(Part 3) Best coffee makers according to redditors

$150+ for a coffee maker seems like they have to be doing alright on the makers. I just bought a new drip machine with a clock, timer, two strengths settings for $20 (it's $30 now).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047Y0UQO/

That very fancy coffee machine has a very low hold temp so coffee doesn’t burn, so I doubt paper will.

“The hot plate has two settings, giving you the choice to hold your coffee at 175° or 185°.”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0055P70MQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_84?ie=UTF8&qid=1573915112&sr=1-84&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

I have a bunn for drip coffee. I really like it - quality product. It will be more expensive than the Mr. Coffee, but there are no sounds associated with the machine.

Edit to add: here's the model I have. I'm sure they have models that make sounds, but this one is silent.

BUNN GRB Velocity Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FFRZ26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nZ3ACbQNXTSJH

Also, they're shit at coffee. You can do better at home with not a huge investment and a little time. Not much more than it takes to get to a Starbucks, order, and have them burn your coffee.

Get yourself an electric kettle, a French press or a pour over, and some decent coffee. Splurge on the coffee. Spend $15 or $20 on a pound, and you'll get far more tastier coffee than you'll ever get at Starbucks. Amazon can get you hooked up with a decent starter kettle and brew method. This looks like a decent coffee to try.

Also, get a light roast. They've got more caffeine and more character. It's not just burnt nonsense. Sure, a properly done darker roast can be good, but properly roasted dark roast is a tall order. If you really want to be nice to yourself, find a nice light roast peaberry.

Eventually you might want to get a grinder and buy whole bean, but this will get you started on better coffee now.

Probably this

Fair warning it’s a lot bigger in person


____
Edit: I feel obliged to say if you can sacrifice a “bit” of convenience I would recommend a separated grinder as they usually last longer and if one fails you still have the other. The “baratza encore” is the gold standard if you want something that will last forever and make great drip/French press

While they do make traditional coffee machines with "IOT" functionality, IMO, in this story, the "coffee machine" is a vending machine. Most vending machines now have connectivity for remote maintenance, inventory monitoring, and payment processing.

I feel the need to reply to this to share my experience over, about, 5-6 years of French pressing.

First, it is my preferred method. I also owe an aero press but found the FP more practical. AP is like pressing an espresso and adding water (how cafe Americana are in France/Italy). They also produce less. Great for one mug but if you want to make a big 16-20oz mug/travel mug for two you will have to make several.

I also started with the $20-30 Bodum glass presses. These are classic and easy to find. Sadly, accidents will happen and I've broken a lot. One fell out of the drying rack. One accidentally knocked over on the stone countertop (it didn't fall off, just knocked over), on broken tapping it out into the bin, etc. $20 or more a crack. That adds up.

I wish I knew about this FP sooner. It's metal and well constructed....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_NuE7xbFBQETM9

It's metal all the way through. The mess is double layered and is screwed/treaded into the plunger stick. I've had some FP that looked well made in the carafe but the press was made of plastic and rubber that wore away quickly.

This thing is study. It won't break if it falls (I've unintentionally proven it) and you can vigorously tap it on the side of a bin to get the grinds out.

The twist/screw off of the mesh is awesome as it's super easy to clean any stuck grounds. My FP came with an extra mess set that I've never needed.

Also about coffee. I believe it's an 80/20 thing. 80% of the taste will come from the bean. Get good beans. I'm not a fan of Starbucks double roasting. Most of it tastes burnt. I used to be more of a dark roast but have learned that I really like a good medium breakfast/house blend roast.

I'm lucky to have several local roasters near me. Do a search for local roasters in your city. It will be the freshest.

Also, grind your own beans. Pre-grinding will make the beans go stale faster. I've tried both blade/whip grinders (like a blender) and burr grinders (beans are crushed between two gears). I personally don't really notice the difference in taste between them. Haro sells an inexpensive hand burr grinder that will probably last to the end of time but hand grinding takes a lot of energy, if you like the extra process effort. But you could bring it camping because no electricity required.

The other 20% flavor, I think comes from the brew method. I.e. French Press/drip/pour over/etc.

I find traditional drip machines get a bad taste over time. The office machine just isn't cleaned enough and the pitcher will grow coffee barnacles over time. Yuck. Some of the pots I've cleaned out to improve flavor, it's crazy.

Either way, FP will give you better flavor by like 1000 times compared to a Kureg and you can feel better knowing your not tossing wasteful plastic kureg cups into the landfill. I'm not even much of an environmentalist but wasteful is wasteful.

I also recommend getting a decent insulated travel mug. At least for work. It keeps your coffee warm so you can enjoy all of it and don't get displeased if it gets too cold. My wife gets me an annual Shutterstock xmas mug with family pictures of that year. It's like having a beer stein collection but with annual family memories and the mugs double as family deck photos so I don't need to keep rotating those.

Hope that helps anyone make a decision. and if your office doesn't have a hot water dispenser, an electric tea kettle is real cheap. Otherwise I use a regular tea kettle at home and get to enjoy the sound of the kettle whistle in the morning. =)

Cheers!

To anyone looking to spend a few hundred on someone who enjoys food science or just fancy kitchen gadgets I own both of these and LOVE them:

Technivorm Moccamaster coffee maker. Silver color will drop to like $270 for BF likely. The best drip coffee money can buy. 5 year warranty but will likely last a lifetime. One of those "buy it for life" items. Spend $15 on a wifi outlet and it is also programmable/smart.

Breville Tea Maker. I found mine for $125 at Marshals last month, YMMV. Honestly worth full price though. Making tea becomes so easy and fun. I set it up before a shower and come out to perfectly brewed tea every time.

I have a drip machine, I can't think of many people here who'd take umbrage with someone who's doing the best they can with their resources.

I have a Moccamaster and I'm extremely pleased with it. However, the Bonavita is one I'd seriously consider if I needed a new brewer. Or anything from the SCA certified list.

One of the reasons a lot of people end up loading their coffee with cream and sugar is to mask a bitterness that only generally shows up when a coffee is burnt, when too many coffee grounds were used, or when the coffee is old. I suggest using a French press to make coffee to ensure that it isn't getting too hot/sitting on a burner for too long, which can happen easily with a traditional coffee maker. (I've had a Bodum model for about four years now, and it has held up really well). I also recommend going a bit fancier than Maxwell House for your coffee itself. If you can get whole beans and grind them every morning, you'll end up with a better tasting cup of joe, but getting something pre-ground and using it within a week or two isn't that bad. You also may want to look for a medium roast bean if you're looking for more complex flavors. While you definitely can get some good tastes from a darker roast, a medium roast is often a little more approachable if you are weaning yourself off of milk and sugar right now. If you're looking to try different things, I reccomend Rhetoric Coffee. They are a subscription service that sends different roasts out every two weeks and can be great to introduce you to new blends.

Remember that there are LOTS of flavors and different roasts out there too, so don't feel like you have to force yourself to like a certain blend or even drink your coffee a certain way. Kudos to you for trying new things though!

The thing these coffeeheads forget to mention, though, is that unless your grounds are fresh (and I mean very fresh, as in you did grind them yourself this morning right?) you've lost a good portion of the oils anyway.

Besides, this doesn't seem to me to be anything other than a cheaply made French press, and those are just as easy to use and accessible. Not only that, but the "good" brands aren't that much more expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Wifi-Enabled-Coffeemaker-BVMC-PSTX91WE/dp/B00LUFSSWG

Sure!

This is the popcorn popper I'm using to roast (not pictured)

This is the Sweet Maria's sampler pack (4 lbs of green coffee for roasting). Mine specifically came with these four coffees:

• Java Kopi Sunda
  
  
• Sumatra Toba Batak Peaberry
  
  
• Ethiopia Sidama Deri Kochoha
  
  
• Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima"
  
  Now on to the equipment:
  
  
  Bonavita BV3825ST 1-Liter Stovetop Kettle
  
  American Weigh Black Blade Digital Pocket Scale, 1000 by 0.1 G
  
  Taylor Classic Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer
  
  Chemex Coffee Maker 8 Cup Classic
  
  Chemex Coffee Filters - 100 Chemex Bonded Unbleached Filter Squares FSU-100
  
  Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder
  
  
  I also have a bodum french press and an aeropress. The scale is big enough to measure coffee, but not big enough to brew on, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about getting one, but it was pretty cheap and I don't mind pre-measuring the coffee and water rather than doing it while i brew. I also have already had some issues with the thermometer head rotating, throwing off the measurement, but it's not really a huge deal because it's easy to rotate it back and I usually just bring water to a boil and then let it drop 10 degrees regardless of what the temp actually says. Overall, loving all my new goodies!

Wow, that picture made me shudder.

Well, if it's an automatic machine you're looking for, this might be up your alley. It has a built-in filter, so maybe it might help with the water a bit.

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-SJX33GT-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B0047Y0UQO/ref=lp_289745_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1408075240&sr=1-1

• You're
  
• in
  
• luck!

Ok. There's been some great advice in this thread and I don't want to step on anyone's toes. But I went through a similar process when I wanted to stop drinking shit coffee a couple years ago, and this is my current setup.

The Grinder. You want a conical burr grinder. You can do this without breaking the bank: I got a Breville for less than $100 and it kicks ass. Grinds like a boss, whisper quiet, and it looks like a robot.

But why, you ask, should you splurge on the grinder? You could get a little Krups grinder for $15. And that would be great -- if all you wanted, ever, was to drink french pressed or drip coffee. But if you ever want to make espresso, then you need a conical burr grinder. And it sounds like you are going to want to do some experimenting.

The Brewer. My personal thing is this: I don't brew coffee through anything that plugs in. There's just no reason to.

Get yourself a kettle for your stove - I like this one, because you can see that there's nothing growing inside. And you avoid the mineral-y crust that you would have to scrape off of an electric kettle.

Use filtered water. It makes a difference.

Get yourself a simple drip cone or, if you want to be a little fancier, a Chemex carafe. You put a filter in the top, you grind the beans, you put the beans in the filter, you pour hot water over the top of it. The beans get thoroughly steeped and you end up with an even, smooth coffee with little to no bitterness.

Because you've saved so much money on coffee makers, splurge a bit. Get yourself a French press for when you want something with more oomph. And get yourself a little Italian stovetop espresso maker. You put fine espresso grinds in the top, you put water in the bottom, you put the whole thing on the stove - voilà.

There. If you wanted all this shit to plug into the wall you would have spent $1000. But you can get all of this for less than $200.

The Beans. Here's the dirty little secret about coffee beans: freshness matters more than brand. You could get the finest quality beans shipped to you from halfway across the country if you like - but they're going to be stale by the time they get to you.

Here's what you do instead: find a cafe that roasts their own beans and buy from their cafe. They'll have been roasted within the last few weeks. The beans will have this great oily sheen to them - that's how you know they're good. Buy them one package at a time and keep them in an airtight canister. And for christ's sakes, never freeze coffee beans.

There you go! With this setup you can make almost any type of coffee drink available at your local Starbucks, for cheap. There'll be no gunk to clean out of the musty interiors of a complex drip coffee maker. And a lot of this stuff has a great aesthetic, so your kitchen will look fantastic.

Edited for spelling.

Here's a link to the same product without the referral found in OP's link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZD3QJC/

I've been using Black and decker single serve coffee maker (link). It's pretty much a typical coffee maker, so I have to fill it up with water every time I want to brew coffee, but it saves me a step because it pours directly into a cup.. And it comes with a reusable coffee filter. I like to pretend it's a cheap version of a keurig machine.

Dude. Just throw in for one of these. Makes great coffee super easy.

Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker with Permanent Filter, 1 Liter, 34 Ounce, Black Band https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LOCYKIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ic2QDbCSME5BA

Chemex! We used to have an electric coffee maker years ago and switched to French press, but then we found this bad boy and have never looked back. It's practical, attractive, easy to clean, and (most importantly) perfect coffee every time:

https://www.amazon.com/Chemex-6-Cup-Classic-Glass-Coffee/dp/B000I1WP7W?th=1

Hope this helps! <3

TL;DR: Use fresh-roasted beans from a local roaster, grind them yourself with a burr grinder, use filtered water, and don't cheap out on the brewing equipment.

First of all: /r/Coffee

Now that that's out of the way: What's your goal? Are you just disappointed in how your home-made coffee turns out, and want it to be more like the coffee shop experience?

First, let's talk about the coffee itself, before you add anything to your cup. A good cup of coffee, regardless of whether your goal is just a black cup of joe or a fancy espresso drink, absolutely requires good beans, a good grinder, good water, and a proper brew.

Beans:
-
Ok, obviously, right? Garbage in, garbage out. The problem is that most of what's out there is closer to "garbage" than it is to "great." Beans should be used within a couple of weeks of when they were roasted. That's not snobbery, that's just a fact - roasted beans lose a considerable amount of flavor after the first few weeks, and most of what you'll buy in the grocery store is already weeks old, maybe even months old. Go find a local coffee roaster and buy beans from them. My local roaster charges the same as (or less than) Starbucks for a pound, and the coffee is considerably better.

Grinder:
-
Do not buy pre-ground beans. That bit about using coffee within a couple weeks of roasting? Once you grind it, that drops a lot. You should grind your coffee right before you brew it. However, I would rather use a burr grinder at the time of purchase than use a blade grinder at home. Those will turn some of the beans into fine powder (which will make your coffee bitter), some into big chunks (which will be bland and flavorless). A consistent grind is important, and you can get one from a burr grinder. Use one scoop of grounds per "cup" of coffee (cup is in quote marks because a "cup" of coffee is 6oz, whereas the unit of measure "one cup" is 8oz - your drip maker's carafe should measure by 6oz cups).

Water:
-
Coffee is more than 99% water. It stands to reason that shitty water makes shitty coffee. If your tap water has any flavor to it, use filtered or bottled water. If you use tap water, use only cold water. Or, get a coffee maker with a built-in filter and change it on schedule.

Brewing:
-
Your equipment really matters. The flavors in a coffee bean come out best at right around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take 5 degrees. A colder brew comes out weak, and a hotter brew extracts nasty bitter flavors. Do you suppose a $20 Mr. Coffee brewer achieves the correct temperature and maintains it for the entire brew cycle every time? It probably doesn't. This is even more important with espresso, where pressure is just as important as temperature. Cheap espresso machines rarely give a quality brew. ("Cheap" for an espresso machine, btw, is generally under $400.)

Now What?
-
So, those are the basics. And if you follow them well, you might even find you don't need to add milk or sugar to your cup. Of course, you can - some of the flavors in coffee aren't soluble in water, but they are soluble in fat, so a bit of non-skim milk can actually bring those flavors out.

As for how much cream/sugar to add, well... it's "to taste," as a rule. Taste it black first. Too bold? Add milk. Too bitter? Add sugar. Just a little at a time.

Espresso Drinks
-
Espresso-based drinks (generally anything French or Italian-sounding: espresso, cappuccino, americano, cafe latte, cafe au lait, etc) are tough to make at home, because a good electric espresso machine is expensive, and a good manual one can be even more expensive and much harder to use.

A good compromise is a Moka pot. What it makes is not technically espresso (per the Italian Espresso National Institute), but is very nearly the same. They're generally used stovetop, but electric ones are available.

Once you have your espresso, turning it into something else (cappuccino, americano, whatever) is generally about adding ratios of milk, milk foam, and other ingredients. The milk is heated or turned to foam using steam. Espresso machines generally have the steam wand you need in order to do this. A moka pot will not. You can get a standalone milk frother - some just whip air into it like a hand mixer (though much smaller), others actually use steam (but of course are more expensive).

Use this as a guide to building your espresso drinks.

So what equipment do I use, then?
-
It always bugs me when people give general advice but won't give specifics. So here's what I use at home:

• Grinder: Breville BCG450XL ($99.95) - Grinds well without introducing too much heat, or static electricity (yes, this is a problem with some, and it's obnoxious). They claim the finest setting will work for Turkish, but really it's more of an espresso grind.
  
• Drip Maker: Cuisinart DCC-1200 ($88.49) - Reviews consistently well for evenness and accuracy of temperature. Note: Use the "More Buying Choices" section on the right to find one sold by Amazon.com directly, instead of a marketplace seller - I can't seem to link directly to that listing.
  
• Espresso: DeLonghi DC155 ($84.99) - Has all the flaws of a cheap espresso machine, except it's pump-driven rather than steam-driven (meaning pressure is consistent). Its heat block is also about the best you'll do in this price range. That said, I don't use it often. Making espresso is kind of a pain regardless of your equipment, unless you get a so-called super-automatic machine.
  
  And there you go - that's how to make coffee that's as good as, or better than, coffee shop coffee at home. I know the giant wall of text makes it seem like a lot but really it comes down to the TL;DR at the top.

Syphon coffee maker - this one has been on my wishlist for a while. Apparently the chain is an important design feature.

I used this one for a while, a Breville Burr Grinder. It's pretty fantastic and not too loud.

I've been using this Breville grinder for years. The last few years has been at the office where we use it 2-3 times a day. I've had real coffee fanatics say it's the best grinder they've seen. It's $105 at Amazon right now which isn't bad for a good burr grinder.

Edit: Just realized someone else already recommended this one in the comments.

Pourover is the brew method, which can be acheived with a variety of instruments. This particular one is a Hario V60, the most popular pourover brew method used in cafés.

Other common pourover brewers include (my favorite) the Chemex and Melitta Cone

I know it's expensive, but the sterling stainless steel french press is a CHAMP:
http://www.amazon.com/SterlingPro-Double-Stainless-French-Coffee/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1449597157&sr=1-3&keywords=stainless+steel+french+press

I've had multiple bodum's that broke (I usually get a year or two out of them). This one, though, is incredibly resilient. I was initially nervous about using something other than glass, but I honestly can't tell a difference in taste (by the way, I cannot say the same thing about the aeropress, people tell me I'm crazy but I feel like I can taste the plastic in the brew).

I was given this one as a christmas gift several years ago and I'm positive it will be around for a very long time.

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BDC650BSS-Control-Silver-Medium/dp/B00VGGVQCI/

If you want something that will grind the beans fresh every time you brew, is easy to clean, and will make enough coffee for 4 people in a household jacked up on caffeine.

This machine was in one of the AirBNB's my company rented for our quarterly meetup, and it was fantastic. Put beans in, select grind size, select amount of cups of coffee, and brew strength. Coffee tasted great too.

I have a technivorm mocxamaster one cup brewer. I like it a lot. That said, I’m gonna be the odd person here and suggest a different solution to your problem

OXO BREW Single Serve Pour Over Coffee Dripper with Auto-Drip Water Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ENK41Q6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_B6kxDbEV6HYMA

It is one extra step but if you have a ready source of hot water, it is basically automatic compared to a pour over...
It makes great coffee and I’m a fan. I’m thinking about putting the technivorm in the basement because the oxo does such a good job and it doesn’t take up counter space.

I just HAVE to have coffee in my hotel room and I don't trust the cleanliness of the coffee set up in most hotel rooms. I carry this dual voltage collapsable kettle for boiling water as I don't like the metallic taste left by EVERY infusion water heater I've used. Also, it gets too tedious to wait for one cup at t time when I travel with my husband: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MG7YLQG?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1&pf_rd_p=90cc9c48-c4b5-46f2-bc74-4c537b7e8d9a&pf_rd_r=XM2GKNHQNZZEWAJD619F&pd_rd_wg=CCmH1&pf_rd_s=desktop-huc-carousels&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_i=B01MG7YLQG&pd_rd_w=bbdUk&pf_rd_i=desktop-huc-carousels&pd_rd_r=61e1e125-b416-43a8-ac46-403370d9a019&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_bxgy_02_04_t_img_lh Pour the water over this if I'm traveling by car or train and don't worry as much about packing restrictions because this works fast enough I can make one cup at a time: https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Single-Coffee-Dripper-Auto-Drip/dp/B01ENK41Q6/ref=pd_sbs_468_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01ENK41Q6&pd_rd_r=474c02f8-ec2c-11e8-9f7e-2132386dfc7d&pd_rd_w=GZbTh&pd_rd_wg=gpofm&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7d5d9c3c-5e01-44ac-97fd-261afd40b865&pf_rd_r=NXGJZ38Y2WM70TPVQTY3&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=NXGJZ38Y2WM70TPVQTY3
Or I use these when I fly. Im usually making a cuppa for husband & I so with these I pour the water a little slower, going back & forth between the 2 cups: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HMP9SDZ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07HMP9SDZ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=21517efd-b385-405b-a405-9a37af61b5b4&pd_rd_wg=dwQey&pf_rd_r=VBMTWV8Z4MM6T9YZ96NY&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=zE3jD&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=3bd71eb0-ec2c-11e8-bbc4-8bb98d0238f1

I pack the coffee, tea, dry soup mix, sugar packets, etc around the "negative spaces" of the tea kettle in my little kit that I pack. I learned the hard way that most hotels in Europe (except the Americanized ones near airports) simply don't seem to have a coffee / tea set up in the room. If you can handle the taste of a hot water infusion device, get yourself a dual voltage one.

These look hopeful, I ordered some for my (4th) trip to Scotland next year. BTW, IF you do find a coffee set up in your room in the U.K., it will inevitably have packets of instant coffee which is...awful. I like these things because I can pre pack them, use them & toss them out so I don't have to wash, dry, pack the collapsible coffee drip base: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LI6QEZE/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=A14N1JL0Z8P4B7&psc=1

And if we are on the run to get someplace, I just use my good old coffee press travel mug.

Putting coffee grounds straight in a cup and pouring hot water on top is referred to as "cowboy coffee." It will work in a pinch when you're camping but it's not a great every day method since you'll have all those coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup.

You'll need some sort of brewing device in addition to the kettle in order to make a proper cup.

The simplest ways you can make coffee with an electric kettle would be either a pour over, aeropress, or french press. I would recommend a simple pour over, like this OXO one. It's cheap and should be fool proof. Just make sure to buy the filters with it.

If you enjoy metal filter coffee, you can get a french press. If you prefer paper filter you can get the 10-cup or 6-cup melitta pourover set.

The melitta has a hole to slow down the drip speed, so a gooseneck is helpful, but not necessary. Also, the price is great, and it takes standard #4 coffee filters!

Melitta CM-10 Heritage Series 10-Cup Glass Carafe Pour-Over Coffee Maker, Grey https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000MIT2OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qblNDbVN33P79

It takes #6 filter, comes with 6 for free in the box

You don't have to spend that much for good coffee.

You can get a pour over dripper for $12 on Amazon

100 filters for $6

Electric kettle for $12

Manual coffee grinder for $10

Digital scale for $10

That's $50 for gear, (you can probably pick up some of that even cheaper if you look around) and then you can spend what you want on beans. I'm really into Stumptown coffee right now, which is $18 for 12oz. but you can definitely go a little cheaper or a lot more expensive depending on your tastes.

You can spend as much as you want making coffee, but I haven't noticed a discernible difference between coffee from that setup and coffee from a $500ish setup. A large part of what makes a cup of pour over good is the skill level of the person pouring it, and there's no reason to spend more than $75-$100 on gear until you reach a point where you know for sure your bottleneck is your equipment. I've been making my own coffee this way (as well as french press and espresso) for a few years and I still don't feel like I need to upgrade.

EDIT: Ignore the scale I linked, refer to /u/throwswithfats comment below instead.

I have the previous iteration of this model from Breville.

Going on 6 years. The grinder needs cleaning once a year or so, but overall, I'm not sure I could be happier with a coffee maker.

OXO already made something similar with a water tank and controlled flow. I have also used the tank on a V60 and it was 75% of what I got manually pouring but more consistent.

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1901PW-Coffee-Brewer-Black/dp/B074JPZWYR/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1520607001&sr=1-9&keywords=bonavita+coffee+maker

I think this is the best value in auto drip. No thermal carafe (just glass) but also has the improved grounds holder and no pour issues of the old carafe.

If that's an issue due to budget: https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=percolator&qid=1556291216&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Get this. Very versatile, cheap, filters available everywhere.

I need a drink after looking at that. And I don't mean coffee. You said your budgets $30ish I'd go with the mr coffee one kaffeinefix posted. It has a built in water filter so that'll help improve taste from your tap water.

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-SJX33GT-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B0047Y0UQO/ref=lp_289745_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1408075240&sr=1-1


There also this one, it doesn't have the water filter but it has good reviews

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-49467-Coffeemaker-Digital/dp/B0097D2YE6/ref=sr_1_26?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1408076928&sr=1-26

I keep it in a separate locker, and I keep the coffee and half/half in the fridge nearby our lockers.

$24, I paid $0 thanks to Lexis points. Link to the specific model I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Single-Serve-Coffee/dp/B008YS1WXE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1381709759&sr=8-3&keywords=black+and+decker+coffee+maker

First of all, sorry for the loss :(
This one by Bodum is pretty nice, and it seems as though you could use the chemex filters.
https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Coffee-Maker-Permanent-Filter/dp/B00LOCYKIQ
I personally have a porcelain V60 dripper and love it, is easy to clean and I can make the coffee directly on the cup when it is only for myself.
Hope it helps!

So, here's a consideration. A Keurig requires less than 10 seconds of effort. Anything else you hear in this sub will require from 4 minutes upward of manual effort or concentration, in order to prep and brew. Do you think he is willing to go through with that just for a cup of coffee, since it's quite new to him? If not, either stick with Keurig, or get into the hobby together and make the coffee together. You'll be the one driving for the first few days I'm sure - so then the question becomes are YOU willing to go through the motions, until he gets into it?

If you are I'd say a porlex mini hand grinder, a stainless steel simple French press, and some nice beans (plus some of those single serving chocolate flavoured creamer) would be a perfect starter kit for beginners. Aeropress and chemex can come later when you actually know how to taste the difference - not being snarky, just realistic :)

I bought one of these September 2017. I use it probably 2-3 times per week, immediately disassemble and rinse with warm water, and have had 0 problems with anything, including the screens.


Edit: Since it appears there are lots of similar styles, this is the one I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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All stainless, I only use it for cold brew, so I've never worried about shattering glass with hot water anyway.

So, just to start off with you may get some pushback from people here since the majority do a more manual process. I can appreciate that you want something simple like the Keurig though, because many people like the simplicity and convenience, and aren't nearly as fanatical about their coffee.

An AeroPress is what I'd recommend for a cheap single serve coffee maker, coupled with the freshest pre-ground coffee you can get. However if you want a machine I'd suggest what my office has, a Breville drip machine with built in grinder. Can do single serving or carafe. Couple with fresh whole bean coffee.

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BDC650BSS-Control-Silver-Medium/dp/B00VGGVQCI

If the price is off-putting, you'll save in the long run compared to plastic pod coffee.

OXO Pour Over

I recently purchased the Bonavita Metropolitan BV1901PW, and am really pleased with it. I've occasionally seen it a little lower, but it's currently $95 at Amazon, and totally worth it, in my opinion. A 6-cup pot with 55g of coffee tastes and looks very close to what I get out of my Chemex, for way less effort.

Last year I used a percolator and it was great! Percolator's don't have glass, make great coffee, and the shell can double as a kettle if you just want hot water.

I have two. A 10 cup and a 6 cup Moka pot. I make faux Cappuccinos with mine. I also make iced coffee with half and half. However, my daily workhorse is a 1 mug drip brewer for when I'm in a hurry.

Well, technically I have three, but the lid came off my 12 cup Bialetti, so I don't use it anymore.

I'm gonna get a percolator just to try it out.

<--- Barista here! I second the Moka suggestion. Unless you have thousands to shell out on a shop quality espresso machine, this is the next best thing. A good grinder is key, and burr grinders are best. This is mine. Also, steaming wands on cheaper machines never work very well and are horrible to clean. All you really need to get that nice foam easily is one of these nifty milk frothers.




Most retail coffee "machines" aren't built to last and make mediocre drinks. Low-tech almost always produces a superior tasting beverage. I have a Chemex(for normal coffee), a french press(for stronger coffee), a Toddy(for iced coffee) and a Moka(for espresso).


Also, if you can, seek out a roaster that is local to your mother. They will direct you to their best beans for espresso, and it will most likely be very fresh. All the roasters I have worked with are always happy to help customers troubleshoot and tweak to their tastes as well. It's a really worthwhile relationship for a coffee enthusiast.


So, Moka, burr grinder, frother wand, a pound of beans, and you're set. She'll love it. If you have some extra cash, and she likes normal coffee, throw in that Chemex. 10 times better than an auto-drip, and uses less beans as well. :)

10 Cup version of the same thing with a glass pot for $13 Just leave the carafe at home, or I'm sure if you look you could find just the filter part. I've got an ancient one and if it ever came with a glass pot it's long gone. That balanced on two twigs over a pot makes for great coffee while camping.

Big Clever Brewer is what you want. I think you can make as much as 20 ounces in one of those. much more forgiving in terms of grind, and much easier to clean up than a french press.

Also, there's nothing wrong with a big melitta- single hole. you even get the carafe for a dirt cheap price.

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Cone-Filter-Coffeemaker-1-Count/dp/B000MIT2OK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449004453&sr=8-2&keywords=melitta+pour+over

I actually own one of these. While it's designed for coffee, clearly this restaurant has found another use for it.

You can actually buy this exact model right off amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Glass-TCA-5D-20-Ounce-Coffee/dp/B002CVTKTW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376085671&sr=8-3&keywords=coffee+siphon

I actually really like the stovetop siphon I recent got. I've heard mixed things on here about siphons, but it's been my go-to brew method since I got it. I use the cory glass filter, you can find it online. The price isn't bad over all. This would be better if you're trying to brew larger amounts.

If you want something that brews a similar amount to the Aeropress, but has a completely different flavor profile, go with a Hario Woodneck. Amazing flavor, really clear.

I find both brewing methods to be really consistent.

http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-zippered-Filters/dp/B002ZD3QJC/ for 30$

This is the full kit with 350 filters.

My work has one of those push button powder coffee machines with an unknown brand inside.

I use my aeropress every day at work. The cleanup is so simple. I keep a glass coffee jar at my desk and fill it up before I go to the break area. I use the Hot Water section of the coffee machine and make my press.

It is $5.07 for 350 aeropress filters. When you buy an aeropress off of amazon you also get 350 with it. The filters can also be reused.Aeropress

I haven't been gifted.

I would like this or this if I'm dreaming

My word is: guguoplug it is the feeling you get just when things start to turn from bad to good

One of my most valued presents ever was my Keurig Home Brewer (It magically went missing when my ex moved out...)

I was an avid coffee drinker but switched to tea in the recent. There are sooooo many different coffees and teas out there for you to try. I've even had apple cider! Especially with the winter coming up, why wouldn't you want a warm cup of goodness at your disposal? The k-cups are available at grocery stores and online. No need to set it up the night before... it's so quick! I LOVED mine!

Happy Birthday!

Yet another reason why to not buy a Keurig.

I have a ninja coffee bar and it makes very tasty coffee, though not a lot at a time. I have found that filling to the max fill line for a full pot leaves some water in the reservoir. I now fill the carafe to the bottom of the plastic and fill the reservoir form there instead of relying on the markings (unless I'm not doing a full pot). I also don't really care for the way it pours. It tends to spill around the sides of travel mugs and my Stanley thermos if I dont pour slow and carefully. I look past this because of the great tasting coffee is produces. It's only 10 cups or so as well, and you said they drink A LOT, so a 12 cup model would be more their style. This Mr. Coffee makes some decent drip coffee for a cheapo coffee maker. I'm pretty sure it's cheaper at your local walmart.

You are welcome.


Technivorm Moccamaster 59616 KBG Coffee Brewer, 40 oz, Polished Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055P70MQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DCB4DbFQFA7PR

I live and die by this thing with a smart plug. Best coffee ever.

The between class meals and caffeine trips can have such a huge impact on your cash reserves, and it's easy to miss it until you sit back and do the math. As a fellow college student, I got a single serve coffee maker (great for making tea, instant oatmeal and others in addition to coffee) and I usually make chai with a caffeine shot in the morning. My caffeine fix is now nearly free.

You should also pick up a few more shifts at work if you can, but don't fall behind on school work. It's better to work hard in school and finish as soon as possible than have to pay for an extra semester because you lagged behind in your work.

Hmm, Tanor's copy is still $10.99.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JNZ7VNW?keywords=tanors&qid=1453752343&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

I ordered one of these just now: http://amzn.com/B00JNZ7VNW Maybe I should cancel and go to Walmart. You think yours is nicer?

As much as people here hate it, I need one for a single cup brewer and alarm clock.

https://www.amazon.ca/Mr-Coffee-Wifi-Enabled-Coffeemaker-BVMC-PSTX91WE/dp/B00LUFSSWG


That's the closet I've found as of yet...

For the low, low price of $165!

It looks like the machine that will best meet your criteria is the Breville Grind Control. Supposed to be one of the better grind & brew machines and allows you to make 1 cup or a pot.

That said, a Baratza grinder and a good auto-drip machine like a Bonavita or a Technivorm are going to make you a much better cup day in and day out. Grind and brews, you are sacrificing quality on both sides, particularly the grinder, and if anything breaks then you are potentially out of luck. Grinders require some maintenance, and parts do wear out periodically. On a Baratza, you can get cheap replacement parts and customer service will help you solve the problem.

You might consider the OXO pour over dripper with water tank. You can use it for a manual pour over without the tank, but the tank allows for an even drip over the whole bed of grounds. I use 15 grams medium grind, bloom them with about 50 grams of water at 200F, then put another 220 grams of water in the tank and let it do its thing. I find it very easy and consistent. I know you prefer a metal filter... But paper makes clean up so easy.

I basically just don't drink coffee at work anymore.

If you wanna be fancy, you could get something like this and a Mini Mill for work, if you can get hot water.

Right. I was actually looking at the two cup version. But anyway, after seeing many manufacturers use 3-cup=12 oz [see here], I figured that these pots weren't as standardized as the 6 oz coffee cup measurement. Many reviews for various pots complained as the oz-cups ratios were not what they expected. Anyway, I decided on a 34 oz version. More coffee is better, right?

I asked for a Bodum Columbia 8-Cup and I'll probably get a Bodum Chambord 3-cup from my girlfriend's mother. Every time I ask for something I get a lesser version of it. That's why I usually buy my own stuff so I'm never disappointed.

French press! Bodum sells a great one. Here is a good tutorial by a redditor from a few weeks ago.

Wow! With a $500 budget you can actually do so much, and to be honest I don't think that kind of investment is really necessary, especially since overlooking your choices, you seem to be spending way too much for things you can get for a lower price. My setup is only ~$100, and I can get a great brew (though I use a hand grinder). I use a Kalita Wave 155 (this is the smallest size, but feel free to opt for the 185 size if you brew 2+ cups in one sitting). $22.50. The filters are quite pricey at $10.95, but worth it in the long run (for a one cup drinker a-day like me, it will last 3 months+ per pack). A French press from Bodum will only set you back $27 - double walled doesn't really do much because I find temperature loss isn't really a problem. The size I recommend for this one is only suited again for a 1-cup drinker, because my personal experience is using a 1L size for a single or even 2 cup drinker in one sitting will result in extremely sludgey cups. As others have suggested, if looking for a nice electric grinder, spring for the Encore. A good scale is this one for $39. I don't even use a true dedicated gooseneck kettle for this setup, just an adequate tea kettle but I do advocate the variable temp Bonavita you're thinking of. So this all amounts to $313.20. Happy drinking.

I usually grind fresh, unless I'm camping. Right now I'm using 1/4c of beans (pre-grind) to 6 cups of water. I have yet to measure the pot to see if it measures actual cups or those silly 6oz "cups", usually because I'm more interested in coffee than math. I like the stove top because it is useful in a variety of situations, whereas a plug in model obviously requires power, and also because it is the type of pot I am familiar with. Mine is the Farberware Classic Yosemite.

It took me about 3 pots to find my perfect brew. My normal coffee is AeroPress, but sometimes I just want a whole pot without all the fuss. I hope you have similar success!

If you are bringing a propane grill, I highly recommend bringing something like this. This allows you to make coffee on any type of burner.

I’ve switched from a drip to a chemex pour over. It takes about ten minutes from start to finish but I consider it my daily devotional....three times a day! Much better coffee but more work. If you want a drip look for a Bunn C10 or whatever they’re calling them nowadays. Google will help you. The difference is the reservoir. Get a machine with a hot water tank and a big spray head. You’ll get an even consistent pour which makes a better cup.

Here...I googled Bunn....this is a decent machine!

BUNN GRB Velocity Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer, Black https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000FFRZ26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_cSQHDbCRMS8S8

>She's new to coffee and knows about as much as I do. She likes black coffee from Tim Hortons and occasionally Starbucks, with the former being her preference.

Years ago there was a Tim Horton's branded coffee maker, which was a branded Bunn.

This is pretty much the current version of that model. 99USD

https://www.amazon.com/BUNN-Velocity-10-Cup-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B000FFRZ26/

BUNN GRB Velocity Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FFRZ26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oUCUzb8K09VAH

Some coffee snob will probably show up and talk about how drip coffee will give you ass cancer and make your wife file for a divorce, but I love this thing.

Made in the US and built for high volume. No digital displays, clocks or other farkles to go bad and It brews a pot 6 in about 10 minutes.

It's a Chemex coffee brewer.

Get a chemex coffee pot. Coffee aficionados love it. Don't forget to buy the chemex filters with it (a bit more expensive, but worth it).
http://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Cup-Coffee-Maker-CM/dp/B000I1WP7W

What do you think of this setup?

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Gooseneck

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Baratza Encore

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Chemex

​

Chemex Filter

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$304 shipped from Amazon.

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Would this be a good intro to better coffee setup? I don't know if there's a more cost-efficient way to go, but this seems acceptable to me.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B000MDHH0Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426021783&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=41zMA-gVCEL&ref=plSrch&pi=SY200_QL40


I have a breville. In your opinion, could my grinder have the same problem?

Melitta cone cup-top and pot-top filters are quite cheap and, in my opinion, do most if not all of the job of a Chemex or whatever without the financial outlay. I'd see that as your next step: Moving from the Mr. Coffee to something that brews at the right temperature.

You can simply heat water on the stovetop, until you get a better solution. Premeasure the water, so that you know to just pour the entire lot instead of guessing how much water to pour after it's heated. If you have a thermometer that goes high enough, time how long it takes that amount of freshly boiled water to cool down to your target brew temparature. If your inside conditions remain the same and you use the same vessel to heat the water, then you don't need to use the thermometer each time. Just bring the water to a boil, switch off the heat, and wait that long.

As far as using the Melitta, don't neglect to "bloom" the grounds for several seconds with a bit of that hot water, before continuing the pour. Pour the water carefully, to help keep the grounds from "climbing" the sides, where they will not extract fully. I pour some water thusly and then also tap the side of the Melitta lightly to help settle the grounds. I pour the water in a few stages, instead of all at once, again to help keep the grounds settled and so promote better extraction.

Switching to a Melitta filter made a big difference, for me. If you are concerned about quality/flavor, you want to get away from that Mr. Coffee.

P.S. Non-affiliate Amazon links, just as examples including of low prices. Not saying it need be Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6/

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Cone-Filter-Coffeemaker-1-Count/dp/B000MIT2OK/

I'd prefer this for the most chem lab-like setup. Saw it in a Seattle shop - took 15 minutes to brew one pot. With such care, the water was heated to 204.5degF before adding the grounds, then the lower chamber was slowly cooled with a damp cloth to draw the coffee back down.

"Yes. I am a nerd."

I have a Yama 20oz Siphon and use a Yama butane burner.


The siphon method is a lot of fun and I like the products I have, however as /u/pluckyou2 said, it's a delicate process... especially cleaning. My display is something I like to keep presentable and usable, I've slowed down on using the Siphon since it takes so much time to clean after. Now a days I use it as a fun "show" technique when people are over. Good coffee, but I still prefer my pour over more than anything.


If you were to get into using a Siphon, overall products I recommend would be:

• The burner and Siphon I mentioned above
  
• Bamboo stirring stick - This is important to avoid scratching/damage your siphon upper chamber.
  
• A thermometer with a probe to monitor water in the upper chamber
  
  
  Good luck!

It's just a Florence siphon. You can get all the parts for it easily online or from a lab supply or maybe even a hobby shop. There are also coffee pots out there that use the same principal.

this one right here?

sorry to bother you again, is this a good package overall? like are the filters good and everything?

https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Additional-Filters/dp/B002ZD3QJC/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=aeropress&qid=1574370980&sr=8-5

Hario Mini Mill

Kettle

Scale

Brita Filter

Aeropress

Thermometer. The one I have is from a Culinary Arts class I took, but this looks to be the same. It's very useful, and to calibrate it, which you'll need to do every once in a while, fill a cup full of ice and then water and put the blue thing on so you can move it (I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm sure you'll get it), and make sure the dimple is in the water and move it to 32 degrees.

Edit: Also, the mug was from the reddit Secret Santa exchange! It's a really fantastic mug.

It's my daily cup and has been for 2yrs, I doubt I will change any time soon. I wanted something versatile that could also travel and this fits the bill along with my hand grinder. HERE are a few on sale.

Being an American, yes I just boil the kettle to drink my instant coffee. Its not good coffee but its not that bad either; it is just really really mediocre. I drink it because it is cheap, easy, fast, and I drink a lot of coffee so I don't have time to make a good cup 5 times a day. It is more of a habit than a "pick me up."

So there is no misunderstanding, no restaurant or fast-food place, at-least that I know of, serves instant coffee. Its just an at home, low end, inferior good.

Starbucks does sell a line of instant coffees in stores too (at a ridiculous price). They taste better than the "Folgers" or "Maxwell House" instant coffees, but, overall, they're all pretty bad.

Not sure if I speak for typical americans, most of us, I think, use these Keurig K-Cup Home Brewer to make their coffee at home. Either that or the Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker

Do they not have instant coffee in Australia?

Unless you've been regularly cleaning your drip maker for the past 15 years I'd scrap it and pick up a new drip maker.

I can't recommend the Mr. Coffee enough http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-SJX33GT-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B0047Y0UQO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393806339&sr=8-1&keywords=coffee+maker

For whatever reason /r/Coffee hates drip makers, but honestly, if you know how to use them they make a pretty great cup of joe.

1. Get a new coffee maker
   
2. Measure out the water, 6oz to 2 tablespoons of grounds
   
3. Pour the water in, grind your beans, and put the grounds into your filter
   
4. Remove the coffee pot from under the coffee maker
   
5. Close the lid and let the water drip onto the beans until the filter is about half way full with water
   
6. Mix the water around, make sure all the grounds get soaked, this allows for the best extraction
   
7. Fill the bottom of the coffee pot with water, just enough so that when the coffee hits the pot it's hitting water and not the actual glass (This prevents the "burnt" taste that's always associated with drip makers)
   
8. Put the pot under the filter and let that sweet coffee flow through
   
9. Let all the water run through the machine
   
10. At this point you can either drink the coffee fairly soon, or put it into a thermos. Leaving it on the hot plate tends to leave the coffee tasting burnt after a while, and nothing is worse than burnt coffee.
    
    It should go without saying that you NEED to be using fresh beans, can't get any? You can find an air popper for around 5 bucks at your local thrift shop, green beans from multiple sources online, and you can roast a batch of beans in about 20 minutes. You also need to be grinding your beans directly before putting them into the filter. Not to mention it's a good call to use filtered water, and to clean your machine at least once a week.
    
    If you prefer the taste of a French Roast you should look into getting a mesh filter and using that rather than a paper filter. Mesh filters filter out less oil than paper ones and will give a different flavor.

Technivorm Moccamaster is the best drip I have ever owned and have tasted. It consistently produces a mind wakening first to last sip day after day, week after week and year after year. For the $350 I paid for it, it is a great investment for your drip. Low maintenance, descale once every 3 months. Give it a long look, you won't be disappointed if you go with this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Technivorm-Moccamaster-Coffee-Brewer-Polished/dp/B0055P70MQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543501123&sr=1-4&keywords=technivorm+moccamaster

Technivorm coffee makers are among the most appreciated. And they're hand made in the Netherlands.

https://www.amazon.com/Technivorm-59616-Coffee-Brewer-Polished/dp/B0055P70MQ

This one? For some reason when I search KGBT it doesn't come up, unless Amazon doesn't have it or has it listed incorrectly.


Edit : never mind, found it

Here is what I would suggest on the coffee. Do you have an aversion to coconut? If not, make your coffee (you can get a single serve coffee making on Amazon for $19, and it works great... make your coffee, add 1 tbsp of heavy cream and 1 tbsp of coconut milk (buy a can of decent coconut milk, probably around $2 but will last you a little while... buy full fat, Thai Kitchen has a decent one, when you shake it you shouldn't hear much if any liquid), add 1 packet of sweetener (preferably stevia, better yet if you have Erythritol). Eventually you can stop adding the sweetener. Add some ice cubes and shake (this works better if you make the coffee the night before, refrigerate and do this in the morning). A very inexpensive snack (you've gotten a lot of good ideas already) is celery doused with hot sauce, dipped in ranch or bleu cheese dressing... VERY good and easy to carry with you. Wishing you lots of luck!!!!

Moka pots are fun, but I can't make it a daily thing.

I say shore up your pour over gear. A gooseneck kettle ($38) and a scale ($17) are musts.

You could replace the plastic cone with something prettier like a v60 ($11), but you can use the scale and kettle with the plastic pour over cone just fine.

[edit] the pour over cone I linked isn't a v60, but I'm sure you can find it :)

You could try a Bodum pour over. I've never used one but it seems to be the same idea. Not sure if its much of a problem for you, but a lot of the chemex flavor comes from the chemex filters. However, people have used chemex filters in the bodum.

I saw this coffee maker from ninja. Other than that there's some french presses (but you likely have one) and a couple different deals on beans

edit: 20% off this pourover that I can vouch for as being pretty good

Try this along with an electric kettle to make the hot water. https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-11571-01-Coffee-Permanent-Filter/dp/B00LOCYKIQ

Bodum 34oz in black currently $14.99 on Amazon. And the 51 oz is only $18.74

It looks like this Mr. Coffee machine would work:

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Wifi-Enabled-Coffeemaker-BVMC-PSTX91WE/dp/B00LUFSSWG

Get a steel french press - then you can't break it. It's even insulated so it stays hot longer

Not OP, but we've been using this one for about a year, and it still looks good as new:

French Press Double-Wall Stainless Steel

I alternate between this guy and my moka pot. Depends really on how much I'm looking to make.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1463657397&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=stainless+french+press&dpPl=1&dpID=41neKF3R7dL&ref=plSrch

After 2 glass French presses, I was tired of scalding hot coffee spilling when they broke with as little as lightly tapping a spoon on the top after stirring. This has been amazing for years now and I don't have to be super careful handling it. It also doesn't get super hot on the outside so I don't need to be cautious when pouring that I don't touch the glass.

I second the other poster and say you skip IKEA and get a bodum Brazil. It's the standard French press for sure. You could also go the stainless route. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MMQOZ1U?psc=1

Kalita Wave Stainless Steel. I'd even be comfortable cleaning it with a paper towel after use, although it'll still be better to wash under running water.
This solution requires an additional water kettle though. Either a microwave kettle, electric kettle, or a measuring cup could do, although goosenecks would still be ideal.

Another option is the Oxo Pour Over. The reservoir on top saves space, and it will be not depend on a pouring device. You still need to heat the water before filling the reservoir as the temperature drop is extremely high with the showerhead stream. It doesn't have the potential of the Kalita, but it will also be extremely consistent (pretty much as close to a manual version of an automatic drip machine as you can get).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ENK41Q6

There are plenty of other options; these are just ones I can think of that are as easy to clean as possible.

$71.99

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1901PW-Metropolitan-One-Touch-Coffee/dp/B074JPZWYR/ref=sr_1_2?crid=17I7J9H5GZPD7&keywords=bonavita+metropolitan+coffee+maker&qid=1566339631&s=gateway&sprefix=Bonavita+metro%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-2

Well the metropolitan is $78 on amazon right now link

If I'm not mistaken, the internals should be exactly the same as all the other brewers.

The only differences are the glass carafe (Which is far better than the metal one in my experience), the brew basket latches into the top on the brewer instead of resting on top of the carafe, and there's no gimmicky metal plating ascetics.

edit: It's back up to about $100 now :/ . I'd still consider it one of the best choices as a drip brewer regardless of price.

Depends on what your lady friend is used to. If she's used to automatic drip coffee I would think a machine like that is not suited to a NYC apartment for a non-coffee drinker. But the coffee dripper style manual devices are going to be similar. However they're a bit tricky to learn and you really benefit from a gooseneck kettle which drives the cost up. Instead, I think the Clever Coffee dripper is a good solution. Here's why: it's immersion brewing like a French Press but with a filter like a drip. This means you don't need a gooseneck kettle, you just need to add hot water. And you get the easy cleanup of a filtered coffee, way better than scooping grounds out of a French Press.

Now the other solution is an AeroPress. It makes a cup similar to a French Press and it has a filter as well. It's incredibly simple to cleanup. Someone else is mentioning height as an issue, but I haven't encountered this. I'm somewhat short for males, 5'7", and that's no issue. I have a female friend, 5'2", who can't use the AeroPress however. That's related to the grind size, it causes too much backpressure and she can't push it down. It's possible with more height, she'd have better leverage. Anyways, I digress - the difficulty of using an AeroPress is only with finely ground coffee. For drip-range grind sizes you simply need to brew a bit longer and it is easy to press down.

Also, as far as space goes - the AeroPress can only hold about 250mL of liquid. You can dilute afterwards and just make it "strong." But if you're looking for something to make a cup of coffee in the morning, there are 3 cup French Presses that take up about the same amount of space. The Clever device is shorter but wider.

Oh, also, if she's not using an automatic drip machine at her place then you can do whatever you want, but maybe ask her what she uses and choose something similar. For example, a Chemex user would probably find the Clever to be more similar than the AeroPress while a French Press user would find the opposite.

Bodum has a nifty 3-cup (12oz) French Press. Good enough for a healthy sized mug.

Chambord version

Brazil version

Regarding the Chemex, I've never had a chance to use the metal filters unfortunately, but I've heard good things about the Able Kone, pricey as it is.

Hi all—habitual tea drinker here. But my new office is kept warm, and I find myself almost dozing off in the morning. I was thinking of starting to drink a mug of coffee in the morning as I'm puttering around and listening to NPR.

My equipment isn't anything too fancy; I don't have my own grinder nor a proper pourover like a Chemex or something. I do have a variable-temperature kettle (this guy, it recommends 200°F for French Press), and a French Press (a cheerfully-colored Bodum 12oz).

I am lucky enough to live in a town ('town'? NYC) that has no surfeit of amazing coffee roasters, makers, purveyors, etc. so name a thing and I can probably get it.

I was going to stop by my favorite tea shop tonight, which incidentally has an equally good selection of coffee.

So I guess the end result of this drawn-out comment is a bunch of very basic questions:

1. What coffee region/bean/roast etc. would be best for small-batch, pre-ground (I know, I know, coffee should be fresh ground in the morning. But grinders are as loud af, and I have roommates and thin walls), French press? I find myself enjoying malty, vanill-y, richer styles of coffee, on the lower-acid, fuller-bodied style (it's amazing how much of coffee and tea talk sounds like wine talk, which is my domain). While I'd say roughly 'latte-esque' (my standard cafe order), I'm not about to start steaming milk in the morning—and I know black coffee won't be like a latte unless you ... make a latte.
   
   
2. Preparation? 200° good? What's the proper coffee/water ratio? Steep (brew?) time? Specialized glassware? I have a classic diner mug that I really like drinking out of, very comforting and reminds me of Kyle MachLachlan.
   
   
3. Do y'all not like tea drinkers? Some tea folk have a weird resentment against coffee people, which I find odd.
   
   Side note, if there's an FAQ anyone could point me to, so that y'all good folks don't have to spend too much time answering these ultra-basic questions, lmk, and I'll go over there and stop bothering you.
   
   Thanks in advance, all!

There is this amazing technology called French press. Zero waste.

The coffee brewing process was call percolation. https://www.amazon.ca/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ

I love my cast iron as well. It's the only cookware that I've kept throughout the years. Another item that I like to have on hand is a good crock pot. Can't go wrong with Crock Pot brand, either. Recipes are simple, you can freeze a month's worth of stew for dinners/lunches. I've been making crock pot pulled pork for years and love it. I had my last crock pot for 10+ years and never had an issue with it. I finally dropped it accidentally during a recent move. This is similar to the one I used. http://www.crock-pot.com/slow-cookers/classic-slow-cookers/SCR450-PT.html

I'm a coffee drinker, and I move around A LOT. I've broken more carafe's than I care to mention. This year I decided to switch to a percolator instead of a regular coffee maker. I can bring it camping with me as well. I use this one and have no complaints - seems like it will last forever. http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1407814912&sr=1-1

The only BIFL coffee maker I know of is this or similar.

It will last as long as your stove. It make the coffee hotter and I think it taste better, but that is subjective.

How about a stovetop percolator? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005NCWQ/

dosen't get any more reliable
http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1380857555&sr=1-2&keywords=coffee+maker+percolator

Cream only.
I use this to make it with and never went back to my Mr. Coffee percolator.

place one tea bag in a bunn coffee pot. Fill water to whatever amount you want, 10 cups max. Brew. Perfect tea every time, no matter the tea type. I have yet to find a tea that this doesn't work with.

I think I have this one. I love it.

My original comment should have said you will never have a bitter cup, but you will never have a butter cup either.

A big can of Folgers sets me back about 8.98 at the grocery. If you follow the instructions on the can it makes 240 cups. That's just under 4 cents a cup.

A common misconception is that in order to brew coffee with a traditional drip coffee maker you have to make ~60 ounces (a full pot) of coffee every time. This isn't true. If you want 3 cups of coffee you add ~20 ounces of water and the appropriate amount of beans. It will work fine.

Yes, it takes a full ~7 minutes (unless you buy a Bunn or similar model with a built in hot water tank), but it saves you another 95% a cup or something absurd.

You can turn an auto-drip coffee maker into a timed brewer with an inexpensive electrical outlet timer. They are mostly used to turn on/off outdoor lights at set times during the day, but it will work any coffee maker that only relies on an on/off switch to function, like this Bunn.

There are no auto-drip coffee brewers that I know of that reach the minimum temperature for proper extraction for under $100. That seems to be the starting point. SCAA certified auto-drip brewers are:

• Technivorm Moccamaster
  
• Lance Larkin BE 112 Brew Express
  
• Bunn HG Home Brewer
  
• Bonavita 8 Cup Exceptional Brew Coffee Maker with glass or thermal carafe

Trying again with a new link. PriceZombie plz.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FFRZ26/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1453179343&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=Bunn&dpPl=1&dpID=41aAlrrb%2BxL&ref=plSrch

If it's volume that you need then take a look at the pour over coffee makers. Chemex offer them in a lot of sizes, the 8 cup is pretty cheap right now. They also have a 10 cup and 13 cup model as well I think.


Here is a link to the 8 cup
https://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Classic-Pour-over-Glass-Coffeemaker/dp/B000I1WP7W/

​

I personally think that pour over coffee is just as good or better than a french press, and way better than the drip coffee makers.

Where are you seeing 8-cup Classic for $40 + free shipping?

This is what I see: http://www.amazon.com/Chemex-8-Cup-Classic-Series-Coffeemaker/dp/B000I1WP7W

Hmm. Not certain how I stack up, here.

I own a TV but can't even remember the last time it was actually turned on (even then, it wasn't used to watch television).

I don't like La Croix, occasionally sport a full beard, own a french press that I don't use (but do own and use a Chemex and a Baratza Encore), don't own a record player and my current reading is Malazan Book of the Fallen (no placeholders. That's what the wiki is for.)

Also? I posted this on reddit as if it fucking matters.

I have had the same frustration when doing infusions. I normally filter first through cheesecloth and a fine mesh sieve, then through Chemex filters. I usually have to change the filter about every 16oz, and it takes quite a while.

Someone once recommended the Buon Vino Mini Jet Wine Filter, but I didn't want to spend that much for the low volume I do, so I just deal with the slow filtration.

I think the two most important questions are: what are some coffees that you've had and like? What sort of work are you willing to put into it?

My personal recommendation would be to get a Baratza Encore grinder, a digital scale, a gooseneck kettle of some sort, a Chemex, and a French Press. All that should easily fit within your budget. And of all the accessories I have, on 90% of the days I don't use anything other than those. Well, and some coffee beans.

But that will take some work -- measuring, grinding, pouring, waiting, more pouring. It will make much better coffee than any automated machine, but maybe you don't care that much and it sounds like too much work. In that case, the Technivorm Moccamaster and Bonvavita 1900 TS are good options for automatic drip machines.

EDTIT: Sorry, I missed "automatic" in the text. I still don't think that will give you the best coffee, but if you're set on it, ignore everything I said except the Technivorm and Bonavita.

I think we have that one at our office - not ideal - too much static cling, and ground coffee accumulates between the hopper/burrs and the container, so you have to bang/jostle the unit to clear all the grounds.

I have a Breville at home, and I think it is much better - almost zero static and doesn't accumulate as much grounds in the machine. I think it will also go finer than the Bodum. If price is substantially equal, no question I would take the Breville over the Bodum.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BCG450XL-Conical-Burr-Grinder/dp/B000MDHH0Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1412980633&sr=1-2&keywords=breville+grinder

ive got three Breville products. Espresso machine, Coffee grinder and a Juicer. All have this - they are solidly built.
However, the coffee grinder uses 3.1 watts all the time while it's plugged in such that the side of it is warm. There's no clock, no timer, nothing which merits drawing any current while not in use from what I can tell. So this finger pull plug works like a charm. I unplug it after every use and still going strong 6 years now. https://www.amazon.com/Breville-Grinder/dp/B000MDHH0Q

>What's the advantage of electric?

Not having to spend 2 minutes cranking the thing every time you want coffee ;)

Under $150 you're looking at the Capresso Infinity, Baratza Encore and Breville BCG450. I can't vouch for the quality of any of these machines as I don't own any of them, though I did do some research into them as I was grinder-shopping fairly recently, and as long as you're not looking to grind espresso or turkish, any of those machines should do a pretty decent job (I ended up buying a Sunbeam em0480 as I wanted something capable of a passable espresso grind, but it's slightly outside your budget and, as far as I'm aware, not available outside Australia). That said, I'm far from a professional and I'd advise doing some research and reading some professional reviews before making any purchase, of course.

<$300 grinder recommendations specifically for French Press?

The particle size distribution on my current Breville sucks. I've read lots of recommendations on the Baratza Encore but I don't know whether or not that's for large particle size. Some other recommendations specifically for French Press included Bodum Bistro and Breville Smart Grinder.

Can anyone chime in? Do people think I'm silly for getting such an expensive grinder for such a "dirty" process such as French Press?

I'd advise a good Conical Burr Grinder is the best way to give your friends great coffee to start off their new lives as newlyweds. Then either the Aeropress or a nice-looking French Press. Hope this helps!

• Proper grind size (good conical burr grinder is needed - $80 minimum)
  
• Electric water kettle for proper temperature (~200 degrees F)
  
• Proper saturation (I use a manual drip coffee maker)
  
• Proper amount of coffee per cup (1.5-2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water)
  
  Perfect cup of coffee every time. If it is too strong, cut the finished product with water or milk. Using less freshly ground coffee makes it more bitter.

I use a half gallon mason jar for brewing and [melitta] (https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Cone-Filter-Coffeemaker-1-Count/dp/B000MIT2OK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1500459437&sr=8-4&keywords=melitta%2Bpour%2Bover&th=1) to filter the grounds. The melitta makes for easy filtering to coffee pot and clean up is easy. Not sure how good of a job the nut bags contain silt. I filter twice and the paper filters do good job at removing the silt.

I was using a fine mesh strainer but after a couple washes the metal ring started getting rust so I tossed it.

A great intro to pour-over coffee is this Melitta which, imho, makes fabulous coffee especially for the money. Just snag some #6 coffee filters and you're good to go.

I do think that a goose neck kettle makes a big difference in your ability to pour slowly and methodically but if you have a regular kettle already you can start with that.

To keep things warm you can pick up a nice vacuum carafe and you can enjoy hot coffee for about 10 hours. The linked one is nice because if you make a full pot, then pour off two cups for you and the misses, it should hold the rest.

I am almost entirely certain that is not how it was done. I believe it was more along the lines of this, but with lab glassware. Refluxing coffee for multiple extractions of the same grounds would yield something completely on drinkable.

Step 1 - Go to Amazon. Acquire the following:

If you have a gas stove: http://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Glass-SY-5-22-Ounce-Stovetop/dp/B002CVTKVK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314164733&sr=1-1

Otherwise: http://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Glass-TCA-5D-20-Ounce-Coffee/dp/B002CVTKTW/ref=pd_sim_k_17

Burr Grinder: http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1314164311&sr=8-6

Step 2 - Go to Whole Foods. Go to their coffee section. Look for a medium roast, with single-origin beans (beans from a single plantation). Avoid blends. South-American single-origin medium roast is probably best. Pick a roast date that is yesterday or the day before.

If you don't have a way to filter water at home, find a way. It also helps to have a way to heat water.


Step 3 - Go home. It is probably best to do this now.

Clean your coffee siphon gently but thoroughly. You don't have to clean the cloth filter.

Place the beans in the grinder. Turn the grinder setting to fine, but not extra fine. Enough so that once ground you will get about 2 Tbsp. per 6 oz of coffee. YMMV.

Assemble the coffee siphon - place the cloth filter on the metal disc and secure with knots. Insert the filter assembly into the top chamber. Do not put the two chambers together yet.

If your filtered water isn't already really hot, make it really hot. Bring it to a boil, take it off the heat, and let it sit for 10-15 seconds. Or, just use an electric kettle.

Pour the water into the bottom pot. Insert the assembled top chamber into the pot and secure the seal. Place the pot on stove or burner as appropriate. Apply medium heat.

As the water percolates up the siphon, grind your coffee beans.

Once the water starts bubbling in the top chamber, toss in your grind.

At this point - your nose will tell you best when the coffee is done. It is usually about 1:20 to 1:40 minutes. You want the winey, grassy smell to disappear, and the grinds in the top chamber to look deep brown. However, if you smell even the slightest hint of burnt coffee, or if the grinds start to appear purple - you have failed. Hang your head in shame and try another time.

Remove the heat source (turn off stove/burner).

Let the coffee completely siphon into the pot. You will get some turbulence. Let it settle.

Delicately remove the top chamber.

Pour. Sip, slowly.


Step 4 - Thank me.

it's a repurposed vacuum pot here

I have a Northwest Glass TCA-5D, and I think it was well worth the $70 I paid for it.

A few suggestions

-Start with good tea, with a few selections per type. The comments on this thread are on target. I would also suggest some teas that are dramatic in terms of steeping. Think [Blooming Teas, like this from Adagio] (http://www.adagio.com/blooms/jasmine_bloom.html), or the use of [bricks of pu erh] (http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Pu_erh_Tea_s/43.htm).

-When it comes to Tea Preperation, up the Theatrical. Use a samovar as suggested elsewhere. How about a [Cold Brew Tea Pot] (http://www.dougsmugs.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=95) that looks like a part of a laboratory? Or better yet, how about a [Siphon/Vacuum Sealed Coffee and Tea Pot?] (http://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Glass-TCA-5D-20-Ounce-Coffee/dp/B002CVTKTW/ref=pd_sim_k_2). The major point is you want take the customers on a journey, and to include them in both their education, and entertainment. Make it fun, and interactive.

-For Steampunk, you probably would want to focus on English style service, so I would suggest getting English style bone china (or similar) cups and service pieces. Think about investing in a fancy silver plate set for display. I got my for $100, and it looks EPIC.

-Include Tea infused foods, and small things that pair well with coffee and tea. [This thread] (http://www.reddit.com/r/tea/comments/xeggh/cooking_with_tea/), but think earl grey cookies and black tea biscotti. This can also be as easy as serving a small salad with tea infused vinaigrette.

-Price your tea in tiers, to encourage the drinking of POTS (with multiple cups) versus a single cup. Encourage exploration of flavors, and suggesting different types of tea depending on the time of day, customer mood, and food pairing.

-Types of Tea Service:

• cup of tea
  
• pot of tea
  
• cream tea (pot of tea, plus scone, jam and clotted cream/devonshire cream)
  
• Afternoon Tea (same as cream tea, plus sandwiches, desserts, and savories)
  
• Royal Tea (same as Afternoon Tea, but also include a glass of sparkling wine, or sometimes, a fine liquor)
  
• High Tea (Pot of Tea, served with dinner)
  
  For your needs, I would focus on cup, pot, and cream. And possibly Afternoon if you feel adventurous.

I never understood why bodum's were so expensive compared to anony-brands... they shatter just the same.

Bodum does have a model without a frame, so you dont have to remove anything while cleaning. This may prevent injuries in the future.

Then again, perhaps it's time for a different brew method altogether?

You can make pretty decent coffee with the cheapest grinder and a drip machine. The drip machines with a top that opens to allow access to the grinds during the brew will allow you to stir with a chopstick to improve extraction efficiency. The next least expensive way to improve the quality of your coffee would probably be an aeropress and a cheap grinder. The aeropress is pretty forgiving and works fine with a blade grinder.

If you want to seriously step up your game, get a good burr grinder and a siphon. This is seriously high maintenance, but not that expensive. My grinder is on the nicer side because I do espresso too, but I'm pretty sure you should be able to get a grinder that would be ok for siphons in the $120 range. You are looking for consistency. Fine adjustment and other features are not that important. The siphon is $35. The 40oz is a bit of a trade off in quality of brew, so if you really want to push the envelope on quality, get one of the smaller siphons. You will also want a kitchen scale and thermometer to brew with a siphon.

You could get a induction interface disk like this to use on your moka pot and any non induction ready cookware, then get a flat bottomed coffee siphon. That one comes with a cloth filter, but I think you can replace it if you want.

Yama Glass 5 Cup Stovetop Coffee Siphon (Syphon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CVTKVK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_l7bBDb2VBSW52

I was checking out the siphon prices because I remember seeing a 5-cup siphon for under $60. I guess compared to a French Press that's a lot of money... but SIPHON!

Here's a 5-cup for $40! warning amazon link! warning

I guess that would fit the budget aspect?

Great guide by the way!

I agree with this guy full heartedly. Another option would be to spend $100 on an electric bur grinder and get a siphon coffee brewer instead. Just as quick if not quicker, you'll make a way better pot of coffee, and you get to impress your friends with your snobbish coffee methods all at the same time.

Or get an aeropress which isn't as fancy but still makes a killer cup of coffee and lightning fast.

Also buy a scale.


Here's all the stuff I just mentioned:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CVTKVK/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0012N1NAA/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1368034775&sr=8-2&pi=SL75
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000VAWXOU/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1368034899&sr=8-3&pi=SL75
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018RY8H0/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1368034972&sr=8-2&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/Yama-Glass-Stovetop-Coffee-Siphon/dp/B002CVTKVK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426875584&sr=8-1&keywords=yama+5+cup+syphon

We sell this one in our shop. Yama is a great value compared to Hario. 5 cup is a good size. I'd consider getting a few extra filters - but really the ones that come with the brewer will last you a few months to a year.

Package Contents:

• Pitcher: Rattleware Steaming Pitcher ($18) Having something with a spout helps pour cleanly into the Aeropress in addition to being a good heating vessel.
  
• Water Heater: Norpro water heater ($11) The time to get enough water to temp is a little longer than the grind time on the hand grinder.
  
• Grinder: Cozyna Grinder ($20): Less than half the price of the Porlex option. I figured if it breaks I can get another one or upgrade to the Porlex.
  
• Brewing: Aeropress ($35)
  
• Filter: Able Aeropress Metal Filter ($13)
  
  Optional:
  
  
• Scale: American Weigh Scale AWS-600-BLK ($10) Just don't get it wet. This could easily fit in the pouch, but by now I've been able to eyeball the bean/water volume required for a particular weight.
  
• Thermometer: Thermapen ($79, refurbished): This was not purchased specifically for this kit. But it's a great thermometer to have in your kitchen anyway! At $10, a simple drink thermometer [like this one](Taylor Precision Products Classic Line Hot Beverage Thermometer for Coffee or Tea https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001U1XRA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_L9b3xbTDWY3MS) would be perfect.
  
• Mug: Ultimo Coffee Camping Mug ($12): Any small mug will do. Ultimo Coffee is one of my favorite local roasters so I'll be traveling with a piece of home wherever I go
  
• Silicone mat (~$15) About the size of a mouse pad. Lets me not worry about putting hot/wet/messy things on the hotel or Air B&B desk.
  
• Bag: S.A.W. Pouch (~$11) designed to hold 6 standard 30 round magazines for automatic weapons... or coffee gear. Got it at my local army surplus store.

If you're a gadget kind of person, you should check out this coffee maker. A friend of mine was raving about it on Facebook - low acidity, easy clean-up, and impressive flavors.

Thanks, asshole. I already owned two French presses, and now i'm out $30.

Q1: The Keurig K-cup Home Brewer


Q2: As the only coffee drinker in the house, I usually go without drinking it most morning as I can't drink a whole pot of coffee. I tried once... I was constantly having to pee. blushes

Phrase: Saving Private Ryan

Thank you!

Annnnd here we go again, another crazy but fun contest =)
Thank you!

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1.) My tea/coffee mug. This little fellow is Miss Nanny. I found her on an auction site called Listia and had to have her. I won her and I only use her for plain cold tea and plain cold coffee because I am afraid of hurting her. She's sturdy, but I worry about getting liquid in the holes on the inside where her head is. This is my favorite because she is a goat! My very first goat mug and I love her. :3 She may not be shiny and new, but shes beautiful.

2.) So fancy.

Of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life.

If you're a coffee drinker, then this might be something you'd like. My sister got one and has really enjoyed it.

Go Ben!

Those are gorgeous!! So Fancy! I have been wanting this for a little while now, but I just can't justify spending the money on it, plus like you, I prefer to gift others as opposed to spending lots of money on myself.

Thanks for the contest! :D

You are not an idiot! These are examples of K-cups! they are used in Keurigs for hot coffee, tea, cocoa and many other drinks! <3

So what I like to do is go on Amazon and search and usually I look at the top rated item. This is no referral code or anything cheesy like that. But read the reviews, look at the similar items and decide amongst them. I have the hamilton beach one listed amongst the similar items, but it is a bit more. Most of these will last for a while, at least until you're ready to move on to something different.

edit: I actually have this sitting idle in my kitchen. I was going to donate it to goodwill but if you want it, it's yours.

This is just my humble opinion especially based on your criteria...

This automatic drip coffee maker was the Consumer Reports Best Buy last year for under $40 (might can find it cheaper now) & it is a best seller on Amazon. The reason I like it is that it has the ability to reach 195° to 205° F for five or six minutes, the industry standard for optimal brewing.

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-SJX33GT-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B0047Y0UQO

Considering bang for buck, ease of use & amount of coffee produced, I'd probably go with Wired Magazine's 7 out of 10 recommendation.

http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY

Second what /u/oleander725 said. The /r/coffee wiki has a gear by price section that lists the three SCAA certified drip machines. The 2 that pop up here the most are the

• Bonavita BV1800 8 Cup Cofffee Maker
  
  
• Technivorm Moccamaster KB-741
  
  Edit:
  
  There's also the Lance Larkin BE 112 Brew Express

http://www.amazon.com/Technivorm-Moccamaster-KB-741-Coffee-Polished/dp/B0055P70MQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1368275328&sr=1-3&keywords=moccamaster

Yeah, I've been seeing a lot of positive reviews on B&D machines. This one has piqued my interest specifically...

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Single-Serve-Coffee/dp/B008YS1WXE/

This is the one I want the most but i'd be happy with #2/#3 too! :). I needs a new wallet, mine is falling apart.

My most wanted Amazon item is probably this coffee maker. I love that it is single serving size. I just don't have time in the morning to make coffee or tea or hot cocoa so it'd be SO nice to just push a button, go about my business, and then grab my coffee on the way out the door.

price history

-Pyrex dishes/bowls with plastic lids are really convenient for meal preps.

-[A butter dish ] (https://www.amazon.com/Miles-Kimball-Green-Depression-Butter/dp/B00G2G40S4%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-ffab-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00G2G40S4) is always a good idea! Keeps butter spreadable and handy, right on the kitchen counter. Best to use salted butter, which keeps longer at room temp.

-A [Microplane ] (https://www.amazon.com/Microplane-40020-Classic-Zester-Grater/dp/B00004S7V8%3Fpsc%3D1%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-ffab-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00004S7V8) is a good tool for finely shredding parmesan and other hard cheeses, zesting citrus fruits and any other fine grating. Not the most practical gift for everyone but I've gotten a lot of use out of one.

-Order some coconut oil for her, or any other keto-approved oil so she starts off on the right track, with the right fats.


-I really like reusing bacon grease, which she can put through a coffee filter in a [ pour-over coffee maker, ] (https://www.amazon.com/Tanors-700443183734-Ceramic-Coffee-Dripper/dp/B00JNZ7VNW%3Fpsc%3D1%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-ffab-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00JNZ7VNW0 or rest a coffee filter in the mouth of a mason jar

Nobody will think a pour over is sacrilege. Provided you're not using a blade grinder. . . :) Brew methods are a matter of taste. A french press isn't better or worse than a Chemex; it's just different. If you're going pour over, these are way better than these, because they're a true cone, so the water has to go through all the grounds.

You can buy beans online, but if possible it's best to buy locally roasted coffee to ensure freshness. Coffee is at its best around a week after roasting, and gradually loses flavor over time. Chances are you've got a decent roaster in your area. If not, look around online, and make sure you buy from a place that will tell you when yours was roasted.

And feel free to keep asking questions. I'm happy to tell you what I know.

Get something like this. I use a plastic one, for convenience it is amazing, it just takes a #2 filter.

This isn't a french press, it's a ceramic single coffee brewer so I can't just time how long the beans brew but I can draw out how long I pour the water.

So just curious: is there any real difference in what a Chemex makes and what this makes? Are all pour over devices created equally and the Chemex is just a fancy looking one?

I just replaced both my coffee makers at the office and at home with Bodum pour overs: Link

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LOCYKIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510281526&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bodum+chemex&dpPl=1&dpID=41WX9msOoKL&ref=plSrch

Amazon has a deal on a Bodum pour-over maker for $15: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LOCYKIQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


Should I throw $15 at this, or is there a better rig for the money? Would I be better off just buying a $3 plastic melita cone?

As others have said this doesn't work today and won't work in the future unless Nespresso makes an Alexa skill (they would be stupid not to but don't count on it).

Further as others have said the most expedient thing to do is buy a switch coffee maker and a smart switch

There are Alexa capable coffee makers like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LUFSSWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_gsICybHAQH0YH

But given that it's no longer available I can't say how good it is/was.

I'm more of a coffee drinker but you could probably still use this:

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Wifi-Enabled-Coffeemaker-BVMC-PSTX91WE/dp/B00LUFSSWG/

Just run it without coffee in it and you have a carafe full of hot water. I could measure how hot it comes out I guess but coffee is generally brewed ~180F ish

Nice thing is it reports states (Refill Water, Replace Carafe, etc.) so you can have it send reminders to refill it before you go to bed etc


I think the DIY path of least resistance is to get a Sonoff and flash it (requires extremely basic soldering), and mod that to the AC cable of a kettle that will turn on when electricity is applied.

It's already out. http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Wifi-Enabled-Coffeemaker-BVMC-PSTX91WE/dp/B00LUFSSWG

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smarter-SMKET01-Generation-iKettle-Silver/dp/B06W2MJ46Y/

https://www.amazon.com/AIMOX-Stainless-Smartphone-Temperature-Teakettles/dp/B01EJGOGT6

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Wifi-Enabled-Coffeemaker-BVMC-PSTX91WE/dp/B00LUFSSWG/

There are other options as well. I don't know offhand if the apps already support automatic starting based on GPS co-ordinates, but I expect it would be technically feasible.

They exist already. I have three.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LUFSSWG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1458346673&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=wemo+coffee+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=417ong1eCgL&ref=plSrch

I found myself in a similar position a few years ago.

I have two different stainless steel french presses (one more expensive model and a cheaper one). If you have ever had coffee from a stainless steel mug or thermos without complaint (I haven't had your thermos issue), I think you should be fine. You can wash with vinegar the first time (or first few times) if you're very concerned about it.

I use the solid wall sterling pro. It holds the heat a bit better for the second cup. Like the double screen. Had a bodum before, which worked well.

http://www.amazon.com/SterlingPro-Double-Stainless-French-Coffee/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1452101756&sr=8-7&keywords=french+press

Was looking for something like this for an office - a bean-to-brew Keurig replacement.

This Breville is the only one I saw that looked promising - https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BDC650BSS-Grind-Control-Silver/dp/B00VGGVQCI?ie=UTF8&dpID=41Jor5FSI1L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1BJBS34MQYF0GB0FS4RT&ref_=pd_sim_sbs_79_1

There's no current machine that does all of the above, but the Ninja Coffee Bar can do single serve or a carafe as well as froth milk. No grinder, but a built in one would probably not be that great.

The Brevillle Grind Control can do single serve or carafe and has a grinder built in. No milk frother, but you could easily buy a frothing wand separate.

The above items are mostly convenience items and might not quite make coffee quite to the standards that most people here would enjoy, but others in the general public seem to enjoy them, so there's that.

I found a couple drip machines that have built in burr grinders, so I think I'm going to recommend those to him:

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BDC650BSS-Grind-Control-Silver/dp/B00VGGVQCI/

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DGB-900BC-Thermal-Automatic-Coffeemaker/dp/B000T9XPHC/

Take what I am about to say with a grain of salt. It’s just my opinion and I’m sure someone else will comment saying something different. With Chemex you are paying for the brand name and the cool wooden collars. The Bodum is hand blown borosilicate and comes with a reusable mesh filter whereas the Chemex uses a proprietary paper filter and a cast carafe (or a hand blown one if you spend a fortune). It honestly makes fantastic coffee and can rival a Chemex any day of the week once you figure out the best grind to use for the mesh filter, which can be a little tricky. What I have started using is a #3 or #4 paper filter inside the mesh filter and I have had great results. At a fraction of the price of the Chemex, it can’t be beat.

Edit: I know you’re looking for something that makes coffee for two people, but we have a singleserve pour over from OXO Good Grips that honestly makes some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. here’s an amazon link to it

If you want to run a Microwave or Coffee Maker, you will need a 2000w inverter.

The coffee maker will put some serious hurt on your batteries. Microwave isn't terrible because you are generally only running for 30 seconds or 2-3 minutes. Coffee maker is on for at least 15 minutes at a high load first thing in the morning when your batteries are at their most discharged (with an off-grid solar setup)

1 - Get an inverter (pure sine wave) they are awesome!

2 - Good job on the 2x Golf Cart batteries and solar

3 - Heat up water on your propane stove then use a pour-over coffee maker (we love this one) https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Single-Coffee-Dripper-Auto-Drip/dp/B01ENK41Q6

I've installed a few different inverters. Since trying to cook/heat water with power stored in your batteries goes QUICK, I've learned to not cook with electricity off-grid. Use your propane to cook, it is excellent at that.

Now you can get away with a high-quality 400 watt pure sine wave inverter for all the other things you want to do with 120VAC and you don't need to invest in expensive huge copper cables/fuses, etc.


(this is coming from someone who runs their Jayco 6,000 BTU air conditioner off the batteries via 1,200 watt PSW inverter for 40 minutes at the kids' bedtime)

Congrats! If you want to experiment with making your own, this is my husband's favorite way to brew.

There's a hot water dispenser at his office, so he brings a small bit of ground coffee (we do the Trader Joe's organic/fair-trade Breakfast Blend), his favorite mug, and has way better coffee than the crap burning to the bottom of the pot all day in the break room.

There are cheaper ones, but this allows for a very slow, steady drip.

I recently had to buy myself one because I was getting a bit jealous.

I've never heard of it until this moment but I have trouble believing that it can be decent at that price. Most unbranded kettles cost the same or more, yet this thing has to heat water and do all the other stuff too, I doubt it's quality. If you want an automatic pour over, have a look at this Oxo, it's arguably the easiest manual brewer to use.

Someone recommended the baratza encore and a bonavita brewer. This is a spectacular recommendation, however, it sounds like you don’t want to weigh your beans. For this reason I would recommend the baratza virtuoso, which has a timer on it. This would require a small amount of work to figure out how many seconds of grinding equals the amount of beans you want, but once you know the time, you can set it and it’ll be consistent within 1-2 grams every time. It’s slightly more expensive, but if you get it refurbished you’ll definitely stay under your $300 budget.

Here’s some links:

baratza virtuoso

bonavita w/glass carafe per request

reusable filter that fits the bonavita

Edit:formatting

Awesome.

I can't seem to find any 1901bts machines out there, but I did find this: https://www.amazon.ca/Bonavita-BV1901PW-Coffee-Brewer-Black/dp/B074JPZWYR/ref=asc_df_B074JPZWYR/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292963167295&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6513930224385818655&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000833&hvtargid=pla-367326210865&psc=1

What's the difference between the 1901bts and the BV1901PW?

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1901PW-Metropolitan-One-Touch-Coffee/dp/B074JPZWYR?ref_=ast_bbp_dp

Couldn’t agree more. Just made my second pot with their Metropolitan (BV1901PW). Makes substantially better coffee than any other drip maker I’ve had. Picked one up on amazon for $68. Can’t beat it IMHO.

Bonavita Metropolitan

A real fan of this one: Bonavita BV1901PW Metropolitan One-Touch Coffee Brewer Length: 12.60" Width: 6.80" Height: 12.20" Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JPZWYR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mS2RCbG92RZXN

You could also go for the Bonavita Metropolitan which wasn’t sent in for SCAA certification, therefore lowering the price. It comes with a glass carafe. It makes an absolutely delicious cup of coffee.

The real claim here is that it brews at 200F.

In that case, just get yourself a classic Bunn.

Yama Glass 5 Cup Tabletop Siphon Coffee Maker



How it works

Ok thanks. I bought http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047Y0UQO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 .

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Single-Serve-Coffee/dp/B008YS1WXE

The only difference between this and a Keurig, aside from paying 50% less for your coffee and having a larger selection, is that you have to empty the filter into the trash bin instead of throwing the old k-cup out.

Bodum is a good beginner brand. I've had mixed results with some of their products, but the French press is solid. I would not recommend the basic coffee grinder as it does not produce uniform grounds. Their pourover is pretty good if you use a filter in addition to the metal one. If you're set on going with Bodum, check out your local Marshalls or HomeGoods. They always have Bodum coffee products for sale for cheaper than retail.

thank you for actually trying to be helpful!

That is certainly closer in both function and price than most suggestions I got.

I'm still having a bit of a hard time justifying it over something like this Especially considering that even if it breaks in half the time (unlikely) I can replace it and still barely come in over the original price of the cheaper Gaggia.

Also it makes coffee like coffee, not watered down espresso. Which seems like way more of a difference than people are making it out to be.

I'm not trying to be rude, I just haven't seen the justifications yet.

Sorry, I had a feeling that people would want more justification for why I think it's a scam but I posted this on mobile before bed. I'll add more reasons why I think it's fake below.

• He is clearly talented at video editing. This raises suspicions that he was able to fake his videos (including his "un-edited" video) using computer models.
  
  EDIT:
  People seem to be taking this bullet point the wrong way, and it's my fault for not being more explicit about what I meant with regards to this point. What I meant was that it would be believable that he would be able to edit his videos using 3d models instead of real products because he clearly has a lot of skill in video editing as shown by his other videos. This is not a reason why the product might be fake by itself. I made a mistake in putting this one first because it seemed more like an important point instead of a secondary one. Originally I intended to list these in order of how compelling I thought they were but I removed that sentence because I changed my mind about taking the effort to do that.
  
  
• At the end of the intro video, he holds up the coffee maker with one hand. If you watch this part of the video you get the sense that it has a weight more similar to an empty shell than a product with a heating element, grinding burrs, and a motor in it.
  
  
• You might believe his story about realizing that 150 k is not enough to launch a product (duh) and canceling the kickstarter early. But.... He could have also realized that he could make a lot more money with this idea. Taking the 150k and not delivering would have obviously meant that he couldn't try again for more. (also... if he spent so much time developing the first product, why not make a new Kickstarter for that instead of going through the trouble to develop a whole new one first?)
  
  
• He supposedly paid at least 4+ professionals (engineers, etc) to help him design this thing. That kind of thing costs a lot of money, so where did that money come from? If he is so loaded that he can afford to pay professionals to consult him on his design 3 times, why no mention of all the money he's sunken into it so far? Why are none of their names or businesses mentioned?
  
  
• If you look at coffee machines that grind their own beans, they are BIG. If it's possible to do all of this within such a tiny package, why have no other coffee makers gotten anywhere close? This is roughly 12x smaller in volume than the Breville Grind Control.
  
  
• If you look at the size and shape of the Bruvelo and think about where the components need to be to make it work, it seems impossible. If you look at the head of the unit alone, that small portion supposedly houses a reservoir for enough beans to brew a cup of coffee (supposedly more concentrated than any other drip coffee maker), a motor to spin the burrs, and the burrs themselves. Keep in mind that in this picture the burrs are sticking out of the bottom, so where is the motor?
  
  
• In a similar vein, the water for this thing supposedly goes from the cap to the base, and then from the base to the head again (which is already packed ... but somehow this head also has a system for distributing water), all through a very narrow channel which also functions as a support for the entire unit. In the intro video, the water would have to travel through the hinge of the cap to make it into the unit, which is possible but seems highly suspect to me. Keep in mind that this is completely different in the "un-edited" video. Pretty surprising that this man is able to fit everything into an impossibly small package in a way that no other coffee maker has been able to do, all in a year.
  
  
• The design of the product changes multiple times on the same page... I already mentioned how the functionality and internal design of the coffee maker in the "un-edited" video has a completely different internal structure to the one in the intro video, but even within the intro video it changes significantly. Check out this comparison of two different times in the video. This might be believable for an incomplete prototype, but for a fully developed product which is supposedly functional, you're not going to spend time developing everything only to change it in a couple months.
  
  I'm sure there are more reasons to suspect that this product is fake, and so I don't mean to suggest this is a definitive list. I would be interested in hearing other people's opinions as well.
  
  Edit: typo