So, this looks like the start of a relatively new community (at least for me), and we surely have some new people coming over from the coffee subreddit, so let’s get some conversation going!
What’s your current favorite brew method? I’ve been really getting into my flat bottom brew lately, with the Stagg XF. I just feel it’s been a bit more forgiving than my v60, and it’s been pulling out some pretty solid tasting notes in my latest beans.
What’re y’all brewing with?
EDIT: I absolutely love the traction this post got! And I love seeing all the methods everyone is using daily. Thank you all
I like to think I know a little about coffee, but this thread shows that I don’t really know anything. My brew method? I have a shitty little $50 espresso maker I got as a birthday gift a while ago, and use that to make the best damn lattes I’ve ever had.
use that to make the best damn lattes I’ve ever had.
Hey man, that’s all that matters
I’m no coffee snob. Gas station dark roast, little cream no sugar. Under a dollar in a hurry.
Hey man, sometimes you just need that bittrr punch of caffeine. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
French press. Pre-heat with boiling water before adding freshly ground coffee. Slowly pour water at 95 degrees over the coffee. Stir with wooden spoon, insert lid and let stand 5-10 minutes. Slowly press plunger to bottom. Serve and enjoy.
Great idea! I use a La Pavoni Europiccola (lever espresso machine) when I have time, Bialetti Moka pot or pour over when I don’t.
I’ve wanted a Europiccola for so long but I’ve currently had a Cafelat Robot for the last year and a half. Did you get a new one or vintage?
This thread is demonstrating one of my favorite things about the coffee community: There is a fundamental semi-seriousness, acknowledgement of diminishing returns, and awareness of varying tastes in (almost) all quarters. A lot of gear-heavy hobbies take themselves way too seriously, but the coffee folk with an $8000 La Marzocco espresso setup, with a $7 plastic cone and a kettle, and waiting in front of the microwave with a bottle of instant and a spoon are all just trying to have a pleasing coffee experience.
My fancy, ritualistic coffee is a shot of espresso in the morning, usually prepared like a Brauner with a dash of milk inversely proportionate to how well I did at making the espresso that day.
A few weeks ago I upgraded from my old (ca. 2010) Lello Arite 1375 Chinese thermoblock pressurized basket “espresso” machine and Capresso Infinity grinder combo ($140+90+accessories) that were kind of mediocre to start with and literally falling apart by the end, to a Brevelle Bambino and Turin SK40 ($350+200+accessories) and have been delighted by the additional ability to play with parameters (and occasionally revolted by the results while I was getting my bearings). The old set up produced a long-tuned pleasing thing that may or may not technically count as espresso, but in retrospect may have been a relative of the extraction optimum from that “Systematically Improving Espresso” paper from a few years ago. The new one is full grind-controls-infusion espresso experience. The bambino is “nice for the price” and has a delightfully fast heat up and surprisingly good steam wand for when I’m feeling foamy, but slightly annoying manual shot controls. The SK40 is just great so far, my only tiny complaint is that every now and then I have to give it a little rock to get the last of a dose of beans out of the feed cone.
I also really enjoy how this setup is sitting in superposition of ($600 is an absurdly expensive way to make coffee | $600 is absurdly cheap to make real espresso).
Home espresso is never really practical, but I find the ritual of preparation deeply pleasing (weights and ratios and times and gadgets! Instant feedback! Total focus!), and enjoy the experience of varying parameters.
I also drink a fair amount of Instant when I’m out during the day, I’ve been recommending Mount Hagen to everyone who will listen lately because it’s like $10 a jar and so much better than any of the other instants I’ve tried.
…and I have a coworker with an office aeropress that I sometimes play with, and I want but have no real reason to have one for home. The super clean immersion brew is a really interesting way to experience a coffee, and of course one never has enough coffee paraphernalia.
This is easily my favorite response, and a clear representation of just loving coffee for coffee. From the extreme scientific end of it, to just needing that caffeine fix in the middle of a long day, to the intrigue of trying something new.
Thanks for the response and a walk through your day in caffeine.
Amusingly, for the last several years I pretty much only have two significant caffeine doses in a normal day, typically coffee shortly after I wake up and at around 2 in the afternoon.
I used to slowly creep my consumption up until I had to painfully detox myself down once or twice a year, but I’ve been trying to be more consistent and mindful about that. It’s also made me more thoughtful about having good coffee at the times I have coffee.
…and I’ve been listening to/reading a lot of James Hoffmann and his slightly florid self affacing style while I was learning the new setup, and it’s creeping into my writing.
Just an old school Bonavita with Melitta style filters. I can’t appreciate the added subtleties of pre-infusion or even pour-over over a good drip.
Back when I did cold brew, I just used a French Press, which works pretty well.
Cold or hot, V60 is my jam.
Nothing too fancy. Kettle and a french press.
That’s what I have done for decades.
Every morning is a pour over. V60 or chemex depending on how many cups I’m making.
V60 is definitely my favorite, but as I continue to collect more gear, I almost feel guilty if I dont go back and use some for a little bit. So I’ll go on binges with my French press, the Stagg, chemex, aeropress, aeropress with prismo.
And if either James Hoffman or Lance Hedrick drop a new video highlighting a piece I already have, you better believe I am gonna go back and try what they are suggesting.
Same. I have a gaggia classic I use for afternoon espresso a few times a week, but the French press, aeropress, moka pot all sit there silently judging me for their neglect.
At home, it’s a cheap pour over setup. In the summer I’ll sometimes do a Japanese iced coffee pour over if it’s hot. (Just adjust the ratio and start with ice in the pot.)
At work it’s a flair 58.
Camping it’s a moka pot.
I’ve been looking at the flair 58 as a potential entry into espresso. I have a JX Pro, which I have read should be serviceable to grind for espresso.
How have the shots been on your 58? Only complaints I’ve heard are in relation to preheating, anything else that you love/dislike?
I’ve got a stupidly expensive espresso machine and several stupidly expansive grinders. I used my machine every day for about 5 years. But lately I’ve been pouring water from my kettle into a plastic cone like my dad did in the 80s. Haha. Full circle. I’ve upped my bean quality though.
Hey, pour over is just a good old classic. You can’t really repeat the ritual or flavors you get with it anywhere else. And sometimes the most simple is the most enjoyable.
Majority pourover (Mugen most often, V60 sometimes, and I just got an Orea that I’ve used a couple of times so far), espresso if I’m feeling up to it (Uniterra Nomad), usually as a small milk drink or sometimes an aerocano, occasionally straight espresso. If I want a milk drink and don’t feel like actually dealing with espresso workflow, aramse sofi south indian filter.
Bripe, obviously
Truly the best method, of course.
I always bripe in a flannel shirt
Is there any other way?
Legally? No.
My go to is my trusty v60. I used to scale and weigh everything before grinding. Now I just eyeball everything.
Cold brew in a Toddy. Store in fridge. Add milk/ice/hot water to taste.
I’m astounded that this is the only mention of cold brew here. It’s great! Listen people, if you haven’t tried this before, here’s what you do: Next time you’re making your daily coffee, get a jar and make cold brew at the same time. Then you can try it later when it’s ready.
- put what you think is a reasonable amount of grounds in a jar
- then put a bunch more, and a little more to be sure
- fill the rest of the jar with water and put a lid on
- shake it if you want
- let it sit 12–24 hours on the counter, or 24–48 hours on the fridge
- strain the grounds out however works for you. If you’re a coffee drinker, you probably have some kind of strainer that will work, but if not, you can shake the mixture (again) so that the ground sink to the bottom, and then (optional) wait a bit for sediment and then pour carefully.
I now do cold brew almost all the time. It takes the same amount of time whether you make a large or small batch, so I make 4 days worth, and over the last 2 days I start another 48 hour batch.
I definitely enjoy cold brew, especially during summer, but it generally pretty muted in flavor compared to a pourover or French press. I usually make it when I get a bag of beans that I am a bit disappointed with, as a lot of the underlying tasting notes aren’t as present in cold brew and it still allows me to enjoy the coffee.
I mean, heck, I want to get some whip cream canisters and nitrogen canisters to make my own nitro cold brew as another coffee project.
I really want to try this, but hot coffee is my comfort blanket. Would you recommend heating it and if so how? Is cold brew best served over ice, room temperature, or just chilled in your opinion?
I often heat it up, just put it in the microwave. I also often cut it with water, depending on how strong I want it to be. I think it’s good at any temp!
