Coffee, grind your own?

[Black Dahlia]

A lazy morning here also. It's cold, dreary and raining outside. So I'm staying in and making a pot of coffee. Today, I feel like some organic Bolivian coffee.
X
BD

 

[cw3pa]

We've had this Miele coffee maker for years. Just load the hopper with beans, fill the water tank and push the button. A cup of freshly ground coffee every time.

 

[ButteMT61]

I was looking at those Meiles last weekend. We have Meile washer + dryer and vacuums, but I'm not sure about coffee.
I do sorta like the idea of a built-in, but not sure.
Plain ol' Italian roast today. Cool mornings, but quickly getting towards 90° lately. Boo.

 

[ButteMT61]

It's all I want to make, but, sometimes I drink the house jo wherever I am. Makes me appreciate the good stuff more.

Agree with you guys on this. It's like our Tempur-Pedic bed. When we travel, every other bed sucks. But it makes coming home even more better

 

[cw3pa]

The Miele coffee maker isn't cheap, but it's a good machine. We probably run through the equivalent of several pots per day.

 

[Sir Jacket]

I have long been a fan of good coffee (hard living in the UK, until very recently -- the flat white has arrived!) but only started grinding my own when given a Braun grinder by colleagues on leaving my last job. And I'm very glad I did. I'd say it's easily increased my enjoyment of coffee two-fold. The trick seems to be to do what they say in the instructions, namely grind the beans seconds before you make the coffee. The aromas! The taste!

I use a stove-top espresso machine.

I don't think I'd ever go back to pre-ground coffee now.

SJ

 

[Will Muncrieffe]

I agree with Tealseal, if you grind it, it has much more flavor!

 

[ButteMT61]

For sure. Fresh grinding makes a big difference. And yes, the smell. It's like anything, there's the quick and easy way, and the best way. The best is more enjoyable and takes time, but the joy is worth it. Every time.

 

[ThemThereEyes]

Definitely! Fresher and more flavor that way.

 

[steve the hat guy]

Yep, as my wife said , when it comes to consumables i am a bit of a snob. I buy from a place that roasts it there and I buy it within a week of it being roasted. Then I grind only what I need. I keep it in a airtight, opaque container and never keep it for more than one month. If I have the time I will use a French press , I feel that is the best way to make coffee especially if you control the temp of the water you use, but I will use a drip coffee maker , but only once I have made sure it does not brew hotter than 135 F.

 

[tonypaj]

Yep, I use a good burr grinder and fresh beans. I go between Peet's and a local roaster. It makes a difference to me. It all depends on you and your taste. I use La Pavoni lever machines which are very old-school. I enjoy the process of making and drinking!

I've got a La Pavoni Europiccola, which makes excellent coffee after a bit of practice, but overheats fast. 1-2 shots, then cool it down with a towel or wait. If you have guests around, how do you handle that, or is that not a problem with your model?

Most of the time I just use the trusty Rancilio Silvia, the easiest machine that I know, I get the beans locally, grind them in an Isomac grinder, and make better espressos than I can get anywhere here. The only issue is adjusting the grinder to beans, but as I mostly use the same blend, even that is a moot point.

Though it is a 30 minute trip one way to get the beans, have to do it once a week, possibly a roaster in the future, Gene Cafe or some such.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Yep, as my wife said , when it comes to consumables i am a bit of a snob. I buy from a place that roasts it there and I buy it within a week of it being roasted. Then I grind only what I need. I keep it in a airtight, opaque container and never keep it for more than one month. If I have the time I will use a French press , I feel that is the best way to make coffee especially if you control the temp of the water you use, but I will use a drip coffee maker , but only once I have made sure it does not brew hotter than 135 F.

Steve, why is the container supposed to be opaque?

SJ

 

[DeaconKC]

arrggh, My Mr Coffee died the other day. Just bought it in February, why, oh why, can't manufacturers build something that will last anymore? I don't mind paying a little extra for quality. Oh well, I grabbed a $15 cheapie and will pitch it when it dies.

 

[Todd V]

I grind in a Zassenhaus manual burr grinder and brew with a Chemex. I will only use beans that are fresh. Luckily, there are two roasters nearby. On a day to day basis, I'm drinking whatever is on tap at the coffee place in the train station. As particular as I can be, I am a glutton and I will drink motor oil from a tin can if necessary.

 

[therizyflapper]

yummy!! i love fresh-ground! I'm not much of a coffee drinker (I'm a tea gal), but when i do sit and Enjoy a cup i do prefer it freshly ground i like the mr.coffee coffee grinders they work great for grinding spices as well (which is yummy in your coffee if you just ground some cinnamon!)

 

[maduro 5]

About 7 years ago I moved into a new house and decided that I need an espresso machine. I ended up with Rancilio Sylvia and initially I thought that I would get away with buying ground coffee from whatever source I was buying it from. I found out very quickly that Sylvia is one fussy lady and that commercial grinders simply do not grind the beans finely enough to match Sylvia's demands. At the end I ended up buying Rancilio Rocky dozerless grinder and I have to admit that they make mighty fine pair.

 

[lframe]

I use a burr grinder every morning. Some days are French press, but 9 times out of 10, I prepare drip coffee. I also have a percolator that comes in handy at times (such as when Grandma comes to visit).

I'm also a bean snob and buy my beans from a local in Charlotte who's as picky as I am. It's also the only shop here I'll buy a cup of straight coffee from. The other shops in Charlotte either have burnt (Starbucks) or skunky coffee.

 

[lframe]

arrggh, My Mr Coffee died the other day. Just bought it in February, why, oh why, can't manufacturers build something that will last anymore? I don't mind paying a little extra for quality. Oh well, I grabbed a $15 cheapie and will pitch it when it dies.

I buy the Cuisinart that has a thermal caraffe. The coffee stays fresh and the burner turns off so the coffee is kept hot, but not burned.

 

[skyvue]

Because I've cited her in this thread a number of times, I hope it's okay to mention that my wife's travel piece about her espresso pilgrimage to Italy ran in the Washington Post yesterday. You can read it online here: http://dld.bz/bzKTg

 

[DeaconKC]

Getting ready for some yard work today and starting off this Saturday with a couple of good cups of coffee. Enjoy a cup on me, my friends!