How to make a cup of coffee?

[So]

I gave up on instant coffee years ago and since then I’ve had all manner of machines.

I cannot buy capsules for Nespresso machine because I chain drink them.

I have a Gaggia machine which makes nice coffee but only in a short cup. It’s a lot of work for not a lot of coffee. No use when I wake up.

I have a stainless coffee pot for my first coffee but the coffee it makes is variable and very strong. It is also slow. This morning the first one was horrible so I remade it. It still wasn’t great. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why sometimes it comes out tasting nasty.

What I want is a “long” coffee that is quick, tastes good and doesn’t ulcerate my bladder.

What would the coffee experts here suggest?

[tannhauser]

Cafetiere. /close thread

[Wacky Racer]

Perfect coffee:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CMHlQG7H_k

[breamster]

Aeropress makes a nice cuppa.

[rolando]

tannhauser said:

Cafetiere. /close thread

^^^ This.
If the kettle boils, the water is too hot. Let the water cool for at for least 10 seconds after it's stopped boiling.
Stir and leave for about four minutes before taking the "plunge".

[peter tdci]

rolando said:

^^^ This.
If the kettle boils, the water is too hot. Let the water cool for at for least 10 seconds after it's stopped boiling.
Stir and leave for about four minutes before taking the "plunge".

And grind your (recently roasted) beans just prior to the above.

[Tickle]

Same, I have a Gaggia, use a 14g basket, make a double and top up with hot water.

If you CBA using the Gaggia an Aeropress is better than a French press imho.

Whatever method, fresh beans from a local roaster or mail order are best and ground to suit what you use.

[The3rdDukeofB]

Delonghi Beans To Cup budget machine.

https://www.beantocupcoffeemachines.net/reviews/de...


NOW, you can close thread.

[Teddy Lop]

rolando said:

^^^ This.
If the kettle boils, the water is too hot. Let the water cool for at for least 10 seconds after it's stopped boiling.
Stir and leave for about four minutes before taking the "plunge".

10 secs? So its 99.5c? I'd chuck a slug of cold in, or use a fancy kettle.

OP what's a lot of effort? B2C will take a big cup, but need regular refilling, cleaning etc. Coffee bags are probably the least effort way of making something a civilised person could call coffee, we sometimes use them when travelling etc.

[grumbledoak]

Add filter, Lavazza Red, recently boiled water. No hassle, no noise, no mess. Perfect for first thing in the morning.

[pteron]

rolando said:

^^^ This.
If the kettle boils, the water is too hot. Let the water cool for at for least 10 seconds after it's stopped boiling.
Stir and leave for about four minutes before taking the "plunge".

10 secs? You want it down to 92-94 degrees, I leave mine 3.5 minutes.

[jesusbuiltmycar]

breamster said:

Aeropress makes a nice cuppa.

Another vote for Aeropress! Fantastic coffee - better than a cafetière and much easier to clean (no faff getting spent grounds out. Cleaning takes 20 seconds max).

IMHO it makes better coffee than an Italian Mocha pot.

[So]

Tickle said:

Same, I have a Gaggia, use a 14g basket, make a double and top up with hot water.

If you CBA using the Gaggia an Aeropress is better than a French press imho.

Whatever method, fresh beans from a local roaster or mail order are best and ground to suit what you use.

Think I will use the Gaggia tomorrow, make a double and top it up with hot water from the kettle. It's a faff but worth a go. I may also buy a cafetiere.

[AlexC1981]

grumbledoak said:

Add filter, Lavazza Red, recently boiled water. No hassle, no noise, no mess. Perfect for first thing in the morning.

I use one of these as well. You have to put a splash of water in the funnel, let the coffee absorb it. Then slowly pour the rest of the water through. Takes 2-3 minutes.

If you like milk then it's best to put it in the cup first and warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave as the water cools quickly when it is dripping through.

[zygalski]

pteron said:

rolando said:

^^^ This.
If the kettle boils, the water is too hot. Let the water cool for at for least 10 seconds after it's stopped boiling.
Stir and leave for about four minutes before taking the "plunge".

10 secs? You want it down to 92-94 degrees, I leave mine 3.5 minutes.

Essential purchase for making a cuppa.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/16018327282

[pteron]

zygalski said:

pteron said:

rolando said:

^^^ This.
If the kettle boils, the water is too hot. Let the water cool for at for least 10 seconds after it's stopped boiling.
Stir and leave for about four minutes before taking the "plunge".

10 secs? You want it down to 92-94 degrees, I leave mine 3.5 minutes.

Essential purchase for making a cuppa.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/16018327282

I always fill the kettle to the same point, let it boil and set a timer when it clicks off. I have this https://amzn.to/2MgUnxS and timed how long it took to drop to 94C. Pour over the freshly ground coffee in the cafetiere, timer again for 3.5 mins, and bingo - consistently good coffee.

[Slushbox]

I have one of these; 'Coffee on the Go'. £20.

Makes a mugful of filter coffee in about four minutes. Also has a timer, and comes with a thermal travel mug for the car. Easier than faffing with the Bialetti, though it's still 'filter' coffee.

A desert spoon of coffee and a pre-warmed mug gives a very good and fast result.

Bad taste? Stainless steel and tap water sometimes produces a 'TCP' metallic taste on a new device. It tends to fade a bit, eventually.

I use a jug water filter overnight which gets rid of most of it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-Machine-1...

[anonymous-user]

So said:

I gave up on instant coffee years ago and since then I’ve had all manner of machines.

I cannot buy capsules for Nespresso machine because I chain drink them.

I have a Gaggia machine which makes nice coffee but only in a short cup. It’s a lot of work for not a lot of coffee. No use when I wake up.

I have a stainless coffee pot for my first coffee but the coffee it makes is variable and very strong. It is also slow. This morning the first one was horrible so I remade it. It still wasn’t great. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why sometimes it comes out tasting nasty.

What I want is a “long” coffee that is quick, tastes good and doesn’t ulcerate my bladder.

What would the coffee experts here suggest?

Why did you buy an espresso machine if you don’t understand how espresso is the basis of a lot of coffees?

[So]

Badda said:

So said:

I gave up on instant coffee years ago and since then I’ve had all manner of machines.

I cannot buy capsules for Nespresso machine because I chain drink them.

I have a Gaggia machine which makes nice coffee but only in a short cup. It’s a lot of work for not a lot of coffee. No use when I wake up.

I have a stainless coffee pot for my first coffee but the coffee it makes is variable and very strong. It is also slow. This morning the first one was horrible so I remade it. It still wasn’t great. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why sometimes it comes out tasting nasty.

What I want is a “long” coffee that is quick, tastes good and doesn’t ulcerate my bladder.

What would the coffee experts here suggest?

Why did you buy an espresso machine if you don’t understand how espresso is the basis of a lot of coffees?

I didn't.

[TartanPaint]

We got a Delonghi 4200 (the recommended workhorse of entry-level bean to cup machines) for <£150 from Amazon warehouse on a sale day. Keep an eye out.

We've settled on a Bosch variable temp kettle. Lots of cheaper ones failed and got binned/returned. A mate has a Kitchen Aid one that's solid, but they're spendy.

Occasionally we still use a double-walled cafetiere. They keep the second cup warm longer than a glass one.

We've relegated various contraptions (Aeropress, moka pots, dripper) to the camping gear. Waste of time for home use.