Books have been written on this subject; (Kevin Sinnott wrote "Great Coffee"). If you want to buy a copy, $9.95 + shipping; email me at arnold@arnoldscoffee.com It may be the best coffee book around. Or Google Ken Davis who is one of the great coffee guys of the world. Consumers Reports, January 2009, had a report on coffeemakers.
Here is my take on the subject.
A coffeemaker must be able to brew consistently at 195 to 205 degrees,end period. That is the starting point. The Specialty Coffee Association of America has endorsed only two such coffeemakers. The Bunn pod brewer & the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT-741. Technivorm makes many other models and they are all good but this one is my preference. I have owned one for about 7 years and it works like a charm. It is not cheap, about $200+, search the web.
That said you'll have to decide what your needs are. There are a number of brewing methods; French Press, vacuum method, manual drip, automatic drip is the method most of us use, and of course espresso. Espresso is a subject for another Blog. Several coffeemakers will let you set them up the night before to brew in the am so that when you wake up you have hot coffee. If you don't mind drinking stale coffee made with stale water they are convenient. Several have built-in grinders, but the grinder must be kept clean. All your brewing equipment must be clean. All coffee has oil and all oil turns rancid.
So what is the so what of all of this? There are a number of elements to brewing a GREAT cup of coffee. Brew at 195 to 205 degrees, good water, fresh ground Specialty coffee, brew into or pour into a warm carafe so that coffee does not stand on the warming plate of your coffeemaker. Coffeemakers retail from $25 to $300. The $25 to $100 brewers are "disposable", you buy a new one every couple of years and for the most part they brew mediocre coffee. But you are reading the Blog of a real coffee snob. The routine I go through to brew a morning cup of coffee would drive most people crazy. I however brew GREAT coffee, just ask my family.
Arnold
http://www.arnoldscoffee.com
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4 comments:
Regarding the quality of coffee Arnold brews . . . as a member of his extended family, I can tell you that he ain't lyin'!
I'm shopping for a new coffee maker now.
I used to be one that thought that "all coffee is created equal". But after drinking much of Arnold's Coffee, I can tell you there is a huge difference. Now, thanks to Arnold, I too am a coffee snob!
I think I'll run out and buy a new coffeemaker. Where do I buy coffee?
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