet or science here, simply drinking coffee! At home I make a pot of coffee every day with a Mr.Coffee, one scoop of decaf and one a breakfast mix. Those 8 cups last all day, Mr.Coffee turned off. I also drive to a local gas station chain at 10 am and make a large cup with half decaf, half flavor of the month, buy also a roll with peanut butter and marmalade (nuts and berries are good for you) , then drive to a lake or river and read morning newspaper while drinking coffee and looking at the water or ice. Have a great day!

[lazydavid]

Heads up, the Technivorm MoccaMasters are on sale at Amazon today:

https://www.amazon.com/deal/e3a30bd0/re ... ZK15Z2D74V

[DiploInvestor]

I have yet to taste a "smoother" cup of coffee than what I get from my percolator.

We also have a $19 Mr Coffee drip and a nice Cuisanart drip.
They both make an "OK" cup of coffee; but just "OK".
AFAIC, ya just can't get all the flavor of coffee beans on just one pass of water over them.

I do like an occasional cup of Starbucks vanilla flavored latte'....pretty good stuff.

I'll take my percolator.

Percolated coffee is fantastic. My grandmother made it that way with an old tin coffee pot, and I still remember how great it was. We have way too many coffee contraptions, but our Kitchen Aid Siphon coffeemaker is basically a modern, and very cool to watch, percolator. We've tested it against drip coffee makers and the taste is better and "brighter." We also have a Jura E8 that is awesome. Not cheap, but costs half in Europe what it costs back in the U.S., and it does everything very well. We skimp on many things, but not coffee.

We like Lavazza gold dark roast espresso beans. For drip coffee, mainly Starbucks, kona peaberry when we can get it, and cafe du monde chicory coffee from New Orleans (or Amazon).

[TomatoTomahto]

Heads up, the Technivorm MoccaMasters are on sale at Amazon today:

https://www.amazon.com/deal/e3a30bd0/re ... ZK15Z2D74V

Thanks. I needed one for downstairs.

[Sandtrap]

. I have it special shipped in 3-4 large bags from Kona Plantation, then freeze all but one bag.
Lately, I've been going partly back to Medium/Dark Kona, also shipped in direct, because it's cheaper and keeps longer.
You're right, the Peaberry is temperamental and can be very rich and deep flavored or a little bitter. There is also a difference in taste depending on plantation source.

j

Can you share a link for your kona plantation delivery source? Google seems to suggest it's a heavily marketed search term.

Look for small growers on the Kona Coast that ship direct from their location to you.

There are larger wholesalers that ship to main processing on Oahu where it is then shipped out. That's where a lot of the "blends" and other types come from that are mass marketed as "Real Kona Coffee".

Sign up for email offers at the grower's web site and they'll send out free shipping coupons. The bags will come in a large "flat rate box".

Buy the premium grades picked at that location and roasted then shipped out.
Every grower has a different taste so try until you find one you like.

So far, I've tried Koa Plantation, Ka'u Plantation, and plan on trying others in the future.
j

[Faerris]

I subscribe to a bi-weekly coffee delivery service from a craft roaster. Beans usually arrive 2-3 days after they’ve been roasted.

Currently exploring single-origin heirloom varieties in the light to medium light range. Really enjoying the Ethiopian and Yemen sourced.

Which craft roaster?

Red Rooster Coffee, highly recommend!

[Theseus]

. I have it special shipped in 3-4 large bags from Kona Plantation, then freeze all but one bag.
Lately, I've been going partly back to Medium/Dark Kona, also shipped in direct, because it's cheaper and keeps longer.
You're right, the Peaberry is temperamental and can be very rich and deep flavored or a little bitter. There is also a difference in taste depending on plantation source.

j

Can you share a link for your kona plantation delivery source? Google seems to suggest it's a heavily marketed search term.

We just spent a week in Kona. We visited Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation and were really impressed by their process of bean selection as well as the end product. We tasted all their brews and they were all good. Mountainthunder.com

[bondsr4me]

I have yet to taste a "smoother" cup of coffee than what I get from my percolator.

We also have a $19 Mr Coffee drip and a nice Cuisanart drip.
They both make an "OK" cup of coffee; but just "OK".
AFAIC, ya just can't get all the flavor of coffee beans on just one pass of water over them.

I do like an occasional cup of Starbucks vanilla flavored latte'....pretty good stuff.

I'll take my percolator.

Percolated coffee is fantastic. My grandmother made it that way with an old tin coffee pot, and I still remember how great it was. We have way too many coffee contraptions, but our Kitchen Aid Siphon coffeemaker is basically a modern, and very cool to watch, percolator. We've tested it against drip coffee makers and the taste is better and "brighter." We also have a Jura E8 that is awesome. Not cheap, but costs half in Europe what it costs back in the U.S., and it does everything very well. We skimp on many things, but not coffee.

We like Lavazza gold dark roast espresso beans. For drip coffee, mainly Starbucks, kona peaberry when we can get it, and cafe du monde chicory coffee from New Orleans (or Amazon).

I just watched a Youtube video on this coffee maker.
I like the fresh ground beans idea; I have a grinder I use occasionally.
Thanks for info!