Friday, September 25, 2009

All About Coffee

I am about to start a new Blog that is all about coffee. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject of coffee. I would also guess that there are a least a 100 coffee blogs.

My blog will focus on the consuming coffee or espresso drinker. The Gal or Guy who stands in line at the local coffee shop waiting for their drink or who is trying to make a decent cup at home.

I promise only the facts. All of which can be verified. Here in one place you will learn "The Art of Coffee". Coffee is part art and part science and we'll talk about both.

I would would appreciate your feedback, positive or negative. We'll just start talking

For now here are a few things to think about; Grind, Water, Brewing Temperature filter type. We'll discuss all of those and more.

Arnold

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I have always wondered...do I have to spend a lot of money on a coffee maker? and how often should it be replaced? -Nibor

Unknown said...

I'm looking forward to you sharing all your knowledge. can you also include recommendations for the best coffee makers?

Anonymous said...

On coffeemakers...

I bought a Cuisinart DGB-900BC coffeemaker. It has an 8-oz bean hopper, burr grinder (which I prefer over the common blade grinder), and an insulated thermal stainless steel carafe. The only downsides to it are: 1) initially the carafe leaves a slight metal taste in the coffee, but it goes away after the first few pots. 2) the design of the handle is a little awkward to pour when you get to the bottom of the pot. 3) it could brew a little hotter temp, but it's not bad. I tested it and it brews around 195 degrees for a full pot, and for 4-6 cups is around 186 I think - which is okay for me, because I will drink it before it gets cold. If you run some warm water in the carafe prior to brewing, it helps to keep the coffee hotter longer.

I love this model overall. It's relatively expensive (around $200), but it includes a great grinder, several adustable settings, and does not burn the coffee as do hot-plate models with glass carafes.

You don't have to spend a lot to get a good coffeemaker, but the hot plate that heats the glass carafe can burn the coffee if left to sit too long, and to me, that's the biggest fault of most coffeemakers. My folks have a basic $10-20 model Mr. Coffee that keeps the right temp and doesn't seem to burn it even after sitting for hours.

A good one that is middle of the road is the Hamilton Beach Brewstation line (several models to choose from). They have a dispenser in the front that supplies from a reservoir that holds the coffee and supposedly will adjust the warming temperature so as to not burn the coffee (I had a model 47454 and it actually overheated it constantly, burning the taste pretty badly). But, my pastor has a different model of the same design and it works great.

I would say anything with a thermal carafe would be a better choice than a glass pot with a hot plate.

If you prefer to grind your own coffee and price is a factor, get a $40-70 model brewer with a thermal carafe, and a $15 grinder from Walmart. If you can afford it, get the Cuisinart Grind and Brew. You can't go wrong if you do (though there are some negative reviews out there...seem Amazon.com...I have had great success so far with mine). (Don't get the Cuisinart 600BC model, though, as it had some annoying flaws that were corrected in the 900BC which I have).

Hope this helps. That's my two cents, but I've been told sometimes I'm a "penny off." ha ha

Coffee Guy said...
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Coffee Guy said...

I see you're interested in coffeemakers. Watch for a blog post on the subject . . . coming soon.

Coffee Guy said...

Since there is so much interest in coffeemakers that will be the next post... Coming soon

Coffee Guy said...
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Jeff Rochford said...

Love this blog!!