(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best coffee, tea & espresso

Wooooo okay! Here's 1-20, and I will give the bonus ones a go in just a few minutes! fear cuts deeper than swords

1.) Something that is grey. How about a knife set?!

2.) Something reminiscent of rain. Cinema Paradiso! The cover of it is two people in the rain :) (Movies wishlist)

3.) Something food related that is unusual. This Manatea infuser is unusual! (Default wishlist)

4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) I have a pet wishlist and a wishlist for my best friend! This traveling litter box is the perfect combination--it's so I can take my kitty on trips to my best friend's place! (Kitty wishlist)

5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! Why have just one book when you could have 3000?! This little usb is loaded with over 3000 classic novels. Yes, almost all of these novels are free on Project Gutenberg, but having them all in one spot ready for you to peruse is amazing. You're almost guaranteed to find a book worth reading that you haven't read yet! (Books wishlist)

6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Well, not a physical item, but I have an mp3! (Music wishlist)

7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) Kitty nail caps! I have a sphynx, so I have to clip her nails roughly every week (otherwise when she scratches herself, she cuts herself up D:). Nail caps are a cute and more hassle-free way of dealing with her claws! (Kitty wishlist)

8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. This one is pretty tough for me, actually--I love purposeful items! However, I already have a cheese grater, so this hedgehog shaped one isn't actually something I NEED--it's just so cool!! (Default wishlist)

9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Life is Beautiful. It's a sweet, touching, and heartbreaking story of a Jewish father trying to keep the joy in life in a concentration camp. It's laugh-out-loud funny, and so sad you'll cry. Definitely worth watching. (Movies wishlist)

10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. Packaged, high-cal foods will be really helpful! You have to keep your energy up while you're on the run, and you need a portable snack! These cookies are sure to give you the extra boost you need to escape the zombies. (Default wishlist)

11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. Hmmm this is a toss-up for me. I need a laptop for life. I have a little chromebook, but when I need to update my resumes and write cover letters, I need to go to the library to use an actual computer to make sure the formatting is right. A laptop would help with the job hunt and (hopefully) help land me a job! (Expensive things wishlist) My other goal, to become healthier, would be helped by wrist weights to wear during my runs! No, it's not a huge amount of weight, but it will make my runs that much more difficult and help tone my arms! It's a small change with a big impact :) (Default wishlist)

12.) One of those pesky Add-On items. Oh gosh, take your pick. Cat snuggie (kitty wishlist), sriracha (who doesn't love hot sauce?! Under $6 wishlist), a pumice stone (Under $6 wishlist), or a kitty laser toy! (kitty wishlist)

13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? A $500 keyboard. I love playing piano, but I'm a young and flighty thing--I fully expect to be moving around a lot for the next 5-10 years, and I can neither afford an actual piano, nor can I imagine transporting one in and out of various apartments. This keyboard will give me the chance to practice and enjoy playing, but it's a much more compact and liveable way of doing so. (Expensive things wishlist)

14.) Something bigger than a bread box. A relatively cheap and yet still nice vacuum cleaner! Nice, easy to use, and practical :) (Expensive things)

15.) Something smaller than a golf ball. A storm trooper USB! Cute and practical! (Default wishlist)

16.) Something that smells wonderful. Lavender chamomile bubble bath! I don't know about you, but few things smell more relaxing to me than lavender and chamomile, so a combo bubble bath just sounds like bliss to me. (Default wishlist)

17.) A (SFW) toy. Here's a whole bag of toys! And less than $10 too! My kitty would have a field day with all those toys :) (Kitty wishlist!)

18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school. A lunch box! I always brought my lunch to school, so every year I got a cool new lunch box for that year :) These ones are super cute, and insulated! (Default wishlist)

19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. I've had a life-long Disney obsession! (Movies wishlist) My whole bathroom is Mickey themed (default wishlist), and I'm always looking for cool new Disney items to add to my wishlist! I seriously love Disney.

20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. You too can own the Sword of Gryffindor! (Expensive things wishlist) Not only do you get to wield the weapon that destroyed three pieces of Voldemort's soul, it's also pretty practical! It's a letter opener that you can proudly display resting in the hands of a lion :) (Expensive things wishlist)

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

Fear cuts deeper than swords

OOH I LOVE SCAVENGER HUNTS. Placeholder. I'm working on this. Goodbye sunday night productivity.

EDIT Aug 11, 11:44pm PST

1.) something that is gray.

2.) Something reminiscent of rain. It rains so much in my city and on those days I like to have my tea and soup and all the yummy hot homecooked food at school in the library while I study. I already have a great thermos for my tea and hot cocoa but not for my soups/food.

3.) Something food related that is unusual. I don't know if this is necessarily food related but WOOOO TEA. MANA-TEA. Seriously this is awesome.

4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. A wii for my mom because she has been wanting a wii or ipad for a long time. My bro and i think the wii would be better because at least we could all play it together when we go home to visit.

5.) I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's the book I just finished reading and I feel like it has helped me a lot. I am so much more motivated and driven and it is helping me make some tough choices in my life. I am a senior in college but this book can help anyone who is at any place in their life I think. I currently have this on my wishlist which is like a supplement to the book. Seriously though, read it, share it with everyone you know. Let's make the world a happier place.

6.) An item that is less than a dollar. Awww yeee. They always seem to have one of these on the coffee table at my brother's house. Wherever he lives. Even though it's never his. But yeah, they're cool but I don't actually want one.

7.) Something related to cats. THIS IS SO AWESOME. I have another mug with the disappearing thing on my wishlist too. But yeah, I love cats, I just don't have much cat stuff on my wishlist. I do need a real cat though... hint hint nudge nudge

EDIT Aug 12, 12:15am PST

8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Okay it's not Amazon but it is beautiful and I have had my eye on it for a year. Despite that fact that I do not plan on having children for at least 8 years. Dem hormones are a'ragin.

9.) I know it's not REALLY a movie but... A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Because it is so beautiful and awe inspiring. It really brings me a sense of peace every time I watch it.

10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. I can put on my holy strainer hat and pray to The Flying Spaghetti Monster to save me from the zombies.

11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. I know I used this for another one but really, I think doing these exercises would help me in all areas of life.

12.) One of those pesky Add-On items. These beauties, even though I doubt I can grow them without a yard...

13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? My little acer hand me down freezes a lot, can't do multiple things at once, doesn't have a cd drive, has a screen too tiny to edit photos or edit my website. Basically everything is frustrating. And I'm a college student. So I use the computer for basically everything... and everything the little laptop CAN do takes forever.

EDIT Aug 12, 1:51am PST

14.) Something bigger than a bread box. If you don't think that is big enough, then here, but it's newly added.

15.) Something smaller than a golf ball. Well, I'm pretty sure this is smaller than a golf ball. If it wasn't, I'd be disappointed.

16.) Something that smells wonderful. Mmm imagine the ginger lemon grass!

17.) A (SFW) toy. And here's another one because I couldn't decide which one looks more fun...

18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.

19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Currently obsessed with learning all kinds of new jewelry techniques! Also obsessed with tea because it's the one thing my boyfriend and I developed an interest in together. It didn't start out as either of our interests.

20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. THIS IS SO PRETTY AND USEFUL AT THE SAME TIME. Seriously so cute, has lovely details, 8gb, and you can wear it as a pendant. Whaaaat!

EDIT: this lovely is made in oregon!

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...

Well my other post is getting downvoted to oblivion for some reason so here's the main post from that thread:

As I mentioned in my previous post (here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/214lbh/im_thinking_about_selling_my_extraunneeded_coffee/ ), I've recently upgraded both my kettle and my scale and since both are still in really good condition, I thought I'd offer them for sale at a decent price here on r/coffee.

I'd prefer they go to someone who wouldn't be able to afford purchasing these items new as a way to give back to the r/coffee community who have helped me so much on my coffee journey over the last few years. Obviously I have no way to verify so I'm going on the honor system here but if you're just looking for a good deal and trying to be frugal, please don't attempt to buy these from me. These are both great products and well worth their price new if you can afford them.

With that said, here's detail on the two items I'm selling:

Bonavita 1.0L Electric Kettle

• Just under 2 years old - Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005YR0GDA
  
• I paid $49.74 but it is currently listed at $59.99 - Asking $30
  
  
  American Weigh Scales AMW-SC-2KG Digital Pocket Scale
  
  
• Less than 3 months old - Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RF3XJ2
  
• I paid $27.67 but it's currently listed at $16.99 - Asking $10
  
  Shipping within the US = $5 per item
  
  
  Some additional information:
  
  Photos: http://imgur.com/a/2mIRB
  
  Videos of both items showing that they are both in working order:
  
  
• AWS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQvyJqH65d8
  
• Bonavita - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc-vKMv-ZrQ (please note the thermometer is not included)
  
  Notes:
  
  
• The AWS scale includes the original box and all the items originally shipped with it. Does not include batteries (I use rechargeables, sorry) but it does have the AC plug which can be used in place of batteries.
  
  
• The Bonavita scale does NOT include the original box or paperwork but does include an aftermarket silicone flow reducer (this can be easily removed if not wanted). It includes all the original hardware. There is some light scale in the bottom of the kettle (see photo above) but I've only ever used filtered water in the kettle so it shouldn't pose any issues.
  
  
• Both items are in excellent working order and I have had no problems with either. With that said, caveat emptor! The kettle is 2 years old and I have no idea what their life expectancy is. Only guarantee is that items are as described and will be in working order upon arrival.
  
  
• I replaced both items only because I found really good deals on upgrades to a Bonavita Variable Temp Kettle and a Bonavita Scale (both thanks to r/coffee!) otherwise I'd still happily be using these myself.
  
  Sale Info:
  
  Sale to be completed through Paypal and payment must be made before the items ship. As to picking the "winning" recipient(s); if you are interested in either/both of these items, please PM me which items you're interested in and what country you live in (commenting in this thread won't count). I'll use a RNG to pick both "winners" by the end of the week and update the post accordingly. If for any reason that person can't take possession of the item, I'll RNG another person. Hopefully that sounds fair to everyone. :)
  
  I've tried to answer all the questions I could think that you'd want to ask but if I missed anything please let me know and I'll answer as best I can. Thanks!

YES. A million times yes. This little $10 coffee warmer is life-changing. Seriously.

It's not powerful enough to take a mug of cold coffee and heat it through, but it's excellent at keeping a hot cup of coffee hot all day. The best part is, normally the last little bit of coffee is the coldest so you either have to quickly power through the bottom third of your cup of coffee, or throw it out after a few sips if you don't drink it quickly, but with the mug warmer it actually gets hotter as you reach the bottom of the mug. You finish on a good note instead of a bad one.

P.S. It's super efficient if you have the right coffee mug. The mug I'm using in the photo is a match made in heaven for that particular coffee warmer. The base of that particular mug is wider than most coffee mugs and fits the warmer perfectly. Also the mug is a little bit thinner and flatter than most so it conducts the heat from the warmer really well. And finally, having a lid just makes it much better at trapping heat in the liquid. Unfortunately I have absolutely no idea where the mug is from. All I know is it's from Shenzhen China. It was given to me as a gift and just happens to be perfect for my mug warmer that I bought separately. I wouldn't scour the earth looking for the perfect coffee mug, but if you happen to have a mug that has a nice wide base and a lid it's more efficient. I've definitely used a "normal" mug plenty of times though and it works fine.

Amazon link

It all depends on what your husband likes. The vast majority of coffee drinkers love Keurig machines as they're super easy, quick, single serve, no mess, and there are unlimited options of different K-Cups.

If he likes regular coffee or flavored coffee, get him a Keurig machine like this K55 on Amazon or check out the Best Selling Single Serve Brewers. Keurig machines are quick, easy, and no mess. I use mine every day. Yes, I have other machines for fancy drinks but the Keurig is the best for regular, every day coffee, especially when I'm busy. I prefer iced coffee so I have a Keurig that makes hot or cold coffee, but most machines are hot only. There are thousands of different kinds of K-Cups out there and some that serve beverages other than coffee like hot cocoa, chocolate milk, cider, all different kinds of teas, and I think I even saw some lemonade or some type of lemon drink. If your husband likes mocha Frappuccinos, he would probably like Starbucks mocha latte K-Cups and Gevalia mocha latte K-Cups. Keurig works well for all different types of preferences.

If he likes lattes, espresso, mocha, or other flavored coffee-based drinks, check out the NesCafe line of Nespresso and line of Dolce Gusto machines like the Dolce Gusto Genio. The Dolce Gusto line is much simpler than the Nepresso machines and has more flavored drinks. If your husband likes mocha, you could get these. I have the Genio along with my Keurig and a few other coffee machines. The Dolce Gusto machines are great but they are more for fancy drinks, not regular coffee. I should also add the cups for Dolce Gusto machines are far more expensive per serving than K-Cups, there are far less flavors/options versus K-Cups, and they don't sell them in stores so you have to buy them online.

If he already has a Keurig or wants something a bit fancier, get him a French press like these on Amazon.

If he likes cold/iced coffee, you could get him a cold brewer like this.

Remember, whenever you buy anything on Amazon, always use the Amazon Smile link and select a charity to donate to. To learn more abour Amazon Smile, click here or go here to learn how to change your charity. I personally use the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism as my charity and it's worth checking out.

I like a good hand-crank one. My Porlex Mini is ceramic burr and perfectly fits 26g of beans so it's ideal for me and getting the one shot. I bought it for camping but now I use it daily because it's actually a pretty great feeling to grind it yourself. Been using it every day for almost a year with only good things to say about it. It was $50 on Amazon, plus shipping. There's also a larger variety.

As for electric ones, I think you'll be looking at one in the $100-150 range like the Baratza Encore to get something that will be consistent as well as not wear out in a year like many other grinders do after the first few hundred uses.There are better versions of the Baratza that are good enough to be used in small Cafes that may better suit your needs. Do some searches in r/Coffee and there's probably some good choices there. I found for my use (Moka pot/Aeropress) that my hand crank works best and that I don't need a big grinder. The few sub $100 that I have owned never lasted longer than a year, and were inconsistent and eventually simply unable to work at all due to the lower quality grinders cutting the beans rather than truly grinding them.

I will also put in my +1 for Caffe Fantastico beans. The Ethiopia Kaffa Forest beans are wonderful.

Grocery stores I'd say

• Kicking Horse
  
• Level Ground
  
• Saltspring Island

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!

The Wave is good. Other easy methods for beginners would be the Aeropress or the French Press.

More importantly I would find a local roaster from which to get fresh beans. Quality beans will be a huge difference in flavor for you regardless of brewing method (though drip maker is still not recommended over other methods mentioned). I know you said you are frugal, as am I, but I found myself drinking LESS coffee when I was spending more on quality not because it was more expensive but because the flavor was so much more intense and fulfilling. I savored it more and instead of drinking 1200mL of store bought drip I was enjoying 700mL of Chemex (similar pour over method) tremendously more.

If you are anything like me you will take your time to build your equipment and slowly buy more. I enjoyed doing it this way because I could move as my tastes evolved. As you mentioned, investing in a good burr grinder should probably be the most important thing. I think my Baratza Encore is worth its weight in gold. After that I slowly added more brewing methods and this Hario scale. The weighing of your water and coffee is so much simpler when it comes to make a consistently great cup of coffee.

I know this is a long reply and a list of stuff but it is three years worth of accumulation, mostly thanks to Amazon gift cards at Christmas time! Most importantly, just enjoy yourself and your coffee! If you like a method others don't or don't like weighing things then don't. Your taste is yours, enjoy it.

I'm starting to realize from a lot of these ratios that some tastes are very different! I'm sure that a "recommended" ratio is out there but an ideal ratio is what tastes best to you.

As you've noticed, you definitely need to increase your steep time, especially if you're using the fridge.

I've tried many methods but the one I've been using for a while now is the following (just a suggestion if you're into that sort of thing):

1. Purchased a cereal keeper, a dispenser, and a CoffeeSock.
   
   
2. I grind up what equates to 12-13 ounces based on 3, "18 cup" grind cycles in my burr grinder at a coarse setting (weighed multiple times to make sure). Most ground coffee comes in 12 oz in the supermarket so it's convenient if you're doing a bigger batch.
   
3. Add this to the cereal keeper and add water up to the first line. It's probably close to 1.25 gallons.
   
4. Let sit for 24 hours at room temp. I'll generally grind + start the steep when I get home from work and then filter the next day at the same time.
   
5. Drain from the cereal keeper into my dispenser through the CoffeeSock. I hang the coffee sock from a cabinet handle and slowly put it through. It produces a very clean product.
   
6. Store in the fridge and drink it all week! My girlfriend and I will drill through one batch in a week easy.
   
   I was very skeptical about the CoffeeSock's ability to filter properly as I was using Chemex filters before this which obviously filters well. I spoke to CoffeeSock about this and they said "you will pass some fine silt only" and they were correct, much to my surprise.
   
   The french press definitely had some fine grinds coming out of it, as did most of the popular products I've tried. Some people don't mind this but I did. :)
   
   The product tastes fantastic, in my opinion, and comparable to the concentration of many shops I've purchased cold brew from. Just play around and at some point you'll settle on the method that works for you.
   
   Happy brewing!

I got the Breville Infuser and Smart Grinder Pro from Amazon a couple of weeks ago. I love them. By no means am I an expert, but I enjoy the shots I pull just as much as from coffee shops using La Marzoccos. Yes the beans, barista, and placebo all play into that, but it still pulls a great shot and is pretty affordable. You could even go cheaper and get the Duo Temp Pro which could functionally be the same as the Infuser and is $100 cheaper so you could spend it on cups, knockbox, distributor but the infuser would still put you under budget. I went with the infuser because you can adjust the temperature and you can pull manually or preset volume, which allows you to eliminate that variable for a consistent shot and you can see how your tamp/grind are as the program pulls 60mL (2oz) no matter what and so you can gauge what you need to do to dial that volume in for the proper extraction time. Downside is that if you want a naked portafilter then you gotta DIY or buy one from Aus for like $150, but I don’t think it’s a huge deal and if you do then maybe that’s where your extra budget could go. The pressure gauge is also nice although it won’t really tell you what you don’t already know from extraction time.

I can’t say this is the best machine for the price (although Seattle Coffee Gear did so take that as you will) but I can highly recommend it. I would get it over the Barista Express as the extra $50 for a dedicated grinder is totally worth it as it is more versatile and I’ve heard it’s a better grinder than the built in one. I also recommend it over the Gaggia. Although it does not have the modabilitiy of the Classic, it has most of the features that people mod the Gaggia for already, plus it uses a traditional steam arm instead of a panarello like the Gaggia, and has stainless steel lined thermocoil instead of aluminum thermoblock.

Overall would definitely recommend going separate grinder and machine no matter what.

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!

You are absolutely correct that coffee shouldn't be bitter. Generally, he shouldn't buy French roast, but anything in the light or even medium roast range should not be noticeably bitter. If it's too strong, he should just change the water to coffee ratio until it works for him. A good cup of coffee should be mellow and somewhat sweet even without cream and sugar.

Obviously everything tastes better if you add fat and a sweetener of some sort, though. I like heavy cream and ez-sweets, but before Keto I just drank it straight and was perfectly happy.

Cold brew is delicious, but expensive to brew in sufficient quantities to replace a 2-3 cup a day coffee habit, since you have to use something like 1:3 water/coffee. If you drink 24oz of coffee a day, that's a 12oz bag of beans every day and a half.

A lot of people like Aeropress, I find it cumbersome. Same with Chemex. I would ignore these, unless you want to deep dive into coffee purism.

Last year I switched from a french press to a Hario dripper and I'm very happy with it. I would say the quality is slightly preferable to me, though they're in the same ballpark. The process is slightly easier, and the cleanup is trivial (since you have a paper filter). A Hario is like $9, 100 filters are like $5.

Honestly, the easiest way to start is probably an Aeropress and a decent kettle. Get a gooseneck early, then you won't have to buy a second kettle later if you decide to start playing with pour-overs. If you want to make boiling water a little more passive, get an electric one. I have this one and it works like a charm.

Another cheap starter option for brewing is the V60 and its various clones. The original is plastic, but this one is ceramic and only $20. It takes some practice to get pour-overs just right, but it's worth it. And for $20, it's not a bad way to give it a shot or just to have in your collection.

Grinders are a whole discussion. I have a Baratza Encore that I really like. It's easy to maintain and Baratza's support was pretty good to me when I needed them. If you want to go a little cheaper, you might consider a Skerton or Mini Mill.

For beans, have fun. There are a ton of places to get decent beans, and part of the fun is finding new places. There are a number of redditors that roast and will probably sell beans to you if you like. (Including me!) I would suggest some, but I actually skipped this part and went straight to roasting.

EDIT: Oh, and good luck. You're opening a door to a rabbit hole, now.

Thank you for such an awesome contest.
Interesting fact:i had scarlett fever at 32 weeks pregnant. I didnt even know it still existed and thought nothing of the rash until an elderly lady came in and told me i needed to go to the hospital then left. Had to give son meds to prepare for early birth and he was born 2 weeks later. I am still so thankful for her to come into my store that day. ♡♡♡♡

spoil me! - i would love to have a cold brew coffee maker. Currently just have a regular coffee maker but my favorite is cold coffee and this would make my life easier. But really would love anything from my wishlist. As moms we tend to overlook our self and so little indulgences like this are very special to my heart. So thank you again for this contest.
Link to cold brew carafe:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFLY64U/

Link to wishlist:

http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3BUWGJB03IFE1
Good luck everyone and merry christmas!!!

When buying new gear like this, I often find it worthwhile to buy the good stuff from the beginning. It'll cost more upfront, but in the long run you save money by not sinking it into gear that you're just going to upgrade away from. I know you're looking for a starter kit, so I'll outline some entry level stuff and then some recommended upgrades.

For a burr grinder, a decent entry level manual grinder is the Hario Skerton. One complaint with this is inconsistent coarse grind size, which is what you'll be using with a French Press. Orphan Espresso makes an upgrade kit that fixes this problem, but personally I feel that if you're going to spend $40 on the Skerton and $15 on the upgrade kit, you should just spend a few more bucks and get something like the Capresso Infinity. This grinder is going to be way more convenient, versatile, and consistent than the hand grinder. For one last option, there's the Baratza Encore. This is probably the best grinder you'd want for French Press, because anything better / more expensive would just be overkill as they're primarily aimed at espresso.

The Press itself isn't too important. Bodum is usually the recommended brand.

You'll also need a way to heat water. You could go with a stovetop kettle, but I think electric kettles are more convenient, and are roughly the same price anyway. You can get a pretty standard one for less than $25. But getting a gooseneck kettle is going to help control your pour better and ensure the coffee grounds are completely saturated. If you don't want to worry about getting the perfect temperature for brewing, a variable temperature kettle will take care of it for you.

Other than that, you might want a kitchen scale to get the right coffee-to-water ratio, and a thermometer to check your water temperature.

Gooseneck kettle is a must for pour overs if that's what you see in your future! I have the Bonavita 1L electric kettle. Looking back, I would have invested in the more expensive version that lets you vary temperature, but I've had great results with mine regardless.

I started out with a v60, then a Chemex, then the Aeropress. Of the 3, I use the Chemex the most often; it gives the best quality brew with the highest quantity (37g @ ~600mL of water). It took me quite a while master the pour, but it was definitely worth it!

Hope this helps and good luck on your coffee journey!

EDIT: For grinders, I have the Hario skerton. It takes a while to grind the beans, but was marvelous for my budget at the time. Once I have the money though, I'm going for the Baratza Encore. It's cheaper than the Virtuoso, but an old roommate had the Encore and I LOVED having all my beans ground in such a short amount of time.

Just some food for thought!

The answer to your question is really dependent on budget. A quick perusal through the sub will show you that the Aeropress is a popular option because it is one of the least expensive ways to get a solid cup of coffee.

If you have some cash to part with, it might be worth looking at setting yourself up with a pourover setup - I'd probably suggest the v60. You would need the v60, the hario buono, and you'd probably want a scale to weigh coffee (there are a LOT of options, many cheaper than what I've linked). You would also need to get a reasonably good grinder - check out the sidebar for a list of grinders. Yes, it's a lot of capital to get started, but the coffee is fantastic and the equipment is very durable. This equipment, properly cared for, could potentially outlast you in many cases.

There's also the standard drip coffee maker, but from my experience if you go that route you ought to just invest in the cheapest one. The quality coffee from most drip machines is pretty similar. A better question is what grinder to get - that will improve your brew quality across all methods. Again, sidebar has great advice, but a really popular grinder here is the[ Baratza Encore] (http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459250167&sr=8-1&keywords=baratza+encore+coffee+grinder) which you can sometimes find on their refurb page for discounted prices.

No matter what you choose - good luck and happy caffienation

It sounds like you're busy, but willing to spend a little bit of time and money to feed your new addiction. This is a good place to start!

To consistently brew good strong coffee, follow these steps:

1. Buy fresh coffee. Good roasters will put the roast date on the bag. Look for bags roasted within 1-2 weeks.
   
2. If possible, purchase an electric burr grinder like the Baratza Encore or Bodum Bistro because fresh ground coffee is always going to taste better. If not, just ask the coffee shop to grind it for you.
   
3. Buy a coffee maker certified by the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) like the Bonavita or Wilfa. These machines make sure you'll get a consistent brew.
   
4. To make strong coffee, simply use more coffee per pot. The SCAA Golden Ratio is 55g of coffee (just over 3.5 tablespoons) for every liter of water. I would start with this ratio and adjust to your liking.
   
5. That's it! Enjoy

I'm not super informed about super automatics but from what I know generally about automatics is they are expensive and repairs could get costly. My friend has a Jura and he swears by it. Personally doesn't seem to me like he proper cleans it so the shots tasted too nasty. Well I guess that and he uses Starbucks beans from Costco. I have had an espresso from a Saeco and that was pretty good, smooth, fruity. I'll assume better beans (since they weren't burnt to hell) and it was a new machine (at the time). I had it months later and same beans but seems like people at the office didn't care to clean it.

Range. I would not expect an automatic to do drip coffee well. But why would you need to? Just make yourself an Americano. What does everyone actually drink at the office? If it is more towards drip then you could just get a better drip maker like the Hario or BonaVita

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009JWH5YE/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1506320219&sr=8-19&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hario+machine&dpPl=1&dpID=51mJZKoZUbL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00O9FO1HK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506320609&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=bonavita+coffee+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=41CK31RprXL&ref=plSrch

Super autos ... yeah I don't have any exact model suggestion minus someone should make sure to descale and make sure the machine is clean on a weekly basis. For beans, I would just go to a local coffee shop. Range usually $13-20 but not sure what your budget would be like. Plus, you haven't given us current info on the coffee situation at the office now ie. any general preferences (like for milky drinks), how many cups per day, etc.

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

My list for you:

• Baratza Encore grinder - this is a very capable grinder that will suit brew methods from French Press to Aeropress and Pourover. It won't work for Espresso however, although you're probably not going to be venturing that far just now. You'll want to grind your beans fresh for best results - if you buy your beans from Starbucks and have them ground there, they'll be very stale by the next day.
  
• Aeropress - honestly it's a weird contraption, but in the views of most people here, the best bit of kit for brewing coffee at home. It's a cross between a French Press and a paper filter machine, in that you immerse the coffee in water, and then plunge it through a paper filter to separate the grounds and the liquid. I think the reason people recommend the Aeropress to many is that it's basically fool-proof. As long as you're using good coffee, you can't really make a bad cup.
  
• Hario V60 - another brew device, this is a pourover, so very similar to drip coffee but you have far more control. You'll get best results using a gooseneck kettle, although if you have a normal kettle with a fine spout you might just about manage.
  
  I won't explain WHY these are really good kits for getting started with, you can just search on this sub and there will be hundreds of articles on that.
  
  And I should stress again, good beans are important. As a Starbucks Barista I am 100% coughing up to the fact that most of our coffee's are charcoal. Use them if you like them, but if you can get something better then you should really be doing so.

Coffee has a lot of interesting natural flavors, and you can easily and inexpensively step up your coffee game for even better coffee that has it's own nutty or caramel notes, that will be even tastier than Starbucks or Duncan Donuts. :)

• Brewing: There are a couple easy, inexpensive brewing options. I think the most universally favored for beginners and pro's alike is a weird device called an Aeropress. Another option is a pour-over coffee cone, like this Hario V6. Or what I use: a French Press. What I like about the French Press is that you can almost always find one at a thrift store or yard sale for like $2.
  
  
• Grinding: Coffee starts to get stale once it's ground. Ideally you can grind it before you make it. A quality inexpensive grinder is the Hario Skerton But here's what I do: I get my coffee ground in the store and put it in an air-tight container. I put 1 weeks worth in a separate bag.
  
  
• Grind size is important too, if you use a French Press you want "course" grind. Which you can get in pre-ground coffee.
  
  
• Water: use filtered water.
  
  
• The coffee itself: Starbucks heavily roasts their coffee, but would still be better quality than Dunkin Donuts. Entry-level good coffee can be had at Costco or Trader Joes. Even better coffee comes from 3rd wave coffee shops, or ordering online. Those are higher priced but you get what you pay for.
  
  Honestly though the great thing is you can pick ONE of these things and have better coffee, and each thing you do will improve your cup. And then you can go to /r/coffee and go down the rabbit hole of "the perfect cup". I'm kind of a coffee-snob poser: I get my beans from Trader Joe's and don't own a grinder. But what I get from my French Press is miles ahead of what I used to drink, it allowed me to cut out sugar or sweeteners.

AeroPress, for sure. Here is probably the cheapest setup you can do, and still get the best flavour/experience.

Aerobie AeroPress + Able DISK Fine - $40 (I strongly suggest the DISK Fine over paper filters, but the AeroPress does come with a bunch of filters.)

Pocket Scale - $7

Carafe - $7 (so you press straight into this, and measure yield, as most mugs will not fit on the scale; also great for serving two)

Hario Slim burr grinder - $34 (if you'd rather go electric, the Bodum Bistro burr is a great buy and can be had for $120 new or under $100 used/refurbished)

Bonavita Gooseneck kettle - $50 (You do not need a gooseneck for the AeroPress, but you do for any type of pour over, so why not?)

Good luck, and have fun! Give my video a gander to see how to prepare with the AeroPress. It is fun! Almost as fun as an espresso machine. Ha! Yeah, right! But definitely worth the small coin.

From America's Test Kitchen Season 14: Oatmeal Muffins and Granola

NOTE: I originally posted a slightly less detailed review of these coffee makers in March or April 2013 but they have been re-tested so I am posting this more detailed review, the old post has been deleted. The youtube video review is not the same as the (updated) one on the ATK website, but the Winning and Best Buy models are the same. ~OP

• Youtube Video Review
  
  
• Very Detailed Testing Notes with updated video review
  **
  
  WINNER
  Rated as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
  
  Technivorm Moccamaster 10-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe - $229.00
  
  > Certified by the SCAA, the updated version of our old favorite (the KBT 741, now also $299) meets time and temperature guidelines with utter consistency. As a result, it produces a “smooth,” “velvety” brew. It’s also intuitive to use. The carafe lost some heat after 2 hours but still kept the coffee above 150 degrees.
  
  
• Amazon link
  
  **
  
  BEST BUY
  Rated as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
  
  Bonavita 8-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe - $149.00
  
  > Simple to use and SCAA-certified, this brewer spends most of the cycle in the ideal temperature range. Its coffee had “bright,” “full” flavor that was a bit more “acidic” than the Technivorm’s. The widemouthed carafe is easy to clean, but there’s no brew-through lid; you must remove the brew basket and screw on a separate lid to keep coffee hot.
  
  
• Amazon link
  
  **
  
  Rated as RECOMMENDED:
  
  Bunn HT Phase Brew 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker - $139.99
  
  > This SCAA-certified pot heats the water completely before releasing it over the grounds. That explained its impressive temperature accuracy, though the coffee was somewhat “acidic.” (Note: Early versions of this model shorted out when home voltage fluctuated; Bunn states that it has solved this problem, and our machine worked fine.)
  
  
• Amazon link
  
  **
  
  Five others were NOT RECOMMENDED:
  
  
• Capresso MT600 PLUS 10-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe
  
• Bodum Bistro b. over Coffee Machine
  
• Breville YouBrew Drip Coffee Maker with Built-In Grinder
  
• Cuisinart Perfec Temp 12-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker
  
  --
  
  
• Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew Thermal Coffeemaker, 10 Cup
  
  > By prescribing far less than the SCAA-recommended amount of grounds, this machine brewed “dishwater.” Adding the right amount of coffee for a full pot caused the grounds to overflow the filter and gunk up the brew basket. Other design flaws: The basket’s side drawer must be pulled out completely to fill—annoying if your counter is crowded—and its reservoir acquired a musty smell we couldn’t eradicate.
  

Not only that but, despite this incredibly long and detailed explanation, making your coffee better is really easy. Any one of these changes will make an improvement. Do all of them and you might never bother going out for coffee again.

1. Use whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. A good grinder doesn't have to be expensive.
   
2. Get a good drip maker. Cheap ones don't always hit the right temperature. I've had this one for years, and it gives me a great pot of coffee even from grocery store beans.
   
3. Make sure you're using the correct amount of coffee. A coffee scoop is 2 tablespoons. Use one scoop per cup. If you like your coffee bold (like I do), use one slightly rounded scoop per cup, and if you're making more than 6 cups, toss in one more.
   
4. If your tap water tastes funky, so will the coffee you make with it. Run it through a brita filter or something first.
   
5. This sounds snobby but bear with me - buy your coffee from a local roaster. It's really not much more expensive. Dunkin Donuts wants $9/lb, my local roaster has some varieties for $10-11/lb. It will be fresher and taste better.
   
   For 1 and 2, I'll admit that buying $110 in equipment just for your coffee is a lot, but both the drip maker and the grinder will last you for years and years and will give you better coffee the whole time. If it saves you from buying just one cup of coffee per week, it pays itself off in a year.
   
   The others cost very little, and will make an improvement immediately.

Were you thinking of buying a filter coffee machine or an espresso machine?

If your GF is as knowledgable as you think, she will know that there isn't a viable option for espresso machines in that price range.

Good news, coffee machines (certified by the SCAA) are well within that price range!

My friend recently bought this guy:

http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1800TH-Coffee-Thermal-Carafe/dp/B005YQZNO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1380671500&sr=1-1&keywords=bonavita+coffee+maker

It's pretty nice and simple. Also, it is a thermal carafe so there is no heating plate destroying your coffee. If you want to go that route, that machine will be fantastic.

Other options: $200 could get you a pretty serious coffee subscription to some damn good roasters!

Check out: Intelligentsia
Counter Culture Coffee
Verve Coffee Roasters
SightGlass Coffee Roasters
Heart Coffee Roasters
Madcap Coffee Roasters
Handsome Coffee Roasters

All are very well known and produce consistently delicious coffee. ( I should say roast consistently high quality coffee). But really, if my SO got me a subscription to one of those roasters....lets just say I'd be a pretty happy fellow!

Hope that helps!!

Just get a bodum burr grinder for <$100 and a bonavita 5 or 8 cup maker: Amazon Link The 5-cup should be fine with your budget, the 8 cup might be pushing it.

My fiance went from keurig to a bonavita and is INCREDIBLY happy. She got the 5-cup and it's a tad small for two people, but it's a great little machine. She buys coffee pre-ground, but I use my "fancy" grinder when i make the coffee. It's super easy, low hassle, quick clean up, fast brew, and in my opinion, a genuinely great cup of coffee for the effort. The 5-cup is a bit small, but if you ever have even a second couple over and want post dinner coffee, it's great to be able to make a "pot" of coffee quick and easy without explaining the nuances of grind size to people you want to like you.

So I was in a similar position to you at one point.

I found someone on a reddit community I frequented who sold me his Baratza Preciso for $100. It’s basically a retired version of the Virtuoso with micro adjustments on top of the regular macro. It’s served me very well. I had a friend who I got into coffee who just picked up an Encore and he’s delighted with it. For the bang for the buck it’s hard to go wrong with Baratza really in the sub $200 range. Especially considering you can find their refurbs which are updated (on Thursdays I think?) regularly and can get an encore for sub $100.

I find the Chemex to be far more forgiving than a V60. Some people say it’s expensive ($35ish) but considering you can get away with not using a gooseneck it’s cheaper in the long run in my opinion. If you don’t use a gooseneck with a V60, you’re going to have a bad time. V60s are finicky until you get a good feel for them. Don’t get me wrong, they can make a fantastic cup, but you have to put in the work. You can also look at the Kalita Wave which I think you can find the 185 on amazon for like $25 instead of $45 which is typical. It also takes funky filters that are hard to find (similar to v60).

As others have said the body is going to naturally be a little softer and more nuanced with a chemex. If you like big juicy Kenyans like me that may not be your preference, whereas if you like more floral, delicate Ethiopians then you’re golden. As time has gone on I’ve learned to appreciate my chemex more. It’s easy to dial in and brew correctly. Very forgiving of pour and what not and the body issue (less oils from the thicker filter) is more or less non-existent now that I have a little more developed palate (although I’m far from a connoisseur or q-grade taster).

Also a scale is super important if you aren’t using one. It’s ridiculous how easy it is to think you’re measuring correctly and you are totally off without a scale.

TL;DR Buy an encore or virtuoso and a chemex if you don’t have a gooseneck. Maybe a Kalita Wave if body is a huge deal for you. Get the V60 if you’re obsessive compulsive and want to really nerd out and probably brew shittily extracted coffee until you get it down. Any extra money invest in a good kettle and SCALE.

Cheap ass Shopping List:

• refurb encore $99
  
• chemex 6 cup $35
  
• chemex filters $8 amazon lists them for twice the normal price everywhere else FYI
  
• super reliable, cheap ass, beater scale $26
  Total: $168
  
  For shits and giggles: plain bonavita gooseneck $29 and variable temp version $69 (you want this one if you go this route)

It looks like you are set on a grinder. Virtuoso and Encore are both great. It's up to you if the Virtuoso is worth the additional expense.

The Fellow Stagg Kettle looks sexy, but honestly the basic Bonavita gooseneck kettle is a workhorse and a great value. If you want a little more temperature control then you can go with the variable temp Bonavita gooseneck kettle. I have the basic Bonavita gooseneck kettle and honestly it does exactly what I need it to and I haven't missed having a temp control.

I recommend a stainless steel insulated french press, like this one from VonShef. It keeps the water temp from dropping during the brew process and it won't break like the glass body french press.

Good luck!!

So tired today. Stayed up late with Mr Tea doing our own little Christmas thing. I didn't expect anything for Christmas because of our income situation but he surprised me with some big gifts that he's been purchasing throughout the year and hiding at a friend's house. I got 4 new Le Crueset pans that I'd been lusting after, a Starbucks gift card (cause I'm a total addict), a DSW gift card (also a shoe addict), this hilariously adorable little guy, and a Sur la Table gift card. Little did Mr Tea know... I'd been doing the same thing and he had presents waiting for him that I'd bought months ago too. Lol! We're both thrifty but of course we like nice things so we pick things up on sale, with coupons, and any way we can maximize a discount we can find. We did the same thing for Tiny Tea (Clearance octonauts bath toys and $0.50 Lego duplo sets FTW!!)

Though this is a hard time for us, I'm truly fortunate and very grateful.

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.

I'm sorry your week hasn't been going very well. Hopefully it will start getting better soon!

I'm going bowling and having beers with some friends tonight, which should be pretty fun. Then on Friday my friends are throwing me an early birthday party while two friends are in from out of town, so I'm really looking forward to that!

This adorable manatee tea infuser makes me smile and definitely comes in handy with drinking yummy tea.

Oh and catdog!

The cheapest reasonable set up for roommates who all drink lots of coffee would be something like this:

​

• An SCAA-certified machine (which mostly just means it gets the water hot enough), like this Bonavita 8-Cup machine ($100). That's about as cheap as you'll get for a larger SCAA-certified machine.
  
• A burr grinder. If you want good coffee, you have to grind your beans fresh; there's no way around that. The most popular recommendation, with good reason, is the Baratza Encore, but this OXO grinder ($80) should be fine for your needs and is about $50 less.
  
  ​
  
  That puts you at 180 for your grinder and machine, which isn't bad.
  
  ​
  
  For beans, Happy Mug is as cheap as you'll get for super freshly-roasted. Based on what you're saying you'd probably be just fine with a blend. Order two or three different ones and figure out what you like! $9 per 12 oz bag. The beans are nearly always roasted the same day they ship.
  
  ​
  
  It sounds like you aren't interested in taking on coffee as a "hobby" and instead just are looking for a better cup. Something like I recommended would be the cheapest and least "enthusiast" route to drinking much, MUCH better coffee than you are now.

I have a Hario Mini Mill which I like and it gets the job done, but I'm really looking for something electric. If you're doing french press, it doesnt take much time to grind beans but if you're doing anything finer than that it probably takes me 5 minutes to grind 45-50g of beans which just isn't what I wanna do right after I wake up. I've heard good things about the Hario Skerton as well.

For electric grinders, I've heard that the Baratza Encore is the best bang for your buck. Also, I would get an adjustable temperature kettle (people perfer goosenecks but I just have a regular one) and a kitchen scale! The scale is super useful for cooking in general and I think they're good to have, especially for coffee.

Also, I have a Chemex and love it. I don't think I could live without it.

Dépends on your budget and how badly you want good grinds. Of course, a burr grinder is an absolute necessity in making coffee. See which of these questions apply to you:

> I like to slow down and enjoy the process, spending a few minutes of continuous hand grinding is a joy in the morning! However, I’m a student and my budget is $30.

The Hario Skerton with a couple modifications. Get this to decrease burr wobble and put a 1/4 inch split lock washer under the top nib.

> I like to slow down and enjoy the process, spending a few minutes of continuous hand grinding is a joy in the morning! I’m ok with spending up to $300 to get that perfect cup every morning.

Any of:

• helor 101
  
  
• kinum47
  
  
• lido3
  
  
• commandante C40
  
  
• knock feld2
  
  > yeah, fuck that I’d rather press a button and get good consistent ground coffee in 12s or less,
  
  Get the Baratza encore and replace the burrs with a set from the virtuoso.
  
  
  
  

This is not a straightforward answer. Sorry.
It really depends on what you want to get out of the cup:

• Do you want a full body? Kalita wave is more temperature stable than other brewers because the wavy filter keeps the coffee away from the brewer. The flat base allows more even extraction.
  
  
• Do you want a really clean cup where you can taste all of the subtle notes? The Hario V60 is a Classic, brews a clean balanced cup. It has a thinner filter and is great for fruity floral coffees.
  
  
• Do you want a clean cup for more people? Chemex has a thicker filter and brews a really clean cup. It also makes it easy to brew for multiple people at once.
  
  
• Do you want the ability to do immersion and pour over? The Clever is really easy to use and is more forgiving than the other methods. You don't necessarily need a gooseneck kettle.
  
  I personally use a V60. The others are all fantastic, you really can't go wrong.

Mine's going pretty well. I've been making an effort to move into vegetarianism and trying to cook more/have more excellent food. I made a fantastic curried chickpea dish for dinner last night and packed the leftovers for lunch today. I always feel better when I pack my lunch instead of eating the crap overpriced food around work. Tonight I'm going to bake chocolate chip zucchini bread muffins.

I found a cold brew coffee carafe on Amazon a while back for $25 that I love link here. It's seriously so nice to wake up to delicious iced coffee in the summer, and it's already paid for itself if you think in terms of Starbucks $.

A TMI bonus to eating a lot of healthy food, veggies, and strong coffee? Best number 2's of my life. So regular, and so happy.

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!

This is not the exact one I ordered as Amazon no longer has the one I bought listed. However this is close enough. The filter is smaller but honestly sometimes I think my coffee is REALLY strong and I wish the filter was smaller. I do wonder if I'm going through beans unnecessary quickly in exchange for super effective coffee. So there's that.

The one I purchased came with an extra filter and was only $16. I see nice looking ones for $30 but like... Why? I dunno. You leave coffee soaking in the fridge. Does the container make a difference if you're achieving a good extraction? Maybe someone will tell me.

As always, filtered water. Really notice a difference in my cold brew with sink water. Not happy.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I7JKAQ0/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1510139098&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=cold+brew+coffee+pitcher&dpPl=1&dpID=41TaCy70X-L&ref=plSrch

I do cold brew for my weekend coffee, and it's wonderful. Less acidic, smooth, and rich. I use a Hario 1000ml pot and use a coffee mill to medium grind my beans (~100g). Espresso blends are a good place to start, flavor-wise. Slowly pour filtered cold water over your grounds. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Discard the grounds and enjoy.

My typical cold toddy is:

• 3/4 C cold brew coffee
  
• 1/4 C cold water
  
• 2 Tb half & half
  
• 1-2 Tb simple syrup
  
  Simple syrup is crucial if you want sweetness. Even castor sugar doesn't dissolve enough. Simple syrup is... Simple. Bring equal parts (by weight) of water and sugar to a boil, stirring until fully dissolved. If you want flavors, just simmer for a while with either vanilla bean, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, honey, lavender, or whatever. Cool and then store. You can even do fancy stuff like buy caramel or chocolate sauces.
  
  Good luck!
  
  Edit: The Hario pot is about $20,and a coffee mill can be had for $20-40. Get some Mason jars or spring-top jars from Goodwill/SA. Get good beans and make your own syrups. Cheap investment for the best coffee you've ever had.
  
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001VPXEBU?cache=4ea5976e2c9e936ae8b097d6c5d0065c&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1411452831&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1
  
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ?cache=4ea5976e2c9e936ae8b097d6c5d0065c&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1411453722&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Okay based on that I'm going to suggest a few things you could add to your wish list. I promise I won't be offended if you don't like them, but you might find something you're interested in. :)

Tea things:

First for cute tea things, I highly recommend the flowering tea pot I received it as an Arbitrary Day gift and it's awesome. The teas are delicious and most importantly, to me, the tea pot is sooo cute.

Mana Tea infuser a lot of people have this on their wish lists. I should add it to mine too.

Tea Sampler There are several samplers with different types of tea from this company and a bunch of others. You should look around for sure.

Hello Kitty Stuff:

Add on Hello Kitty alarm clock

This Hello Kitty toy It's adorable.

Mug

Ceramic travel mug

History related:

Hitler Youth This looks like it would be a fascinating read.

The Roads of the Roma: A PEN Anthology of Gypsy Writers

Gypsies Under the Swastika

The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II


Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II

You say "coffee" and not espresso, so luckily that means you can spend more money on the grinder! Bang-for-your-coffee-loving-buck, the Virtuoso is one that's often recommended. It's good enough to make espresso grinds with, if you ever decide to do that. On the less pricy side, the Encore gets a lot of recommendations. Lower end electric, but still perfectly functional for coffee, are the bodum bistro and the capresso infinity. Check Craig's List for used of any of these.

For manual grinders, the Lido 3 is the higher end, then the Porlex and Hario Skerton are common.

Non-electric devices to check out are french press, aeropress, chemex and other pour overs (v60, kalita, melitta), and moka pots. Also wondering if you're interested in "cold brew" coffee.

Devices for automatic drip are varied. The devices on this page are certified to get the water hot enough for proper extraction, but may be overkill for some folks.

To me, the most important parts for coffee are fresh beans, reliable grinder, good tasting hot water, CLEAN coffee making devices, digital scale, and taking notes. The particular method I'm using isn't as important in the long term. If you pay attention to the above, a $2 melitta dripper and the melitta filters you can buy in nearly any grocery store will give you tasty results once you get the grind size and water temps down. Just look at pictures and videos of people demonstrating devices on a site like Stumptown, maybe, or youtube, and ask yourself what coffee-making process looks like something you'd want to do every morning and how much coffee you need to make at once. If you're just making one cup of coffee for yourself, you might buy something different than if you need to make 10 cups at once.

For full disclosure, my current most frequent coffee-making methods for myself are pour over and my Moccamaster.

Cool! Burr grinder is just as important as the machine in terms of espresso making. If you are going for small form and good value, check out the Saeco Aroma and the Gaggia Classic. I recently went through the entry level machine research phase and the overwhelming consensus was that these are the two best value entry-level machines. I ended up going with the Gaggia Classic (I found it used for $270 shipped) and am super happy with it. It doesn't take up a ton of counter space. It seems that the Saeco Aroma is significantly more compact though, if you look at the dimensions.

Good luck and congrats on the wedding!

>I thought about a pour over, but I don't really know what I'm getting myself into

Honestly, not that much. It's pretty straight forward. A Chemex produces a fantastic cup, and would only really require you get a gooseneck kettle. Ditto if you go the v60 route. Bonavita has a couple, either temperature controlled or not. Other wise Hario kettle would also work.

Regardless, take a look here at Brew Methods. It has summaries on a variety of brew methods, from chemex to other. May give you some ideas.

>I don't want to spend a ton of money,

Depends on what "a ton of money" is to you, but:

• you may want to consider a new grinder, it will allow for expanding what you can do with the coffee. Potentially too much money, but a refurb Baratza might be worth saving for. Especially the Maestro/Virtuoso if you aren't doing espresso.
  
• a scale to weight coffee and water to nail down variables
  
• a gooseneck kettle for pourovers
  
  > would a chemex be a better investment?
  
  Yes, imho. Buy a cheap gram scale, a gooseneck kettle, and a chemex/v60. You'll be very pleased with the results.

The bad news is that with such a budget it's impossible to make espresso. The good one is that espresso is not the only way to make good tasting coffee!

So if you like lattes, my suggestion is to go to with a moka pot (like the classic bialetti: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CF3Q6/) - it won't make real espresso but rather a quite strong, sirupy brew that can work as a substitute for it in a latte.
Then, to froth the milk, get one of these (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001ZN48Y/) frothers, which can make a very good foam that approaches the one made with good steamers (although is dryier and the milk will possibly be not as sweet). Then I'd suggest to get the hario mini mill burr grinder (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B2O5VS8/) because using freshly roasted coffe ground right before usage with a burr grinder is arguably the most important factor that impacts on making good coffee, and this is true for any brew methods. For a little more than 80$ you can buy all this equipment brand new and go make good and tasty fake lattes, and for each of these things there is a wealth of resources on the internet on how to best use them.

Seattle Coffee Gear are just an operation aimed at shifting lots of machines. I wouldn't necessarily trust their advice (or at least I wouldn't rely on it wholly given that their main aim is to get you to buy, not necessarily buy the right thing). The grinder is not really espresso suitable, and to suggest it "matches" the machine it is embedded in is slightly disingenuous of them.

$600 is not a bad budget for setting yourself up. Buying used would get you a very decent set up for that money (check my recent post history for a link to a long ramble on how to do that). But if you are buying new, I'd look seriously at my grinder first (its the most important bit of your set up) and aim for something like this as a grinder - the Lelit P53 is a really decent entry level espresso grinder and currently exceptionally priced http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Lelit-PL53-Fred-Espresso-Coffee-Grinder-doserless-stepless-12p1979.htm An alternative might be the Baratza Preciso, which sells as a refurb on the Baratza site for around $249 when they have stock in. Baratza have a reputation for excellent customer service, so you can buy refurb from them with a lot of confidence.

That would leave $350-370 for a machine, which would get you this http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Classic-Espresso-Stainless/dp/B0001KOA4Q/ and leave you some spare change for some coffee beans. Or you could buy the original Classic model for a few $$ more which some coffee geeks seem to rate slightly more than the 2015 model - there are some here http://www.amazon.com/GAGGIA-CLASSIC-ESPRESSO-COFFEE-MACHINE/dp/B0000C72XS

The Classic is a...classic. Its a massively known and understood machine, with a huge user community able to advise and help on its quirks and foibles. Its capable of being hacked and modded to improve its performance, and even unpacked is a pretty decent bit of kit to start out and learn on.

Having said ALL of that, if what you want to do is to make caramel lattes, espresso quality and upgradeability may not be your primary concern, as milk and sugar mask espresso pretty well, which may mean that - in fact the Barista Express is indeed the best option out there for you :-)

Budget the grinder first. Since you're OK with used, I recommend the Coffeegeek Buy/Sell/Trade forum. The Silvia is a very nice machine, but I think the price has gotten a little high. I've tasted and enjoyed the output of a Le'lit PL041, which is a very similar machine. I can't speak to its durability, though. I owned a Gaggia Classic for a long time and it was a great machine. It was modified with a PID controller for better temperature control.

I think either of those is a better deal than a Silvia and leaves more budget for a grinder, which is far more important than the machine. All the machines at this price point are a little finicky; a great grinder will make a much bigger difference than any of the differences between the individual machines.

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!

I'm sorry! That sucks, my family never really celebrated holidays and stuff so I feel your pain. I can honestly say my parents never got me a birthday present that was wrapped. My mom swears they did birthday parties for me when I was a little kid like younger than 6 but I don't remember and there's no photos.

Do...do you like art? Like things I could draw? You can see some of my art on my submission page I did a contest called mediocre art contest, and linked examples of my work. I would absolutely love to make you a drawing on small painting. I'm working on one for the second winner of that contest then have to make another for another person then I would be free. I'm trying to get in with the other RAoA artists! But anyway you hit me up if you dig my style! I'd love to make you something special.

Heh heh this guy

French Press is how I started down the rabbit hole. But coffee is ritual with that I take great pride and joy in making an excellent cup of coffee. I purchase coffee from Counter Culture Coffee and they ship me 2 x 12oz bags every month. I freeze one while working my way through the first bag, I defrost the second bag from the freezer in the refrigerator 48 hours ahead of time then move to storage.

Now I own:

Baratza Encore Grinder which I purchased refurbished from Baratza Link

Chemex link A really beautiful pour over, looks great in your kitchen.

Kalita Wave Link IMHO the best pour over money can buy.

Aeropress link My ride along for any trip and work.

Hario Gooseneck Kettle for Precision Pouring link

Storage; I own two different types This and This

A cheap electric kettle, A kitchen scale, and all my mugs.
I have a Bakers Rack in my kitchen that most of these are displayed. When I make a cold brew after the brew process I store it in a glass milk carton from a Straus Family Milk purchase. (I think the deposit is $3?)

Not all of this is necessary but I love my coffee and I am not afraid to show it. I say for every beginner you owe it to yourself to at least purchase an aeropress, it makes fantastic coffee thats almost foolproof.

My best tips:

Fresh beans + fresh grind + good water = great coffee pretty much regardless of your brewing method.

The 4 ways you can increase the quality of your coffee is to focus on improving these things: beans, grind, water, brewing method.

This is my set-up:

Beans: I get whole beans sent to me in the mail every two weeks from Moustache Coffee Club. This ensures I always have fresh beans on hand.

Grind: I use this Porlex hand grinder and really like it. I used to use this Hario hand grinder, which was cheaper. I haven't yet splurged for an electric grinder. Maybe some day.

Water: I use a kitchen thermometer to make sure my water is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the optimal range for brewing. I also use this Bonavita kettle for heating the water.

Brewing method: I started off using a Melitta pour-over cone. I've since moved to the AeroPress. I also have a French press. The AeroPress is what I use almost exclusively. I also have a kitchen scale to measure out the water and beans. I use a 16:1 ratio of water to beans. For the AeroPress, 16g of beans and 256g of water fits perfectly. When I measure the water, I aim for between 256 and 260g. I'm not so obsessive that I make sure it's exactly 256 every time.

This sounds like a lot (and there's more, but this is a good start), but I built up to this over a period of a few years. Take your time. Keep learning and exploring and have fun.

I know you're looking for something under $500, but if you could save a little more, this would be an a great espresso machine to get. The steam wand would be stronger, which would allow you to get micro foam for latte art. Also, it has a decent grinder for espresso, which is SUPER important. You don't just want a "decent grinder", you need a grinder that will grind good for espresso.

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1524237611&sr=1-2&keywords=brewville

I like dark roasts, and prefer African coffee beans if I get a choice in it, they have a nice deep and spicy flavor. I get them as whole roasted beans from a coffee shop in town, which roasts them fresh every couple of days. If you are looking to get into it, you can just search for coffee roasters in your area, and if there really aren't any I'd look for roasters who sell single origin beans online. In a pinch, Starbuck's single origin beans are good too, just really expensive for what they are.

I use a hand mill grinder, a gooseneck kettle, and a Chemex coffee maker and filters. It sounds like a lot, but all that together is still cheaper than a decent drip machine. You grind the beans with the grinder (I use 3 heaping tbps of grounds), bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute (letting it come down just a little in temp keeps the coffee from being acidic, the gooseneck also helps with that). Pour a little on the grounds in the filter, and let it sit for about 30 seconds wet to bloom. Then pour the rest and just let it drip through.

The chemex makes the smoothest, best tasting coffee I've ever had, and I've tried quite a few different methods. If you like it stronger, a french press might be better for you.

Stuff:

Chemex Coffee Maker

Filters

Hand Mill Grinder

Goose Neck Kettle

I don't know anything about that grinder, but it is a burr grinder, so it's should be half-decent.

I'd say upgrade his brewing machine and buy him some really good beans. A $50 Mr. Coffee very likely doesn't even get the water up to a proper brewing temperature. This Bonavita would be a great step up.

Then there's tons of great coffee you could buy, whether a few single bags or a subscription. Blue Bottle is extremely well known and respected, but a little searching on this board will get you many other good recommendations also.

The general consensus here seems to be to aim for a Gaggia machine as the absolute minimum. Preferably a Gaggia Classic (~$388).

I've heard people recommend the lower priced Gaggia New Baby (~$300) to try out espresso and to help decide whether "to get a real espresso machine".

A step up from that, the recommendation seems to be the Crossland CC1, but that's in the $600+ range.

To save some money, you might do better finding a used machine or see if they're on sale at different sites.

If you want to go cheaper than that, people have recommended the MyPressi ($170), but I have not seen that in stock anywhere recently. There's some buzz regarding the MiniPresso (Preorder at $39), but that won't be out until 2015. So there won't be any reviews regarding it for a while.

As for grinder, if you're looking for cheap, you might have to make do with a hand grinder, either Hario Skerton (~$35) or Mini (~$26) or Porlex (~$43). The cheapest acceptable electric grinder seems to be the Baratza Preciso at $300.

This is the information I've gathered anyway. I don't have any personal experience with an espresso machine, but I hope this helps. If you decide to go with something, post your experience and help some people out.

Personally, I'm thinking of saving up for the CC1 and Vario (~$1000) combo...

You've got a few options. But first, you need to figure out if you like specifically iced americanos or if you're just looking for some really good iced coffee.

If you're just looking for really good iced coffee, I'd buy a Toddy. I know, it doesn't do espresso, but you can brew large batches of concentrated coffee and water it down and add ice and you've got some really great iced coffee. It's worth a shot if all you're wanting to make are iced americanos.

There are also a ton of other ways to make iced coffee but I find the Toddy is my favorite.

If you really want specifically iced americanos, I'd look into a Breville machine. They are cheaply priced and can give you a ton of options if you ever want to try doing lattes and stuff at home. There are better machines but I'm not sure what your budget is. This one has a grinder and a steaming wand as well and it's only $600. It's a good machine for home use especially if you've got a tighter budget.

I've had an Encore for 2 years now and I love it.

There is a pretty good Bodum grinder that i've heard some great things about.

We stock Hario v60 grinders at work to sell retail, so i back those pretty hard as well!


Just take good care of your grinder, clean it regularly and it should last for years!

Within that price range, you're better off buying a Moka Pot, which is a stove top espresso maker. Not quite the same as "real" espresso, but its close enough and makes great drinks when you get the hang of it. Buy a cheap $5 handheld milk frother and you can make latte/cappuccino at home. You can buy all kinds of flavored syrups to use as well. Lots of possibilities. Cuban coffee is another great recipe but way too sweet for me.

If you don't plan on buying/grinding your own beans, Cafe Bustelo, illy and Lavazza are great brands to buy for Moka pot usage.

https://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-6-Cup-Stovetop-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0000CF3Q6?th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018TCWL8O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481683917&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=milk+frother&dpPl=1&dpID=31GALNyqVzL&ref=plSrch

If you need to use your own coffee, first you need to have a premium burr grinder, so that you will have the ability to produce nice creamy shots. To refill your Nespresso capsules, the grind size of the coffee is a super important factor to produce satisfactory results. The biggest change for third party refillable capsules is to maintain the pressure during the brewing. I will recommend you looking into those two products. Both of them will produce an exceptionally good shot if you control the coffee weight and the coffee grind size. Also, i provide you with a link for a good entry level grinder and capsule filling station. Hope that helps.

My-Cap oPack - 4 Capsules and 200 Non-Adhesive Foils for Nespresso OriginalLine Brewers (NOT for VertuoLine Brewers), Reusable, Refillable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8M941Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Wmn4Cb48E6BAF

Capsul'in MYCNCCB100 100 Piece Fillable Espresso Tea and Coffee Compatible Pod, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D36PQ9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Hon4Cb0MC0Y29

My-Cap Capsule Filler for Nespresso® OriginalLine Capsules (NOT for VertuoLine Capsules) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JJF313/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rpn4CbFDCR492

Breville BCG820BSSXL The Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Bean Grinder, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OXGXW8O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4pn4Cb1Z0PZ8T

$130 used. This is a technivorm, which gives you all of the ease of use of a drip coffee maker but without all of the issues present in a drip coffee maker. Basically the best you can go for here without completely wrecking your budget and everything it loves.

That said, you could convince her to use an easier method of coffee procurement like The Coffee Fool. It's not awfully expensive, they'll send it to you pre-ground if you're into it, and it's a shit-load better than you'll get at a supermarket unless your mother happens to live in Portland.

since its alot of grind/day ill suggest u stick with automatic burr grinders..

yes Baratza Encore $129 would be Good option as it does great job for non espresso grinding and its easy to switch

second option which i would PREFER for you is Breville SmartPro Grinder $176 RIGHTNOW since its in your range, grinders better coffee than Encore, Way easier to change grind size (i think of of the easiest machine to chg grind size), also it makes good grind for entry level espresso machine with pressurized portafilter so it will cover even that area even thou you dont need,,, and most importantly will all that you get a Timed grinding and really Beautiful looking appliance on your counter top.. and i think getting all that more for additional $47 aint a Bad deal..

i wont recommend bistro as it aint good grinder for frenchpress..

The bonavita gooseneck variable.... again (sorry :) )

I woudl say either use your basic kettle and a thermometer (cheap one like this Weber instant read) for minimal money or get the gooseneck variable.

The variability will be great for your aeropress and pourover is super cheap and fun to try (the plastic hario v60 02 is under $8) for which the gooseneck is key. No point spending $50 on the variable normal then spending another $100 later on the gooseneck. Likewise gooseneck metal kettles are also $50. The $100 one really is the best upgrade, better to save longer for it than buy an interim and end up spending more.

The Bonavita is also on massdrop a lot (bookmark this) as while it ended for now it comes up all the time.

I don't really understand your question: you want a hot cold brew? You want a cold brew but want it warmer than it currently is?

If you're looking for a solid cold brew, I have the 1000ml Hario Cold Brew pot and this recipe is golden:

Pour 108g of coffee into the filter then place the filter in the pot. Pour filtered water through this filter until it reaches about a quarter inch from the top. Let it sit for 12-18 hours in the fridge. Remove the filter and discard the coffee. You now have a good concentrated base for iced coffee.

I plop a square ice cube in a glass, pour the concentrate and filtered water into the glass at a ratio of 1:1. I drink mine black but if you add cream/milk/flavoring, then change up your water with a whatever mix you want. Add sugar in at the end. Since this is cold, I recommend syrups over crystal sugar as you may find the crystal sugar settling at the bottom.

Been doing this for a year and have settled on this recipe being my fav. Good luck!

We registered at Amazon for the selection and convenience. We could find just about anything on amazon, and could add anything else through the universal registry feature. Guests shipped most gifts to our home, which was great since we live across the country from where we were married. I'd heard the return policy was rough, but luckily we didn't have any duplicate purchases. Amazon's registry was perfect for our needs.

Some of the most-used items we received:

• VonShef mixing bowls.
  
  
• Narrow measuring spoons. These fit inside containers and are so much less messy.
  
  
• Glass tupperware set.
  
  
• Adjustable temperature water kettle. Our household is really into coffee and tea, and this has made all the difference.
  
  
• Coffee grinder. Our total splurge of a grinder that was generously gifted by another coffee nerd.
  
  
• Griddle pan. Perfect for grilled cheese, pancakes, etc.
  
  
• The Harry Potter box set. We put this on there to break up the typical household list and were so excited for a nice hardcover set!
  
  
• Cast iron dutch oven/skillet combo.

omfg candroth hai i dont know you but congrats on the house hope you get it!! Hope you're all stocked up on cleaning supplies and all that random stuff a house needs XD hug!

my coffe and tea get cold :(

Wholeheartedly agree with this suggestion! I bought this cold brew maker on Amazon for under $20 and use it religiously. It only makes a quart at a time, but you can dilute it 1:1 with water and it's still pretty strong. It's also not too large a profile, which is great if you share a fridge with roommates.

Only downside is that it takes a lot of coffee - 12-14 tbsp for one batch. However, this will be the case no matter where you get your cold brew from.

The food storage container/nut milk bag method is also a good way to make sun tea - for either coffee or tea, a glass half-gallon milk jug from Whole Foods does the trick perfectly.

I use an aeropress at work, but there's really only two fresh coffee drinkers at my office and the other gent uses a french press.

When I make coffee for friends or family in larger quantities at home, I have a Bonavita 1900ts It's extremely consistent and has a bloom feature as well. If the 5 of you are cool splitting the cost, that's a great option.

The 1800ts is a little less expensive, doesn't have a bloom feature or a thermal carafe. Still a great option.


Just my .2c.

You are definitely using too little coffee. Normal ratio is usually around 2 tbs per 8 oz of brewed coffee, or 6 oz if you like it on the stronger side. Coffee Ratio Chart

You generally want to shoot for a 3-4 minute extraction. If your filter cone is draining in less than two minutes, it's going to be under extracted. Adding more coffee will increase the water transit time, as will grinding finer. Start by increasing the coffee amount, and then time your brew and adjust the grind accordingly.

Here are a few other suggestions that will help you get the most out of your dripper:

Add a small amount of the water at the beginning of the brew, and let the coffee "bloom". Then give it a good stir to make a slurry, and then add the rest of your water. This will ensure the CO2 from the coffee doesn't prevent the water from reaching it, leaving much of the coffee under extracted.

If you are using a paper filter, always rinse it out with hot water before brewing. This will open up the paper a little, and wash out some of the "paper-filter" taste.

If you're having trouble getting into the 3-4 minute mark, try pouring the water over the filter slowly, and in small batches. Having a kettle with a goose-neck really helps with this.

Hope you can find some useful info in all of that. Happy brewing :)

To anyone looking to spend a few hundred on someone who enjoys food science or just fancy kitchen gadgets I own both of these and LOVE them:

Technivorm Moccamaster coffee maker. Silver color will drop to like $270 for BF likely. The best drip coffee money can buy. 5 year warranty but will likely last a lifetime. One of those "buy it for life" items. Spend $15 on a wifi outlet and it is also programmable/smart.

Breville Tea Maker. I found mine for $125 at Marshals last month, YMMV. Honestly worth full price though. Making tea becomes so easy and fun. I set it up before a shower and come out to perfectly brewed tea every time.

My favorite mug, by far, is this wide based behemoth. You can knock it around accidentally and it won't tip. Preheat the ceramic with hot water and it holds the temp very well (nice thick walls). Only downside is that it doesn't fit in a standard cup holder. For those times, I use the Contigo Autoseal cup/thermos/mug. The lid cools the coffee slightly and automatically seals, so great for commuting. Not great for the hand warming aspect you said she liked, but then no stainless steel mugs will measure up to a ceramic for this quality.

Just remember that if it's warming her hands, it is losing heat. The only way to make sure your coffee and hands are warmed is with thick ceramic or stone. The better it is one way (hands <-> coffee heat), the worse it will be in the other. Otherwise, you can get a cup warmer to try and keep the temp up. I have the one I linked there, and while you don't want to leave the cup on there 8 hours, it will extend the drinkable time from 20-30 minutes to 2-ish hours. The warmer will get hot enough that you can touch the surface, but won't want to leave you finger on it more than a few seconds (I think it is the perfect temp compromise between useful and dangerous). Lastly, there will be folks in this subreddit horrified by the prospect of heating coffee after the initial brew. Realistically, the flavor is unaffected for about 45-60 minutes, and after that there is a very, very slight difference. As someone that hates cold coffee, that minor difference is nothing like choking down room temperature brew... ick!

tl;dr - 1st mug for home use and hand warming, 2nd mug for travel. Consider a cup warmer if she really nurses every cup or is using a thinner ceramic mug.

Chemex, Bonavita kettle, skerton grinder, knock off scale

So you def pay a little bit for the Chemex aesthetic, but I think it makes a pretty smooth cup and is somewhat forgiving to beginners.

The skerton pro is an excellent hand grinder, when my electric broke I used the hand grinder every day for a semester and had absolutely no problem (I honestly enjoyed the process for a while).

The scale will feel like a knockoff because it is, I got a very similar one (but payed extra for a reseller to put a fancy label on it because I’m not the brightest) and while it works, you’ll def want to invest in something more if you catch the coffee bug

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/gp/aw/d/B074TB9L2D/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Classic-Pour-over-Glass-Coffeemaker/dp/B0000YWF5E?th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Manual-Grinder-Ceramic/dp/B01MXJI90S

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV382510V-Variable-Temperature-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40

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.

I might recommend this kettle, mostly just cause it's cheaper than the one you chose. The one you linked to will work well, I'm sure. If you're looking to splurge, this is the kettle I'd like the most, but I'm gonna get this kettle soon.

The pour is actually very important in making good tea, and most people don't realize that. Gooseneck kettles have a great, easily controllable pour. You might not notice it for a while, so that's why the first kettle is good for beginners.

I just got a french press as a gift. I decided I want to give grinding my own beans a try. When we moved into my house the old owners left behind [this cheap blade grinder] (https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Electric-Settings-IDS77/dp/B000BRLXUI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498241629&sr=8-2&keywords=mr.+coffee+grinder). I used it this morning and was not impressed. I'm not looking to spend a lot on a burr grinder.

My question is: For someone who is only going to be doing a coarse grind for a french press will this Mr. Coffee Burr Grinder be good enough? I know a lot of the aficionados will shoot it down (I've done enough googling and reddit searching to know that). However, I'm just a guy with a french press that wants a nice cup of coffee. A lot of the reviews I read focus on its struggles with a fine grind, but I don't need that right now. I just want something that will grind better than a blade and will help make a good cup of coffee (better than pre-ground in a drip for example). I know there are cheap mechanical options, but my problem with those is most only seem to hold one or two cups at a time. I'd rather be able to grind the full 4 cups my press can make at once.

EDIT: Or if someone has tips on to make better use of the blade grinder until I can save up for one of the ~$100 grinders people recommend.

https://imgur.com/a/Vom8lPv

This is what the current set up looks like. I have some saucers/cups from a great company out of Los Angeles NotNeutral. They're designed wonderful, it's been hard finding a consumer maker of more modern designed espresso cups and they've got some great design. After that is a Breville Barista Express. I'm pulling an espresso blend from a UK roaster called Redemption Roasters. Aside from the quality beans they have an amazing ethos and company vision, highly recommend all coffee lovers read up on what they do and how they do it.

Also pictured is the Behmor 1600 Roaster. I have been learning how to roast and the folks over at r/roasting have been an incredibly help. I am usually pulling single origins that I have roasted myself but I'm leaving for vacation soon and a friend was kind enough to gift me the Redemption beans!

My boyfriend bought this for me: http://www.amazon.com/The-Breville-One-Touch-Tea-Maker/dp/B003LNOPSG

I love loose leaf but I'm always running around. I didn't think I would benefit from a cast iron kettle or anything because I couldn't see myself devoting the time for it. So this has a programmable timer and a bunch of other really cool features. Every cup tastes amazing and it's super easy to take care of.

Like those before me, and many that will come after me, I use something akin to a nut milk bag to do the initial brew (purchased at a local beer brewing supply shop), then filter through paper filters to get the "fines" out. It isn't too painful, but I do go through a handful of paper filters to avoid the clogging that slows things down.

I'm also wondering how to make this process more efficient - I know there are one-stop solutions that companies make and sell, but I suppose I like getting my hands dirty, as it were, since it seems to add something to my enjoyment of the results. Relevant quote:

> "If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labor passes quickly, but the good endures; if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly, but the shame endures." — Gaius Musonius Rufus, Fragment 51

The former referring to making my own cold brew, the latter referring to buying from Starbucks. ;) HA!

Anyway, I'll probably keep doing it the way I am, because I'm a glutton for punishment or something. Buying one of those cold brew devices like I linked to would save time, but what would I do with that time? Get in some kind of trouble, no doubt. Best avoid that! ;)

If you'd rather have more automated things but still good quality, you could get:

Baratza Virtuoso ($259)

Bonavita 1900ts ($135)

And then you'd have ~$100 to spend on beans, filters, descaling powder (future maintenance), etc.

Some roasters:

• Novel (Dallas, free shipping)
  
  
• Cat & Cloud (Santa Cruz)
  
  
• Heart (Portland, OR)
  
  
• Coava (Portland, OR)
  
  
• Counter Culture (Durham, NC)
  
  And plenty more. There are even some roasters here on /r/coffee that you'll see promote their products in the weekly threads.
  
  As /u/ttls- said, espresso is a different beast. You could almost get started, but might want to double up on that budget if you don't want to buy used and have to hand grind.

To be honest you can't buy anything that makes real espresso for anywhere near that price. This is the cheapest machine I could recommend buying that is labeled as an espresso machine. I would look into an Aeropress, It makes a very strong espresso like coffee, as it uses some pressure. It's honestly your best option around that price. You can go the moka pot route which blabberingparrot mentioned; however, these are a little more difficult to use and require a stove. Another good option at the price point, but not espresso, is a Chemex, amazing way to make strong black coffee. French press as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

They're pretty safe to use, basically a stylized hot plate. For me it is not the ideal solution but honestly a good old Mr. Coffee warmer will do the trick.

My tips and tricks for mug warming

1. Preheat your ceramic - splash some hot water from your kettle into your cup or mug to warm it up
   
   
2. Thermal vessel - if you plan to bring the drink with you or otherwise won't be drinking right away, get something insulated. I use a Contigo Travel Mug for single servings
   
   
3. Splash in water - tea to cold? Put in a splash of boiling water from the kettle. It will warm everything up and not damage the tea
   
   But my biggest? Enjoy the tea as it cools and different flavors emerge or become obvious. If your mug is cooling to fast, prepare less tea in one go. Switch from a big old mug to a smaller cup.

Are you specifically looking for a pod machine? The total cost of ownership of them can be quite high and the end product does not justify the cost in most cases. Additionally, they are not meant to be maintained and are essentially "disposable".

I think the Lavazza one was targeted towards restaurants and so you might be able to take it apart and replace parts on it, but after reading some Amazon reviews, it appears the newer models are built as disposable machines. There may be a very good reason why the machine hadn't been used in five years.

Also, buying used means that you are buying someone else's problems unless you are intimately familiar with the machine's history.

It looks like you are looking for something simple to use and less than $1,000. You could could buy a Breville Barista Express brand new for $600.

My brother-in-law won't shut up about how great his is and those that own them appear to be quite taken with them. It's a super-auto so the grinder is built in.

It will get you by until you save up for a nice borderline professional machine and grinder.

Seconding the leafy greens to munch on - I do the same thing and find it helps alot w/ stamina.

I use this Moka Pot for a super simple cup of espresso in the morning. It's alot cheaper than buying from a coffee shop (especially if you roast your own beans) and super fast. Takes 3-4 minutes to heat up and you just put grounds in the top and water in the bottom and throw it on the stove.

https://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-6-Cup-Stovetop-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0000CF3Q6?th=1

Works great on the road too if you have a little camping stove (and a hand grinder!)

I don't know about you, but when in the office I like having something around that will make laugh, so I suggest this MANATEA Infuser it sure will be a source for some smiles!

As for me you don't have to worry cause I live in the middle east and shipping alone will be 10$ i think.. so focus on yourself and celebrate the awesomeness you've achieved! Seriously, 60 pounds and 3.95 GPA!

Looks & brains, you got it all gurrrl!

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

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

What a steal! I got mine for $250 and considered it a good deal.

1. Nice start with the descaling.
   
   
2. Now I'm going to tell you to spend money. I just outfitted a Silvia myself so everything linked should be available and compatible.
   
   

• You need a good grinder. I bought the Breville smart grinder pro because I couldn't afford anything nicer. It works well, but there is a large gap between grind settings (~6-7ml difference when brewing for 30s) and the grinds do come out a little clumped.
  
  
• Clean your machine. I bought a blind basked and Cafiza cleaning tablets which work well.
  
  
• a bottomless protafilter has helped me get my technique down.
  
  
• Get good fresh coffee to practice. You can't dial in with an old bag of supermarket coffee. Go to a coffee shop you like and get a shot and buy some beans. Then go home and dial in until your shot tastes like the one at the shop.
  
  
• Steaming milk with Mrs. Silvia takes some practice. Buy and extra gallon and practice. You will get the hang of it after a few tries.
  
  

3. what /u/tricross mentioned
   
   links to the things mentioned
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G40VNO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAAJRH1/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ24BH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXGXW8O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MY2EB10/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For me, fine grind and good beans made all the difference. As for espresso machine, I have been using older version of this machine for years. As for the grinder, I had to hack this Mr Coffee burr grinder to make it finer (a hack similar to this). If you don't want to mess with the machine, better to get a good grinder. As for the beans, I have tried a lot of things form Starbucks brand to 100% Kona coffee beans. So far, the best tasting ones were freshly roasted beans from a local coffee company (roasted 1-2 weeks before I purchase). If you have good fresh beans, finely ground, then I wouldn't worry about getting an expensive machine too much because they won't magically enhance the taste.

You absolutely need the following to enjoy coffee out of a chemex:

• Burr Grinder: I suggest, to start, the Hario Mill Grinder
  
  
• Gooseneck Kettle: I suggest the Bonavita Electric Kettle
  
  
• Scale: I suggest the AWS Pocket Scale
  
  
  The scale is the least necessary, but the other two are absolutely essential to make decent coffee out of the chemex.
  
  Once you have those, watch a couple demonstration videos and mess around to find what you like! Below is the video I watched when I first started using this method:
  
  
• Buddy Brew Chemex Tutorial
  
  Overall, it's a bit of an investment, but it's so worth it! The chemex is a great method, and I use it often! Good luck!

The Bonavita drip brewer ($140) is one of the very few SCAA certified home brewers out there. It will make excellent coffee.

A good cheap burr grinder is the Hario Mini Mill ($20). It's a hand grinder and that entails a bunch of extra effort and time, but it's a fraction of the cost of comparable electric burr grinders. If you want a decent electric grinder, a good place to start would be a refurbished Baratza Encore ($99).

The Encore + Bonavita combination will make really good coffee and won't really be much more work than a combo grinder/brewer. However these things are obviously expensive, probably more than anyone who isn't looking to get seriously into coffee should consider. Find what works best for you.

The best teapot for stoners is the Breville One-Touch Tea Maker, because you never have to worry about forgetting about your tea and over-brewing it. Just remembered you put on a pot 45 minutes later? No worries - it's been steeped for the ideal temperature and time for your particular type of tea, and is now in the kettle at the ideal serving temperature for your particular type of tea.

$250 seems like a steep investment (pun intended, haha), but I'd definitely pay $0.50 per pot ($0.10 per cup) for this kind of precision and insurance against bitter tea, and I've drank way more than 500 pots of tea from mine.

Green tea from this thing tastes way better than soda, even when it's unsweetened. And green tea has 0 calories unsweetened, and lots of things like L-theanine that enhance your cannabis high and make you happier and healthier in general. I highly recommend (pun, haha) this product to any ent.

Grinder is the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. Seriously do not skimp here. I'd almost maximize your $125 budget and get baratza encore. It doesn't seem like grind quality can make a difference but after experience better grind consistency I will ALWAYS recommend that.

Get the barazta encore for $100 (refurbished) - $130 shipped prime

THen save up for a bonavita kettle - http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-1-0L-Electric-Kettle-BV3825B/dp/B005YR0GDA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420866671&sr=8-2&keywords=bonavita+kettle

That one has been GREAT for me.


Any scale will work.

You need to have room in your budget for a grinder. That being said, that would put the Astra out of your preferred budget. But it does seem like an excellent machine for the price point (no experience here).

If you're wanting to do primarily milk drinks, and concerned about ease, the Brevillle Double Boiler is <$1,000 now. But that leaves no room for a decent grinder - the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is about all that would fit into your budget. A nice upgrade on grinder to a Baratza Sette 270 will set you back another $200.

If you need to save money, consider the Breville Infuser rather than the DB.

Lots of folk will encourage you to look at more commercial duty machines that have simpler maintenance, and in the long run they're correct. But if you only have what you have, that's a pretty good bang for your buck. The machine will probably not be as long-lasting as one of the E61 HX machines, but there's not many out there in your budget. There are a few, like the Lelit Mara but that one doesn't have a very long history like some of the more commonly-recommended machines (that are also more pricey).

You had french toast!

You should get this because tea is amazing and relaxing and wonderful!

And I would love this tea!

Thank you for the contest!

deputydawg

I bought this one and this one because I wasn't sure which I would like better and I figured I could use whichever one I liked best at the office and the other one at home.

I've only received the one from Mr. Coffee and I've been pretty happy with it although it's not terribly attractive. I actually really liked the look of the other one because it's glass and metal and has a lower profile but I was worried about not really being able to find any reviews on it. I used to work with someone who had and loved the Mr. Coffee one for years so I feel pretty confident about at least recommending that one.

Thanks for the advice! I noticed those hand-operated grinders, are they consistent, and can you control how fine the grind is? I know Hario is a good brand, but I was looking at something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004T6EJS0/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1574GEEZ1DWV7PH860SD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

Do you think this would be any good?

And yes, maybe I'll take some of it to the coffee shop to have them grind it.

As for coffee:water ratio, I'm still trying it out. There's a shop I went to that I liked a lot, and their ratio was 380/25. Not having a scale though, I'm just going with trial and error. The scoop I have is approx. 7g each scoop, so I'm just doing 3 of those, grinding it, and brewing it in a standard mug, which I fill to almost the top.

The more I'm looking into it though, the more I'm thinking it's gotta be the grind.

Oh my gosh the Ninja is terrible. Classic example of "tries to do everything, succeeds at nothing".

Breville machines are a pain in the butt to deal with repair-wise (it's like a cell phone, ship everything back to headquarters) but while they are working they have a lot of features for a pretty good price. Unfortunately still above your price range though. This is the Breville grinder-integrated unit (still requires the user to do manual tamp and portafilter extraction):

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES870XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B00CH9QWOU/

Super automatics aren't necessarily pricey-pricey, but obviously the nice ones are. However, even the cheaper ones (Saeco XSmall, Gaggia Brera) are unfortunately above your $300 limit. Whole Latte Love has a refurb XSmall super-automatic for $199:

https://www.wholelattelove.com/refurbished-saeco-x-small-v2-espresso-machine

So that grinds, makes espresso, but the frothing isn't automatic, so they'd have to get their own milk pitcher in there.

the V60 is perfectly fine, some may suggest the Chemex, others Kalita, just pick one and stick to it. i personally recommend a V60 clear plastic server for several reasons:

1. it's cheaper
   
2. it won't break when you drop it (to some extent)
   
3. it retains less heat
   
4. the clearness helps you see if you have grounds stuck to the sides
   some other things to pick up are a scale and a kettle (gooseneck if you're slightly more serious about the game). picking the right grinder will depend on your budget and whether or not you'd like to work out those arms of yours (auto or manual). i'd recommend watching this to get a good idea on the whole brewing process
   
   good luck!

The cheapest you could do to make "good" coffee would be to get a Bonavita BV1800. They are about 150 or so online and then get a Baratza encore refurbished for about 100.

that is the PC answer on this sub.

In my opinion if you want a good (not great) coffee. Get the Bonavita but then grind your beans fresh (even if that is a blade grinder). Burr grinders are really essential if you want a great cup of coffee but it seems that it isn't too essential to you.

ps. i think mcd's coffee is the best non-third wave coffee out there

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1800TH-Coffee-Thermal-Carafe/dp/B005YQZNO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415508290&sr=8-1&keywords=bonavita
it's actually 130!

I have tried quite a few different methods, but not this one. After a quick look at the specs: It's a pretty simple immersion method with a stainless steel mesh filter and a drain/stop lever. Basically, it's a 1L Clever dripper with a stainless mesh filter. I wouldn't pay $50 for it.

Save over half your money and get a 1L Hario Mizudashi or save all of your money, use a mason jar, and pour it through your own filter.

On the cold brew note, I picked up a Tayeka Cold Brew Maker (linked to Amazon, but I bought it at Natural Grocers). it's nothing you couldn't do with a nut milk bag or french press or whatever, but it sure beats adding the grounds directly to water and then trying to filter them out. Also, Trader Joe's has/had a bag of cold brew coffee bags, like big teabags. I had to steep for 24 hours instead of the much shorter time they list, but it tastes pretty good for pre-ground coffee. I use one bag to a quart mason jar.

Yup, I got a cold brew bottle and it makes GREAT coffee. Just pour cold water over a pot's worth of grounds, let it sit for 8 hours, remove grounds, enjoy over ice with milk.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MCPN-14B-Water-Coffee-1000ml/dp/B001VPXEBU/

GOLD EDIT: wow - my first - THANKS!

Pair a Breville Infuser with a Breville Smart Grinder Pro. I've been using the Infuser for 3+ years myself and it's satisfied my needs entirely (for making both espresso and milk-based beverages). While I have no experience with the Smart Grinder Pro, I've heard good things about it, and its at a solid price point.

If you're looking at a Baratza grinder I'd recommend at minimum a Preciso because the burr set is far superior to that of the Encore (more consistent grinding), and its micro-adjustment ring allows for fine-tuning of the grind for better espresso. That being said, the Preciso is being replaced by the new Sette models in late summer, so you might be able to find a discounted Preciso soon-ish.

I'd argue that it is an issue with the aeropress, it's just less noticeable due to the brewing method. Because you apply pressure to press out the coffee you dont notice the fines clogging up the brew the way you will with a gravity fed pourover. The fines are still there, and you will notice a difference in flavor in your aeropress once you upgrade your grinder. The uneven grind causes an uneven extraction in any brewing method. Some are just more noticeable.

The Skerton Pro is an upgrade from the original skerton (and the knockoff/ kyocera) but how much of a difference, I couldnt say. I havent seen any side by side comparisons on the two.
SCG has a video that will give you an idea about how the Skerton Pro functions.
It's going to be better than the bistro, but IMO you're better off saving up for an encore or better.

There is a bearing stabilizer for the skerton that might fit your knockoff version (assuming you have the Kyocera cm-50) that only costs around $10 and might hold you over for a bit while you look for a more permanent solution.

I use the Hario Mizudashi pitcher but you can buy these pretty neat socks from places like HappyMug that are perfect for occasional drinkers of the deep, cold black. As /u/Shoeshiner_boy pointed out, you can just dial back the brewing time to compensate for the smaller grind.

(I'm sure others here can offer up solutions that use cheesecloth or something similar.)

​

Check the smart grinder pro. Breville doesn't get a lot of love on this sub, primarily due to reliability concerns. I can't speak to that specifically, I've only had mine for 6 months. But it's one of the few grinders (so I've read) that works reasonably well across a wide range of grind sizes.

It's definitely more consistent at the finer settings, but I use mine for espresso, v60, and auto drip. I used to use it for FP, but I don't use my FP much anymore. Since I got my feld2 I mostly use it for espresso and large autodrip quantities.

A lot of people will suggest a separate grinder for coffee vs espresso to keep each dialed in without going back and forth. I haven't found that to be necessary with this grinder, it's stepped so you can return to each setting. For espresso, the step size is adequate, but certainly could benefit from a finer resolution. One tip if you go down this route is you set the upper bur to 10 (default is 6). This will give you more range on the coarse end and still allow espresso grinds.

Here is a thread a posted a while back that shows some grind comparisons between SGP and feld2.

Overall I'm happy with the SGP as my first real grinder. If and when it fails (or i succumb to upgradeitis), I may look at baratza (vario) or others.

I'd recommend buying a clever dripper ($22):

https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Coffee-Dripper-Large-Ounces/dp/B00EOM5RN0

An Encore grinder ($130):

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1466017902&sr=8-1&keywords=encore+grinder

And a hot water urn ($114):

https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-CD-WBC40-TS-4-Liter-Boiler-Warmer/dp/B00M0GOI78/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1466017943&sr=8-5&keywords=hot+water+dispenser

Total: $266. You can grind a day's worth in the morning. Any time you want, put a filter in the Clever, pour the always-hot water over from the urn, stir, wait 3-4 minutes, set on your cup, it drains, enjoy. It brews a world class cup at a time, the urn keeps you from having to heat water each time, and great coffee really doesn't get easier!

If you look around for a bit on Amazon and wait for a warehouse deal to pop up, you can find a Barista Express for around $325 in "Used - Acceptable" condition (which normally just means it has no box and some scratches). Here is the page to look at.

I got one a while ago for that price. It has a grinder built in and is a good machine. The grinder isn't the best and the machine is just entry level, but for the price I don't think you can find anything that can get an OK shot for that price.

Amazon has a 4 year extended warranty through Assurion for like $30 as well if you care about those things.

Hario Skerton - $32
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B2O5VOM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LxDHzbJQNV9DR

Skerton ring upgrade - $11
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012HDKKQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IyDHzbJWM7A4G

Gooseneck kettle - $35
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kADHzb5K0P63V

The kettle isn't nearly as necessary as the grinder upgrade but it would help with pourover. I would definitely recommend getting a burr grinder though, I had a similar setup to yours for a long time and the skerton totally blew my mind. I also haven't tried the ring upgrade personally but I have had issues with the skerton in coarser settings and that's exactly what it's for so I thought I'd mention it.

Edit: I just noticed you didn't have a scale there. I would definitely get a scale instead of the kettle, [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FSHPNO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oDDHzb5FS147N) is $20 and works really well.

I've already got a Zojirushi on the way! The one with a lid that doubles as a cup because I've heard the normal one keeps the coffee too warm to drink directly from the spout! That way I can pour it out, wait to cool for a bit and sip on it. Also better to pace my coffee drinking for the day.

I'm pretty resigned to ordering this coffee maker for now as I'm no expert. I've read that it's got the proper certifications to make a good cup and I honestly don't want to spend the time each day to make a cup of coffee by hand, especially if I want a big thermos full!

A espresso machine.

I do love kitchen tools, but I'm currently spending money on nothing that I can't absolutely live without now that I graduated and have to start paying off student loans. I currently have a french press and a moka pot for my coffee needs, but I can't froth milk or pull a strong shot for cappuccino and espresso.

I've survived so far without one, although now that I am going to start working pretty much around the clock, I'm not sure if making proper coffee is going to happen very often.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

College student here!
I personally use a French press in my room with a hot water kettle (I live in a dorm). For my grinder I use a Khaw-Fee HG1B Manual Coffee Grinder with a Blue Horse upgrade kit. As far as beans go, I recommend going around to local rosters and try one bag at a time; the only way to find out what you like is to try as much as you can.
When I have a little extra time I use my Rok Espresso press, which I have found to work great in the dorm. It's easy to use and clean, pulls a decent shot, and is nearly indestructible.

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01A6CP1HI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517663256&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=khawfee+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=41-m2sv1nxL&ref=plSrch
Blue Horse Upgrade Kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012HDKKQ6/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rok Espresso Press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV1E0GI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517663717&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=rok+espresso&dpPl=1&dpID=41J1GlEZmpL&ref=plSrch

(Sorry for like/lack of hyperlinks, I'm on mobile)

> if you want something close to an espresso with crema.

It's not going to make you an espresso, but it'll be darn close for pretty much the cheapest price. I do plan on getting something like a Gaggia Classic some time in the near future. But for starters, the Brikka is definitely better than the traditional drip coffee.

It does take a long time but you aren't actually doing anything, it just sits on your counter. I typically make it at night and then its ready in the morning. Plus you're making 1-2 liters of coffee which should last you 3 or 4 days minimum unless you're a serious addict.

You can buy something like this and it makes the "work" part of it take like 2-3 minutes. I have the one i linked to you and it's great.

For me, no, it's not. I use this and drink this coffee. I used to have an espresso machine and a grinder, but I much prefer what I currently have. Yes, freshly ground coffee tastes better, but I could never get the fine grind needed to make a truly strong coffee.

/u/phawtnawsty:

To me, the important parts of pourover with manual grinding is more in the experience for the user compared to the exactness of everything.

Get whatever products you feel good about getting, and be sure they fit budget--ya gotta be able to buy coffee to make coffee.

I saw that the hario VKB 1.2 liter was on sale through amazon link

A higher end model is the Bonavita, but that is really just because it comes with an electric, less than exact, heating base. link to amazon

In reality, you can find fanboys of both, and there are benefits to "dialing in" your temperature; however, using a manual grinder, and doing stove top until the water boils is all that is really necessary, and electric heating pads are almost never very accurate.

Eventually, ie 2 years, you'll need to replace the 6 USD v60. I recommend using the 20 USD ceramic amazon.

Similarly, I have heard very few complaints about the Hario Skerton Mills amazon and you can get an official upgrade kit that stabilizes lower burr to produce a more consistent coarse grind amazon link.

A price breakdown would lend itself to the following for this setup:

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Grinder | Hario Skerton | $39.37 @ Amazon
Kettle | Hario VKB-120HSVV60 Buono Pouring Kettle, 1.2 litre | $33.89 @Amazon Saving 49%
Coffee Dripper | Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper (size 02, white) | $19.46 @ Amazon
Grinder Upgrade | Blue Horse Products Hario Skerton Upgrade Kit | $10.99 @ Amazon
| Total | $103.71


You'd have about a hundred dollars left in budget, so you could buy an encore refurb from Baratza.


I hope my table worked :D
edit: fixed my table

I travel for work too. My set up: Porlex mini + Kalita Wave 185 Stainless + Bonavita Travel Kettle + Lee Valley Precision Pocket Scale. Works well for me and is very portable. I know the porlex mini fits inside the aeropress but the aeropress doesn't save me any space compared to the Wave to be perfectly honest. And I can make a better cup with the Wave than I can with the aeropress.

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

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

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

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

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

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?

Which ones are you looking at? Have you looked into Porlex? They make (from all accounts I've read) one of the best hand grinders available.

Here's the most recommended model

Here's a smaller, more portable model

I got my baratza encore about a year ago and I love that thing. Though I've considered picking up the smaller porlex for camping trips and when I travel.

Khaw-Fee HG1B from Amazon. It's reasonably priced at about $28 and works well.

https://www.amazon.com/Khaw-Fee-HG1B-Grinder-Conical-Ceramic/dp/B01A6CP1HI/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1518701663&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=khaw-fee&psc=1

If you prefer/require a more coarse grind, you may want to look at this $12 "upgrade". If you prefer a finer grind, like I do for my Aeropress, it's pretty much perfect as is:

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Horse-Products-KI-100-Skerton/dp/B012HDKKQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518701542&sr=8-1&keywords=skerton+upgrade

Edit: Judging from the downvotes, I'm apparently the only one that read that the part where OP stated they are new to coffee. I seriously doubt he/she has developed a taste for coffee than can tell a blindfold taste test dark roast from a medium from a light. So, yeah, a $100-200 custom Bocote wood hand grinder is obviously EXACTLY what OP needs right now...! /sarcasm

1. Buy whole coffee beans from the store or a local roaster.
   
2. Grind ~30-35 grams of beans per 16oz of water.
   
3. There are two methods for steeping your ground coffee:
   
   1. Get a mason jar and mix your coffee grounds with water, close the mason jar, and let it steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
      
   2. Use a cold brew pitcher like this one and let the grounds steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours
      
4. Strain cold brew through a coffee filter in a steel mesh over a pitcher.
   
5. You now have a pitcher of cold brew coffee concentrate!
   
6. When I make coffee I use a 1:1 ratio of the concentrate and water. I add a splash of half & half and enjoy!
   
   ​
   
   There are some really good videos about it on Youtube too. First time I tried cold brew I followed this video using the mason jar method and it turned out pretty good, just was a little messy to cleanup afterwards.
   
   ​
   
   As a side note, you do not necessarily need whole coffee beans to make cold brew. You can use pre-ground coffee to save some time and money, but using fresh whole beans usually produces a better tasting coffee. I use a basic hand operated coffee grinder.

You could probably get both if you get the BV1900TS . I just ordered that and the Baratza Encore for about $300 total, shipped!

After extensive research and posting, it came down to the Behmor Brazen Plus or the BV. The BV, seems to have a slight edge. Its probably the best home auto-drip coffee maker out there, right now, and its on the cheaper side of the SCA Certified Home Brewers

Take a look at this review listed under the Brazen, but its a comparison of both


On a side-note, this is probably the best review of anything I have ever seen, hands-down, ever. Also, if you live up in the moutains where boiling water is an issue, the Brazen is probably better.

Not really, the way my pot is set up makes it super simple. Fill it up with water(1000ml), add coarse grind coffee to the top of the filter basket (~80g). Sit it on the counter or in the fridge for about a day.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MCPN-14B-Water-Coffee-1000ml/dp/B001VPXEBU

Best $23 I have spent on something coffee related.

I will also say that good cold brew can be made with less than premium beans. Sure good beans will yield a better cup, but $10/lb stuff will do just fine. Especially if you are like me and add a little cream or half and half with ice.

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 :)

If your husband likes coffee with milk and/or sugar, you just need a good coffee maker that doesn't make really bitter coffee. I've seen people recommend this Bonavita coffee maker.

Otherwise, good beans go a long way. You can get those from most coffee shops, so if there's one you like chances are they will sell you the same beans. They can grind it for you or if you want to step it up, you can get your own basic grinder for ~50$.

Are these not available stateside?

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/switch-language/product/B001VPXEBU/ref=dp_change_lang?ie=UTF8&language=en_JP

It's just a Hario pitcher with a nice filter, but it makes pretty darn good iced coffee from cold water. (I'd guess it's lower caffeine as well, which may be a good thing in summer, or not.)

Not sure if it was clear - but I already have the Encore. It's served me well for the last ~2 years. I'm only needing to buy the espresso machine currently. Would it still not be worth it to try for a bit with the encore? My girlfriend's tryin to put me on a budget, so at least if I buy the espresso machine first, and I can't pull good shots from it, I could then convince her I have to buy a new grinder. She drinks and enjoys coffee as well so I'm sure I could make that purchase easily.

edit: how are the incorporated grinders in machines? i.e. Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine While being slightly above budget for new, I wouldn't have to buy a grinder for it potentially.

I know this is asking about store bought ice coffee, but this is ridiculously easy and cheap.

Just buy one of these. All you have to do is fill the steeper to the top of the filter screen with ground coffee of your choice, pour enough cold water so it comes to the top of your ground coffee and put it in the fridge to brew overnight. It takes about 8 to 10 hours. Wake up, pull the filter out, and pour yourself the absolute best glass of ice coffee you've ever had.

I'd look into the Baratza Encore. You can frequently find refurbed ones for ~$100, but still worth it IMO new. As for a kettle, I've been using an electric Bonavita for about 3 years now -- can't recommend it enough. You can find stovetop goosnecks for about half the price on Amazon. Also if your friend doesn't have one already, I'd also suggest getting a scale. I've been using this HuiSmart one which is super convenient since it has the built-in timer and measures to .1g.

All this would run you just under $200. Of the suggestions, I think I would prioritize more of your budget to the grinder then kettle then scale.

Yeah, the skerton is known for having poor performance when trying to grind coarse, but I'm pretty happy with how it performs when doing a finer grind. There's a mod you can get for it, i got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012HDKKQ6/. I've actually not installed the mod yet, because I'm still trying out the finer ground coffees. Aeropress is my goto coffee method, but I'm still mostly an espresso drinker (I don't use the skerton for espresso, I have a dedicated espresso grinder)

On another note, I'm used to seeing aeropress coffee ground much finer, usually in between drip and espresso. That's what I've always done, so it's interesting to see different methods. I may have to try that some day to compare.

There were a few tea shop in San Francisco where I used to live in California that I would go to. My mother also ships me tea from Israel (which is probably my favorite). Here is a link to /r/tea's list of online tea shops! Also visit the subreddit. It's full of really great tips for beginners. That should help you get started.

Also, never buy tea bags. If you're using tea bags you are doing it wrong. I have an electric kettle, a few infusion cups, and a tea maker. I have a tea maker similar to this, but you can get them much cheaper! The great thing is that you don't really need much for good tea!

I'm not familiar with that machine but it looks like just a regular drip coffee maker?

If you are making multiple cups of coffee I would recommend one of the popular drip machines. I like the Bonavita models, e.g. the Bonavita BV1900TS. (They also make a smaller model but I don't have any experience with it.)

It seems you will not be making tea for people other than yourself on a regular basis so you don't need a tea set.

I personally have never needed variable temperature kettles. Others love them. I personally don't own but have used this Bonavita. It's a tad pricey but I love the goose neck. One friend runs a teashop and uses those there. Cheaper electric kettles exist.

I would get a cheap porcelain pot, with a shallow brew basket. What happens is the tea brews and as soon as you pour out the first cup, the water level goes below the brew basket and can sit without overbrewing. The shallow brew baskets are 5 bucks and can be found at most large Chinese grocery stores.

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.

I have one of these . I like it a lot. It is not the same as espresso from a high pressure super fancy espresso maker but it is durable as all get out and I think the coffee it makes is strong and delicious. Very viscous and arrrg drool I want coffee now.

It's not that important to have a .1g scale if you already have a 1g scale for just starting out: especially with the three coffee making setups (aeropress, clever, and mocha) I mentioned. A 1 gram scale is fine. Instead of a scale and Clever, you could spring for a Chemex and the chemex filters. Chemex's are beautiful pieces and make very clean coffee since the filters are thicker than normal.

"After water boils, leave alone to cool for indeterminate amount of time, based on patience (no more than 3 minutes)."

I believe target brewing temperature is ~195-200 F (depending on the roast). Boiling temperature is 212 F, so allowing the water to cool for 3 minutes is going to result is a temperature much less than ideal. From a boil, I usually let the water cool 30 seconds then pour over grounds in my French Press. I would recommend a burr grinder as well :)

Here is the grinder I use and don't have any gripes whatsoever with it: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-BMH23-Automatic-Grinder/dp/B004T6EJS0

edit: clarification

I use this brewer:
Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Iced Coffee Pot/Maker (1000ml, Brown) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I7JKAQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Ri9BybSC24YXV

It's pretty easy to use, just put about 100 grams of coffee in the filter, fill it up with water, stir, and put it in the fridge for 12-24 hours. To make my iced coffee I use a cup of cold brew, a cup of whole milk, and two tablespoons of either chocolate or caramel syrup. I've also mixed honey and caramel, it's pretty awesome.

I have been lurking around this sub for months researching my first espresso machine. The gist of what I found is:

• super automatics don’t produce quality espresso and are not worth the hassle (too much work to clean and maintain)
  
  
• Gaggia classic is the entry level in espresso machines. Anything below that won’t give you decent espresso no matter what.
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Semi-Automatic-Pannarello-Cappuccino/dp/B0001KOA4Q/
  
  
  
• you need a good grinder (with burrs not blades) and good beans (fresh roast and fresh ground).
  
  Welcome to the rabbit hole of espresso drinks :)
  
  Edit for formatting and adding link to Gaggia Classic.

A good espressomachine is not cheap, but you can get some decent ones from around $300 and up. If you have the money I'd suggest something from the Breville Barista Express series.

However, if you only want to get better coffee than from a Keurig there are several alternatives for around $100. Check out the De'Longhi EC155 as an example.

If you really want good coffee you also have to invest in a grinder. The Breville BES870XL Barista Express is a good machine with a built in grinder and despite the price(which is to consider very low for such a machine) it will blow your mind.

I’ve never used a bean to cup machine, but Breville makes one that is pretty popular and has good ratings. Plus, it has a steam wand! It’s called the Breville BES879XL (amazon link: Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH9QWOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Wph4AbW65HSPC)

For the price of that baratza encore you can get a porlex hand grinder, which is wonderfully durable and extremely consistent for a hand grinder, a Chemex, and this scale. I apologize in advance for the ugly links - I'm on my phone. This is the setup I use at work and I love it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002JZCF2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1404223324&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000YWF5E?cache=9ada7d74e8bb83d5e4a86ca38f89940c&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1404223352&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001RF3XJ2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1404223399&sr=8-1

Might not be exactly what you're looking for, and it's expensive, but this one is awesome. I bought it for myself for christmas a few years ago and 2 of our friends followed suit. I think it's worth the money. Boils water in no time as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BTM800XL-One-Touch-Tea-Maker/dp/B003LNOPSG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370179097&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+tea

1. Burr mill coffee grinder
   
   
2. Blade grinders don't grind the beans consistently. The grinder that you use has a huge effect on the taste of the coffee. I want to make the best cup of coffee with the most consistent grind. I've been told that they are necessary if I'm going to be making Aeropress or Chemex.
   
   
3. Saving Private Ryan was a pretty good movie.

I like my Hario Mizudashi a lot. Makes about 1000mL per batch. Really easy and delicious. I do a coarse grind, cold bloom, and 36 hours in the fridge. I've done 12/24 hours batches and they are very good too, I just prefer the 36.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Mizudashi-Coffee-Maker-1000ml/dp/B001VPXEBU

Very informative, thanks. Is there a better manual grinder than that Skerton that isn't as expensive as a good automatic, or is that going to be as good as I'd need?

Edit: I just noticed an upgrade kit for it, would I want that too?

Nothing glamorous but this brews cold coffee and is easy.

She might want to take an extra step at the end and filter through a paper filter to catch smaller grains. But overall a good easy product to use.

https://www.amazon.com/Takeya-10310-Patented-Airtight-Silicone/dp/B00FFLY64U?th=1&psc=1

There a lot of more expensive options out on the market, just depends on what you are looking for in a brewer.

Search this subreddit for takeya and you can read about everyone else’s experiences.

I got recommended the porlex mini and the porlex JP-30. Both are the same expect for size and use burr grinders. Got the JP-30 and I think its great. Also heard the Hario Skerton and Hario Mini are pretty good.

Aeropress is great, and can be coaxed into making a very rough approximation of espresso (think strong, concentrated coffee) if you really want it. You can't make real espresso without investing $500 minimum on an espresso machine and grinder.

I'd recommend grabbing an Aeropress and a Hario Skerton grinder for like $50 total, unless you already have a decent burr grinder. Hang onto the rest of your budget for buying awesome coffee beans.

If you want real coffeehouse-type drinks without a significant investment, I'd recommend sticking to a coffeehouse.

Edit: If you want something more automatic, these are supposed to be great, but you'll still need a separate grinder: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1900TS-Carafe-Coffee-Stainless/dp/B00O9FO1HK/

Can i be a hater for a second. You're better off asking for an independent grinder like this baratza and this drip machine if you're set on a top quality drip

the SCAA has a list of approved drip machines theyre going to be the best of the best for what you need. The biggest issues with most drip machines is evenness of the brew and temperature variability. Unfortunately im not aware of any good all in one solutions but i can whole hardheartedly recommend the baratza and the brewer can be open season

Daaaamn!

Okay, I assume you are like me and prefer cold coffee. So I have this thing here: https://www.amazon.com/Takeya-Patented-Airtight-Silicone-1-Quart/dp/B00FFLY64U/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1525466142&sr=1-9&keywords=cold+brew+coffee+maker

It's wonderful. You put the coffee grinds in the middle, then put water in it and eventually the coffee grinds seep into the water and it's coffee! Pour it into a cup and add your stuff to it and it's just as good! If not better.

If the coffee at your place sucks and you would rather have some solid coffee, that is the way to go and a good way to make it cold without spending a crazy amount of money.

More Info:

It holds about two large glasses of coffee each, which is 4 out of my 5 work days. So when I use the second cup up, I just refill it with the same coffee grinds. It tastes fine to me because the thing holds about 14 scoops of coffee (on average). So in about a month I go through a large thing of coffee with is about $10. I buy regular creamer (nothing fancy) every other week which is $3. Then I use Stevia sugar because I'm trying to cut real sugar out, and a box of 100 packets cost about $5. That lasts about two months for me. So the total you get is way, way cheaper than the $4 a day iced coffee.

The only grind and brew I'd ever think about even giving a half recommendation would be the breville grind control, and that's only because it's okay on paper. In real life grind and brew machines are a pain an require a ton more upkeep than having a separate grinder and coffee maker. If you don't clean them very often (almost daily) they will break, not maybe, will. Not to mention for cheaper you could get a much better grinder and a much better brewer. At $50 you're better off buying pre ground and a cheap machine. If you want the best results an encore plus a bonavita would be you best bet but that's easily four times your price limit.

I have both a latte / espresso machine at home and I prefer lattes to black coffee at the shops too, so I'll do that math:

I pay 4.50 and give a 1$ tip when I get a latte in the morning, so that comes out to 2007$ a year

Assuming I steam 6oz of milk, that makes a half gallon of good milk (clover, organic, etc) into about 10 lattes. So 10 lattes costs about $4.19 in milk or 0.41$ per latte or 150$ per year

I buy the expensive coffee, which is $17 for 12oz (blue bottle), and do double-shots, which is roughly 15g of beans, so the bag (340g) lasts about 22 lattes, or 0.77$ per latte or 280$ per year.

So a top of the line home-made latte (best milk, coffee) every single day will be roughly 430$ per year,
while going out to a nice cafe (La Boulangerie de San Francisco was my reference for 5$ lattes) will run you 2007$ per year, meaning I save roughly 1577$ a year by making lattes at home or 5.5$ versus 1.18$.

Thus, if you like fancy coffee, within less than half a year this baby pays for itself - also, steaming milk / pulling espresso in the morning has become as much of a wake-up ritual as the coffee itself, and I much prefer it to standing in a line - plus, now that my girlfriend lives with me, that savings number is roughly doubled.

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

Honestly, I don't see myself ever spending $100 on a grinder, even if I have money to blow, because I'm just not that much of an enthusiast (clearly). I had a cup of black, aeropress brewed coffee yesterday at my friend's house that was ground in this, and it was delicious in my opinion, so I guess my taste just isn't that refined. So really I've already decided on getting something cheap, even if it's crappy and won't last forever, I'm just looking for some tips on whats the best cheapo unit I can get. Like I've seen Hario thrown around a lot on this sub, so I'm wondering if that's the way to go or if there is a decent electric one for cheap.

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7 (how do i add a digital download to a WL?

9 (NSFW TOOL)

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17 (it's funny because of an inside joke

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Happy happy cake day

This is the cheapest and best coffee (burr) grinder you can get for your money. By best I mean most consistent grind size, especially at extremely fine espresso settings. The problem with hand grinders is that the time it takes you to grind the beans can affect the flavor.
http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

That's a shame. Would you like to try it again with the V60? We wouldn't be able to give it away for free as part of this offer if you've already signed up on another offer but if you'd like to have another go (perhaps with a coffee you haven't tried yet) we can send you the kit for £5 with your next order, which is what we're currently offering all our members.

If you're at all curious, try it, it's a good deal! Email ahoy@pactcoffee.com and the customer service peeps will be able to sort it out for you.

Ah, gotcha—it's a good question.

A few thoughts:

They exist but they're insanely expensive. Which is obviously prohibitive for most small shops. If I had to guess, I'd assume they're so expensive because they're essentially speciality products and because they need to be as good as a human, which isn't the easier thing in the world.

Pour over brewers are pretty affordable, which is part of the appeal for a lot of folks.

One of the benefits of pour over coffee is that you have a few minutes to chat with the barista as she brews the cup. You lose that with the machine.

I think I mentioned this someone above, but more expensive beans are used for pour over coffee than drip roast, so the savings from a machine would only be the time in labor and probably wouldn't make things at all that much cheaper.

One of the major benefits of pour over is that it's not prepared ahead of time, so there's only so much a machine could speed up the process.

And, finally, people tend to order pour over when they're planning to stay in the cafe for a bit and drip roast to go. There's not really a point to speeding up the process because people order pour over when they're already sticking around.

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!

If you can spend a little more, try to get a burr grinder, it will make a huge difference, I got my first on used for $50, but I've seen them as low as $30. For the price I'd say either this or this these will be good enough unless you want to try espresso.

You can also get goodish beans at a grocery store. I recomend Peet's. Or you can order very good beans online from companies like stumptown, verve, or counterculture coffee.

Your next upgrade should probably be an aeropress, but if you've been on /r/coffee for more than 5 minutes you know that.

It's pretty sturdy glass, but regardless, it's glass and it's relatively tall. I'd wager that unless you guys are playing catch with it, you'll be fine, but if there's many rowdy nights, I'd steer clear of it and get something like a plastic V60 instead.