Reddit reviews AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker - Quickly Makes Delicious Coffee Without Bitterness - 1 to 3 Cups Per Pressing

Aeropress is another great (and cheap) piece of gear. You can't go wrong with a french press, though.

Aeropress

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Get some beans, and you'll have better coffee than 95% of campus.

If you want to move to a Chemex instead of the aeropress, you totally could, but remembering dorm life, I'd absolutely pick an Aeropress.

NTA

My personal suggestion would be to just get a pour over cone and start using that for your coffee, but maybe don't tell anyone. Then you can't be accused of not cleaning something you didn't use. Especially effective if you wait until they've accused you several more times, or walk in on you using it after accusing you more.

I honestly couldn't tell you if this was more or less passive aggressive than filming it though.

EDIT: The less passive aggressive version might be to just switch to pour overs. Tell them it's because you prefer the taste (which is probably true), and because you want to avoid misunderstandings. Worst case scenario, the culprit starts cleaning up after themselves, and you have a new way of preparing coffee. You could also use an Aeropress or something, but a pour over is probably the minimalist solution.

EDIT2: Don't forget to check the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector.

Careful where you tread, your curiosity can lead to an expensive hobby. A lot of us started our coffee obsessions with those resusable k-cup pods. When you use your own coffee beans, the first thing you'll notice is that the coffee is much fresher than what comes in those pods. Eventually, you'll be grinding your locally roasted coffee beans and start to wonder, "why am I even using this keurig machine in the first place? All I need is the hot water from it." After all, that resusable k-cup pod is the same concept as the pour-over device thats been used for ages.

I don't hate the pods, I think they introduce a lot of people to coffee. I'm not fond of the potential environmental impact of the disposable keurig cups. Depending on your situation, a keurig machine may still be your best option, but I'd regret not telling you to investigate the aeropress as well as your local coffee scene. Have fun.

I gotta plug this bad boy every time I come across a coffee thread.

Have had the same Aeropress for just about two years now, only had to buy extra filters once, and they give you a gagillion of them. Also, you can reuse the filters a few times.

Makes great, smooth tasting coffee, and only requires some hot water. Highly recommended!

Aerobie Aeropress - $26 - plastic brew system which uses hand-generated pressure and hot water to extract coffee. It is considered very hard to get a bad cup of coffee with this system.

You should check out an Aeropress before making your decision. Those are super simple to use, they make great coffee, and they're easier to clean than a French press. Also, if you use a French press with finely ground coffee you'll get sludge in the bottom of every cup, which is pretty gross. To really make good French press coffee requires a decent burr grinder that will set you back at least another $100.

Amazon link if you want to check it out

But I have all sorts of coffee making equipment (French Press, Drip machine, multiple pour-over cones, a Chemex, a vacuum pot...) and the Aeropress is seriously great. It makes great coffee and is probably the fastest of all the methods.

For the best actual quality of beans, roasting and brewing technique, I have to go with Portola Coffee Lab.

http://www.portolacoffeelab.com/

It's not exactly the best "coffee shop" feel, but the actual coffee is so damn good. Highly recommend the siphon brew method... not many other places have it available. Also the cold brew is really good too (it's not the same thing as iced coffee). Also there's a beer & waffle place around the corner which is amazing (and heart attack inducing).

Keen is also SUPER good and a lot less pretentious.

I drink a lot of damn coffee. If you want to make coffee yourself at home, I highly recommend an Aeropress

In all honesty, if I was faced with a decision about what brand of instant coffee to buy, I'd drink tea.

That being said Tom Petty liked Maxwell House. Not instant, I know, but it's something.

I know you said you aren't looking to buy any coffee makers, but Aeropress is only $30 and I've used mine for going on 5 years now.

Alright, /u/EmmaBourbon, here we go.. Upvotes for everyone!

1. I woke up this morning and felt great. Why is this awesome? Well, because I finally found the amount of drinks I can take that make me feel really good and tipsy, but doesn't affect me at all the next day. THIS IS A BREAKTHROUGH
   
   
2. /u/AuntChiladas is probably the best person at WikiRacing around here. Just found that out this morning.
   
   
3. /u/thisisnotmyfault - Sorry I keep tagging you, but I don't know anyone else! haha Get in this thread!
   
   
4. If you like coffee, this will change your life.
   
   
5. Pass!

Drink better coffee.
I started drinking black coffee when a friend bought me a grinder and an Aeropress. I started buying different beans from gocoffeego and now get 2 bags a month. Have never looked back to cream and sugar.

From reading this subreddit for a couple days, this sounds like what /r/coffee would recommend:

• Grinder
  
  
• Aeropress
  
  
• Local, freshly roasted coffee (use internet to find local places that sell coffee right after they roast it)
  
  

That's a pretty terrible grinder. Coffee snobs won't like it.

In this price range, for a coffee geek, you're better off getting them a nice cup, like this or a manual grinder like this. An AeroPress would be amazing as well.

They're great. More of an "entry-level" item for moving into good coffee. Like only $25, brews in about a minute, and makes one cup. I mainly use a French press, but I still use my old aeropress a few times a month.

I bought a $5 metal filter so i didn't have to keep buying the paper ones. Also, Google the "inverted method" for using an aeropress. The book doesn't tell you, but it's really the superior way to use the product.

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

What about an Aeropress? Downside: Probably more parts (though doubtably more volume) than a simple French press.

For personal coffee, I like the aeropress ($25 on Amazon.)

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

It takes a little more attention than an automatic coffee machine, but is quite quick and easy to clean (especially if you have an electric kettle.)

More importantly, it makes superb coffee. I keep one at work despite (or because) of the fact there is a fancy Keurig available.

Beginner's Kit around here is pretty much going to be a grinder, scale, and Aeropress.

For a grinder, unless you want to jump into the depths of coffee, I'd probably suggest a Porlex, or either a Hario Mini Mill or Skerton.

For a beginner's scale, you can use whatever you have on hand, if you already own one. If you need one, American Weighs are highly recommended.

And the Aeropress! Despite all of the gear I've picked up, I still come back to this method. It's clean, simple, and fast.

But don't forget the fresh coffee. That's going to make the biggest difference.

I'd go for an Aeropress, a decent hand grinder and an electric kettle. You will have far superior coffee, you can use the kettle to make all sorts of food (boxed mac and cheese, ramen noodles, cous cous, etc.), you will save some money and you will be able to explore all sorts of amazing freshly roasted beans.

You'll be in Seattle, what's the problem again? Oh, funds.

For dorm use a French Press and an electric kettle + a manual grinder should do you and not break the bank.

If espresso is more your thing, look into the aeropress, but the grinder and kettle recommendations stand.

After much experimentation, you have a few options:

1. On-campus
   

• EngSoc C&D: Though not world-class, the coffee is very inexpensive. It runs at about $1 per cup. It's less if you bring your own mug. A++ would recommend if caffeine boost is all you need. Cash only. Profits go to Engsoc.
  
• Mathsoc C&D: Similar quality to the EngSoc C&D, and around the same price as the EngSoc C&D. Cash, Debit, and Visa. Profits go toward C&D improvements (furniture & appliances).
  
• Science C&D: I've only stopped by once while it was open, and didn't buy coffee :(. Cash only. I assume profits fund SciSoc.
  
• ENV C&D: I've heard amazing things about the C&D, and it seems like it's run very well. Similar to Science, I've never had a chance to stop by, but will try to this term. They seem to be very entrepreneurial, and are one of the few non-school-run places on campus to offer catering (of limited size). Unsurprisingly, things are green/fair trade. Cash only. Profits go to improving the C&D.
  
• Arts C&D: I've never seen it open. ¯\(ツ)/¯
  
• UW Food Services (Various Locations): Coffee is consistent, both in high-prices and low-quality. Cash & Watcard everywhere, debit in some places. Profits go to the school.
  
• Williams, EV3: I've never ordered a latte, but they probably serve them here. Expect worse service & selection than the off-campus Williams, with prices ≥ off-campus. If you're choosing this, just walk to the plaza for less expensive food and improved service. They take cash, watcard, (and probably debit).
  
• 24H News, SLC: "Emergency Coffee" - don't bother, unless it's really necessary, and everywhere else is closed.
  
• Turnkey Desk, SLC: This is "Emergency Coffee" - don't bother, unless it's an emergency. Choose 24H News over Turnkey.
  
• Tim Hortons (Various Locations): Going to skip this, since it's probably well known to you.
  
  

2. Selected off-campus locations:
   

• Sweet Dreams: Despite being a tea shop, they have well-priced coffee, and awesome employees. Expect to wait a bit longer, since there's usually a line, and they use a french-press to brew the coffee after you order :'). They take cash/visa, and probably watcard.
  
• Williams, Plaza: Miles better than the one in EV3. They have better food selection than the on-campus location. Cash/visa/watcard are all accepted.
  
• Mel's Diner: Their coffee is ok, but they refill it as long as you continue to eat.
  
• DVLB: I've only been for scotch, but something tells me that I'll be holed up at DVLB for a few afternoons this term. It's a nice place to be, and they (apparently) have wifi.
  
• Second Cup: There's a second cup in the plaza. A friend worked there once, and swore to never go back. They may have what you want, but idk.
  
• Starbucks: There's a starbucks at Uni & King. Starbucks is Starbucks is Starbucks.
  
  Many places off-campus & within a reasonable walk serve coffee, but I don't know of any other notable options.
  
  At home, I use an incredibly inexpensive coffee maker: Aerobie Aeropress, with a Hario Hand Mill, both of which are highly-recommended by /r/coffee. I haven't been able to find an amazing place to buy unground coffee beans near campus yet, and I tend to buy beans when in Toronto.
  
  Hope this helps.

Can I recommend using an Aeropress?

In my opinion it's better tasting than a french press and its super easy to clean; just twist off the cap, push the finished puck of grinds out into the garbage, then rinse with water, disassemble and leave to dry.

Edit: Cheaper links for press, and filters

• Aeropress, $25
  
• Moka Pot, $26
  
• Hario Mini Mill, $33
  
• Scale (you WILL need this), $9
  Total: $91, spend all remaining moneys on beans
  

I hate to say it, but I don't think you can get a setup you'll be satisfied with for your budget. Espresso is a very unforgiving brew method, and after drinking it for a while, you'll be able to pick out a flawed shot immediately.

I built a cheap setup (Breville 800esxl machine, and Breville Smart Grinder) against the recommendations of the coffee community at large, and regret it immensely. A cheap setup can produce the occasional great shot of espresso, but trying to recreate it is an exercise in frustration, because a lot of the variables are not under your control (brew temperature, pressure, grind consistency and fineness) with that level of equipment.

Here is what I would do with your budget, keeping in mind that you like a strong coffee:

Brewer - I haven't used a Moka pot, but both of these methods can produce a coffee concentrate that you can then dilute to your taste

> AeroPress - ~$25
>
> OR
>
> Moka Pot (stovetop) - ~$40-70 depending on size
>
> OR
>
> Moka Pot (electric) - ~$100

Grinder - Both are solid entry level grinders, Baratza has an excellent warranty and is very well regarded by the community, but the Capresso Infinity would serve you very well too.

> Capresso Infinity - ~$90
>
> OR
>
> Baratza Encore - ~$130

I agree with the Roasterie. They also sell the 'AeroPress' which makes the best cup of coffee I've ever had. It's less about the roast than technique I think. They sell it fro the same price as amazon so there's that. https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Aeropress - $25
Hario Mini - $25
Elec Kettle - $15

Total: $65 for a decent college budget brew station

The AeroPress. Cheapest and easiest espresso maker ever. Works very well, and saves unknown amounts of time and money.

Eu! Ando para fazer um post sobre café no /r/portugal há algum tempo. Para além de expresso, costumo beber café de balão, aeropress e por vezes "pour over" num cone antigo da Melitta.

Em Lisboa tens 3 sitios onde podes beber café bom:

Copenhagen Coffe Lab Lisbon

A Fábrica

Wish Slow Coffee House

E na Ericeira tens o Kfé

Conheço os 3 de Lisboa e sei que tanto no Copenhagen Coffee Lab como na Fábrica podes comprar café em saco e equipamento.

Para mim o melhor kit para começar é um Aeropress e um moinho "Hario Mini Mill". Comprei ambos no Copenhagen Coffee Lab e levo-os sempre comigo quando viajo.

Se tiveres alguma questão, coloca.
__
PS: Para quem não gosta de café de filtro, vão a estes sítios beber um expresso e descobrirão que o delta do dia-a-dia não é assim tão bom.

I bought all my glass droppers, mason jars, spice jars, and syrup bottles from Specialty Bottle. But you could get away with just getting two dozen 12-16oz mason jars and do everything with them.

I use 8oz mason jars when making bitters, since I like to make small batches with 4-6oz final product. This way I can make some more often. I do have to reduce most all recipes to 25-50% of the ingredients. Since I make bitters in smaller batches I use a 250ml glass beaker during the phase of simmering the ingredients in water. If I made larger batches I would just use a small pot.

For syrups I bought some 8oz swingtop bottles to store them in. I also don't use any special spouts. I also bought some 16oz mason jars that I use for making the syrups.

For filtration, I've never been please with the results from cheesecloth. You can reuse them, i just find the results are not up to par, and the process much messier. I use an Aeropress. If you stack the filters 2-4 thick, and run it through a couple times with light pressure it works really well.

A cheaper option, although it takes much longer, is to use a coffee filter. It will get clogged up and go much slower, at that point I would get a new filter.

As far as other tools, measuring devices are a must, I have 1/32 tsp on up. A Mortar and pestle are great, but you can just smash up the ingredients with any tools you have. I've put the spices between two spoons and squeezed really hard to crack them.

Honestly all you need is measuring tools, mason jars (lots of them), coffee filters, basic utensils, and ingredients.

Hey there. I'll give you a little summary of what I think most people on here will tell you in response to your questions.

Books: Blue Bottle ,Coffee Comprehensive and Uncommon Grounds are all good books to cover most of coffee and its processes.

This Capresso Infinity is considered a pretty decent burr grinder for the price. It will not do espresso but will be good enough for most other coffee brewing methods.

Getting a set up that is acceptable for "real" espresso is kind of expensive. A Gaggia classic is considered the bare minimum espresso machine for a "real" espresso. A Baratza Virtuoso is considered bare minimum for a decent espresso grinder. Now, you can (and many people do) find these items used, which obviously reduces the cost greatly. But depending on your area, finding these items up on craigslist or similar sites can be pretty rare.

I'm not from Rhode Island, but googling local roasters will provide some results. As for online ordering, tonx, blue bottle and stumptown are favorites around here for their price and quality. Beans are broken down on what region they came from, how they were processed and how dark they are roasted. Each region has different flavor profiles in their beans. African beans are known for being more fruity than other beans, for example. A little warning, most people on this subreddit believe Starbuck's espresso roast coffee to be too dark. However, many of Starbuck's light/Medium roast coffees have been reviewed as pretty decent. Most websites that sell the beans will list a flavor profile of the beans. The basic saying on this subreddit is that if you have crappy beans, no matter what, your coffee will be crappy. If you are going to overspend anywhere in the process, overspend on quality beans.

The espresso machines that you will be using at starbucks are machines that will basically produce espresso at the push of a button. They will grind, tamp and extract the espresso without any input from you. You should just know right off the bat that there is a whole other world to espresso making that is the exact opposite, with people grinding the beans to the right size, tamping by hand, and extracting shots with a lever that controls pressure. Neither way is right or wrong, you should just know that there are many different types of espresso machines and baristas.

I'll share a little bit of advise, take from it what you will. I was an ambitious college student coffee drinker just like you. I asked for a Breville espresso machine as my first real coffee making device (even before a grinder, how silly of me). I just wanted an espresso machine because that was all I was getting from these coffee shops. Since then I've gotten a nice grinder, a melitta pour over, french press, gooseneck kettle, aeropress, V60, moka pot, and chemex. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't turned on my espresso machine in over a year. There is so much more to coffee than espresso. There are so many methods to brew coffee that are cheaper, more complex and more interesting. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I'd buy the burr grinder I linked, and an Aeropress or any french press (Starbucks sells some pretty nice ones. You could get one with an employee discount) and just learn to love coffee on its own, without frothed milk and flavorings.

There is a ton of info on this subreddit if you stick around for awhile. Questions like yours are posted all the time and answered by very knowledgable people. Your enthusiasm for coffee is extremely exciting to see. Please don't let any of my advise subtract from your enthusiasm. Everyone takes a different path while exploring coffee. That's part of the excitement. You will learn a lot at Starbucks and you will learn a lot if you stay here. Enjoy your stay.

Probably the single biggest thing that'll reduce acidity is brewing at a lower, more controlled temperature. If you don't have one already, get a variable-temp kettle and try brewing at 180ish F. You can also get pH test strips on Amazon if you want to science the fuck out of it and actually measure the effect different brewing parameters have on the final acidity.

Upgrading from a blade grinder to burr grinder will help as well. Blade grinders smash the beans together, heating them up and causing them to roast a bit extra. Burr grinders also give you a much more consistent grind size, which will give you a more consistent brew. This is the one I have, but there are cheaper but still good options too.

I'm a card-carrying member of the cult of Aeropress if you want an alternative to your French press.

If you have a spare Tuesday, go down to Conduit Coffee on Westlake near the Fremont Bridge. They have a weekly open house where the owner talks shop and runs a coffee tasting. If you tell them you want low-acid coffee they could probably suggest some beans for you. They also do subscription deliveries by bicycle, which is how I get my beans.

The Aeropress Coffee Maker I learned about these from a friend who is a coffee pro in our overly caffeinated city and they come highly recommended by all the fancy schmancy baristas around here. I am obsessed with mine, it makes "espresso" (really just very concentrated coffee, but it tastes great) and you can use it to do drip-style coffee or make it into lattes, etc. It comes out delicious, I haven't had a bitter cup since I switched! I gave one to my mom last year and it was such a successful gift pretty much everyone on my list is getting one this year!

I'd recommend an Aeropress wholeheartedly. Combine it with an electric kettle or microwave to get some hot water and you're in business.

I've been eyeing this kettle and it just dropped to a much more tempting price on Amazon recently: Bonavita 1-Liter Variable Temperature Digital Electric Gooseneck Kettle by Bonavita http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YR0F40/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_czhTtb0342HQB

Aeropress: Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker by AeroPress http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_OAhTtb19EX9SZ

Haro Mini Mill Grinder

French Press Travel Mug or Areopress Coffee Maker

Digital scale able to measure 0.1g

Your favorite kettle/hotpot/other water heating method

A reusable filter like this eliminates the waste of the k-cups and allows you to use your own coffee grounds. I personally think it makes too weak of a cup though, considering the amount of grounds in it, especially if you chose the higher volume outputs (8 or 10oz).

Definitely consider buying an Aeropress if you want to experience a huge increase in coffee quality. It tastes a million times better than the Keurig, and are basically the same thing in terms of one cup convenience.

Linking OP's problem here...

Chances are 9/10 that the CPU is not "busy", but instead bumping up against a mutex lock. Welcome to the world of high-performance ZFS, where pushing forward the state-of-the-art is often a game of mutex whac-a-mole!

Here's the relevant CPU note from the post:

> did a perf top and it shows most of the kernel time spent in _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore in z_wr_int_4 and osq_lock in z_wr_iss.

Seeing "lock" in the name of any kernel process is often a helpful clue. So let's do some research: what is "z_wr_iss"? What is "osq_lock"?

I decided to pull down the OpenZFS source code and learn by searching/reading. Lots more reading than I can outline here.

txgsync: ~/devel$ git clone https://github.com/openzfs/openzfs.git
txgsync: ~/devel$ cd openzfs/
txgsync: ~/devel/openzfs$ grep -ri z_wr_iss
txgsync: ~/devel/openzfs$ grep -ri osq_lock

Well, that was a bust. It's not in the upstream OpenZFS code. What about the zfsonlinux code?

txgsync: ~/devel$ git clone https://github.com/zfsonlinux/zfs.git
txgsync: ~/devel$ cd zfs
txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ grep -ri z_wr_iss
txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ grep -ri osq_lock

Still no joy. OK, time for the big search: is it in the Linux kernel source code?

txgsync: ~/devel$ cd linux-4.4-rc8/
txgsync: ~/devel/linux-4.4-rc8$ grep -ri osq_lock

Time for a cup of coffee; even on a pair of fast, read-optimized SSDs, digging through millions of lines of code with "grep" takes several minutes.

include/linux/osq_lock.h:#ifndef LINUX_OSQ_LOCK_H
include/linux/osq_lock.h:#define LINUX_OSQ_LOCK_H
include/linux/osq_lock.h:#define OSQ_LOCK_UNLOCKED { ATOMIC_INIT(OSQ_UNLOCKED_VAL) }
include/linux/osq_lock.h:static inline void osq_lock_init(struct optimistic_spin_queue lock)
include/linux/osq_lock.h:extern bool osq_lock(struct optimistic_spin_queue lock);
include/linux/rwsem.h:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
include/linux/rwsem.h:#define __RWSEM_OPT_INIT(lockname) , .osq = OSQ_LOCK_UNLOCKED, .owner = NULL
include/linux/mutex.h:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/Makefile:obj-$(CONFIG_LOCK_SPIN_ON_OWNER) += osq_lock.o
kernel/locking/rwsem-xadd.c:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/rwsem-xadd.c: osq_lock_init(&sem->osq);
kernel/locking/rwsem-xadd.c: if (!osq_lock(&sem->osq))
kernel/locking/mutex.c:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/mutex.c: osq_lock_init(&lock->osq);
kernel/locking/mutex.c: if (!osq_lock(&lock->osq))
kernel/locking/osq_lock.c:#include <linux/osq_lock.h>
kernel/locking/osq_lock.c:bool osq_lock(struct optimistic_spin_queue lock)

For those who don't read C well -- and I number myself among that distinguished group! -- here's a super-quick primer: if you see a file with ".h" at the end of the name, that's a "Header" file. Basically, it defines variables that are used elsewhere in the code. It's really useful to look at headers, because often they have helpful comments to tell you what the purpose of the variable is. If you see a file with ".c" at the end, that's the code that does the work rather than just defining stuff.

It's z_wr_iss that's driving the mutex lock; there's a good chance I can ignore the locking code itself (which is probably fine; at least I hope it is, because ZFS on Linux is probably easier to push through a fix than core kernel IO locking semantics) if I can figure out why we're competing over the lock (which is the actual problem). Back to grep...

txgsync: ~/devel/linux-4.4-rc8$ grep -ri z_wr_iss

MOAR COFFEE! This takes forever. Next hobby project: grok up my source code trees in ~devel; grep takes way too long.

...

...

And the search came up empty. Hmm. Maybe _iss is a structure that's created only when it's running, and doesn't actually exist in the code? I probably should understand what I'm pecking at a little better. Let's go back to the ZFS On Linux code:

[email protected]: ~/devel/zfs$ grep -r z_wr
module/zfs/zio.c: "z_null", "z_rd", "z_wr", "z_fr", "z_cl", "z_ioctl"

Another clue! We've figured out the Linux Kernel name of the mutex we're stuck on, and that z_wr is a structure in "zio.c". Now this code looks pretty familiar to me. Let's go dive into the ZFS On Linux code and see why z_wr might be hung up on a mutex lock of type "_iss".

txgsync: ~/devel/zfs$ cd module/zfs/
txgsync: ~/devel/zfs/module/zfs$ vi zio.c

z_wr is a type of IO descriptor:

• ==========================================================================
  
• I/O type descriptions
  
• ==========================================================================
  /
  const char zio_type_name[ZIO_TYPES] = {
  "z_null", "z_rd", "z_wr", "z_fr", "z_cl", "z_ioctl"
  };
  
  What about that z_wr_iss thing? And competition with z_wr_int_4? I've gotta leave that unanswered for now, because it's Saturday and I have a lawn to mow.
  
  It seems there are a few obvious -- if tentative -- conclusions:
  
  

1. You're hung up on a mutex lock. This is probably not something that "tuning" will usually eliminate; double-check that you're not using compression, encryption, deduplication, or other obvious resource hogs.
   
2. The name of the mutex lock is osq_lock in the Linux kernel. The name seems obvious: it's a queue of some sort. Could it be a write queue to access the device? A parallel test to all your devices -- without ZFS, just simultaneous writes across the stripe in some kind of raw fashion -- might turn up if this mutex is being held due to IO in general, or if it is specific to ZFS.
   
3. The mutex competition appears to be between z_wr_int_4 (the write queue for 4k blocks, perhaps?) and z_wr_iss. You might be able to determine if z_wr_int_4 is what I described by re-running your test to see if the new competition is between z_wr_iss with something like z_wr_int_8 for 8k blocks instead.
   
4. If I were the OP, I'd evaluate the disks one-by-one. Create a zpool of just the one drive, and run the IO test on just that drive first. If performance is good with a single-drive zpool, nuke the pool and use two drives in a stripe. Try again. See what the scale tipping point is with three drives, four drives, etc. Xen historically had challenging IO queueing when managing more than four block devices; I wonder if some legacy of this remains?
   
5. You really need to see if you can reproduce this on bare metal. It seems likely that this is an artifact of virtualization under Xen. Even with paravirtualization of IO, any high-performance filesystem is really sensitive to latency in the data path. Seems more a Xen bug than a ZFS bug, but it might be work-around-able.
   
6. Xen -- if I understand correctly -- uses a shared, fixed-size ring buffer and notification mechanism for I/O, just one per domU. So although you're throwing more drives at it, this moves the bottleneck from the drives to the ring buffer. If I were to pursue this further, I'd look to competition for this shared ring buffer resource as a likely candidate imposing a global throttle on all IO to the domU under your hypervisor:
   
   • you've filled the ring buffer,
     
   • Xen has to empty it and make room for more data before the lock can clear,
     
   • this suggests that the real governor is how long the Linux kernel mutex has to wait for Xen to poll the ring buffer again.
     
   • You might not observe this with forked processes in a paravirtualized kernel. ZFS is a multithreaded kernel process, so I wonder if it's being forced to use a single ring buffer for I/O in a Xen environment.
     
     It's just a hypothesis, but I think it may have some legs and needs to be ruled out before other causes can be ruled in.
     
     I was willing to dive into this a bit because I'm in the midst of some similar tests myself, and am also puzzled why the IO performance of Solaris zones so far out-strips ZFSoL under Xen; even after reading Brendan Gregg's explanation of Zones vs. KVM vs. Xen I obviously don't quite "get it" yet. I probably need to spend more time with my hands in the guts of things to know what I'm talking about.
     
     TL;DR: You're probably tripping over a Linux kernel mutex lock that is waiting on a Xen ring buffer polling cycle; this might not have much to do with ZFS per se. Debugging Xen I/O scheduling is hard. Please file a bug.
     
     ADDENDUM: The Oracle Cloud storage is mostly on the ZFS Storage Appliances. Why not buy a big IaaS instance from Oracle instead and know that it's ZFS under the hood at the base of the stack? The storage back-end systems have 1.5TB RAM, abundant L2ARC, huge & fast SSD SLOG, and lots of 10K drives as the backing store. We've carefully engineered our storage back-ends for huge IOPS. We're doubling-down on that approach with Solaris Zones and Docker in the Cloud with Oracle OpenStack for Solaris and Linux this year, and actively disrupting ourselves to make your life better. I administer the architecture & performance of this storage for a living, so if you're not happy with performance in the Oracle Cloud, your problem is right in my wheelhouse.
     
     Disclaimer: I'm an Oracle employee. My opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Oracle or its affiliates.

People on /r/coffee seem to really be into the Aerobie Aeropress. I don't know a lot about it, but I've heard nothing but good things.

$150 is a good amount really, much more generous than other people who are like "I have $30, how do I make cafe-grade espresso at home???"

My list for you:

• Baratza Encore grinder - this is a very capable grinder that will suit brew methods from French Press to Aeropress and Pourover. It won't work for Espresso however, although you're probably not going to be venturing that far just now. You'll want to grind your beans fresh for best results - if you buy your beans from Starbucks and have them ground there, they'll be very stale by the next day.
  
• Aeropress - honestly it's a weird contraption, but in the views of most people here, the best bit of kit for brewing coffee at home. It's a cross between a French Press and a paper filter machine, in that you immerse the coffee in water, and then plunge it through a paper filter to separate the grounds and the liquid. I think the reason people recommend the Aeropress to many is that it's basically fool-proof. As long as you're using good coffee, you can't really make a bad cup.
  
• Hario V60 - another brew device, this is a pourover, so very similar to drip coffee but you have far more control. You'll get best results using a gooseneck kettle, although if you have a normal kettle with a fine spout you might just about manage.
  
  I won't explain WHY these are really good kits for getting started with, you can just search on this sub and there will be hundreds of articles on that.
  
  And I should stress again, good beans are important. As a Starbucks Barista I am 100% coughing up to the fact that most of our coffee's are charcoal. Use them if you like them, but if you can get something better then you should really be doing so.

I'm really lazy with coffee and just got this. It's so rad, you can make up to a quad shot espresso in under 2 mins.

1. Aeropress: https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK
   
   
2. Inexpensive Burr grinder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F1L7VVQ/ (a lot of these fit snugly inside the Aeropress too which is a plus)
   
   
3. Fresh Good Quality Coffee Beans(tm)
   
   
4. Non-softened clean water

GRIND manual coffee grinder

BOIL immersion heater

BREW french press or an aeropress.

With the french press, you can boil the water right inside of it using the heat stick. With the aeropress, you'll need another container.

Try the [aeropress] (https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK). 30 bucks and it makes pretty good espresso-like coffee.

This guy is great, and clearly very kind. On a side note: Grind is good for fine tuning, but you can go too fine and too coarse with any given brewing method. Going too fine can yield over-extracted coffee, which will taste (among a wide variety of possible over-extracted flavors) bitter. Under extraction with too coarse of grind will be obvious- your coffee is weak and watery, possibly with a grassy taste.

If you do have a coffee shop/roastery in your town, make some face to face friends to talk shop with (the employees, if they aren't asses). Having friends with coffee interests makes coffee way more fun. Like most hobbies, a social aspect adds a lot of depth and increases the steepness of your learning curve.

Lastly, I highly recommend the aeropress as a starting method. It's just as easy and cheap as a french press, and I find the result is much more wonderful. I recognize that others might disagree, but disagreements are part of the fun of it. Good luck, and like AVgvstvs_Caesar, feel free to PM me with questions.

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Yeah, no. You don't use hotel coffee makers. That's just a rule of life. Don't even check them. Just don't use them. They're all disgusting. Buy a travel kettle and AeroPress and just bring it with you if you travel enough to need to worry about making coffee in a hotel room.

*edit: Changed french press to AeroPress. Wasn't thinking about the grinder.

Get an [aeropress] (http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1375298290&sr=8-3&keywords=aero-press) and a [Hario Mini Mill] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375298338&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill). Virtually unbreakable and much easier to clean than a french press, and makes some great coffee. Make sure you can access a hot water kettle or something.

have you tried the [Aeropress?] (http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1449845478&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress)

If you are the only one partaking of the black gold, it's hard to beat Aeropress. Makes a fine cup of coffee and you don't need another appliance on the counter.

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1499874593&sr=1-3&keywords=aeropress

It depends what you're looking for and what your budget is. Personally, I make my coffee with an AeroPress, which makes a beautiful, clean-tasting cup of coffee. I actually use a super fancy grain grinder leftover from the prepping days of Mormonism. Be sure that no matter what grinder you get that it's a burr grinder, not a blade grinder. A blade will give you inconsistent sizes which will lead to over- or under-extraction of the beans. If you want something relatively inexpensive but still good, you should get a manual grinder. The Hario Skerton or Mini Mill is a good place to start. But it really depends on your budget what you should get. Electric, you might go with the Baratza Encore. You might make your way over to /r/coffee for a better answer, but that's my advice.

Since I'm a coffee nerd as well, if you're looking to get into coffee for god sakes save for a good grinder. Visit /r/coffee and browse around.

Minimum setup for decent coffee IMHO for a beginner

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788564&sr=8-12&keywords=hand+coffee+grinder

Kalita Wave for Pour-over: https://www.amazon.com/Kalita-05033-Wave-185-Drippers/dp/B000X1AM0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788582&sr=8-1&keywords=kalita+wave

Goose neck kettle: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSVV60-Buono-Pouring-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788593&sr=8-7&keywords=gooseneck+kettle

Alternatively to the wave,

Aeropress - https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1499788632&sr=1-3&keywords=aeropress

Clever - https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Coffee-Dripper-Large-Ounces/dp/B00EOM5RN0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788656&sr=8-3&keywords=clever+coffee+dripper

Personal notes:
I've used all 3 types of coffee makers above and I still prefer my Kalita wave/v60. If I'm pressed for time and don't really want to think, the Clever.

Pfft. You need to get with the reverse french press.

For your coffee making needs

I do something similar. I put water in one mug, fats in another and microwave both. When fat is melted I take it out and continue microwaving the water while I blend the fats. By the time the water is done, my Aeropress (amazon link I don't sell these I just really love the product which is freaking amazing by the way) is ready for the hot water, then I just press the coffee/espresso directly into the blended fats and I'm ready to go. Only mess is one mug and the Aeropress which is incredibly simple to clean anyway. Total time from nothing to delicious bulletproof espresso is about 2 and a half minutes.

This thing is the tits for the "slow down and have a cup": http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=lp_289749_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1408456330&sr=1-1

But check the wiki :)

Hey there, I'm not OP, but I got an aeropress for my coffee-snob brother a few years back and he continues to talk about how much he loves it (and he got one for his girlfriend for her birthday).

No dumb ass questions. If you're going to the bother of grinding your beans, it takes about 2s extra to weigh your water and beans to get the right ratio. Costwise, I guess you could skip it, but at that point if you don't care about ratio, we're talking about a different mindset than I'd originally thought.

I realize now I didn't recommend a kettle. This omission kinda changes things a little. Ideally, you'd get this one but it's $71. Bringing the total cost to $178.

Bare bones kit: Skerton grinder. Aeropress ($30). Any electric kettle you can find at Walmart ($15). Still would need a milk frother if you're into frothy milk.

Eu pessoalmente uso Aeropress no meu uso diário, sendo este inclusive um dos métodos mais bem falados no /r/Coffee

Agora, entre cafeteira elétrica e coador, com certeza o coador, especialmente se utilizas coadores como o Hario V60. No coador tu perdes um pouco da praticidade das cafeteiras elétricas mas ganhas muito com o controle e qualidade na extração, além do custo ser muito menor e poder utilizar em qualquer lugar sem precisar de energia elétrica.

Muitas das cafeteiras elétricas não fervem a água na temperatura adequada e pela forma que deixam a água em contato com o café acaba extraindo mais amargor do que nos coadores.

Best drip coffee maker I've ever owned: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1800TH-Coffee-Thermal-Carafe/dp/B005YQZNO8

I also recommend an Aeropress http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1394161699&sr=1-1&keywords=Aeropress

I second the suggestion for an Aeropress:

1. Delicious cup.
   
2. It practically cleans itself, with no mess.
   
   If you're absolutely concerned about time, then you'll spend about one extra minute per cup with the Aeropress (plus getting the water hot, which I usually do via an electric kettle while I'm showering).
   
   Aeropress steps:
   
   
3. Make the water hot (but it doesn't need to be boiling--shouldn't be, actually--when you brew the coffee). (3-5 min, but can be done while you're doing other stuff).
   
4. Scoop grounds into the device (or grind yourself--better tasting, but a bit more time and mess) (10 sec.)
   
5. Pour water over grounds, stir. (15 sec)
   
6. Press down (25-sec)
   
7. Top off with more hot water into cup. (3 sec)
   
8. Pop out filter/grounds into trash. (5 sec)
   
9. Quick rinse of the device. (2 sec)
   
   p.s. $26 at Amazon
   

/u/AmNotLost covered the basics really well. I would recommend the Baratza Encore (you can sometimes find them refurbished on their website here).

The method of brewing depends on how you like your coffee. If you like a more big-bodied mouthfeel and are okay with some sediment in your coffee I would recommend a French Press. You can pick them up almost anywhere.

If you like a cleaner cup with more brightness and less sediment I would go with something that uses a paper filter. The Aeropress or Kalita Wave are my recommendations for this (important note: the Aeropress comes with filters, the Kalita Wave does not. You can buy them here).

Next: water. Use fresh, filtered water about 30-45 seconds off the boil to brew with. Water between 195F and 205F is recommended to brew with, and this should put you somewhere in that range.

Use fresh roasted coffee from a local roaster. If you're in even a semi-major city this shouldn't be too tough. If not, you may want to try ordering online. I have plenty of recommendations if you want. In fact, let me know and I can send you a bit of coffee for free to get you started.

Finally, and this cannot be stressed enough, drink what you like.

We here in /r/coffee typically gravitate toward more modern light roasted coffees. I definitely do myself. But if you try a bunch of coffees and still like the taste of medium/dark/burnt to a crisp coffee, then keep drinking it.

I hope this helps and is not too intimidating. Don't hesitate to reach out with questions or anything! I love helping people find the perfect cup of coffee. It is literally my job to do so.

This won't be 100% relevant but I already have it typed so I'mma just copy paste it here and make some notes at the end:

>Well here's the thing about coffee, it's finicky stuff. Much moreso than most Americans would give it credit for. Automatic machines like you have can deliver quality coffee, but unless the one you have cost $200 or more, it won't really be up to the task of making cafe quality coffee. If you want coffee of the same quality (or even better) you'd find at a cafe, you're going to have to know a couple things. Don't worry, I'll tl;dr this with a few specifics at the end, but right now I'm going to go over the things that affect how coffee tastes:

>Bean quality: probably the most esoteric and taste-dependent part of coffee, it's not much worth getting into grading, processing, etc, just suffice it to say that folger's is definitely not using top-rate beans and they're mixing robusta (high caffeine, very bitter) in with arabica (moderate caffeine, much better flavor), whereas a decent coffee shop is using 100% arabica

>Freshness: Coffee goes stale quick and the flavors dull within about three weeks, a month tops after roasting. Those mass market beans are months old by the time you get them off the shelf. The good news is that there's almost definitely a roaster near you who sells decent beans that are nice and fresh roasted. The bad news is that the cheapest decent coffee you'll find is ~$10/lb most places.

>Grind: piggybacking on my last point, coffee, even when sealed in those cans, goes stale VERY fast after being ground (like, within an hour), so buy whole bean and grind it yourself right before brewing

>Grind consistency: if the grind isn't uniform, the coffee won't extract evenly and will taste off. The normal blade grinders you think of when you think "coffee grinder" won't work, you'll need a burr grinder, whether hand crank or electric. Doesn't have to be fancy but it does have to be a burr grinder

>Brew ratio: coffee will optimally be brewed (for most methods) with 16 or 17g of water (a fat tablespoon) for each gram of coffee. You can guestimate it but digital kitchen scales that read in grams can be had for dirt cheap on amazon. IME people who don't know about brewing coffee tend to use way too little coffee for the amount they brew. This extracts too much from the grounds and makes it watery and bitter

>Brew time: each method has its own ideal brew time but for most, like pourover or french press, ~4 minutes is optimal

>Water temperature: Coffee should ideally be brewed between 195-205Fthis is where the vast majority of home drip machines fail, the reason that /r/coffee approved drip machines start off at like $200 is that they have big, heavy copper heaters that can reach ideal brew temp, most drip machines have crummy weak heating coils that end up brewing at lower temperatures and making the coffee taste flat and sour.

>#TL;DR
I know this seems overwhelming, so I'll give you a nice, easy starter kit and instructions how to use it to get you started. And I know you said your bank account was getting crushed, so I'll make this nice and wallet-friendly

>For a grinder, go with either this manual one which has the advantage of being really cheap and producing decent grinds, but will take some effort to grind your coffee (2-3 minutes) and setting the grind size can be a pain, or if you want to spend a little bit more and get an electric, go for this one, it's not the greatest in the world but for a starting point it works ok and it's darn cheap.

>You can either keep brewing with your auto drip or, if you're still not satisfied, get a french press. They're crazy easy to use (weigh coffee, put in press. Place press on scale and tare. Pour in water. wait four minutes. drink), and they can be had for damn cheap

>Then find someone who roasts coffee near you, get some beans, and enjoy!

>Anyway sorry to bombard you with the wall of text but coffee's a complicated thing and we're hobbyists (and snobs) around here. Hope that helps! Feel free to ask more questions

>EDIT: forgot to add in Todd Carmichael's awesome instruction video for the french press.


If you're brewing for one, though, I'd look at the Aeropress, the learning curve is a bit steeper than FP but it makes wicked good coffee, is extremely versatile, and (my favorite part) cleanup is super quick and easy. And if you're willing to shell out a little more for a grinder take a peek at the Baratza encore.

EDIT: link to the aeropress and just one of many, many recipes for it. I actually used that recipe just last night and it came out fantastic. Might make myself one right now, actually...

I know what I'm about to say is against what you want in coffee, but the gold standard for people starting out, is the Skerton and the Aeropress.


Skerton: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450636608&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=hario+skerton&dpPl=1&dpID=415JCWEK1sL&ref=plSrch

Aeropress: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450636649&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Aeropress&dpPl=1&dpID=517aTTC-7pL&ref=plSrch

Its no automatic all-in-one, but for the price, you really can't beat it for starters.

Despite spending upwards of 300$ of gear for coffee, out if the three brew methods I have, the aeropress is my go to.

Its very easy to use and there is a million different "ways" it can make coffee.

There is some effort per cup, you grind beans right before you brew and you have to find a recipe to go by, again, millions, but it makes a very very good cup.

Just my 2c

Try an aeropress easier to pack, hard plastic and amazing coffee


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK?pc_redir=1404880206&robot_redir=1

My beginner battle station.

Traveled down the coffee rabbit hole november and most of this stuff is from Christmas. The gear is, from left, a 250 ml graduated cylinder, a discontinued-found-at-thrift-store copco tea kettle, under it an old continental electric hot plate, next to it a hario slim mini mill grinder, an aeropress, and an aws 100 gram scale. I usually use 250 ml of water with 13-15 grams of coffee, grinded medium-fine, at 15 seconds off boil, steeping for 15 seconds and pressing twice that long. I'm planning on getting a bonavita variable temp soon too.

Get an Aeropress. Simple to use and makes an amazing cup of espresso. Plus the price is amazing. You really can't go wrong with it.

this

+

this

+

Any whole bean coffee of you choice (I like green).

This will delicious and still be way cheaper than paying for starbucks even semi regularly.

Well, knowing your budget would be important, but trying to be cost sensitive, I found a refurbished Baratza Encore for $99, and the brew method many suggest for entry level is the aeropress which is on amazon for about $30. If that's still too steep a price, you can always start off with a decent hand grinder like the Hario Mini Mill which is also about $30 on amazon. The hand grinder is more cost effective, but obviously takes more time and effort than the electric. All of this is fairly good entry level equipment, and you can always trade up grinders, and try new brew methods further down the road if you so desire.

Buy an aeropress. Single cup at a time. Makes awesome coffee. I've gone through a shitload of different coffee makers and its my favorite by far.
http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Someone has already mentioned the collapsible pour-over from REI, which is what I would recommend along with another option: The Aeropress.

If you really like good coffee, you likely already know about the aeropress. It makes a good, concentrated, faux-spresso drink using a little water and coffee. Since it's made of plastic, it's ultralight. It does have a couple of pieces, but you don't really need all of them if you plan well.

Hope this helps!

I swear by an Aeropress. Perfect for a single cup of coffee, and it's plastic and durable. All you need is a small propane stove to heat up water and you're good to go.

How are you making it currently? It's the difference between getting all of the oils and body of the beans in a french press, versus filtering most of them out in an Aeropress. Have you considered a pour over?

Personally I use the french press and a hario v60. I like the french press because I don't have to worry about pouring and having the spiral and water amount and all just right. I can put coffee + water in the french press, then come back in a few minutes and pour it. But I don't like the oils and stuff, so I pour it into a v60 over my coffee cup and just come back a few minutes later when it's filtered through. Clean up with both of them is next to nothing, I just rinse them off and put them on a rack to dry during the week and clean them with soap on the weekends.

I just ordered an Aeropress to try it out, but my main beef with it is that I don't like putting boiling or piping hot liquids in plastic. My french press is glass + metal, and the Hario pour over is ceramic. But people rave about the Aeropress so I figured I'd try it out. FWIW, this is the Aeropress kit I bought. It was $20 yesterday.

See, public shaming works!

For homemade budget "espresso," check out the Aeropress

$30 on amazon right now.
I love the simplicity and versatility of the AeroPress, allows me to make coffee at work quickly. (Hospital employee)
https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1501379513&sr=1-3&keywords=aeropress

Get an Aeropress. Very easy to pack up in the cupboard and makes a fantastic cup.

And they are very cheap!

Aeropress and Hario Mini Mill.

This is what got me thru college. Just do it.

Ok, no-one has given the right answer yet, which is clearly, unequivocally, the Aeropress. I've been through many different machines for making coffee, and this one is better than every single other previous device by a factor of at least 10. French press was the previous best alternative, and even it's not even close.

It's fast and simple to use, simple to clean, and produces the best tasting coffee you can possibly imagine. And it's only $25! You can't go wrong. Trust me.

* Edit: Fixed link

it is a nice device. i use that and cold brew on a regular basis. another fun contraption, the aero press http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406593005&sr=8-1&keywords=aero+press

another "somewhat espresso" device. you typically let the coffee and water sit for a minute, then you press down with lots of your bodyweight to push it through the filter over 40 seconds or so. i'm a big guy, and it still takes me about 30 seconds if i lean on it with my body. i couldn't tell you which one is "better", but the aero press might be better if you just want to make one cup at a time. the bialetti is better for making 2 cups at a time or so (or one super "lead in your pencil" cup).

Boom:

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1473653815&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

Aeropress is easy to use and clean, and makes great coffee.

If your lady friend is below average height, she might need to put it in the sink or stand on a stool for some extra leverage to press it.

French press coffee is really good. I like the stuff I get out of these even more:

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393875606&sr=8-2&keywords=aeropress+coffe+maker

The main difference between the two is that the french press can stuff tends to get bitter, while these ones don't.

This guy?

Is it really that different than drip coffee? I see these suggested all the time, but I've never tried one.

To go with a frugal theme, get an Aeropress. Seriously, it's awesome. You'll need a grinder capable of a fine grind as well, but this thing makes some of the best coffee I've ever had.

Wow. I'm all over that. I'll definitely try. Also, I recently got this:
http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322702735&sr=8-3

It makes the most mellow coffee ever, for cheap. No bitterness AT ALL. So if I have to suck it up and ditch the cream, maybe I can tolerate it black.

I bought a $500 espresso machine and it sits unused in a closet. What we're saying is that good home espresso machines are very expensive.

Now, if you want espresso like coffee, you might try a Vietnamese Coffee Maker.

You can try an aeropress, which I don't particularly care for, but makes small, strong coffees.

Now, I've heard good things about the mypressi, but haven't had a chance to try one. This is probably the cheapest decent espresso shot puller you can find.

For a true espresso machine, /r/coffee recommends the Baby Gaggia. I haven't tried this one, either.

Keurig can go fuck themselves.

Before you all jump in with the downvotes, no - not because of this: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/11/13/people-destroying-their-keurig-coffee-makers-after-company-pulls-ads-hannity-fox-show/857563001/


But in actuality - partly because of this fucking bullshit....but mostly because of this handy gadget

Or an Aeropress for even better portability (I fucking love my Aeropress and use it on a daily basis).

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

hmmm. could this be done with milk?

edit: also, how is this method compared to simply ingesting kratom?

Grinder: Hario Slim ~$25 or mini mill ~$29 (looks too expensive to go for the mini mill)

Option 1: Aeropress and filters, may be just under or around $50 with the grinder, might overshoot by a few bucks. ~$29 for Aeropress and paper filters, steel filter available but not within budget (~$15-18).

Option 2: melitta pourover cone and filters, need a pyrex to heat/pour your water, but every kitchen should have one of those anyway. ~$13 for cone and filters.

Looks like going the pourover route (before shipping and whatnot) will cost you a total of ~$38, while the Aeropress will be ~$54. The pourover route will mean you don't have as great a control over the brew (many people like an expensive gooseneck kettle, but whatever), but will be significantly under-budget. The Aeropress will be slightly over budget, but you won't have to worry about pour control.

I almost missed it! I've got a few upgrade from my last post! Here is my gear.

From left to right:

• Bodum Bistro - Got this guy at the famous JCP Bodum Sale. For the price, I've been very happy. I'd like to upgrade but can't justify the purchase at the moment.
  
• Hario Skerton
  
• Aeropress
  
• Bialetti Moka Pot - 3 cup
  
• Melitta pour over
  
• Grosche York 350 ml french press
  
• 2 Oxo pop airtight containers - I love these and recommend them highly
  
  What's next you ask? Well with my neck paycheck, I'm buying the following:
  
  
• Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck
  
• Chemex
  
• This Digital Scale
  
• Clever Dripper (maybe)
  
  Any recommendations for other gear? Specifically, scale recs?
  
  Edit: Added Amazon links for anyone interested.

If you care about not producing heaps of garbage from capsules you could get an aeropress:

https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker-Bitterness/dp/B0047BIWSK

I absolutely love mine:

- cheap

- take it everywhere you need it, even camping and traveling

- can get a metal filter and you won't even need new filters

- can also make normal coffee

- with a bit of experimenting you can make your espresso exactly how you want it to be

- doesn't take up space in the kitchen

- easy to clean

Downsides:

- needs a bit of experimenting

- can get annoying if you make for multiple people

- need to find good coffee beans

Had french presses, pad machines and Nespresso machines, and those metal cans to put over the stove. Can't imagine to switch back to any of those.

you're a big girl now!

Aeropress coffee maker because hospital coffee is terrible.

This is what I do. Get yourself an aeropress.

Start buying flavored coffee grinds at Trader Joes/Marshalls/Ralphs/etc (look for whole beans, and get yourself a grinder, because it will taste amazing). Make espresso coffee. Add water. Add Half&half/heavy cream.

For example, I bought some blueberry creme flavored coffee grinds and holy shiiiit, it's like it was flavored with sugar- but in reality, it had just 2 carbs (because I like my coffee creamy)

Give it a try.

How does she prepare her coffee? For bolder cups, I recommend the Aeropress, which is a cheap way to make a terrific cup of coffee.

Coffee wise, medium to dark roasts produce the "strong" taste most people identify with, so you can head over to a third-wave online retailer to get a solid bag of coffee. I recommend (with some selections):

• Cuvee
  
• Klatch
  
• Blue Bottle
  
• Verve

Not a single Amazon link in this whole page?? For SHAME people... for SHAME!!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047BIWSK

with this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBJCBN8

If you enjoy coffee buy an aeropress. It is simple, portable and brews my favorite cup of coffee.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK?pc_redir=1405476415&robot_redir=1

If you're looking to brew a single cup at a time then you might consider getting an Aeropress. They run like $30 on Amazon. They work kind of like a French press, but they're much easier to clean and maintain. They make excellent coffee, and you can get a steel filter if you don't like the disposable paper ones.

Being to cheap for $100+ for a grinder, I picked up a hand grinder. It does well enough for me, and I got the grinder, Aeropress, and steel filter for under a bill.

I honestly don't think so. I have tried a lot of different coffee makers and always keep coming back to the Aeropress. It costs $30 and makes better coffee than anything I have had at any coffee shop.

Sure the Aeropress is more involved than other methods but it has become a part of my daily routine.

http://i.imgur.com/RX4W7.jpg

Seriously though, most people here are going to tell you that a single serve machine isn't worth it. The coffee will be subpar and it produces a lot of waste (with all the little cups and stuff.)

You can get an Aeropress for much cheaper that makes better coffee. It takes a LITTLE more time (boil water + 30 seconds to seep).

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Google the "inverted method" of using it, disregard the instructions included with it.

You could consider trying a different method of brewing since you need to make a reinvestment anyways - experimentation is fun! Why not try an Aeropress or a pourover cone?

Aeropress or V60(Need to buy filters for both but they aren't expensive) and a Hario Mini Mill . Cheapest methods but make extremely high quality coffee.

I would highly recommend an Aeropress

Or you could buy a French press from your store with your discount- it’ll be cheaper and easier to learn on than the Aeropress. A pour over cone will be the cheapest option of all (30>14>6), but I personally prefer immersion brewing methods to pour over methods.

Moka pots are definitely close enough for government work. If there's crema, I'm in. The AeroPress will get you even closer to the real deal, though! (And it doesn't splatter coffee all over my countertop like my $5 Moka with a loose lid ;_;).

ninja science edit for the interested: espresso is made by using air pressure to push boiling water through a "puck" of grounds. This forces a lot of solids and oils out of the grounds that you don't normally get with drip coffee, making it taste richer and stronger. Commercial espresso machines typically generate about 9 Bar of pressure. A Moka pot can generate about 1.5 Bar by forcing the water in the bottom reservoir to boil up through a tube into the grounds chamber, then up through another tube into the "pot" on top. The AeroPress, which uses a manually-operated plunger to generate the pressure, can get up to about 6.5 Bar, much closer to the real deal. All of these options are "real" espresso, but they're the McDonald's to an espresso machine's grassfed sous-vide burger. Still, ain't nothin' at all wrong with that when you just want to drink some damn espresso!

tl;dr - Like espresso? Get an AeroPress and have your life changed.

e: Also like someone else said, a latte-style drink made with drip coffee is called a cafe au lait ("coffee with milk," creative huh?). That's a perfectly valid alternative to espresso for drinks like this where most of the flavor comes from the sugar and flavoring, but you'll have to use a lot more coffee to get the same taste which will affect the texture and the taste to some extent. Still, nothin' wrong with that either, I ain't no coffee snob. Just an ex-barista who loves me some coffee and wants everyone else to too. =)

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK a game changer

You should try to drink it black. I know, it's bitter, but there's something about drinking it straight.

But yea, don't get a Keurig. Get something like : http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK which will be a much better use of your money IMO.

To answer your question, the strength of your coffee is mostly influenced by how much coffee you're using versus how much water. For a strong cup with your Keurig, go with the setting with the smallest amount of water. The Keurig is by no means the "best" method to make coffee, but it will make coffee. If you decide to get a manual brewer (French press, Aeropress, Kalita Wave, etc.) the brew time has some leeway, but I'd recommend just using more coffee than trying to push the recommended brew time too far. Coffee can/should be strong without being bitter, and keeping the water and coffee together too long will create bitterness.


What follows is everything you need to know about making great coffee. Warning, this may be overwhelming:

1. Freshly ground coffee is going to taste better. Consider coffee like bread. A loaf left on the counter will get stale faster if you slice it up. Freshly roasted is better, but it might be more expensive/harder for you to find and you might not want to dive that deep yet.
   
2. Conical burr grinders are better than blade grinders. The problem is that a decent automatic burr grinder is going to be ~$100 and that's a steep price for someone just getting into coffee. Many people will recommend the mini mill, Skerton, or something along those lines that is hand-crank. (Good non-name brand options: 1 and 2) Those are your best bet. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, you can get an automatic blade grinder if you might have an issue with manual grinding/don't want to drop a lot of money. I will mention that darker roasts are easier to grind manually so there's less worry for your wrist. The problem with blade grinders is you get a bunch of differently sized bits, which makes it more difficult to get consistency and figure out a grind size/brew time you like.
   
3. Each method of brewing calls for a differently sized grind. This is pretty important. If it's too small, you'll get a bitter cup. If it's too big, you'll get a sour cup. The same goes for brew time. Too long will make a bitter cup, and too short will make a sour cup. However, there's some leeway on both of these to your taste.
   
4. There are a bunch of ways to make coffee that change how it tastes. Methods that involve filtering through paper make a cleaner cup, but you lose most of the oils in the coffee. Metal filters leave in these oils, but can also leave a lot of sediment/mud in the bottom of your cup. You might drink this if you drink that last sip, and it isn't really nice.
   
5. Weighing your coffee is much more accurate if you want to make a consistent cup. A tablespoon of a darker roast might be 5 grams while a tablespoon of a lighter roast might be 7 grams.
   
6. You'll need something to boil water in. If you have a kettle, great. If you don't, you can use a pan or you can buy a kettle. It doesn't need to be a fancy/expensive gooseneck-style one (1 and 2), but you might want one of those if you get into pourover methods.
   
   I would recommend a French press (1 2 3 4) or Aeropress for someone just getting into coffee. They're much more forgiving than pour-over methods, meaning you're less likely to make a bitter cup. They each have their own drawbacks, too. An Aeropress is easier to clean up, but can only make one cup at a time. A French press takes more time to clean, but can make about 3 cups at a time. (By cups I mean a standard 12-ounce mug.) Definitely get a grinder, too (see above). A scale (1 and 2) is optional but recommended. For beans, seek out a local roaster/coffee shop, but there are tons of online options available, too.
   
   Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes crazy) world of coffee!

You'll thank me later.

Have you heard of/tried an Aeropress? Small device, extremely high quality coffee, easy to clean, only $26. They love them over at /r/coffee.

That said, /r/coffee also have great respect for the pour-over method, though there are higher quality pour-over devices (porcelain or Chemex).

Oh, I forgot. If you plan to do this often, invest in an aeropress and the metal screen filter (links below). This is the easiest way I've found to filter tinctures and oils with minimal waste. Also a superb way to make coffee.
https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483129322&sr=8-1&keywords=aeropress

https://www.amazon.com/MESH-AeroPress-Stainless-Reusable-Guarantee/dp/B00JVTQHVC/ref=pd_sim_79_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00JVTQHVC&pd_rd_r=H0RCARYJRYHBV3Q99K8Y&pd_rd_w=wC3LO&pd_rd_wg=P2hDQ&psc=1&refRID=H0RCARYJRYHBV3Q99K8Y

Another justification for the electric kettle, then. The Aeropress is the most amazing single-cup coffee maker ever, and takes up virtually no space. Turns shit coffee into something drinkable, and decent coffee into something decadent.

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y

Clever: https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Coffee-Dripper-Large-Ounces/dp/B00EOM5RN0

Clever filters: https://www.amazon.com/Filtropa-Paper-Coffee-Filters-White/dp/B0001IXA9O

Aeropress: https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Scale: https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ4000-4000g-Digital-Scale/dp/B004C3CAB8

RE: Coffee

How are you spending that much on coffee? Is that because you buy from Coffee shops?

I don't think I spend that much on myself and girlfriend combined, and she drinks ridiculous amounts of coffee (2-3 LARGE coffees per day).

This is the coffee I order:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N2D9QT8

Use an Aeropress:

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

For creamer, I use 1tbsp of butter and 1tbsp coconut oil (or MCT oil), and some vanilla extract. May sound weird, but it's really filling.

I mix with something like this (below), but you can get other ones that are well rated for $10 to $15.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BY9RTNQ

Is your goal French press specifically (as in, the coarse grind and long brew time that results in that characteristic slightly-grainy taste) - or is it more generally non-shitty coffee from an automatic machine?

The mechanics of French press make it hard to automate, so I'm not terribly surprised there's not a lot of robotic presses out there. If your goal is just good coffee without a long manual process, the best option I'm aware of are the automatic "pour-over" machines:

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KCM0802OB-Coffee-Brewer-Black/dp/B00OQJ7X8S/

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1902DW-Coffee-Brewer-Silver/dp/B0752CKQHW/

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Barista-Brain-Coffee-Maker/dp/B00YEYKK8U/

There's also "fully automated" espresso machines. A lot of them even include a grinder, so in theory you can press 1 button and get a latte or americano or whatever a few minutes later. They tend to be $$$ and use up a lot of counter space, though.

My personal setup is fairly manual - an electric kettle and an Aeropress. The electric kettle is way easier than a kettle on the stove - the one I linked has variable temp controls, so you can set it to heat up to 80 C and hold there. Doesn't need constant monitoring the way a teakettle on a burner does, and you'll get much better results with not-quite-boiling water. And the Aeropress makes fucking great coffee, without the PITA of cleaning a French press.

I would recommend the aeropress. It has replaced my drip coffee maker. It takes as much time and attention as a drip machine, and produces phenomenal coffee. Also super easy clean up.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1450115521&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

Here is the listing, and when I googled it this is what I got.

> The rubber like seal on the end of the plunger is made of a thermoplastic elastomer. Both materials are FDA approved for use in contact with food. Neither of the materials contain bisphenol-A (BPA) or any phthalates. We frequently get asked if we plan to make a glass or stainless steel AeroPress coffee maker.

recipe for the bread pudding:
http://food52.com/recipes/3210-bourbon-chocolate-bread-pudding

recipe for the irish coffee: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/original-irish-coffee-recipe.html

For the coffee, I used freshly grounded beans in an aeropress and substituted the brown sugar for raw sugar. For the bread pudding, I didn't have day old bread cubes so I baked the fresh bread cubes in the oven at 300F for a few minutes to simulate staleness. It worked okay but some of the bread lost its shape from the mixing.

call me a coffee snob but this is what i've been using at work and I think it makes better coffee than the French Press. I just bring ground coffee from home and use the electric kettle at work.

Both will be about the same, neither will be any good. the first steps to a good cup require three main things:

• Good beans (find a local roaster. Expect to pay $10-15 a pound. I know this is steep, but it makes ALL the difference)
  
  
• grinding your coffee fresh when you brew it (pre-ground coffee loses much of its flavor in a few hours, forget the months that many people spend on a ground bag). You can find excellent cheap hand-operated burr grinders for about $35. Stay away from blade grinders; they'll make your beans a choppy, uneven mess.
  
  
• a better brewing method. They're not hard to learn at all, and the equipment is cheap. Here's a plastic pour-over cone for 6 bucks. A pack of filters for it costs another $5. A lot of people like the $25 aeropress also, because it's very straightforward and versatile (the pourover only makes regular coffee). there are other options as well; browse /r/coffee to learn more.
  
  tl;dr the things you should do to up your coffee game the first level (in the order you should do them) are: 1. Find a new brewing method 2. Buy better beans 3. Get a grinder

The Hario Slim is the grinder I use every day. And the Aeropress that I brew my coffee in. Amazon even links them all together in the "commonly bought together" thingus for $65.

Admittedly, $65 sounds like a lot to lay out for anything new. That said, it's very hard to screw up and the Hario/Aeropress duo are, I've found, quite reliable. Mine gets daily use.

A French Press, while terribly fancy, may be more work than you're willing to invest to start yourself off. The Aeropress, conversely, is simple to use, simple to clean up, and well supported by we coffee snobs.

The next thing you'd need are beans. Beans you can get lots of places. Something to be aware of, the reason we prefer going from the bean directly rather than just buying pre-ground is because once you grind the bean you really ought to use it with in a day or two. That tub of Maxwell House was ground up months before you ever opened it. It suffocated long ago and died.

There are numerous roasters that you can order from online with a pound of beans ranging from $13-17 or thereabouts. This is for beans that were usually roasted two or three days before they arrive at your house.

Personally, and not to seem like a shill, but I get my beans from SW Roasting, a fellow redditor. Their sampler pack of beans from multiple continents can be a great introduction and they offer a truly personal service.

If even that seems like a little much for a beginner, I've found the single origin beans on offer from Target's Archer Farms brand aren't terrible. They're cheap, around $9. They're not as freshly roasted as you'd get from one of the online roasters but they're still good.

Admittedly, the initial outlay might seem daunting but you will have set yourself well on your way to coffee snobbery with the rest of us. After that, it's just $15-20 a month for beans depending on how much you drink.

And, really, worlds beyond instant. Go ahead, get the things I mentioned or any of the other options my fellows have suggested. Then, make that instant coffee in a mug you threw in the microwave. Drink it black. Spit it out because you love your tastebuds and wish to apologize to them. Brew some good beans you ground yourself and taste a significant, staggering difference.

If you're like me (poor college student), you can pick up an aeropress and a french press and make a decent latte. Many of us here own aeropresses as coffee makers, but I believe it is actually marketed as an espresso maker. It will make an ok espresso, but for a starving college student it's great. The french press can be used to froth warm milk.

Plus, even if you aren't satisfied with the quality, you have two great coffee making devices now! Just grab some fresh beans and join us!

EDIT: I didn't even think about a moka pot! That's better advice.

• Aeropress
  
• Tapal Danedar (also available at your nearest Indian/International store).
  
• No need to for temperature adjustment. Pour boiling water right in and go fuck yourself.

Can't believe Aeropress ($30) hasn't been named yet! Has weight, sure, but you will not get a better strong cup of coffee (w/ a nice swirls of crema) outdoors. I use Trader Joe's Espresso Blend ($7/lb) finely ground. It's packable, the filters are almost infinitely reuseable, and it requires little cleaning. Worth every ounce!

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Coffee Bean Direct and Red Bird Coffee have good espresso for around $10 a lb.

I was big on the Aeropress and Moka Pot, but people are enamored with the Chemex pour-over.

Aeropress.

You're getting a lot of suggestions for a French press, but I'd recommend an Aeropress instead. Don't get me wrong, the French press makes good coffee, but for me it makes way too much and inevitably you get some grounds in your cup. If you're only going for a single cup and want something a little bit more espresso-esque without the grounds in your mug, the Aeropress is great. Combine that with a nice little burr grinder and a good electric kettle to boil your water (which your DH can use to make cocoa or Crio-Bru) and you're set. It's also nice because it's small and doesn't take up the kind of counter space that a Keurig does, so it also travels well (and it's plastic so you don't have to worry about it breaking in your luggage).

If you do go the Aerporess route throw out the instructions they send you and use the inverted method. I like my coffee a bit stronger and tend to do closer to 1:13 coffee to water ratio. I'd also recommend using a kitchen scale (which you can also use to make yourself a better cook in general, if that's your thing) as you'll get a more consistent cup that way.

Unless you have quite a bit of money and counter space to shell out for a quality machine, don't waste your time with any of the home "espresso" machines. Most of them can't actually get the pressure necessary to make a proper espresso and will either give you something you can make similarly with the Aeropress or French press or they come with pods with pre-ground, coffee, which is shit. The extra time to make a good cup "by hand" rather than using one of the automated machines is well worth the effort.

Regardless of the method you go for, whether you get a French press, an Aeropress, a Chemex pour-over, or a Mr. Coffee drip machine take the extra step of grinding your own beans at home. Coffee beans start losing their flavor as soon as they are roasted, but that can be mitigated by storing them in a cool place in an airtight container out of sunlight and grinding right before brewing. I buy my coffee in bulk at Costco and then vacuum pack my beans into about 1-2 weeks worth packages, but I'm pretentious. Most people will say get a burr grinder, and I tend to agree, but America's Test Kitchen tested to see if you could get a good cup with a blade grinder and it turns out you can (thought they only tested with a really high quality drip coffee maker and no other methods, so it isn't safe to extrapolate their results to other brewing methods).

Happy drinking!

Edit: Apparently I didn't finish a sentence.

Hey man, let me hit you with my personal coffee journey. It worked super well for me, and it starts pretty entry-level. I highly recommend.

So, first and foremost, you need to start with pourover. Here's a pretty cheap starter set. Then you'll also need a kitchen scale, here's one of the smallest, most accurate ones I've found.

I'd also recommend getting an automatic burr grinder, which isn't exactly entry level, so it could be a secondary purchase if you find that you really want to get ball-deep into coffee. I started off with the Infinity Grinder, which worked well for me until I got an espresso machine (more on that later). But for pourover and most other methods (aeropress, coffee maker, even shit like siphon coffee, it's perfectly fine). Having an electric grinder is just going to make your life easier overall. But if you don't want to jump right into that, you could use the grinder included in the set I listed (I've never used it - it's probably not great, but I'm sure it'll work).

And that's all you need to make one god damn good cup of coffee. I've spent thousands of dollars on coffee equipment over the years, but for me, the best way to brew a simple cup of coffee is using a pourover method. And it's incredibly fun!

Now, once you've got a few months of pourover under your belt, it may be time to move onto other methods of brewing. Grab yourself an Aeropress. Aeropress effectively is the midpoint between normal coffee and espresso. It absolutely does not make real espresso, regardless of what anyone tells you, but that doesn't mean what it makes isn't super delicious. Plus it lets you start experimenting with the closest thing you'll be able to get to cappuccinos, and other fun things like flavored lattes when you have company over and want to impress them with some tasty java.

The Aeropress is fantastic, and it's ridiculously easy to clean. It's a nice way to be able to travel with a decent coffee maker, too.

Then, once you've got a couple years of delicious coffee down, it's time to get into the big leagues. Espresso.

Holy fuck dude. Espresso is complicated, and you really have to throw away everything you thought you knew about coffee. I know how pretentious that sounds, but it's super true. What I went with was a Crossland CC1, which was mainly because I got it for cheap on Craigslist for $400. But, warning, the Infinity Grinder will not grind accurate enough for espresso. For that you'll need something like a Baratza Hario or Sette 270 (I went with the Sette 270).

Anyway, that's waaaaaaaaay in your future. I'd highly recommend just starting off with pourover and some great beans (check locally, or order from Intelligentsia).

Enjoy your journey, bro. It's a great world out there.

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker - Quickly Makes Delicious Coffee without Bitterness - 1 to 3 Cups Per Pressing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3Ez5CbFHSRJKQ

Nescafe is actually not horrible, it has far less acid in it than fresh coffee, but yeah. An Aeropress is dirt cheap and makes absolutely stunning coffee. https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Also, you can get an aftermarket filter so you don't have to keep getting paper filters: https://www.amazon.com/Altura-Mesh-Aeropress-Stainless-Reusable/dp/B00JVTQHVC/

Get an aeropress. Use a popcorn popper to roast green coffee beans or find a local roaster with a good light roast, grind them up fairly fine, and use them within around two weeks before the oils go rancid. With the aeropress/fresh beans/filtered water, you'll really bring out the natural flavours in your coffee and most of the bitterness will be totally absent. By experimenting with different beans grown in different conditions you can really explore the drink and learn to appreciate it. After going down that rabbit hole I can't stand adulterating my coffee.

Its $30 on amazon

first of all, fresh beans will get you the most flavor. Go to your local cafe of roaster and ask them to grind some beans for you in a brew that you liked. you can even go to higher end grocery stores for this. places like kroger/walmart/etc have beans that have been sitting on the shelves for months, and in warehouses for God knows how long.

second, there's many methods to brew. If you like a large volume with good flavor, nothing wrong with a drip machine. A well-done pour-over will extract more flavors, but takes longer and requires more gear and money.

Aeropress is the cheapest, quickest, and best option for flavor (IMO) that you can buy and learn in 5 minutes. It makes wonderful coffee, but in smaller amounts so it might not be ideal if you want something to sip on.

All of this depends on your budget, check out /r/coffee for more detail on gear and different brewing methods

I recommend an Aeropress. It's $25, makes the best homemade coffee according to many coffee enthusiasts, is fast, and unbelievably easy to clean up. It sounds too good to be true, but it's really true. I'm such a huge fan of mine that I insist on showing it to my friends so that they'll consider buying one.

Here's the subreddit

And here's a video showing how it works

Make sure to ignore the instuctions and use the inverted method as soon as you feel brave enough. It makes a massive difference for the better.

Aeropress

Mini Mill

You can also get a thermometer and scale, to help with consistency a little, but there are rules of thumb that make them unnecessary IMHO. At least for my humble pallet.

I started with that setup, and have since upgraded to an expensive electric grinder and expensive electric kettle, but they really only help with speed. $50 gets you everything you need, so to me it's a great place to start. Use the rest to buy great beans.

Aeropress. It's for coffee but I've only used mine for kratom. Works great.

If you like good coffee, let me recommend an Aeropress. It is cheap, fast, easy to clean, portable and most importantly makes better tasting coffee than machines costing hundreds of dollars.

Before you jump into the machine, do a bit of manual filtering first.

Get an Aeropress (my favourite), or else, just a good old French Press.

https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=aeropress&qid=1563956517&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/

Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder, Mini https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/

The one in OP's pic looks like a Hario Skerton

There is lots of info at /r/coffee ..... my recommendation based on my research and my use is the Hario Mini. The Skerton has some downsides as compared to the mini which swayed me to the mini. It's been almost 2 years since I researched so I don't remember exactly the differences.

As for the Aeropress in OP's picture, it is a very fine coffee maker and I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend a Chemex. I use my Chemex daily and the Aeropress frequently.

/r/coffee should have all the info you need.

Hey, I'm a complete noob when it comes to coffee and just found this subreddit. I've been looking at what people suggest for single cup coffee makers and and looking at getting the Aeropress and the Hario Skerton grinder. Are these good or is there something else you guys recommend? I'm very open to any input you guys have but would like to keep it under around 100 dollars. Thanks in advance.

AeroPress + Tea Kettle: $32.87

Better coffee, more versatile and cheaper. Doesn't look as fancy on the counter though.

My favorite coffee is fresh ground coffee made with me Aerobie Aeropress.

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1310503163&sr=1-1

It's easy to clean too!

I second the call for an aero press. Grab one, a coffee grinder, and a storage container (mason jars work fine too) for your locker or safe location.

After the initial investment (less than two weeks of your 5$ a day), this plus hot water gets you coffee at pennies a cup. The container keeps your beans fresh, and you only grind what you need every time.

So it's a two part solution, but this is what we're doing this year, and on a few test runs it's been absolutely amazing.

First, we're heating our water with a standard stovetop kettle like this one.

Then we're making the coffee in an Aeropress. When I first saw there I thought people were unusually obsessed over what seems like a simple coffee maker. I'm now a convert. Don't confuse its over-simplistic design with over-simplistic coffee. This thing makes a sick brew.

I do not time right this second to respond to this in full, and I would appreciate us keeping these to r/coffee unless you are requesting a piece of equipment, but look into this!

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

in short, request an aeorpress

By the way, an aeropress is another option - it's supposed to be a fantastic cup of coffee, and it's super easy and fast. There are even special techniques, which is kind of crazy. I've been thinking about getting one for a while. I've been making too many purchases lately, but it's on sale with free shipping ahhhhhhh!

Steam burns are the WORST. I've been burned countless times, but the worst ones were always from steam. And the 300C+ oven that burned me FOUR TIMES before I could take my hand out. I definitely understand your grudge!

BPC was a big help for me in starting Keto, and it has been hugely motivating for me to stay on Keto. It's delicious. In the beginning when I was having carb cravings I would remind myself that I could have BPC, but BPC + a pastry wasn't possible. The caffeine buzz from BPC is a lot... clearer, is the only way I can describe it. I don't experience the 10am crash the way I did with regular coffee, either.

I use my AeroPress and Magic Bullet. Sometimes I use my Coffee Grinder to grind he beans, but lately I've been using pre-ground beans. If you use an AeroPress, you'll want the coffee ground for an espresso maker.

I use grassfed unsalted butter (sometimes salted adds a zing to the taste but I'm not a fan), Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, a raw egg (for protein -- I get migraines and protein in the morning is essential in warding them off) and 1/4 teaspoon of Ghiradelli Baking Cocoa. Whip it up for 30 seconds and life is glorious.

The BPC and drinking water keep me full from about 6:45 am until 11:30.

The AeroPress is good because you can make one cup at a time, so it conserves coffee grounds. You can also bring it anywhere - it's a portable espresso/coffee maker. Some people put sugar-free sweetners in the coffee, but I prefer to avoid them. If you drink it without the sweetner after a while you get used to the taste anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK This thing? Is this better than a more traditional french press?

Can you order from any other places? If so, I'd get a porlex mini and an aeropress. Aeropress produces a clean cup and is super quick to clean up.

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Been doing this for over a year now. It's the same procedure as making NET (Naturally Extracted Tobacco).

If you google that, you're likely to find more interesting stuff.

Not sure why you'd use a VPG base though. VG is known not to "blend" well with flavorings, so it's better to use 100% PG to extract whatever it is you're extracting. Some even use a mixture of PG and Vodka or Ethanol.


There's also this thread over on ELR:

• http://forum.e-liquid-recipes.com/t/n-e-t-creations-and-reviews-naturally-extracted-tobaccos-or-teas/28032
  
  ----
  
  Edit: I use an AeroPress to filter the extracted tea:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

*Freedom Presses

To be fair, it's the best way to make coffee. The only other method that might be just as good is the Aeropress.

You haven't had coffee until you've used an aeropress.

Or use an Aeropress.

I agree with others that buying whole beans is the way to go. Store the beans in the fridge (slows oxidization) and use a french press or aero press. I personally only use the aero press now -- it's a total game changer and zero bitterness unlike the french press.

you can get it just about anywhere - walmart, target, amazon.

It took me a while. I started with more sugar and cream, and eventually worked my way down to black as my tastes adjusted.

If you can't get past the bitter flavor, and you can make coffee at home, get an aeropress and an inexpensive grinder. It's $30, and makes almost bitter-free coffee, as the water doesn't sit with the grounds for very long. Takes about three minutes to make a coffee. One of the best inexpensive ways to make a coffee.

Aeropress

The grinder I got, $15

Aeropress is very cheap and difficult to mess up, while still making a fairly good cup of coffee. It can make a pseudo espresso concentrate, due to the fact it creates a decent amount of pressure, but is nowhere near actual espresso. Drop by /r/Coffee sometime, the sidebar is pretty useful and they are fairly receptive of newcomers, and there is a weekly question thread.

Not gonna get much kcup or similar love here. They are common for this use but make overpriced weak bad coffee. Have to mention it as it is the mass market solution.

French press is good work kit, but can be messy http://amzn.com/B000KEM4TQ

Aeropress (http://amzn.com/B0047BIWSK) is my work setup.

I used an electric moka pot at work for a while but it was awful loud for a cube, easy though, and moka is somewhere between coffee and espresso. Good conversation piece also. http://amzn.com/B000TDDVL8

Grinder also? Highly recommended to grind right before brew, http://amzn.com/B001804CLY

Good luck!

As a heavy coffee drinker; I recently got the AeroPress Coffee Maker and Love it. Tack on some good coffee and I think it would make an excellent present.

> I maintain a coffee maker and a rice cooker, exclusively.

Dude same here. I use my rice cooker to do so many things, and it's awesome. I also have a toaster oven, though, since I can't toast bread or make pizza bagels in a rice cooker (as much as I'd like to). And of course coffee is a necessity. I have an aeropress and a Hario coffee grinder and I love them both.

1. An Aeropress brews the smoothes cup of coffee that I've ever had. It also makes espresso since you're using an espresso grind. But you can dilute it by adding additional water.
   
   
2. The iced coffee will last for about a week. Any longer and it gets funky :/
   
   
3. A Moka Pot is a stove top espresso maker. You add water to the bottom, then add grounds and it acts as a percolator.

Hey /u/Take42, I saw these and thought you might want to add them to your wishlist, for your coffee addiction. :-)

Stainless Steel Travel Press

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker

For coffee, check out the aeropress. I got one a few weeks ago and if you can make water warm, you can make delicious espressos, americanos and coffee with very little clean up required. The only downside is that it is a one cup at a time process, so if you have a big group it's a hassle.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK

Can't go wrong with an Aeropress and a [Hario skerton](
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ). You could also substitute the skerton for a Hario Mini Mill, same basic thing, just different sizes.

Get an Aeropress. They're easy to use and difficult to use incorrectly.

Also, buy fresh coffee either through a local roaster or online. I personally prefer Counter Culture.

Here's a couple of links for it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroPress
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK
http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm

I don't know what insta-folgers is unless you mean a freeze dried crystal coffee. I've used folgers coffee bags but it was a long time ago and before the aeropress. The taste of instant coffee is much different than fresh coffee brewed from beans. It may take a little while to get used to drinking it vs. Instant. I've never used instant coffee with the aeropress, but I don't see why you couldn't.

I can tell you that I have a French press, conventional drip coffee maker, keurig and the aeropress, and I use the aeropress every day. It makes an excellent cup of coffee.

Edited to add: about the deposits on mugs, coffee pots, etc. An easy way to remove them is to put a large amount of salt and a little vinegar in the cup or whatever and use the salt to scrub the deposits off the cup. If they're really bad, it may take soaking in the salt/vinegar solution to remove them. The salt/vinegar solution should be like a paste. Just keep scrubbing and add more salt or vinegar as necessary.

I doubt I would have agreed with this comment so much a year ago. But, then I bought the Bonavita (basically this with a glass carafe). And, I use the scoop from my Aeropress - 1 scoop of finely ground coffee for each cup I'm making.

I finally have strong coffee at home that is easy to make.

It's made all the difference!

I would look into an Aeropress. Cheap and makes amazing coffee and hard to screw up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK

Will 60(vg)/40(pg) and 50(vg)/50(pg) work in a pinch?

How much pressure builds up if you use a lid?

Is there a way to let it vent without losing moisture/juice?

Will this press I ordered off of amazon work fine?

If I'm using 0 nicotene ejuice that I bought from an ejuice store, will the heating process fuck everything up flavor wise? I assume the squeezed out thc and plant matter might do that anyway.

Honestly you should go to your local Goodwill and get one for around $5 since you don't need anything special. but this one says it will make the best coffee/expresso you ever tasted. Caffeine is good for you.

This is a couple dollars less, plus it comes with the zippered pouch that's nice for keeping the kit together.

This one is even a few dollars less than that, could be a Cyber Monday special. Makes it a tiny bit closer to a better grinder...

/r/Coffee is the reason for my search. I just ordered http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047BIWSK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002JZCF2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They should arrive today.

There are some very affordable burr grinders out there, and it's worth the investment. You'll use it pretty much everyday. Hand grinders can be very cheap, and work great. Hario Skerton is a popular choice (I've seen it around for cheaper, but this is at least what's on amazon). Plenty of options, all varying in price. There's a pretty decent burr grinder from Kona I've used before, which I got for like $20.

But manual grinding can take some time. And if you're like me, and you want some quick coffee in the morning, then it's worth investing in an electric. There are some pretty decent electric burr grinders out there. You really don't have to pay a fortune. Here are a few cheap options:

Capresso Infinity

Bodum Bistro

Baratza Encore

But you can get far snobbier than just grind...

What kind of water are you using? Hopefully filtered, not tap. And definitely not distilled, since you want some of those minerals for flavor. Now, if you want to get even fancier, try using these mineral packets. I think each packet mixes in with 1 gallon of distilled water. I haven't tried it myself (I just use a brita) but I've heard good things. The quality of water makes a huge difference. This was the first "eureka" moment for me, when I moved from tap to filtered.

Next, how are you making your coffee? There are some great, cheap equipment out there. In this sub, here are some pretty cheap and popular choices:

Aeropress

Chemex

Pour-over

French press

We're getting pretty deep in the rabbit hole, right? Not yet! How about measuring the weight of the coffee? Consistency is important. You need the same, proper coffee-to-water ratio for the best cup. You can find people debating over the best scales, some costing hundreds. I'd just get a cheap one if I were you. You can find some decent cheap ones from like $10 to $30. If you want the best bang for your buck, look into American Weigh Scales.

I guess I can mention temperature of water as well. You can get thermometers or even electric kettles with built-in thermometers (like this). I think temperature matters so much more for tea than coffee, but it's something you need to keep in mind for coffee as well.

Here's probably the most important thing, in my opinion: where are you getting your coffee? What is the roast date? Unless you're buying your coffee directly from the roaster, you're probably not buying freshly roasted beans. It makes a world of difference. Try finding a local roaster and getting your beans from them, freshly roasted.

I'm sure there's plenty of other ways you can splurge money on coffee, but I'll let you figure it out!

(edited to fix the links)

Use this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047BIWSK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

with this http://gawker.com/5567305/192-proof-russian-vodka-will-be-new-yorks-strongest-liquor-yet

For sure. You don't even need fancy equipment like espresso machines or those Nespresso pods to make amazingly good coffee!

Get yourself an Aeropress for $30 and you can make espresso quality coffee for no more than the price of the coffee beans/grounds.

Add to that a small hand grinder for a similar price so you can freshly grind your own beans and you have all you need to make cheap amazing coffee!

I used to spend $4 every work day (AUD prices), on coffee, $8 if I felt like 2 of them. That is a minimum of $80 per month! I now pay $18 for a 500 gram bag of gourmet coffee beans that lasts about the same amount of time.

Instant Coffee is certainly a LOT cheaper again, but also tastes awful by comparison.

Hello! Happy birthday to your father! As a fellow coffee drinker, why not get him a fancy coffee machine? It isn't too complicated so it's something he could use every day, but it'll make a damn good cup of coffee -- which, I've found as I get older, I enjoy great tasting food and drink more and more and material objects less and less. Maybe that's just because I REALLY love food haha.

http://www.amazon.ca/Aerobie-83R01-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1427734256&sr=8-9&keywords=chemex

Free shipping :D

They are very affordable. I've used mine at least once a day for a year.


http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1425765032&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress
Buy a metal filter for even more delicious coffee.

Sold by aeropress:
http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1426045676&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

Sold by Aerobie:
http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker-Filters/dp/B001HBCVX0/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1426045676&sr=1-2&keywords=aeropress

Are they actually the same product by the same company?

.... this looks like regular coffee to me

Use an Aeropress. Does the same job, but better. Faster to clean also.

I'll caveat that I drink coffee black, but with the sweet taste coming from the soylent the slight bitterness from the coffee and cocoa powder helps balance that out and makes it easier to drink. The Aeropress actually does a pretty balanced job of extracting the coffee flavor while avoiding overly obnoxious flavor.

Edit: Link to Aeropress, I was on my phone earlier.

I personally would get the following way sooner if I was building my kitchen all over again.

Also if there is a place you can get bulk spices near by I would go there for your spices, because if you havent already noticed spices are pricey at your local megamart.

Lavatools Thermowand - Same form factor as the much more expensive thermopen but at 1/3 the price.

Lodge cast iron skillet - great for searing meats or as a good starting pan.

OXO Bench Scraper - Makes prep work much easier and safer as you don't use your knife to scrape your food off the cutting board.

Immersion Blenders - When you dont want to use your big blender or want to blend something in your pot or pan.

Stainless Steel Cookware - Has a little bit of a learning curve but is great after the fact.

Aeropress - Life is too short to make shitty coffee.

Edit: added a thermometer/spelling

If you're really set on the coffee pods, you could get pretty much any Keurig K-cup thing, none of them are too big and brew individual cups. But if you want good coffee, the cheaper, albeit more involved option, would be buying something like a french press or the aeropress. Each allows you to control exactly how much you'd like to brew and gives you greater control over the strength of the coffee. Each of these carries a small learning curve and requires a few minutes out of your time and might be too difficult to have in an office setting- but they make good coffee and are very small and cheap.

I bought an Aeropress with a metal filter. It creates no waste outside of the grounds and takes 30 seconds to make the best cup of homemade coffee I've ever had.

> I really want to learn to make good coffee at home so that my wife is happy to wake up in the morning. Plus, I'd like to save some money instead of going to Starbucks every morning. I don't personally like coffee (I wish I did. Closest I came to enjoying coffee was drinking a caramel brulée latte from Starbucks last Christmas) but I find the craft of it absolutely fascinating. And I'm really interested in learning to get my wife's perfect cup of coffee down to a science. (And if I learn to enjoy coffee, all the better)

So I started down this exact path about 8 or 9 years ago for my gal as well. I also had no interest in coffee but enjoyed the convergence of art & science.

Anyway the following is what I ended up with [and what I paid].

• [$100 refurbished from the Baratza Store] Baratza Encore - Most people argue this is the best grinder for the money when the budget is tight
  
• [$30] Aeropress - This is a great way to make a single cup of coffee
  
• [$40 on sale] Bonavita BV382510V 1.7L Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle - Awesome way to manage the temperature of the water for brewing
  
• [$40 on sale] Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale and Timer - very important to measure the weight of Water and Coffee PLUS extraction time
  
  
  You can be patient like I did and buy over time to get things on sale but after owning each item for multiple years now I can wholeheartedly recommend each component.
  
  All in a buddy was using a Keurig for the past few years and when it broke he reached out to me for the same thing. He bought everything but the scale (it was almost $70 when he was buying) and his wife is in LOVE with the setup. The neat thing is once you get the grinder and scale your options to multiple brewing methods opens up. Then with the water kettle you can then use it all for the Aeroporess, Kalita Wave, Chemex, V60, Clever Dripper (ETC) brewing methods.
  
  Anyway once you have good enough gear you can then start trying finding local roasters and different beans. We have tried a few local joints and just recently found a few beans roasted fresh that are substantially better than anything we were purchasing in grocery stores. Alternatively there are SO many online stores to try (and a biweekly friday thread on r/coffee for what beans people are currently trying).
  
  Compared to the $5+ a drink at starbucks we make great coffee at home for typically less than $1 a cup and it takes less than 5 minutes all in, including cleanup.

Right now the only things I use are:

• Bonavita BV382510V kettle (link)
  
• Aeropress (link)
  
• Lido 3 (link)
  
  The kettle is overkill for an Aeropress, but I also have a couple pourovers that I sometimes use, and those benefit from a gooseneck. Namely a Hario v60 (cheap, but excellent) and a Chemex (not cheap, but excellenter).

1. Nexus 6p (love mine too)
   
   
2. AeroPress
   
   
3. Netflix (if it counts as a product)
   
   
4. Biore charcoal face wash (thx fellow RAOA for recommending it)
   
   
5. Raspberry Pi (you can do so much fun stuff with it)

well tea is a totally different thing than coffee and some teas you can only steep once.

for office use I use an areopress with a hand grinder and a metal strainer


uses a lot less coffee than a pour over

warning your colleagues wont shut the fuck up about how interesting your coffee maker is

Get an Aeropress! They make single cups of coffee in less than 2 minutes and they make the most intricate, strong, personal cup of coffee you ever had in your whole life. I love my fucking Aeropress.

Trader Joe's beans
Craigslist for a cheap burr grinder.
Clever or Aeropress to brew

I'm not sure what hie current brewing method is or his time frames for drinking coffee, but I'd recommend getting him an Aeropress! Seriously, when I started out with the Aeropress I just bought preground Millstone cofffee, and it made it a thousand times better. If you can, find a local roaster (for freshness) and grind it there (maybe) before giving it to him.

The rest of /r/coffee can chime in about whether it would be better for him to use a blade grinder right before he makes it, or a burr grinder in store way before he makes it, as I'm not sure.

I had considered that, and a french press again to replace the one I broke... but I ended up getting an aeropress with stainless steel filters instead. Even buying filters seemed like a waste to me. Plus paper absorbs all those good oils. After having it for about a week, i'm happy with it.

Now I just need a grinder and a proper kettle and/or something to measure temperature to up my coffee game a bit more.

I got the Aerobie Aeropress coffee maker for my brother who has similar tastes and loves coffee. I've heard it makes a great cup of coffee and is kinda fun to use.

Drip coffee makers can be had pretty cheaply; you should get one. It will taste better than coffee warmed in the microwave.

Edit: if you want really good-tasting coffee and don't drink a ton of it, get an Aeropress.

Well this is gonna get kinda long and will only scratch the surface but I'll break down the pros and cons of some of the most popular entry-level gear in as un-confusing of a way as I can. First up, let's look at grinders.

First off, you want a burr grinder, particularly a conical burr grinder because those blender-y blade grinders they sell at wal-mart for $5 don't get any kind of a consistent grind. Varying sizes in a grind means varying levels of extraction in the cup and that means off flavors. Because burr grinders are more expensive, hand crank conical burr grinders are commonly recommended to beginners because of their lower price point compared to similar quality electrics. They're cheap and work well but do have some drawbacks beyond the extra effort involved in grinding. First, most of them don't have actual grind settings and you adjust the grind size by twisting a wheel until it looks as fine/coarse as you want it to. If you use different brew methods and switch grind size a lot, this can be a bit of a pain. Second, most hand grinders aren't ideal for french press because of the way the burrs are stabilized; they'll give fantastic fine/medium grinds but the coarse grind is a tad inconsistent. That said, I use a hand grinder for french press all the time and am relatively happy with the results. A few common ones are:

The Hario Skerton. I personally have one and love it. As I said, not perfect for french press but it's a durable daily driver that never lets me down and can do an espresso grind damn near as well as a $300 baratza

The hario mini is essentially the same grinder in a different, smaller package. Perfect for travel

The porlex JP-30 is a tad more expensive but has grind settings that, while unmarked, do "click" into place making adjusting grind coarseness a bit easier


If you wanted to go the electric route, I've seen refurbished Baratza encore grinders for around $100. This will give you a mediocre espresso grind but a perfect and much easier drip and french press grind


Next up: preparation methods

French presses use a metal mesh filter, which gives you all of the oils in the cup and lets a tiny bit of really fine coffee solids through, which gives the cup a rich, full-bodied, velvety character They're also very easy to use as there's pretty much one accepted way to brew in them. And here's Philly's own Todd Carmichael demonstrating it. As far as which one to buy, they're all pretty much the same: a glass tube with a stick in it and some mesh on the end of the stick. I like my sterlingpro a lot but the bodum chambord is hugely popular and looks just as nice. Even a cheapo will do the job just as well, though, even if it doesn't look as nice.

pourovers do essentially the same thing as a drip coffee machine just with a lot more input from you, which is good because all but the most ludicrously expensive drip machines are very inconsistent and don't work as well as just doing it your own damn self. With a pourover, you're going to use a kettle or measuring cup with a spout to pour the water over the grounds in a set amount of time (3-4 minutes depending on the grind size) and usually in a very specific manner. Because these use a paper filter, there are no oils or insoluble solids in the cup so the coffee is clearer, tastes cleaner and usually a bit brighter than french press coffee. Popular models include the Hario v60 which is one of the more finicky models. If you decide on one of these, be sure to use a gooseneck kettle like Mr. Carmichael was using in the french press video above. Slightly more forgiving are the kalita wave and the melitta both of which would work fine with a normal kettle so long as it has some type of pour spout. If you want something with very thick filters, so as to produce a very clear cup, and also looks very nice, the chemex is a beautiful thing that produces great coffee, has a built-in carafe, and can make more than one cup at a time. Really more of a replacement for a large-volume drip machine than most pourovers.

The Aeropress is an absurdly popular, extremely versatile, and very well priced coffee brewer which is essentially a huge syringe with a paper filter instead of a needle. There's a thousand recipes online with different ways to use it, all of which produce a different cup.



Also worth noting is that you may want a kettle with temperature control, coffee should be brewed at 195-205F, so knowing what temp your water is helps reduce a lot of the headaches of cooling off boiled water for a vague amount of time. This bonavita is a little on the pricey side but has temp control and a gooseneck, which is always useful

Oh I'm talking Seattle's Best from a bag at the grocery store. I've had it in Seattle and it tastes better at home IMO. The stuff that is roasted locally is by far better than anything you're going to find that's mass distributed. Turkish coffee IS AMAZING. The grind is the bitch on that one. A lot of home grinders just don't go that fine. I use a Bialetti moka pot for home espresso which turns out lovely. My friend has an aeropress for backpacking, she also just happens to use it every day. It's pretty nifty.

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Regarding coffee in the freezer, when you put things in the freezer, unless they were previously flash frozen, it does crappy things to the moisture in the objects being frozen. Coffee beans aren't perfectly desiccated and they can get freezer burn as well as get funky taste from moisture condensing on the inside of the package before freezing. Unless you're trying for some reason to keep it for years, you should store it in a cool, dark place in an airtight as possible container and use it within a week of unsealing/roasting depending on how close to roasting you were able to purchase it.

Aeropress

No problem!

The Aeropress is a single Brand -- Aerobie (makers of the famous flying disc, oddly enough). There's a few different packaging options, but anything like this will be perfect. If you've got any local coffee-focused cafes you might be able to buy one there.


French presses come in all sorts of different brands, and really it doesn't matter all that much. Ikea makes cheap ones that people seem fine with, but Bodum seems to be the "standard". I used to have the Bodum Brazil, I believe, and it served my needs perfectly.


The Aeropress is a single-cup coffee maker (as in 6-8oz), whereas a french press is capable of making a lot more depending on its size. They're both great, simple ways to make great coffee.

College student here, this is my cheap yet effective setup that I just got for Christmas

Aeropress $22

Hario Slim grinder $23

[Basic electric kettle] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DEQDF7C/ref=twister_B00DEQDEXW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) $15

American Weigh scale $9

Basic thermometer $9

Grand total: $78, still less than a Keurig!

Happy Mug sells beans for $14/pound shipped. At 17g of beans a cup, you can make almost 27 cups of coffee with a pound of beans. This comes to about 52 cents for a cup of coffee, which is comparable to cheaper K cups.

Also, as a former dark roast addict I suggest you start a little more towards a medium roast. I got a lighter roast with my first bag of beans after walking into a local roaster and grabbing what was available. The sweetness took a little while to get used to (I didn't know coffee could actually be so sweet!) but it really accentuates the differences between great coffee and "common" coffee.

And even better homemade grind yourself coffee with a $25 Aeropress is anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar.

I'm interested in this post as well. I saw people here recommend the Aeropress before to a college student and I've been considering getting one, but I've still been hesitant to spend even that much money. I'm pretty lazy and if I spend the money I want it all to be simple enough that I actually use it.

Edit: also take a look at the user-submitted pics on the amazon site... looks like the thing warps from hot water and regular usage. So yeah, maybe not the best option...

High:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MCW72E6/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1481169194&sr=8-12&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=wireless+projector



Low:

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Hario Minimill

Aeropress

Find a local coffee roaster. You now have the best cup of coffee you have ever had.

Coffee is best if you grind and brew it fresh. An Aeropress, a burr grinder, and a decent bean will make an amazing cup of coffee. You won't even want to put sugared shit in it because it tastes so good. Go to Starbucks and get a reserve coffee on the Clover machine if you want to try this brewing method.

Tea is best if you use loose leaf tea. Buy a single-cup, basket-style, tea strainer and some tea. I'd suggest Gunpowder Green Tea to start.

can I buy one like this or are there $200 ones I need to know about?

Gear

• Bialetti combo espresso / drip coffee machine
  
• Aeropress
  
• Hario mini mill grinder
  
• Blade digital pocket scale
  
• Cuisinart blade grinder
  
• Yeti Rambler Lowball
  
• Some plastic pour over thing
  
• Monin toffee nut syrup
  
• Bodum french press
  
• Wine rack
  
  Coffee!
  
  
• Stumptown Trapper Creek
  
• Counter Culture Slow Motion
  
• Verve Vancouver
  
• Toby's Estate Ghost Town

On a whim I picked up an Aeropress for trail coffee, since it seemed like a lightweight (6.4oz) alternative to the single cup glass/metal coffee press I was using (12oz or so). Not a fan of the paper disk filters, so I picked up a perforated stainless reusable filter (only adds 0.32oz). Turns out, not only is it smaller and lighter, it makes incredible coffee.

Where can get an Aeropress from? Amazon has for 109 & 201 while noon has for 152.

How is it different from Ikea's Upphetta?

Hey there - I'm a regular at /r/coffee--definitely join our sub. There are quite a few ways you can modify and up your coffee game.

In regards to your post--there could be a few things:

1. Get better coffee. Do you use instant? Whole bean? Try a few beans and find something you like (and even stick to it!)
   
   
2. Modify your brewing method. Getting a cheap Aeropress coffee maker and hand grinder could make you rethink coffee altogether. It doesn't take long to make a cup (actually JUST made one before writing this reply), and your coffee comes out pretty damn good.
   
   
3. If you're using whole bean, change up your beans. Try new ones out.
   
   Also - maybe you can add a sweetener to help with the bitterness.
   

This! but only if you want to greatly improve the quality of your life.

For Me these candies are amazing, might want to look into some yourself too!

I made a video on this with the almost exact same title a few months back, but it was more focused on the "lazy" aspect haha. But I don't think you need to spend $100 for personal (single cup) use, you can get an Aeropress for $25, a
Hario Skerton for ~$40 OR a Hario Mini Mill for ~$30, and
a scale that measures grams for $10 (American Weigh Systems makes cheap digital scales)

All on Amazon-- but the scale is really only important until you get enough practice, and you'll start to eyeball everything. That's basically all you need other than the coffee. Specialty coffee is tough to get under $20/bag, maybe cheaper with a subscription. With the coffee, it's less than $100, albeit not by much.

For what it's worth even if you don't use specialty/single origin coffee, you can still get better coffee out of an Aeropress and a Skerton using fresh ground whole bean bulk coffee from say, Wholefoods, than you could with a Mr. Coffee machine and some Folgers.

Completely agree with /u/milehighmischief 's comment though, if you're using old or burned coffee, you're gonna have a bad time.

A good device for making great coffee is an Aeropress - it's really portable, doesn't need power and is about thirty bucks. If she doesn't have one, might be a good buy.

A nice desk lamp perhaps? You can get some cool, unique ones from Etsy, refurbished vintage and inventive ultra-modern ones. Something to write under into the wee small hours.

If she likes coffee, consider getting her an aeropress? People seem to rave about them:
http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Try an aeropress. It's like a french press, but way easier to clean. I use it with espresso ground coffee and make americanos.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419219350&sr=8-1&keywords=aeropress

His french press, grinder, and kettle are certainly sufficient for what he's doing. There are certainly upgrades for the grinder (such as this) and the kettle (such as this), but for what he's doing, it's not likely to make much difference.

Others have suggested different brewing methods, which would be nice, but this depends on preference, of course. The Aeropress is probably the best option for someone looking to expand their horizons from the french press.

Given his equipment, the biggest difference is going to come from the beans. I personally have not tried coffee subscription services (such as Tonx), but it sounds like a really neat idea and I've heard generally positive things. Periodically, you get shipments of different kinds of coffee, so you can try new beans.

An Aeropress and some of her favorite coffee maybe? Or a Yama teapot or a water bottle infuser. Or a stylish teapot. People swear that the aeropress makes the best cup of coffee they've ever had, if you go that route then picking up extra filters and coffee should bring you around that $50 mark.

I got thermal socks, insulated work gloves, and a gift card to the grocery store from mom. My sister gave me an Aeropress coffee maker. My brother got me This War of Mine and Transistor. More importantly, since I work at a job where you basically sign away any claim to holidays when you hire on and have been on the road for work for the last couple months, I got to spend Christmas with my family.

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1491833493&sr=1-3&keywords=Aeropress

If it comes to esoteric ways to make coffee Aeropress is a wonderfull way to make coffee without much of the
bitter substances

Check this out if you want to up your coffee game. Makes one cup at a time Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_m4FFzb6SX9JNQ

Many folks concur that the grind can make or break a brew (with good beans, of course). For this purpose, burr grinders (which use two cones fitted together to break up the beans to evenly sized pieces) are much better than blade grinders (which just chop up the beans unevenly, like a blender).

For under $70, your best bet is likely the Hario Skerton hand grinder, or their Slim Mill grinder. This would leave you plenty of cash for a french press— most brands will be perfectly fine, Bodum included.

If you wanted to go a different route, the Aeropress is a popular option. Compared to a french press, there are less leftover coffee grinds in your cup and it tends to taste cleaner, but it's a little more finicky in the brewing process. People often dilute Aeropress brews, like an americano.

Check out the side bar for more recs. Cheers to the rabbit hole.

I don't understand why anyone would drink that shit. Get good beans, get an aeropress, get a metal filter for it for when all the paper ones that come along with the aeropress run out. Takes like two minutes of your actual time (including putting coffee in the grinder, pressing the button to grind, boiling the water, and pressing the coffee), and gives you a great cup of coffee that has the body of french press coffee without the acidity.

This was my college starter pack:

• Aeropress: $29.99
  
• Hario Mini-Slim: $25
  
• Pocket Scale: $10.99
  
  boom. Full setup for under $80. You should even have enough to buy a nice bag of specialty coffee from somewhere online like bluebottle or stumptown.
  
  Be warned, it's all a gateway to more expensive gear ;)

Nice support from the family!
On the topic of lower waste, composting, and coffee. If you’re more of a one-cup-at-a-time user, check out the Aeropress. I use my filters at least twice (rinsing after use obviously).
AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker - Quickly Makes Delicious Coffee without Bitterness - 1 to 3 Cups Per Pressing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G2TxCb441315J

Aerobie also makes this excellent coffee maker

Depends on where you're located. Peet's Major Dickason blend is well-regarded, and Trader Joe's has some nice selections. Get whole beans because the pre-ground stuff loses its flavor quickly. Burr grinders are ideal. You can get a good mechanical one for a reasonable price. Then you can prepare the fresh grounds with something like an Aeropress, though pour-over drippers have been gaining in popularity and are simpler to use.

It is a cheap way to make one cup of really good coffee. Uses the same method as other coffee makers, just in a smaller and more pressure-based form where you input the hot water and grounds into the top of one tube, then press another down into it so the coffee comes out into your cup at the bottom. 30 bucks on amazon We have that and a chemex and it's my preferred method since the cleanup and parts are minimal and we don't need more than 1 or 2 cups at a time. Plus, we are coffee snobs and it's better than most coffee joints!

If you want to not worry about breakage, forget the French press and find yourself an aeropress! They make really amazing coffee, and are practically shatterproof (I like to bring mine camping, since it's super lightweight as well!)

http://www.amazon.ca/Aerobie-83R01-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415980487&sr=8-1&keywords=aeropress+coffee

I've got a pretty high quality dorm setup that is approved. Here are your options:

Option 1:

Hario ETL Certified Kettle

Hario V60

Filters

Hario Skim Grinder

Total: $119

Option 2:

Aeropress

Proctor-Silex Water Kettle

Hario Skim Grinder

Total: $66


Currently, I'm using the first setup. The v60 is a great pourover method. You'll be having the best coffee on campus. However, since it requires the gooseneck kettle it runs a greater price. Last year, I had option. The aeropress is a kick-ass coffee maker, and you can get by with the way cheaper water heater since pour method has no factor on the brew. Either way, you'd have the small hand grinder which is cheap, easy to clean, and does a fantastic job.

Either of these will make a solid cup, better than anything you'll find in a keurig.

I have a process with an Aeropress that's pretty cool. If you don't have one and love good coffee I would check it out, even if you won't make oil with it!

Make sure the abv is ground up fine. Then put as much as you have/can fit in the Aeropress (use the inverted method - youtube it). Cover with just enough iso so the iso level is right above the ground abv. Stir virgorously for 30s with the attachment that comes with the aeropress. Let it sit for ~15s, then press onto a plate/pyrex/whatever you're going to scrape off of. Let the iso evaporate and scrape with a razor!

Head over here if you want more responses!

1. I'm going to reccomend two types of coffee brewing equipment to you: the Aeropress ($26) and the Chemex (6 cup for $41.50). To start out, I'd get a hand grinder like the Hario Mini Mill($25). So there you go, get the Aeropress and the Mini Mill and you're barely over $50. There are tons of Aeropress brew methods out there, so I'll plug my own blog here. I use 18g of ground coffee. You can use any standard kitchen scale that is accurate to the tenth decimal place to measure out your beans, but this one seems to be a popular pick.
   
2. The longer you leave your ground coffee laying around, the less delicious it will taste. If I'm going to spend money on quality beans, I want to make sure I get the best possible cup out of them. This means grinding right before I brew.
   
3. For the Aeropress method I have listed above, you'll be making one cup at a time. If you want to brew multiple cups at once, you'll want to pick up the Chemex.
   
   For beans, please support your local coffee shop or roaster rather than buying Caribou or Starbucks. A lot of folks work their butts off selecting and roasting the best possible beans, and it's really special to be a part of that process as the consumer in my opinion. I do understand that it can be hard if you're from a town with limited options.
   
   I know this can all be a bit confusing if you're used to brewing pots of coffee at a time. If you have any other questions, hit me up!
   
   

Well, unlike pc gaming (all aiming towards max fps) coffee is and always will be preference


For example, do you want a machine that does everything? Or are you interested in aeropress / French press?


And after you decide HOW you want to make the coffee you then decide WHAT coffee you like. And now this is the hard part because every coffee tastes different.


And that means order different types and brands till you find one you like.


Just remember you will also need to decide how you like your coffee. Cream / sugar / etx.

Here's what I have:

aeropress: https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491729730&sr=8-1&keywords=aeropress

-
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder:https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Conical-Grinder-CoastLine-Digital/dp/B018SW3QPW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491729701&sr=8-1&keywords=Baratza+Encore+Electric+Burr+Coffee+Grinder

-
coffee:https://www.freshroastedcoffee.com/

i'd buy from them directly cause they will roast before shipping but they don't deliver to me. so I just buy from amazon. here is my favorite flavor (current, it changes from time to time) https://www.amazon.com/Nebula-Whole-Coffee-Fresh-Roasted/dp/B00CS67CH8/ref=pd_nav_hcs_bia_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZQFRDKX6HMPG7Q1TG6YH

-
under $300


also, for cream i don't use milk i use powdered cream (nestle coffee mate). I find it waters down the coffee (and reduces heat because it's cold) I love hot coffee.


and for sugar I use Brown sugar. Adds a much better flavor then white sugar. but it's all preference

I think you cut too much from the URL.

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Do you like coffee? If you do, try an espresso every morning and it might help to get things moving on a more regular basis. :)

(You don't need a super expensive espresso machine - there are much cheaper hand presses.)

This will get the job done. Go read coffeegeek,they'll agree.

Just something to mention because I see you add coffee in secondary. I recently brewed 12 shots of espresso and used that espresso as the base for my "priming syrup" for half a batch I was experimenting with (I bottled the rest normally, with the simple syrup method). The result has been a fresh, full espresso flavor—even given the fact that it was added to an already powerful imperial stout.

So, assuming you're interested in avoiding secondary even when using coffee, you could give it a shot. I personally secondary all of my beers, but the great thing about "priming" with espresso is you can have whatever process you want up until you bottle and you still get a nice rich coffee flavor.

Oh, and I used one of these to make the espresso. Incredibly handy for a quick latte here and there as well.

I love my coffee so much! I'm so obsessed with it that I roast my own and brew with an Aeropress. It tastes so damn good!

Already I've been limiting myself to one or two mugs a day. But I'm slowly, reluctantly, arriving at the conclusion that I'm going have to give it up completely. It does "give" me energy (that's actually not true, it's just borrowing my own energy from the future). But it also brings anxiety along as part of the package. I find myself vaguely worried at work that I'm not doing well enough, sometimes even as people are praising what I've just done.

We can help you out a little better if you had some sort of budget. When I was 13 I got about $5-10 a week from my parents but I knew others that received more or even nothing at all. I'll try to aim for what a typical intro to coffee setup would look like.

So with any method you use the first and most important step is the beans. They should ideally be whole bean and roasted semi-recently (a couple days to weeks ago). This is going to be a reoccurring purchase for you/your parents depending on how often you drink coffee. Price could be anywhere from $7/lb to $15/lb.

Setup 1: You can buy the $8 reusable keurig pod and grind your own coffee. With this method you could get away with using a regular bladed grinder probably. Or you can step it up a bit and buy $25 this hand grinder that gets recommended on here a lot. I have it, it worked pretty well when I was first getting into coffee. You just grinder your beans, fill the pod, and use as normal. Cost for parts: $8-$34

Setup 2: If you get the same $25 hand grinder you can then get either a $24 french press (give a more oily cup, there will always be particulates in your mug, you can also make ~8 cups of coffee with this method) or you can go with the very often recommended, and my current favorite way to make a quick cup, the $26 aeropress. This only makes 1-2 cups at a time but it's hard to make a bad cup with it. Cost of parts: ~$50

You should look of reviews for both the french press and aeropress methods on here or online to figure out what meets your needs better. If these are still to expensive then you can try goodwills or garage sells.

I did join the new sub!

Switching to a better brewing method can cut a lot of the bitterness and acidity and an aeropress is only $30 and a French press would be just as cheap (and let you make more than one cup at a time).

Grad school is very busy so far, but in a good way :)

I would recommend buckwheat instead of rice/quinoa/cous cous etc.

Bread. All kinds of bread! It's really filling and gives you lots of energy to burn. One time I got a whole 16 oz focaccia round with cheddar cheese and jalapenos and that had to be one of the best things I ever brought into the backcountry. Anyway, bagels/breads with cheese/vegetable toppings are great.

I really like to strain and wash cans of beans(black or dark red kidney), add seasoning (I like any combination of cumin, black pepper, garlic salt, smoked paprika, chili powder) and put it into plastic bags. It's really easy to pack out a plastic bag and it goes really well with buckwheat. Just cook the buckwheat (just as you would cook rice 1 cup water to half a cup of buckwheat as a rule of thumb) and just before all the water is gone add the beans and spices and a little more water and cook for a few more minutes. Probably my favorite backcountry meal.

Nuts(Raw unsalted almonds), dried fruit(craisins), chocolate(dark)... best mid hike snack! Super cheap at costco too! If you don't have a costco card just find someone who does, give them some money and they can get you a gift card then you get in for free! (don't forget to high five!)

Anything that you just add boiling water too is super easy as well, trader joe's has some asian food like this. As long as it's easy to crunch up the packaging and pack it out then it's worth it imo.

The protein bars are a great replacement/back up for sure. I never get beef jerky because it's so expensive (if you look at it per pound) but that's got to be one of the most satisfying backcountry foods (I would assume).

BONUS ^BONUS ^^BONUS Get an AEROPRESS and bring some coffee... thank me later!

...oh man I could go on and on and on... I'll stop here for now

Hario Burr Grinder is definitely small and portable. Grinds from fine to course. Espresso to drip.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464923297&sr=8-2&keywords=hario+slim+mill

Aeropress is also a handy coffee maker to have in your kit.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1464923394&sr=1-1&keywords=aeropress

I also like to carry with me a traveling mug. You can definitely get a really cool traveling mug, but this is a basic one if you dont already have one.

http://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-33208-Stainless-Enamelware/dp/B001Y8R4TC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464923484&sr=8-2&keywords=camping+cups

as far as the kettle goes, i've never looked into kettles that require no electricity or stovetop. Someone else may have to put their input on that one.

and dont forget fresh coffee beans.... :O

Time to get yourself an AeroPress

No, it isn't instant coffee. Instant coffee is freeze-dried coffee that you mix with hot water. Having said that, it is total crap.

My favorite method is grinding, then using an AeroPress. Yeah, I know it looks like a stupid plastic gadget, but they're awesome.

The AeroPress is a wonderful single serving coffee press. You can even use it to coldbrew. I love mine.

If it's just one or two people you'll be making coffee for, I'd recommend the Aeropress. I've used everything from a percolator to a moka pot to a french press, and it blows everything else out of the water. Seriously. Beyond the taste and operation, cleanup takes literally 5 seconds.

Get this thing and a good thermometer to make the best coffee http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=asc_df_B0047BIWSK1808081?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B0047BIWSK It's like a french press but for the 21st century. I just put my water in the microwave and set it for the specific time I figured out.

The best coffee I've had comes out of an Aeropress. It's very highly rated on Amazon, and I've heard a few coffee-oriented foodies praise it.

Also, my friend Nik is one of the guys over at Tonx Coffee, a company that provides a subscription-based freshly roasted bean delivery service. He's a pretty good guy, but I haven't personally subscribed yet.

coffee! i bought one of these and i haven't drank soda for 8+ months. it really was the caffeine i was craving. that press makes really smooth non-bitter coffee that i can just drink black

Acquire some whole roasted beans, that pre-ground stuff isn't very good. Get one of these to grind, as it is adjustable and allows you to achieve different grinds with consistent results. I recommend either a 2-cup French Press or an AeroPress.

Experiment with different brew times and methods. If you get an AeroPress, google the 'Inverted AeroPress' method. I prefer it a lot more than the standard method.

I will literally have my pencil in my hand and look for it. I'm that stupid.
This would be so wonderful to have. It's $0.22 over tho :(. if that's not working, this would be really cool to have.
Why on earth did I do that?

3-Cup Chemex // Aerobie Aeropress

Mini Ceramic Conical Burr Mill // Electric Burr Grinder (Faster than manual, but inferior grind quality and life)

Immersion Water Boiler // 1 Liter Gooseneck Kettle

/r/Coffee — Join Us.

May I introduce you to the Aeropress? Sure, you have to heat the water, yourself, and it's better to use fresh ground coffee (which would require a grinder, as well), but you could use preground coffee if you don't want to invest in a grinder. Either way, it will produce a damn good single cup of coffee.

And, yes, I understand that the benefit of the Keurig is for someone who is either too lazy or too pressed for time to make good coffee.

I would break down your "fun" in to categories. If your spending $200 on coffee each month, it might be worth looking in to a coffee maker and some contigo mugs.

I would buy 2, $2-5 coffee's at work every day. So, 20 days of work thats 80-200/month. Since I bought a AeroPress and a nice travel mug that I fill up each day I have been able to put about $100 more into savings each month. I still buy the odd coffee but I prefer the aeropress and specific beans. It only takes an extra 3 minutes in the morning.

It tastes great too! I use this thing to froth my milk, but really any kind of frother would work. This one heats your milk at the same time which is nice. The "espresso" is technically just coffee concentrate, and the speed depends on how hard you press it. It's an Aeropress. I usually try to push mine out in >20 seconds.

I good price/performance point for a couple cups of coffee on a weekend morning (not in a rush) is a Hario mini grinder and an Aeropress


Add a bag of fresh roasted beans of your choice.

Hey there! I used to be a coffee heretic and then I started roasting. You can't stick with your old ways and expect consistently incredible results when you're trying to produce something incredible.

With that said, you aren't really a heretic. You just have your preference, and it is different than the rest of us. Sure, buzz words like Starbucks and $20 krups grinder are like poison to some ears, but that's not an issue. At least, if you are happy with it then it isn't.

But if you are wanting to stretch yourself in terms of coffee you'll need to look into different options. I don't know what your budget is, so I'm not going to push the $150 grinder on you. But many people around here like the Hario Slim for being small and effective. You may also see the Aeropress promoted around here. It is a popular item around here as well.

Now, in terms of coffee, there are options for you to get quality coffee online. Roasters like Chromatic Coffee offer free shipping to US customers. They are one of my personal favorites. And you may be surprised what a quick google search of your area can find. I'm in a big city that wasn't exactly known for its coffee, but when I searched on Google I found that there are 6 roasters within an hour of my house.

First off, there are guides for this already which is why people are not responding. They are in the side bar and I linked them again here:

How To Coffee: A Primer

Coffee Gear Suggestions by Price

Now on to my own advice. I am also relatively new to coffee so my advice is based on researching how to get started over the last couple of months

Give us a budget, but under $100 puts you here:

1. Grinder: The Hario Mini Mill ($27) is fairly highly recommended here
   
2. Scale: American Weigh Scales SC-2KGA ($25). The AC-adapter version of a fairly popular scale here. It should work for a long time and work well for most types of brewing. The Jennings CJ4000 ($27) is also very popular and is worth a look. The difference is the Jennings responds way faster - which is useful for pour over - but is less precise (increments of .5 grams instead of .1 grams, though this is not as big of a deal)
   
3. Brew device: Aeropress ($22), French Press ($25), or Pour Over (Melitta Cone or Beehouse) There is only one Aeropress version but there are lots of French Presses, I linked to a Bodum Chambord which is the favorite here. You can decide which one of these will work better for you based on the other responses on this thread or by searching in /r/Coffee.
   
4. Cheap water thermometer or an electric kettle that can set temperatures. If you go with a Pour Over method you need a gooseneck kettle which sets you back another $35-65 depending on how nice. A lot of people go with the Bonavita Variable Temperature Digital Electric Gooseneck Kettle ($63).
   
5. The coffee! Try to get freshly roasted (look for a "Roasted On" date instead of an expiry or packaged/binned on date) coffee. Try and buy stuff that is roasted less than 5 days ago and use it before 3 weeks from the roasted on date (some people say 2). You can try to find local roasters and coffee houses that sell fresh whole bean coffee using the /r/Coffee search or Yelp. Be careful with darkly roasted (ie French roast) coffee because a lot of the dark roasts at Grocery Stores and even shops (Starbucks) is considered over roasted and basically burnt. If you want suggestions for brands search /r/Coffee, though really popular and expensive stuff would be Intelligentsia and Stumptown.

It doesn't take much. You can get an Aeropress, a small hand-powered ceramic burr grinder, and some fresh whole beans. You'll make an excellent cup with this setup.

Or just go to a nice coffee shop and try a proper cup (Aeropress, Chemex, pourover or something) to see if you like it.

DARK SIDE!

random aside: i'm such a potterhead (had a pottermore beta 1st weekend) i can't believe i missed this whole sorting scenario etc ad nauseum here. a member of /r/ravenclaw (well before i was sorted ravenclaw pottermore tyvm). I feel so silly. Oh well, heat exhaustion, lots of work sleeping sleeping. never mind all that.

The best blueberry muffins I've ever had. I mean, c'mon, alton brown batches go quickly, and you can build up quite a few of them fairly quickly, i'm tasked with making them at family affairs once I show up. I'm sorry, but I tried to find the thing i wanted most for closer to 20 dollars, but you did throw the ~ My coffee needs a step up and wife has forbidden me from buying new coffee gear since i do pretty well with the press we have, but then there's this. Cheers if i sound delirous it's operating on just a few hours sleep. but seriously, the muffins will slay dragons of sweet tooth. They're so pretty too.

Aeropress all the way!

Looks a lot like the one for an AeroPress.

I mean, you save 8 bucks over Amazon but Ali is kind of hit-or-miss with sketchy sellers.

The paper filters are about $10 for 700 on Amazon, which is close to 2 years if you do one press a day -- you can even reuse filters a few times and really extend the life. Or you can buy this set of metal filters which is $13, lasts longer than the paper filters, and that pack is the best deal on metal filters I found since others go for $10 PER FILTER so if you want different levels of mesh/fine/ultra-fine you'd pay $30.

I thought the aeropress was neat: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK?cache=66cba586495308b05c528073bbf678cd&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1405871857&sr=8-2#ref=mp_s_a_1_2

An Aeropress also lasts forever and is cheaper. Filters are low-cost too.

I've had bodum glass break repeatedly on me... cheap fix, but annoying.

Perhaps one of the ones intended for camping, GSI makes a few nice ones.

But! I'd recommend skipping the french press and getting either an Aeropress or a handled Chemex.

The chemex is glass, but well made... the aeropress is plastic, but also well made. I have a chemex from the 60s, so they're lifetime items if handled well. Plus it makes better coffee, imho.

I don't know your situation so I am wary of contradicting your medical professionals, but you could check out the aeropress, it is supposed to make less acidic coffee that bothers your stomach less. Coffee doesn't bother my stomach anyway, so I can't say if the aeropress is actually better in that regard, but it makes a great cup of coffee that might be easier on your stomach.

>Trying to get into coffee at home, looking for shops that offer gear, like a grinder, French press, and kettles, stuff like that.

You're better off ordering online. Get a burr hand grinder. Electric grinders can burn the beans and you can control how course the grinds are with the hand grinder.

Get an Aeropress for espresso. Or can also be used to make regular coffee. This is better than a french press, imo.

By hand grinding fresh beans and perfecting using the aeropress, you can't achieve a better cup of coffee at home.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422589335&sr=8-1&keywords=aero+press

Cleanup is easy and the coffee to great.

https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1496029344&sr=1-3&keywords=aeropress

Aeropress has no waste (with the stainless steel filter), costs $30, uses no electricity, and takes 3 minutes to make a cup of coffee that doesn't taste like a charcoal smothered dogs asshole.

North Americans are lazy consumer whores.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451249738&sr=8-1&keywords=aero+press

Your welcome

passive-aggressive response, OK. I am only saying every item sold on amazon has affiliate links to some other store. The example provided also had a affiliate link to some other store. There is no way to post a amazon link to some item where someone else profits from it. I'm not intending to be passive-aggressive. I am only saying this link directs you to the same item as this link Sold by Barista Lab and Fulfilled by Amazon in easy-to-open packaging. I understand what you want and it will not happen again.