Reddit mentions: The best coffee filters

We found 1,317 Reddit comments discussing the best coffee filters. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 268 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

14. Melitta Cone Coffee Filter #2 100 Count- Natural Brown

Melitta #622752 100CT #2 BRN Filter MELITTACountry of origin : United States
Melitta Cone Coffee Filter #2 100 Count- Natural Brown
Specs:
ColorBrown/Coffee
Height6.75 Inches
Length2.25 Inches
Number of items1
Size1 Box
Weight0.34 Pounds
Width4.25 Inches
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19. Kalita 22199 Wave Filters, 185, Pack of 100, White (Japan Import)

Good filter for drip and brewery.
Kalita 22199 Wave Filters, 185, Pack of 100, White (Japan Import)
Specs:
ColorWhite
Height12 Inches
Length8 Inches
Number of items1
Weight0.31 Pounds
Width14 Inches
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20. KLEIN Cold Brew Kit – Cold Brew Coffee Maker – Wide Mouth Mason Jar Filter for Brewing Coffee Concentrate and Infused Tea at Home – 100 Micron Mesh – Stainless Steel – Spoon, Seal & Gift Box Included

    Features:
  • COMPLETE COLD BREW SYSTEM: The Klein Cold Brew Kit is designed from an extra heavy-duty 304 Stainless Steel wire. The special weave of the 100-micron mesh provides the smoothest no-grit finish in town. This iced coffee maker comes complete with the filter, spoon, and a perfect-seal silicone gasket (BPA-free) to keep your home brew leak free!
  • PROFESSIONAL COLD BREW AT HOME: Just add your favorite freshly ground coffee and water, and let our filter work its delicious magic! This fine-mesh filter can also be used as a coffee strainer and is perfect for tea infusing.
  • FITS ALL WIDE MOUTH MASON JARS: Our versatile Mason Jar Infuser and filter fits 24oz, 32oz, 48oz, and 64oz Mason Jars. So yes, that one you have laying around!
  • ICED COFFEE, TEA, INFUSED WATER, NUT MILK: Perfect as a loose leaf tea infuser and iced coffee maker. Can also be used as a sun tea maker and can handle cold pressed juices and cucumber water with ease. Customize your cold bru with cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, herbs and spices and whatever else you can think of!
  • THE KLEIN DESIGN: We are serious about our coffee. This is not your standard coffee filter; it is designed to survive the bottom of your camping gear while simultaneously delivering more flavor and less acid than other, less-serious coffee filters. We are honored to help you and your family craft the perfect cup of coffee.
KLEIN Cold Brew Kit – Cold Brew Coffee Maker – Wide Mouth Mason Jar Filter for Brewing Coffee Concentrate and Infused Tea at Home – 100 Micron Mesh – Stainless Steel – Spoon, Seal & Gift Box Included
Specs:
ColorSilver
Height3.2 Inches
Length6.2 Inches
Number of items1
Weight0.33 Pounds
Width3.5 Inches
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🎓 Reddit experts on coffee filters

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where coffee filters are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 113
Number of comments: 21
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u/Picrophile · 1 pointr/cigars

Well this is gonna get kinda long and will only scratch the surface but I'll break down the pros and cons of some of the most popular entry-level gear in as un-confusing of a way as I can. First up, let's look at grinders.

First off, you want a burr grinder, particularly a conical burr grinder because those blender-y blade grinders they sell at wal-mart for $5 don't get any kind of a consistent grind. Varying sizes in a grind means varying levels of extraction in the cup and that means off flavors. Because burr grinders are more expensive, hand crank conical burr grinders are commonly recommended to beginners because of their lower price point compared to similar quality electrics. They're cheap and work well but do have some drawbacks beyond the extra effort involved in grinding. First, most of them don't have actual grind settings and you adjust the grind size by twisting a wheel until it looks as fine/coarse as you want it to. If you use different brew methods and switch grind size a lot, this can be a bit of a pain. Second, most hand grinders aren't ideal for french press because of the way the burrs are stabilized; they'll give fantastic fine/medium grinds but the coarse grind is a tad inconsistent. That said, I use a hand grinder for french press all the time and am relatively happy with the results. A few common ones are:

The Hario Skerton. I personally have one and love it. As I said, not perfect for french press but it's a durable daily driver that never lets me down and can do an espresso grind damn near as well as a $300 baratza

The hario mini is essentially the same grinder in a different, smaller package. Perfect for travel

The porlex JP-30 is a tad more expensive but has grind settings that, while unmarked, do "click" into place making adjusting grind coarseness a bit easier


If you wanted to go the electric route, I've seen refurbished Baratza encore grinders for around $100. This will give you a mediocre espresso grind but a perfect and much easier drip and french press grind


Next up: preparation methods

French presses use a metal mesh filter, which gives you all of the oils in the cup and lets a tiny bit of really fine coffee solids through, which gives the cup a rich, full-bodied, velvety character They're also very easy to use as there's pretty much one accepted way to brew in them. And here's Philly's own Todd Carmichael demonstrating it. As far as which one to buy, they're all pretty much the same: a glass tube with a stick in it and some mesh on the end of the stick. I like my sterlingpro a lot but the bodum chambord is hugely popular and looks just as nice. Even a cheapo will do the job just as well, though, even if it doesn't look as nice.

pourovers do essentially the same thing as a drip coffee machine just with a lot more input from you, which is good because all but the most ludicrously expensive drip machines are very inconsistent and don't work as well as just doing it your own damn self. With a pourover, you're going to use a kettle or measuring cup with a spout to pour the water over the grounds in a set amount of time (3-4 minutes depending on the grind size) and usually in a very specific manner. Because these use a paper filter, there are no oils or insoluble solids in the cup so the coffee is clearer, tastes cleaner and usually a bit brighter than french press coffee. Popular models include the Hario v60 which is one of the more finicky models. If you decide on one of these, be sure to use a gooseneck kettle like Mr. Carmichael was using in the french press video above. Slightly more forgiving are the kalita wave and the melitta both of which would work fine with a normal kettle so long as it has some type of pour spout. If you want something with very thick filters, so as to produce a very clear cup, and also looks very nice, the chemex is a beautiful thing that produces great coffee, has a built-in carafe, and can make more than one cup at a time. Really more of a replacement for a large-volume drip machine than most pourovers.

The Aeropress is an absurdly popular, extremely versatile, and very well priced coffee brewer which is essentially a huge syringe with a paper filter instead of a needle. There's a thousand recipes online with different ways to use it, all of which produce a different cup.



Also worth noting is that you may want a kettle with temperature control, coffee should be brewed at 195-205F, so knowing what temp your water is helps reduce a lot of the headaches of cooling off boiled water for a vague amount of time. This bonavita is a little on the pricey side but has temp control and a gooseneck, which is always useful

u/mikeTRON250LM · 1 pointr/Coffee

> I really want to learn to make good coffee at home so that my wife is happy to wake up in the morning. Plus, I'd like to save some money instead of going to Starbucks every morning. I don't personally like coffee (I wish I did. Closest I came to enjoying coffee was drinking a caramel brulée latte from Starbucks last Christmas) but I find the craft of it absolutely fascinating. And I'm really interested in learning to get my wife's perfect cup of coffee down to a science. (And if I learn to enjoy coffee, all the better)

So I started down this exact path about 8 or 9 years ago for my gal as well. I also had no interest in coffee but enjoyed the convergence of art & science.

Anyway the following is what I ended up with [and what I paid].

  • [$100 refurbished from the Baratza Store] Baratza Encore - Most people argue this is the best grinder for the money when the budget is tight
  • [$30] Aeropress - This is a great way to make a single cup of coffee
  • [$40 on sale] Bonavita BV382510V 1.7L Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle - Awesome way to manage the temperature of the water for brewing
  • [$40 on sale] Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale and Timer - very important to measure the weight of Water and Coffee PLUS extraction time


    You can be patient like I did and buy over time to get things on sale but after owning each item for multiple years now I can wholeheartedly recommend each component.

    All in a buddy was using a Keurig for the past few years and when it broke he reached out to me for the same thing. He bought everything but the scale (it was almost $70 when he was buying) and his wife is in LOVE with the setup. The neat thing is once you get the grinder and scale your options to multiple brewing methods opens up. Then with the water kettle you can then use it all for the Aeroporess, Kalita Wave, Chemex, V60, Clever Dripper (ETC) brewing methods.

    Anyway once you have good enough gear you can then start trying finding local roasters and different beans. We have tried a few local joints and just recently found a few beans roasted fresh that are substantially better than anything we were purchasing in grocery stores. Alternatively there are SO many online stores to try (and a biweekly friday thread on r/coffee for what beans people are currently trying).

    Compared to the $5+ a drink at starbucks we make great coffee at home for typically less than $1 a cup and it takes less than 5 minutes all in, including cleanup.
u/spankymuffin · 1 pointr/Coffee

There are some very affordable burr grinders out there, and it's worth the investment. You'll use it pretty much everyday. Hand grinders can be very cheap, and work great. Hario Skerton is a popular choice (I've seen it around for cheaper, but this is at least what's on amazon). Plenty of options, all varying in price. There's a pretty decent burr grinder from Kona I've used before, which I got for like $20.

But manual grinding can take some time. And if you're like me, and you want some quick coffee in the morning, then it's worth investing in an electric. There are some pretty decent electric burr grinders out there. You really don't have to pay a fortune. Here are a few cheap options:

Capresso Infinity

Bodum Bistro

Baratza Encore

But you can get far snobbier than just grind...

What kind of water are you using? Hopefully filtered, not tap. And definitely not distilled, since you want some of those minerals for flavor. Now, if you want to get even fancier, try using these mineral packets. I think each packet mixes in with 1 gallon of distilled water. I haven't tried it myself (I just use a brita) but I've heard good things. The quality of water makes a huge difference. This was the first "eureka" moment for me, when I moved from tap to filtered.

Next, how are you making your coffee? There are some great, cheap equipment out there. In this sub, here are some pretty cheap and popular choices:

Aeropress

Chemex

Pour-over

French press

We're getting pretty deep in the rabbit hole, right? Not yet! How about measuring the weight of the coffee? Consistency is important. You need the same, proper coffee-to-water ratio for the best cup. You can find people debating over the best scales, some costing hundreds. I'd just get a cheap one if I were you. You can find some decent cheap ones from like $10 to $30. If you want the best bang for your buck, look into American Weigh Scales.

I guess I can mention temperature of water as well. You can get thermometers or even electric kettles with built-in thermometers (like this). I think temperature matters so much more for tea than coffee, but it's something you need to keep in mind for coffee as well.

Here's probably the most important thing, in my opinion: where are you getting your coffee? What is the roast date? Unless you're buying your coffee directly from the roaster, you're probably not buying freshly roasted beans. It makes a world of difference. Try finding a local roaster and getting your beans from them, freshly roasted.

I'm sure there's plenty of other ways you can splurge money on coffee, but I'll let you figure it out!

(edited to fix the links)

u/MikeTheBlueCow · 7 pointsr/Coffee

That grinder will possibly give you issues with pour over. V60 is really picky too, and you will probably want a gooseneck kettle to use with it to make it much easier to get a good cup. The potential issue with that grinder (or similarly priced ones, which are all knock-offs of another hand grinder) is that it might give you a really inconsistent grind with a lot of fines, which could cause your pour over brew times to vary wildly and take far too long (ruining your coffee).

How much coffee do you want to make at once? If only one cup, here's what I recommend:

  • You can keep that grinder and instead of a pour over (which is pickier about grinder + kettle type), get something like an AeroPress ($30). Also, get a scale too, to weigh out your beans + water in order to get a consistently good cup, every time.

    If you want a larger amount of coffee (though you might find making your own coffee with fresh beans gives you more of a kick of caffeine than a cup from McD), then pour over is a good way to go, but will probably require more and better equipment in order for it to not suck. The V60 is the pickiest pour over about grind consistency. I don't make large batches, so maybe someone else can chime in with recommendations for devices that might handle a lower quality grind. But no matter what, a better grinder will improve both your ability to make pour over, and the taste of the coffee. If you want to stick with pour over, here's what I recommend for equipment in order for it to not be hard and get coffee that doesn't suck out of it:

  • Get the same scale I linked above. This is important for consistency; without weighing your coffee and water amount you can easily vary between making strong or weak coffee from day to day. It'll suck and be confusing. Scales are awesome and make everything easy.
  • Get a good-enough grinder, at the very least. When it comes to coffee, the best grinder you can afford is the way to go, it'll make your coffee taste better and with pour over you'll be able to be better at making your coffee. For me, bare minimum is the Baratza Encore. For the same price point but better grind, see if you can get a Feldgrind. Or pre-order the Aergrind for a great deal. A Lido or Helor are good options too.
  • A gooseneck kettle will be important too. V60 is very difficult without one if you want good coffee. Other pour overs you may be able to handle without needing a gooseneck, but it makes anything easier if you have the free cash flow. A good inexpensive one is the Hario Buono.

    And I would recommend going with white/bleached filters instead of the natural/brown ones. The nat/brown ones always have a strong paper taste you can't really get rid of.

u/Dacvak · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Hey man, let me hit you with my personal coffee journey. It worked super well for me, and it starts pretty entry-level. I highly recommend.

So, first and foremost, you need to start with pourover. Here's a pretty cheap starter set. Then you'll also need a kitchen scale, here's one of the smallest, most accurate ones I've found.

I'd also recommend getting an automatic burr grinder, which isn't exactly entry level, so it could be a secondary purchase if you find that you really want to get ball-deep into coffee. I started off with the Infinity Grinder, which worked well for me until I got an espresso machine (more on that later). But for pourover and most other methods (aeropress, coffee maker, even shit like siphon coffee, it's perfectly fine). Having an electric grinder is just going to make your life easier overall. But if you don't want to jump right into that, you could use the grinder included in the set I listed (I've never used it - it's probably not great, but I'm sure it'll work).

And that's all you need to make one god damn good cup of coffee. I've spent thousands of dollars on coffee equipment over the years, but for me, the best way to brew a simple cup of coffee is using a pourover method. And it's incredibly fun!

Now, once you've got a few months of pourover under your belt, it may be time to move onto other methods of brewing. Grab yourself an Aeropress. Aeropress effectively is the midpoint between normal coffee and espresso. It absolutely does not make real espresso, regardless of what anyone tells you, but that doesn't mean what it makes isn't super delicious. Plus it lets you start experimenting with the closest thing you'll be able to get to cappuccinos, and other fun things like flavored lattes when you have company over and want to impress them with some tasty java.

The Aeropress is fantastic, and it's ridiculously easy to clean. It's a nice way to be able to travel with a decent coffee maker, too.

Then, once you've got a couple years of delicious coffee down, it's time to get into the big leagues. Espresso.

Holy fuck dude. Espresso is complicated, and you really have to throw away everything you thought you knew about coffee. I know how pretentious that sounds, but it's super true. What I went with was a Crossland CC1, which was mainly because I got it for cheap on Craigslist for $400. But, warning, the Infinity Grinder will not grind accurate enough for espresso. For that you'll need something like a Baratza Hario or Sette 270 (I went with the Sette 270).

Anyway, that's waaaaaaaaay in your future. I'd highly recommend just starting off with pourover and some great beans (check locally, or order from Intelligentsia).

Enjoy your journey, bro. It's a great world out there.

u/rustylikeafox · 1 pointr/tea

>There's a couple of things you can do to get the right temp water. First, you can get a candy thermometer (or a meat thermometer, but they tend to allow moisture in) or digital cooking thermometer, boil the water and then let it sit until it reaches the proper temp. Boiling and then letting it cool is the suggested method no matter what, and I believe even most programmable kettles do this.

Derp. Didn't think of this. I have a digital thermometer. Thank!

>As far as your steeper, that is a pretty standard piece of equipment but I would suggest getting a basket infuser. They're only about 5-10 depending on where you go and will let the leaves have a bit more room and thus produce a better flavor.

I'm getting this guy from amazon: Finum Brewing Basket, Medium
http://amzn.com/B000I68NCS

>The absolute first and most important thing you need to learn about tea is that you need to drink what you like, and avoid what you don't. Green tea isn't for everyone, and as long as you have had a cup you knew was brewed right (go to a tea shop if you can, use distilled water, etc...) if you don't like it, don't drink it! If you love lots of sugar and milk in your tea, go for it (just watch the calories if that is a concern for you). Tea is a very personal beverage and should be consumed the way you like it, not the way you are told to like it.

>That being said, I always suggest trying new teas without any sweetener. Some of the teas do not mix well with sweetener, others have their more subtle and pleasing flavors become more pronounced. Some teas are simply something that, due to the complexity of its flavor, are best enjoyed plain and if you want it sweet you should go for a different tea - not because you can't sweeten what you want, but because you can achieve an optimal cup without paying so as much for the higher end teas (for instance, if you're going to load up on honey, a good sencha will not vary significantly in flavor from gyokuro). But if you like a certain thing - by all means to it! Some people LOVE bitter teas, and I recommend they get a good black tea boil the water and leave it steep for 15-20 minutes. It isn't for everyone, but that's what makes tea so special - it is your cup, drink it how you want!

I plan to try everything straight and by the brewing guidelines they come with adjust from there. Thank you so much for the detailed post!

u/SnarkDolphin · 4 pointsr/Coffee

This won't be 100% relevant but I already have it typed so I'mma just copy paste it here and make some notes at the end:

>Well here's the thing about coffee, it's finicky stuff. Much moreso than most Americans would give it credit for. Automatic machines like you have can deliver quality coffee, but unless the one you have cost $200 or more, it won't really be up to the task of making cafe quality coffee. If you want coffee of the same quality (or even better) you'd find at a cafe, you're going to have to know a couple things. Don't worry, I'll tl;dr this with a few specifics at the end, but right now I'm going to go over the things that affect how coffee tastes:

>Bean quality: probably the most esoteric and taste-dependent part of coffee, it's not much worth getting into grading, processing, etc, just suffice it to say that folger's is definitely not using top-rate beans and they're mixing robusta (high caffeine, very bitter) in with arabica (moderate caffeine, much better flavor), whereas a decent coffee shop is using 100% arabica

>Freshness: Coffee goes stale quick and the flavors dull within about three weeks, a month tops after roasting. Those mass market beans are months old by the time you get them off the shelf. The good news is that there's almost definitely a roaster near you who sells decent beans that are nice and fresh roasted. The bad news is that the cheapest decent coffee you'll find is ~$10/lb most places.

>Grind: piggybacking on my last point, coffee, even when sealed in those cans, goes stale VERY fast after being ground (like, within an hour), so buy whole bean and grind it yourself right before brewing

>Grind consistency: if the grind isn't uniform, the coffee won't extract evenly and will taste off. The normal blade grinders you think of when you think "coffee grinder" won't work, you'll need a burr grinder, whether hand crank or electric. Doesn't have to be fancy but it does have to be a burr grinder

>Brew ratio: coffee will optimally be brewed (for most methods) with 16 or 17g of water (a fat tablespoon) for each gram of coffee. You can guestimate it but digital kitchen scales that read in grams can be had for dirt cheap on amazon. IME people who don't know about brewing coffee tend to use way too little coffee for the amount they brew. This extracts too much from the grounds and makes it watery and bitter

>Brew time: each method has its own ideal brew time but for most, like pourover or french press, ~4 minutes is optimal

>Water temperature: Coffee should ideally be brewed between 195-205Fthis is where the vast majority of home drip machines fail, the reason that /r/coffee approved drip machines start off at like $200 is that they have big, heavy copper heaters that can reach ideal brew temp, most drip machines have crummy weak heating coils that end up brewing at lower temperatures and making the coffee taste flat and sour.

>#TL;DR
I know this seems overwhelming, so I'll give you a nice, easy starter kit and instructions how to use it to get you started. And I know you said your bank account was getting crushed, so I'll make this nice and wallet-friendly

>For a grinder, go with either this manual one which has the advantage of being really cheap and producing decent grinds, but will take some effort to grind your coffee (2-3 minutes) and setting the grind size can be a pain, or if you want to spend a little bit more and get an electric, go for this one, it's not the greatest in the world but for a starting point it works ok and it's darn cheap.

>You can either keep brewing with your auto drip or, if you're still not satisfied, get a french press. They're crazy easy to use (weigh coffee, put in press. Place press on scale and tare. Pour in water. wait four minutes. drink), and they can be had for damn cheap

>Then find someone who roasts coffee near you, get some beans, and enjoy!

>Anyway sorry to bombard you with the wall of text but coffee's a complicated thing and we're hobbyists (and snobs) around here. Hope that helps! Feel free to ask more questions

>EDIT: forgot to add in Todd Carmichael's awesome instruction video for the french press.


If you're brewing for one, though, I'd look at the Aeropress, the learning curve is a bit steeper than FP but it makes wicked good coffee, is extremely versatile, and (my favorite part) cleanup is super quick and easy. And if you're willing to shell out a little more for a grinder take a peek at the Baratza encore.

EDIT: link to the aeropress and just one of many, many recipes for it. I actually used that recipe just last night and it came out fantastic. Might make myself one right now, actually...

u/Caspid · 14 pointsr/Coffee

Things you'll need:


  • Brewer — I highly recommend the AeroPress for your first brewer. It's practically a giant syringe/plunger with a filter on the end, so you immerse the grounds in hot water for a while then plunge them through the filter. Definitely an unconventional way to make coffee, but one of the most flexible. It produces a smooth, balanced cup, and it's cheap, quick, portable, durable, consistent, forgiving (i.e. not heavily dependent on equipment), and easy to clean. It offers a variety of brew methods with complete control over all the variables, so you'll learn a ton about coffee.

  • Grinder — By far the most important piece of equipment. For entry-level grinders: Skerton/Slim ($30) ≈ Porlex ($50) <<<<< Encore ($130) <<< Virtuoso ($230) < Lido ($180). Absolutely do not get a generic Chinese knockoff, it will be terrible and break. The Hario Slim/Skerton will get the job done, but in addition to being a lot of work, they won't be very consistent; the Encore represents much better value, and the Lido is the best grinder you can get under $500. Spending as much as you can reasonably afford on the grinder won't be regretted.

  • Beans — You want fresh roasted single origin. I'd start with light-medium roasts from South America (e.g. Colombia), as they'd probably taste the most familiar, then branch out from there.

  • Dialing in your brew — Here's the fun part. Take a look at the Coffee Compass. The basics: underextraction = sour, whereas overextraction = bitter; you want to hit the sweet spot. You can increase extraction by decreasing grind size (grinding finer), brewing longer, agitating (e.g. stirring), or increasing water temperature. Try one variable at a time; I recommend varying grind size and keeping everything else constant first.


    No need for a scale or kettle just yet if you're on a budget. If you do have the funds (and are interested in pourover), the Bonavita variable temperature gooseneck kettle ($64) is the gold standard — it allows you to choose the water temperature you desire and keeps it there for up to an hour, and the gooseneck offers an extremely precise pour.

    AeroPress


    Here's the standard Aeropress recipe that works for most things. You can use this as a starting point, then adjust the variables to your liking. Definitely use the inverted method: it's more convenient and less messy than trying to insert the plunger, and you get 100% yield.

  1. Invert the press (pull out the plunger most of the way and turn it upside-down). It's much easier to use, and you won't lose any coffee this way. Wet the filter.

  2. Use one scoop (~16g) medium-fine grounds. Add ~250mL of water (190-200 degrees, or if you lack a thermometer, just use boiling water), and stir a few times with the paddle until grounds are saturated. Steep for 1.5-2 minutes.

  3. You can add a couple stirs here if you want. Then place the lid (containing the pre-wetted filter or metal filter), push to remove the air at the top, invert quickly/smoothly over a mug, and press slowly and firmly over 30-45s.

    Hope this helps! It may require some tuning to find the sweet spot between between flavor and bitterness. If you're overextracting/bitter, you can try a coarser grind, cooler water, less steep time, or less pressure (change one variable at a time to see how it impacts the brew). If your coffee is too weak/strong, try a different coffee:water ratio. Take a look at the Coffee Compass for troubleshooting.

    You can also take a look at the brewing recipes from Heart, Stumptown, and Blue Bottle. The Aeropress championship recipes don't seem as generalizable/reproducible without the right equipment, but they're fun to try out.

    I highly recommend the Able disk fine metal filter. It lets more oils through and produces a more flavorful cup with more body. It's also reusable and saves money in the long run. I prefer it to the Kaffeologie S filter, which has a greater tendency to warp.

    Keep tinkering with all the variables (inverted vs non-inverted, grind size, water temperature, water:grounds ratio, blooming with a small amount of water first, steep time, stirrs and turbulent wiggles, press pressure, etc). Enjoy your coffee!




    Things to avoid:


  • Dark roasts. You're tasting more of the roasting process than the natural flavors. It's analogous to a well-done (overdone) piece of steak.

  • Cold brew. It doesn't extract much of the flavors that make specialty coffee taste good. If you do want cold coffee, it's better to brew hot and then cool rapidly (cold crashing).

  • Skimping on the grinder. Up to a certain price, it's the most important piece of equipment. An inconsistent grind with small and large particles will produce a cup that's simultaneously bitter and sour.

  • French press. It's the method with the least clarity, so not the best way to taste nuanced flavors. It's also demands a very consistent grind (i.e. expensive grinder). Most people who do French press don't have the proper grinder for it, resulting in muddy, bitter brews.

  • Feeling bad about adding cream/sugar. For many people, coffee is a bit of an acquired taste. Especially when you're making your first several brews, a bit of cream/sugar can help balance the cup.
u/mrockey19 · 7 pointsr/Coffee

Hey there. I'll give you a little summary of what I think most people on here will tell you in response to your questions.

Books: Blue Bottle ,Coffee Comprehensive and Uncommon Grounds are all good books to cover most of coffee and its processes.

This Capresso Infinity is considered a pretty decent burr grinder for the price. It will not do espresso but will be good enough for most other coffee brewing methods.

Getting a set up that is acceptable for "real" espresso is kind of expensive. A Gaggia classic is considered the bare minimum espresso machine for a "real" espresso. A Baratza Virtuoso is considered bare minimum for a decent espresso grinder. Now, you can (and many people do) find these items used, which obviously reduces the cost greatly. But depending on your area, finding these items up on craigslist or similar sites can be pretty rare.

I'm not from Rhode Island, but googling local roasters will provide some results. As for online ordering, tonx, blue bottle and stumptown are favorites around here for their price and quality. Beans are broken down on what region they came from, how they were processed and how dark they are roasted. Each region has different flavor profiles in their beans. African beans are known for being more fruity than other beans, for example. A little warning, most people on this subreddit believe Starbuck's espresso roast coffee to be too dark. However, many of Starbuck's light/Medium roast coffees have been reviewed as pretty decent. Most websites that sell the beans will list a flavor profile of the beans. The basic saying on this subreddit is that if you have crappy beans, no matter what, your coffee will be crappy. If you are going to overspend anywhere in the process, overspend on quality beans.

The espresso machines that you will be using at starbucks are machines that will basically produce espresso at the push of a button. They will grind, tamp and extract the espresso without any input from you. You should just know right off the bat that there is a whole other world to espresso making that is the exact opposite, with people grinding the beans to the right size, tamping by hand, and extracting shots with a lever that controls pressure. Neither way is right or wrong, you should just know that there are many different types of espresso machines and baristas.

I'll share a little bit of advise, take from it what you will. I was an ambitious college student coffee drinker just like you. I asked for a Breville espresso machine as my first real coffee making device (even before a grinder, how silly of me). I just wanted an espresso machine because that was all I was getting from these coffee shops. Since then I've gotten a nice grinder, a melitta pour over, french press, gooseneck kettle, aeropress, V60, moka pot, and chemex. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't turned on my espresso machine in over a year. There is so much more to coffee than espresso. There are so many methods to brew coffee that are cheaper, more complex and more interesting. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I'd buy the burr grinder I linked, and an Aeropress or any french press (Starbucks sells some pretty nice ones. You could get one with an employee discount) and just learn to love coffee on its own, without frothed milk and flavorings.

There is a ton of info on this subreddit if you stick around for awhile. Questions like yours are posted all the time and answered by very knowledgable people. Your enthusiasm for coffee is extremely exciting to see. Please don't let any of my advise subtract from your enthusiasm. Everyone takes a different path while exploring coffee. That's part of the excitement. You will learn a lot at Starbucks and you will learn a lot if you stay here. Enjoy your stay.

u/segasean · 2 pointsr/Coffee

To answer your question, the strength of your coffee is mostly influenced by how much coffee you're using versus how much water. For a strong cup with your Keurig, go with the setting with the smallest amount of water. The Keurig is by no means the "best" method to make coffee, but it will make coffee. If you decide to get a manual brewer (French press, Aeropress, Kalita Wave, etc.) the brew time has some leeway, but I'd recommend just using more coffee than trying to push the recommended brew time too far. Coffee can/should be strong without being bitter, and keeping the water and coffee together too long will create bitterness.


What follows is everything you need to know about making great coffee. Warning, this may be overwhelming:

  1. Freshly ground coffee is going to taste better. Consider coffee like bread. A loaf left on the counter will get stale faster if you slice it up. Freshly roasted is better, but it might be more expensive/harder for you to find and you might not want to dive that deep yet.
  2. Conical burr grinders are better than blade grinders. The problem is that a decent automatic burr grinder is going to be ~$100 and that's a steep price for someone just getting into coffee. Many people will recommend the mini mill, Skerton, or something along those lines that is hand-crank. (Good non-name brand options: 1 and 2) Those are your best bet. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, you can get an automatic blade grinder if you might have an issue with manual grinding/don't want to drop a lot of money. I will mention that darker roasts are easier to grind manually so there's less worry for your wrist. The problem with blade grinders is you get a bunch of differently sized bits, which makes it more difficult to get consistency and figure out a grind size/brew time you like.
  3. Each method of brewing calls for a differently sized grind. This is pretty important. If it's too small, you'll get a bitter cup. If it's too big, you'll get a sour cup. The same goes for brew time. Too long will make a bitter cup, and too short will make a sour cup. However, there's some leeway on both of these to your taste.
  4. There are a bunch of ways to make coffee that change how it tastes. Methods that involve filtering through paper make a cleaner cup, but you lose most of the oils in the coffee. Metal filters leave in these oils, but can also leave a lot of sediment/mud in the bottom of your cup. You might drink this if you drink that last sip, and it isn't really nice.
  5. Weighing your coffee is much more accurate if you want to make a consistent cup. A tablespoon of a darker roast might be 5 grams while a tablespoon of a lighter roast might be 7 grams.
  6. You'll need something to boil water in. If you have a kettle, great. If you don't, you can use a pan or you can buy a kettle. It doesn't need to be a fancy/expensive gooseneck-style one (1 and 2), but you might want one of those if you get into pourover methods.

    I would recommend a French press (1 2 3 4) or Aeropress for someone just getting into coffee. They're much more forgiving than pour-over methods, meaning you're less likely to make a bitter cup. They each have their own drawbacks, too. An Aeropress is easier to clean up, but can only make one cup at a time. A French press takes more time to clean, but can make about 3 cups at a time. (By cups I mean a standard 12-ounce mug.) Definitely get a grinder, too (see above). A scale (1 and 2) is optional but recommended. For beans, seek out a local roaster/coffee shop, but there are tons of online options available, too.

    Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes crazy) world of coffee!
u/DeignLian · 2 pointsr/exmormon

You're getting a lot of suggestions for a French press, but I'd recommend an Aeropress instead. Don't get me wrong, the French press makes good coffee, but for me it makes way too much and inevitably you get some grounds in your cup. If you're only going for a single cup and want something a little bit more espresso-esque without the grounds in your mug, the Aeropress is great. Combine that with a nice little burr grinder and a good electric kettle to boil your water (which your DH can use to make cocoa or Crio-Bru) and you're set. It's also nice because it's small and doesn't take up the kind of counter space that a Keurig does, so it also travels well (and it's plastic so you don't have to worry about it breaking in your luggage).

If you do go the Aerporess route throw out the instructions they send you and use the inverted method. I like my coffee a bit stronger and tend to do closer to 1:13 coffee to water ratio. I'd also recommend using a kitchen scale (which you can also use to make yourself a better cook in general, if that's your thing) as you'll get a more consistent cup that way.

Unless you have quite a bit of money and counter space to shell out for a quality machine, don't waste your time with any of the home "espresso" machines. Most of them can't actually get the pressure necessary to make a proper espresso and will either give you something you can make similarly with the Aeropress or French press or they come with pods with pre-ground, coffee, which is shit. The extra time to make a good cup "by hand" rather than using one of the automated machines is well worth the effort.

Regardless of the method you go for, whether you get a French press, an Aeropress, a Chemex pour-over, or a Mr. Coffee drip machine take the extra step of grinding your own beans at home. Coffee beans start losing their flavor as soon as they are roasted, but that can be mitigated by storing them in a cool place in an airtight container out of sunlight and grinding right before brewing. I buy my coffee in bulk at Costco and then vacuum pack my beans into about 1-2 weeks worth packages, but I'm pretentious. Most people will say get a burr grinder, and I tend to agree, but America's Test Kitchen tested to see if you could get a good cup with a blade grinder and it turns out you can (thought they only tested with a really high quality drip coffee maker and no other methods, so it isn't safe to extrapolate their results to other brewing methods).

Happy drinking!

Edit: Apparently I didn't finish a sentence.

u/THANAT0PS1S · 2 pointsr/Coffee

I started getting into coffee nearly a year and a half ago, and here is what I did to start:

I bought

  • A Hario V60 02 Pour-Over Dripper ~$20, with filters, ~$30

  • A Hario Buono Gooseneck Kettle ~$50

  • A Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder ~$150

  • A scale ~$25

  • Freshly, locally roasted whole beans ~$10/lb. Dark roasts tend to be less acidic, sweeter, and have less caffeine (when brewed correctly); light roasts are the opposite: acidic, fruity, and more caffeine.

    Now, bear in mind that I knew that I loved coffee before I invested all this money into it; you should obviously really consider your situation and really get into "good" coffee before splurging on all of this equipment. I now have a French press, a moka pot, and am going to invest in an Aeropress soon, but I still prefer the pour-over method to any other coffee that I've had, thus why I recommend you go that route. It can take some definite getting used to and has a bit of a learning curve, but it is easily worth the effort (tutorial videos will help immensely.

    Keep in mind, you needn't buy exactly what I did. Shop around, see what you like and what is in your price range. I will say this, however: if you do go the pour-over method, go for the V60 or the Chemex, they are both easily the best on the market, and the same goes for the Buono kettle, though if necessary you can purchase a different kettle, just so long as it is a gooseneck (which is required to finely control the flow of water).

    Many other people will tell you to go with a French press. This is good advice as it has a very slight learning curve in comparison to pretty much every other method (besides maybe the Aeropress, depending on who you talk to): it is literally grinding the coffee coarsely and letting it sit in water for X-amount of time. It also does not take filters, is easy to clean, and is a relatively cheap initial investment (~$20). I like the Brazil model that Bodum makes.

    No matter which method you choose to brew with, there are three things that you should not underestimate the importance of (and thus should not skimp on):

  • Freshly ground and roasted beans are a must. The fresher, the better.
  • A blade grinder will always do a worse job of grinding than a burr grinder. It is worth it to spend the extra cash for a burr grinder right off the bat, as, if you get at all serious about coffee, you will eventually purchase one anyway, rendering your blade grinder useless and a waste of money in hindsight. Blade grinders make it nigh impossible to control how fine or coarse the grind is, which is one of the biggest variables in coffee brewing. There are absolutely cheaper models out there than the one that I linked to, especially if you get a manual one rather than the electric one that I own.

  • A scale is essential. Coffee brewing is very much an exact science. Making sure the ratio of water to coffee is exact and being able to fine tune down to the gram/milliliter can create some of the biggest deviances between batches next to grind size. This cannot be overstated.

    Best of luck. There's a lot of good knowledge on this sub, on this sub's How to Coffee: A Primer, and on the Internet in general. Check it all out, pick your path, and enjoy the ride!
u/pokoleo · 11 pointsr/uwaterloo

After much experimentation, you have a few options:

  1. On-campus
  • EngSoc C&D: Though not world-class, the coffee is very inexpensive. It runs at about $1 per cup. It's less if you bring your own mug. A++ would recommend if caffeine boost is all you need. Cash only. Profits go to Engsoc.
  • Mathsoc C&D: Similar quality to the EngSoc C&D, and around the same price as the EngSoc C&D. Cash, Debit, and Visa. Profits go toward C&D improvements (furniture & appliances).
  • Science C&D: I've only stopped by once while it was open, and didn't buy coffee :(. Cash only. I assume profits fund SciSoc.
  • ENV C&D: I've heard amazing things about the C&D, and it seems like it's run very well. Similar to Science, I've never had a chance to stop by, but will try to this term. They seem to be very entrepreneurial, and are one of the few non-school-run places on campus to offer catering (of limited size). Unsurprisingly, things are green/fair trade. Cash only. Profits go to improving the C&D.
  • Arts C&D: I've never seen it open. ¯\(ツ)
  • UW Food Services (Various Locations): Coffee is consistent, both in high-prices and low-quality. Cash & Watcard everywhere, debit in some places. Profits go to the school.
  • Williams, EV3: I've never ordered a latte, but they probably serve them here. Expect worse service & selection than the off-campus Williams, with prices ≥ off-campus. If you're choosing this, just walk to the plaza for less expensive food and improved service. They take cash, watcard, (and probably debit).
  • 24H News, SLC: "Emergency Coffee" - don't bother, unless it's really necessary, and everywhere else is closed.
  • Turnkey Desk, SLC: This is "Emergency Coffee" - don't bother, unless it's an emergency. Choose 24H News over Turnkey.
  • Tim Hortons (Various Locations): Going to skip this, since it's probably well known to you.

  1. Selected off-campus locations:
  • Sweet Dreams: Despite being a tea shop, they have well-priced coffee, and awesome employees. Expect to wait a bit longer, since there's usually a line, and they use a french-press to brew the coffee after you order :'). They take cash/visa, and probably watcard.
  • Williams, Plaza: Miles better than the one in EV3. They have better food selection than the on-campus location. Cash/visa/watcard are all accepted.
  • Mel's Diner: Their coffee is ok, but they refill it as long as you continue to eat.
  • DVLB: I've only been for scotch, but something tells me that I'll be holed up at DVLB for a few afternoons this term. It's a nice place to be, and they (apparently) have wifi.
  • Second Cup: There's a second cup in the plaza. A friend worked there once, and swore to never go back. They may have what you want, but idk.
  • Starbucks: There's a starbucks at Uni & King. Starbucks is Starbucks is Starbucks.

    Many places off-campus & within a reasonable walk serve coffee, but I don't know of any other notable options.

    At home, I use an incredibly inexpensive coffee maker: Aerobie Aeropress, with a Hario Hand Mill, both of which are highly-recommended by /r/coffee. I haven't been able to find an amazing place to buy unground coffee beans near campus yet, and I tend to buy beans when in Toronto.

    Hope this helps.
u/txgsync · 6 pointsr/zfs

Linking OP's problem here...

Chances are 9/10 that the CPU is not "busy", but instead bumping up against a mutex lock. Welcome to the world of high-performance ZFS, where pushing forward the state-of-the-art is often a game of mutex whac-a-mole!

Here's the relevant CPU note from the post:

> did a perf top and it shows most of the kernel time spent in _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore in z_wr_int_4 and osq_lock in z_wr_iss.

Seeing "lock" in the name of any kernel process is often a helpful clue. So let's do some research: what is "z_wr_iss"? What is "osq_lock"?

I decided to pull down the OpenZFS source code and learn by searching/reading. Lots more reading than I can outline here.

txgsync: ~/devel$ git clone https://github.com/openzfs/openzfs.git
txgsync: ~/devel$ cd openzfs/
txgsync: ~/devel/openzfs$ grep -ri z_wr_iss
txgsync: ~/devel/openzfs$ grep -ri osq_lock


Well, that was a bust. It's not in the upstream OpenZFS code. What about the zfsonlinux code?

txgsync: ~/devel$ git clone https://github.com/zfsonlinux/zfs.git
txgsync: ~/devel$ cd zfs
txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ grep -ri z_wr_iss
txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ grep -ri osq_lock


Still no joy. OK, time for the big search: is it in the Linux kernel source code?

txgsync: ~/devel$ cd linux-4.4-rc8/
txgsync: ~/devel/linux-4.4-rc8$ grep -ri osq_lock

Time for a cup of coffee; even on a pair of fast, read-optimized SSDs, digging through millions of lines of code with "grep" takes several minutes.

include/linux/osq_lock.h:#ifndef LINUX_OSQ_LOCK_H
include/linux/osq_lock.h:#define
LINUX_OSQ_LOCK_H
include/linux/osq_lock.h:#define OSQ_LOCK_UNLOCKED { ATOMIC_INIT(OSQ_UNLOCKED_VAL) }
include/linux/osq_lock.h:static inline void osq_lock_init(struct optimistic_spin_queue
lock)
include/linux/osq_lock.h:extern bool osq_lock(struct optimistic_spin_queue lock);
include/linux/rwsem.h:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
include/linux/rwsem.h:#define __RWSEM_OPT_INIT(lockname) , .osq = OSQ_LOCK_UNLOCKED, .owner = NULL
include/linux/mutex.h:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/Makefile:obj-$(CONFIG_LOCK_SPIN_ON_OWNER) += osq_lock.o
kernel/locking/rwsem-xadd.c:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/rwsem-xadd.c: osq_lock_init(&sem->osq);
kernel/locking/rwsem-xadd.c: if (!osq_lock(&sem->osq))
kernel/locking/mutex.c:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/mutex.c: osq_lock_init(&lock->osq);
kernel/locking/mutex.c: if (!osq_lock(&lock->osq))
kernel/locking/osq_lock.c:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/osq_lock.c:bool osq_lock(struct optimistic_spin_queue
lock)

For those who don't read C well -- and I number myself among that distinguished group! -- here's a super-quick primer: if you see a file with ".h" at the end of the name, that's a "Header" file. Basically, it defines variables that are used elsewhere in the code. It's really useful to look at headers, because often they have helpful comments to tell you what the purpose of the variable is. If you see a file with ".c" at the end, that's the code that does the work rather than just defining stuff.

It's z_wr_iss that's driving the mutex lock; there's a good chance I can ignore the locking code itself (which is probably fine; at least I hope it is, because ZFS on Linux is probably easier to push through a fix than core kernel IO locking semantics) if I can figure out why we're competing over the lock (which is the actual problem). Back to grep...

txgsync: ~/devel/linux-4.4-rc8$ grep -ri z_wr_iss

MOAR COFFEE! This takes forever. Next hobby project: grok up my source code trees in ~devel; grep takes way too long.

...

...

And the search came up empty. Hmm. Maybe _iss is a structure that's created only when it's running, and doesn't actually exist in the code? I probably should understand what I'm pecking at a little better. Let's go back to the ZFS On Linux code:

mbarnson@txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ grep -r z_wr

module/zfs/zio.c: "z_null", "z_rd", "z_wr", "z_fr", "z_cl", "z_ioctl"

Another clue! We've figured out the Linux Kernel name of the mutex we're stuck on, and that z_wr is a structure in "zio.c". Now this code looks pretty familiar to me. Let's go dive into the ZFS On Linux code and see why z_wr might be hung up on a mutex lock of type "_iss".

txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ cd module/zfs/
txgsync: ~/devel/zfs/module/zfs$ vi zio.c

z_wr is a type of IO descriptor:

  • ==========================================================================
  • I/O type descriptions
  • ==========================================================================
    /
    const char
    zio_type_name[ZIO_TYPES] = {
    "z_null", "z_rd", "z_wr", "z_fr", "z_cl", "z_ioctl"
    };

    What about that z_wr_iss thing? And competition with z_wr_int_4? I've gotta leave that unanswered for now, because it's Saturday and I have a lawn to mow.

    It seems there are a few obvious -- if tentative -- conclusions:

  1. You're hung up on a mutex lock. This is probably not something that "tuning" will usually eliminate; double-check that you're not using compression, encryption, deduplication, or other obvious resource hogs.
  2. The name of the mutex lock is osq_lock in the Linux kernel. The name seems obvious: it's a queue of some sort. Could it be a write queue to access the device? A parallel test to all your devices -- without ZFS, just simultaneous writes across the stripe in some kind of raw fashion -- might turn up if this mutex is being held due to IO in general, or if it is specific to ZFS.
  3. The mutex competition appears to be between z_wr_int_4 (the write queue for 4k blocks, perhaps?) and z_wr_iss. You might be able to determine if z_wr_int_4 is what I described by re-running your test to see if the new competition is between z_wr_iss with something like z_wr_int_8 for 8k blocks instead.
  4. If I were the OP, I'd evaluate the disks one-by-one. Create a zpool of just the one drive, and run the IO test on just that drive first. If performance is good with a single-drive zpool, nuke the pool and use two drives in a stripe. Try again. See what the scale tipping point is with three drives, four drives, etc. Xen historically had challenging IO queueing when managing more than four block devices; I wonder if some legacy of this remains?
  5. You really need to see if you can reproduce this on bare metal. It seems likely that this is an artifact of virtualization under Xen. Even with paravirtualization of IO, any high-performance filesystem is really sensitive to latency in the data path. Seems more a Xen bug than a ZFS bug, but it might be work-around-able.
  6. Xen -- if I understand correctly -- uses a shared, fixed-size ring buffer and notification mechanism for I/O, just one per domU. So although you're throwing more drives at it, this moves the bottleneck from the drives to the ring buffer. If I were to pursue this further, I'd look to competition for this shared ring buffer resource as a likely candidate imposing a global throttle on all IO to the domU under your hypervisor:
    • you've filled the ring buffer,
    • Xen has to empty it and make room for more data before the lock can clear,
    • this suggests that the real governor is how long the Linux kernel mutex has to wait for Xen to poll the ring buffer again.
    • You might not observe this with forked processes in a paravirtualized kernel. ZFS is a multithreaded kernel process, so I wonder if it's being forced to use a single ring buffer for I/O in a Xen environment.

      It's just a hypothesis, but I think it may have some legs and needs to be ruled out before other causes can be ruled in.

      I was willing to dive into this a bit because I'm in the midst of some similar tests myself, and am also puzzled why the IO performance of Solaris zones so far out-strips ZFSoL under Xen; even after reading Brendan Gregg's explanation of Zones vs. KVM vs. Xen I obviously don't quite "get it" yet. I probably need to spend more time with my hands in the guts of things to know what I'm talking about.

      TL;DR: You're probably tripping over a Linux kernel mutex lock that is waiting on a Xen ring buffer polling cycle; this might not have much to do with ZFS per se. Debugging Xen I/O scheduling is hard. Please file a bug.

      ADDENDUM: The Oracle Cloud storage is mostly on the ZFS Storage Appliances. Why not buy a big IaaS instance from Oracle instead and know that it's ZFS under the hood at the base of the stack? The storage back-end systems have 1.5TB RAM, abundant L2ARC, huge & fast SSD SLOG, and lots of 10K drives as the backing store. We've carefully engineered our storage back-ends for huge IOPS. We're doubling-down on that approach with Solaris Zones and Docker in the Cloud with Oracle OpenStack for Solaris and Linux this year, and actively disrupting ourselves to make your life better. I administer the architecture & performance of this storage for a living, so if you're not happy with performance in the Oracle Cloud, your problem is right in my wheelhouse.

      Disclaimer: I'm an Oracle employee. My opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Oracle or its affiliates.
u/trancematik · 3 pointsr/GiftIdeas

Hands down best tea steeper: Finum Brewing Filter Basket with Lid and Drip Tray (large)
Believe me. Don't get any cute tea balls or devices. Novelty tea diffusers suck over time, as any tea enthusiast will find them clumsy and hard to clean in the long run. Trust me, this is the best one.

You could also get her a cute, large mug to go with and maybe a gift card to take her on a date to a place like David's Tea/teavana. That way she can pick out some new loose leaf teas to try, and you can see what flavours interest her.

A tea storage box is also a fantastic gift. Tea bags are inferior to loose leaf, but if you do get bags to fill the box, be sure to get some darjeeling or assam - the best teas in the world.

One thing that's rather overlooked in tea is a tea thermometer. Certain teas need particular temps to steep. I even have a chart printed on glossy photo paper we keep in a plastic sleeve and pinned to the inside of our cupboard (where we keep tea). It'd be a really sweet touch to include that costs practicly nothing.

I know tea. I've visited the tea gardens and tea factories. My great grandmother was a poor tea seller girl by the roadside and met my great grandfather who was a well-to-do soldier. The brigades would have to wait for a bridge to open and that's how they met. Its pretty romantic, lol.

But yeah, tea runs in my blood, so to speak. If you have any questions, feel free to fire away!

u/louisjms · 6 pointsr/Coffee

$150 is a good amount really, much more generous than other people who are like "I have $30, how do I make cafe-grade espresso at home???"

My list for you:

  • Baratza Encore grinder - this is a very capable grinder that will suit brew methods from French Press to Aeropress and Pourover. It won't work for Espresso however, although you're probably not going to be venturing that far just now. You'll want to grind your beans fresh for best results - if you buy your beans from Starbucks and have them ground there, they'll be very stale by the next day.
  • Aeropress - honestly it's a weird contraption, but in the views of most people here, the best bit of kit for brewing coffee at home. It's a cross between a French Press and a paper filter machine, in that you immerse the coffee in water, and then plunge it through a paper filter to separate the grounds and the liquid. I think the reason people recommend the Aeropress to many is that it's basically fool-proof. As long as you're using good coffee, you can't really make a bad cup.
  • Hario V60 - another brew device, this is a pourover, so very similar to drip coffee but you have far more control. You'll get best results using a gooseneck kettle, although if you have a normal kettle with a fine spout you might just about manage.

    I won't explain WHY these are really good kits for getting started with, you can just search on this sub and there will be hundreds of articles on that.

    And I should stress again, good beans are important. As a Starbucks Barista I am 100% coughing up to the fact that most of our coffee's are charcoal. Use them if you like them, but if you can get something better then you should really be doing so.
u/dokushin · 3 pointsr/tea

I'm fairly serious about my tea (although still a lightweight around these parts) and drink pretty much exclusively iced black tea.

Short answer: Harney & Sons Malachi McCormick ("Decent Tea") if you're looking for just a better version of what you're drinking; a good Irish Breakfast tea if you're wanting to really start exploring. (H&S also does about the best Irish Breakfast I've managed to find.)

Long answer: Icing tea does a couple of things. It kills aromatics and kind of damps down the entire flavor profile. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means that you want to emphasize different flavors to make sure you have a nice cup of tea. This means what you don't want is a low-body aromatic tea; what you do want is something with a lot of body and a strong characteristic taste -- black breakfast teas and similar blends will do you no wrong, here. Irish Breakfast tea is a (very) full-bodied tea with strong assam notes that takes very well to being iced; if that's a new one to you it's going to come out as a bit of an experience, so go slow and give it a chance to grow on you. Most put milk and possibly a little sugar in it; I drink it black, but it's definitely an acquired taste. The "Decent Tea" blend at H&S

(Note that all tea if cooled too quickly -- like icing immediately after brewing -- will have solids precipitate out, turning the tea opaque. This doesn't affect flavor at all; some consider it unsightly, but I actually have kind of come to enjoy the grey-brown of a good Irish Breakfast or the more orange tint of a Scottish Breakfast. Don't let the appearance put you off. Cheaper teas frequently don't turn opaque as there are insufficient solids; sometimes they will merely turn 'cloudy'.)

Normal rule of thumb is one teaspoon of leaf per 'cup' -- for iced you want it a little stronger, so i'll fill an 18oz glass with ice and do two solid teaspoons (maybe just a bit more), ending up with something like 16oz of chilled tea, which should be about right.

Note that details of brewing will make a big difference too -- it's not nearly so sensitive as coffee, but details still matter. For black tea, you want to get water to a boil and on the leaves and steep for 5 minutes. Use filtered water for brewing and (ideally) for the ice -- this makes a big difference, as the dissolved minerals in tap water not only affect the taste but reduce the solubility of the tea. Put the leaves in something decent -- try to avoid using a tiny cheap tea ball or something. I use this basket for brewing in a 12oz wide-mouth mason jar, which I then pour directly over ice in a solo cup (or thermos or w/e for travel).

If any of that is daunting, though, jump in with what you have and you'll easily be able to improve on what you've been drinking thus far. Twinings has a decent irish breakfast blend in tea bags at most supermarkets that makes an okay cup if you're curious about the blend.

Let me know if you have any questions; I'm a huge iced tea fan and could likely talk about it indefinitely.


u/dubzors · 1 pointr/Coffee

First off, there are guides for this already which is why people are not responding. They are in the side bar and I linked them again here:

How To Coffee: A Primer

Coffee Gear Suggestions by Price

Now on to my own advice. I am also relatively new to coffee so my advice is based on researching how to get started over the last couple of months

Give us a budget, but under $100 puts you here:

  1. Grinder: The Hario Mini Mill ($27) is fairly highly recommended here
  2. Scale: American Weigh Scales SC-2KGA ($25). The AC-adapter version of a fairly popular scale here. It should work for a long time and work well for most types of brewing. The Jennings CJ4000 ($27) is also very popular and is worth a look. The difference is the Jennings responds way faster - which is useful for pour over - but is less precise (increments of .5 grams instead of .1 grams, though this is not as big of a deal)
  3. Brew device: Aeropress ($22), French Press ($25), or Pour Over (Melitta Cone or Beehouse) There is only one Aeropress version but there are lots of French Presses, I linked to a Bodum Chambord which is the favorite here. You can decide which one of these will work better for you based on the other responses on this thread or by searching in /r/Coffee.
  4. Cheap water thermometer or an electric kettle that can set temperatures. If you go with a Pour Over method you need a gooseneck kettle which sets you back another $35-65 depending on how nice. A lot of people go with the Bonavita Variable Temperature Digital Electric Gooseneck Kettle ($63).
  5. The coffee! Try to get freshly roasted (look for a "Roasted On" date instead of an expiry or packaged/binned on date) coffee. Try and buy stuff that is roasted less than 5 days ago and use it before 3 weeks from the roasted on date (some people say 2). You can try to find local roasters and coffee houses that sell fresh whole bean coffee using the /r/Coffee search or Yelp. Be careful with darkly roasted (ie French roast) coffee because a lot of the dark roasts at Grocery Stores and even shops (Starbucks) is considered over roasted and basically burnt. If you want suggestions for brands search /r/Coffee, though really popular and expensive stuff would be Intelligentsia and Stumptown.
u/theCardiffGiant · 6 pointsr/Coffee

This guy is great, and clearly very kind. On a side note: Grind is good for fine tuning, but you can go too fine and too coarse with any given brewing method. Going too fine can yield over-extracted coffee, which will taste (among a wide variety of possible over-extracted flavors) bitter. Under extraction with too coarse of grind will be obvious- your coffee is weak and watery, possibly with a grassy taste.

If you do have a coffee shop/roastery in your town, make some face to face friends to talk shop with (the employees, if they aren't asses). Having friends with coffee interests makes coffee way more fun. Like most hobbies, a social aspect adds a lot of depth and increases the steepness of your learning curve.

Lastly, I highly recommend the aeropress as a starting method. It's just as easy and cheap as a french press, and I find the result is much more wonderful. I recognize that others might disagree, but disagreements are part of the fun of it. Good luck, and like AVgvstvs_Caesar, feel free to PM me with questions.

u/MapsMapsEverywhere · 4 pointsr/Coffee

/u/AmNotLost covered the basics really well. I would recommend the Baratza Encore (you can sometimes find them refurbished on their website here).

The method of brewing depends on how you like your coffee. If you like a more big-bodied mouthfeel and are okay with some sediment in your coffee I would recommend a French Press. You can pick them up almost anywhere.

If you like a cleaner cup with more brightness and less sediment I would go with something that uses a paper filter. The Aeropress or Kalita Wave are my recommendations for this (important note: the Aeropress comes with filters, the Kalita Wave does not. You can buy them here).

Next: water. Use fresh, filtered water about 30-45 seconds off the boil to brew with. Water between 195F and 205F is recommended to brew with, and this should put you somewhere in that range.

Use fresh roasted coffee from a local roaster. If you're in even a semi-major city this shouldn't be too tough. If not, you may want to try ordering online. I have plenty of recommendations if you want. In fact, let me know and I can send you a bit of coffee for free to get you started.

Finally, and this cannot be stressed enough, drink what you like.

We here in /r/coffee typically gravitate toward more modern light roasted coffees. I definitely do myself. But if you try a bunch of coffees and still like the taste of medium/dark/burnt to a crisp coffee, then keep drinking it.

I hope this helps and is not too intimidating. Don't hesitate to reach out with questions or anything! I love helping people find the perfect cup of coffee. It is literally my job to do so.

u/FlamingCurry · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Alright, I'll lay out two set ups for two different price points.


Cheap Set Up

Hario Skerton This is the most basic entry level grinder possible, grinds enough for one person pretty easily, and gets "good enough results for a poor college student

Aeropress You can make full cups of coffee or pseudo-espresso that you can mix with milk for a pseudo, its easy to clean, and probably the most forgiving coffee making tool.

And then any kettle and any scale. Look for cheap on both, were going for cheap here, and were not doing rocket science, should be another 25-30 total for both of these, which lands you just under $100 total for this set up. You don't need to bother roasting beans yourselves, and if you're in a college town theres probably a local roaster around that you can get good quality roasted beans from and be happy with. For cold brew just throw grounds and water in jar in you fridge for a day in a 8:1 ratio, then strain the goop the next day for a solid cold brew concentrate



The pricier beginner college set up


Baratza Encore. If you can afford this, then get it. The things great, does everything but espresso grind really well, and because its not manual its doesn't take that long and it doesn't require any real effort on your part. I love mine, but the $140 price tag could be steep (I wouldn't have bought it when I was in college, I was poor as shit).


Brew Methods: I still recommend at least an Aeropress, but pair it with a 1LFrench press too for when you want to make a lot of coffee at once, or coffee for friends. you can also make cold brew in a French press instead of a jar, and you can use it to strain it out. Also, if you really want to make the closest thing to espresso that you can without blowing $300 dollars, get a 3-cup moka pot. You can find a cheap one at your Ross or Home Goods equivalent.



For kettle, you can get a variable temp one if you want to spend the money, people recommend the Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck but I still just use my cheap 15 dollar kettle and am doing fine.


As far as scales go, I still just say find a cheap scale that works well enough.



Bits and Bobs


Hand held Milk Frother for frother hot milk for lattes. Sounds like something you would like.

u/lumpy_potato · 1 pointr/Coffee

So I'm breaking in a Baratza Virtuoso (Refurb), and have noticed a few things with the beans I'm grinding Saint Frank Decaf. Hario V60-02 with tabbed filters. I've ordered the 'originals' just to see if it makes a difference.

Looking at the Tetsu Katsuya method, the ideal pour completion time is around 3:30 seconds. I've seen other suggestions in the 2-3 minute range for completion.

I'm grinding at a 30 on my Virtuoso, and with the Katsuya method and 20g of beans it takes about 4:30 before everything drips through. What I'm tasting is a little too sour/acidic. Maybe the coffee compass is biasing me, but I'm pretty sure I'm under extracting.

Some of the better pours I've had with this coffee took 4 to 6 minutes to complete (60 bloom, 70 pour, then two 95g pours for a total of 320g water to 18-20g beans). Trying to grind coarser to get finished at 3:30 results in water going through so fast during the beginning stages I don't think the bloom is actually happening.

Maybe it's just the beans - I've read on Home Barista to really not let the 'finish' time get your goat, and do what tastes best. Which I think I'm going to do from now on.

One thing that did sort of bother me is that increasing coarseness does not always seem to correspond to a reduced finish time. Maybe the steps are just that small, but going from a 25 to a 30 should result in a linear reduction in finish time. I feel like I've seen timings all over the map. I need to start over, but I can't shake the feeling that maybe these beans (or the virtuoso?) are producing a lot of fines that clog up the brew towards the middle/end pours. If someone has any insight into this, it would be super helpful.

I haven't yet stripped down the virtuoso to check the adjustment screws. I'm hoping to avoid that. Part of me is wondering whether this particular bean might be better suited for another brew method, like french press - I'm assuming the presence of fines would be less of an issue, but that's just a guess.

u/jesusapproves · 7 pointsr/tea

What are you looking for and what does he like? You can get a standard infuser like this one that I use.

Or you could get him a "reverse french press". The reverse french press is one of the best and easiest ways to brew. It lets the leaves float in the water, but allows easy extraction of the water into a mug (it is much harder with a regular french press because pressing down the leaves can cause them to expel a lot of bitter flavor into the water).

Generally speaking, avoid anything that will smash the leaves, or will not let them float easily. If he generally uses a big teapot, make sure to get something for that. If he typically uses just a mug, the two things I listed will work great. I even use my regular infuser in my large tea pitcher/pot.

But, if you give me a price range and a general idea of what you would like him to have, what he already has or what kind of things he likes, I can definitely help you out. I love tea myself, and would hope that my wife would ask someone knowledgeable when she goes to buy something for me.

OH! And if you're looking to get the best bang for your buck, avoid teavanna. They're not bad they're just overpriced.

u/giggidywarlock · 1 pointr/Coffee

Hey there! I used to be a coffee heretic and then I started roasting. You can't stick with your old ways and expect consistently incredible results when you're trying to produce something incredible.

With that said, you aren't really a heretic. You just have your preference, and it is different than the rest of us. Sure, buzz words like Starbucks and $20 krups grinder are like poison to some ears, but that's not an issue. At least, if you are happy with it then it isn't.

But if you are wanting to stretch yourself in terms of coffee you'll need to look into different options. I don't know what your budget is, so I'm not going to push the $150 grinder on you. But many people around here like the Hario Slim for being small and effective. You may also see the Aeropress promoted around here. It is a popular item around here as well.

Now, in terms of coffee, there are options for you to get quality coffee online. Roasters like Chromatic Coffee offer free shipping to US customers. They are one of my personal favorites. And you may be surprised what a quick google search of your area can find. I'm in a big city that wasn't exactly known for its coffee, but when I searched on Google I found that there are 6 roasters within an hour of my house.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/gonewildaudio

Man that was awesome! Ali and No name you guys slayyy me with everything. I love hearing you guys together. I laughed non stop through this.

/u/bourbon_neat! You're hilarious. Your voice is so very good. Deep. And generally authoritative. <3

  1. The aeropress coffee maker! We have one and its absolutely amazing. For someone who loves coffee its a MUST HAVE.

  2. Your reading of nonames script. Hahaha amazing. I inwasnt already on the ground listening I would have fellnoff my chair. It's like that script was meant for you.

  3. Love your love for books and Steinbeck. That is all
u/canekicker · 6 pointsr/Coffee

Cafe (Ca Phe) Sua Da is a really common Vietnamese drink that incorporates condensed milk with coffee that often has chicory as an adjunct. Cafe Du Monde is the most common brand of coffee that I've seen but you really can use anything.Note that it has chicory as an adjunct but a good dark roast can do the trick. They're made using a phin which as you can see, is fairly straight forward metal filter that relies on gravity and a finer grind to extract. It's really easy to make and quite delicious though I treat it more as dessert than coffee.

If you live in an area with a decent sized Asian population, you should be able to find it fairly easily as it's crossed over into non-Vietnamese shops. A good bet would be a pho shop or failing that, a bubble tea shop. However, if you live in a place that has a large Vietnamese population (e.g LA or Houston) you may be to explore Vietnamese coffee beyond cafe sua da. Houston, for example, has Long Coffee which does a variety of Vietnamese style coffees, all which are delicious. At the same time, one of Houston's more famous coffee shops Blacksmith does their own version of cafe sua da as the owner is one of the biggest proponents of Houston's Vietnamese food scenes.

Quick tip : you can drink it straight up but it's served with a cup off ice so once it's finished brewing, mix the condensed milk in and pour it over the ice. The residual heat will melt the ice, dilute the drink and bring the sweetness down to something I find more palatable.

edit : spelling/clarity

u/Tallm · 2 pointsr/Coffee

1.5 cups of water is ~354grams, so you're brew ratio is ~11:1. With optimal extraction that should be a strong cup. Standard is ~16:1. Not saying it's wrong, I happen to like stronger cups myself. One important thing you should know is that both the brewing vessel and grind absorb heat from the water, and this drops the temperature fast of the brew, and this is a less than ideal extraction. To workaround this you should preheat. In your case bring 700g, or 3 cups of water, to boil, instead of the 354. When it boils, pour 1/2 of it in and return the kettle/pot to the stove so it resumes boil. Quickly dump the water out of the vessel and throw your 30g grind load in. Now pour just enough water over the grinds to wet them, and stir, this is to prep the grind to accept water faster (bloom), stir for a few seconds and make sure there are no lumps. Start your timer. Finally, dump the rest of the water in and cover to prevent heat from escaping. Pour/plunge at 4:00min as you did before. It should taste much stronger now. If it's overly bitter, do this whole process over again but reduce the time by 15 seconds (3:45min) and taste. Repeat until its not overly bitter. The sweet spot will be when you can taste the coffee flavor but without too much bitter in there.

Regarding "sandy" mouthfeel, this is because the mesh screen in the french press (FP) has wide holes. Some people like it, some dont. I dont so when I pour I hold this in the stream, it filters out the grit and, as an added benefit, gives you a bit more flavor clarity. This is because the grit that you currently there continues to extract in the cup, and that muddies things up some. Again no rules here, just preferences, and ignore the comments you'll hear about boiling water burning grind, its not true. There's also a second option here which is to adjust your grind settings so the particles are larger, to prevent them from getting through the mesh, but then you have to extend the extraction time. I dont because I want a faster extraction. Just dont grind super fine powder like youd see in an espresso, thats not for FP.

Kalita uses a paper filter, delivering a thinner, almost tea-like cup, and works best with light/medium roast bean. These are beans that have more delicate flavor. The "espresso" bean, or darker roast youre using on the FP, has a heavier, less defined flavor, more body, and more carbon, so it wont benefit from paper filter so much. The tradition has been darker bean in FP and lighter roast for paper filter methods. Good luck, I hope I helped

u/jtskywalker · 2 pointsr/tea

First of all, if you're concerned about getting all of the flavor out of tea, you need to be brewing loose leaf, not bagged. Bagged teas are fine sometimes, but they have a fraction of the flavor of a good loose leaf tea. All you need to brew loose tea is hot water and a strainer to get the leaves out of the water. I use a brewing basket from Finum. you can buy it on Amazon, and Upton Tea sells it for a few dollars cheaper, but they charge shipping, so if you're not getting tea too, it's about the same. A lot of other tea shops also sell infusers, so you can probably add one to your order and get it all at once!

If you're shopping from Adagio, as /u/saltyteabag recommended, I suggest their Spiced Apple Chai, if you like apple cider type flavors. Brew that up and add some milk and a touch of honey and that's one of the most delicious drinks there is.

For regular tea (no flavors), I usually prefer Oolongs. Adagio has a good selection of those as well.

For a cold, what I like is some gunpowder green tea with peppermint and honey.

I just throw a spoon of tea and a spoon of peppermint leaves in a cup, drizzle with honey, and add hot water. Most of the leaves will sink to the bottom, and those that don't aren't bad to drink. That's one of my favorite ways to drink tea and relax. It's called "grandpa style" and it's mentioned in the FAQ in the sidebar (which I definitely recommend reading). It's easy and there's not a lot to mess up.

I get my peppermint leaves from Mountain Rose Herbs, as it's cheaper than buying it from some tea places, but Adagio has peppermint tea, and that would work fine.

The gunpowder green tea I used to get from Twinnings, but my local grocery store stopped carrying it. I got my last batch from Upton Tea, but Adagio also has gunpowder green tea.

u/ceruleancity · 1 pointr/CampingandHiking

I would recommend buckwheat instead of rice/quinoa/cous cous etc.

Bread. All kinds of bread! It's really filling and gives you lots of energy to burn. One time I got a whole 16 oz focaccia round with cheddar cheese and jalapenos and that had to be one of the best things I ever brought into the backcountry. Anyway, bagels/breads with cheese/vegetable toppings are great.

I really like to strain and wash cans of beans(black or dark red kidney), add seasoning (I like any combination of cumin, black pepper, garlic salt, smoked paprika, chili powder) and put it into plastic bags. It's really easy to pack out a plastic bag and it goes really well with buckwheat. Just cook the buckwheat (just as you would cook rice 1 cup water to half a cup of buckwheat as a rule of thumb) and just before all the water is gone add the beans and spices and a little more water and cook for a few more minutes. Probably my favorite backcountry meal.

Nuts(Raw unsalted almonds), dried fruit(craisins), chocolate(dark)... best mid hike snack! Super cheap at costco too! If you don't have a costco card just find someone who does, give them some money and they can get you a gift card then you get in for free! (don't forget to high five!)

Anything that you just add boiling water too is super easy as well, trader joe's has some asian food like this. As long as it's easy to crunch up the packaging and pack it out then it's worth it imo.

The protein bars are a great replacement/back up for sure. I never get beef jerky because it's so expensive (if you look at it per pound) but that's got to be one of the most satisfying backcountry foods (I would assume).

BONUS ^BONUS ^^BONUS Get an AEROPRESS and bring some coffee... thank me later!

...oh man I could go on and on and on... I'll stop here for now

u/vonHindenburg · 3 pointsr/Coffee

I use a Keurig
(http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=keurig+machine&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&biw=1280&bih=821&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4330306323317567334&sa=X&ei=yn0aUPHyJeHo6wG2uoHYCw&ved=0CIgBEOUNMAA)
for times when I'm working on a project and just want to hit a button every few minutes and receive coffee and mornings when I'm desperate to get out the door. (This is changing, but it's the reason I got a Keurig and the logic has held up for quite a while.)

Main suggestion I'd give is to get one of their new system: http://www.keurig.com/vuesystem

-The cups contain more coffee.

-There is more selectability when it comes to size and brew strength.

-The cups are recyclable.

-If you like strong coffee, traditional Keurigs can't brew a full mug of it from one Kcup. Your cost skyrockets and convenience goes way down if you use two. The new ones are supposed to be better in this regard.

-Keurig and affiliated coffee makers are going to transition more and more to supporting the Vue over time. Selection still sucks for it in most grocery stores, but the balance is already tipping.

-Supposedly, it's easier to make your own cups with coffee that you like. If you do buy a 1st gen system, I'd recommend not buying the "Keurig My K-Cup". (http://www.amazon.com/Keurig-K-Cup-Reusable-Coffee-Filter/dp/B000DLB2FI) I tried and tried but could not get any reasonable brew strength from it. Looking online, this seems to be a common problem. Again, if you do get a 1st gen system and want to make your own cups, look at some of the various products offered online or tutorials on how to reuse a regular Kcup.

-Also, if you buy a 1st gen system, look for brands that advertise "Extra Bold". Anything less will taste very watery on the largest cup setting.

-Don't buy tea with it. Complete waste of money. I never understood why they even bother. The quality is no better than bagged tea of the same brand and, if you want better; loose tea with a metal tea ball and a hotshot with an automatic start is just as convenient.

  • Make sure that you get one with a programmable on/off timer. If you leave it on all the time, it costs a fortune in power. If you have to turn it on and wait the couple minutes for it to heat, the convenience factor is just about gone.

    In any event, good luck!
u/redox602 · 3 pointsr/Coffee

You'll be in for a big, but pleasant, shock if you're going from instant coffee to something freshly and properly brewed. I say go for it - it's one of my favorite brewing devices for sure. Preground coffee will due for now, but if you want the full experience, I'd highly recommend a burr grinder as well. Alternatively, if you're more interested in brewing just one quick cup at a time, I'd recommend an Aeropress. The Chemex brews multiple cups at once and is slower, whereas the Aeropress does one at a time and is very fast. Both devices are inexpensive, simple to use, easy to clean, and will produce great coffee.

u/poopoopuerh · 2 pointsr/tea

In my experience, flavored tea almost always smells better than it tastes unless you load it with sugar. On the other hand, high quality straight tea almost always tastes better than it smells. I've never heard this from anyone else, so it might just be me.

My first foray into the world of tea involved a microwave and a Bigelow variety pack. I can still remember how disgusting the green tea was. A microwave can get the job done, but I'd strongly recommend getting an electric kettle and a cheap thermometer (unless you get a variable temperature kettle). After a while, you'll get a feel for it and won't need the thermometer, but it's really helpful in the beginning to eliminate any doubt.

There are so many different ways to brew tea, and a lot of it comes down to personal preference. There's really no "best" method. The most important things are that the leaves have lots of room to expand, that the water isn't too hot, and that you don't leave the tea in for too long. Based on your post, I'd recommend this for now.

It sounds like your water temperature and steep time are alright, so the problem is likely the water or the tea. I'd experiment with bottled spring water. If it still tastes bad, the problem is the tea itself. I'd recommend getting a bunch of samples from a place like Adagio or Upton. Make sure to get black and oolong in addition to green, because no matter how well you brew plain green tea, it's still going to taste like grass (but without the feet), and maybe that's just not your thing. If you'd like some advice on which samples to get, just send me a message and I'd be happy to help.

u/harleyquinno · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Hello! Happy birthday to your father! As a fellow coffee drinker, why not get him a fancy coffee machine? It isn't too complicated so it's something he could use every day, but it'll make a damn good cup of coffee -- which, I've found as I get older, I enjoy great tasting food and drink more and more and material objects less and less. Maybe that's just because I REALLY love food haha.

http://www.amazon.ca/Aerobie-83R01-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1427734256&sr=8-9&keywords=chemex

Free shipping :D

u/atleast3olives · 2 pointsr/tea

*I'm not an expert but this is my personal experience!*

If you have teas that like to open up at all, getting stuffed into a tiny bag can prevent them from opening and steeping out all it's goodness! When I was first getting into tea I always made jasmine pearls loose in a teapot and it tasted amazing. Then I tried ordering one of those tiny novelty steepers to use at work and my tea tasted like nothing.. because the jasmine pearls had no space to open up!! and something like oolong? there's just no way it will be able to open up to its full potential in a tiny bag or steeper. It sounds to me like when the tea actually had room to open up and steep more in the bigger bag, it was getting over steeped at 5 minutes. When the tea was cramped in the smaller bag and wasn't steeping to it's full potential, you had to steep it longer to achieve a similar taste. It might be interesting to experiment steeping in a large basket or steeping free in the cup grandpa style to see if you get a similar effect!!

One caveat; I haven't had this problem with teas/tisanes like rooibos or certain black teas that already come in small fragments. If the tea itself doesn't expand a lot, the small steeper should be okay!

u/jceez · 22 pointsr/orangecounty

For the best actual quality of beans, roasting and brewing technique, I have to go with Portola Coffee Lab.

http://www.portolacoffeelab.com/

It's not exactly the best "coffee shop" feel, but the actual coffee is so damn good. Highly recommend the siphon brew method... not many other places have it available. Also the cold brew is really good too (it's not the same thing as iced coffee). Also there's a beer & waffle place around the corner which is amazing (and heart attack inducing).

Keen is also SUPER good and a lot less pretentious.

I drink a lot of damn coffee. If you want to make coffee yourself at home, I highly recommend an Aeropress



u/WithShoes · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

I recommend an Aeropress. It's $25, makes the best homemade coffee according to many coffee enthusiasts, is fast, and unbelievably easy to clean up. It sounds too good to be true, but it's really true. I'm such a huge fan of mine that I insist on showing it to my friends so that they'll consider buying one.

Here's the subreddit

And here's a video showing how it works

Make sure to ignore the instuctions and use the inverted method as soon as you feel brave enough. It makes a massive difference for the better.

u/drumofny · 5 pointsr/Coffee

I would recommend you get an Aeropress over a french press. These are the reasons:

  1. It is much more forgiving to how you grind the beans and you can get decent coffee with a blade grinder if need be.

  2. It's much more durable. The beakers on french presses break extremely easy.

  3. It makes a tasty cup of coffee. You would not be sacrificing quality at all. I prefer it slightly to a french press, but it's not really fair to compare them.

  4. It's super portable. You can make coffee anywhere with this thing. Whether you're at the dining hall, a friends house/dorm, in your car, you name it.

    If I was off to college again this would be my first choice. Good luck with college. Remember it's not all about the studies and having fun is important. Cheers.
u/agitatedandroid · 2 pointsr/Coffee

The Hario Slim is the grinder I use every day. And the Aeropress that I brew my coffee in. Amazon even links them all together in the "commonly bought together" thingus for $65.

Admittedly, $65 sounds like a lot to lay out for anything new. That said, it's very hard to screw up and the Hario/Aeropress duo are, I've found, quite reliable. Mine gets daily use.

A French Press, while terribly fancy, may be more work than you're willing to invest to start yourself off. The Aeropress, conversely, is simple to use, simple to clean up, and well supported by we coffee snobs.

The next thing you'd need are beans. Beans you can get lots of places. Something to be aware of, the reason we prefer going from the bean directly rather than just buying pre-ground is because once you grind the bean you really ought to use it with in a day or two. That tub of Maxwell House was ground up months before you ever opened it. It suffocated long ago and died.

There are numerous roasters that you can order from online with a pound of beans ranging from $13-17 or thereabouts. This is for beans that were usually roasted two or three days before they arrive at your house.

Personally, and not to seem like a shill, but I get my beans from SW Roasting, a fellow redditor. Their sampler pack of beans from multiple continents can be a great introduction and they offer a truly personal service.

If even that seems like a little much for a beginner, I've found the single origin beans on offer from Target's Archer Farms brand aren't terrible. They're cheap, around $9. They're not as freshly roasted as you'd get from one of the online roasters but they're still good.

Admittedly, the initial outlay might seem daunting but you will have set yourself well on your way to coffee snobbery with the rest of us. After that, it's just $15-20 a month for beans depending on how much you drink.

And, really, worlds beyond instant. Go ahead, get the things I mentioned or any of the other options my fellows have suggested. Then, make that instant coffee in a mug you threw in the microwave. Drink it black. Spit it out because you love your tastebuds and wish to apologize to them. Brew some good beans you ground yourself and taste a significant, staggering difference.

u/Veraxis · 1 pointr/tea

As a general rule of thumb, the recommended preparation for most black teas is 1-1.5tsp or 2-3 grams of loose tea per 200mL or 6-8 fl oz of water (most standard-size mugs are around 8-10 oz depending on how much you fill them), and steeped for 3-5 minutes depending on your desired strength with water temperature anywhere from 190-212F/90-100C.

For me personally, I generally do about 1.5tsp or 2.5g of loose tea in a strainer like this, either directly in the mug or in a teapot. I steep with water around 200F/93C for around 4 minutes, or maybe only 3 minutes for a broken-leaf or CTC grade, then I pull the strainer out of the water. I find that full-boiling water makes the tea a little more bitter than I like, but feel free to play around with your brewing parameters and see what you like best.

Halmari Estate Assam is my favorite. I hope you enjoy!

u/i-hear-banjos · 8 pointsr/FireflyFestival

USE SUNSCREEN. Wear a hat. Wear sunglasses, bring extras. Bring several pairs of comfortable shoes, flip flops or worn out shoes are going to be a bad time. Carry extra socks with you, amazing how refreshing it is to change your socks in the middle of the day.

Earplugs are a must, for loud music areas and for trying to sleep.

Bring a larger tent than you think you need. Room is nice. also bring a luggage lock - a small combo lock that can fit through your zippers and make it a bit more secure (but lock real valuables in your car.)

In addition to your tent, bring a 10x10 canopy like this to shade your tent or the area in front of your tent. It will keep the sun off of your skin while chilling, and if used over your tent can cool it off inside.

Get some solar powered lights to put in or around your camp. Find a way to put the solar charger outside, outside lights can help you find your tent, light the interior on under the canopy I suggested, and makes it look pretty cool.

If you are worried about juicing your phone, clip one of these to your backpack as you walk around all day. A good one can keep your phone topped off pretty well. Get one per phone, they aren't that heavy. Beats having to visit charging stations.

I posted elsewhere about using a camping stove, these are really good - make sure to get some JetFuel for each one. Bring old pots and pans, a kettle to make hot water, and butter cooking spray is the bomb to keep things fairly non-stick. To make coffee, use a simple pour over device with cone shaped paper filters. Bring reusable cups for each person.

Bring bags for garbage. Try to reduce the amount of plastic you throw away.

If you don't want to pay for showers, bring one of these camp showers. I also bring another 5-gallon container to refill your bag and for washing dishes etc, and a folding wagon to carry it in because I'm too old to struggle.

u/jixie007 · 2 pointsr/tea

For a teaware splurge, I'd suggest a Zojirushi instant hot water heater. I've yet to see anyone unhappy with that purchase.

A good water filter, if you need one.

As for teapots, cups, etc: there's the practical answer and the fanciful answer.

The practical answer is: if you're new, you don't know what teas you'll enjoy, much less how you'd like to prepare them. A good, solid bet would be a basic mug infuser like this or [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Loose-Infuser-House-Again/dp/B01N1OTXHW), or a gaiwan, or a simple medium-size ceramic teapot. From there, you can figure out if you prefer a certain variety, then get the best type of gear to maximize the brew for that variety.

The fanciful answer is: really, you can brew any tea in any set up. So, if you really love the look of a Japanese kyusu, you can still use it to brew a strong western breakfast blend. Go for it.

I did see a good suggestion here, that a lot of people who like yixing teapots really just like the aesthetic of them (guilty as charged!), in which case you can find ceramic pots that can work for any style of brewing for any type of tea. You can find these at vendors like: teaware.house, Dazzle Deer, Taiwan Tea Crafts.

u/purebredginger · 0 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Happy Anniversary!!!!!! What year is it? First? 5th? 50th? Either way, YAYYYY!!! My cat makes me incredibly happy, which is the answer to this question every time. He's just such an amazing boy and so sweet and playful. He loves belly rubbs, and sucking on your finger, and laying with you under the covers and stalking about the bedroom window. So amazing. This K-cup would be fantastic. Thank you so much!

u/sadsongsung · 1 pointr/Coffee

No problem!

The Aeropress is a single Brand -- Aerobie (makers of the famous flying disc, oddly enough). There's a few different packaging options, but anything like this will be perfect. If you've got any local coffee-focused cafes you might be able to buy one there.


French presses come in all sorts of different brands, and really it doesn't matter all that much. Ikea makes cheap ones that people seem fine with, but Bodum seems to be the "standard". I used to have the Bodum Brazil, I believe, and it served my needs perfectly.


The Aeropress is a single-cup coffee maker (as in 6-8oz), whereas a french press is capable of making a lot more depending on its size. They're both great, simple ways to make great coffee.

u/dloe48 · 1 pointr/Coffee

I've got a pretty high quality dorm setup that is approved. Here are your options:

Option 1:

Hario ETL Certified Kettle

Hario V60

Filters

Hario Skim Grinder

Total: $119

Option 2:

Aeropress

Proctor-Silex Water Kettle

Hario Skim Grinder

Total: $66


Currently, I'm using the first setup. The v60 is a great pourover method. You'll be having the best coffee on campus. However, since it requires the gooseneck kettle it runs a greater price. Last year, I had option. The aeropress is a kick-ass coffee maker, and you can get by with the way cheaper water heater since pour method has no factor on the brew. Either way, you'd have the small hand grinder which is cheap, easy to clean, and does a fantastic job.

Either of these will make a solid cup, better than anything you'll find in a keurig.

u/jclim00 · 2 pointsr/tea

Do you live in a major metropolitan area? A tea shop where you can ask for advice is a great place to visit, and usually you'll be able to sample a wide variety of teas on the spot. Check out the FAQ on the sidebar for some light reading or a site like Teaclass for a little heavier reading.

A supermarket isn't a bad place to start out, though there's usually more choices in something like a whole foods or trader joe's. An asian grocery store usually will have better quality chinese/japanese tea, both in loose leaf and in teabags, and specialized tea shops are the best places to go.

If you're set on online shopping, a site like Upton Tea or Adagio where you can order a wide variety of samples so you can find out what your tastes gravitate to is the best route to go.

In terms of tea preparation, start out simple. If you have a mug, great! All you need is a way to steep your tea. If you choose teabags, that's it. If you want to go for loose leaf, you need an infuser basket or a tea ball. You want a way to boil water, either a stove top kettle or an electric kettle, and a way to measure the water temp like a meat thermometer. Different teas have different steep times and water temperatures to use so your brew doesn't come out bitter from oversteeping or burning it with water too hot. That's it to start off with!

u/TheTheoryJackBuilt · 1 pointr/Coffee

We can help you out a little better if you had some sort of budget. When I was 13 I got about $5-10 a week from my parents but I knew others that received more or even nothing at all. I'll try to aim for what a typical intro to coffee setup would look like.

So with any method you use the first and most important step is the beans. They should ideally be whole bean and roasted semi-recently (a couple days to weeks ago). This is going to be a reoccurring purchase for you/your parents depending on how often you drink coffee. Price could be anywhere from $7/lb to $15/lb.

Setup 1: You can buy the $8 reusable keurig pod and grind your own coffee. With this method you could get away with using a regular bladed grinder probably. Or you can step it up a bit and buy $25 this hand grinder that gets recommended on here a lot. I have it, it worked pretty well when I was first getting into coffee. You just grinder your beans, fill the pod, and use as normal. Cost for parts: $8-$34

Setup 2: If you get the same $25 hand grinder you can then get either a $24 french press (give a more oily cup, there will always be particulates in your mug, you can also make ~8 cups of coffee with this method) or you can go with the very often recommended, and my current favorite way to make a quick cup, the $26 aeropress. This only makes 1-2 cups at a time but it's hard to make a bad cup with it. Cost of parts: ~$50

You should look of reviews for both the french press and aeropress methods on here or online to figure out what meets your needs better. If these are still to expensive then you can try goodwills or garage sells.

u/fish_fries6 · 1 pointr/Coffee

His french press, grinder, and kettle are certainly sufficient for what he's doing. There are certainly upgrades for the grinder (such as this) and the kettle (such as this), but for what he's doing, it's not likely to make much difference.

Others have suggested different brewing methods, which would be nice, but this depends on preference, of course. The Aeropress is probably the best option for someone looking to expand their horizons from the french press.

Given his equipment, the biggest difference is going to come from the beans. I personally have not tried coffee subscription services (such as Tonx), but it sounds like a really neat idea and I've heard generally positive things. Periodically, you get shipments of different kinds of coffee, so you can try new beans.

u/B_Fee · 1 pointr/tea

Having recently transitioned from bagged to loose tea, I enjoy it. Their Irish Breakfast is great, and their English Breakfast is also very good. The Earl Grey is pretty good, albeit a bit finicky. I've found the spiciness of the bergamot (both aroma and taste) is at its best if steeped for 3.5 minutes using about 1 and 1/3 tsp per 8 oz., which is not how Twinings suggests making it. Their Lady Grey is fantastic.

Also, you may want to invest in a very fine mesh infuser, if you haven't already. British distributors tend to have very small leaves, apparently to maximize the caffeine content of the steeped tea, which does result in some tea dust. I've gotten great use out of this one, which comes in a couple sizes and colors: http://www.amazon.com/Finum-Brewing-Large-Basket-Black/dp/B000J3JFJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397428756&sr=8-1&keywords=finum+brewing+basket

u/SpyhopX · 3 pointsr/simpleliving

Sleeping: my husband and I have slept on a 4"-thick memory foam mattress topper for years. We find them to be very comfortable, definitely on the firm side but that's what we prefer. I love sleeping on memory foam. They're cheap as far as beds go, easy to pack up and move, and easy to fold in half to give you more floor space. I've only ever used them on carpet, though, directly on a hard floor I think wouldn't be very comfortable.

Regarding kitchenware: This really depends on how much cooking you like to do and plan to do. I do a significant amount of home cooking, and my bare-bones set up would be (and has been): chef's knife and paring knife, plastic cutting "board", (cast iron) frying pan, large and small saucepans, spatula, wooden spoon, ladle, set of mixing bowls, cookie sheet, set of measuring cups/spoons, dish towels. Possibly add a colander and a baking dish of some kind, oven mitts, a rice cooker or slow cooker IF they will save you a lot of time (not useful for making rice just occasionally), and a [French press](
http://www.amazon.com/French-Press-Coffee-Maker-20/dp/B0084ORV60/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1407221402&sr=1-9&keywords=french+press) or pour over coffee maker if you drink a lot of coffee.

I'd also recommend a table of some kind, either high or low, to eat at and use your laptops.

u/Oryx · 5 pointsr/CBD

Sure, I spent a year making all kinds of extracts and tinctures and reading endless forum discussions about it. There is a great technique called the Quick Wash Ethanol Extraction Technique. QWEET. There are other methods that work, too, but this one is my stand-by now. Feel free to ask if anything is unclear.

Anyway, you basically use 190 proof grain alcohol chilled to 0 degrees F in a freezer. You then decarboxylate your crumbled plant material for an hour at 240 degrees F in your oven, then freeze it, too.

In my recent batch I had a couple ounces of Charlotte's Web flower, so I crumbled that into a half gallon mason jar after the decarbing process, then put it into the freezer, too.

So you end up with two things in your freezer at zero degrees:

  • 1 bottle with 500 or more ml of grain ethanol. A fifth is 750 ml.

  • 1 half gallon mason jar containing 60 grams (2 oz) of crumbled decarboxylated cannabis

    You should also have another 2 jars to collect the filtered extraction. They can be quart jars.

    After things have chilled to temp, the process goes like this:

  1. Bring out the frozen jar of cannabis and the bottle of chilled ethanol. Have the second and third jar ready. You now pour the ethanol into the jar with the cannabis until it is just covered, no more. Just enough for it to slosh a bit. You slosh it around in that jar for one minute. Some people don't even do it for a full minute, but I do.

  2. This slurry is then quickly poured through a small kitchen strainer into the clean empty jar. This is just a pre-filter to remove most of the plant material. Let the ethanol drain out of the material, then discard the spent cannabis.

  3. The third empty mason jar is now covered by one of those personal coffee filter holders, with a [quality unbleached coffee filter] (https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Care-Unbleached-Filters/dp/B005P0FTYM/ref=pd_sim_79_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B005P0FTYM&pd_rd_r=6a4bbfb5-cf5c-11e8-ab44-9143b7b890b1&pd_rd_w=AdTtr&pd_rd_wg=mHLjJ&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=Q31XVYZ0VWC9SAXJVC0F&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=Q31XVYZ0VWC9SAXJVC0F) in it. Start pouring. This takes a while, so you pour an amount in and wait for it to drain, then add more, etcetera. Eventually it has all been filtered and is in the third jar.

    After that you can do a few things. It is technically already a tincture, but you can evaporate off some alcohol to concentrate it more. You can also turn it into thick oil or dabbing material by pouring it into a clear pyrex baking dish and letting all of the alcohol evaporate. The longer it sits the thicker it gets. You then use a razor to scrape it up.

    For a truly ideal tincture I will evaporate off all of the alcohol as described, because frankly alcohol tinctures DO taste like shit. I scrape up the thickened oil and then dissolve it into 60 ml (two ounces) of MCT oil. It easily dissolves with just a bit of heat and stays that way, and there is very little taste at all. Now it can be used sublingually for maximum absorption. You can even get all fancy and add flavors. 2 or 3 drops of this oil-based flavoring is ideal.
u/carmenqueasy · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

You two are amazing, truly!! So inspiring and such a huge part of why I'm in love with this sub, thank you. And you look gorgeous!!

Gift One: This because beer

Gift Two: This because coffee

C'mon...gimme.

u/amarokstar · 3 pointsr/tea

There is a whole world of gadgets you can get to make tea in! Our FAQ is really helpful here If you are just stepping into loose tea an infuser mug like this is a good place to start. They're not super expensive and they make tea just for you and if you decide you are done with tea forever you have a nice mug. This is a good one too.

Teapots come in a ton of shapes and sizes, I'd pick something that 1. Is not too big (cups of tea should be small not big imo) 2. Won't break easily 3. Is easy to clean.

Give this a read while you're at it.


EDIT: Points 2 and 3 mean stay away from glass pots if you're clumsy like me and is made of a material that won't degrade and absorb like plastic. Good old ceramics are your best bet unless you know what you are looking for in a clay pot.

u/saltyteabag · 2 pointsr/tea

That looks like a good starter green tea. I'm not sure how happy you'll be with "Mister tea" though. It doesn't leave a whole lot of room for the tea to expand, and that gunpowder green definitely will. The basket for your contigo mug looks pretty good. You may want to look in to a basket type infuser for normal mugs, as well. This ForLife infuser and this Finum basket are both pretty popular around here.

Welcome to the world of tea. Cheers!

u/Connguy · 1 pointr/Coffee

Start with:

  • grinder (a hario skerton is $30, good quality)

  • good beans from a local roaster (try coffeeshops and see how fresh the beans they have are. Ideally find beans less than a week old. Starbucks is not a coffeeshop.)

  • one set of gear for brewing. Good methods for new people are: the pour-over (a classic, buy the Hario V60 and some paper filters); the french press (you can find a bodum brand press at most grocery stores); the recent phenomenon, the aeropress, which is very easy to learn and has an easy clean-up, and makes a great cup of coffee

    Those three things will be enough to start making some great cups of coffee
u/BunburyingVeck · 1 pointr/tea

Before you go out and buy a lot of tea, only to find out it's not to your liking, explore your options a bit by trying out sampler packs.
A bunch of good samplers where linked to over here, but that's mostly for straight unblended teas.

I hardly drink flavoured teas myself, so I can't really give you any good recommendations on that, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
Adagio carries a lot of samplers, many of them containing fruity tea blends, so you might want to check that out.

If you don't have anything to steep your loose leaf in, I recommend picking up an infuser basket that allows you to brew directly in your cup/mug. If you end up liking hot tea, you can always invest in teapots and whatnot later. (And so begin the hopeless teaware addiction many of us suffer from!)

This, and this should do well. Avoid smaller infusers such as this, as your leaf needs the room to expand and interact with the water while steeping. A cramped infuser will not allow your leaf to do so, and may lead to an inferior brew.

> I think I will start with some fruity tea, is it acceptable to put honey/sugar into that?

It's your tea, you're free to drink it however you like it best. I do recommend steering away from your usual preferences every now and then to experiment a bit. There's a lot of different flavours to be found in straight tea, and it'd be a shame not to give it a shot. If you like it better with sweetener though, by all means drink it with sweetener.

> I had some tea bags but wasnt a huge fan, not very strong of a taste, would loose leaf tea be better?

You betcha!

u/minasmorath · 1 pointr/Coffee

Alternatively

Get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Ekobrew-Refillable-Keurig-Brewers-1-Count/dp/B0051SU0OW/

And a box of these: https://www.amazon.com/Optional-Coffee-Filter-Ekobrew-Single/dp/B00H4F3A88/

Drop the filter into the cup, the lips will match up, don't force it down into the basket, the cup will close and seal around the lip of the filter just fine. Grind your coffee a little finer than usual, fill until the filter is 3/4 to 7/8 full, gently pack it with your thumb, insert into Keurig, hit the smallest cup button. It's only slightly better than a run-of-the-mill drip machine but it's decent enough to be enjoyable without additives.

Edit: This will never net you great coffee, only slightly better than a Black and Decker drip machine coffee. It's pretty much the best product you will ever get out of a Keurig. Have fun.

u/BoiseCoffee · 1 pointr/Coffee

Head over here if you want more responses!

  1. I'm going to reccomend two types of coffee brewing equipment to you: the Aeropress ($26) and the Chemex (6 cup for $41.50). To start out, I'd get a hand grinder like the Hario Mini Mill($25). So there you go, get the Aeropress and the Mini Mill and you're barely over $50. There are tons of Aeropress brew methods out there, so I'll plug my own blog here. I use 18g of ground coffee. You can use any standard kitchen scale that is accurate to the tenth decimal place to measure out your beans, but this one seems to be a popular pick.
  2. The longer you leave your ground coffee laying around, the less delicious it will taste. If I'm going to spend money on quality beans, I want to make sure I get the best possible cup out of them. This means grinding right before I brew.
  3. For the Aeropress method I have listed above, you'll be making one cup at a time. If you want to brew multiple cups at once, you'll want to pick up the Chemex.

    For beans, please support your local coffee shop or roaster rather than buying Caribou or Starbucks. A lot of folks work their butts off selecting and roasting the best possible beans, and it's really special to be a part of that process as the consumer in my opinion. I do understand that it can be hard if you're from a town with limited options.

    I know this can all be a bit confusing if you're used to brewing pots of coffee at a time. If you have any other questions, hit me up!

u/drb00b · 3 pointsr/Coffee

I almost missed it! I've got a few upgrade from my last post! Here is my gear.

From left to right:

u/kfretlessz · 3 pointsr/Coffee

Well, knowing your budget would be important, but trying to be cost sensitive, I found a refurbished Baratza Encore for $99, and the brew method many suggest for entry level is the aeropress which is on amazon for about $30. If that's still too steep a price, you can always start off with a decent hand grinder like the Hario Mini Mill which is also about $30 on amazon. The hand grinder is more cost effective, but obviously takes more time and effort than the electric. All of this is fairly good entry level equipment, and you can always trade up grinders, and try new brew methods further down the road if you so desire.

u/yourfriendlane · 2 pointsr/Frugal

Moka pots are definitely close enough for government work. If there's crema, I'm in. The AeroPress will get you even closer to the real deal, though! (And it doesn't splatter coffee all over my countertop like my $5 Moka with a loose lid ;_;).

ninja science edit for the interested: espresso is made by using air pressure to push boiling water through a "puck" of grounds. This forces a lot of solids and oils out of the grounds that you don't normally get with drip coffee, making it taste richer and stronger. Commercial espresso machines typically generate about 9 Bar of pressure. A Moka pot can generate about 1.5 Bar by forcing the water in the bottom reservoir to boil up through a tube into the grounds chamber, then up through another tube into the "pot" on top. The AeroPress, which uses a manually-operated plunger to generate the pressure, can get up to about 6.5 Bar, much closer to the real deal. All of these options are "real" espresso, but they're the McDonald's to an espresso machine's grassfed sous-vide burger. Still, ain't nothin' at all wrong with that when you just want to drink some damn espresso!

tl;dr - Like espresso? Get an AeroPress and have your life changed.

e: Also like someone else said, a latte-style drink made with drip coffee is called a cafe au lait ("coffee with milk," creative huh?). That's a perfectly valid alternative to espresso for drinks like this where most of the flavor comes from the sugar and flavoring, but you'll have to use a lot more coffee to get the same taste which will affect the texture and the taste to some extent. Still, nothin' wrong with that either, I ain't no coffee snob. Just an ex-barista who loves me some coffee and wants everyone else to too. =)

u/ribfeast · 1 pointr/Coffee

Package Contents:

  • Pitcher: Rattleware Steaming Pitcher ($18) Having something with a spout helps pour cleanly into the Aeropress in addition to being a good heating vessel.
  • Water Heater: Norpro water heater ($11) The time to get enough water to temp is a little longer than the grind time on the hand grinder.
  • Grinder: Cozyna Grinder ($20): Less than half the price of the Porlex option. I figured if it breaks I can get another one or upgrade to the Porlex.
  • Brewing: Aeropress ($35)
  • Filter: Able Aeropress Metal Filter ($13)

    Optional:

  • Scale: American Weigh Scale AWS-600-BLK ($10) Just don't get it wet. This could easily fit in the pouch, but by now I've been able to eyeball the bean/water volume required for a particular weight.
  • Thermometer: Thermapen ($79, refurbished): This was not purchased specifically for this kit. But it's a great thermometer to have in your kitchen anyway! At $10, a simple drink thermometer [like this one](Taylor Precision Products Classic Line Hot Beverage Thermometer for Coffee or Tea https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001U1XRA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_L9b3xbTDWY3MS) would be perfect.
  • Mug: Ultimo Coffee Camping Mug ($12): Any small mug will do. Ultimo Coffee is one of my favorite local roasters so I'll be traveling with a piece of home wherever I go
  • Silicone mat (~$15) About the size of a mouse pad. Lets me not worry about putting hot/wet/messy things on the hotel or Air B&B desk.
  • Bag: S.A.W. Pouch (~$11) designed to hold 6 standard 30 round magazines for automatic weapons... or coffee gear. Got it at my local army surplus store.
u/jon_titor · 23 pointsr/AdviceAnimals

You should check out an Aeropress before making your decision. Those are super simple to use, they make great coffee, and they're easier to clean than a French press. Also, if you use a French press with finely ground coffee you'll get sludge in the bottom of every cup, which is pretty gross. To really make good French press coffee requires a decent burr grinder that will set you back at least another $100.

Amazon link if you want to check it out

But I have all sorts of coffee making equipment (French Press, Drip machine, multiple pour-over cones, a Chemex, a vacuum pot...) and the Aeropress is seriously great. It makes great coffee and is probably the fastest of all the methods.

u/michaelwentonweakes · 8 pointsr/Coffee

Ok. There's been some great advice in this thread and I don't want to step on anyone's toes. But I went through a similar process when I wanted to stop drinking shit coffee a couple years ago, and this is my current setup.

The Grinder. You want a conical burr grinder. You can do this without breaking the bank: I got a Breville for less than $100 and it kicks ass. Grinds like a boss, whisper quiet, and it looks like a robot.

But why, you ask, should you splurge on the grinder? You could get a little Krups grinder for $15. And that would be great -- if all you wanted, ever, was to drink french pressed or drip coffee. But if you ever want to make espresso, then you need a conical burr grinder. And it sounds like you are going to want to do some experimenting.

The Brewer. My personal thing is this: I don't brew coffee through anything that plugs in. There's just no reason to.

Get yourself a kettle for your stove - I like this one, because you can see that there's nothing growing inside. And you avoid the mineral-y crust that you would have to scrape off of an electric kettle.

Use filtered water. It makes a difference.

Get yourself a simple drip cone or, if you want to be a little fancier, a Chemex carafe. You put a filter in the top, you grind the beans, you put the beans in the filter, you pour hot water over the top of it. The beans get thoroughly steeped and you end up with an even, smooth coffee with little to no bitterness.

Because you've saved so much money on coffee makers, splurge a bit. Get yourself a French press for when you want something with more oomph. And get yourself a little Italian stovetop espresso maker. You put fine espresso grinds in the top, you put water in the bottom, you put the whole thing on the stove - voilà.

There. If you wanted all this shit to plug into the wall you would have spent $1000. But you can get all of this for less than $200.

The Beans. Here's the dirty little secret about coffee beans: freshness matters more than brand. You could get the finest quality beans shipped to you from halfway across the country if you like - but they're going to be stale by the time they get to you.

Here's what you do instead: find a cafe that roasts their own beans and buy from their cafe. They'll have been roasted within the last few weeks. The beans will have this great oily sheen to them - that's how you know they're good. Buy them one package at a time and keep them in an airtight canister. And for christ's sakes, never freeze coffee beans.

There you go! With this setup you can make almost any type of coffee drink available at your local Starbucks, for cheap. There'll be no gunk to clean out of the musty interiors of a complex drip coffee maker. And a lot of this stuff has a great aesthetic, so your kitchen will look fantastic.

Edited for spelling.

u/smartwaffle · 1 pointr/CampingandHiking

As someone who has enjoyed the pleasures of his lovely above the tree line many times, I suggest the following:

  1. A condom is a pain in the arse. If that is not your normal BC don't worry about it. See below.

  2. Bring some hypoallergenic (fragrance free and flushable) baby wipes. Have both of you clean up BEFORE and AFTER. Advantages to this:

    A. You can enjoy the oral manifestations of the situation
    B. Baby wipes can be used to clean up in general, clean the face, hands etc.
    C. To get rid of them you just throw them in the fire or bury them like toilet paper.

  3. Other than that, just make sure you are in a remote camp site.

    If you are camping (as in car camping) just bring blankets and forget the sleeping bag. Blankets will absorb the moisture without getting gross and you can just wash them. If you are hiking in and camping, e.g; backpacking then bring some lightweight camp towells and just wipe down when done.

    Coffee while camping is easy just get one of these:

    http://www.amazon.com/Finum-63-421-50-00-Brewing-Basket/dp/B000I68NCS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1368721513&sr=8-3&keywords=tea+filter

    Morning meal? Bring some freeze dried peppers, eggs, onions and potato slices and make a kick ass omelette.
u/scienceisbae4 · 4 pointsr/Coffee

A cheap gooseneck kettle and a plastic Hario V60. You will need filters too.

If you want to spend a little more this set has it all.

Keep in mind that a scale is extremely helpful too. If you don’t want to spend the money on a grinder, which everyone is going to recommend, just get pre-ground, quality coffee. I recommend HappyMug online. Happy Mug makes great coffee and will grind it for you before shipping. They also have an awesome little timer for $5 that is helpful at first If you’re using your phone for recipes and stuff.

u/l3ret · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Here's the thing..

Gooseneck kettle will last you forever and it is an absolute staple if you're going to invest in this hobby/truly enjoy this ritual.

I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSVV60-Buono-Pouring-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501770513&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+gooseneck+kettle

I also would recommend a scale that can weigh out by the .1 gram (or even more fine). Also a timer is important.

I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Drip-Scale-Timer/dp/B009GPJMOU/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501770540&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+food+scale

Kalita wave is very forgiving, great to learn on, and makes a wonderful cup of coffee. I use Kalita Wave each morning and Chemex on weekends.

Kalita Wave: https://www.amazon.com/Kalita-05033-Wave-185-Drippers/dp/B000X1AM0Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501770620&sr=1-1&keywords=kalita+wave

Kalita Wave Filters: https://www.amazon.com/Kalita-22199-Filters-White-Japan/dp/B00BJBOITS/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1501770637&sr=1-1&keywords=kalita+wave+filters

Good luck buddy!

u/Bjohnsonta · 2 pointsr/Coffee

If you're like me (poor college student), you can pick up an aeropress and a french press and make a decent latte. Many of us here own aeropresses as coffee makers, but I believe it is actually marketed as an espresso maker. It will make an ok espresso, but for a starving college student it's great. The french press can be used to froth warm milk.

Plus, even if you aren't satisfied with the quality, you have two great coffee making devices now! Just grab some fresh beans and join us!

EDIT: I didn't even think about a moka pot! That's better advice.

u/jcbahr · 2 pointsr/tea

So all you really need is a brew basket and a cup (and the brew basket is optional if you're willing to drink around the leaves). Also you'll need some tea.

I imagine you have a mug. As for a brew basket, something like [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Finum-Brewing-Basket-medium-black/dp/B000I68NCS) should be good. Just put leaves in a basket and add hot (usually not boiling) water.

When I started out, I bought a bunch of tea and samples from adagio.com. It's good to find what kinds of tea you like (there is black, green, white, oolong, puerh, yellow, but tons of subvarieties). It's been a while since I've purchased from adagio, so I'm not sure how they are now.

I like buying from verdant tea now. It's pricey and has a smaller selection, but it's delicious.

Best of luck!

u/BarefootAlot · 7 pointsr/femalefashionadvice

The Aeropress Coffee Maker I learned about these from a friend who is a coffee pro in our overly caffeinated city and they come highly recommended by all the fancy schmancy baristas around here. I am obsessed with mine, it makes "espresso" (really just very concentrated coffee, but it tastes great) and you can use it to do drip-style coffee or make it into lattes, etc. It comes out delicious, I haven't had a bitter cup since I switched! I gave one to my mom last year and it was such a successful gift pretty much everyone on my list is getting one this year!

u/Jordan33 · 12 pointsr/Coffee

Grinder

>Capresso Infinity - $89
>
>or
>
>Hario Mini Mill Slim - $30 - If you don't mind hand-grinding your beans


Coffee Maker

>Aeropress - $23 - Balanced flavour, easy cleanup
>
>or
>
>Hario v60 - $19 - If you enjoy the process of preparing your coffee, and enjoy a brighter (more acidity) cup of coffee.
>
>or
>
>A french press - $20 and up - If you want to make more coffee at a time than the Aeropress, don't mind a "thicker" (more coffee particulate and oils in the cup) coffee, and are not opposed to having a little bit more clean-up.

You'll need a kettle for any of these brew methods; a programmable/temperature controlled kettle like this one ($95) is ideal for manual brew methods, but any kettle (and a thermometer if you'd like to get fussy) will do just fine.

Personally I would get the Capresso and the Aeropress if I were you. It's a very balanced and forgiving brew method that can make coffee a few different ways (eg. paper filter for a "brighter" cup, metal for a thicker one). Set aside the rest of your budget and find a good coffee roaster near you!

u/_reboot_ · 3 pointsr/Coffee

I just recently got the V60 for myself and I love it. I'm not by any means a perfectionist when it comes to my techniques, but I can most definitely notice the difference between this and my old brew methods (French Press / Drip).

I got the all glass setup with an all stainless steel electric kettle. It doesn't have variable temp, but I can guess well enough. I was going to go with a metal filter but decided against it. Natural filter papers are fine IMO.

Cleanup requires you to simply ditch the filter with grounds and then follow that up by rinsing out the containers. Not bad at all. In regards to your worry about knocking your current setup over, this setup (dripper and pot), are just set one on top of another. Just be weary of that as well.

Links if you're interested:

u/Robby_Digital · 0 pointsr/Cleveland

>Trying to get into coffee at home, looking for shops that offer gear, like a grinder, French press, and kettles, stuff like that.

You're better off ordering online. Get a burr hand grinder. Electric grinders can burn the beans and you can control how course the grinds are with the hand grinder.

Get an Aeropress for espresso. Or can also be used to make regular coffee. This is better than a french press, imo.

By hand grinding fresh beans and perfecting using the aeropress, you can't achieve a better cup of coffee at home.

u/dizzyd719 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Well, unlike pc gaming (all aiming towards max fps) coffee is and always will be preference


For example, do you want a machine that does everything? Or are you interested in aeropress / French press?


And after you decide HOW you want to make the coffee you then decide WHAT coffee you like. And now this is the hard part because every coffee tastes different.


And that means order different types and brands till you find one you like.


Just remember you will also need to decide how you like your coffee. Cream / sugar / etx.

Here's what I have:

aeropress: https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491729730&sr=8-1&keywords=aeropress

-
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder:https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Conical-Grinder-CoastLine-Digital/dp/B018SW3QPW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491729701&sr=8-1&keywords=Baratza+Encore+Electric+Burr+Coffee+Grinder

-
coffee:https://www.freshroastedcoffee.com/

i'd buy from them directly cause they will roast before shipping but they don't deliver to me. so I just buy from amazon. here is my favorite flavor (current, it changes from time to time) https://www.amazon.com/Nebula-Whole-Coffee-Fresh-Roasted/dp/B00CS67CH8/ref=pd_nav_hcs_bia_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZQFRDKX6HMPG7Q1TG6YH

-
under $300


also, for cream i don't use milk i use powdered cream (nestle coffee mate). I find it waters down the coffee (and reduces heat because it's cold) I love hot coffee.


and for sugar I use Brown sugar. Adds a much better flavor then white sugar. but it's all preference

u/AmNotLost · 8 pointsr/Coffee

Replying to confirm that I make the best coffee I've ever had with a skerton and v60. Here's my entire set up. These aren't necessarily the best in their class, but they do me well.

-Digital scale (or anything that measures in grams)
-Gooseneck kettle (they make ones that are electric, as well)
-Flow restrictor for kettle (not required, it's just what I have)
-Hario skerton burr grinder
-OE mod for skerton (not required. again, it's just what I have)
-Hario v60 02 (I have the clear plastic one)
-Gerber Pure water (available at Walmart, any "spring water" is what I recommend. My tap water smells of chlorine, so even Britta water is gonna be a bit better than my tap water. You want water that's not too hard, nor too soft. So don't use distilled or RO water or "mineral" water.)
-Digital timer (not required, but I like to time things)
-Hario filters (there's a couple different kinds, try any you want. Mine are the white without the "tabs")
-I'm not linking my mugs/servers. But whatever one(s) you use, I recommend preheating them.

(Edit to add: I have other methods of making coffee. This is just my personal overall favorite.)

u/DianeBcurious · 3 pointsr/EssentialTremor

Just re the caffeine, it does make tremors worse so put a lot of effort into getting rid of it or at least reducing way down.

I had to do that myself a few years ago, and didn't think I could do it. I only had one big strong cup of coffee in the morning, or sometimes black tea (during day or in morning), but I was really seriously attached to that dose (as well as flavor, ability to clear my throat/lungs/etc).

For me the hardest part turned out to be just finding a decaf coffee (and black tea) I could still drink and enjoy, but eventually did after reading many reviews online then trying a bunch of different ones.
The ones that work for me are Peet's Mocca Java Decaf coffee, and Luzianne (black) tea.
I buy the tea at amazon in "family size" bags, cut open the bags to pour into a jar, then make it strong and brew it in a Finum "brewing basket" or a single cup mini basket with hinged lid for a Keurig coffee machine.
I buy the coffee locally at Safeway (I'm in California) or at a Peet's store, but should be online too.
Here they are if you're interested:
https://amazon.com/Peets-Coffee-Mocca-Java-Ground-12-Ounce/dp/B00857ZBSG (btw, it's not really "chocolatey" or only a tiny hint)
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B008EJRS54
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B000J3JFJU
https://amazon.com/MaxBrew-Reusable-Filter-Keurig-Single/dp/B016TZKU54 (mine is black though)

Oh, and I no longer drink soft drinks because I eat low carb (LCHF in my case) which also helps with other health/etc problems (and no longer really get "hungry," and never shaky from hunger--and carbs). They either have a lot of sugar I don't want, or have various alternative sweeteners I can't stand the taste of. But before I started low-carb, the Decaf regular Coke tasted the best to me, and there are a few like Ginger Ale, etc, that at least don't have caffeine.

I now also drink other hot and cold beverages though, especially when I'm sipping or just want a taste in my mouth, etc. Had to figure those out too.

u/wildeflowers · 2 pointsr/Coffee

V60 Personally I'd get the glass or ceramic one, but they are a bit more.
Filters
Gooseneck kettle with thermometer Warning, I don't have this personally, but it does have good reviews. There are a number of gooseneck kettles on amazon to choose from.
There's a Hario Skerton for $15 used in excellent condition right now

Total=$55.38 Slightly more if you miss out on the Skerton. Beans extra of course. You could make do with whatever kettle you currently have but the gooseneck makes things exponentially easier. Something you could always save for though.

IDK what you're looking for taste wise for beans, but I like Red Bird for reasonably priced coffees that are extremely tasty.

u/bv1013 · 2 pointsr/Coffee

I think you answered your own question. If you have been using and enjoying a french press then stick with it there is a whole range of size and price options and even places like Target sell them. As far as other inexpensive options there are a variety of pour over devices that use paper filters which may be easier to clean up. I have a Cilio #4 that I use at work with a Hario Skerton grinder and a cheap electric kettle. The Cilio is porcelain and has held up well but there are some stainless ones. There is also the Aeropress which is a fun little gizmo and makes great coffee. The Porlex grinder nests nicely inside the Aeropress plunger so it takes up very little space in a bag.

u/asthepenguinflies · 1 pointr/Homebrewing

Just something to mention because I see you add coffee in secondary. I recently brewed 12 shots of espresso and used that espresso as the base for my "priming syrup" for half a batch I was experimenting with (I bottled the rest normally, with the simple syrup method). The result has been a fresh, full espresso flavor—even given the fact that it was added to an already powerful imperial stout.

So, assuming you're interested in avoiding secondary even when using coffee, you could give it a shot. I personally secondary all of my beers, but the great thing about "priming" with espresso is you can have whatever process you want up until you bottle and you still get a nice rich coffee flavor.

Oh, and I used one of these to make the espresso. Incredibly handy for a quick latte here and there as well.

u/BigSerene · 5 pointsr/Coffee

What electric kettle do you have? Does it have variable temperature controls and/or a gooseneck spout?

The main ways to improve your setup are a better grinder, better coffee beans, and possibly a better kettle (I'd say, in that order). The other thing to think about is trying out some other brew methods, at least so you can learn about the differences and find out what your preferences are.

If I had your setup and up to $200 available to improve it, I think I'd look for a refurbished Baratza Encore ($99), a $10 - $15 electric scale accurate to within 0.1g, a clear plastic Hario V60 for $6 (along with filters for another $6). That's around $125, leaving extra to try out some nicer coffee beans. For example, Happy Mug has good quality coffee for $11 - $13 per pound plus $3 shipping.

u/ilikesleep · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I like sleep and other stuff

like anime, manga, Dota 2, Starcraft 2, medicine, hiking, food, ice cream, more ice cream, lots of ice cream, and i like to wet shave. Item that best describes me is the aeropress. Because I'm very moderate and often have a combination of the best of both worlds. Aeropress is a inbetween of a French press and a Pour over when it comes to making coffee. So it produces a pretty distinctive flavor. Like me!

u/SCLuB7911 · 3 pointsr/Coffee

About a year and half ago I went from 0-60 with this setup:

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSV-Buono-Drip-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Dripper-V60-Clear/dp/B001RBTSMM/ref=pd_sim_k_6

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-White-Filters-Brewer/dp/B001U7EOYA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906139&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+v60+filters

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906080&sr=1-2&keywords=hario+hand+grinder

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Elegant/dp/B004164SRA/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906101&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchen+scale

Here is a video I found about how it all works:
http://vimeo.com/34182806

The big thing is to use FRESH roasted beans (we're talking ~3 weeks old or less). If you are buying beans that don't have a date on em, try again. Hopefully there is a coffee shop around you that will sell their own roast (usually comes in a 12oz package). If not you can try the grocery store or order online (http://ceremonycoffee.com/ is a good start), it really depends on the city you live in.

I had always liked the aroma and taste of coffee in other things (ice cream specifically) but it wasn't until I got into beer that I really started to appreciate it. Hopefully this finds you well, feel free to send a message my way if you have any specific questions!

u/Kijad · 4 pointsr/Coffee

Holy crap, I didn't know they had metal filters! That's amazing!

For those that are wondering, this one and this one are the two highest reviews that I've found.

I'll be picking one of these up as soon as possible, though I've always managed to get good extractions out of my Aeropress following this guide minus the swirling at the end, and it always works out pretty great. It's true though, the paper feels like it detracts from the overall body / "creaminess" of the cup, compared to other methods I've tried.

Not for long, though. =)

u/doebedoe · 2 pointsr/vandwellers
  • Kreg pocket hole jig -- $40 to make carpentry projects super easy.
  • Rivnut tool -- for mounting things to sheet metal.
  • Shop towels -- more versatile paper towels.
  • good cooler -- ice last 5-8 days even in the middle of summer heat.
  • bug nets for windows -- but them pre-made or build your own. Gives you airflow in summer without letting the bugs in.
  • candle lantern -- cheap. Safe if you blow it out before crawling into bed. Nice soft lighting to give you a break from blue LEDs.
  • Aeropress coffee maker -- great coffee where ever you are. Quick and easy to clean.
  • mechanic gloves -- for when you've got to do work and don't want super greasy hands and bloody knuckles.
u/TheCryptic · 2 pointsr/cafe

If you're looking to brew a single cup at a time then you might consider getting an Aeropress. They run like $30 on Amazon. They work kind of like a French press, but they're much easier to clean and maintain. They make excellent coffee, and you can get a steel filter if you don't like the disposable paper ones.

Being to cheap for $100+ for a grinder, I picked up a hand grinder. It does well enough for me, and I got the grinder, Aeropress, and steel filter for under a bill.

u/dreamsindarkness · 0 pointsr/tea

Just going to toss this out there, the sweetened Starbucks tea will be much different to a plain Japanese green tea or matcha. My husband can drink the Starbucks/other shops version but complains that my tea tastes like bitter vegetables and grass.

You might have better luck with mild Chinese green teas or, as was suggested, a Jasmine green tea since it is a sweet Chinese tea. It can be iced. Some of the greener oolongs are mild and sweetish, too. A milk oolong and oolongs in general are good for anyone that doesn't have much tea experience. (They can be easier to brew)

If she doesn't have tea ware or much experience with loose leaf (if you get her loose leaf) then you might look at a Finnum brewing basket. I know with my mother in law that she claims to really like tea but doesn't have much experience, interest, or patience for anything beyond bagged teas. Not everyone wants more then 1-2 step teas.

u/minimuminim · 3 pointsr/tea

Steeping = leaving your tea leaves in hot water so you can get the flavour (and the caffeine) out of them. Different teas do best with different temperature and times. For green tea, you want around 165°F for 1 minute, or check the instructions your tea comes with. Adjust to your liking.

You can use teabags or "loose leaf", which is when the tea leaves come as they are. Both are easy to use and loose leaf can be cheaper, especially if you know where to look or order online. If you do decide to use loose leaf, you will need some kind of basket strainer or other infuser, to hold the leaf while it steeps so that you don't get bits of tea leaf in your cup. My personal favourite is this Finum Brewing Basket.

You don't need to use a teapot. I just brew and drink my tea out of a mug. The teapot I have is only used if I'm sharing tea with someone else.

For brands, check out the User's Choice list from the wiki. I started off buying from Adagio and Upton. Nowadays, I buy from Adagio, Verdant Tea, O-Cha, and Yunnan Sourcing, but all the shops in that list are good ones. As for supermarket brands... I don't really like any of them, because I don't like flavoured tea, and those non-flavoured teas tend to have been on the shelf long enough that they're a little stale. (Also I have a huge backlog >_>)

Some green teas worth trying out:

  • Chinese Dragonwell a.k.a. Longjing
  • Chinese Jasmine Green Tea
  • Japanese Sencha
  • Japanese Genmaicha (this is green tea with toasted rice added, great when it's cold out)

    Hope this helps.
u/katansi · 1 pointr/keto

Oh I'm talking Seattle's Best from a bag at the grocery store. I've had it in Seattle and it tastes better at home IMO. The stuff that is roasted locally is by far better than anything you're going to find that's mass distributed. Turkish coffee IS AMAZING. The grind is the bitch on that one. A lot of home grinders just don't go that fine. I use a Bialetti moka pot for home espresso which turns out lovely. My friend has an aeropress for backpacking, she also just happens to use it every day. It's pretty nifty.

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Regarding coffee in the freezer, when you put things in the freezer, unless they were previously flash frozen, it does crappy things to the moisture in the objects being frozen. Coffee beans aren't perfectly desiccated and they can get freezer burn as well as get funky taste from moisture condensing on the inside of the package before freezing. Unless you're trying for some reason to keep it for years, you should store it in a cool, dark place in an airtight as possible container and use it within a week of unsealing/roasting depending on how close to roasting you were able to purchase it.

u/ruffienne · 1 pointr/Coffee

Many folks concur that the grind can make or break a brew (with good beans, of course). For this purpose, burr grinders (which use two cones fitted together to break up the beans to evenly sized pieces) are much better than blade grinders (which just chop up the beans unevenly, like a blender).

For under $70, your best bet is likely the Hario Skerton hand grinder, or their Slim Mill grinder. This would leave you plenty of cash for a french press— most brands will be perfectly fine, Bodum included.

If you wanted to go a different route, the Aeropress is a popular option. Compared to a french press, there are less leftover coffee grinds in your cup and it tends to taste cleaner, but it's a little more finicky in the brewing process. People often dilute Aeropress brews, like an americano.

Check out the side bar for more recs. Cheers to the rabbit hole.

u/RealBACONATOR2 · 1 pointr/gaybros

Teasource is a great company you can order loose leaf tea from. Their basic stuff (earl grey, breakfast teas, simple oolongs) is like $6-10/4oz and the nice stuff goes to like $20/4oz.

I like very black teas like some Assam blends for mornings, and greener-oolongs in the afternoons with honey.

And also Harvey and Son’s “Paris” is my favorite bagged tea. Only floral black tea blend I like

Idk if you have a strainer for loose leaf already but they are cheap online and can take you to new places tea-wise. Nice metal ones with really small holes are best

Finum (63/421.50.00) Brewing Basket, medium , black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I68NCS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EeXWAbHYC1EG4


Tea Infuser,Tea Strainer,2 PACK 304 Stainless Steel Water Filter with Double Handles for Hanging on Teapots, Mugs, Cups to steep Loose Leaf Tea and Coffee,Cold Brew Coffee Maker. FDA Approved. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075KK731Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TfXWAb6P870HT

u/Somerandomlog · 1 pointr/cookingforbeginners

I personally would get the following way sooner if I was building my kitchen all over again.

Also if there is a place you can get bulk spices near by I would go there for your spices, because if you havent already noticed spices are pricey at your local megamart.

Lavatools Thermowand - Same form factor as the much more expensive thermopen but at 1/3 the price.

Lodge cast iron skillet - great for searing meats or as a good starting pan.

OXO Bench Scraper - Makes prep work much easier and safer as you don't use your knife to scrape your food off the cutting board.

Immersion Blenders - When you dont want to use your big blender or want to blend something in your pot or pan.

Stainless Steel Cookware - Has a little bit of a learning curve but is great after the fact.

Aeropress - Life is too short to make shitty coffee.

Edit: added a thermometer/spelling


u/Chevron · 1 pointr/tea

I use this in my teapot, or the medium one in an individual mug. Works perfectly and solves almost every one of your problems. Taking it out is easy because the top is plastic and the lid acts as a drip tray. This is the most important part for me because it solves the prepared tea storage issue with only one vessel. Also, I've found that the tea does have plenty of room to expand, though I'm sure it has a little bit more freedom in the press.

u/vivalasteve · 1 pointr/mflb

I have a process with an Aeropress that's pretty cool. If you don't have one and love good coffee I would check it out, even if you won't make oil with it!

Make sure the abv is ground up fine. Then put as much as you have/can fit in the Aeropress (use the inverted method - youtube it). Cover with just enough iso so the iso level is right above the ground abv. Stir virgorously for 30s with the attachment that comes with the aeropress. Let it sit for ~15s, then press onto a plate/pyrex/whatever you're going to scrape off of. Let the iso evaporate and scrape with a razor!

u/cata_tonic · 1 pointr/tea

I have 3, two 24 oz and a 45 oz. I love them. The infuser on the 45 oz is too small, so I use a large Finum basket instead.

I like the 24 ounce for teas that can be brewed in volume- blacks and herbals, mainly. I use smaller glass pots for teas that can be resteeped, like oolong. The Forlife pots look great, are easy to pour from, have nice brewing baskets (on the 24 oz), they're durable, and the gasket on the lid keeps it in place both with and without the basket.

u/Malician · 13 pointsr/Frugal

For personal coffee, I like the aeropress ($25 on Amazon.)

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

It takes a little more attention than an automatic coffee machine, but is quite quick and easy to clean (especially if you have an electric kettle.)

More importantly, it makes superb coffee. I keep one at work despite (or because) of the fact there is a fancy Keurig available.

u/TheEighthGrader · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Aeropress

Mini Mill

You can also get a thermometer and scale, to help with consistency a little, but there are rules of thumb that make them unnecessary IMHO. At least for my humble pallet.

I started with that setup, and have since upgraded to an expensive electric grinder and expensive electric kettle, but they really only help with speed. $50 gets you everything you need, so to me it's a great place to start. Use the rest to buy great beans.

u/theNsmith · 2 pointsr/tea

There are a lot of very long comments here. To summarize:

It's good that you bought some loose leaf.

First, though, depending on the size of your tee ei, you should probably look into an upgrade, even for western-style brewing (lots of people love Finum: https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B000I68NCS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&qid=1504620481&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=finum)

Second, keep trying new tea. Green teas are great, but there are many great prolongs, blacks, whites, puerh, and herbal tisanes.

Third, consider trying gongfu style (Chinese-style) brewing. For many of us, it was a revelation. In terms of convenience, o often don't have time for gongfu brewing, but it is a special treat when I do.

u/rabidfurby · 2 pointsr/SeattleWA

Is your goal French press specifically (as in, the coarse grind and long brew time that results in that characteristic slightly-grainy taste) - or is it more generally non-shitty coffee from an automatic machine?

The mechanics of French press make it hard to automate, so I'm not terribly surprised there's not a lot of robotic presses out there. If your goal is just good coffee without a long manual process, the best option I'm aware of are the automatic "pour-over" machines:

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KCM0802OB-Coffee-Brewer-Black/dp/B00OQJ7X8S/

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1902DW-Coffee-Brewer-Silver/dp/B0752CKQHW/

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Barista-Brain-Coffee-Maker/dp/B00YEYKK8U/

There's also "fully automated" espresso machines. A lot of them even include a grinder, so in theory you can press 1 button and get a latte or americano or whatever a few minutes later. They tend to be $$$ and use up a lot of counter space, though.

My personal setup is fairly manual - an electric kettle and an Aeropress. The electric kettle is way easier than a kettle on the stove - the one I linked has variable temp controls, so you can set it to heat up to 80 C and hold there. Doesn't need constant monitoring the way a teakettle on a burner does, and you'll get much better results with not-quite-boiling water. And the Aeropress makes fucking great coffee, without the PITA of cleaning a French press.

u/chemosabe · 3 pointsr/Seattle

Ok, no-one has given the right answer yet, which is clearly, unequivocally, the Aeropress. I've been through many different machines for making coffee, and this one is better than every single other previous device by a factor of at least 10. French press was the previous best alternative, and even it's not even close.

It's fast and simple to use, simple to clean, and produces the best tasting coffee you can possibly imagine. And it's only $25! You can't go wrong. Trust me.

* Edit: Fixed link

u/fukitol- · 13 pointsr/bodyweightfitness

Don't bother with chain coffee. Get yourself an Aeropress. This is the easiest method I've found to get a GREAT cup of coffee. Your grinder, if you're just beginning, doesn't matter. Get a cheap $20 blade grinder. Get some quality beans of a light-to-mild roast from your grocery's whole-bean coffee.

Using the aeropress' scoop, get 1 and one half scoop's full of whole beans and throw them in your grinder. Grind them for 10-15 seconds until they're all ground but not looking like dust. Assemble the aeropress with the filter and screen on (should be self explanatory) and position it on top of your cup. Dump your grounds in, and fill it up to the 4 position with boiling water. Start stirring with the included paddle. While you're stirring water will come out the bottom, keep stirring until it goes down to the 3, and fill back up to 4 with boiling water again. Keep stirring. When it goes down to between 2 and 3, position the plunger and press the coffee out.

This all takes about 2 minutes and makes great coffee alone. You may not be ready for black coffee yet, that's fine. Toss this in a bullet blender with a tablespoon of coconut oil and a little cream and blend it. That, my friend, is (almost) bulletproof coffee, and it's fucking amazing.

u/aManPerson · 3 pointsr/foodhacks

it is a nice device. i use that and cold brew on a regular basis. another fun contraption, the aero press http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406593005&sr=8-1&keywords=aero+press

another "somewhat espresso" device. you typically let the coffee and water sit for a minute, then you press down with lots of your bodyweight to push it through the filter over 40 seconds or so. i'm a big guy, and it still takes me about 30 seconds if i lean on it with my body. i couldn't tell you which one is "better", but the aero press might be better if you just want to make one cup at a time. the bialetti is better for making 2 cups at a time or so (or one super "lead in your pencil" cup).

u/irritable_sophist · 1 pointr/tea

> How do the infusers work with the dunking?

Just pour the hot water over it and let it sit (OK, sometimes I will dunk mine once or twice if some leaves didn't get wet, or there's a lot of foamy scum floating on top). When it's done, pull the infuser out and let it drip back into the mug/pot/whatever until it pretty much stops dripping.

> It says you can have multiple infusions so do you...

Not all tea is really suited to that. Sometimes 1 infusion pretty much gets all the good stuff out. Ususally it's tea in big pieces or whole leaves that is good for this. As you say, just set the used leaf aside in the infuser and use it again with fresh hot water.

> which infusers would you recommend

Ones that are basked-shaped, with fine mesh, and big enough to let the leaf unfold/unroll/expand. Something like this.

u/andrewkunesh · 1 pointr/Coffee

If I was in your situation, I'd purchase:

  • Aerobie Aeropress - $25
  • Prolex Grinder - $50
  • Hario Buono - $50
  • Thermometer - $10
  • Kitchen scale - $15

    Remember, good beans are vital to a good cup, so make sure to stop by your local artisan roaster for a pound of fresh coffee beans. Once you become more invested in coffee, you'll probably want to try more brew methods like Chemex, V60 (pourover), french press, and maybe even espresso. Best of luck!
u/has_no_karma · 2 pointsr/cigars

>I guess my expectations are high because of the tight bond this community shows.

Yeah, I totally get that! I find cigar people, even IRL, are friendlier than most.

 

By "drip method" are you talking about an auto-drip machine? Because if so, I highly recommend exploring a manual pourover set-up. I prefer the Hario V60, but many others like Chemex or something like the Clever Dripper (a combination pour-over and immersion brewer) instead. The cheapest option for trying your hand at a pourover is the plastic Melitta brewer, often available at your local grocery store for $2-$3, some standard #2 filters, and an electric (or stovetop) water boiler with a decent spout for slow, steady pouring. It's funny that you mention a (french) press pot and moka pots don't give you a full enough flavour, though, because those are typically two of the more full-flavoured methods. I suspect your water:coffee ratio or grind size/consistency might be causing a weak (under-extracted) brew.

In my opinion, though, whilst brew method makes a difference in your cup, I'd say bean freshness and grind make more of a difference than anything. I'd much rather have fresh beans recently ground at a proper size and consistency brewed in a $10 Mr. Coffee than stale pre-ground or poorly ground beans in a professionally-poured manual brewer.

In the end, if you find a manual brewer is too much hassle, the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) does test and maintain a list of certified auto-brewers that meet the temp/brew time requirements.

*Ninja-Edit: Here's a good starter on grind size and how to adjust for flavour.

u/Cokrates · 1 pointr/electronic_cigarette

Well actually I went ahead and searched your post history.

vApe_Escape 1 point 1 day ago
Yeah, everyone I've talked to has just bought it in the store. Amazon has it as well.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OR6OLY (AFFILIATE MARKETING!)

[–]vApe_Escape 1 point 1 day ago
SX350J for under $100 https://vaporider.net/shop/vvvw-mods/vrsx-powered-by-yihi-sx350j-now-shipping/ (AFFILIATE MARKETING!)

[–]vApe_Escape 1 point 2 days ago*
Yeah, you should have gotten an email about it if you signed up for the Unkamen email thing.
https://www.trybeans.com/$unkamensupplies/
Edit: sent you a PM (AFFILIATE MARKETING!)

https://www.reddit.com/r/beermoney/comments/40fiix/free_25_for_netspend_signup/
Free $25 for NetSpend signup. (self.beermoney)
submitted 3 days ago by vApe_Escape to /r/beermoney (AFFILIATE MARKETING!)

–]vApe_Escape[S] 1 point 6 days ago
Phins are a pretty neat little Vietnamese brewer. You can get them for like $10 on Amazon or even cheaper if you have a Vietnamese or Asian store near you.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008A0932S
(AFFILIATE MARKETING!)

Over and over and over, THAT'S YOUR ULTERIOR MOTIVATION. This is my last response to you, I was wondering genuinely why you where trying to pick apart what I was saying and not acknowledging my legitimate responses, there is why. You are someone who abuses reddit to do this type of bullshit marketing and you make money off of people believing you've sampled these products. This mind you is only a couple pages back, not amounting to even 5 days of posts, if I keep going back I'm sure I could fill a whole thread of this stuff. Try to spin your bullshit some place else. PS if you wanna try to engage in an argument like this you might want to consider moving over to an account you don't spam on.

u/LingNemesis · 2 pointsr/singapore

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018RY8H0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Got mine for around S$50, shipping inclusive. One of the best purchases from Amazon. Shipped directly to Singapore without any minimum amount.

Have a great brewing and coffee time with the amazing Aeropress! =D

u/doomfistula · 2 pointsr/cafe

first of all, fresh beans will get you the most flavor. Go to your local cafe of roaster and ask them to grind some beans for you in a brew that you liked. you can even go to higher end grocery stores for this. places like kroger/walmart/etc have beans that have been sitting on the shelves for months, and in warehouses for God knows how long.

second, there's many methods to brew. If you like a large volume with good flavor, nothing wrong with a drip machine. A well-done pour-over will extract more flavors, but takes longer and requires more gear and money.

Aeropress is the cheapest, quickest, and best option for flavor (IMO) that you can buy and learn in 5 minutes. It makes wonderful coffee, but in smaller amounts so it might not be ideal if you want something to sip on.

All of this depends on your budget, check out /r/coffee for more detail on gear and different brewing methods

u/Fisktron · 2 pointsr/GoodValue

Have you heard of/tried an Aeropress? Small device, extremely high quality coffee, easy to clean, only $26. They love them over at /r/coffee.

That said, /r/coffee also have great respect for the pour-over method, though there are higher quality pour-over devices (porcelain or Chemex).

u/PopoTheBadNewsBear · 4 pointsr/Coffee

The standard opinion toward the Keurig is not a positive one. The consensus is that the pods contain subpar, already stale coffee, and the machines are not capable of heating water to a high enough temperature to properly brew coffee.

But what really matters is if you like it - if coffee comes out that you enjoy drinking, fuck the haters, and keep using the Keurig. I personally dislike Keurigs, but I think that they are not quite as bad as the community makes them out to be.

Some companies do make reusable K-cups that you can put your own coffee in, but they don't fix the low water temperature issue, and apparently they don't keep a seal well either, leading to underextracted coffee.

Basically, experiment a little and find what you like. You may end up learning that the best coffee that a Keurig can make is coffee that you make without ever touching a Keurig. Remember: the only good coffee is coffee that you like - even if it's from a Keurig!

u/pillowcurtain · 24 pointsr/AskCulinary

I've used a coffee filter to filter my bacon fat and the end result is crystal clear, melted gold.

edit: if you find that you're needing to filter bacon fat often, I'd buy one of these, granted you aren't filtering gallons of the stuff at a time.

I haven't used this gold filter for bacon fat, but in terms of coffee making, some fine dust particles will make it through this filter. If you want something that'll filter out almost every solid, maybe you can go with this.

Wait until your fat has cooled off a bit, then plop this filter cone on top of an open jar, put a coffee filter in, and pour away. I have seen both of these filter cones in multiple grocery stores like Wal-mart and Kroger. Super cheap and reusable!

u/baristalab · 1 pointr/Coffee

I made a video on this with the almost exact same title a few months back, but it was more focused on the "lazy" aspect haha. But I don't think you need to spend $100 for personal (single cup) use, you can get an Aeropress for $25, a
Hario Skerton for ~$40 OR a Hario Mini Mill for ~$30, and
a scale that measures grams for $10 (American Weigh Systems makes cheap digital scales)

All on Amazon-- but the scale is really only important until you get enough practice, and you'll start to eyeball everything. That's basically all you need other than the coffee. Specialty coffee is tough to get under $20/bag, maybe cheaper with a subscription. With the coffee, it's less than $100, albeit not by much.

For what it's worth even if you don't use specialty/single origin coffee, you can still get better coffee out of an Aeropress and a Skerton using fresh ground whole bean bulk coffee from say, Wholefoods, than you could with a Mr. Coffee machine and some Folgers.

Completely agree with /u/milehighmischief 's comment though, if you're using old or burned coffee, you're gonna have a bad time.

u/TheHolySpook · 5 pointsr/exmormon

It depends what you're looking for and what your budget is. Personally, I make my coffee with an AeroPress, which makes a beautiful, clean-tasting cup of coffee. I actually use a super fancy grain grinder leftover from the prepping days of Mormonism. Be sure that no matter what grinder you get that it's a burr grinder, not a blade grinder. A blade will give you inconsistent sizes which will lead to over- or under-extraction of the beans. If you want something relatively inexpensive but still good, you should get a manual grinder. The Hario Skerton or Mini Mill is a good place to start. But it really depends on your budget what you should get. Electric, you might go with the Baratza Encore. You might make your way over to /r/coffee for a better answer, but that's my advice.

u/Captain_Midnight · 1 pointr/keto

Depends on where you're located. Peet's Major Dickason blend is well-regarded, and Trader Joe's has some nice selections. Get whole beans because the pre-ground stuff loses its flavor quickly. Burr grinders are ideal. You can get a good mechanical one for a reasonable price. Then you can prepare the fresh grounds with something like an Aeropress, though pour-over drippers have been gaining in popularity and are simpler to use.

u/PM_Me_Melted_Faces · 1 pointr/Coffee

Get this and these filters for doing pourover.

You might also want this grinder, unless you want to have your local shop grind for you as well, which they will. Tell them you're grinding for pourover so they'll know how coarse.

If you decide to also get the presspot, you'll need to grind differently for that, which is why I recommend buying the grinder also. Not to mention, it's super helpful to be able to grind your own, so you can dial in your brews. Additionally, whole beans stay fresh longer than ground coffee. You'll definitely notice a difference between fresh ground and the very end of a bag of ground coffee.

All you need other than that is a way to heat water, and some beans. Do you have a kettle of some sort? Stovetop or electric will work. You want to avoid using your keurig to make hot water, as it doesn't get hot enough.

u/Yoshiod9 · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Neat...

You can still make a good cup of coffee with the keurig.

Get a few of these, a hario hand grinder, and some good beans and you'll be pretty happy!

u/storunner13 · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Yes, I understand that there are 2 product codes. By 3rd party, I meant that the filters were fulfilled by a 3rd party (i.e. not shipped by Amazon from an Amazon warehouse). When I ordered from Amazon, I was not able to find a clarifying differentiation between the two. When ordering the V60 02 100pack on Amazon, I've received both the tabbed, and non-tabbed. When Amazon was the 1st party vendor/shipper, I received non-tabbed. When ordering from Japan_to_Global_shop (fullfilled by amazon) I received tabbed filters.

u/dudimentz · 1 pointr/intermittentfasting

There’s a couple companies that make cold brew coffee pouches that are similar to a tea bag, you put the pouch in a jar with water in the fridge and in like 18 hours you have coffee ready. Chameleon makes some but I didn’t think they were strong enough.

Or you can buy a filter like this on Amazon that fits into a Mason jar and you can use whatever coffee you want.

KLEIN Cold Brew Kit - Cold Brew Coffee Maker - Wide Mouth Mason Jar Filter for Brewing Coffee Concentrate and Infused Tea at Home - 100 Micron Mesh - Stainless Steel - Free Spoon & Silicone Seal https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0721RVRYN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ehpoDb1NN89BK

u/heirloomblade · 1 pointr/needadvice

Here's a couple of links for it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroPress
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK
http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm

I don't know what insta-folgers is unless you mean a freeze dried crystal coffee. I've used folgers coffee bags but it was a long time ago and before the aeropress. The taste of instant coffee is much different than fresh coffee brewed from beans. It may take a little while to get used to drinking it vs. Instant. I've never used instant coffee with the aeropress, but I don't see why you couldn't.

I can tell you that I have a French press, conventional drip coffee maker, keurig and the aeropress, and I use the aeropress every day. It makes an excellent cup of coffee.

Edited to add: about the deposits on mugs, coffee pots, etc. An easy way to remove them is to put a large amount of salt and a little vinegar in the cup or whatever and use the salt to scrub the deposits off the cup. If they're really bad, it may take soaking in the salt/vinegar solution to remove them. The salt/vinegar solution should be like a paste. Just keep scrubbing and add more salt or vinegar as necessary.

u/rustylugnuts · 1 pointr/Frugal

Lots of good suggestions here. The meal plans are a huge ripoff compared to cooking for yourself. In addition to the dorm fridge and microwave that everyone seems to have I would recommend getting a small freezer, an electric kettle and a slow cooker/crock pot.The kettle is great for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and ramen in a hurry. A ten lb bag of chicken leg quarters can often be found for under ten bucks. Throw half a bag in to the crockpot (and the other half in the freezer) and you have a meal for yourself and a few friends.

u/plaidpaint · 2 pointsr/Coffee

For speed + quality of coffee, you can't really beat an Aeropress. Start boiling water (the smallest possible volume)(from the hot tap if you're in a real hurry), then get everything else ready. You can probably have finished coffee in less than 5 minutes.

If dealing with plungers and cylinders is just too much to face at 6 am, maybe a Clever Dripper. It has to steep for a few minutes, so it will take longer, but will also make excellent coffee with easy cleanup.

These will both give you better results than making a small volume in a regular drip machine.

u/DirtLoves · 0 pointsr/BuyItForLife

I've had bodum glass break repeatedly on me... cheap fix, but annoying.

Perhaps one of the ones intended for camping, GSI makes a few nice ones.

But! I'd recommend skipping the french press and getting either an Aeropress or a handled Chemex.

The chemex is glass, but well made... the aeropress is plastic, but also well made. I have a chemex from the 60s, so they're lifetime items if handled well. Plus it makes better coffee, imho.

u/mirsasee · 2 pointsr/tea

To echo everyone else, gaiwans are inexpensive and really great to use. I find making tea in mine a lot of fun :D If you would still like to brew western style, I'd recommend getting the Finum Brewing Basket, which is really easy to use and also not expensive ($10). I find that, although I prefer gongfu brewing, it demands more time and more attention, and isn't something I can do while I'm working. So I end up using the brewing basket and my gaiwan about equally.

u/broken_ship · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Since I worked 12 today (thurs) I get Friday off! I'm going to spend it lounging around with the bestie and having a hopefully brief meeting with my counselor. And sleeping. Lots of sleeping.

Oh! And I'd love this if the shipping isn't too much.

Also, I vent all the time on the daily thread. It's very therapeutic. Don't hesitate to express your feelings there. it's a great place to get support and the people here are so great, with so much helpful advice.

u/kishi · 3 pointsr/Coffee

I bought a $500 espresso machine and it sits unused in a closet. What we're saying is that good home espresso machines are very expensive.

Now, if you want espresso like coffee, you might try a Vietnamese Coffee Maker.

You can try an aeropress, which I don't particularly care for, but makes small, strong coffees.

Now, I've heard good things about the mypressi, but haven't had a chance to try one. This is probably the cheapest decent espresso shot puller you can find.

For a true espresso machine, /r/coffee recommends the Baby Gaggia. I haven't tried this one, either.

u/limac333 · 3 pointsr/keurig

Almost all of the Keurigs and other K-Cup brewers will dispense just hot water, you just press the brew button without a K-cup in the brewer.
This is a reusable K-cup for using your own coffee.

Some other things to consider, is cup sizes and water capacity. Most brewers have more options on how much water to dispense for a cup of coffee. Which is handy when you want to make smaller or larger cups of coffee. Along with that, some have larger hoppers that hold water before it gets heated for making a beverage. The only real benefit of a large water tank is you don't have to fill it as often. If your boyfriend is only a light coffee drinker, the tank size wouldn't matter too much as it wouldn't get drained that often anyway.

All that being said, This is probably the least expensive one, only does 8 ounce cups, only holds enough water for one cup.

Something like This is your typical Keurig, 3 cup sizes (6,8,10 oz), 48 oz water reservoir

Personally, I have a model very similar to This one except I bought it from Costco. You can set it to automatically turn on and off in the morning on a timer, 5 cup sizes (4,6,8,10,12 oz) and a 72 ounce reservoir.

I would recommend looking at Costco, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, etc. because you occasionally run into some deals. Good Luck.

u/enough_cowbell · 1 pointr/tea

I suggest starting with an infuser that can be used to brew right in your cup. This one is my favorite, the large one; not the floating basket. Alternately, or additionally, a small glass teapot is wonderful at first because you can see the color of the brew while you're discovering your preferences. Most loose leaf tea can be brewed for more than one infusion, sometimes many many infusions. An electric kettle is extremely handy, especially if it has variable temperature settings. One that's clear where you can see the size of the bubbles also works for gauging temperature. Ask questions in the forum if you're wondering about anything. Everyone here is keen to help. Enjoy your tea!

u/Richeh · 1 pointr/GiftIdeas

A good device for making great coffee is an Aeropress - it's really portable, doesn't need power and is about thirty bucks. If she doesn't have one, might be a good buy.

A nice desk lamp perhaps? You can get some cool, unique ones from Etsy, refurbished vintage and inventive ultra-modern ones. Something to write under into the wee small hours.

u/zerozed · 2 pointsr/personalfinance

If you like good coffee, let me recommend an Aeropress. It is cheap, fast, easy to clean, portable and most importantly makes better tasting coffee than machines costing hundreds of dollars.

u/flynnguy · 1 pointr/tea

Really I'd recommend getting a filter like this one and an electric kettle. They have some cheap ones (like ~$15) that you should be able to use in your dorm room. Just put water in and hit the button, it shuts off when it's done. There are more expensive ones that allow you to set the temperature which is nice for some of the more delicate green and white teas but in a dorm setting, I'd just go for something like this.

As for tea, I highly recommend anything from adagio. They also have some kettles but they are Stainless Steel and more expensive. They are also the makers of the IngenuiTea which you can get from them or elsewhere. My coworker has one and it's nice. I prefer the strainer I originally linked to because I can just store it in my mug and it doesn't take up that much space.

u/morridin19 · 11 pointsr/PersonalFinanceCanada

Can I recommend using an Aeropress?

In my opinion it's better tasting than a french press and its super easy to clean; just twist off the cap, push the finished puck of grinds out into the garbage, then rinse with water, disassemble and leave to dry.

Edit: Cheaper links for press, and filters

u/karateexplosion · 2 pointsr/coldbrew

I like your setup! I started with a Toddy, but when we were traveling I bought two nut milk bags that I've been using since. I steep the water and coffee in a regular pitcher, then pour through the bag when I'm done. It's replaced my Toddy now. Super cheap, portable, and makes great coffee.

u/thoughtcrimes · 2 pointsr/hockey

Aeropresses are really the way to go: small, easy to clean up, and makes a really-good espresso-approximation (think you need to reach like 3 atm of pressure for a real espresso).

I also got a stainless steel filter to use instead of the paper-jobbies that come with it. You never have to worry about running out of filters: http://www.amazon.com/Able-Brewing-DISK-AeroPress-Espresso/dp/B00E58P7ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397759932&sr=8-2&keywords=aeropress+filter+stainless+steel

Also if don't have a burr grinder yet then get one. This one is a good bargain and capable of grinding fine enough for esspresso: http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1397759998&sr=8-8&keywords=burr+grinder

u/lannispurr · 2 pointsr/Coffee

Aeropress gives you a lot of freedom on the taste of your coffee, so I recommend that. There is also no need for a lot of additional equipment with it unless you want to get info coffee more in the future. Quality of your coffee is equally as important as your method, so you don't have to break your bank, but try to get your hands on locally roasted single origin beans. (Best result is if you can buy your own grinder to make the freshest coffee, but if your budget doesn't allow for that, then ground coffee will do).

Aeropress - $35

Electric grinder - $37 (decent, takes no time at all)

Hario Skerton hand grinder (more reliable, takes some time, don't cheap out on the $15 dollar amazon version if you want a decent grind) - $39

If you go this route I also recommend looking at the World Aeropress Championship recipes and following in their lead to emulate a world-class cuppa joe.

u/Pannemann · 3 pointsr/japanlife

If you care about not producing heaps of garbage from capsules you could get an aeropress:

https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker-Bitterness/dp/B0047BIWSK

I absolutely love mine:

- cheap

- take it everywhere you need it, even camping and traveling

- can get a metal filter and you won't even need new filters

- can also make normal coffee

- with a bit of experimenting you can make your espresso exactly how you want it to be

- doesn't take up space in the kitchen

- easy to clean

Downsides:

- needs a bit of experimenting

- can get annoying if you make for multiple people

- need to find good coffee beans

Had french presses, pad machines and Nespresso machines, and those metal cans to put over the stove. Can't imagine to switch back to any of those.

u/travellingmonk · 11 pointsr/CampingGear

Instant is the fastest; Starbucks Via is pretty good, could be too strong for some. It's annoying that it only comes in single packets (in London you can buy tins of it).

Espresso is fast. A handheld espresso like the MiniPresso can make it very quickly. However, it only makes one shot at a time, so to make 4 doubles it takes quite a bit of time to reset for each shot.

Aeropress is likewise fast, but again suffers from the ability to make large amounts at once.

A larger French press can make a decent amount of coffee at once, needing to steep for about 3-4 minutes, and resets pretty quickly. The GSI Java Press comes in a 50oz and is made of Lexan (or was, not sure what it the BPA free is made of now). I've got a couple of older ones and they work well enough.

Or cowboy coffee and a fine strainer.

u/TurboDisturbo · 5 pointsr/webcomics

Just be careful, because French-pressed coffee has the ability to raise your cholesterol if you're not careful, because it's not passing through a paper filter. Source

I use something called an AeroPress, which is basically like the best of both worlds (drip vs. press). Love this thing and never looked back.

u/bournehavoc · 3 pointsr/fasting

Excellent - thanks for that link. My turn to share, related to coffee - get an AeroPress on Amazon. It will change your life as relates to coffee. Flavors you never knew existed will reveal themselves to you as in a dream. It's a game-changer, especially if you haven't historically been a fan of black coffee. I don't have anything to do with Aero other than that I've used it for several years and love it.

u/thefunnzies · 1 pointr/Coffee

I think someone else on this thread gave a better answer on why the Kalita is better than I could. Basically, it's easier to get a more even extraction based on the design (flat bottom, 3 small holes) which leads to a more consistent cup. V60 has a more demanding pour regimen that, if not done the exact same way every time, can end up tasting different.

Here are some links:

Kalita Wave 185

Kalita Wave 185 filters

Kettle that I bought and I'm happy with

I forgot to mention that the Kalita uses proprietary filters. Something about the ridges is supposed to maintain heat and give better extraction since the coffee doesn't touch the walls? I think I read something about that somewhere.

u/Nerobus · 6 pointsr/environment

Am I the only one that uses these?! I mean, I love it.

I have one of these in my office, because no one here ever finishes a stupid pot of coffee and it gets moldy and gross. For like a week we used the k-cups that came with the machine, but we are all poor and didn't want to have to go buy a ton of those supper expensive (and as you so mentioned non-recyclable) pieces of trash, so we all just use the reusable cup. It was pretty cheap, easy to use and once you get the proportion of coffee you want in it, works AWESOME! I highly suggest you go buy one now if you have one of these machines.

u/Everz · 1 pointr/tea

Some like having the tea leaves float, others use an infuser. It's really your preference. I would suggest this. I use it quite a bit when making tea for myself. Word of advice, tea places like Teavana (while having some fantastic tasting stuff) are incredibly expensive/overpriced. There are much smaller shops that sell loose leaf at perfectly reasonable prices. Davids TEA and Adagio are my personal favorite online tea shops.

u/eyebeecoffee · 2 pointsr/Coffee

How does she prepare her coffee? For bolder cups, I recommend the Aeropress, which is a cheap way to make a terrific cup of coffee.

Coffee wise, medium to dark roasts produce the "strong" taste most people identify with, so you can head over to a third-wave online retailer to get a solid bag of coffee. I recommend (with some selections):

u/Macklem0st · 1 pointr/Coffee

College student here, this is my cheap yet effective setup that I just got for Christmas

Aeropress $22

Hario Slim grinder $23

[Basic electric kettle] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DEQDF7C/ref=twister_B00DEQDEXW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) $15

American Weigh scale $9

Basic thermometer $9

Grand total: $78, still less than a Keurig!

Happy Mug sells beans for $14/pound shipped. At 17g of beans a cup, you can make almost 27 cups of coffee with a pound of beans. This comes to about 52 cents for a cup of coffee, which is comparable to cheaper K cups.

Also, as a former dark roast addict I suggest you start a little more towards a medium roast. I got a lighter roast with my first bag of beans after walking into a local roaster and grabbing what was available. The sweetness took a little while to get used to (I didn't know coffee could actually be so sweet!) but it really accentuates the differences between great coffee and "common" coffee.

u/2020inhindsight · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

This! but only if you want to greatly improve the quality of your life.

For Me these candies are amazing, might want to look into some yourself too!

u/smoothcam72 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

DARK SIDE!

random aside: i'm such a potterhead (had a pottermore beta 1st weekend) i can't believe i missed this whole sorting scenario etc ad nauseum here. a member of /r/ravenclaw (well before i was sorted ravenclaw pottermore tyvm). I feel so silly. Oh well, heat exhaustion, lots of work sleeping sleeping. never mind all that.

The best blueberry muffins I've ever had. I mean, c'mon, alton brown batches go quickly, and you can build up quite a few of them fairly quickly, i'm tasked with making them at family affairs once I show up. I'm sorry, but I tried to find the thing i wanted most for closer to 20 dollars, but you did throw the ~ My coffee needs a step up and wife has forbidden me from buying new coffee gear since i do pretty well with the press we have, but then there's this. Cheers if i sound delirous it's operating on just a few hours sleep. but seriously, the muffins will slay dragons of sweet tooth. They're so pretty too.

u/Cynnova · 1 pointr/tea

I've been using [Finum Brewing Baskets] (https://www.amazon.com/Finum-Brewing-Basket-large-black/dp/B000J3JFJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479061928&sr=8-1&keywords=finum+basket+large) for the last decade or so for brewing one cup of tea at a time. The fine mesh is easy to clean if you rinse is out right after steeping. The large one is ideal for most mug sizes. I find the medium-sized basket to be a little too small for mugs larger than 10 oz.

EDIT: If you're looking for a decent and affordable tea pot, [Hario] (https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479062141&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+tea+pot) makes some good ones. Despite the glass looking thin, it's actually quite sturdy.

u/whatthepoop · 1 pointr/castiron

> Well, I have an idea for now. I travel for a living, and spend a lot of time in hotels. I'm going to be building a cooking kit for my car that just sits in the truck for times like this.

Nice! Apologies for sounding like a fanatic, but if you're looking to replace the coffee maker at some point I couldn't recommend an Aeropress any more highly: https://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Maker-Tote/dp/B0018RY8H0

I bring it with me along with a small bag of beans and a small hand grinder whenever I travel. No electric required -- if you have hot water (ideally, close to boiling in a kettle), you have some really fantastic fresh coffee.

u/2-Skinny · 1 pointr/ThriftStoreHauls

I would highly recommend this. The coffee tastes better and works great. Also environmentally friendly. There is a small gasket on the needle that needs to be adjusted for the reusable cups to work right.

u/GetsEclectic · 0 pointsr/tea

I don't know your situation so I am wary of contradicting your medical professionals, but you could check out the aeropress, it is supposed to make less acidic coffee that bothers your stomach less. Coffee doesn't bother my stomach anyway, so I can't say if the aeropress is actually better in that regard, but it makes a great cup of coffee that might be easier on your stomach.

u/TheWeekendSessions · 4 pointsr/tea

For western style brewing (little bit of tea to lots of water for a longer time) a brew basket is a good way to go for a single person. The ones from Finum are great, but theres a bunch of different options out there . I have been using a Davids Tea one for the last while and have no complaints about it at all.

If you want to get into brewing with gongfu parameters (lots of tea, little water, quick infusion times) then I'd recommend picking up a cheap gaiwan in the 100ml range to start out and see if you're into it or not. All you really need is a gaiwan and a cup or mug to pour it into. If you want to you can get little tea cups, strainers, and a fairness pitcher, but none of that is actually "needed". I'd start out simple and cheap then re-evaluate if you find it's something you really enjoy. This was my first gaiwan - its nice looking but simple, affordable and well built. Comes with a saucer too which is a plus for me. After a year or so of use I realized a smaller one would be more suited for me and I picked up a 55ml one from Bitterleaf that I love to death. The size really comes down to how you want to drink and you might not know whats best for you until you just buy something and use it for a while.

u/limeyfather · 1 pointr/Coffee

Seeing that the dorm space is definitely a temporary thing, I'd highly recommend a Hario V60 pour-over setup.

You can use an electric kettle for the water, the filters are inexpensive for the Hario but you might have to buy online since you can't really find them anywhere in physical retail. [Amazon has them here.] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Count-Coffee-Filter-Natural/dp/B001O0R46I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415319722&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+v60+filters)

If you like the Hario V60, you can still use it for a quick cup of drip after you're out of the dorm. I've always found that it gets the best of the flavors out of the grounds every time.

u/ImaginaryFreedom · 1 pointr/tea

For some easy mug infusing, a brewing basket like this is a nice thing to have. Brewing tea this way is about as easy as throwing in a teabag, and you can use any tea you like.

u/QuantumPolagnus · 1 pointr/politics

May I introduce you to the Aeropress? Sure, you have to heat the water, yourself, and it's better to use fresh ground coffee (which would require a grinder, as well), but you could use preground coffee if you don't want to invest in a grinder. Either way, it will produce a damn good single cup of coffee.

And, yes, I understand that the benefit of the Keurig is for someone who is either too lazy or too pressed for time to make good coffee.

u/conrthomas · 1 pointr/Coffee

I'm not sure what hie current brewing method is or his time frames for drinking coffee, but I'd recommend getting him an Aeropress! Seriously, when I started out with the Aeropress I just bought preground Millstone cofffee, and it made it a thousand times better. If you can, find a local roaster (for freshness) and grind it there (maybe) before giving it to him.

The rest of /r/coffee can chime in about whether it would be better for him to use a blade grinder right before he makes it, or a burr grinder in store way before he makes it, as I'm not sure.

u/FranzJosephWannabe · 3 pointsr/CampingGear

Someone has already mentioned the collapsible pour-over from REI, which is what I would recommend along with another option: The Aeropress.

If you really like good coffee, you likely already know about the aeropress. It makes a good, concentrated, faux-spresso drink using a little water and coffee. Since it's made of plastic, it's ultralight. It does have a couple of pieces, but you don't really need all of them if you plan well.

Hope this helps!