Help Madtown make awesome coffee (aka coffee-making tips)

[offTopic]

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OT,

I'm not good at describing tastes, but I'm guessing it was stale grounds. "Stale" is just the best word I can think of to describe it.

The coffee maker had been out of commission since at least August, when I moved in. The guy who I replaced was the one who used it.

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Yuck. If you don't want to go the route of buying new gear (the press suggestions above) definitely get some white vinegar and run two or three pots of water + a cup of vinegar through the coffee maker. You can just keep reusing the vinegar-water mixture when you do this. Then, dump it out and do two or three more pots of plain water, replacing the water every time.

If you don't want to get whole beans, get the beans ground at the store and then keep the grounds in a Ziploc bag in a cool, dry place. Figure two tablespoons of grounds per cup...give that a shot.

Good luck!

[gilper]

Go get a french press and roast your own beans. Check out this coffee roasting site. I've been roasting my own beans for years now and it's really easy. It tastes much better and costs less too. If you really want to be a coffee nit use spring water to brew.

[SomethingClever]

lol, this is one of those threads where people go a little overboard with the advice for a noob.

"You're going to want to head to brazil, hand pick some beans, roast them yourself and then brew only with water you've derived from a melting piece of ice from the top of the French Alps."

You can get good, fresh beans from most coffee shops or grocery stores. Get whole beans and keep them in an airtight jar. Only grind the amount you need each time you make coffee.

Make sure all the parts of your coffeemaker are clean, and use the proper water/grounds ratio (varies depending on your taste... this is something you ought to figure out for yourself).

It's not rocket science, people!

[fyodor]

Do not add cream or sugar.

[kevyk]

Everyone recommending the french press is spot-on. You can get a ridiculous depth of flavor from them for minimal extra work.

One type of coffee that I enjoy is a Dutch brand called Douwe Egberts. It's not that expensive--it is basically the Dutch equivalent to Maxwell House--but it blows away every type of coffee I've been able to find in the U.S.

[The DaveR]

French press is the way to go.

[sarahbellum]

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French press is the way to go.

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[pryor15]

Pura Vida Coffee

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone recommending the french press is spot-on. You can get a ridiculous depth of flavor from them for minimal extra work.

One type of coffee that I enjoy is a Dutch brand called Douwe Egberts. It's not that expensive--it is basically the Dutch equivalent to Maxwell House--but it blows away every type of coffee I've been able to find in the U.S.

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French press, sure, but roasting your own freaking beans?

Completely unnecessary to make good coffee.

[fyodor]

When using a french press after you boil your water let it cool for just a bit - say a minute - before dumping it in the press. If the water is too hot it kinda burns the coffee.

And did I say to not add cream or sugar? That's my main tip.