Reddit mentions: The best coffee presses

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

Lots to discuss here.
Knives: those knives look nice, but I recommend you go to a kitchen store and actually try knives before you decide. Handles are really important, and what works for one person might not work for another. You can go to WS or SLT and try knives to your heart's content.

Don't know anything about that particular cookware, but I notice there's no skillet in the set: perhaps you want to buy a skillet separately? Which is a smart move, IMO. The skillet will likely get the most use and the hardest use, so spend some money on a good one. Cuisinart MC Pro and Tramontina are almost as good as All-Clad for less money, or if you want to go top of the line get a Demeyere Proline skillet. You won't regret the investment if you want the good stuff, I promise!

Nonstick: love Vollrath, but hate the silocone handle on that skillet. A T-fal is going to last just as long for a little less money, or you can get a set of 2 All Clad cast aluminum pans for less than $60 (a great deal!).
sous vide: I have the Anova but if I had to do it over I would get the Joule all the way. Head and shoulders a better product! All the accessories? Eh. I use a big stockpot and it's worked for pretty much everything. Not sure you need a dedicated sous vide tub, and think of the storage space you'll need for it.
Coffee: my coffee maker broke 15 years ago and I've been making French press ever since. It's way better, and no coffee maker out on the counter. I have this guy after breaking a few glass ones. It's lasted for about 5 years now and going strong. Almost as good as espresso at a fraction of the work!
Immersion blender: You have to be really careful here. The cheaper ones have plastic gears and won't last. Even some of the higher-priced ones are questionable (Breville? All-Clad?). I recently bought a Bamix, the original immersion blender, Swiss made, built like a tank. Read the reviews, you'll see what I mean.

Also would get a good blender: I have a Blendtec, never regretted it.

Electric pressure cooker: TBH I would get a stovetop. They're better quality (Kuhn Rikon or Fissler all they way) and so much more pleasurable to use.

I love that you want the good quality stuff! Good tools make all the difference in the kitchen. You don't have to go top of the line on everything but what I've mentioned here I've found have made my life so much easier. Have you considered a vacuum sealer? It's the dark horse kitchen appliance that I never would have thought I needed, but I got it when I got the sous vide and it has saved hundreds if not thousands in less wasted food.

Have fun stocking your new kitchen!

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)

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...

I feel the need to reply to this to share my experience over, about, 5-6 years of French pressing.

First, it is my preferred method. I also owe an aero press but found the FP more practical. AP is like pressing an espresso and adding water (how cafe Americana are in France/Italy). They also produce less. Great for one mug but if you want to make a big 16-20oz mug/travel mug for two you will have to make several.

I also started with the $20-30 Bodum glass presses. These are classic and easy to find. Sadly, accidents will happen and I've broken a lot. One fell out of the drying rack. One accidentally knocked over on the stone countertop (it didn't fall off, just knocked over), on broken tapping it out into the bin, etc. $20 or more a crack. That adds up.

I wish I knew about this FP sooner. It's metal and well constructed....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_NuE7xbFBQETM9

It's metal all the way through. The mess is double layered and is screwed/treaded into the plunger stick. I've had some FP that looked well made in the carafe but the press was made of plastic and rubber that wore away quickly.

This thing is study. It won't break if it falls (I've unintentionally proven it) and you can vigorously tap it on the side of a bin to get the grinds out.

The twist/screw off of the mesh is awesome as it's super easy to clean any stuck grounds. My FP came with an extra mess set that I've never needed.

Also about coffee. I believe it's an 80/20 thing. 80% of the taste will come from the bean. Get good beans. I'm not a fan of Starbucks double roasting. Most of it tastes burnt. I used to be more of a dark roast but have learned that I really like a good medium breakfast/house blend roast.

I'm lucky to have several local roasters near me. Do a search for local roasters in your city. It will be the freshest.

Also, grind your own beans. Pre-grinding will make the beans go stale faster. I've tried both blade/whip grinders (like a blender) and burr grinders (beans are crushed between two gears). I personally don't really notice the difference in taste between them. Haro sells an inexpensive hand burr grinder that will probably last to the end of time but hand grinding takes a lot of energy, if you like the extra process effort. But you could bring it camping because no electricity required.

The other 20% flavor, I think comes from the brew method. I.e. French Press/drip/pour over/etc.

I find traditional drip machines get a bad taste over time. The office machine just isn't cleaned enough and the pitcher will grow coffee barnacles over time. Yuck. Some of the pots I've cleaned out to improve flavor, it's crazy.

Either way, FP will give you better flavor by like 1000 times compared to a Kureg and you can feel better knowing your not tossing wasteful plastic kureg cups into the landfill. I'm not even much of an environmentalist but wasteful is wasteful.

I also recommend getting a decent insulated travel mug. At least for work. It keeps your coffee warm so you can enjoy all of it and don't get displeased if it gets too cold. My wife gets me an annual Shutterstock xmas mug with family pictures of that year. It's like having a beer stein collection but with annual family memories and the mugs double as family deck photos so I don't need to keep rotating those.

Hope that helps anyone make a decision. and if your office doesn't have a hot water dispenser, an electric tea kettle is real cheap. Otherwise I use a regular tea kettle at home and get to enjoy the sound of the kettle whistle in the morning. =)

Cheers!

My favorite thing about coffee as a "hobby" is that, like some have said, it's a hobby that isn't just a waste of money. Fresh beans are a huge 1st step, they really just have tons of flavors that change almost as you work through the bag, and sometimes I feel like the first sip of a french press is different than the middle, etc. For me the different methods I use just work better for different beans, I'm still figuring that out myself. I prefer to french press african beans, pour over on more typically "harsh" beans, and I'm still dialing in aeropress, but I feel like it takes a lot out of the coffee so it seems to work best if I'm like "hmm I'm not sure I like this bean", aeropress... oh nevermind it's great.

You could buy:

Good grinder ~$140

Scale $15

Kettle $25

And three interesting and different types of brewers:

Aeropress ~$30

V60 ~$20

French Press ~$20

That's all the gear for now, you're SET until you become a crazy coffee nut, but for me 90% of the coffee I make is in one of those 3 methods. I have a moka pot, and they're cool too. But that's $250 for gear, and you could probably save a bit with different grinder options but plan to drop the biggest amount of that.

Add in $20 for some high quality beans (S&W is great and their reddit discount is on this page somewhere) and you're around $270 to be brewing great coffee a few different ways. Now you have 4+ different coffees, 3 ways to make it, and the equipment to make sure you're doing it "right".

Okay that's a lot and I hate this "if you buy a cup of coffee a day" crap, but let's just say you drink work swill most of the time, but get a cup of coffee out 3x a week. At $3/cup maybe you tip a quarter each time, you pay off this stuff in 6 months and these things pretty much last forever.

The point is, yes, some of the costs of entry (specifically the grinder) can be a little daunting, and sometimes we get carried away, but overall, the cost of making great coffee at home is significantly less than going out. You're actually getting BETTER coffee too, trying different ways to make it, and enjoying yourself. Wow, okay rambling there. Good luck!

It helps a bit if you let some international coffee culture into your life!

Lightest possible option : Turkish coffee.

Turkish coffee requires zero additional equipment if you already have a cooking kit. It's all technique and ingredients. You might want a cup to drink it out of that's the proper shape and size, but that is optional.

Go to a coffee place and order a small batch of medium roast beans ground Turkish style (I know Peet's will do this correctly, and will give you reasonable suggestions for beans if you tell them you want to make Turkish coffee). It won't keep, so use as soon as possible. You can also get packaged Greek or Turkish style coffee at some grocery stores, but in my experience it's kind of hit-or-miss unless you're familiar with the brands. Put it into a ziplock bag, and maybe add an oxygen absorber (you can get these at Walmart or other big box stores). It's a good idea to double bag because the grounds are super, super fine -- almost like printer toner. Get some whole cardamom seeds, and keep them in the outer bag. Cardamom is optional, but delicious.

To brew, scoop some fine grounds into your pot. Ideally, you want to serve it in something a little bigger than an espresso cup, but smaller than a regular American-style coffee cup. I like to use a 50ml centrifuge tube from the lab. Not exactly classy, but they weigh almost nothing and they're difficult to break. You can put a cool Arabic sticker on it if the aesthetic of drinking out of a centrifuge tube bothers you.

Roll a seed pod back and forth with your hand on a flat surface (your knee, for example) until you hear it crackle a little bit. Drop the pod in the pot. Fill your cup (or tube, or whatever) with water to measure it, and then add it to the pot. Start heating it gently before stirring to caramelize the sugar. Stir, and then continue to gently heat. It should foam up as it starts to boil -- you want to sort of moderate the heat by lifting the pot from to get a nice, dense creamy foam. Gently pour the brew into your cup, leaving as much of the grounds behind as you can. Handle it gently as you drink it so the grounds settle to the bottom. Most people don't like to drink the last little bit.

If you're going for a short trip, you can just pre-load a couple of 50ml's and skip the bag.

To any Turkish or Greek people on here, I beg forgiveness for all the shortcuts in this method. If you want to do it "right," you probably can manage it at the expense of more fuel and more cleanup. There are some great videos on YouTube for getting a more authentic, foamy Turkish coffee.


Almost as light : Vietnamese coffee.

You'll need a Vietnamese filter (sometimes called a "press," though it's purely gravity fed), which you can find om Amazon for about $8 or an Asian grocery store for $1.

Get some coffee with chicory in it (Cafe du Monde, for example, can be found in many regular grocery stores and is a staple in Vietnamese groceries). The grind is up to you, so experiment with it. Pour a spoonful of condensed milk in your cup, put the filter on the cup, and add your grounds. Add hot water to the filter and let it drip through. You don't want to re-fill the filter, or you can overflow the cup. It's supposed to be a very concentrated brew, like espresso.

You can get a convenient single serving thingy from Copper Cow Coffee (for $5, ack). If you have a Lee's Sandwiches near you, you can get 40 of the exact same thing for the same price, minus the hipster packaging.

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!

I'm sort of a coffee snob outside of being a Starbucks employee, the enthusiast in me can't recommend a system like this. I'm not sure how cheap it would be but it isn't really anything special. If you really want an easy pour over system and have it be just like we do iced coffee in the store (double strength and weakened with ice, its not terrible but honestly not good) then go with this but if not you should research cold brew.

The pour over double strength method is used by us in the store for consistency and volume, we can make a large amount of coffee quickly and it'll be the same every time. it just doesn't make very good tasting coffee because brewing double strength makes it kinda sour and bitter and doesn't properly bring out the flavors of the coffee.

If you are still reading this far then you're interested in an alternative: I say get him a French press and a cold brew recipe!! You may be able to get the one we sell for a good deal, if not tpyou can find good ones on amazon for around $20, I personally have this and I love it but you cpwould do with anything else on amazon with good reviews if you prefer a simpler design.

Cold brew takes longer (it has to sit for at least 12 hours) but it makes a freaking delicious iced coffee. If you really want to impress your boyfriend, mark out a bag of Ethiopian or Guatemala Antigua and grind it for French press then make him a batch of cold brew - its really easy, just measure out the coffee and use twice as much as the bag recommends, fill the rest of the press with cold water and leave it in the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours. This method brings out a lot of the fruity and chocolaty flavors of the coffees and makes a delicious and strong but light cup of iced coffee.

You can find lots of recipes online if you want to get more specific with proportions or brewing styles too!

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!

I'd go for an aeropress. It's what got myself, and later on my girlfriend, into coffee, and it's pretty cheap. It will make a strong, small batch of coffee each time, somewhere between an espresso and a french press (in my opinion).

I'm guessing the macchiatos your fiance is talking about is the Starbucks variety. Macchiatos are supposed to be an espresso shot with very little milk added.

Anyway, continuing on the assumption that the drink she likes is 1-2 shots of espresso and a mug of foamed milk (and flavoring), I would start by making a copy of that at home with the aeropress.

The way I did that is I'd warm up a mug of milk while I'm boiling the water, and use a handheld frother to froth the heated milk. (This won't create the same caliber of foamed milk as you'd get from an espresso machine/steamer but I'm guessing you don't want to drop the cash on one quite yet)... Once the milk is frothed and the water is heated I'd add freshly ground beans(important that they're fresh!) to to the aeropress, and then water, and brew the coffee right into the mug of frothed milk.

At this point you have a pretty close replica to a latte. Since you are newcomers to coffee, you might want to add some sort of flavoring to it. I rarely do, but when I did, I'd just add a little vanilla extract and sugar.

Tips:

• 
  You're going to want to grind your beans at home. Buying preground beans almost guarantees they're going to be stale.
  
• Following what I said above, freshness is key. Try to buy freshly roasted beans.
  
• A lot of the process of coffee making is tinkering to your own taste. If you make a cup of coffee and it's way too strong, don't give up. Try something else untill it's good for you!
  
• Once you get used to the milk-laden coffees, try to broaden your horizons. There are a wide range of coffee types, and they all have their bonuses.
  
  Gear:
  
  
• Aeropress $25.95
  
• Milk frother $2.00
  
• Hario Skerton Hand Grinder $48.50 (Ceramic burr grinders are the best type of coffee grinders, but they run around $300 on average, this one, however is $50.00 but requires some work. I own one and it's worth the effort in my opinion)
  
  Beans: (Places I've tried)
  
  
• Intelligentsia
  
• The Roasterie
  
• Klatch Coffee
  
  Mugs:
  
  
• Great mug
  
• Also great mug, but pretty large
  
  If you have any questions, or if I'm wrong about something let me know! I think this is all for now.

Your best bet for dorm room drinks is going to be an Aeropress. It's a weird plastic tube that you use to push hot water through coffee. People here swear by them, and I do too. They don't make espresso, but they can make a terrific cup of coffee as well as a coffee 'concentrate' that can be used as a worthy espresso substitute. In terms of milk, it's really easy to froth milk in a french press. You just put warm milk in a french press and pump the plunger up and down a few times.

Grinding your own beans, if you want to make good tasting drinks, is unfortunately unavoidable. When was first getting into coffee I quickly became bummed out that the expensive and most important part of the process wasn't the exotic, perfectly roasted beans, nor was it the beautiful brewing devices, but instead... the grinder. Fortunately, a basic hand grinder will last you a long time and won't cost too much.

Aeropress - $28
Hand Grinder - $24
French Press - $17

In total that's about $70 worth of stuff. Add a bag of beans and you're at around $80-85 (hey, Christmas is fast approaching!).

Oh, and flavors like french vanilla and pumpkin spice don't really occur naturally in beans, at least not the way you're going to get them somewhere like Starbucks. Cafes typically use syrups, either artificial or natural, to get those flavors.

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.

Depends on what your lady friend is used to. If she's used to automatic drip coffee I would think a machine like that is not suited to a NYC apartment for a non-coffee drinker. But the coffee dripper style manual devices are going to be similar. However they're a bit tricky to learn and you really benefit from a gooseneck kettle which drives the cost up. Instead, I think the Clever Coffee dripper is a good solution. Here's why: it's immersion brewing like a French Press but with a filter like a drip. This means you don't need a gooseneck kettle, you just need to add hot water. And you get the easy cleanup of a filtered coffee, way better than scooping grounds out of a French Press.

Now the other solution is an AeroPress. It makes a cup similar to a French Press and it has a filter as well. It's incredibly simple to cleanup. Someone else is mentioning height as an issue, but I haven't encountered this. I'm somewhat short for males, 5'7", and that's no issue. I have a female friend, 5'2", who can't use the AeroPress however. That's related to the grind size, it causes too much backpressure and she can't push it down. It's possible with more height, she'd have better leverage. Anyways, I digress - the difficulty of using an AeroPress is only with finely ground coffee. For drip-range grind sizes you simply need to brew a bit longer and it is easy to press down.

Also, as far as space goes - the AeroPress can only hold about 250mL of liquid. You can dilute afterwards and just make it "strong." But if you're looking for something to make a cup of coffee in the morning, there are 3 cup French Presses that take up about the same amount of space. The Clever device is shorter but wider.

Oh, also, if she's not using an automatic drip machine at her place then you can do whatever you want, but maybe ask her what she uses and choose something similar. For example, a Chemex user would probably find the Clever to be more similar than the AeroPress while a French Press user would find the opposite.

I love coffee so much. Where I used to live, I liked this local coffee house (The Mudhouse, Springfield, MO) that served lukewarm americanos for me, which is a double espresso shot in water. puts hair on your chest if you leave it black like i do!(not saying i have a hairy chest, just being dramatic). They'd sell chocolate covered espresso beans that sustained me during my associates degree/long nights out at rock shows. Tasted like M&Ms, but with coffee grounds instead of chocolate on the inside (wait, what?).

Best coffee I've ever had was Turkish coffee at a Mediterranean cafe here in STL. Came in a tiny metal stovetop pot with a long handle at the top, with shot-glass sized cups on the side. It was thick, and earthy, and matte (hit the tongue and stayed), as it's a thick coffee, so you drink a bit of the finely broken-up grounds. Amazing rush, almost a detoxifying effect.

now I brew dunkin donuts hazelnut in my 12-cup pot at home. I need to get a french press. I have an aeropress, too, just never used it. I will now, though. Coffee shops are lovely, but I love brewing my own pot, for the aromatherapeutic effect in the early AM hours.

i'm a purist, as well. always black. always :)

Now this is a conversation I can get in on.

Let's begin with my stainless steel measuring cups. I bake a lot so these are so useful. The 1/8 cup comes in so much more use than I ever imagined it would. And they're just so much nicer than plastic ones. I want to get a set of stainless steel measuring spoons but haven't yet.

Next, I would probably say my French Press. Coffee is important, and my French Press makes some delicious coffee.

I absolutely love this skillet. Works like magic.

I also recommend this 3 tier cooling rack to everyone. It's so useful and stores so well.

In the fall/winter I use my crock pot a whole lot. I also find having large mason jars to be useful for storing food, though I also have this tupperware.

Finally, my KitchenAid stand mixer. Self explanatory. It's fucking awesome. I just want to spend every waking moment putting it to good use and baking everything under the sun.

Let's do it in the kitchen.

Wow! With a $500 budget you can actually do so much, and to be honest I don't think that kind of investment is really necessary, especially since overlooking your choices, you seem to be spending way too much for things you can get for a lower price. My setup is only ~$100, and I can get a great brew (though I use a hand grinder). I use a Kalita Wave 155 (this is the smallest size, but feel free to opt for the 185 size if you brew 2+ cups in one sitting). $22.50. The filters are quite pricey at $10.95, but worth it in the long run (for a one cup drinker a-day like me, it will last 3 months+ per pack). A French press from Bodum will only set you back $27 - double walled doesn't really do much because I find temperature loss isn't really a problem. The size I recommend for this one is only suited again for a 1-cup drinker, because my personal experience is using a 1L size for a single or even 2 cup drinker in one sitting will result in extremely sludgey cups. As others have suggested, if looking for a nice electric grinder, spring for the Encore. A good scale is this one for $39. I don't even use a true dedicated gooseneck kettle for this setup, just an adequate tea kettle but I do advocate the variable temp Bonavita you're thinking of. So this all amounts to $313.20. Happy drinking.

Aeropress! People all over RAoA have been raving about these contraptions as apparently they make very good coffee. I don't actually drink coffee, but I want it for my boyfriend. He loves coffee but never really gets to try anything beyond instant. I think this would make him very happy, which in turn would make me giddy with joy! A whole new world of coffee would be available to him! And then people can buy him coffee for christmas rather than a gajillion bottles of aftershave.

Elephant Barber! Also I know things can work out more expensive on co.uk so even a gift card towards it would be awesome (I'm planning on getting it sometime anyway =p)

About me? I like making things! Fimo is my current thing and make things like Pokemon , feather earrings or kitty earrings =)

Congratulations on becoming a free thinker and embracing everything that life has to offer! Never stop questioning everything! It's all about the beans, it's basically impossible to make good coffee without using freshly ground and good quality beans that have been recently roasted (i.e. not sat on a shelf for months).

You will need 3 things to start making good coffee.

1. A decent grinder, nothing fancy needed if you're just going to use a french press, but try and avoid ones that use blades, and go for a nice burr grinder, like this one.
   
2. a French press
   
3. Some nice beans, have a look online for a local roaster in your area and give them your support/love/money!.
   
   That's pretty much it, just coarsely grind the coffee, put it in the press with water just slightly off the boil, wait a few mins depending on how strong you like it, press down and serve delicious coffee!

I suspect most responses here will focus on method of brewing over brands or specific origins or roasts of coffee, although Starbucks is not well-loved. Sumatran beans can be extremely earthy, dry, and strong-flavored, though. "Strong" is very subjective, and when I think of a strong cup my first desire would be to find an extremely bright, light roast that is bursting with acidity and flavor; others might interpret that as a dark roast. You didn't mention your location, but I suggest you find a good local roaster and sample their fresh products. Best is to grind your beans at home just before brewing, but you can also tell the shop your method of brewing and have them grind for you. Unfortunately the ground coffee loses a lot of flavor and aroma far faster than you can use up a bag, and this might be a big part of a coffee not tasting "strong" enough.

If you're using an auto-drip brewer, you just aren't going to get a quality, rich cup of coffee no matter what. The strongest coffee short of straight espresso you'll get is either from a stovetop or a turkish preparation. French press also brews a very full-bodied cuppa, with all the oils and flavanoids intact (no paper filter to remove them), assuming you brew at proper temperature (195-205F). This is a much easier, more accessible, and more desirable method, IMHO. You will have some coffee silt at the bottom of your cup. Some say the aeropress yields a similar product as the French Press, but I don't have any experience with it.

Also, more grounds does not automatically mean a better or stronger cup, it can actually mean a more bitter, under-extracted cup because you didn't have enough water to get all the desirable compounds out of the grounds and into the solution. Follow brewing instructions and use a proper water to coffee ratio.

One of the reasons a lot of people end up loading their coffee with cream and sugar is to mask a bitterness that only generally shows up when a coffee is burnt, when too many coffee grounds were used, or when the coffee is old. I suggest using a French press to make coffee to ensure that it isn't getting too hot/sitting on a burner for too long, which can happen easily with a traditional coffee maker. (I've had a Bodum model for about four years now, and it has held up really well). I also recommend going a bit fancier than Maxwell House for your coffee itself. If you can get whole beans and grind them every morning, you'll end up with a better tasting cup of joe, but getting something pre-ground and using it within a week or two isn't that bad. You also may want to look for a medium roast bean if you're looking for more complex flavors. While you definitely can get some good tastes from a darker roast, a medium roast is often a little more approachable if you are weaning yourself off of milk and sugar right now. If you're looking to try different things, I reccomend Rhetoric Coffee. They are a subscription service that sends different roasts out every two weeks and can be great to introduce you to new blends.

Remember that there are LOTS of flavors and different roasts out there too, so don't feel like you have to force yourself to like a certain blend or even drink your coffee a certain way. Kudos to you for trying new things though!

Hi all—habitual tea drinker here. But my new office is kept warm, and I find myself almost dozing off in the morning. I was thinking of starting to drink a mug of coffee in the morning as I'm puttering around and listening to NPR.

My equipment isn't anything too fancy; I don't have my own grinder nor a proper pourover like a Chemex or something. I do have a variable-temperature kettle (this guy, it recommends 200°F for French Press), and a French Press (a cheerfully-colored Bodum 12oz).

I am lucky enough to live in a town ('town'? NYC) that has no surfeit of amazing coffee roasters, makers, purveyors, etc. so name a thing and I can probably get it.

I was going to stop by my favorite tea shop tonight, which incidentally has an equally good selection of coffee.

So I guess the end result of this drawn-out comment is a bunch of very basic questions:

1. What coffee region/bean/roast etc. would be best for small-batch, pre-ground (I know, I know, coffee should be fresh ground in the morning. But grinders are as loud af, and I have roommates and thin walls), French press? I find myself enjoying malty, vanill-y, richer styles of coffee, on the lower-acid, fuller-bodied style (it's amazing how much of coffee and tea talk sounds like wine talk, which is my domain). While I'd say roughly 'latte-esque' (my standard cafe order), I'm not about to start steaming milk in the morning—and I know black coffee won't be like a latte unless you ... make a latte.
   
   
2. Preparation? 200° good? What's the proper coffee/water ratio? Steep (brew?) time? Specialized glassware? I have a classic diner mug that I really like drinking out of, very comforting and reminds me of Kyle MachLachlan.
   
   
3. Do y'all not like tea drinkers? Some tea folk have a weird resentment against coffee people, which I find odd.
   
   Side note, if there's an FAQ anyone could point me to, so that y'all good folks don't have to spend too much time answering these ultra-basic questions, lmk, and I'll go over there and stop bothering you.
   
   Thanks in advance, all!

You could definitely go the keurig or mr. Coffee route, there should be some decent sales coming up on those soon.

Be aware that the keurig systems have caught some flack for the amount of waste that they produce. Each individual serving cup can't be recycled, and if you get one of the newest keurigs, they have a special chip in the cup that has to be used for the system to actually brew. So no more knock off K-cups.

My girlfriend also loves coffee and tea. In the past I have given her a french press to make coffee, which is going to be cheaper than a keurig and makes a much better tasting cup of coffee. It's much more hands on than just hitting a button too. This is the one I got her. http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Chambord-Coffee-Press-demitasse/dp/B00008XEWG. You can probably find a cheaper one if you do some digging online. This and a fresh bag of coffee would make a great gift. Extra points if you go whole bean coffee and get her a grinder too.

As for tea, if you are around a Teavana, this little guy is awesome. http://www.teavana.com/tea-products/tea-makers-infusers/p/teavana-red-perfectea-maker. You pour water and your tea into it, let it infuse, and then you put that on top of your mug and a pressure switch allows the tea to filter out the bottom without mess or tea fibers floating through. This is on sale right now and paired with a nice bag of loose tea would be a good route to go! Hope this is helpful! r/coffee and r/tea are great places to learn more!

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.

You guys: I think I'm going to be that guy.

I'm pretty sure I'm commenting on this for the right reason, which is possibly share one of my favorite things on this green earth.

It's mind shatteringly easy to make delightful, delicious cold brew iced coffee at home.

Admittedly - I use a French Press . Not everyone has one. In fact, when I started, I also didn't have one. I filled a freaking mason jar with coffee grounds (1/3 cup of grounds to 32 oz of water), and stuck it in the fridge. Then I did this crazy filtering thing with cheesecloth. And it was still so freaking good I bought the above French press.

Literally all you do is fill the French press with grounds and water, and stick it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, push it down. Pour it. Add cream (heavy, yo, we Keto). I add sugar free vanilla syrup, but you don't have to. I prefer my cold brew to 94% of what's out there (there's some other delicious iced coffee out there).

Look, I bet that Gevalia deal is yummy. I totally am not trying to be like "you jerks BUYING iced coffee should know about this". But legitimately maybe you just didn't know how incredibly simple, stupid proof (I'm proof), and cheap this is. So if there's a slight chance I helped someone and staved off bedtime, I'll call it 3 minutes well spent. Now I can sleep well, knowing there's a full 32 oz of cold brew waiting for me. Maybe there could be for you too...

Love you nerds. KCKO.

First of all, if you want to get into loose leaf tea, you're going to want to get something to brew it in. The simplest to use and clean is a French Press. But getting into loose leaf doesn't mean you have to forsake bagged tea all together, I still use both.

As far as finding a tea you like, you should start with bagged tea just because it's cheaper. You need to get familiar with the tastes of black, green, white, herbal, etc teas. Once you get a feel for the different tastes, get yourself acquainted with a nearby tea shop. There's not much of that by me, but at least I have a Teavana.(Good teas, but way overpriced). A lot of times they'll have different teas you can sample or at the very least smell.

The best way to buy quality tea without bleeding your wallet is probably through Amazon. You can buy it in bulk (generally 8oz+) for pennies on the dollar.

I don't have much experience with mixing teas with alcohol, but I know that Earl Grey goes well with scotch/whiskey. And I bet that a spiced rum would go wonderfully with a hot milk chai. Actually I think I'll try that out once I get home from class.


Here are some other favorite teas of mine, I'd recommend them all if they adhere to your personal tastes.

Dragonwell Green This is my favorite tea of all time, but it's not for everyone. Very earthy.

Raspberry Riot Lemon Mate (Mate/Herbal)

Bourbon Street Vanilla (Rooibos)

Honey Lemon Ginseng (Green/White)

Constant Comment (Black)

Earl Grey (Black)

Honey Vanilla Chamomile

Are you looking for convenience and the ability to make a lot of coffee at once, or do you want to get the best cup of coffee you can for the money, even it's just one cup at a time and you have to do a little work?

If it's the former, then a basic coffee machine is your only option based on your budget. If it's the latter, then I think an Aeropress is the way to go. I'd recommend it over a pourover cone + filters (like the Melitta or V60) because it's going to be easier to consistently produce a good cup of coffee without a scale and gooseneck kettle.

You could also get a French Press which isn't much work, but a scale would be a good idea. Fortunately you have room for both in your budget. For example:

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Press-Coffee/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543210385&sr=1-8&keywords=french+press

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Kitchen-Scale-Food-Multifunction/dp/B01JTDG084/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543210468&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchen+scale

$25 total, and you don't really need to invest in anything else. A coffee grinder would be ideal, but that won't work with your budget.
EDIT: On second thought, I think this is your best bet!


You also have to consider how much you're willing to spend on coffee. Freshly-roasted beans are going to be a lot more expensive than something like Folger's; anywhere from $8-9/lb at the cheapest to $20+/lb. If your budget doesn't allow for that then I don't think it makes a lot of sense to go the pourover/French Press/Aeropress route, as they won't enhance low quality coffee very much.

Oh oh I love coffee! Some cool products to check out on the cheap:

Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder: It's a hand crank grinder, but it's a burr grinder so it produces a more consistent grind which in turn produces a better cup of coffee.

Chemex 3-Cup Classic Glass Coffee Maker: Not as cheap as the french press, but since it uses a paper filter so there isn't as much sediment in the cup. I find that I prefer it over the french press.

Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker: Classic french press.

Optional:

Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale: Scales are helpful in getting a consistent cup every time. You can measure out the water and coffee and dial in the perfect ratio.

Also check out Pinewood Roaster's coffee. I think they're on Franklin and 11th in the same building as Alpha Omega. Grab a bag of Ethiopian Beriti and enjoy!

If it isn't too late to return, I recommend returning the Keurig and picking up a french press (also known as a press pot). I good one cane be had for between $20 and $30. You will likely be able to find one at the same store you purchased your Keurig from. A french press will really allow you to brew your coffee how you prefer it.

French presses are incredibly easy to use, just put your desired amount of coffee grounds in, pour in your desired amount of hot water (boil some water and let it sit for about 30 seconds before pouring it in) wait between 3 and 4 minutes, and then push the filter down. Cleaning is incredibly simple, just dump out the grounds and rinse out the french press and filter and you are good to go.

You will want a more coarse ground coffee for a french press. If you have a coffee shop near you that sells whole bean you can just ask them to grind it for a french press. If you don't have a coffee shop near you, most grocery stores will sell whole bean coffee and have a grinder with a french press setting on it. Even cheap blade grinders will produce a coarse grind fairly well. I've even brew some great coffee in a french press using regular pre-ground coffee which are almost always ground at medium for drip coffee.

I drink my coffee black, however sometimes I feel like adding something to it. Generally I recommend:

• Half & Half, which will give you a more creamy coffee.
  
• Honey, which will give you a sweeter coffee
  
• Maple Syrup, like honey this will give you a sweeter coffee but with a different flavor profile. This one is especially good with breakfast.
  
  I specifically enjoy these mixers because they tend to compliment the flavor of the coffee instead of just covering it up.

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.

hi there - not a coffee drinker, but my friends love this. French Press also my friend took it camping with her so I think its definitely able to be brought hiking, backpacking, nuclear holocaust! :)

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.

>Breakfast and lunch are super important (coffee is a runner up). You don't realize it till you go without. Then it hits you.

Yupper

For lunch...

http://luckypeach.com/recipes/miso-claypot-chicken-no-claypot/

Make a big batch of that and freeze the leftovers.

https://www.amazon.com/Gordon-Ramsays-Fast-Food-Ramsay/dp/1554700647

These are all great too.

Nutritious and most freeze well.

For breakfast, always have spare cooked rice in a baggie in the fridge, eggs, tortillas, condiments, cheese, etc... so you can just throw stuff together. My favorite:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/08/how-to-make-omurice-japanese-omelette-fried-rice.html

Coffee in the morning your type of thing?

https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-80R11-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1482258230&sr=1-2&keywords=aeropress

Cheap and works great, makes an excellent cup of coffee with hot water quickly.

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DCG-12BC-Central-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0000A1ZN7/ref=sr_1_23?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1482258296&sr=1-23&keywords=coffee+grinder

This is my grinder.

It's the details that count, decent quality stuff that just gets the job done.

Could you get her good coffee-making equipment? An aero press is $30 and a hario v60 is about $20. Actually hario has a hand grinder that’s pretty cheap too. Throw in a bag of beans from your favorite toaster if you have any surplus.

Edit to add link and update price. My bf loves the v60, might be good!

Edit 2: it looks like it looks like the grinder is $40? which blows my mind. I swear it was cheaper

Hi there. May I recommend a blow up mattress microwave and maybe even some sheets and a blanket. (sorry my links are good prices via amazon prime, but i'm not actually suggesting the specific products, just giving examples)


As far as food and cooking goes. /r/eatcheapandhealthy might be a place for you to look into. I personally would recommend you get a big microwave safe bowl (so you can cook rice and other stuff in the microwave if it comes to that), a mug, a kettle, a frying pan, a pot, a knife, fork, spoon, and big wooden spoon. For the dishes and stuff, go check out your nearest salvation army or goodwill. You can buy a plate from 40 years ago that will work just fine for another 40 years for less than a buck.


For food figure out how much you eat and what circumstances you need to eat them in. For example, you take public transit to work in the morning and would ideally pick up coffee and a bagel on your way to work. You could brew you own coffee in a french press or regular coffee maker or make it with instant using water from your kettle. Maybe make yourself a homemade granola bar to eat instead of the bagel. Maybe you have a microwave at work, make some chili to bring in or if you can't nuke your food something like a veggie pizza or a tuna salad

Aerobie Aeropress is easily the best coffee maker around. I have made coffee and espresso for some of my pickiest coffee nerd friends, and they love it and always ask me how I made it. Great Christmas gift for your coffee-loving friends.

Wait...what is your budget? Are you willing to spend £150?? If so, we could probably put together a great beginners setup for your boyfriend.
I'm thinking:
Aeropress
And Baratza Encore but that's a little over 150. Instead of an Aeropress, a Clever would work, too, but you would also need #4 filters.

Actually, if you want to give him a lot of options for 150, you can get him the Aeropress (23), Clever (18), #4 filters (4), Hario Hand Burr Grinder (22), and a Mocha Pot (23) for a grand total of ~90 quid. I'd also add a .1 gram digital scale for 15 extra. So 105 for quite a good introductory setup for coffee (and I'm assuming you have a kettle for boiling water).

Resources I used: /r/coffee and youtube (I particularly like the sumpcoffee channel).

Conclusions and setup I arrived at:

• Bodum french press - 8 cups is misleading because each cup is actually measured at 4oz, not 8. This is pretty good for one person. I found mine on CL for $15, you can probably find an equally good deal in your area. Especially now, post gift season.
  
  
• Hario Mini Mill - freshly ground coffee is amazing. I answered your post about using pre-ground coffee, so I won't repeat myself. Also consider the fact that as coffee is exposed to air it deteriorates. That's why pre-ground coffee is so derided by coffee community (more surface area exposed -> faster deterioration), and why people recommend you look at "roasted on" dates.
  
  
• A medium roast. For me, these have the perfect combination of fruity and chocolatey. I love the complexity, and I think that Private Selection whole beans (Kroger brand) are a good balance of affordable and tasty. The yirgacheffe beans are a good place to start.
  
  
• Next on the list of things to get (for me) is a scale. It's not a neccessity, but it makes certain things easier (measuring out can be tedious).
  
  
• This is a good article that will teach you a few things
  
  Also, in regards to cleaning the french press. You don't want to dump the grounds into the sink because it can cause clogging. This is what I do - rinse off the metal filter immediately after brewing. Some grounds will be stuck to it, but this shouldn't be a problem. Then, I just leave the glass beaker out on the counter to dry out. That night or next morning the grounds are mostly dry, I dump them into the trash and rinse out the glass beaker with hot water.

Oh, I can answer this one beautifully!

We used to use pour over coffee, one cup at a time. It took forever and was awful.

Do they have an inverter capable of up to 2000 watts? If so, read on!! If not, ignore my idea.....


So if they have an inverter, get them two things. First, this guy:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This thing is beautiful. Gets water to the perfect temp in just a few minutes, and saves tons of propane vs conventional heating. If they cruise in the tropics they will appreciate the savings on heating the cabin.


Second, get em this dude:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005YY9X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=305DG4O1W7U4L&coliid=IYQ052FWO4QF9&psc=1


It is insulated, keeps coffee hot for a crazy long time, and its rugged stainless construction keeps them from having to have filters on hand!!!

All this results in coffee made effectively and efficiently at the cheap price of like 15 aH. give or take, depending on their battery bank.

Absolutely. You can have top grade coffee for £50.00 total:

• Grinder
  
  
• Press
  
  And source some beans from a good local roaster to you. I have a few recipes I like but coffee is very subjective. Best to experiment with different beans, brew times etc. My go to recipe :
  
  
• Dark Roast Coffee Beans
  
• Filtered Water 30s off the boil
  
  
• Grind beans very fine, 18g
  
  
• Pinch of Himalayan Rock Salt (trust me)
  
  
• I use the inverted press method. Add salt and grind to press as shown.
  
  
• Pour in a finger of water. Agitate in the press with the handle end of a spoon for 15s.
  
  
• Fill up to brim of press, leave for 3min.
  
  
• Pre-wet filter and add filter/cap to press.
  
  
• Place cup on end upside down and revert back to normal orientation. Slowly less water through (should take around 30s) until just as air starts to come through the press.
  
  
• No milk
  
  Enjoy. It’s very strong, rich coffee though. Not a very delicate brew.

If you want true Espresso the first one you list isn't gonna do it.

I think one of the cheapest useable option is the Gaggia Classic. You can get it with a hand grinder and are all set to go. This one is pretty good.

Want to spend more? The Rancilio Silvia is beloved by many, from beginners to advanced. Here it is with a matching electrical grinder.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of those devices, because my kitchen is way to small for more than an AeroPress but I have friends who own this stuff and they make great coffee.

For a french press, might I recommend this: Bodum french press?

As for a grinder, you want to grind coarse for french press. Blade grinders are extremely inconsistent with grind size. Like others have mentioned, burr grinders are better because they grind more consistently and will not heat up the beans as much during the grinding process. The issue with the Hario Skerton that you posted is that is known to be pretty inconsistent at coarse grinds (unless you make some modifications to it). The Hario Slim Mill may actually be better because there is a spring loaded that helps prevent the burr from wobbling.

Your total here would be around $40 which is pretty decent for a beginner setup.

Did you have the Chambord? My particular gripe with the Chambord is the fact that the steel frame isn't attached to the beaker. Unfortunately, I can't find any decent alternatives to purchasing the carafe from outside sources.

If you want to continue using Bodum's French Press line, I'd highly recommend their Brazil French Press. Not as aesthetically pleasing to some, but I personally favor it over the Chambord. The base and bottom inch or so is ringed in plastic, and so is the handle and the top. It's also a one-piece beaker + handle, so you don't have to worry about it slipping out as you pour. It's also much more forgiving when you wash it as there's less of a chance of shattering the beaker when you tap it against the sink walls. Best part: it's cheaper than the Chambord.

There are other non-Bodum French Presses out there. The Espro Press I hear mentioned a lot lately on this sub is an all-stainless steel container so there's no more dealing with fragile glass containers. Also more expensive though.

I've just recently bought a fresh batch of Ethiopian coffee from the local roaster, a nice man with a stall in the Cambridge Market. For the last few months I've been making coffee with an Aeropress - I can not recommend it enough, it's honestly the best £24 I've ever spent.

It's halfway between a French Press/cafetiere, and an espresso machine in that it uses immersion to bloom and extract the coffee, and pressure to actually get it into your cup.

Edit: my awful spelling

Anyone looking at getting away from instant coffee, or also for a nice gift, this should most certainly top the list.


Edit: Assuming you mean Americano in that you're using espresso and hot water, you'll actually get more caffeine from the drip/filter coffee! :)

I have a set up that i love that was only like 50 dollars and makes great coffee.
I have this french press
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Coffee-34-Ounce/dp/B005ADS5FO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450216508&sr=8-5&keywords=french+press

and this grinder

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450216551&sr=8-1&keywords=coffee+grinder+hario

It is sorta labor intensive but makes way better coffee than most machines that are way more pricey.

Also the key is to have good, fresh beans.

I also have a hario v60 for when i want to make coffee quick.

For me the French press is definitely the way to go, but the AeroPress comes pretty close and is a little easier for making a cup at a time rather than a full pot.

What I usually do is make coffee with an 8-cup sized press pot. I'll coarsely grind about half a cup of coffee, add nearly boiling water, stir it a bit to get rid of some of the bubbles and clumps, then let it sit for about 6-8 minutes or so.

To enhance the flavor you could add a little salt. Dark roasts like French are usually better for espresso or lattes; I generally use a lighter roast (Brazil Santos currently).

Hario Mini Mill

Kettle

Scale

Brita Filter

Aeropress

Thermometer. The one I have is from a Culinary Arts class I took, but this looks to be the same. It's very useful, and to calibrate it, which you'll need to do every once in a while, fill a cup full of ice and then water and put the blue thing on so you can move it (I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm sure you'll get it), and make sure the dimple is in the water and move it to 32 degrees.

Edit: Also, the mug was from the reddit Secret Santa exchange! It's a really fantastic mug.

The Aeropress if you drink coffee. It's £24 on Amazon at the moment but it has been under £20 before. https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Coffee-Tea-Espresso/Aerobie-AeroPress-80R11-Maker/B000GXZ2GS

I don't really understand how it makes such good filter coffee, it's magic or something, but it's really easy to use and makes great super-fast one cup coffee for those who want to use filter or grind their own beans but don't want to run a full coffee maker / make loads of cups / wait around.

In my opinion, you notice the most difference with:

1. Grind your beans right before you brew.
   
2. Buy fresh-roasted beans.
   
3. Get a grinder with multiple settings.
   
4. Use different coffee brewers.
   
   I'd say the most important thing is a grinder. You can go for a cheap electric blade grinder, or you could go for a slightly more expensive adjustable hand grinder. The hand grinder is great quality for the price, with the tradeoff being it can take you 3-5 minutes to grind your beans.
   
   Start with a french press or an aeropress. Both are quick and easy, and you shouldn't have to spend more than £25 for one.
   
   

Great, hope you enjoy! Espresso machines are pretty expensive but maybe try a V60 or an aeropress first. They produce very different cups of coffee to an espresso but you'll be able to appreciate different aspects of the coffee.

Enjoy!

Granted the press isn't all that special, but it works just like any other and that's what matters if you're on a tight budget. However, if you're lucky enough to still have cash to spend after the grinder, French Presses by Bodum are typically the best way to go.

Plus generally, and you'll hear this a lot on this sub, but grinders (and grind quality) are as important if not more important than the brew method.

Hey so I'm new and have been lurking around for a few days. I've been looking for something to get for my dad's birthday and after reading the wikis and guides, can someone please tell me if this would be considered a good set?

Links: Beans

French Press

Grinder

Any help would be really great.

edit: I'm also thinking of just getting an aeropress instead of the cafetiere, would that be a good idea?

So, here's a consideration. A Keurig requires less than 10 seconds of effort. Anything else you hear in this sub will require from 4 minutes upward of manual effort or concentration, in order to prep and brew. Do you think he is willing to go through with that just for a cup of coffee, since it's quite new to him? If not, either stick with Keurig, or get into the hobby together and make the coffee together. You'll be the one driving for the first few days I'm sure - so then the question becomes are YOU willing to go through the motions, until he gets into it?

If you are I'd say a porlex mini hand grinder, a stainless steel simple French press, and some nice beans (plus some of those single serving chocolate flavoured creamer) would be a perfect starter kit for beginners. Aeropress and chemex can come later when you actually know how to taste the difference - not being snarky, just realistic :)

I have the Bodum Brazil 34 oz french press and I really like it. I'm not sure if there's much of a benefit to getting a better brand/model as it's a pretty simple concept. Someone else would be better to weigh in on that. The one I have is less than $20 on Amazon.

https://amzn.com/B005ADS5FO

Tips:
Don't drink it, you are transforming a good beverage into a bad drink.
You know when you add more coffee to a regular coffee maker make it slightly strong with good taste? Well is not the same for instant coffe, only makes it worst.
*I'm a broken student too, and I offer you two solutions that worked for me: This cheap plastic coffee maker that you put on top of your coffee mug and you buy a permanent filter and you are done.
Don't like it? Well This awesome french press save my life at work, no filters! Just add hot watter wait a couple of minutes and you have a tasty fresh made coffe.

I hope it helps, and remember instant coffee it's never the answer.

I know it's expensive, but the sterling stainless steel french press is a CHAMP:
http://www.amazon.com/SterlingPro-Double-Stainless-French-Coffee/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1449597157&sr=1-3&keywords=stainless+steel+french+press

I've had multiple bodum's that broke (I usually get a year or two out of them). This one, though, is incredibly resilient. I was initially nervous about using something other than glass, but I honestly can't tell a difference in taste (by the way, I cannot say the same thing about the aeropress, people tell me I'm crazy but I feel like I can taste the plastic in the brew).

I was given this one as a christmas gift several years ago and I'm positive it will be around for a very long time.

hi I am completely new to this, spent a while researching yesterday and found that for my price point, french press would be the best start for me. I am looking at all my options on amazon, and i am looking at the ones around the 20-30 dollar range. will there be a big difference in quality from press to press? And also, I am looking at coffee grinders at around the same price range, and was wondering what would be the best and if manual is fine for what I need, since those are cheaper.

example combo of what i am considering:

[press](
https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-French-Coffee-Screen/dp/B00JE36GLQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1496434282&sr=8-4&keywords=french+press)

grinder

please make any adjustments to these 2, as long as it totals to not more than ~50 usd

I'd have to recommend looking away from a pod based machine. Because it's pre-ground the coffee is stale already when you buy it. In addition to using stale coffee these machines aren't capable of producing enough pressure (9 bars) to produce real espresso. Instead of opting for a machine I'd get an aeropress.

An [Aeropress,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GXZ2GS/) [grinder,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PE85xb5KY6678) [scale,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004164SRA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NG85xb8VP81H3) and [kettle] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8J85xbF33PVD0) will be cheaper than the Nescafe and will produce significantly better coffee.

The nice part about the aeropress is its simplicity and versatility. You can use it as an espresso substitute for Lattes and milk drinks, drink it black for a clean, bold cup, or dilute it to an americano for a traditional cup of coffee. Make sure to get some fresh beans from a local roaster too!

I got a few things that make my life so nice in my "ready bag" *This is for car camping*

• Leather gloves (so nice to have good ones with tending to a fire/wood processing/etc)
  
• Cooking Pots (got some refurb'd MSR ones, really nice)
  
• KA-BAR BK-16 Knife
  
• Wise Owl Hammock / Tarp / Camp Pillow
  
• Coffee Gator French Press
  
• YETI Cooler (got as a gift, thing is amazing. I know I would never have brought myself to spend that much on a cooler either, but it's lifechanging)
  
• Whiskey
  
• Coffee
  
  Happy camping mate!

I think the two most important questions are: what are some coffees that you've had and like? What sort of work are you willing to put into it?

My personal recommendation would be to get a Baratza Encore grinder, a digital scale, a gooseneck kettle of some sort, a Chemex, and a French Press. All that should easily fit within your budget. And of all the accessories I have, on 90% of the days I don't use anything other than those. Well, and some coffee beans.

But that will take some work -- measuring, grinding, pouring, waiting, more pouring. It will make much better coffee than any automated machine, but maybe you don't care that much and it sounds like too much work. In that case, the Technivorm Moccamaster and Bonvavita 1900 TS are good options for automatic drip machines.

EDTIT: Sorry, I missed "automatic" in the text. I still don't think that will give you the best coffee, but if you're set on it, ignore everything I said except the Technivorm and Bonavita.

My simple guide for UK beginners.

• Hario Mini Slim grinder
  
• Aeropress
  
• Decent coffee roasters house blend
  
  Don't waste your money buying fancy AA single estate small batch beans because you just won't get the best out of them. You want a reliable and inexpensive blend that doesn't need a chemistry degree and £300 worth of equipment to achieve good results every time.
  
  I would go as far as to recommend new comers just pick up some decent supermarket branded beans to practice your technique and figure out what type of coffees work for you. The when you become more confident with your method feel free to start exploring more luxury beans.
  
  

Well, I just moved for the first time in 7 years... I had been getting coffee at my local shop EVERY morning since they opened over the 4 years ago.

So, I am relatively new to brewing my own coffee-- around 2 weeks actually. I went out and bought the stuff for Father's day.

My setup.

Black & Decker Grinder - Not great, but it really works. I got it at a local store new for $22.

[Chefman Water Kettle] - Fucking amazing and quick - $39.99 same local store.

[Boodum French Press 8cup] - I love this thing - $21 at Target.

Wooden spoon for stirring & hand painted mug.

Wanted to get some feedback on mysetup. Apparently the grinder is not amazing, but it seems to be working just fine for me on the coarser setting.

Gator Coffee French Press. Best one ive ever owned. Use it for car camping, backpacking and at home.

French Press Coffee Maker | 34 Oz | Best Premium Quality Stainless Steel Cafetiere - Keeps Coffee Hotter Longer With Vacuum Insulated Sides - FREE Min https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1UWJAW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_vRWBpkvRJh6Bs

While a french press is good I highly recommend the AeroPress. It works similar to a french press but is much easier to use and clean. I switched to the Aeropress about two months ago from a decend drip maker and have been using it every single day since. Its also the quickest way to make coffee which I like because I'm often in a rush.

I got this about a year ago and have had no problems:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00QAGS9EW

The paper filters do pretty much eliminate sediment, but it's still pretty minimal with the stainless filter. Both make excellent coffee, but I think the paper filters do take some of the natural oils out. I prefer either filter over using my French press (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00005YY9X/)

Seriously? Seriously?! A French press costs $20. Assuming it lasts a year (conservative estimate) and you drink 5 cups of coffee/week, that's $0.08 per cup of coffee. If you get your beans ground fresh where you buy them you don't need to buy a grinder. Water + the energy required to boil it has got to be like $0.30 (I rent my apartment so don't directly pay for water & electricity, correct me if I'm wrong).

If you are serious, then you sir, are intensely frugal. I hope you're joking though. You could save more money employing the most frugal cliche of all: reusing sandwich bags.

I took the plunge recently and got a bodum French press (3cup) for $17 at the local box store, but you can get it on amazon for http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Press-Coffee/dp/B00008WU9F

I must say the French press is a enjoyable way to make coffee. And done right the coffee is superb!

Yes! I'm in college and have no cash. I used to use a Capresso electric grinder but that broke so I'm grabbing a Hario Mini Mill soon, only like $30-$40 - link

I also use a French Press, $20 or so - link

And I have an electric kettle with built-in thermometer, about $20 - link

Eight O'Clock beans are like, $4 from Target. If you have a Trader Joes nearby, they're also a good source of cheap beans.

All in all, I've spent maybe $80 on coffee equipment to make a pretty damn good cup on a college budget, while maintaining some portability.

>that can just make everyday life a little nicer, more luxurious etc.

If this is the goal, you can upgrade something he currently has and uses frequently. One way to think about this is to do an inventory of his typical day -- what items does he interact with or consume all the time? So, if he wakes up pretty early and relies on an alarm clock, you could get him a smart sunrise alarm clock or one that projects on the ceiling.

If he drinks coffee, you could upgrade his coffee bean grinder or get him a French press. (I like the Bodum brand, which is top rated on Wirecutter.) Speaking of, I find the Wirecutter website to be a good source for upgrade ideas. I was going to suggest upgrading bed sheets, but that might go over budget and be hard to fit in a suitcase!

And etc. If there's a specific item you want to upgrade, feel free to come back and ask for suggestions!

Are you looking to make one cup at a time like you're used to? Or are you more likely to make a pot of coffee? I broke up with my Keurig recently and ended up with different solutions for single vs multiple cups.

We were gifted a Cuisinart burr grinder (https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/), and I really like it. I have no idea if it's better or worse than other grinders, because I've never used any other. I remember my parents had a blade grinder and they always liked it, but they never had anything else either. /shrug

For single cup coffee, I have a paperless stainless steel pour over (https://www.amazon.com/Cafellissimo-Paperless-Coffee-Stainless-Reusable/dp/B01DSDWTYA/) and I like it. It's kinda messy, but I think all paperless systems are. We have a french press (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N1UWJAW/) and I'm honestly not a huge fan, but my husband really likes it. I find that the coffee made with that is much more acidic than when I make it with the pour over, so I'm sure it's something to do with technique.

As for basic advice - you do not have to buy it all at once! It's okay to ask your local roaster to grind beans for you if you're going to use them really soon.

AEROPRESS, AEROPRESS.

My mom let hers sit around for a few months, but called me last week to gush about it, "I use it every day!"

For any coffee lovers out there who have yet to discover the awesome Aeropress, go get one NOW.

(I recently figured out that it's made by Aerobie, the flying ring people. Huh.)

Aeropress plus Hario or Porlex grinder. Perfect set up. Exactly €50. Add some great, fresh beans and you are sorted :-)

http://www.amazon.de/Aerobie-80R08-AeroPress-Kaffeebereiter-Papierfilter/dp/B000GXZ2GS - €27

http://www.amazon.de/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ - €23

Even though I am a pretentious asshole, I'll try not to be one. If you're on a tight budget I would suggest a hand blender like the kyocera http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003S9XF7K?pc_redir=1407223857&robot_redir=1 (I'm on alien blue or else I'd link that shit to words) and if you want to try a press pot, bodum makes great cheap ones http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008XEWG?pc_redir=1407268458&robot_redir=1. Hope that helps :D

You could look into a French press (I like bodum but all brands work). I also recommend getting a melitta brewing cone, for the $3-$5 it costs it makes insane coffee for the price. Also if you can, never go with pre ground beans, you can actually get a grinder for pretty cheap on amazon or at the least go to your local coffee shop (non Starbucks) and buy a bag of beans from them and ask them to grind it for you. Hope this helps! Excited for your coffee journey!

Bodum French Press and a Hario Buono kettle are probably enough to get you started. French press will be a bit more forgiving when it comes to brewing and you can probably keep your current grinder until you decide if you like it. Just make sure to try and keep the grind fairly coarse. Might take some playing around with. Cheers!

Not gonna get much kcup or similar love here. They are common for this use but make overpriced weak bad coffee. Have to mention it as it is the mass market solution.

French press is good work kit, but can be messy http://amzn.com/B000KEM4TQ

Aeropress (http://amzn.com/B0047BIWSK) is my work setup.

I used an electric moka pot at work for a while but it was awful loud for a cube, easy though, and moka is somewhere between coffee and espresso. Good conversation piece also. http://amzn.com/B000TDDVL8

Grinder also? Highly recommended to grind right before brew, http://amzn.com/B001804CLY

Good luck!

Hi and welcome. We call this your first step into the rabbit hole. Like Alice, if you decide to go in this is just going to get deeper and deeper.

The two grinders you've linked are both electric and neither are particularly good. Assuming that you want to go with an electric grinder (and I would if you're drinking 5 cups a day) then then Baratza is the least you want to buy. The difference between this and the ones you have mentioned are the burrs - the cutting edges - that are in the machine.

Next, you say you start with a latte. Latte is espresso and steamed/textured milk. You are not going to get espresso anywhere close to your budget but you can get a good moka pot and then a milk frother will get you that drink.

For your coffee through the day then a french press will be fine - they're very simple just relying on a metal mesh screen to keep the used grinds out of the end drink or, if you are just making coffee for yourself one at a time then consider the aeropress.

Automatic machines are more complicated. You have to read very carefully as most on the market do not heat the water properly (they start dripping cold water into the coffee bed and, when they finish, they are putting boiling water and steam into it). Also, most will drip water through the middle of the coffee grounds which means that you get bitter tastes from the coffee that gets most of the water while the rest "under extracts" giving tastes of grass and moss. Unless you are willing to go to something like the Wilfa I would stay with manual coffee makers for now.

Bienvenue a r/coffee et bonne chance.

The general tradeoff is taste for ease of use, a keurig you'd just pop in a capsule and get mediocre coffee, with some other brew method you'd get better coffee but you would have to work harder. A common starting setup which is quite quick and easy whilst providing a good cup of coffee is an Aeropress, Hario Mini Mill and any decent scale.

My girlfriend and I use an Aeropress, and have a nice electric kettle. We buy local coffee, and grind it ourselves usually. If we're on a road trip, we'll have the coffee shop grind it for us.

The Aeropress is much like a french press, except a lot smoother of a taste. With our set up, you can have an amazing cup of coffee in less than 3 minutes, fresh brewed.

Links to press and kettle on Amazon.

Aeropress

Bonavita Gooseneck Kettle

I like to checkout various innovative gadgets which makes cooking better. This time, I got to know about french press coffee maker which has also been recommended personally by one of my friend. Seriously, it changed my perception of preparing coffee in a machine because before buying that, I used to follow traditional way of preparing coffee.

bro you got a few options for your 120$ budget..

so you have mr.coffee grinder and its working perfectly right? if so than you can skip grinder part and go with coffee makers

1- 3cup MokaPot $23 with a bodum Brazil French Press $20 and a Milk Pitcher $8, so why i offered such package.. its about 50$ in total and you can make really strong cup of coffee in mokapot and use frenchpress to froth milk so you can do latte art with the pitcher.. o and when u want to make coffee in french press u can... Total $50

2- get an AeroPress $30 with this Frenchpress $15 and aboved mention pitcher for aeropress lattes... Total $50

3- Get MiniPresso Espresso Maker $59 with aboved mentioned frenchpress and latte pitcher,,,Total $80

4- Get Delonghi EC155 Espresso Machine $89 with a latte pitcher.. Total $95

and finally with all that a $5 digital gram scale

all these will work fine with me.coffee grinder as none requires fine grind or have a presurized portafilter

YES to French presses. There's something so relaxing taking 5 minutes every morning to make sure the water is at the perfect temperature and then pressing that plunger down slowly.

But do get a good metal press pot! I went through 3 bodum glass French presses before I bit the bullet and got this one: http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-Polished-Stainless-Steel-French/dp/B00009ADDS/ . After 8 years and 4 continents, my French press is still going strong. I take the plunger apart every day to scrub out the mesh screen and none of the wires have broken or come loose.

I think my French press will outlive me.

I've been using a french press for my morning coffee and it's very consistent. Easy enough to make 450 or whatever amount. A quality grinder makes a huge difference. I have the Bodum Brazil 8 cup (http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Coffee-34-Ounce/dp/B000KEM4TQ). Only 26.25 on Amazon right now, and you don't have to worry about buying filters.

I still use my chemex on the weekends when I have a little more time. The french press is nice because you pretty much just dump the grinds and the water in the press, wait a few minutes and press. I can set it up and make a quick breakfast at the same time, where as the chemex requires adding more water every minute.

Been using one of these for 3 years, daily. Work AWESOME, and never an issue. Several sizes available. I HIGHLY recommend one!!! https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-French-Coffee-Screen/dp/B00JE36GLQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523724465&sr=8-3&keywords=stainless+french+press&dpID=41rGx%252Bn2aYL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I'm glad this one's here, it helps me feel less like everyone is insane.

How to have the best heart attack:

1.) Start using a french press.

2.) Screw the process, just carry it to you desk and drink the whole thing right out of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-CHAMBORD-Stainless-Heat-Resistant-Borosilicate/dp/B00008XEWG

This is the press I have, it's a Bodum.

http://store.starbucks.com/recycled-coffee-press-by-bodum-8-cup/011024657,default,pd.html?start=5&navid=coffee-presses

I got it at Starbucks back when I was just starting to get into coffee. It's awesome, I have had it for over 4.5 years with no problems, it cost $20. It's sold in a lot of places. I also own this Bodum...(and just warning this is going to sound really ridiculously picky)...

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-1-Liter-34-Ounce-Coffeemaker/dp/B004NBYADU

The latter is not my favorite because I can't take apart the filter portion of it like I can in that first one I linked to. I like being able to take the whole thing apart, clean it out nice and get all the grounds out of the filter. Second thing that drives me absolutely crazy is that you can't just nicely line up the filter and cap and plunge down. Because of the way the handle and cap are designed to fit together (http://i.imgur.com/0d1umrj.jpg?1), you have to angle the filter and then line up the nook and THEN plunge down. I don't like having to angle the filters to get it in the body like that. Lastly, I feel like the flat top of the plunger that you have on the first Bodum there gives you greater control over the smoothness of the plunging. This ball on the red on...well...fine, I just don't like how it looks and I'm anti-ball but it just feels like it's not as smooth going down. Anyhow, that's my French Press rant. I would look for a simple design and easy cleaning.

tl/dr get this one... http://store.starbucks.com/recycled-coffee-press-by-bodum-8-cup/011024657,default,pd.html?start=5&navid=coffee-presses

Oh boy... I've got many...

Ultra Soft Plush Kimono Bathrobe with Pockets

Anti-Fungal Soap

Travel Hammock

Ladies Electric Shaver

Palm Massage Tool This thing is UHmazing! Make my SO use it on me everynight..

Watery Essence SPF50+/PA++++ 50g Sunscreen

Coffee Gator

Hydro Flask Sports Water Bottle

My dog's cozy/warm Blueberry Pet Sweater She's a 50lb pit bull mix and she loves wearing this in the winter. 20" fits her wonderfully.

Closet Underwear Organizer Drawer Divider

I bought this one and it definitely costs more, but it's pretty big and I like it quite a bit

Bodum Chambord French Press Coffee Maker, 1 Liter, 34 Ounce, Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008XEWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gxnXDbPSXZA0Y

Look, if you're a beginner, you really can't do better than a french press and basic coffee grinder. The coffee you'll get, while not as good as consistently ground coffee, will still be delicious. I think it's a great place to start and you can eventually graduate up to a higher quality grinder.

I know there will be plenty of differing opinions, but I used a basic coffee grinder with my french press for four years, and the coffee was still excellent.

French Press - Bodum Brazil

Basic Mr. Coffee Grinder

For coffee, look into getting a Vietnamese coffee maker. They're light, cheap, easy to clean, bombproof, and make great coffee.

​

Yay for gifts!

french press

Thanks for the contest :)

I received this stainless steel press from Amazon a few years ago as a gift and it’s held up great.

I like stainless vs glass as it stays hot much longer.

While I can't speak to the plastic getting soft, I found that the plastic model usually have other plastic components too.

When I had the Bodum Brazil - and I can't stress enough how much to steer clear of it. The construction of the unit itself was great, but the linchpin was the plastic locking piece that holds the plunger down when pressing. Since the Brazil uses a plastic piece for this, the threads strip out and in about 2 months you can't plunge because the plunger doesn't lock down any longer.

You can see on the Amazon page where the customers post their pictures, two of them show the black piece right above the plunger - that's plastic. (Link)

Otherwise - I completely agree with the Chambord recommendation. Have 2 now (bought 1, other was a gift) and use them as often as I can. After a quick cleaning, they always look brand new.

A French press is going to be cheaper than a Nescafé machine, short term and long term. With a pod machine, you'll be spending lots of money on pods. With a press, you'll be spending a lot less. Cost-wise, a press is a lot cheaper than a pod machine.

Yeah, a press will take longer to prepare than a pod machine, but it makes worlds better coffee if you use good beans.

We use a stainless steel Bodum for travel and even for camping. It's very heavy-duty and very easy to clean. :)

For sheer price and ease of brew consistency, the plastic v60 comes in three forms: dripper only ($7-8), the V60 Decanter ($24), or the V60 Starter Kit ($20).

Depending on gift budget, you may also want to consider a gooseneck kettle if your boyfriend doesn't already have one.

I like coffee gear for aesthetics in addition to their function, though, so I have a couple of special Hario v60 drippers - a sky blue ceramic, and a Mandarin orange ceramic one. Obviously way more breakable than the plastic/metal ones, but I liked the looks of them way more.

I brew three time a day in my french press coffee maker and simply add hot water, roasted coffee beans powder and then start the machine. However, plain coffee is best for me, prefer to make ice coffee on every weekend for the me and the roommates as well. It's quiet convenient to refer the user's manual and accomplish according to the instructions given.

Thanks, I had seen that website a couple of minutes ago. I can get this one from Amazon for a slightly higher price. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aerobie-AeroPress-80R08-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS/ref=pd_bxgy_kh_text_y

Is a metal filter a necessary add on, it's like 18 pounds extra. I heard it makes a better cup.

Get the Encore. Ideally a cheap $10 scale but I've found with experience that I can consistently eyeball it well enough with the scoop which came with something I bought. $12 kettle. $15.50 Clever dripper if it's cheap enough and some $6 papers (or off brand instore somewhere cheaper) or a $11.50 french press.

If you can get the Encore at 70, and just the kettle and brewer (no scale) that's just under 100.

Edit. I forgot you'd need to weigh the water to get the proportions correct and consistent, and would need a scale for that but, because water has many special magic properties you can just measure it 500ml=500g etc, so a cheap $1 plastic jug could also work.

Look into getting an Aeropress. I'm borderline retarded doing anything in the kitchen but everyday I have several people in my UV apartment building ask if they can come by for a coffee made by moi. Super easy.

If you like the idea of the Clover but don't have $11,000, get a $26 AeroPress instead. It's more work (if you don't count the time it takes you to earn the $11,000), but it makes amazingly great coffee.

I'm pretty sure this is the one he has. He doesn't seem to love it. We have this one and we love it.

French presses are easy and simple. It's kinda hard to screw one up. This for twenty bucks is perfectly fine. They will all have instructions. It's not complicated. Insert hot water. Insert coffee grounds. Let sit. Squish out the grounds with the coil thing and pour into a cup. Spend 10 minutes washing the coil thing out.

Fuck Keurigs! Just buy an AeroPress. It's so much cheaper per cup, is practically self cleaning, and makes better coffee. You can make it as strong as you want, and can even make espresso ("coffee concentrate" if you want to be very technical.) And you can use whatever coffee you want!

Rather than spending all that money on a fancy brewer, and then $1 per cup of coffee, buy a Zojirushi Boiler (or similar), and you can make coffee nearly as fast as with a Kurig. I don't mean within 15 seconds, but so short that you won't hesitate to make a cup. Or you can just nuke some water in a Pyrex measuring cup, but that takes 2-3 minutes.

I own that exact boiler and an AeroPress, and it's amazing. I have 195° water on tap all of the time, and the 4 qt one is tall enough to dispense right into an AeroPress on top of a tall mug.

I even use an AeroPress at work at my desk even though there's a Keurig available. I get hot water from the water dispenser (combo water cooler/heater that work provides), use the AeroPress normally, push the grounds into the waste basket, then wash the remaining grounds off of the plunger with a chemistry wash bottle right into the waste basket, too. (There's a trash bag in it, and it's not much water.)

French Press, https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-French-Coffee-Screen/dp/B00JE36GLQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=french+press&qid=1566748969&s=kitchen&sprefix=French+p&sr=1-4

It tastes better, is easier to clean, and is faster than drip coffee.

Basic technique including my favorite beans:

beans

grinder

french press

boil 3.5 cups water.

fill grinder even with top and grind. just a few seconds. Don't powder it. pour in french press.

pour water over ground beans, stir, put the lid on but don't plunge.

After four minutes, plunge.

Heaven.

I honestly don't see a better alternative than a french press. It might be a tad bit more clunky but this is at the cost of being able to brew more than one cup at a time.

A clever could work as well, if you're into pourovers.

Only issue you might run into is there being enough volume of water to allow for a good steep of the beans. If you have a very large press this could be problematic. If you have a 17 or 34 oz size you'll likely be ok. You can also get very small ones that are only 12 oz that would suit your needs perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Press-Coffee/dp/B00008WU9F/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1415024897&sr=1-3&keywords=8+oz+french+press

(all the sizes are specific to Bodum presses - other companies might have slightly different sizes. I don't really know)

An AeroPress costs $30. A hand held milk frother costs $10 or less. I can keep both of these at my desk or pack in my carry on and never have to experience the crap that is Starbucks and save hundreds of dollars on superior coffee.

If you're a gadget kind of person, you should check out this coffee maker. A friend of mine was raving about it on Facebook - low acidity, easy clean-up, and impressive flavors.

I got one off of Amazon from Fitzy Shop. I ended up getting the 8 ounce one which is smaller than I expected, it'll fill up a standard mug about half way. The brew stronger though, not as intense as espresso but sharper and smoother than a French Press. Definitely worth $5!

French press! Bodum sells a great one. Here is a good tutorial by a redditor from a few weeks ago.

I'm currently a fan of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's French Roast. I picked up a small bag at the grocery store, enjoyed it, then stumbled across the much larger bag at Costco.

It seems to be a hit with others, as well, as it's the only coffee I've made for people that they asked about what it was.

I've made it in both drip and french press. I'm still getting the hang of my french press, so the drip is more consistent, but both are good.

Thanks. Leaning towards this V60-02 setup. Seems like a good cheap option.

Having never done pourover, is it tough to do two cups at once? It seems I still need to maintain the same brewing time if doing multiple cups from what I've read.

I don't know if this would work in Brazil, but where I live I frequently see french presses in thrift shops. I think people get them as gifts and don't know how to use them or something. I've always had good luck with the basic bodum french press. Or if you want to get fancier, the bodum chambord is the same but looks a little nicer. I've had some no name ones too but there's really no difference in taste

How do you brew it?

I use heavy cream and artificial sweeteners, but I started brewing my coffee with an aeropress and have found the coffee tastes much better and I need less add-ins. I'm hoping to slowly wean off the sweetener.

I use the solid wall sterling pro. It holds the heat a bit better for the second cup. Like the double screen. Had a bodum before, which worked well.

http://www.amazon.com/SterlingPro-Double-Stainless-French-Coffee/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1452101756&sr=8-7&keywords=french+press

I use my Hario pourover to make Japanese iced coffee.

54g of coffee, 283g (10 oz.) of ice in the bottom, pour 566g of water (20 oz.) over it. The coffee will be perfect concentration at just slightly cool. You can add a couple more cubes of ice and drink right away or toss it in the fridge and let it cool some more.

This one has been great for me for a few years. It is easy to remove the screen for cleaning, and can be found most anywhere for $20-ish.

You're comparing something that uses cloth filters (Drip pot) and paper filters(Chemex). What is better is entirely up to you, but cloth filters typically allow more oils through than paper filters.

Other person already confirmed, the V60 and Chemex are more easy to compare. I know you said you don't like the look of it aesthetically, but maybe the decanter would be more up your alley.

No a french press is different. Creates coffee with a little more body to it. Easy to use and clean. Basically just dump ground coffee in it, pour in hot water, wait a couple minutes and you have coffee. You can find them at pretty much any store.

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Coffee-34-Ounce/dp/B000KEM4TQ

here's one on amazon

This one is a little enormous, but I have it and love it
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-8-Cup-34-Ounce-Coffee/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=pd_sim_k_1

Get an Aeropress on Amazon (Aeropress Link). Look up how to use on youtube. Get a sampler from Drift Away Coffee to determine what you like.

Enjoy!

I got this press at Target on black friday for like $15 last year. It's great. I think they make smaller models which run a tad cheaper.

Bodum 1308-16 Columbia 8-Cup Stainless-Steel Thermal Press Pot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005YY9X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_z2WVrAn4iJiLh

I’ve had this one for years now and really happy with it. After breaking two glass French press’ I went looking like you did. Would never go back or give up my Bodum. It also keeps coffee hot

If you get the chance you need to give an aeropress a try. Very different flavor profile, and you get your fix quickly. I absolutely love mine.

Two small touches of luxury I own and appreciate are my French Press and Coffee Grinder. Being able to buy a bag of whole coffee beans from a local roaster and give them a proper grind and brew is a great way to star my mornings.

I use a Baratza Encore Grinder - a often recommended grinder from /r/Coffee and they can be found refurbished from the manufacturer themselves occasionally if the price is a tad much.

As far as the French Press itself - I use this one. Doesn't look too fancy, but its insulated well enough that I don't have to rush drinking my coffee before it gets too cold.

I bought a gorgeous polished stainless Frieling french press, but I still use my bodums, because it's just too classy for everyday use.

I'm in Alaska, so close! A good reusable coffee filter depends on what kind of brewing process you have, If you have a classic drip coffee pot then Just find the kind that matches the filter size you use. If you have a pour over style then something like this or this might be a better option

It's been 3 hours, so I assume you've gotten your coffee fix for today.

For tomorrow, get yourself a French Press and an Electric Kettle. The two together will run you about the same as a medium-quality drip coffee maker. Chances are you can even get them locally at a Walmart / Target for cheap.

• Put water in electric kettle
  
• Turn on electric kettle
  
• Put coffee grounds in French press
  
• When water boils, put water in French press
  
• Set a timer for 4 minutes (I use my microwave's built-in timer)
  
• After 4 minutes, push down the top of the French press
  
• Pour coffee into cup, add cream/sugar/Irish whiskey if applicable
  
• Enjoy

If you want to get in on the ground floor, so the speak, start with a [french press] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ADS5FO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aeh3xb6XXSXTYand) and/or [pour over] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YA7OUK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Xhh3xbR6CNMZ4), and a [grinder] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_njh3xb7MY9XAP).

Those are all very entry level versions, there is better everything avaliable of course, but you would barely break $50 for all this stuff and have plenty of opportunity to learn and upgrade as you go!

What you may be referring to is a moka pot and some of the most common ones are from Bialetti. It isn't exactly espresso however.

If a french press is what you're looking for, I would recommend one from Bodum. The one I have is this one and I am very pleased with it.

Don't get a glass one, they break easily and lose heat way too quickly. Bodum and Frieling both make insulated (double wall) stainless steel presses. I've only used the Frieling but it is of much higher quality than the glass Bodum I used to own, cannot be broken, and makes better coffee due to the prolonged higher brewing temperature.

Frieling

Bodum

I recall only paying about $60 for my 32oz Frieling. Maybe they are available for cheaper elsewhere.

Here's one on amazon.
Highly recommend getting one of these or trying out pour over or french press coffee! infinitely better than pods, imo.

Pour over is the way to go. A phin filter is like $10, and it's definitely the easiest way to get excellent coffee every time. I keep a french press around just in case I need to make more than one cup of coffee, but I rarely use it.

Simple enough. A french press and any ol' electric kettle from Amazon should do just fine. I'd get this french press. You can also get a Hario mini mill grinder if you're willing to hand grind your own coffee. Follow this guide to brew coffee in it. You can make 32oz of coffee in 4-5 minutes.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N1UWJAW/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These are pretty badass.

bodum french press is cheap and goodc

($10). hario hand grinder is relatively cheap and good ($40). glass tea kettle to boil water ($10). $60 total for nice tasting coffee. i did this setup for 2 years or so, no problems, but you'll use a little muscle grinding.

https://www.amazon.com/Medelco-12-Cup-Stovetop-Whistling-Kettle/dp/B000V5X826/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248291&sr=1-3&keywords=glass+tea+kettle

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248316&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+coffee+grinder

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-BRAZIL-Coffee-Maker-French/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248377&sr=1-1&keywords=french+press+bodum

I personally like V60 + their 600ml carafe - its very versatile ( v60 on single glass, aero press on that carafe etc).
There is also all in one option, kind of like chemex: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Drip-Coffee-Decanter-700ml/dp/B00755F9Z4

Fellow stag has a nice pour over kit (single glass?): https://www.amazon.com/Pour-Over-Brewing-Dripper-Tasting-filters/dp/B0764XLSLS

I use a the three cup version of this Bodum and haven't had any problems. One thing I noticed is that when I switched to buying whole beans and using a burr grinder it really cut back on the grit. Also decanting instead of just pouring helps too. In the end what's french press coffee without the last sip giving you a little surprise.

I've had this one ( http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-Polished-Stainless-French-42-Ounce/dp/B00009ADDS ) for about 6 years and it's been wonderful. I also have a glass Bodum that I haven't broken in 4 years.

Still my go to setup as well.

Porlex Hand Grinder:
https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Jp-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2/

AeroPress
https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-80R11-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS/

Goose Neck Kettle (allows you to do pour over as well):
https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Digital-Variable-Temperature-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40/

I got the Bodum Brazil 8-Cup (34-Ounce) Coffee Press https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_s7r5tb0RRF4D5

As for beans, I would recommend making a post in your city's subreddit and/or google it to find a nice coffee shop that roasts. That's what I did although I've currently shipped in some sttumptown (which I highly reccomend) since I have some connections out west.

Bodum makes a damn fine coffee, but maybe you need an all metal one eh? $25 to get you something a little less Fra-jee-lay Secura Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker 18/10 Bonus Stainless Steel Screen (1000ML) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JE36GLQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_49WvCbA4JTH5S

Three excellent options:

1
2
3

I'll probably end up getting #3 one day soon.

I burned through at least one glass Bodum a year for several years, 6 years ago we got this on sale for $55, still looks and functions perfectly and we never have to baby it.

KONA French Press Coffee Maker 8 Cup (1 liter, 34 oz) Glass Tea Pot, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FMJDJ5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_AoKmzb4CCVPY5

I have bought several and this has been by far the best I have used for under $30-$40.

You can get the plastic V60 from a regular source for close to the same price if you look around, so I wouldn't buy one from aliexpress. For a similar price, you could actually get the V60 Drip Decanter (http://amzn.com/B00755F9Z4) for ~$20 and it's a complete V60 and decanter set. It's what I use and I love it.

There is a great Bodum 12 oz French press that I use to make single cups of coffee (about 10 oz water, 2 or 2 1/2 tbsp of coffee)

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-BRAZIL-Coffee-Maker-French/dp/B00008WU9F

I would go with a standard Bodum french press:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=twister_B004NBYAF8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Simple, cheap, works great, and they sell it everywhere (Target, ect.)

Something like this-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KEM4TQ
And this-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000AR7SY
Would probably be great for you, based on what you said, and stays in your budget.
You'll probably want to expand eventually, but this is a great starting point.

Hario Paperless Coffee Dripper Black Stainless Steel Filter CFOD-02
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Paperless-Dripper-Stainless-CFOD-02/dp/B0040VIN18

You might try this. I have every laborious method at my disposal at home. This one is not perfect but it's quick and it does do a nice job. Also, I haven't had any trouble cleaning the mesh. I guess the only test is that I have yet to see how durable it will be.

Hario makes a good steel filter. http://www.amazon.com/HARIO-Stainless-Steel-Coffee-Maker/dp/B0040VIN18
This one seems to be the finest mesh http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017FA7RRG?psc=1

Honestly, there won't be too much of a difference between one and the next. Whatever differences exist are negligible to the taste of the cup. It's more about the other factors in your brew, like the grinder, source of beans, and water temperature and mineral makeup. (Now, I could be totally wrong, I've really only read about how steel compares with paper)

Way off topic, but this is well worth the extra $6.

I had a similar problem at one point. You might not be so eager to fix this problem that you buy a new French press but a few months ago I got a stainless steel one (insulated) and it made all the difference.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JE36GLQ/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488200987&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

It's sometimes still too hot to drink after 4 minutes of steeping and blending. Added benefit of not being so fragile. I've broken my last 3 that were made of glass. This thing is super sturdy.

If you're looking for other options, Hario offers a V60 dripper / decanter for a bit less. That's what I use and I like it. You'll have to get some Hario number 2 filters as well.

i'll play. go get an aeropress, it's like a french press on HGH.

http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-80R08-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso/dp/B000GXZ2GS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292487778&sr=8-1

Aeropress. Benefits:

Incredibly good tasting coffee

Cheap ($25)

Fast and no cleaning required

Portable (does not require electricity, just almost-boiling water)
Can make lattes/mochas! Produces coffee concentrate which is tempered with water or milk

Downsides:

Uses more coffee

Only makes 1-2 servings at a time

I went with the Hario for 1/2 the price instead and have been satisfied with it, but I'm coming from a press pot background. I prefer the body and oils the metal mesh filters leave. Also I don't mind a little silt in the bottom of the cup. And honestly I bought this for travel use after a long stint on the road in November with terrible hotel coffee so it hasn't seen much wear yet. Just a few test cups around the holidays at the in-laws house.

Not OP, but we've been using this one for about a year, and it still looks good as new:

French Press Double-Wall Stainless Steel

I alternate between this guy and my moka pot. Depends really on how much I'm looking to make.

Not trying to start a debate with you but... French press, aeropress, chemex, etc. Less than 30 pounds to make amazing coffee.

If your work requires you to come home late, it should pay for you to grab a take-away on the way back home. If someone can sit down for 3 courses with wine then they have time to fix something themselves and shouldn't be able to claim.

Coffee making equipment shouldn't be over £20. I use this every day and it's the best coffee I drink: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aerobie-AeroPress-80R08-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS

Milk frother...that's beyond the pale.

Honesty, buy a grinder and grind your own. Takes less than 30 seconds (per time, up to you if you grind each time or not; we do) and grinders are cheap. Beans are not that expensive either.

While I'm at it, get an aeropress.

It's a small 3-cup Bodum french press. Perfect for storing in my desk at work.

I've had success making espresso vodka with my Aeropress just following the instructions with vodka instead of water.

Welp, let's try a different route then :) I submit the french press. It's glass, but it's minimal and usually recommended by coffee connoisseur. You can also use it for brewing tea (although don't use the same one for coffee and tea because oils are left behind from brewing). Just don't drop it and it'll last a life time.

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-1548-01US-1-liter-34-Ounce-Coffeemaker/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320065663&sr=8-1

First they came for the Percolators, and I did not speak out because I used a French Press.

Seriously though, get one of these. So awesome.

I have this one from Bodum.

It's cheap, sturdy, and the retaining vessel is made of glass (I like this better than the more durable stainless steel). Over about two years of use, the integrity of the filter has not diminished at all, and I get no grounds finding their way into the cup.

Can't really go wrong imho.

Make pour-over instead of Keurig if you want easy. This is probably the cheapest, practical way to make single serving coffee.

Just use this:
http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425489055&sr=8-1&keywords=pour+over+cone

or this:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Paperless-Dripper-Stainless-CFOD-02/dp/B0040VIN18/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1425489055&sr=8-8&keywords=pour+over+cone

Aeropress also makes coffee that's not bitter. Helps to start with a light roast too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Coffee-Tea-Espresso/Aerobie-AeroPress-80R11-Maker/B000GXZ2GS

And for bonus points it's both cheap and portable.

Then you'll need one of these Vietnamese Coffee Filter.

They can be tricky to get just right, but there are a plethora of good videos on youtube on how to properly use ithem.

I've had success with a Tea Stick while travelling. You can also use a 12oz French Press for tea in a pinch. The hardest part is TSA flagging your tea when they check your bags. Gunpowder green tea makes them freak.

This All-in-one Travel Tea Mug looks promising.

I guess if you had a hammer and some time you could break this one. Best French Press I’ve ever owned.

Secura Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker 18/10 Bonus Stainless Steel Screen (1000ML) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JE36GLQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mTRTAb84THSMS

I bought this french press by Frieling. I'm sure some of the smaller models would be of the same construction. Let me tell you I don't think this thing is going anywhere. Entirely made of stainless steel, the walls are very well insulated, so coffee stays hot for about 3-4 hours if you want to make more than one cup at a time. It's very easy to clean.

As far as Buy It For life is concerned, you can tell that it is of quality construction. No glass or plastic to break anywhere. There is no give in any of the parts.

Also, this question has been asked a few times before, but I guess not in BIFL with the only request being a French Press. Search for French Press in Goodvalue and Buyitforlife and you'll get some more opinions.