One

Two

Three

Four


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

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

There is no products from brands. Everything on amazon is from alibaba and every brand is no deeper than a name and maybe a logo.
If you want a trick on Amazon, sort by highest rating and find something that looks good. Then sort by lowest price and look for the pictures, COMPLETELY IGNORING ALL REVIEWS. You'll find a picture that matches exactly the same product that was highly rated, but for less than half the price.

Here is an example:

https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543270477&sr=1-8&keywords=Electric+coffee+grinder


https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Coffee-Grinder-Adjustable-Consistent/dp/B078RW6QDJ/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543270500&sr=1-2&keywords=Electric+coffee+grinder

Here is a third one and probably a more accurate match

https://www.amazon.com/Umwon-Adjustable-Precision-Stainless-Traveling/dp/B07CCHBG76/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1543274929&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Electric+coffee+grinder

The Hario Mini MIll is the coffee grinder I'd suggest you go for on a student budget. It's hand-cranked and a burr grinder that's pretty popular on here as an affordable, quality grinder - it's just not suitable for more than one or two cups at a time if you don't want a hand cramp.
Looking at Amazon Germany, it seems to be 25 euros - http://www.amazon.de/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/
Perhaps keep an eye on it and see if the price drops? Over in the UK it's currently £22 on Amazon but I bought it for £13 back in August from the same retailer.

It works very well with a french press for me, the grind can be a bit inconsistent, but I've never found it to be detrimental to the quality of the brew. I'm sure many other folks can chime in on their experiences with the Hario Mini MIll as well.

Here's a pretty good setup if you're willing to get whole beans and grind them yourself:

French Press ($12), Hario Skerton hand grinder ($40) - if you have a pot to boil water in this is all the setup you'd need for great coffee at only $52.

If you don't have a pot, add on an electric kettle for $20 and you're still only at $72 total.

Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder

Melitta Ready Set Joe Single Cup Coffee Brewer

Filters

That leaves you with about $12 to spare, which you could spend on some beans.

(This is my own setup btw, so I may or may not be biased. It is cheap though.)

That's a Hario burr grinder (dear god why do I know that?). Mostly used for coffee.

Edit: link to product
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

Get a hario skerton for $29...the one at world market is likely crap

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

My simple guide for UK beginners.

• Hario Mini Slim grinder
  
• Aeropress
  
• Decent coffee roasters house blend
  
  Don't waste your money buying fancy AA single estate small batch beans because you just won't get the best out of them. You want a reliable and inexpensive blend that doesn't need a chemistry degree and £300 worth of equipment to achieve good results every time.
  
  I would go as far as to recommend new comers just pick up some decent supermarket branded beans to practice your technique and figure out what type of coffees work for you. The when you become more confident with your method feel free to start exploring more luxury beans.
  
  

This goes two ways depending on whether you're lazy or willing to work for your coffee.

Are you a very lazy person?

Get some ready-made decoction from Amazon. Boil water, mix a little decoction. Done. It's much better than Nescafé.

Are you willing to put in some effort? You need to buy beans, grind them yourself and use an espresso machine.

Beans: Blue Tokai is very good, but expensive. I've heard Koinonia is good, too, but it is again expensive. Devans has good coffee and is cheaper, but are sometimes inconsistent on the roast. The Coffee Gatherer is probably the cheapest source of good beans, but they don't roast well at all. This may or may not matter very much to you.

Grinding mill: buy a dedicated burr grinder. Use it only for grinding coffee. I have this. It's good enough but you can buy bigger and more expensive ones.

Espresso machine: I have a Tecnora. It's cheap and very good, builds great pressure, makes great espresso. You can dilute the espresso to make Americano. Machines from other brands in the same price range don't build up enough pressure and make a very weak Espresso.

I also have an Aeropress which I used for years. People swear by it, as I did, but the espresso machine makes much better coffee. I also used a French press before. It makes gritty and bitter coffee, and leaves grounds in so it keeps brewing as it sits. If you tend to sip large cups over a long while French press coffee is the worst.

Here's a really cheap grinder. I got it on Amazon for $20, so if you wait and watch, the prices might drop.

Depends on the store. Trader Joe's coffee is really good for the price. Whole foods is probably good too. I've heard got things about 8 O'Clock, a brand most stores carry, but I've never had it.

You should check out ceramic manual hand grinders! Basically a small, inexpensive, low investment, quick way to ensure fresh coffee!
I have a Beratza Encore now but I used a hand grinder for 18 months before I got it. The little hand grinders are honestly pretty amazing.

Brb with a link.



I am back.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517587258&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hand+grinder+coffee&dpPl=1&dpID=31OfOtErjNL&ref=plSrch

Hmm... if he just got a French Press for Christmas and is buying pre-ground then I would say to get him a burr grinder such as the Hario Mini Mill (amazon).

Basically, good coffee needs only a couple things and one of them is freshly ground and freshly roasted beans. It doesn't matter what coffee you brew if you didn't grind it freshly it won't be as good. The Mini Mill is also pretty affordable so you could pair that with a bag of freshly roasted coffee. If you don't mind buying things offline (ie, in the real world), then I would try and find a local roaster that you can drive to. Odds are if you're in/near a city you have one but may not know you do. You mentioned a particular place, they sound like a re-seller but likely they do get very fresh shipments (perhaps once a week since this is how my local shops work). If you would prefer to buy it online, then I can suggest Klatch Coffee Roasters in CA and Verve Coffee (also in CA). The former charges for shipping, but it's $5-$6 via USPS. The latter does not, which is fantastic if you're interested in ordering one bag of coffee. I wouldn't pay $5-$6 to ship one bag of coffee, but I would to ship two bags.

The important thing to remember with coffee beans is that you want it fresh. Ideally a couple days after being roasted, if not sooner, so you should be looking to buy this a few days before Valentine's.

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

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

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

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

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

A nutribullet probably uses blades like a spice grinder or blenders. You’ll get a huge difference in the consistency of the grind using a burr grinder. You can pretty easily get a manual burr grinder from amazon and even the cheap ones will be a lot better than a blade one. The Hario Skerton is on the less expensive side and will definitely be good enough for a french press starting out. Not sure what the price is like in Ireland though.

Hario Buono kettle and either the Hario Skerton or Porlex. Use the rest to buy a scale if you don't have one, or a pour over if you don't have one, or a bag of beans :)

/u/OliverBabish

Great episode. My only qualm is why you didn't use a burr grinder. I know you're on a budget, but a Hario hand crank is only $26 and you can get a nut and drill socket adapter for about $3 at the hardware store to make your drill into a motor to grind with.

For the best value, get a hand grinder. Electric you are paying for convience and the motor. Hand grinder usually has better quality to warrent the price. I recommend Lido 3 (best but a little expensive, $200), Porlex Mini, or Hario Skerton

https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/orphan-espresso/lido3

https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

Thanks for the update. That's plenty of money to start.

The two big things you can do to drastically improve your cup is 1.) fresh WHOLE coffee beans (check the roast date); none of that pre-ground stuff. If you are looking for speed and cheap this is a decent grinder that will meet your needs, however if you have the time, (effort) and want to do it right. I would strongly recommend something like this. It is a burr grinder and will give you MUCH better results (rather than chopping beans you are actually grinding them. Burr grinder = squeezing out the best aromas and flavor into your coffee). You can buy one for ~$40 (along with ~$30 for a decent french press).. Get the beans whole and grind them before each use (two scoops of coffee per 6 ounces of water); don't let the beans sit for more than a month. They lose freshness and aroma/taste each day after it's been opened. 2.) use good water. You don't have to use bottled, Brita is fine or tap if you have good water.

and that's it. From there you can explore the types of roast you like, the different regions, blends, etc since you will be making consistent coffee each time this way (very few variables unlike many of the methods of brewing- but hey, isn't that half the fun? Although most would suggest getting a scale right away, I would recommend holding off. A scale can then help you fine tune your technique, but is IMHO a bit too complicated to start with. Instead, I would take the money saved and check out some good coffee shops in your area, particularly ones that roast their own coffee. You'll quickly learn what you like and what you don't.

Good luck, have fun and feel free to msg me if you have anymore questions.

Also: you can try to adjust the grind for the strength of your coffee (to taste). More fine = stronger. More coarse = less strong. That will affect not just the strength, but also the body and "mouth feel" of the coffee (if you do go with a french press, you want a "coarse" grind).

The Harios are decent hand-grinders

• [Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ and also the Skerton)
  
  
• Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill
  
  ... but since it's a gift, electric is a very nice thing to have if you're up early in the morning:
  
  
• [Capresso 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder] (http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-Infinity-Conical-Grinder-8-5-Ounce/)
  
  There are others for under a hundred, but this is an ok place to start.

I'd go for an aeropress. It's what got myself, and later on my girlfriend, into coffee, and it's pretty cheap. It will make a strong, small batch of coffee each time, somewhere between an espresso and a french press (in my opinion).

I'm guessing the macchiatos your fiance is talking about is the Starbucks variety. Macchiatos are supposed to be an espresso shot with very little milk added.

Anyway, continuing on the assumption that the drink she likes is 1-2 shots of espresso and a mug of foamed milk (and flavoring), I would start by making a copy of that at home with the aeropress.

The way I did that is I'd warm up a mug of milk while I'm boiling the water, and use a handheld frother to froth the heated milk. (This won't create the same caliber of foamed milk as you'd get from an espresso machine/steamer but I'm guessing you don't want to drop the cash on one quite yet)... Once the milk is frothed and the water is heated I'd add freshly ground beans(important that they're fresh!) to to the aeropress, and then water, and brew the coffee right into the mug of frothed milk.

At this point you have a pretty close replica to a latte. Since you are newcomers to coffee, you might want to add some sort of flavoring to it. I rarely do, but when I did, I'd just add a little vanilla extract and sugar.

Tips:

• 
  You're going to want to grind your beans at home. Buying preground beans almost guarantees they're going to be stale.
  
• Following what I said above, freshness is key. Try to buy freshly roasted beans.
  
• A lot of the process of coffee making is tinkering to your own taste. If you make a cup of coffee and it's way too strong, don't give up. Try something else untill it's good for you!
  
• Once you get used to the milk-laden coffees, try to broaden your horizons. There are a wide range of coffee types, and they all have their bonuses.
  
  Gear:
  
  
• Aeropress $25.95
  
• Milk frother $2.00
  
• Hario Skerton Hand Grinder $48.50 (Ceramic burr grinders are the best type of coffee grinders, but they run around $300 on average, this one, however is $50.00 but requires some work. I own one and it's worth the effort in my opinion)
  
  Beans: (Places I've tried)
  
  
• Intelligentsia
  
• The Roasterie
  
• Klatch Coffee
  
  Mugs:
  
  
• Great mug
  
• Also great mug, but pretty large
  
  If you have any questions, or if I'm wrong about something let me know! I think this is all for now.

I wrote an answer to a similar question yesterday. Here's a version edited for you, hope this helps.

​

Cheapest possible way to get into it is a whirly blade grinder and a french press. No filters needed, just fresh ground coffee made rather quickly and easily. This was my first ever coffee set up, and really got me into drinking better coffee. Buying locally from a reputable roaster will be the best option for quality beans for a good price, and you seem to know that already.

​

The other option, is to buy nice or buy twice. After using the above set up for a few months I was hooked and decided to upgrade everything. So I will send you some options for the most cost effective way to make specialty level coffee. For this I would look at a nicer grinder and a pour over set up. While hand grinders are great, almost everyone upgrades to an electric one. The linked options there are my favorite for the money. The electric model from baratza can be found refurbished on their website from time to time for additional savings.

The next thing you'll need is a pour over and a kettle to pour with. I recommend a Chemex here as they are good for serving one to three cups comfortably. I recommended a glass handle chemex because they are beautiful, but wood necked models are a little cheaper. I would get the white square filters with it as they impart less papery flavor. As for a kettle you have a ton of options. I am going to link a budget electric kettle as I find the stovetop models to be more of a hassle. The additional cost for an electric kettle is pretty marginal.

​

Hope this is helpful! Happy brewing and welcome to the fam!

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

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

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

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

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

Grinder

>Capresso Infinity - $89
>
>or
>
>Hario Mini Mill Slim - $30 - If you don't mind hand-grinding your beans


Coffee Maker

>Aeropress - $23 - Balanced flavour, easy cleanup
>
>or
>
>Hario v60 - $19 - If you enjoy the process of preparing your coffee, and enjoy a brighter (more acidity) cup of coffee.
>
>or
>
>A french press - $20 and up - If you want to make more coffee at a time than the Aeropress, don't mind a "thicker" (more coffee particulate and oils in the cup) coffee, and are not opposed to having a little bit more clean-up.

You'll need a kettle for any of these brew methods; a programmable/temperature controlled kettle like this one ($95) is ideal for manual brew methods, but any kettle (and a thermometer if you'd like to get fussy) will do just fine.

Personally I would get the Capresso and the Aeropress if I were you. It's a very balanced and forgiving brew method that can make coffee a few different ways (eg. paper filter for a "brighter" cup, metal for a thicker one). Set aside the rest of your budget and find a good coffee roaster near you!

1. Aeropress and metal filter
   
2. Porlex Mini grinder -- Fits inside the Aeropress
   
3. Small electric immersion heater to boil water
   
4. Good whole-bean coffee
   
   I've traveled with this setup for years on the road and it has yet to let me down. It makes a better cup of coffee than you get in most speciality shops.

Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton Storage Capacity (100g) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_BSZkybT322R3V

I appreciate the feedback- this is the grinder and it is inexpensive. Do you recommend this one? Will get myself one!

I'd have to recommend looking away from a pod based machine. Because it's pre-ground the coffee is stale already when you buy it. In addition to using stale coffee these machines aren't capable of producing enough pressure (9 bars) to produce real espresso. Instead of opting for a machine I'd get an aeropress.

An [Aeropress,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GXZ2GS/) [grinder,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PE85xb5KY6678) [scale,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004164SRA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NG85xb8VP81H3) and [kettle] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8J85xbF33PVD0) will be cheaper than the Nescafe and will produce significantly better coffee.

The nice part about the aeropress is its simplicity and versatility. You can use it as an espresso substitute for Lattes and milk drinks, drink it black for a clean, bold cup, or dilute it to an americano for a traditional cup of coffee. Make sure to get some fresh beans from a local roaster too!

That is basically the cheapest good burr grinder that's not manual. Of course the manual ones work too--the grinder you linked is basically a knockoff Hairo Skerton:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

I started with the Hairo Slim, but it got old eventually and I purchased the Encore.

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

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

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

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

I love my Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001802PIQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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

After much experimentation, you have a few options:

1. On-campus
   

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

2. Selected off-campus locations:
   

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

Porlex Mini, no questions asked.

https://www.amazon.ca/Porlex-Mini-Hand-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

I take it motorcycle camping, used with my aeropress.

I take this everywhere - Aerobie Aeropress. It's not super light however it makes fantastic coffee. In fact I use it at home as my coffee maker of preference.

I use this grinder - Hario Mini Mill Slim Grinder - again, it weighs ~250 g and it just does it's job well.

Edit:

I weighed my grinder including handle - ~250g (+/- 5g accuracy on the scale).

I also weight my Aeropress including the stainless steel S-Filter - ~250g (+/- 5g)

kettle: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417710975&sr=8-2&keywords=bonavita

Scale: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Drip-Scale-Timer/dp/B009GPJMOU/ref=pd_sim_k_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=04WC4XNEDPNT7K81849C

Hand mills (good to take with the aeropress while traveling):
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1417711031&sr=1-2&keywords=hario+mill

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Canister-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B003EEGDSM/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1417711031&sr=1-3&keywords=hario+mill

Or if you want to go all out you could get a small roaster and some green bean samplers to have some fun with.

Hario Skerton: Baseline manual grinder

Baratza Encore: Baseline electric grinder

Hario v60

Kalita Wave

Clever Dripper

Pick a grinder, pick one of the pourover methods (or get a French Press) and filters, and you're set. You can get a gooseneck kettle if you want for a better pour.

Hario Skerton Hand Grinder - $40 manual burr grinder. Some people have complained in the past about getting plastic shavings in their coffee, although this may be a fixed issue. An excellent alternative to blade grinders on the lower end of the price range.

Hario Mini Mill on sale as well for $24! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/

I think I might pick up both thanks to this subreddit!

EDIT: Nabbed the Aeropress, filters, and Mini Mill for $50. I am ready for coffee heaven.

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!

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

Total: $65 for a decent college budget brew station

The aeropress and french press are the easiest way to get a good cup of coffee. Check out these brew guides to see which one you think would be best for you.

1. Aeropress
   
2. french press
   
   Both are pretty easy to clean, but I think the aeropress is a bit easier. However, a good cup of french press is hard to beat with any manual brewing technique, imo. Aeropress only brews a single cup, whereas a larger french press can brew however much you want it to up to its limit. The big downside for french press is that it uses a coarse grind and you have to drop some money on a good grinder if you want a consistent coarse grind - grind consistency is key. (You could also buy beans and have them ground coarse wherever you buy them if you don't want to grind fresh.) With the Aeropress, you use a medium-fine to fine grind which can be achieved with a relatively inexpensive grinder such as the [hario mini mill.] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451402224&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill) I frequently use both. Aeropress is great for travel and work, whereas french press is great for weekend mornings.

You can get a Hario Slim for less than $35. That's probably your best bet.

I'm going to assume that the pepper grinder won't work because of the size of the opening leading into the grinder-- it's going to be optimized for peppercorns, not something the size of a coffee bean.

You could get away with smashing the beans. There was just an infographic posted from Tonx -- here it is -- that talks about smashing with a mallet.

Handground is marketed specifically to people who like pretty grinders, and is very easy to use, but doesn't have any advantage in grind quality over other grinders that cost half as much.

The Skerton is a well understood and versatile grinder. The knockoffs of the Skerton are of dubious quality, and some of them are not very good at all. If you like the Skerton, but don't want to get caught up in the wave of fakes, buy the Kyocera CM50, which is literally the same grinder, just not rebranded for Hario.

Manual Coffee Grinder with Ceramic Burr by Cozyna, Coffee Bean Grinder, Stainless Steel - Aeropress Compatible - Original https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U7WRUNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VlMYBb7G2EBY7

hmm, well are you looking for en electric of hand grinder?

for electric, I'd go with the Baratza Encore

hand grinder, I'd go with the Hario mini mill

You've probably seen this little guy before, but I use it for all of my coffee needs (Aeropress, Chemex, French Press) and it's perfect. I have two roommates and we all drink copious amounts of coffee and grind it all with the Mini Mill, about 2 years strong and no complaints whatsoever. 10/10 would buy again.

Replying to confirm that I make the best coffee I've ever had with a skerton and v60. Here's my entire set up. These aren't necessarily the best in their class, but they do me well.

-Digital scale (or anything that measures in grams)
-Gooseneck kettle (they make ones that are electric, as well)
-Flow restrictor for kettle (not required, it's just what I have)
-Hario skerton burr grinder
-OE mod for skerton (not required. again, it's just what I have)
-Hario v60 02 (I have the clear plastic one)
-Gerber Pure water (available at Walmart, any "spring water" is what I recommend. My tap water smells of chlorine, so even Britta water is gonna be a bit better than my tap water. You want water that's not too hard, nor too soft. So don't use distilled or RO water or "mineral" water.)
-Digital timer (not required, but I like to time things)
-Hario filters (there's a couple different kinds, try any you want. Mine are the white without the "tabs")
-I'm not linking my mugs/servers. But whatever one(s) you use, I recommend preheating them.

(Edit to add: I have other methods of making coffee. This is just my personal overall favorite.)

Are you broke and patient? Or broke and impatient? The hario is a manual grinder that allows you to control the grind size, admittedly with some trial and error.

You're not going to find any good electric grinders for under $100. Hand grinders are still great as long as you aren't doing espresso.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

I bought a Hario Skerton about 2 years ago before moving onto an electric one and it's great! Every time hand grinders come up on the subreddit, the Hario Skerton is always recommended for beginners.

Hope you enjoy!

When buying new gear like this, I often find it worthwhile to buy the good stuff from the beginning. It'll cost more upfront, but in the long run you save money by not sinking it into gear that you're just going to upgrade away from. I know you're looking for a starter kit, so I'll outline some entry level stuff and then some recommended upgrades.

For a burr grinder, a decent entry level manual grinder is the Hario Skerton. One complaint with this is inconsistent coarse grind size, which is what you'll be using with a French Press. Orphan Espresso makes an upgrade kit that fixes this problem, but personally I feel that if you're going to spend $40 on the Skerton and $15 on the upgrade kit, you should just spend a few more bucks and get something like the Capresso Infinity. This grinder is going to be way more convenient, versatile, and consistent than the hand grinder. For one last option, there's the Baratza Encore. This is probably the best grinder you'd want for French Press, because anything better / more expensive would just be overkill as they're primarily aimed at espresso.

The Press itself isn't too important. Bodum is usually the recommended brand.

You'll also need a way to heat water. You could go with a stovetop kettle, but I think electric kettles are more convenient, and are roughly the same price anyway. You can get a pretty standard one for less than $25. But getting a gooseneck kettle is going to help control your pour better and ensure the coffee grounds are completely saturated. If you don't want to worry about getting the perfect temperature for brewing, a variable temperature kettle will take care of it for you.

Other than that, you might want a kitchen scale to get the right coffee-to-water ratio, and a thermometer to check your water temperature.

Here's a link to it. I have this one, and I love it, but I have noticed that the size of the grounds isn't as consistent as I was led to believe it would be. It's not really an issue for me, but I'm not the most refined connoisseur, either.

Brutally honest answer: not worth your time and your money to make this work because you wont ever get the results you want.

More informative answer: The amount of extraction time during the brewing of a K-Cup is not enough to properly get the full flavor of the coffee. Additionally you have no control over water amount or grind amount. When I had a Keurig I bought one of the reusable holders and despite it saying 2Tbsp I could barely fit 1 1/4Tbsp. The most control you have is the water temperature and even then the temperature is not ideal. Also Keurig's are kind of junky, I had one fail after a year and the replacement was acting up within two months. No matter the grind, temp, bean, etc the coffee will always come out under extracted and not enjoyable.

90% of this sub hate keurigs, myself included, but we often do understand the appeal of them. However you need to be aware with that appeal comes major drawbacks like your experiencing now. They are meant entirely as a no frills way of making coffee for people who just want a cup of a coffee.

This would be my recommendation: If you like the appeal of a no frills coffee setup but want to experiment with different beans then I would consider selling the Keurig to a friend or family member. I would use that money to pick up a higher quality drip machine and a hand grinder. If you don't like the idea of using a hand grinder than maybe consider buying a Baratza Encore but it will cost more (FYI watch the Baratza site, every Thursday they restock the refurbs store so you could get a deal).

If you want to get in on the ground floor, so the speak, start with a [french press] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ADS5FO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aeh3xb6XXSXTYand) and/or [pour over] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YA7OUK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Xhh3xbR6CNMZ4), and a [grinder] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_njh3xb7MY9XAP).

Those are all very entry level versions, there is better everything avaliable of course, but you would barely break $50 for all this stuff and have plenty of opportunity to learn and upgrade as you go!

I've got a Hario Skerton (http://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ) and it's easily stashable. If you're really tight on space, you could get the Hario Mini, but you might be limited on the volume of beans you'll be able to grind at once.

Burr grinder gives you a more consistent grind when you grind, and since you can set the coarseness of the grinder, you can easily recreate the same coarseness. With a blade grinder, the coarseness can be affected by how long you hold the button down for, the volume of beans, etc. Lots of variables. Also, super pain in the butt to clean.

For ceramic vs stainless steel, Baratza has a good post explaining it while discussing heat generation in the grinding process: https://www.baratza.com/blog/steel-vs-ceramic-burrs-and-heat-generation-the-lowdown/

Grind by hand like a masochist.

If we're backpacking. I couldn't care less about fresh grounds. I want something hot and that sweet sweet caffeine. We've all switched to instant packets. It's light weight and is less trash to pack out.

if we're car camping, depending on who's going, we either pregrind or bring the grinder. i'm also not above preground beans in a bag. but my hand grinder is glass (older version of this (Hario Skerton)), so it just seems silly and heavy to bring on a hike in.

So I got a coffee mill but then decided not to grind the beans the night before. So I was rushing get things together and the first grind came out way too weak and I had to buy coffee because there wasn't time to get another pot together. But tomorrow should be good. Day off, will be experimenting until it's where I want it.

Never do a blade grinder. It will burn off the oils in the coffee. I started off with this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/KRUPS-Electric-Coffee-Grinder-Stainless/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611192&sr=8-1&keywords=blade+grinder

Coffee tasted pretty bad, switched to this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611218&sr=8-1&keywords=burr+grinder+manual

And the coffee tasted great, but the grind was a bit inconsistent. I used it for about a year, but just bought this guy used on Craigslist:
http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Virtuoso-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8I45C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611248&sr=8-1&keywords=baratza+virtuoso

Now I'm complete.

I just bought a hand grinder, makes a damn fine pot of coffee but it is a lot of work. I bought this one Amazon has it marked under review for some reason. Before that I had a blade grinder, which is much easier but your coffee won't be anywhere near as good. Pretty much the #1 rule I hear is that the grinder is the single most important piece of equipment for a good cup so it isn't something to skimp on.

This is what I use, and it's wonderful.

Better coffee helps. I've been drinking my coffee like a cowboy for quite a while now, and don't ever think twice about it anymore. But if I'm stuck with shit (like the crap you find in hotels) I'll throw a bit of sugar in there.

If you haven't already, start making your coffee at home. You'll not only save money, but your coffee can be exponentially better than what you can get at Starbucks (Who overroasts the shit out of their beans, resulting in cups that taste burnt.)

Buy a hand burr grinder and a French Press, and start buying fresh roasted beans from a local shop.

I own this grinder, and love it.

If you don't have an independent shop around, online companies like Intelligentsia ship amazing coffee out at what can be called reasonable prices. I never buy more than a pound at a time. Keep your beans airtight and in a dark, cool place.

Never grind your beans until right before brewing, as grounds begin to go stale after twenty minutes. For French Press, you'll want to use a coarser grind.

Try out different blends until you find something tasty, and gradually subtract creamers and sweeteners until you're in the black. I've converted more friends than I can count to black coffee simply by giving them something truly fresh.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001804CLY/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Up that budget by just $13, you won't be disappointed

Why not the Hario Mini Mill? It's only $24 w/ Prime, and you can even get it for $20 and free shipping from other sellers on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Stovetop-Coffee-Siphon-Syphon/dp/B002CVTKW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393865731&sr=8-1&keywords=vacuum+coffee

http://www.amazon.com/Cuissential-Manual-Coffee-Grinder-Ceramic/dp/B008YK3IUM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1393865405&sr=8-9&keywords=coffee+mill

>How can I steep loose teas in diffusers without getting debris in my cup?

Recently, I've been using this, especially for tastings. I've found it to prevent debris from entering the liquid. I don't mind a little debris in the tea...

>Resteepable teas?

There are many, but you need to source higher quality whole leaf tea. I primarily deal with Indian and Nepali teas. Brewed in a pot western style, I can generally get 2 solid infusions, and in some cases, 3, without loss of flavor. I am not that knowledgeable on other regions and other steeping styles, but brewing high quality Chinese teas (as an example) gongfu style leads to multiple infusions. Of course, the fundamental difference is with gongfu brewing you're using a higher leaf to water ratio and significantly lower steep times

>Will the cup or pot material affect flavor?

Yes, it can. The best aromas and flavors I have experience are using standard cupping sets like this. If you're new to tea, however, my advice would be to get a nice all purpose tea pot and invest more of your money on high quality tea. Then focus on acquiring tea ware

>What could I be doing that may lower the quality of my tea at home, compared to what I can taste at a tea house?

Personally, the best tea I have had has been made in my home. The trick is high quality tea, and experimentation with brewing parameters (leaf quantity, temperature of water, time of steeping) to find what works best for your palate. The keyword being your palate. There are a lot of opinions in the world of tea, but what matters most if what tastes good to you. To up your game, maybe purchase a variable temperature kettle (if you don't want to spend on this, buy an immersion thermometer to give you an accurate reading). You'll get differing opinions on water quality, but I personally use filtered water and have not had an issue (the minerality of bottled water on the other hand has messed up my tea before).

My advice - if you're in the "discovery phase", but many samplers from vendors from different regions. Our focus is on Indian/Nepali teas. Other established vendors have expertise in different teas from different regions. Accumulate 25-30 samplers, more if financially feasible. Its a low cost way to introduce yourself to the rather large world of tea. From there, figure out what works for you and then invest in larger quantities.

1. Buy whole coffee beans from the store or a local roaster.
   
2. Grind ~30-35 grams of beans per 16oz of water.
   
3. There are two methods for steeping your ground coffee:
   
   1. Get a mason jar and mix your coffee grounds with water, close the mason jar, and let it steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
      
   2. Use a cold brew pitcher like this one and let the grounds steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours
      
4. Strain cold brew through a coffee filter in a steel mesh over a pitcher.
   
5. You now have a pitcher of cold brew coffee concentrate!
   
6. When I make coffee I use a 1:1 ratio of the concentrate and water. I add a splash of half & half and enjoy!
   
   ​
   
   There are some really good videos about it on Youtube too. First time I tried cold brew I followed this video using the mason jar method and it turned out pretty good, just was a little messy to cleanup afterwards.
   
   ​
   
   As a side note, you do not necessarily need whole coffee beans to make cold brew. You can use pre-ground coffee to save some time and money, but using fresh whole beans usually produces a better tasting coffee. I use a basic hand operated coffee grinder.

https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2


That one and the porlex mini will also fit in the aeropress I believe. Grind won't be as nice. I have taken my aeropress on trips, but I've never bothered to take a grinder as well.

Part of making a good cup is repeatability--eliminating variation wherever possible. You'll want a burr grinder and a scale. It's tough, especially with an inconsistent grind, to correctly measure coffee by volume. Any idea on your general brew time? That might be a good indication of what's going on. Let's experiment with technique a bit!

It sounds like you're pouring all of the water in at once after letting it bloom; instead, why not pour about a cup at a time, let it drain for a bit--never letting it get completely dry--and then add the next cup. Rather than pouring in the center, continue pouring in circles the entire time to ensure an even extraction. These are all super minor, and I'm honestly unsure if they'll make any difference. Still, worth a shot!

Maybe try a finer grind, if you can. Shake the blade grinder, grind it for longer--whatever works! A finer grind will prolong the brew time.

> Yeah not 100% sure how to describe the flavor. It's kind of sour but also very "planty" tasting. Sorry if that's unhelpful.

Nah, don't worry about it! I have a tough time describing taste, too. It sounds underextracted to me. If ya have any spare money, a scale goes a long, long way. I use this scale. If you're interested in a grinder, my first--and I'm sure most people's first--was the skerton. I currently use a Baratza Encore, but that might be more than you're willing to invest in a grinder right now.

If you're interested, I can make a video of myself making coffee in my little Chemex.

This is a totally wide-open question, depending on budget and time commitments, as well as personal tastes.


I hate to sound like a /r/coffee cliche, but Aeropress is probably the most flexible, especially for milk drinks. You can brew a concentrated batch with an espresso blend, or a lighter cup with a more standard recipe and whatever beans you prefer. You can kinda texture milk with a french press. It's not going to be cafe-quality but it should be pretty good. If you don't want to get the french press you can honestly just use warmed milk and make a cortado.

Check out this video for some ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_J6Q4oAvLM.

You could probably get away with doing everything with a french press, but it's harder to brew smaller batches with one. You could also consider a Moka Pot instead of an aeropress, but it's more of a one-trick pony, and can be finicky to get consistent results.

I suggest picking up a grinder, a Hario Mini Mill is the best value in the low end. This way you can use fresh beans and get the best flavor. If you're not concerned with all that, the method I described above should work fine with Cafe Bustelo or Lavazza pre-ground coffee.

For a grinder, try one of these guys. I take that & a portable press with me when I tour or go on road trips. Most gas stations have hot water spouts, so I can snob out even in coffee wastelands.

Haro Mini Mill Grinder

French Press Travel Mug or Areopress Coffee Maker

Digital scale able to measure 0.1g

Your favorite kettle/hotpot/other water heating method

You all need to go to /r/coffee
And sorry to tell you but all the GOOD coffee I've found in Tokyo is around 900jpy every 100g.
I recommend you to buy this grinder HARIO ( ハリオ ) 手挽き コーヒーミル ・ セラミック スリム MSS-1TB https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dlzdzbK42C1V8
If you don't have money for a grinder, then I can suppose you don't have a real espresso machine so I recommend you to throw it and buy an aeropress, V60, Kelita or a French Press, and get beans from a specialized shop.

I've been using the Hario Mini Mill for six months now with no problems. You can use to it to grind anything from Espresso to French Press. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373867989&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill

The Baratza would be great, but if you opted for a hand grinder, you'd spend $30 instead $100.

I've had a Hario mini mill for 3+ years now, it's great. Porlex (spelling may be off) makes a similar hand grinder.

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

I've use this one and it works great for small batches.

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

Em Lisboa tens 3 sitios onde podes beber café bom:

Copenhagen Coffe Lab Lisbon

A Fábrica

Wish Slow Coffee House

E na Ericeira tens o Kfé

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

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

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

Fellow college kid here, I went with this Hario hand mill. Sure it takes a little more effort to get your coffee, but its not nearly as bad as people make it sound. It takes a few minutes and I usually do it while heating up the water. I also hear good things about Hario's mini slim.

What do you guys think of this one?

As I've mentioned in other comments, I only make a cup at a time, so this seems sufficient.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TL;DR

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

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

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

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

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

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

The general tradeoff is taste for ease of use, a keurig you'd just pop in a capsule and get mediocre coffee, with some other brew method you'd get better coffee but you would have to work harder. A common starting setup which is quite quick and easy whilst providing a good cup of coffee is an Aeropress, Hario Mini Mill and any decent scale.

Hario mini-mill is a solid option.

I used it for about 6 months with good results. But I got tired of grinding 40g of coffee every morning by hand so I upgraded. It's nice have $300 for coffee grinders money.

Your best bet for dorm room drinks is going to be an Aeropress. It's a weird plastic tube that you use to push hot water through coffee. People here swear by them, and I do too. They don't make espresso, but they can make a terrific cup of coffee as well as a coffee 'concentrate' that can be used as a worthy espresso substitute. In terms of milk, it's really easy to froth milk in a french press. You just put warm milk in a french press and pump the plunger up and down a few times.

Grinding your own beans, if you want to make good tasting drinks, is unfortunately unavoidable. When was first getting into coffee I quickly became bummed out that the expensive and most important part of the process wasn't the exotic, perfectly roasted beans, nor was it the beautiful brewing devices, but instead... the grinder. Fortunately, a basic hand grinder will last you a long time and won't cost too much.

Aeropress - $28
Hand Grinder - $24
French Press - $17

In total that's about $70 worth of stuff. Add a bag of beans and you're at around $80-85 (hey, Christmas is fast approaching!).

Oh, and flavors like french vanilla and pumpkin spice don't really occur naturally in beans, at least not the way you're going to get them somewhere like Starbucks. Cafes typically use syrups, either artificial or natural, to get those flavors.

Oh oh I love coffee! Some cool products to check out on the cheap:

Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder: It's a hand crank grinder, but it's a burr grinder so it produces a more consistent grind which in turn produces a better cup of coffee.

Chemex 3-Cup Classic Glass Coffee Maker: Not as cheap as the french press, but since it uses a paper filter so there isn't as much sediment in the cup. I find that I prefer it over the french press.

Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker: Classic french press.

Optional:

Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale: Scales are helpful in getting a consistent cup every time. You can measure out the water and coffee and dial in the perfect ratio.

Also check out Pinewood Roaster's coffee. I think they're on Franklin and 11th in the same building as Alpha Omega. Grab a bag of Ethiopian Beriti and enjoy!

Hario Skerton

Or buy a Hario Hand Mill! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001804CLY/

My best tips:

Fresh beans + fresh grind + good water = great coffee pretty much regardless of your brewing method.

The 4 ways you can increase the quality of your coffee is to focus on improving these things: beans, grind, water, brewing method.

This is my set-up:

Beans: I get whole beans sent to me in the mail every two weeks from Moustache Coffee Club. This ensures I always have fresh beans on hand.

Grind: I use this Porlex hand grinder and really like it. I used to use this Hario hand grinder, which was cheaper. I haven't yet splurged for an electric grinder. Maybe some day.

Water: I use a kitchen thermometer to make sure my water is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the optimal range for brewing. I also use this Bonavita kettle for heating the water.

Brewing method: I started off using a Melitta pour-over cone. I've since moved to the AeroPress. I also have a French press. The AeroPress is what I use almost exclusively. I also have a kitchen scale to measure out the water and beans. I use a 16:1 ratio of water to beans. For the AeroPress, 16g of beans and 256g of water fits perfectly. When I measure the water, I aim for between 256 and 260g. I'm not so obsessive that I make sure it's exactly 256 every time.

This sounds like a lot (and there's more, but this is a good start), but I built up to this over a period of a few years. Take your time. Keep learning and exploring and have fun.

Porlex mini, it actually fits inside your Aeropress so you can really minimize on bulkiness. I can't see any other option, really. Quality of a Porlex, good price, good size.

http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

I would be concerned about too fine a crush with the nutribullet. If you destroy the grains, yes, more sugar is available for fermenting, but overdoing it can contribute to off flavours. I personally like the hand crank roller mill. I would go with the hand held blender.

My favorite (inexpensive) burr grinders are a Cozyna portable and a Hario Skerton.

GRIND manual coffee grinder

BOIL immersion heater

BREW french press or an aeropress.

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

Check out the skerton pro it fixed several issues the earlier models had with stabilizing the burrs.

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

AeroPress, for sure. Here is probably the cheapest setup you can do, and still get the best flavour/experience.

Aerobie AeroPress + Able DISK Fine - $40 (I strongly suggest the DISK Fine over paper filters, but the AeroPress does come with a bunch of filters.)

Pocket Scale - $7

Carafe - $7 (so you press straight into this, and measure yield, as most mugs will not fit on the scale; also great for serving two)

Hario Slim burr grinder - $34 (if you'd rather go electric, the Bodum Bistro burr is a great buy and can be had for $120 new or under $100 used/refurbished)

Bonavita Gooseneck kettle - $50 (You do not need a gooseneck for the AeroPress, but you do for any type of pour over, so why not?)

Good luck, and have fun! Give my video a gander to see how to prepare with the AeroPress. It is fun! Almost as fun as an espresso machine. Ha! Yeah, right! But definitely worth the small coin.

https://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Advanced-Ceramic-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B003S9XF7K?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I use this one. It's possible the bottom container will break as it is glass, but it fits on regular mouth mason jars as well. I have seen absolutely no signs of age on this guy.

Here is my ranking, in order of descending importance, of the variables involved in making a batch in a press:

• Whole bean vs store grounds - get a grinder and grind while your water is heating; you'll notice the difference immediately
  
• Quality of beans - garbage in, garbage out; simple as that.
  
• Grounds/Water volume ratio - I use 2 tbsp grounds per 6 oz (177mL) water.
  
• Grind size - A coarse grind is necessary for a press. The finer the grind, the more silty sediment will be present in your cup, and the thicker the consistency of the brew. Too fine a grind will make it difficult or impossible to push down the plunger. Invest in a good non-chopping grinder (e.g. conical burr) - a good grinder will allow your to produce consistently and accurately sized grinds. I use and love this.
  
• Water temperature - as has been mentioned 190 - 205 F is the desired temperature. I notice a harsh bitterness if the water is too hot. Through experimentation you can learn how long your water needs to stand down from boil to achieve the optimum taste and oil bloom.
  
• Steep time - I steep 4 minutes minimum with a small, four cup Bodum press. According to wikipedia, there is some consensus that coffee may sit on grounds in a press for up to 20 minutes before it is considered spoiled. The brew will pick up increasingly bitter notes the longer it steeps.

> Baratza Encore

Is there something special about that one? I took a look and balked at the price... will I get similar results with this manual one? I'm using a cheap blade grinder now.

So here's my advice: I currently use a Helor 101, which is a little outside of your target price. I moved to it directly from the typical ceramic Burr grinders.

Those grinders actually work pretty darn well. Quite consistent grind, easily adjustable, easy to clean.

The only issue is their lifespan. You're going to get anywhere from 6 months to a year (I never got that far) of daily use from one before the plastic body shears away from the steel housing. I went through three before I went to the Helor. BUT I knew enough about grinding and what I like in a hand grinder after the first one.

My suggestion: get that cheap ceramic grinder, and get your mileage out of it. That will give you enough time to know if you want to invest in a manual at all, and what you like/don't like. When it finally goes, you'll have everything you'll need.

If you have amazon prime, I think you can choose a "get it tomorrow" option and get it tomorrow...I've had this for 2 years and it has been working fine.

Yeah definitely worth considering! Personally I use my roommate's Keurig K10 Mini Plus with this reusable filter, grinding whole beans with this manual burr grinder. That all adds up to pretty close to $150. Now I can't guarantee that the coffee strength will be great if brewing a larger quantity of coffee using a larger-sized Keurig machine (the mini really only works for up to 10 oz of fluid). But for now I am pretty happy with this setup until I decide to go for an upgrade.

EDIT: A lot of people also recommended an Aeropress or French press. I haven't tried an Aeropress myself, but I think both might be really great options for you too (and much cheaper), only real downside is that both take more steps and manual work than using a machine like a Keurig or standard drip machine. If the idea of just pressing a button and getting your coffee appeals to you strongly, maybe avoid the mechanical options in favor of the electronic ones. But you would be well-off with any of these tools, I think.

Welcome to the coffee world! It can be fun acquiring a taste for it and exploring what you like. Since this is important for your diet I recommend gaining a better understanding of coffee to the point where you can enjoy it vs. starting out with crappy coffee.

Visit some local shops and taste variety of drip coffees. They'll range from $2-3 for a 12oz cup. If you don't know what you're ordering there's no shame in asking the baristas about coffee. If they're good they'll be thrilled to talk coffee with you. I'm also happy to tell you my favorite shops across the valley.

There are many different brew methods that influence the flavor and amount of coffee you can make. Since you're new I recommend using an auto drip machine to keep things easy. I began this way, moved to french press and now use the Aeropress and love it. Start simple and get more complex as you go if you would like.

Here are some items you'll need to start:

- Coffee machine

- Coffee grinder

- Bag of beans

Check amazon and read reviews for your coffee machine. There are quite a few out there. As for your grinder I recommend getting what's called a burr grinder. It gives your beans a better grind which will affect the taste/flavor. There are hand grinders, auto grinders, etc. I use this one from Amazon because I wanted one I could camp/travel with.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013R3Q7B2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Beans are going to vary. I recommend buying whole bean and grinding yourself just before brewing so they stay fresh longer. Store them in an airtight container. You can buy beans locally, online, from the grocery store, coffee shops, etc. I'm fussy and don't recommend purchasing generic beans from Starbucks, folgers, grocery stores, etc. Harmons Grocery sells great local beans sometimes at a discount. My favorite local roaster is La Barba Coffee. They cost a bit more but the flavor is great. They also have a bag punch card you can pick up from their Downtown SLC or Draper store. Daily Rise is a little cheaper and also local.

Watch youtube videos on grinding and brewing and go from there. If you dislike black coffee you can always add milk, flavored creamer, sugar, honey, etc.

Even cheaper than aeropress and just as good, but different, is a Hario V60. If you need a new grinder, I'd also recommend Hario.


Total outlay? $36 and change.

Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder

Beehouse Dripper

or

Hario 02 Dripper

or

Bonavita #2 Dripper

or any other pour-over device you like.

And cone filters from the supermarket for 3 or 4 bucks.
I'd recommend going with the beehouse or bonavita if you don't have a pouring kettle due to the slightly more restrictive nature.

This is the hand grinder that they recommend in r/coffee. I own one. Very high quality.

Everyone around here seems to recommend this grinder for those types of brew methods.

I presume he's actually talking about this one but I'd imagine they're largely the same. I have the mini and it does a great job.

http://brewmethods.com/

If you can, get yourself some good beans and a good grinder as well. Good coffee comes from freshly roasted and freshly ground beans.

Have a Hario mini mill:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

It's pretty good for every-day grinding, and would be fine to pack. Can't vouch for any different/better/worse than the GSI one though.

A tablet + a server running plex.

Replaces a TV, DVD player, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon et al accounts. Provides tons of entertainment when at home and when traveling.

Sleep Stuff

Personally I think there's really no proper way to value a good night's sleep. After years of dealing with poor sleep due to breathing problems in a dry climate and living with obnoxious neighbors whose religion prohibits using headphones figuring out some cheap solutions to my sleep issues has yielded immeasurable quality of life improvements.

Nasal dialaters.

I was having a lot of problems sleeping due to narrow nasal pathways + seasonal changes and my BP was off the charts. The quality of life improvement from quality sleep is hard to quantify as a value.

[Really comfy sleep masks.] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FJQFJX8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1)
The inner lining on these ones reliably peels off for me but I still use mine and I think I could put these on 1 mile from the sun and not see light.

Super comfortable noise canceling ear buds
I have a ridiculously loud 300lb stomping upstairs neighbor who enjoys putting together furniture at 3am due to either meth or sleep apnea or both. He also really enjoys his shitty 1990s R&B. I've had several confrontations and he's changed some of it but you can't request someone not walk around their apartment when they want. I think he has knee problems so his steps are really heavy. These things are the best answer I could find. If I put these on + a TV show it drowns him out. It sucks to rely on noise to cancel out other noise but I love these things, they're super comfortable and they do the job I need.

Coffee Stuff

GeneCafe Coffee Roaster

So I'm the sort of person who is willing to spend the right amount of money when there's value. For me roasting my own coffee provides tons of value. For starters you can order green beans online for $3-5 a lb. I order 6+ months worth of coffee at a time for around $100, give or take. This roaster has now paid for itself compared to buying coffee at my favorite roaster and is in line with the stale, burnt tasting shit you can buy in giant vats at the grocery store.

But beyond just that I get the supreme joy of truly fresh roasted coffee roasted to a level I like which is a lot different than the black and greasy shit you'll get at Kroger's or whatever. I also love that I can bring this is going to be useful if/when I'm living on a homestead somewhere.

Stainless Steel French Press

Goes with the above. I used to buy glass ones and break them, but this $40 french press will probably last for a very long time with only the screen to worry about replacing and god only knows how long that will take.

[Rough Bur Grinder] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001804CLY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I really enjoy replacing electronic equipment with stuff I can power with elbow grease. It's not much of a workout, but it's quieter and still does the same job as the electric one I had purchased and unless other electric ones I'm not sure this one will ever break. My previous ones would break/clog constantly, this one has been trucking without issue for a year and I suspect will last several.

I'm not sure what your price limit is, but I'd suggest considering Hario's Mini Mill. It has ceramic burrs, adjustable grind size, a 1 - 2 cup capacity and is operated manually (hand crank). They're about ~$30, but if you're patient you can get a pretty good deal on one. I have been very happy with mine.

33 bucks for a Hario ceramic burr hand grinder is hard to beat.

Edit: I should mention that I own one, and am quite happy with it. It provides a consistent grind. Be aware that it will take a good amount of work to grind the beans however. I grind while my water is heating, and it usually takes about the same amount of time to grind coffee for 1 cup as it does to boil the water for it.

This decision mostly depends on what your limits are. I'm guessing price, space, and quality are the three most important variables. With those machines you would consistently get a pretty medium quality cup, at a mid-high price range, and it would take up a fair amount of space.

What I would do is consider using a more hands on brewing method, like a french press, aeropress, or pour-over. These three options would be cheaper, take up about the same amount of space, and produce a higher quality cup every time (when you get used to them). If you were to choose one of these you would also need a kettle.

I would also use whole bean coffee (meaning you need a grinder, I would just use this.

In the end it's all up to you, but my favorite brew method is the AeroPress, after a few months of using it I could really start to taste the coffee the way I believe it's meant to be tasted. You'll start to notice things like the natural sweetness, and hints of chocolate or caramel. With a Keurig or Starbucks single-cup I'm sure you would never really get this deep into your coffee.

TL;DR: I advise using a kettle+hand grinder+AeroPress or French Press, not an electric machine.

Bag

Patch

Jars

Hario Mini Mill Slim

Hydro Flask mug

> Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Hand Grinder - ~$33 - Cheap alternative to an electric burr grinder. Good for people on a budget who still want the quality of burrs.

This one is awesome for camping / traveling as well. Unlike the Hario Skerton, this one has a plastic body, so it's less likely to break.

I would say that the grinder is one of the most important part in brewing a good coffee because a good grinder ensures that you have the same grind size, which means that you have an even extraction. If you buy the beans pre-ground, the beans usually oxidizes and loses some of it smell and taste. I would say that I has a lot of effect in the taste and the smell.

Grinder option:
When you say "cheap" how cheap is cheap? If you want to use a manual grinder, I would recommend a Hario Skerton https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

If you want an electronic grinder, you can buy a Baratza Encore https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1510625247&sr=1-2&keywords=baratza+encore&dpID=31mL3pz0NrL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

In my opinion, you notice the most difference with:

1. Grind your beans right before you brew.
   
2. Buy fresh-roasted beans.
   
3. Get a grinder with multiple settings.
   
4. Use different coffee brewers.
   
   I'd say the most important thing is a grinder. You can go for a cheap electric blade grinder, or you could go for a slightly more expensive adjustable hand grinder. The hand grinder is great quality for the price, with the tradeoff being it can take you 3-5 minutes to grind your beans.
   
   Start with a french press or an aeropress. Both are quick and easy, and you shouldn't have to spend more than £25 for one.
   
   

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

You're going to get MUCH MUCH MUCH better flavors if you grind it right before you brew it. The oils on coffee, that give it the majority of its flavor, start to degrade very quickly (in a matter of seconds for fine grinds). You will get so much more flavor coming out of your beans if you buy them whole and then use something like the Hario Skerton to grind them right before you use them. This is usually the largest improvement when getting started out.

Hario Skerton $31

Bonavita Variable Temp $50

American Weigh Scales LB3000 $25

Total: $106

You're not going to be able to get an electric burr grinder with your budget. The cheapest, generally acceptable, burr grinder is the Capresso Infinity and it's $100.

So what you are going to gather here is that you aren't going to be able to obtain "espresso" for that price range. However, if your girlfriend likes strong coffee in milk there are other options that would get you there without breaking the bank.

For the coffee:

1. Aeropress: This is a very versatile tool that can be used to make a number of coffee styles including strong shots of concentrate to be added to milk. Lots of room to grow and try other styles as well as time goes on.
   
   
2. Moka Pot: Can be either stovetop or electric depending on what works best. These are super popular in europe and have been around for ages so they are generally time-tested. They also make strong, pressurized percolated coffee that can be added to milk drinks.
   
   For the grinder:
   
   Hand burr grinders from Hario or Porlex are great and have a good following. You can get a knockoff on amazon for a lot less but it may fall apart after a while. Depends on your estimated use.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1480362440&sr=8-6&keywords=porlex
   
   For the milk:
   
   Frothing Pitcher: https://www.amazon.com/Gourmia-GMF215-Detachable-Stainless-Non-Stick/dp/B01MD0AAVJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1480362139&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=frother&psc=1
   
   Frothing wand: https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-Milk-Frother-303-011-67-Black/dp/B013S27CLQ/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1480362139&sr=1-9&keywords=frother
   
   
   
   Both of these together should get you where you need to go and make a nice gift bundle (maybe with some beans if you have a few bucks left over.
   
   I hear that the nespresso are ok but I really have to take a stand against the waste and concept. Putting together a bundle gives you a ton of flexibility and is a more thoughtful gift in my opinion.
   

My college setup is going to be a Hario Skerton, Hario V60, and a Bonavita Electric Kettle. It may seem like a lot of money, but after that initial investment you'll spend about 90 cents per cup. Also, the V60 is much easier to clean than a french press.

I have been using the Hario Skerton with my Clever Dripper, and it is a solid grinder. I grind about 21 grams of beans daily, and it is not too bad.

I store my beans in an Airscape and really like it. Keeps the beans fresh, protected from air, temperature, light, and moisture, looks good, and I think it's reasonably priced. I would assume that it does a similar job of storing ground coffee, but I just don't really see the point.

Once you grind the coffee, it begins to go stale much quicker than it does in whole bean form. I totally understand your desire to not wake up your girlfriend by grinding each morning, but grinding the night before is going to drastically reduce the quality of your morning brews, regardless of what you store it in. I would suggest a hand grinder like the skerton or LIDO for grinding fresh each morning without making noise. Actually, the skerton comes out to roughly the same price as the container, so if you already have some way of storing beans (really anything works as long as you're putting it in something airtight and in a dark place), I think buying a hand grinder is the better solution.

How did you measure your coffee and water? What kind of filter did you use? What beans did you use and how old are they?

Would it be possible to squeeze The Skerton into your budget?

I'd say this one.

Hario Skerton

My recommendation would be

Hario Skerton for grinding

Clever Dripper for brewing.

Aeropress is another option, but IMO the Clever is a little less clean-up to do at work. Clever gives press-like steep with filter for no sediment and easy clean-up. Either is a good option though.

You can get a great hand grinder, just know it will add time to your morning routine. If you want to go that route, this is currently on sale and comes highly recommended from this board. http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1415047292&sr=1-1&keywords=Burr+grinder

The Bodum Bistro (which I use at present) is a good entry level grinder. It's expensive now but JC Penney had a ton on clearance earlier this year (maybe last year) for $45-50 so I wouldn't be surprised if you could find them private party for cheap. http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1415047292&sr=1-11

Heck, I would even consider selling mine so I can upgrade.

To add: get a good burr grinder; it releases more flavor oils by shaving the beans, rather than chopping them up. If you don't want to dish out the money for an electric (which can run well over $100), you can get a Hario-style hand grinder for $30-40. There is even a slim version for smaller hands.

Treat your awesome beans right with a good grinder and it will pay itself off in excellent coffee for years.

First thing you need is the Hario Burr grinder (if you're on a budget).
Here is the one I use camping and at my boathouse:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

If you're new to the coffee scene, I recommend subscribing to a coffee service like Blue Bottle Coffee until you develop a taste for what you like. It's a little pricey, so if you're on a budget buy a variety of locally sold beans.

Next, get a water kettle. I bought a variable temperature one 4 1/2 years a go and it still works great and accurately (got a new thermometer and themalcouple for Christmas and just ran an accuracy test just for this comment!)
http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40
For the budget coffee drinker, microwave your water to a boil and measure the temperature with a $5 Walmart kitchen thermometer. Pour on your grounds at 185-195 degrees F.

If you want to get very precise, get a scale that measures to a tenth of a gram. A timer is also useful, but usually don't need to buy once since you can use your phone, microwave, watch, etc.

To any uninformed readers: the grinder OP links to is a knockoff of the Hario Skerton. If you buy a grinder of this style, make sure it is a real Skerton. Here is an Amazon review illustrating why.

I think most supermarkets/Costco has a bulk coffee grinder you can use. I hand-grind my beans every morning and use this. I'm probably going to upgrade to an electric grinder soon. Sorry about the $250. He sounds like a shitty human.

if you're looking at the slim for it's form factor during travel, i'd suggest the porlex mini instead. if you're doing any sort of travel with this grinder, the porlex mini is still significantly smaller than the hario slim.

if you do not plan on traveling with this grinder, i'd take the skerton over the slim. the slim will work for the aeropress, but the capacity is just too small for anything larger than single-cup; you'll have to dump the grounds to make room for more. while not necessarily difficult to adjust, the skerton isn't nearly as easy to dial in as the slim, though, so that's the trade-off.

I think you get the best home results with a pour over, which is just a cone that holds a filter over your cup while you pour water in slowly. You can get the whole setup for about $100. $45-55 for a hand grinder (Porlex or Hario), $20 for the cone (V60), plus V60 filters from Amazon and a kitchen scale that measures in grams. You'll need a kettle with a fine spout too but you don't truly need the special goose neck kettles they sell.

You can find youtube videos of how to do the brewing but basically you use a lot of beans per cup (25g), pre-wet them, then add water slowly in phases up to a full cup (360g).

As for beans, Stumptown is a good bet for premium beans if you're mail ordering.

Making espresso at home is much harder and takes expensive equipment to get right so stick with the shops for awhile.

I strongly recommend a Porlex Mini hand grinder.

Porlex Mini Grinder

I cannot stress enough how great it is compared to every other grinder I have ever come across. The stainless steel construction and the compact size were key points for me. As a bonus, it works perfectly for camping and travelling too!

It is the ideal size for Aeropress and for 3 cup Moka pots.

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 :)

After my partner used our coffee grinder to grind cloves, I absolutely agree that you should have separate grinders for spices and coffee beans.

I've been very happy with this manual burr grinder for coffee:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YK3IUM

But some people can't be bothered to manual grind, which I understand.

You need one of these. You can then mix it with the things /u/heathenyak said. Craigslist, antique shops or ebay will have them cheaper.

You can also use the same thing as the first step to make bitchin tortillas if you want.

If you really want control over how you grind your coffee I recommend getting a manual grinder. I have one myself and it works amazing. Here's the one that I have
https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_6/140-5654303-8085930?ie=UTF8&qid=1549224010&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=coffee+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=31OfOtErjNL&ref=plSrch

I am probably going to get downvoted for this, but this is what I started my pour over adventures with.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F8U2SCO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What's nice, is the kettle has a built in thermometer, with a green highlighted section for optimum temp.

As for Colombian bean, if you aren't hardcore into buying 15-20 dollar 12 oz bags, check out 8 o'clock. Their Colombian is my go to daily drinker for a quick cup (I have a local roaster that I use for my days off of work)


With all that said, like the one dude said, an Aeropress would work pretty good too, and wouldn't require the precision of pouring that the pour over does. And for a cheap, decent-ish grinder, get a manual Hario knock off (if money is an issue). I currently use the following, and am more than happy with it for my pour overs and French presses.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013RGGFZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You came to the right place. Generally don't buy a box of stuff when your new to something. Always one or two items you don't need or want. And one or two items that are missing.

If your going for frugal, spend most of your money on the grinder. Hario Mill Grinder Slim is your best start. French Press is one of the cheapest brew methods (as low as $15 and no additions, plus it makes great coffee). Unless you want to do cowboy style coffee.

I personally like the V60 but it is soooo much easier to do when you have a gooseneck kettle. Maybe consider that later ;P.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

Good and cheep for when you only want one cup at a time.

The Bonavita drip brewer ($140) is one of the very few SCAA certified home brewers out there. It will make excellent coffee.

A good cheap burr grinder is the Hario Mini Mill ($20). It's a hand grinder and that entails a bunch of extra effort and time, but it's a fraction of the cost of comparable electric burr grinders. If you want a decent electric grinder, a good place to start would be a refurbished Baratza Encore ($99).

The Encore + Bonavita combination will make really good coffee and won't really be much more work than a combo grinder/brewer. However these things are obviously expensive, probably more than anyone who isn't looking to get seriously into coffee should consider. Find what works best for you.

The mini mill is only about $24. If you're so strapped that you're already eating rice and beans every meal, then at least start saving up for one. Otherwise, I'm sure there's something you can sacrifice for a week or two to buy a burr grinder.

Aeropress plus Hario or Porlex grinder. Perfect set up. Exactly €50. Add some great, fresh beans and you are sorted :-)

http://www.amazon.de/Aerobie-80R08-AeroPress-Kaffeebereiter-Papierfilter/dp/B000GXZ2GS - €27

http://www.amazon.de/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ - €23

If you take a look at the wiki for this subreddit, there's a gear guide. Most people are going to recommend the Hario Mini, it's a solid, inexpensive grinder that will really have a dramatic effect on your coffee.

I'm a mild coffee snob. So what is key: filtered water, temperature and grinding the beans the moment you make it. Straight tap is okay but check your municipality on how they process the water. If they put add weird stuff to reprocess... don't use. I can taste that stuff and then it makes my coffee taste sad, lol. So if not filtered at home then store bought.

I also use a french press. To get the full taste of coffee you don't want to use a coffee filter. The filter pulls some of the nom nom oils from the coffee. Also, more oils means more caffeine in your system. :)

But I had one of those master baristas tell me that they only keep their coffee (once bag is opened) for a week. Gawh! If I tossed out my coffee every week...nope I don't drink coffee that fast and not gonna waste money like that.

I prefer mostly dark roasts. But the most memorable cup of coffee I made for myself was one I bought from a local store and it was an Organic Italian Dark roast. OMG, that was just superb! So I recommend supporting your local stores.

Therefore, get a hand grinder and french press. Also, this may seem like a lot of work but it's a five to seven minute process and really I love it. Once I did it, I gave away my Breville Coffee maker and have never purchased another one since.

I love coffee!

I started out with and highly recommend the Clever Coffee Dripper (I recommend getting the Large which makes about 14 oz and 28 oz if you use the bypass brew method) and a Hario Mini Mill hand grinder. The clean up and prep time for the Clever is just about the same as an Aeropress, but it yields a higher brew volume which is great if you have company.

As for beans, just do a search for a local coffee roaster and start experimenting with beans from various locations (Central/South America, Africa, Pacific Islands, etc). Good luck with your coffee journey!

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

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

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

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

What is your budget?

The aergrind is possibly the best valued grinder, but it is a manual grinder. This guy can grind espresso quality and will greatly improve your mokapot and aeropress. Their Feld2 is also great but less portable. These expensive manual grinders are much easier to grind than the cheaper ones, you dont need nearly as much force. They grind as good as electrics 4x the cost.

If thats out of your budget you could go for this porlex or mini mill but these produce far less consistent grinds, harder to turn, and cant grind as fine.

If you want electric, the baratza encore is a popular recommendation. This is good enough for everything thats not espresso. This is very easily repairable, so it can last longer than other options.

But honestly the price difference to the bodum bistro isn't worth it. Id go for this if you wanted a cheap electric. Also wont grind espresso, but good enough for just about everything else.

Hope that answers your questions!

About a year and half ago I went from 0-60 with this setup:

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSV-Buono-Drip-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Dripper-V60-Clear/dp/B001RBTSMM/ref=pd_sim_k_6

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-White-Filters-Brewer/dp/B001U7EOYA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906139&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+v60+filters

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906080&sr=1-2&keywords=hario+hand+grinder

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Elegant/dp/B004164SRA/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906101&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchen+scale

Here is a video I found about how it all works:
http://vimeo.com/34182806

The big thing is to use FRESH roasted beans (we're talking ~3 weeks old or less). If you are buying beans that don't have a date on em, try again. Hopefully there is a coffee shop around you that will sell their own roast (usually comes in a 12oz package). If not you can try the grocery store or order online (http://ceremonycoffee.com/ is a good start), it really depends on the city you live in.

I had always liked the aroma and taste of coffee in other things (ice cream specifically) but it wasn't until I got into beer that I really started to appreciate it. Hopefully this finds you well, feel free to send a message my way if you have any specific questions!

My go to budget conscious suggestions are: Hario Mini Mill + Aeropress or French Press of your choice.

$32 Hario Mini Mill

$26 Aeropress

$20 French Press

Mmk.

Let's ignore the espresso machine route, and go for something that will give you strong coffee. Either a moka pot, or maybe an aeropress. (I personally recommend the aeropress.)

As for the milk, the cheaper route would be to heat it up (microwave?) and then use a milk frother to blend air into it. You'll get these big bubbles as opposed to microfoam like you'd get at an actual coffee shop. OR. You can go for a stovetop steam wand like this. You'll need to invest some time/money into this to learn how to make microfoam, but the results will be worth it. I'm actually about to embark on this step :/ (Note, you don't HAVE to foam/froth your milk. It just makes it a little tastier.)

NOW. Back onto the coffee. So we have your "machine/maker" figured out. Let's talk about the ACTUAL coffee. Depending on what you've picked from above, you're in $30-$100+ deep. If you have a local roaster, that's great! Buy beans freshly roasted from them. Learn from them. Ask them to make recommendations. If not, there are a few online sources good for buying roasted coffee. Remember, buy what you can use in about 1-2 weeks. Longer than that and you'll have stale coffee.

If you can, you should buy whole coffee beans, and grind them yourself. The cheaper method is to buy a hand grinder. The Hario Skeleton/Skerton is always highly recommended. A few drawbacks to this, but you'll learn about them on your coffee journey. (Don't want to bombard you with too much information for now.) The Hario Mini Mill is also a great option, especially for travelling, but grinds less.

As for electric grinders, the Baratza Maestro is a good entry level burr grinder, but at a pretty steep price :/ Note: always buy a burr grinder, and note a blade grinder. Bear in mind that using the hand grinders is actually quite a lot of work, especially if you're not a morning type of person. The entire Baratza line of grinders are all highly recommended, but as always, the better the grinder, the higher the cost.

I just got the hario mini mill after much research yesterday, and It's supposed to be better than the skerton for a french press grind. I really like it so far. It does have less volume than the skerton though.

For making single serve coffee that's not crap in that price range, I'd consider one of the following grinders (Ordered according to my preference... the first is my favorite):

• Refurb Maestro Plus ($95)
  
• Capresso Infinity ($89)
  
• Bodum Bistro ($79.45)
  
• Hario Slim ($39.07)
  
  Combined with one of the following brewers (not really ordered... I could argue for any of these):
  
  
• Melitta 1-cup ($1.99)
  
• Bodum "3-cup" press ($17.95)
  
• Hario V60 ($9.95)
  
• Clever Dripper ($15.98)
  
• Beehouse ($12.63)
  
  They're easy, cheap, and high quality. Any combination of these will get you a low-fuss cup in the morning, and if your friend uses good, freshly roasted beans, it'll be better than most shops can do.

This suggestion will be totally not-ultralight... but for car camping I carry a Hario hand grinder along with an Aeropress. I've taken it on some day trips and easy overnighters though but definitely not when I'm really concerned about weight. http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

I've used the same combination in the office at work almost every day for years -- well over 700 cups based on the number of aeropress filters I've used -- and they're both still going strong.

For backpacking I either carry instant, or pre-measure ground coffee and put it in a fillable filter bag designed for tea.

I have the perfect solution for you:

Hario Mini Mill.

Look no further, just buy it now.

• Hario v60 $5 with $6 filters, if you have a gooseneck kettle, or a Ready, Set, Joe for $6 with $7 filters if you have a tea kettle/pouring from a pot
  
• Scale* $17 or $9
  
• Kettle
  
• Coffee
  
• Filtered water (I just always use Brita water...not sure if I can tell a difference, but I'm all about eliminating variables)
  
  Check here for information on kettles/scales/etc. A grinder is the most important part of your setup, but with your budget I would recommend simply visiting the store a little more often, buying smaller quantities of beans, and getting them ground there. Otherwise, the Hario Mini Mill for $28 is your best budget option for grinding at home, though they have trouble with coarser grinds (which means that the coffee grounds will extract at different times, potentially resulting in a bitter brew).
  
  
  Where you'll further run into "money issues" are with the kettle and coffee. A gooseneck is recommended for the v60 and is a little more expensive than a simple kettle. I suggest pouring hot water from a pot over the Joe. Quality beans can be a little pricey. But if you do the math, I think you'll find them worth it. $9 a pound at 12 grams per cup is about $.25 a cup. I'm buying some beans now that're $14 for 10oz (I think) and it's around $.60 a cup (I did the math awhile back, so I could be wrong). Point is — do the math for quality beans per cup and it'll put into perspective how (fairly) inexpensive quality beans can be. Especially when compared with store bought drinks or K-Cups.
  
  
  So, my overall recommendation: Joe, filters, scale, pour hot water from kettle/pot, grind at store for now. That's $22-$30 (depending on scale choice) for a good setup. Spend the other money on decent, hopefully freshly roasted and definitely freshly ground, beans. I suggest a 1:16.6 ratio of beans to water. I do 12g coffee per 200g water. Gets me about 6oz., which is how much I prefer to drink at once.
  
  Upgrade options: Hario v60, gooseneck kettle, grinder.
  
  *Scales aren't absolutely necessary, but they're very helpful. The $17 is my recommendation. Much larger base. But reviews for the smaller AWS scales show people using them for coffee. Likely only 1-2 cups at a time with the weight limitation, however, unless you do some smart tare work. A scale is really the only way to get consistent, repeatable results.
  

This guy has served me well in my portable coffee kit for the past 4 years: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Mini-Mill-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

Smaller than the skerton- can't say enough nice things about Hario

This grinder would make an excellent addition to your current setup. Coffee grind consistency is pretty important when using the pour over method and your current grinder is a complete butcher (I should know, it's the one I started with too.)

If you're making a cup or two at a time, you could do worse than a hand grinder like a Hario Mini Mill; does well as long as you don't want French Press, and you can store in a cabinet or drawer when not in use.

For this price point I'd suggest getting a hand grinder like the Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder, Mini https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3mzJub0BJ1SAD

But I'm not sure how consistent it is with coarse grinds.

For a french press, might I recommend this: Bodum french press?

As for a grinder, you want to grind coarse for french press. Blade grinders are extremely inconsistent with grind size. Like others have mentioned, burr grinders are better because they grind more consistently and will not heat up the beans as much during the grinding process. The issue with the Hario Skerton that you posted is that is known to be pretty inconsistent at coarse grinds (unless you make some modifications to it). The Hario Slim Mill may actually be better because there is a spring loaded that helps prevent the burr from wobbling.

Your total here would be around $40 which is pretty decent for a beginner setup.

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

For starters, get a grinder (here's a cheap but decent manual one) and an Aeropress. It's cheap, takes the last amount of time to brew (~3 minutes), lasts forever, requires the least amount of extra equipment, produces a great balanced cup, is super forgiving with regards to methods, beans, and grinders, you can experiment with its variables (brew recipes, steep time, press duration, etc) endlessly, and the cleanup is super simple (eject the puck, rinse under the tap). You don't need a scale or a kettle; just use the included scoop and fill the chamber.

The Aeropress is the device that got me through college. I used to buy coffee, grind it in-store, heat water in a mug, brew using the inverted method, and then press into the same mug. 8 years later and I still use it (though now I have a grinder, scale, and kettle, and I use a metal filter cuz it tastes better and saves money in the long run).

I would personally recommend against a pourover for your first brewer, as it requires more equipment and is less flexible and more finicky.

If you're having trouble finding good beans around the area, there's a huge variety of online vendors. Craft Coffee is the cheapest I've found ($10-14/12oz bag).

Resources I used: /r/coffee and youtube (I particularly like the sumpcoffee channel).

Conclusions and setup I arrived at:

• Bodum french press - 8 cups is misleading because each cup is actually measured at 4oz, not 8. This is pretty good for one person. I found mine on CL for $15, you can probably find an equally good deal in your area. Especially now, post gift season.
  
  
• Hario Mini Mill - freshly ground coffee is amazing. I answered your post about using pre-ground coffee, so I won't repeat myself. Also consider the fact that as coffee is exposed to air it deteriorates. That's why pre-ground coffee is so derided by coffee community (more surface area exposed -> faster deterioration), and why people recommend you look at "roasted on" dates.
  
  
• A medium roast. For me, these have the perfect combination of fruity and chocolatey. I love the complexity, and I think that Private Selection whole beans (Kroger brand) are a good balance of affordable and tasty. The yirgacheffe beans are a good place to start.
  
  
• Next on the list of things to get (for me) is a scale. It's not a neccessity, but it makes certain things easier (measuring out can be tedious).
  
  
• This is a good article that will teach you a few things
  
  Also, in regards to cleaning the french press. You don't want to dump the grounds into the sink because it can cause clogging. This is what I do - rinse off the metal filter immediately after brewing. Some grounds will be stuck to it, but this shouldn't be a problem. Then, I just leave the glass beaker out on the counter to dry out. That night or next morning the grounds are mostly dry, I dump them into the trash and rinse out the glass beaker with hot water.

this

+

this

+

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

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

This is what I use. But I swear I got it for around $20.

I have the black one and i can really recommend it, the only thing is that don't trust the grinding dots on the regulator they don't really work all that well to the kinds of coffee you want to brew, especially the espresso grind. They shouldn't even have put a espresso grind choice on this one because it doesn't even grind as fine as espresso should be grinded. BUT the aeropress grind works perfect for aeropress so if you want to only grind aeropress buy it.

Or you could buy a hand grinder it's a little cheaper and you can regulate the grind of your tasting.

Ok, so if you want a consistent grind that you can dial in accurately, you're going to want a burr grinder. Really any should be sufficient for a moka pot, because the only problems might be on the extremes of the grind size. Stay away from those whirly-blade spice grinder type of grinders.

For your low-price options, you're going to be looking more at hand grinders. They're perfectly fine (and some think they actually give a more consistent grind than the electric counterparts), they just take a little more work. A good one at a low price point would be the Hario Skerton mill ($31.58).

If you have a bit more to throw around, you might want to try an electric grinder. Some of the better ones in the middle price point are the Bodum Bistro ($140, though you can sometimes find them on a good sale). Or, you could go with the Baratza Encore ($130).

If you're looking for something more than that, I'm probably not the one to ask. But, if you're just doing moka pot coffee, those should do just fine.

Others are more than welcome to weigh in here, though!

I have this one. Just make sure when you purchase, it says that the order will be fulfilled by Amazon. I didn't get a fake.

Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton Storage Capacity (100g) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/

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

From left to right:

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

Can't comment on that grinder, but it looks like the Hario Skerton which I do have, and does a pretty good job. Not the greatest when it comes to course grind, so if you want a french press, look elsewhere, unless you do the mod, but then you can't get very good fine grinds.

I have to set aside a good 10min to do a V60 pourover, which includes boiling water on the stove, and grinding with my Skerton. I'm sure it could be done quicker with the right stuff.

For pourover look into a gooseneck, a scale, a grinder, and a pourover device (Kalita Wave/V60/Chemex).

Edit: And that grinder would be a good investment if you have the money.

Aeropress

Grinders come down to price. Bare minimum Hario Skerton if you want electric I would go for Baratza Encore moving up in price Lido 2 or 3 or others of like the Helor other electrics would be Smart Grinder Pro or the Baratza Vario.

Got bought one of these for my birthday, does anyone have suggestions on good places to get beans? I'm central based, and I was just going to head down to Espresso Workshop and buy some.

Alternatively, what's a good way to get into coffee snobbery in Auckland?

Thanks for the contest. Now go and kick some ass!

Here's my entry.

$19 will get you better coffee for years. You'll need a grinder too, but I really don't see this stuff breaking any time in the next 10 years.

Throw away that coffee tin and grinder. For french press especially you need a consistent coarse grind that your not going to get with a blade grinder. Get this grinder instead

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=pd_sim_k_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=19DE06SVG74MQS538Q21


Also an electric kettle will be a lot better than microwaving.

Nice work going with that kettle! I have the same one.

A couple things:

1- Yes, your grinder is an issue. I call the result of the grind by that style of blade "dust and boulders". Some coffe will be over extracted, other coffee will be under extracted.

2- What kind of water are you using? Does it taste good?

3- A hand operated burr grinder will run you about 30-40 dollars ([Hario] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ)) , but I suggest you pinch a few extra dollars and go for a decent quality electric one. Your grinds will be much more uniform!

4- Have you tried properly ground coffee that's fresh? Have a local place grind a small amount before you take it home. Compare your grind and the other.

5- Do you know what kind of coffee:water ratio you prefer? How are the local places with their ratios? Ask your barista next time you get a pour over...

Good Luck!

This is the grinder that I bought when I was first starting. Cheap and great for beginners!

Gooseneck kettle is a must for pour overs if that's what you see in your future! I have the Bonavita 1L electric kettle. Looking back, I would have invested in the more expensive version that lets you vary temperature, but I've had great results with mine regardless.

I started out with a v60, then a Chemex, then the Aeropress. Of the 3, I use the Chemex the most often; it gives the best quality brew with the highest quantity (37g @ ~600mL of water). It took me quite a while master the pour, but it was definitely worth it!

Hope this helps and good luck on your coffee journey!

EDIT: For grinders, I have the Hario skerton. It takes a while to grind the beans, but was marvelous for my budget at the time. Once I have the money though, I'm going for the Baratza Encore. It's cheaper than the Virtuoso, but an old roommate had the Encore and I LOVED having all my beans ground in such a short amount of time.

Just some food for thought!

bodum french press is cheap and goodc

($10). hario hand grinder is relatively cheap and good ($40). glass tea kettle to boil water ($10). $60 total for nice tasting coffee. i did this setup for 2 years or so, no problems, but you'll use a little muscle grinding.

https://www.amazon.com/Medelco-12-Cup-Stovetop-Whistling-Kettle/dp/B000V5X826/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248291&sr=1-3&keywords=glass+tea+kettle

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248316&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+coffee+grinder

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-BRAZIL-Coffee-Maker-French/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248377&sr=1-1&keywords=french+press+bodum

A hand grinder for french press is rough. You can get something like the Hario Skeron, but you wont get very consistent grinds at the french press level. I would recommend getting the Orphan Espresso mod to improve the grinder. Without overwhelming you with details, it provides more support for better consistency.

Your best bet in that price range might be a hand grinder.

One in that price range is the Hario Skerton currently at $30 dollars.

Just know that it might be a lot of work to hand grind beans. If you think you can't handle this, I would save up for a Capresso Infinity or Barazta Encore or make do with the inconsistent grinds.

Not OP but:

Grinder

Coffee

Brew_Method

Brewing_Gear

Edit: I should note that these beans are roasted. Roasting your own can be a whole new game. Also you will want to get a Water_kettle

It seems like others have pointed it out, but just a heads up: that's a blade grinder. If you like the cup of coffee that you're getting out of it then it's fine. There's no reason to pay more for a grinder if you're content with what you have.

BUT! If you want to try to get a better cup of coffee, then you should look into getting a burr grinder. The go-to starter for a lot of people is the Hario Skerton. It's what I used for a few years until I decided to upgrade to a better grinder (Lido-E). A burr grinder will give you a bit more consistency in your grind than a blade grinder will ever give you (try to get a coarser grind in a blade grinder and you'll end up with a lot of fine particles along with coarse bits). Here's an example of the grind produced by a burr grinder's different settings. You can see that for each setting, all of the grounds are about the same size which will lead to an even extraction when you brew.

Yes. Most people in this sub will tell you to get a burr grinder.

If you're on a budget they'll tell you to get a hand grinder (that uses ceramic burrs) and such.

It depends on how much time you'll have and how much you're going to enjoy the process and how deep you wanna get into coffee. My advice is find the best burr grinder for however much you're willing to pay. (they go as cheap as $30 all the way up to $200-300+, then they go way way higher if they are supposed to be able to grind for espresso). Keep it simple for now. get whatever makes sense for you but most would steer you away from blade grinders, they just do a poor job and the grind is an important part of the process.

For automatic grinders that aren't too crazy expensive, many prefer this one.

Once you get the grinder, you gotta find some good coffee to go with it. Try not to cheap out and buy the stuff at the super market unless it has a "roasted on" date that is fairly recent. Look for craft coffee in your area or some online roasters that will ship coffee to you. coffee subscriptions can be nice but maybe just start slow and look around for a 3rd wave coffee joint that can sell you their recently roasted stuff.

It'll be much better than anything you can get in the store and it will probably even be cheaper than they sell it in the store. There's always places like Blue Bottle, Stumptown, Intelligentsia, etc. that will sell their coffee to you online but you'll get it a bit cheaper if you can go to a local cafe to buy their stuff.

Have fun and don't be afraid to ask more questions in /r/Coffee everyone here is really nice... usually.

It's a [Hario Skerton] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ?pc_redir=1407652097&robot_redir=1)

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Just my 2c

College usually means frugal so; Hario Mini Mill, $33.00 no s&h.

I was thinking about buying the Aeropress (I've heard great things). I know it won't make true espresso or w/e, but for my needs, I think it'll be just fine. I also found a cheap grinder online that got good reviews. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405019304&sr=8-2&keywords=hario+grinder

Thoughts?

I'm just sick of drinking shitty coffee every day.

This is the cheap grinder I got to start with. Decent enough and still going strong a couple years later. As others said, an Aeropress or clever dropper are great, inexpensive tools that are easy to clean and pretty portable.
Then you just have to find your preferred beans and go from there. If you're in the US, Iron Bean sells a pound for the same price as 12oz from other vendors, and they're excellent. Tons of options tho, so good luck!

My beginner battle station.

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

This thing? that's tempting...

Have you looked into hand grinders? I have this Hario Mini Mill to go with my aeropress and love it! That way you can enjoy fresh ground coffee without needing electricity.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001804CLY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1419405564&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I started with my former roommate's Hario Skerton, but we no longer live together so I had to buy a new one and settled on the Hario ceramic "canister" coffee mill. I bought it around Christmas and with a Prime trial so I was able to get it for $50. https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Canister-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B003EEGDSM

I'm in my 20s. I like the headphone idea. Someone suggested Sennheisers and I totally second that motion. I went with a more expensive model (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323964715&sr=1-3) and I LOVE them. If he's into music and gaming, these are a godsend.

Not sure exactly your son's living situation, but I live on my own and I tend to err on the side of lazy. Because of this, I'm almost always running low on basic bathroom supplies. New toothbrushes, new razors, shampoo, soap, extra bath towels, those kinds of things. Heck, when I first moved out, I went without a shower mat for almost a year. And ceramic tiles are freaking cold.

As I hit my 20's I discovered coffee and all it's amazing wonder. If your son did too, he may like getting a legitimate coffee making kit. I'm talking a decent french press, a ceramic burr grinder, and a kettle (I just use a pot for now, so I don't have any specific suggestions yet). If you really wanna get fancy and you have the money, you could even get him an electric kettle so he has complete temperature control. And if you're ordering that stuff on amazon, I would get a bag of some well reviewed whole beans. I like the Kicking Horse roasting company, but that's just me.


I also wanted to take a moment and suggest basic kitchen supplies. Like the bathroom supplies, these things tend to go unstocked or simply ignored in my house. Things like a good frying pan or a nice sized pot for making pasta. A brita filter with a few extra cartridges. Extra dish soap. Extra sponges. Even kitchen towels for drying hands/dishes (I currently use an old shirt :/ ). I also would suggest things that make cheap food taste better. I'm talking a pepper mill, some garlic salt, onion salt, basic herbs, and a good hot sauce. My brother was always partial to Chulula, but I tend to just go with whatever Trader Joe's has.

Hope this helps!

Getting really good espresso for $200 is near impossible to do, but you can pick up one of the lower end Gaggia machines for just over $200 (and they look quite nice IMO).

This only solves half of the problem though--you need a grinder too. The cheapest grinder that will get you a proper grind for espresso is probably a Kyocera hand grinder.

I started using a cheap coffee grinder (they’re good for grinding your own dried chilies, but I don’t like the grind quality for spices), then a mortar and pestle (too much work for some spices).

Then I switched to a ceramic burr coffee grinder and love it! It’s great for small and large batches, and gives a very consistent grind. I double grind difficult spices like coriander, cloves, and cardamom, but it works through cumin, allspice, black pepper, and fennel with little effort.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003S9XF7K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You just need one of these now.

Which ones are you looking at? Have you looked into Porlex? They make (from all accounts I've read) one of the best hand grinders available.

Here's the most recommended model

Here's a smaller, more portable model

I got my baratza encore about a year ago and I love that thing. Though I've considered picking up the smaller porlex for camping trips and when I travel.

The lightest weight approach I've found is a pour over and a mini grinder. I found many of the pourover setups to have stiff elements that make packing them difficult. I've also found that most grinders are actually quite bulky (in fact, I returned the GSI JavaGrinder as I found it to be HUGE). The best selection I found was:

• Porlex mini mill (same as what /u/brett88 suggested). It's minimal, it creates a really great, adjustable grind, and it's made out of stainless steel (outside) and ceramic (grinder) http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066
  
• Cuissential SlickDrip Pourover. This collapsible pourover cone is entirely silicone, so it folds up in a snap and you can stuff it just about anywhere. http://www.amazon.com/Cuissential-SlickDrip-Collapsible-Silicone-Dripper/dp/B0051HEFAS/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1395682135&sr=1-5&keywords=cuissential

If you're recommending mills to take with the aeropress, I highly recommend the Porlex Mini. It fits inside the aeropress.

I'd go with a porlex mini. It's a better grinder, smaller and if he happens to have an aeropress, it fits snugly inside it like this for super convenient travel.

This guy?

I use a Porlex mini grinder

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044ZA066

It's the only high quality single-serving size grinder I know of. I don't see the need for a glass reservoir as you can simply fill the top with beans and crank until there's no longer resistance and then you have just the right amount of grounds for 16-24oz of coffee. I've been using it for several years.

The French press (FP) is great, the grinder is not good. The grinder is what is known as a blade grinder which means that it kind of works like a blender where spinning blades will chop up the coffee. The problem is that it will chop up the coffee really inconsistently and you'll have big chunks, little chunks and dust all mixed together. If you keep it running, you will eventually have dust which is actually OK for Turkish coffee.

To brew a good cup of coffee, you want a relatively consistent particle size so that you can evenly extract the good stuff from the coffee without extracting the bad stuff. If you would use that grinder with an FP, you would end up with huge chunks that wouldn't really extract much coffee goodness and a lot of sludge in the cup.

I'm going to say that you'd probably be better off drinking stale preground coffee over using that grinder. The Hario Skerton is the cheapest grinder (here is a knockoff that appears to have identical burrs/mechanics and is currently cheaper) I'm aware of that is OK for FP although it is better for drip/Aeropress where a finer grind is required. You really want to look out for a burr grinder which is commonly thought to crush the beans but really cuts them into more consistent size.

The cheapest electric grinders that I'd recommend are significantly more expensive but you can sometimes find them cheaper. Capresso Infinity, Bodum Bistro and Baratza Encore are all good grinders but they all run significantly more.

Hi! My limited fact finding has led me to the conclusion that you should aim to use burr grinders rather than blade grinders. Burr grinders allow for an even grind on all beans as the particulate does not travel through the mechanism unless it is a certain granularity. With blade grinders you will often end up with fine grind and coarse, resulting in a bitter cup. Check this out - http://www.amazon.com/Kuissential-Manual-Ceramic-Grinder-Hand-crank/dp/B008YK3IUM

You can do all sorts of brewing with burr grinder - pour over works great I think!

Rhinowares grinder. They also have one made to fit inside and grind direct to an Aeropress. $50 at their site or Bed Bath and Beyond but $25 @ Amazon BrewGlobal Rhinoware Hand Coffee Grinder, Stainless Steel (RWHANDGRINDER) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M0NS8A4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1o8dAbG8RPH2T.

Despite how it looks it's not one of the 1000's of Porlex knockoffs. There's some YT vids of it.

Now that the weather's changing my need for tea is more frequent. I've got an Amazon shopping list going for a proper tea setup for my work desk. I'm getting a cheap electric kettle already delivered, and I'm currently using one of these to infuse in, but I'm still trying to think of a better, inexpensive process.

Also I tried a jade oolong today that was very, I'm not sure, dry? A lot like a dry wine. I don't think I'll order it again.

I bought this one yesterday. Its not a hario brand but from everything I can see it looks like the EXACT same thing as a hario plus with a different name on it, mod kit installed for $22. I thought it was a very good deal. I know the skerton has its flaws, but for $22 well worth it.

Premium Ceramic Burr Manual Coffee Grinder. Updated with installed Stabilizer Washer. Large 100g Capacity Coffee Mill. For Espresso, Pour Over, French Press, and Turkish Coffee Brewing. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010UJZ5XW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kgRvDb6DG7PP7

JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7GhaAbH5TR7N1

Nice of you to think of your future possible roommate. We have a "quiet" electric burr grinder and it is loud AF. Our cat exits the house immediately and stays gone until the fish comes out to lure her back in. I'm interested in trying this one out: https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=hand+burr+grinder&qid=1564165325&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 . But I have no first-hand experience.

This one is: https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=hand+large+burr+grinder&qid=1556983024&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I love it

Los ingredientes:

Cafe de supermercado, compro el Senior molido. Encara bastante. Para cuando estoy apurado o para tener en la oficina

Para el cafe regular en casa, compro grano y lo muelo en el momento. Los Araucanos esta super en cuenta, creo que 450$ el kilo, el Palacio del Cafe es un poco mas caro.

Para el cafe especial para hacerse un gusto o impresionar visitas, Amor Perfecto es muy rico. Tambien se puede comprar Starbucks o alguna de las cafeterias especializadas que hay en la vuelta (The Lab) pero ahi se te va a alrededor de 1600$ el kilo.

​

Para bonus extra, utilizar agua mineral sin gas para hacer un buen cafe, queda mejor que la de la canilla. No es tan caro tener un bidon a mano.

----------------

El equipo:

En cuanto a equipo para prepararte un cafe, te recomiendo te traigas un molinillo como este

El metodo de extraccion tambien influye mucho, para mi el mejor es por lejos el espresso. Esta maquina sale unos mangos pero trae litros y litros de felicidad. Por supuesto que hay opciones mas caras y avanzadas.

Sino queres ponerte con una espresso, lo siguiente mejor que encontre (y lo que uso en la oficina) es la Aeropress . Hay gente que realmente ama este metodo y para prepararlo utilizan una balanza de presicion para medir la proporcion agua cafe (hay videos en youtube) yo la verdad no le doy tanta bola.

-----------------

Extra:

Si invertiste en una maquina espresso, te recomiendo comprarte un jarrito de metal para espumar leche y aprender a hacerlo bien. Saber hacer un buen capuchino vale la pena.

College student here!
I personally use a French press in my room with a hot water kettle (I live in a dorm). For my grinder I use a Khaw-Fee HG1B Manual Coffee Grinder with a Blue Horse upgrade kit. As far as beans go, I recommend going around to local rosters and try one bag at a time; the only way to find out what you like is to try as much as you can.
When I have a little extra time I use my Rok Espresso press, which I have found to work great in the dorm. It's easy to use and clean, pulls a decent shot, and is nearly indestructible.

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01A6CP1HI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517663256&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=khawfee+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=41-m2sv1nxL&ref=plSrch
Blue Horse Upgrade Kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012HDKKQ6/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rok Espresso Press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV1E0GI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517663717&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=rok+espresso&dpPl=1&dpID=41J1GlEZmpL&ref=plSrch

(Sorry for like/lack of hyperlinks, I'm on mobile)

This Hario? https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B01GPMH590/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=hario&qid=1565050152&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Sounds like you are in your way to making some quality coffee very soon! A good manual burr grinder should do the trick for you, depends on how much you want to spend. I suggest this something like this but you could do one that is a bit cheaper and be ok.

I also suggest getting an app to help you with getting your ratios and timing correct. A couple that I use on iOS are Filtru and coffee.guru.

Make sure you get good quality freshly roasted beans, local roasters are the way to go, I avoid grocery stores for my beans because they are typically pretty outdated and your local coffee shops roast weekly.

Enjoy your journey!

I think to best answer this request, we'll need a bit more info. Are you ok with a manual grinder, or do you prefer an electric grinder? Do you want a drip brewer or a pour over set up? Are you looking to get into espresso? And, what is your actual budget in your local currency?

And now for a guess at what might work for you...

A [Melitta Plastic Pour Over Dripper](https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527536804&sr=8-1&keywords=mellita) $5 to $6 (a lot of grocery stores carry these in stock)

A box of #2 Cone filters at your local grocery store $2

If you want an automatic drip brewer, and you are making smaller amounts for just you, the [Bonavita 5 cup](https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1500TS-Carafe-Coffee-Stainless/dp/B00SK5IXPQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537674&sr=8-4&keywords=bonavita+brewer) is wroth a look. it runs about $66. I have the 8 cup for the wife and I and we love it.

Filters can be purchased, again, at your local grocery store for about $2.

[Brewista SmartPour Kettle w. Thermometer](https://www.amazon.com/Brewista-Variable-Temperature-Kettle-BKV12S02NA/dp/B01CFBBUVY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537033&sr=8-1&keywords=brewista%2Bsmart%2Bpour&th=1) $40. There are cheaper ones, but I personally have this one and have loved it.

[Scale](https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ-4000-Compact-Digital-Adapter/dp/B004C3CAB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537139&sr=8-1&keywords=Jennings+CJ4000) This is a must. $30

[Bratza Encore](https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527537371&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=baratza+encore&psc=1&smid=A302OQK4GZWXCC) Grinder is the default recommendation around here, and for good reason. It's high quality, and easily serviceable. New they run $139, but you can save $40 and pick up a [refurb](https://www.baratza.com/product/encore-refurb/) (still with the 1 year warrantee) for $99 direct from Baratza.

If you want a cheaper option, and don't mind a manual hand grinder, there are a few options, but the [Hario Skerton Pro](https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Grinder-MMCS-2B/dp/B01MXJI90S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537536&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+skerton+pro) is about the lowest cost / still decent quality grinders, grinder that most would recommend. It runs about $60, and personally, I'd spend the extra $30 on an Encore refurb.

Happy Mug Beans are a pretty great option. I really enjoy the Big Foot Espresso blend (despite it's name) as a pour over, and even like it in my drip brewer. The Inspirational Artist Blend is a great option too. But really just try them out and see what you like. Their bags (for 1lbs of whole beans) run $11 - $13

Hope that helps.

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

If you want true Espresso the first one you list isn't gonna do it.

I think one of the cheapest useable option is the Gaggia Classic. You can get it with a hand grinder and are all set to go. This one is pretty good.

Want to spend more? The Rancilio Silvia is beloved by many, from beginners to advanced. Here it is with a matching electrical grinder.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of those devices, because my kitchen is way to small for more than an AeroPress but I have friends who own this stuff and they make great coffee.

It's hard to beat the affordable and durable Hario Mini Mill or Hario Kerton hand grinders. They aren't the best grinders around, but for below $40 and a little work, it's well worth the minor investment.

If you happen to choose the Mini Mill, check out the mods that are easily installed and your grind consistency will improve significantly.

Starbucks is shit. Buy her a Chemex, some filters, a cheap yet decent burr grinder and a nice bag of freshly roasted beans. You'll be out about $100, but your mom will thank you and will stop wasting her money on burnt swill.

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.

The best thing you can do to get better coffee is to get a grinder and only prepare freshly ground coffee. The Hario Slim (as suggested by others as well) would do for this.

Failing that, you should definitely get it ground properly at a coffee shop. Improperly ground coffee is worse than preground, slightly old, coffee.

I just got a Hario Mini Mill burr grinder for my Aeropress setup, and recently got a gift of two types of beans from my favorite roaster.

Question: Is it important to somehow clean the grinder after using it for one type of bean, and wanting to switch to the other? How do you go about it? I believe the burrs are ceramic; would running water through it damage it in some way?

Thanks guys!

Ah, uhm. I'm a newbie to this coffee business - only recently made the transition to ground coffee (Jakubs Kronung) from instant Nescafe. Also, in Europe so most models would not be easily available in the US, I guess. Tbh you could easily get a grinder for much, much less than $900 - that's the price of a shitty used car.

Something like this is quite elegant and does the job for $875.02 less. Remember, although expensive is usually better, there's a point of diminishing returns. The one you linked is ideal as a very, very expensive wedding gift.

You can get something like this for around $300-400 used, and it is pretty good for the price.

The problem is that you can't really buy preground espresso, and espresso grinders start at $300 so finding a setup for $100-200 is nearly impossible.

That said, if you really must have decent espresso for under $200, get this Delonghi for $90 and a Hario hand grinder for $25. You'll have decent espresso, but it will be a lot of work.

Clearly the grinder is your problem; a blade grinder just isn't going to work. A lot of people on here say good things about the Hario Mini Mill -- a hand grinder that delivers much more consistent particle sizes than a blade grinder.

We did essentially this with our french press. We have a hand grinder (this one) that grinds one french press-worth of coffee in the time that it takes our $20 Costco hot water pot to warm up. A quick stir, and 4 minutes later press the most delicious coffee. It's part of our morning routine, and fits right in with

Good quality beans are necessary, but I'd add that you'll probably want to experiment with what sort of roasts/beans you like. Bf and I like an Indonesian dark roast best...

To add a link:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1525876397&sr=8-7&keywords=hario+burr+grinder

The Skertron comes up a lot whenever anyone asks this question. Also, check out the Mini Mill.

I'm hoping that's the case with hario. I've only had the grinder for a few months, and I'd rather not have to buy a new one. It's the slim mini mill like the one here. Any chance your grinder parts are compatible?

That's what I use. Then I have a hand operated grinder from Amazon, and a bag of roasted beans for when I have time (I'm convinced it tastes better freshly ground, but then again, I used to be convinced Native Americans were darkened Israelites), and grinds for when I don't.

Grinders, similar to speakers or headphones, generally do get better with price.

Now, I have no experienced with Mr Coffee, but I do own the Encore and have use Hario Mini Mill while visiting a friend overseas. However judging from the reviews in Amazon, I'd say you're actually downgrading if you're going with Mr Coffee.

I would say go with the clever coffee dripper, a hario hand grinder, and an electric kettle.

The Clever Coffee Maker is great and easy to use and clean. Also less than $20
Here is a guide on how to use it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_-wyjaCPj8
http://amzn.com/B0047W70GY

The clever is an immersion coffee maker not a drip so it doesn't require complicated pouring methods like a Hario V60 or a Beehouse.

Nothing beats the Hario Hand grinder for a cheap burr grinder. But a motorized grinder will save your wrist. Also pre ground coffee is blasphemy here but it might be worth keeping it around if you're in a rush.
http://amzn.com/B001804CLY

If you have access to hot water, some common rooms have microwaves and/or hot water bubbler taps, You can skip the kettle. Also Some dorms forbid electric kettle and will throw it out if found.

If you don't have access to hot water and dont want to shell out the $50 for a high end one like the bona-vita kettle you can use the clever with any hot water source. So a $15 kettle from amazon works fine. Check out the cheap ones on amazon and read the reviews. Some don't last very longs so be aware that you might have to buy another in a few years.

Thanks! Just found it if manthing772 is still interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Canister-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B003EEGDSM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1397444070&sr=8-3&keywords=Canister+Grinder

Most of these grinders are blade grinders, which are almost impossible to get a good and uniform bean size with. This is a problem if you want a quality cup of coffee, especially when using a french press. I would not recommend getting a blade grinder under any circumstance. If money is an issue, you can get relatively cheap hand burr grinders. I have this one, and I am pretty pleased with it. It's hard work, but gets a pretty uniform grind size.

I have this one. The people at Rostov's recommended it to me and I have been happy with it. They sell it in store.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003S9XF7K/ref=asc_df_B003S9XF7K4751902/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B003S9XF7K&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167147331067&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=428553397195495696&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008460&hvtargid=pla-79021429526

I don't think there's an electric one on the market that really qualifies as BI4L. Even the manual ones eventually wear out, though I have a repro of an antique manual mill that's still going strong, (probably because I usually use an electric one). Kyocera makes a ceramic one that looks kind of interesting, but with a glass catch pot I don't know how durable it would be. (Though if you broke it, presumably you could just use a mason jar.) Personally, I'm still using a 12 yr old $20 Krups even though it's definitely not BI4L worthy, and not even noteworthy at all except that it was cheap. A ceramic burr model would be vastly preferable.

BTW, FWIW, a local coffee bean roaster likes to tell his customers to forego the expensive coffee maker, get a French Press instead and spend more money on a really good grinder. (I didn't listen.) But, I'll ask him when I see him what he'd recommend as a BI4L grinder.

If you get a hand grinder, I suggest taking it apart to see what's going on under the hood. I was most disappointed when I found that my grinder had no bearing and that the threaded part of the burr stud was busy cutting granules of plastic from the housing to deposit into my coffee. This isn't to hard to fix with a mod, but it is a poor design choice.

So I'm gonna borrow your post if you don't mind (since it's the same subject, and could benefit you).

Seems like the majority of votes here (maybe all) say Hario for the burr. I also found this one with higher ratings (and sold by Amazon). Anyone knows if it's any good?

Hmm... I think it'll be tough to find something. I have a hand-powered ceramic grinder, but even the noise of the beans crunching might be a bit much for an office.

I think he/she needs to either grind ahead of time or find a nice, isolated place to grind away from working colleagues.

Ok. So I found this. Maybe I should save up for an electric grinder for now, but I can get a Kyocera Ceramic coffee hand grinder. Thoughts?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003S9XF7K/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

I'm thinking this might work for a while in place of a more expensive electric grinder. As long as this one will give me a good, clean cup of coffee.

Don't forget the completely different and not at all the same thing kyocera.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003S9XF7K/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

I have the Kyocera grinder and SterlingPro french press. I've been doing the "leave a few sips" method but I thought I was doing something wrong with the grind or something. Thanks for the help.

Grinders are easy to travel with. You can even fit a Porlex Mini inside an Aeropress!

I have a Hario Skerton though which I always bring with me, along with a V60 and paper filters, coffee beans, and a weighing scale, inside my backpack.

http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395256524&sr=8-2&keywords=porlex+hand+grinder

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

I think it's awesome, but let's price it out...

Porlex Mini Grinder: $45.00

Bonmac Dripper: $20-ish

50 unbleached flters: $4ish

2 Falcon Enamelware Tumblers: $24ish

Custom Felt Zarfs (X2): No freaking clue

Bag: No idea.

So the stuff priced out to around $93 bucks (probably $100 with the Zarfs), so that makes the bag worth about $75ish? Not bad- Timbuk2 makes high quality stuff.

However, I don't know if I have any use for it...

EDIT: Like others mentioned... Where's the kettle? Hm. Odd.

I got recommended the porlex mini and the porlex JP-30. Both are the same expect for size and use burr grinders. Got the JP-30 and I think its great. Also heard the Hario Skerton and Hario Mini are pretty good.

The Porlex Mini stows beautifully inside an Aeropress.

When camping, I usually bring pre-ground beans and an ultralight pour-over.

Porlex Mini. It's supposed to fit inside the plunger of the Aeropress but I've found it doesn't fit as well as I'd like: it still sticks out the top, and if you push it down too far the grind hopper gets stuck in the plunger and is really hard to get out. Also you need to remove the rubber ring which leaves you with nowhere to put the grinder handle. It's still a very nice and compact grinder.

I travel for work too. My set up: Porlex mini + Kalita Wave 185 Stainless + Bonavita Travel Kettle + Lee Valley Precision Pocket Scale. Works well for me and is very portable. I know the porlex mini fits inside the aeropress but the aeropress doesn't save me any space compared to the Wave to be perfectly honest. And I can make a better cup with the Wave than I can with the aeropress.

I recently purchased this metal filter. The best I've seen out of these metal filters so far. Also, this grinder lets me get the most consistent grind for my money. I can't afford a fancy grinder and with this one, my aeropress, and a cheap scale, I can consistently make a fantastic cup of coffee no matter where I go.

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

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

I think your beans might be rancid. I found that old or sub-par beans don't work well with my moka pot. I have one of these mini Porlex hand grinders. I'd also ask local cafes where they get their beans or if they can sell you some.

Y'know, that's not actually a Skerton. That's the knockoff made by Kuissential, which had a whole bunch of folks up in arms because a seller on Amazon was listing them as being Hario. There are some notable differences, like the white burrs, smooth glass (Hario's is ridged for grip), and the single-forked setting lock. One key difference may be that the Hario arm isn't actually compatible with yours. I've no idea for certain, but it's plausible that they're not interchangeable. Kuissential being essentially a no-name brand, you may have trouble finding a suitable replacement if they aren't compatible. You might try contacting the company directly however, they could have parts available for you to buy.

http://www.amazon.com/Kuissential-Manual-Ceramic-Grinder-Hand-crank/dp/B008YK3IUM/ref=lp_289750_1_14?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1417360182&sr=1-14

Something like this. It's designed to smash the pieces until they fit through the hole. Gives a very tight particle size distribution, especially when compared to the blade grinders.

Thanks! Quite nicely. The shaft is supported along the entire length, and there's a spring that gently presses the burs apart. Way nicer than my old hand grinder, a shitty Hario Skerton clone, which had a bent shaft so the burs wobbled.
Edit: Found the Hario Skerton clone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YK3IUM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Before knowing much about grinders a few years ago, I bought this, not knowing about the Hario Skerton at all. Now it seems like there are even cheaper knockoffs (of the knockoff) below $20 on Amazon

I'm not in the diehard camp, it gets the job done.

That's an attachment for a Kitchenaid, right? It doesn't have a footprint. You can just stow it away when not in use. I think that's your baby.

Or you might be able to go with some type of manual grain grinder. You might have to consult the manufacturer via email to get the specs on how fine it would go.

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


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

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

I have this one have used for 1 year now.

It's a tea infuser. Really easy to remove tea leaves from the broth.

http://www.amazon.com/Dechunxian-Tumbler-Infuser-Perfect-Solution/dp/B00UBMRKQE/ref=sr_1_17?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1458239216&sr=1-17&keywords=tea+brewer

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UBMRKQE/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1&th=1

how good of a deal? I have a price tracker monitoring the hario skerton waiting for it to dip below 10% so I can buy it. Was thinking about this knock-off that is reportedly a replica of it

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Grinder-Capacity-Espresso-Brewing/dp/B010UJZ5XW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511236888&sr=8-1&keywords=simple+burr+grinder

You think the stabilizer upgrade with the pro is worth it. I can put up with re-adjusting, I think. never used one before.

I have this guy and it works really well. Better than my electric grinder (and it's only $24 bucks). But just know that you'll be manually grinding for 3-5 minutes to get 1 cup. Some people don't like to work for their coffee first thing in the morning.

JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PGPYBbB24NM1T

Do you have any budget at all? You mention an Aeropress which wouldn't be free, so I'm going to assume you have $30-$75.

Key components to good coffee:

• quality, fresh, properly roasted beans
  
  You can manage quality of beans by finding a reliable coffee shop to go buy from. The beans should not be oily as this indicates they were poorly roasted. The should have been roasted in the past week.
  
  
• cleanliness of equipment
  
  You can manage this by cleaning your equipment and choosing equipment that can be thoroughly cleaned. Many cheap automatic drip brewers are damn near impossible to clean.
  
  
• proper water quality and temperature
  
  If your water quality sucks then you'll have to get it treated or go bottled. The temperature needs to be ~200 degrees F. Most automatic drip makers do not get the water hot enough.
  
  
• proper distribution of water on coffee
  
  With a french press or aeropress the water is in direct contact with the coffee. Most cheap automatic drip makers have a 'shower' head that frequently does a terrible job of water distribution. A Chemex give you complete control of this variable.
  
  
• proper infusion time of water in coffee
  
  You don't get much control over this with an automatic drip. You do get to control this with french press, aeropress, and chemex.
  
  
• proper volume of water to coffee
  
  You get to totally control this one...
  
  
• consistent grind of beans
  
  Here's the difficult one in your scenario. I'm from the camp that says the grinder is the single most important piece of equipment for brewing good coffee. That said, even a whirly-blade bean-whacker grinder with good, fresh beans will be better than folgers. Advice here is to buy the best grinder you can/will afford. If you can bring yourself to do it, buy a Baratza Encore. If you want to go cheaper and don't mind manually grinding your coffee then look at the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder that can be found for as little as $24.
  
  An important question... are you wanting to make a single-serving or multiple at one time? If single serve, consider the aeropress. If multiple, then go with a Chemex or clone. You'll also need a source of hot water... that can be stove top in a pan or tea-kettle or you could get an electric kettle.
  
  JavaPresse manual grinder $24
  
  Chemex clone brewer - $14
  
  Cheap electric kettle $20
  
  Pound of good coffee - ~$15
  
  Total - $73
  
  With quality electric grinder instead: $179
  
  Total pieces of equipment: 3 (1 optional)
  
  

I like dark roasts, and prefer African coffee beans if I get a choice in it, they have a nice deep and spicy flavor. I get them as whole roasted beans from a coffee shop in town, which roasts them fresh every couple of days. If you are looking to get into it, you can just search for coffee roasters in your area, and if there really aren't any I'd look for roasters who sell single origin beans online. In a pinch, Starbuck's single origin beans are good too, just really expensive for what they are.

I use a hand mill grinder, a gooseneck kettle, and a Chemex coffee maker and filters. It sounds like a lot, but all that together is still cheaper than a decent drip machine. You grind the beans with the grinder (I use 3 heaping tbps of grounds), bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute (letting it come down just a little in temp keeps the coffee from being acidic, the gooseneck also helps with that). Pour a little on the grounds in the filter, and let it sit for about 30 seconds wet to bloom. Then pour the rest and just let it drip through.

The chemex makes the smoothest, best tasting coffee I've ever had, and I've tried quite a few different methods. If you like it stronger, a french press might be better for you.

Stuff:

Chemex Coffee Maker

Filters

Hand Mill Grinder

Goose Neck Kettle

https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Coffee-Grinder-Precision-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2

This?

Definitely not a grinder that is up to the task of grinding for espresso, especially if you are willing to spend 2k on a machine. If it has to be a manual the lido e is what you want

Random question. I drink quite a few too many energy drink, and want to switch to coffee at work. I'll try, then end up going back. Mostly because I want creamer to go with it, and nowhere to really refrigerate creamer at work. Put it in the fridge, someone is guaranteed to take/use it.

I've got a conical burr grinder so i dont care if its pre-ground or whole bean. I'm basically looking for recommendations on a good bean thats dark, but not too bitter, through a traditional drip machine. I've got a french press too, but boiling water at work isn't too reliable. I have to use to machine we have at work, and with the number of french presses already at work, its usually already out of hot water by the time i get in.

I usually go with caribou coffee, medium roast; or blue mountain kona coffee; but typically throw a touch of creamer in it. usually baileys irish cream (not the alcoholic kind :()is there a better 'mid/dark' roast that isnt too bitter i could whip up and maybe throw in a touch of brown sugar, no creamer? not looking for super ultra mega extreme quality or 'from this random small batch company and pay 80$ for it'; i need to be able to run to a store and grab a bag.

for my dripper, i usually fill my burr grinder up 2/3rd of the way, and use that. no idea if im using too much, or too little.


Basically, tips for 'making coffee at work', how much to use, and a non-creamer specific brand i can make and chug down. oh, and high caffeine content. anyone got this?

I'm in the camp that believes there is a noticeable difference after only a few hours. When I was in school, I used to grind in the morning so that I could brew them at my desk in the afternoon. Part of this was, I admit, affected by the lower quality brew method I used at my desk, but eventually I decided it was better to just buy coffee at a cart on campus. If it helps the case, some days I got home early enough to brew the morning's grounds at home, and quality was still lower.

Might I suggest something like this? It'd give a small workout on a 15 break and give you a decent grind.

I bought one of these, and it works well. It took a couple minutes of grinding away, but did a pretty good job. I eventually bought a Baratza Encore because I'm old and lazy ;)

I've had an Aeropress for years. I've used THIS for under $25 and had zero issues. It looks good, it has numerous settings for grinds from very fine to very course, and it'll make your GF's forearms very strong in the coming months, which may or may not be beneficial.

>What models did you get? I have access to a kettle at work and I don't really like the way the coffee is made and may take a stab at making it myself.

It got this kettle and this press and this grinder.

The grinder and press are pretty fantastic (don't be fooled by the discounted price on the press - it's good quality), but I'd suggest a maybe getting a different kettle if you're a perfectionist with brewing at home.

200° is the ideal temperature for French press, but this model skips from 198° to 203°, so I have to wait a minute or so to let it cool slightly.

Try the EvenGrind. It was a kickstarter project, I've had mine since they fulfilled, works great (except for a tendency to hang on to grounds up in the body, requiring a lot of tapping to clear).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013RGGFZM

Basically it's a Hario Skerton that has a stabilizer built-in. I like mine.

I've used this. It's a modded Hario knockoff. Only $17 right now. I paid double when it was first released.
Probably better than an unmodded Hario. Probably not as good as a modded Hario. Either way, the difference between any of these is minor compared to getting the next step up in grinder range (well worth spending more, the difference is eye opening).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013RGGFZM/

I’ve used this Khaw-Fee manual burr grinder for a year now and it works great without issue. You can change your grind size easily enough too

I have this (Hario knockoff?) grinder and a generic ceramic dripper similar to this one. I'll give it another go playing around with the grind and maybe see if I can get it finer in my electric coffee grinder that I used to use, and also try a batch of cold brew. Just feeling kind of silly that I spent cash on something that I didn't end up liking that much, ha.

From experience, after about 7-8 days, the quality drops off a bit. By 10-12 days, I think there's a noticeable loss of flavor.

At the risk of sending you down a dangerous rabbit hole, this dripper is what I use with the OEM filters. When I'm on travel/vacation, I grind with the Hario mini which produces a nice, consistent grind (as inexpensive grinders go). AT 10-11 clicks out from the finest setting it will take about 2 minutes to grind 15-17 grams (enough for 350-400ml of water, and faster than said water will boil in a typical microwave).

If you batch your beans into zip-lok baggies (~1 weeks worth each) you can freeze them and they will easily hold for a month.


Other roasters of note in the area include Red Rooster (in Floyd) and ones who's name I can't remember in Draper - Sugar Magnolia on main sells the latter. Both are more expensive (those two ~$16-18/12oz) than Mill Mountain ($13-15/16 oz) and I've not found them "better". Then again, I'm not a big fan of modern, fruity/acidic coffee.

like /u/cchiker said, it depends on what kind of coffee you want to make. I prefer pour overs and take mine black, so here is my "budget" coffee gear list:

Hand burr grinder $60 - https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Mini-Mill-Slim-Plus/dp/B01GPMH590/

Hario v60 dripper starter set $30 - https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-V60-Coffee-Starter-Clear/dp/B00JJIOJ7E/

Gooseneck kettle $50 - https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-VKB-100HSV-V60-Coffee-Kettle/dp/B008L3R8BM

1lb of locally roasted single origin beans $20

I second this. Grab that Yirgacheffe blueberry bomb whenever you can! Their Central American light to medium roasts are also a safe bet. I had a bag of Guatemalan from Hopscotch that was BURSTING with watermelon. Man I miss that bag of beans...

If you want to step up that morning cup I recommend buying whole beans. Something as cheap as this hand grinder will produce a nice even grind. Coffee ground fresh before brewing makes a massive difference that anyone can appreciate.

Brown County roasts a good bean too. Just stick to light and medium roasts. I've had few dark roasts around here that weren't burnt and oily.

http://www.amazon.ca/Black-Decker-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B000BHIQPI

I have this one, although it was $15 at London Drugs (store in Vancouver)

http://www.londondrugs.com/Black-Decker-Coffee-Bean-Grinder---Stainless-Steel---CBG100SC/L2372449,default,pd.html?start=20&q=coffee%20grinder

As I'm a strictly home user and grower, I use this one. It is 2 pieces :)

I have the previous iteration of this hario and it works great. Be sure to order the metallic filter like keith_is_good recommended, even more savings and cleaning is a not an issue

I second the Hario Skerton or the Slim. Those are the best grinders you're going to be able to find at that price range. Absolutely steer clear of any blade grinders whatsoever.

Seriously, get a grinder! A Skerton is all you need for cafetiere, and it's only £23.

As the other guy mentioned, Hasbean is a great place to buy beans. There is also Rave and Pact and numerous other roasters selling beans online, too many to mention. The advantage of getting your beans from these guys rather than in the supermarket is that they're freshly roasted, whereas the supermarket stuff was probably stale before it even left the warehouse.

For ease and lower cost, I'd recommend getting a hand grinder like a Hario Skerton and a Clever Dripper. If you have a little extra cash, step up to an electric burr grinder like the Baratza Encore. Any kind of electric kettle will be your best way of boiling water.

In a basic coffee system, grinding fresh before you brew is likely to make the greatest positive impact and electric is super easy. A hand grinder might take 30-45 seconds to grind for a batch of coffee, but that's a small time investment for a large return. In terms of brewers, lots of folks like the Aeropress for its portability and its ability to produce fantastic coffee, but I like the Clever because it's also very easy and tends to produce a normal cup of coffee rather than a more intense and concentrated cup that you get from the Aeropress.

They do at my work as well, but it's my K-Cups.

The solution is lame, but it's effective, and produces a better cup IMO:

1.) I have a pourover coffee maker. http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/three-cup-classic-series-coffeemaker.html

2.) I bought a hand crank grinder. https://smile.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ?ie=UTF8&sa-no-redirect=1

3.) I have a gooseneck kettle.

I just make hot water in the keurig, have it drip into the gooseneck, grind up some beans, and do a pourover, slowly at my desk.

Everyone stopped taking my coffee. Plus with some locally-roasted beans, it beats the shit out of anything Keurig.

Amazon link.

Ok I am going to try to answer every question

1. 100% worth it. The difference in taste is indescribable. With a good burr grinder and an aero press the coffee will be immeasurably better. And, you can measure a system were it will take you maybe 5 minutes, tops. Heck, you can even pre measure the water and coffee the night before if you need to save time.
   
   
2. This is hard to answer since everyone's choices are different. I have never seen a mug recommend on here that I loved, they always seem to be really tacky in my opinion, I guess I just don't like novelty mugs. One thing that is mostly a safe bet is going to a local roaster or a good roster online and buying there branded mugs, a lot of those are really cool. This one from Kickapoo Roatsers is really cool for instance. A lot of stump towns diner mugs are really nice.In addition, A lot of these are really unique, albeit pricy. But these are all personal preferences, find what you like.
   
   
3. Starbucks is very contervesial on this subreddit. What follows here is my personal opinion. First, if there is a Starbucks that sells reserve near you, you are in luck because those bags are mostly quite good. The problem with most of Starbucks roasts is that they are so dark most are undrinkable, as lighter roasts typically bring out the natural flavors in coffee. The only semi good ones are there "light" or "blond" roasts, and even then those are pretty average. Some of there single origin, like the (now out of season) Guatemalan Casi Cielo were decent quality. I would first try out local roasters with actually freshly roasted beans, and if there are absolutely none with some good freshly roasted beans near you, then online would be a good place to start. Try some of the big (all good) ones like blue bottle, intelligentsia, or stump town. One I don't see recommended on here a lot is La Colombe, which is quite delicious, I loved there Hatian.
   
   Lastly, and most importantly, BUY A GOOD BURR GRINDER. Freshly ground truly does make all the difference. A good starter is the Hario Skerton availiable on Amazon, or a Hario mini mill, also on Amazon.
   
   I hope this helps! Good luck man!

i'd say at that price try to find something used. this way:


1.)if you get a cheap pump-driven pressurized portafilter machine, you're not going to regret it after moving up and realizing you spent so much on something that would have little value later (for resale, or just keep as a "backup")


2.)you may be able to find a decent used machine. not sure what the UK market is like but here (vancouver, canada) you can find stuff like the old starbucks machines (with the non-pressurized PF) comfortably in that price range.


either way, if you get used make sure the owner can show you how to pull a shot on the machine. the reason is it can be quite involved (especially for better machines), and it also shows if machine is in good shape (the gaskets, especially). on cheaper machines it may be close to impossible to replace. (i picked up a bar32 for $5 at a thrift sale to play with, and it leaks like crazy. =)

as to the grinder, this article is making more and more sense the more i'm getting into espresso. there is a minor loophole: the hario hand grinders here and here can actually get you to pretty close to the grind that works on most machines.

TL;DR- machine: try get used. grinder: hario hand grinders

The best beans in the world will only go so far if you grind them at the store weeks in advance then run them through a Mr. Coffee. If you want to up your coffee game at home, I'd highly recommend an Aeropress plus a cheap burr grinder (automatic or manual).

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

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

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

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

A burr grinder & high quality beans are essential if you want to make excellent coffee. Here's the most minimal & least expensive burr grinder that I know of...
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

I'm satisfied with mine, but every so often I feel lazy and yearn for the expensive, massive burr grinder that I sold.

I think you answered your own question. If you have been using and enjoying a french press then stick with it there is a whole range of size and price options and even places like Target sell them. As far as other inexpensive options there are a variety of pour over devices that use paper filters which may be easier to clean up. I have a Cilio #4 that I use at work with a Hario Skerton grinder and a cheap electric kettle. The Cilio is porcelain and has held up well but there are some stainless ones. There is also the Aeropress which is a fun little gizmo and makes great coffee. The Porlex grinder nests nicely inside the Aeropress plunger so it takes up very little space in a bag.

Hario makes quite good manual burr grinders.

I have this grinder and I love it. Definitely go for Hario.

Orphan Espresso has an upgrade kit for the Hario Skerton (or Kyocera CM-50CF) which makes it suitable for press, but it also makes it more difficult to adjust to finer settings. The reason they have the upgrade kit is because otherwise the burrs rattle around on the spring mechanism when working with coarser grinds, resulting in unevenness (though definitely better than a blade grinder). The Skerton + the OE upgrade is likely the best bang for your buck in terms of hand grinders which perform well at coarser settings!

Not sure about availability and pricing in Germany so everything here is in US dollars. If pricing over there is a straight conversion from dollars to euros ( $100 = 105€) you'll be pretty close to 100€.

In terms of grinders, you'll be in the manual grinding arena with Hario Skerton, Hario Mini or the Porlex JP-3 if you want to spend a bit more. Just be aware these are good enough for a single person but if you're doing more, be prepared to grind in batches.

Since you're doing a pour over, you're going to need a gooseneck kettle to help control your pour. You're out of the range for electric kettles with temperature control, however you may be able to find electric goosenecks without temperature controls. Again, Hario is a popular option but I've heard mixed reviews about them, namely poor heat retention and debate over whether to use it directly on a stove top. The Stagg Kettle is well regarded and can fit into your budget if you choose a less expensive grinder.

I would advice against buying that electric grinder. It won't be very good and pretty hard to make consistent tasting coffee with.

This one uses blades. Blades to grind coffee is like using a rock to cut vegetables. Yes it gets "the job done" but with a lot of compromise.

Blade grinders (as opposed to burr grinders) are unable to grind coffee in consistent size particles. Meaning hot water won't extract your coffee evenly. Which makes a huge difference.

Cheapest "good" hand grinder is the Hario Skerton or Hario Mini Mill. A step up from that is the Porlex Mini which offers a bit better grind quality, alluminium instead of plastic, and fits inside the aeropress.

If you want to go electric the cheapest good option is this Bodum grinder but at that point you might as well go with the Baratza Encore which is a great iconic grinder that is a great grinder for everything up to espresso.

Manual grinding isn't too bad. If you enjoy "the ritual". Grinding for the Aeropress takes about 1 minute. The thing is, if you want to start brewing more, for say French Press or V60, you really want to invest in an electric grinder. Because grinding for 4 cups of coffee by hand suuuucks! Also, early in the morning, you really appreciate an electric grinder.

Ideal is to have both. But I know that's kinda crazy. Electric at home, manual for at work/while travelling.

I have a Hario Mini Mill which I like and it gets the job done, but I'm really looking for something electric. If you're doing french press, it doesnt take much time to grind beans but if you're doing anything finer than that it probably takes me 5 minutes to grind 45-50g of beans which just isn't what I wanna do right after I wake up. I've heard good things about the Hario Skerton as well.

For electric grinders, I've heard that the Baratza Encore is the best bang for your buck. Also, I would get an adjustable temperature kettle (people perfer goosenecks but I just have a regular one) and a kitchen scale! The scale is super useful for cooking in general and I think they're good to have, especially for coffee.

Also, I have a Chemex and love it. I don't think I could live without it.

Start looking here, https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

if you have the coin Orphan Espresso makes some badass hand grinders.

I use a refurbed baratza virtuoso cause I'm lazy and dont want a workout with my morning ritual.

I don't understand this... If you make tasty coffee in the morning it is a wonderful way to start your day. The caffeine is my least favorite part of coffee (though I don't really experience much effects of it). If you have a good pour over or french press in the morning it is such a wonderful beverage. I drink it for the flavor; I didn't have any for the month and didn't experience any withdrawal effects. Get some freshly roasted beans, a grinder and a clever dripper. Once you have good coffee you won't go back.

The Baratza Encore is one of the most recommended grinders over at r/coffee. $140 for a very reliable grinder with great customer service. If that's still expensive, then a hand grinder, like the Hario Skerton, is a great alternative at $40.

Aeropress gives you a lot of freedom on the taste of your coffee, so I recommend that. There is also no need for a lot of additional equipment with it unless you want to get info coffee more in the future. Quality of your coffee is equally as important as your method, so you don't have to break your bank, but try to get your hands on locally roasted single origin beans. (Best result is if you can buy your own grinder to make the freshest coffee, but if your budget doesn't allow for that, then ground coffee will do).

Aeropress - $35

Electric grinder - $37 (decent, takes no time at all)

Hario Skerton hand grinder (more reliable, takes some time, don't cheap out on the $15 dollar amazon version if you want a decent grind) - $39

If you go this route I also recommend looking at the World Aeropress Championship recipes and following in their lead to emulate a world-class cuppa joe.

Grab one of these. On sale for 27 bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1415137856&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+grinder

Next step is good beans. Finding the best beans is of preference choice, you'll have to explore that on your own. I started with Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, and Collectivo and found my favorites from there.

My recommended way of making coffee would be the Aeropress for starters, and moving on to a Moka pot for some really good espresso if you can find a hot plate.

My [Hario Skerton] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ) with the [Orphan Espresso mod] ( http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-Lower-Bearing-UPGRADE-KIT-for-Hario-Skerton-Kyocera-CM50-Hand-Grinders_p_4066.html) isn't half bad at a coarse grind. I use it for my French Press daily.

You absolutely need the following to enjoy coffee out of a chemex:

• Burr Grinder: I suggest, to start, the Hario Mill Grinder
  
  
• Gooseneck Kettle: I suggest the Bonavita Electric Kettle
  
  
• Scale: I suggest the AWS Pocket Scale
  
  
  The scale is the least necessary, but the other two are absolutely essential to make decent coffee out of the chemex.
  
  Once you have those, watch a couple demonstration videos and mess around to find what you like! Below is the video I watched when I first started using this method:
  
  
• Buddy Brew Chemex Tutorial
  
  Overall, it's a bit of an investment, but it's so worth it! The chemex is a great method, and I use it often! Good luck!

Depending on how much coffee you drink, a Hario Mini Mill or a Hario Skerton is probably your best bet. There's really no replacement for a burr grinder if you want consistency, and the Harios have high quality ceramic burrs and are both <$50.

    Buy a grinder! I have this one (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ) and it's absolutely amazing. The next thing I would suggest is just buying a scale. I didn't really think it would make a difference, but measuring out your coffee by grams definitely makes a huge difference.

Alright, I'll lay out two set ups for two different price points.


Cheap Set Up

Hario Skerton This is the most basic entry level grinder possible, grinds enough for one person pretty easily, and gets "good enough results for a poor college student

Aeropress You can make full cups of coffee or pseudo-espresso that you can mix with milk for a pseudo, its easy to clean, and probably the most forgiving coffee making tool.

And then any kettle and any scale. Look for cheap on both, were going for cheap here, and were not doing rocket science, should be another 25-30 total for both of these, which lands you just under $100 total for this set up. You don't need to bother roasting beans yourselves, and if you're in a college town theres probably a local roaster around that you can get good quality roasted beans from and be happy with. For cold brew just throw grounds and water in jar in you fridge for a day in a 8:1 ratio, then strain the goop the next day for a solid cold brew concentrate



The pricier beginner college set up


Baratza Encore. If you can afford this, then get it. The things great, does everything but espresso grind really well, and because its not manual its doesn't take that long and it doesn't require any real effort on your part. I love mine, but the $140 price tag could be steep (I wouldn't have bought it when I was in college, I was poor as shit).


Brew Methods: I still recommend at least an Aeropress, but pair it with a 1LFrench press too for when you want to make a lot of coffee at once, or coffee for friends. you can also make cold brew in a French press instead of a jar, and you can use it to strain it out. Also, if you really want to make the closest thing to espresso that you can without blowing $300 dollars, get a 3-cup moka pot. You can find a cheap one at your Ross or Home Goods equivalent.



For kettle, you can get a variable temp one if you want to spend the money, people recommend the Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck but I still just use my cheap 15 dollar kettle and am doing fine.


As far as scales go, I still just say find a cheap scale that works well enough.



Bits and Bobs


Hand held Milk Frother for frother hot milk for lattes. Sounds like something you would like.

Also keep in mind grinding. Not a problem if you buy pre-ground, but if you buy whole beans, just get something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

I have a set up that i love that was only like 50 dollars and makes great coffee.
I have this french press
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Coffee-34-Ounce/dp/B005ADS5FO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450216508&sr=8-5&keywords=french+press

and this grinder

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450216551&sr=8-1&keywords=coffee+grinder+hario

It is sorta labor intensive but makes way better coffee than most machines that are way more pricey.

Also the key is to have good, fresh beans.

I also have a hario v60 for when i want to make coffee quick.

7 hours in and not a single link, huh? Anyway, not sure about the most useful but the one I'm most in love with at the moment is my new coffee grinder and it's getting quite a lot of use. This thing is really the best. A true quality grinder will set you back an embarrassing sum and this little thing outperforms electric grinders at 5 times the cost. Get it.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

I had pretty good results with this when I used it years ago.

a hario hand grinder will do a decent job if you don't want to fork over 300 for an electric burr grinder, won't get it quite as fine as you want but it will be ok until you can upgrade. skip the blade grinders entirely these will make your coffee sad.

also /r/coffee

The common answer will be the hario skerton

Honestly, the easiest way to start is probably an Aeropress and a decent kettle. Get a gooseneck early, then you won't have to buy a second kettle later if you decide to start playing with pour-overs. If you want to make boiling water a little more passive, get an electric one. I have this one and it works like a charm.

Another cheap starter option for brewing is the V60 and its various clones. The original is plastic, but this one is ceramic and only $20. It takes some practice to get pour-overs just right, but it's worth it. And for $20, it's not a bad way to give it a shot or just to have in your collection.

Grinders are a whole discussion. I have a Baratza Encore that I really like. It's easy to maintain and Baratza's support was pretty good to me when I needed them. If you want to go a little cheaper, you might consider a Skerton or Mini Mill.

For beans, have fun. There are a ton of places to get decent beans, and part of the fun is finding new places. There are a number of redditors that roast and will probably sell beans to you if you like. (Including me!) I would suggest some, but I actually skipped this part and went straight to roasting.

EDIT: Oh, and good luck. You're opening a door to a rabbit hole, now.

You gotta be sure to use Fakespot these days. Lots of companies using shady tactics to get their review average up. This one is definitely a risky buy.

Put a bit more cash into it and get a Hario Slim or even a Hario Skerton.

The aeropress makes good coffee, but it has always been fickle for me. The Clever Coffee dripper, OTOH, is great and around the same price.

Also, I just got a new grinder (link below). Ceramic conical burr, but no motor. I don't mind doing some work for so much cheaper.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

1. I really like espresso, and hopefully I'll be able to save for a machine someday. Right now I use a french press, simple and effective.
   
   
2. The best beans I've had so far were from a local roaster out of town, and I'm unsure of where they originated. I just ordered these beans from Verve, and I'm hoping they'll be good.
   
   
3. The Hario manual grinder if you want a decent burr grinder and you're on a budget.
   
4. I like tea as much as I like coffee; I view them as two separate entities. A white or oolong is probably my favorite.
   
5. I've had cheap drip Kona before that I thought was ok, but I've never bought any beans or made any myself.

If you ever make coffee for friends or like brewing a few cups at once, I recommend this one instead.

Mühle und Wasserkocher

Wenn du aber schon einen Wasserkocher hast, kauf bitte nicht extra einen neuen. Die Temperatur für Tee und Kaffee ist zwar wichtig aber "kocht seit zwei Minuten nicht mehr" reicht bei den beiden Getränken echt aus mit Präzision.

For iced coffee I generally steep in a french press overnight. Plunge & serve/store. Works pretty well. As for grinders, definitely go with a burr:

-Cheaper manual: Hario Skerton

-More expensive automatic: Capresso Infinity

More than just an expensive grinder you want a quality grinder. The two are not always the same. I have a Hario manual burr grinder. It gets very consistent grinds and isn't much work at all.

Link to what I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ/ref=mp_s_a_2?qid=1325167220&sr=8-2

What grinder are you using? If you have a blade-type grinder, while they're much better than using preground coffee, they make consistency both from batch to batch and within the same batch nearly impossible. I'd recommend dropping $20-30 on one of the Hario manual burr grinders.

You talking about this one? Been a while since I used it but dont remember having too many issues with inconsistent larger grinds.

Just got this. http://i.imgur.com/duwBXU0.jpg

I've been into this world for about 2 months now , what i can help you with are some suggestions for what i've been using lately

• The Hario Skerton ( you can get it off of amazon )
  
  
  
  
• The AeroPress which you can also get off of amazon
  
  
  
  And about the beans , im pretty sure you can find a local roaster here or there . I used to say the same and i was totally convinced that we have 0 roasters ( regardless of whether they're good or not ) but after some research and asking around i found 4 ! Its just a matter of asking the right people .
  
  
  Making good coffee i believe is a long process of trial and error , you'll get there eventually but first you have to have decent tools at your disposal. If you're able to spend a little bit over your limit and get those two pieces of equipment you're more than ready to get started with the process , you just have the other half to deal with , which is the coffee beans . Of course if you ever need help with recipes , techniques , tips , whatever . You can come to this subreddit , really filled with great people who have a lot to say so just ask !
  
  And finally, welcome to this beautiful world !

Not sure. I'd go with the Virtuoso for every thing except Turkish and get a Link: https://amzn.com/B001802PIQ

Edit: shortened URL

I'm not exaggerating when I say you need a grinder. Doesn't matter what method you use to make coffee if you don't start with freshly ground beans.

This one is good and pretty cheap.

Hario Slim is $25 and worked well for me. The hex on the shaft eventually wears out, but they'll replace it for free if you email them (or they did for me at least)

Hario MSS-1B Mini Coffee Mill Slim Grinder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DvdZxbM1MQA0Z

Get a little hario hand grinder like this: http://smile.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1410441180&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+hand+grinder

And of course you'll need AeroPress Timer: www.aeropresstimer.com

Totally understandable, can't just dispose of a gift. I hope you enjoy the coffee "hobby". I can say my first upgrade when I started was to get a [Hario Mini](Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/) to use at my office so I could stop drinking the Keurig garbage haha. It's small, but pretty good for what it is, and the results are good for the money, plus it's portable! Enjoy!

I have this and it does a great job. It grinds the perfect amount for two large cups of coffee. Takes less than a minute to do.

Hario makes good stuff, I use one of their hand grinders at home. Similar to the Skerton but this one is slightly smaller but IMO easier to hold onto while grinding.


http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371863664&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+grinder

Hario Mini Mill and an MSR MugMate or equivalent will be an excellent office set up. I use the Kyocera CM-45 which I love but tends to be more expensive and harder to find - and the MSR mugmate every day in my office. It's essentially french press coffee. Coarse grind, brew for 4 minutes, enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322801932&sr=8-1

Maybe this is too labor intense, but for insanely good espresso and americano, get an Aeropress and a Burr Grinder like this electric one or this hand one

The aeropress prevents over-pressing of the beans, which prevents the coffee from getting acidic, as I understand it. The aeropress requires a bit more work to use, but it's really easy to clean (you just pop the used grounds into the trash and then rinse off the end of the areopress). The burr grinder grinds the beans much better than your average slicing grinder can.

This manual grinder is great - just be prepared to put in some effort:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

Kinda late here, but I would say if you want to be able to control grind size on a budget you should get a manual grinder. Here is the one I have and it works great. If you need coffee for more than two people then it's a bit of a chore, but for a single cup it's perfect.

I don't know about that manufacturer for the grinder, but most people haven't had great luck with similar types. There are lots of reports of them breaking or being of inconsistent build quality. Almost universally on this sub, people recommend hario for introductory grinders (sub 30$) and nothing else. It should be noted that non-coffee enthusiasts may quickly tire of manually grinding their coffee. And imo, while freshly grounded is superior, many may feel that increase in quality not worth the extra effort. you know your dad. he may be one of these people. in which case, a manual grinder might only just take up space.

french press seems good. it's pretty! It'll be a full bodied murky coffee because there isn't a paper filter. A cleaner coffee can be achieved via a v60 cone or aeropress like you were thinking about. This is all up for preference and i will note that the cost of filters is near negligible. It comes down to like a nickle per brew. As for cleaning, the aeropress is slightly more annoying to clean and dry than a cone, but it's not that troublesome.

As for the beans, i have no idea. i'm a part of the camp that believes the process is superior to the materials. So, so long as it isn't bad, then it should be good. And accordingly, I buy bargain bin beans because i don't care. They taste good enough for me. But some of my friends believe in only single origin beans from an expensive and artisan roaster like blue bottle. I don't think either of us is wrong. again: just preference.

all in all, looks decent. hope he enjoys the gifts!

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

While on tour last summer, I had this little kit to keep my coffee habit happy in middle of nowhere America:

Hario Mini Mill

[Bonavita Bona Voyage 0.5-Liter Electric Travel Kettle] (http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Voyage-0-5-Liter-Electric-Travel/dp/B008YQLZOW/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1404394599&sr=1-10&keywords=bonavita)

Clever Dripper

I went with this set up so I didn't have to worry about bringing a goose neck kettle with me and could just pour straight from the kettle to the clever. I weighed out the typical amount of beans I use for a full Clever and marked it on the mini mill so I wouldn't have to keep a scale with me. Worked great and saved me from buying daily coffees at Starbucks. I've seen others post more elaborate travel set ups around here, so hopefully they'll respond.

As one of the newer members of the RAoA Aeropress Society, I need a good grinder, please. Will the real slim shady please stand up? I have a Hario Slim on my list.

Thank you for the contest!

I need an aeropress in my life. Will the real slim shady please stand up?. I love coffee so much.

I'd go with the Hario mini.

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

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

I have a friend who's really happy with the Hario mini for his espresso machine.

I don't have any experience with this but it has good reviews: Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder for $40.

Hario Mini. I fucking love mine so much I use it as my main grinder. Gives a nice little work out in the morning.

Pretty decent grinds as well, and cheap to boot with a ceramic burr.

That grinder is likely a big part of the issue. The ones with the little whirling blades make it pretty much impossible to get a consistent grind, since some of the already-ground coffee will get re-ground (to a finer consistency) as the machine operates. It also can make the coffee more bitter, because the super-fine coffee that's part of the mix will get over-extracted.

Shaking it around a little bit as it grinds can help a little bit, but the real solution is a burr grinder, which start at around $30 for this little hand-powered Hario Mini Mill, and going up over $1000 depending on the model. I've been using this little Capresso Infinity ($86) for many years and it's still serving me well.

In the meantime, adding a little more coffee grounds before brewing should help with the wateriness.

Aeropress

Mini Mill

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

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

I use the following:

• This to microwave the water
  
• An aeropress
  
• This mill

It may be just me, but I'd think a bitterer cup might overpower some sticks. Maybe try a medium or "blonde" roast?

This is going down a bit of a rabbit hole, but if you drink coffee often enough you might want to look into at least getting a decent hand grinder (I've had this one for several years, but there may be something better out now for around the same price) and grinding your beans fresh. That, along with getting beans that were roasted recently, makes a world of difference in the quality of your coffee, even if you're still brewing in an auto-drip.

This one is good? http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

I'd recommend a Porlex grinder, it fits right in the Aeropress and is super portable, or if you want something cheaper but still very good I'd recommend the Hario Mini Mill, it's what I personally use.

If you're looking to buy a grinder, something like this should do just fine if you don't mind grinding manually: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

I have a similar one from Hario and love it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make sure it's a burr grinder, that's probably a blade grinder. The cheapest adequate grinder would probably be the hario mini mill which is usually ~$30, but keep in mind it's a hand grinder so it requires some muscle. The cheapest passable electric one would be closer to $100.

Never used the Bonavita, but a conical burr grinder is great!

One thing is you can also jump in making great coffee for a lot cheaper than this. This Hario hand grinder and an Aeropress/Hario V60 pour over are a great way to get amazing coffee for half the cost.

Although don't let that persuade you if you have done your research and that's what you want! To a better brew!

I have this one and am really happy with it:

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=zg_bs_289750_8/187-4485175-9927863

Like others have mentioned, less than 10 minutes and I can be out the door

You need: good beans + way to grind + near boiling water + brewing method of choice

Hario Mini Mill - Good grinder to start with. You want a burr grinder. If money really isn't an issue, invest in an electric burr. Faster and more consistent grind. Baratza is great.

Aeropress is a solid option. I highly recommend it too. French presses are good too, but just be aware that cleaning it can take a while, so you might have to leave it around until you have time to clean it.

Clever Coffee Dripper - I recommend this. Really easy to use and cleaning it takes a minute at most. As fast as a french press to brew.

I would disagree.

The reason I don't like my french press as much (in my opinion) is that I associate it with the garbage coffee I made in it with my old blade grinder. Honestly, just getting a Hario Mini Mill like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY made a wold of difference.

It's also pretty easy to follow french press directions. Just sayin'.

I was using the press for the last couple of years, and while I enjoyed it sometimes I wanted a lighter, cleaner cup. The chemex, as far as I can tell, tends to brew a cup that is lighter and brighter. There is less sediment too. If you care about mouth feel at all I would say that the chemex is more silky while the press is more velvety.

This is the grinder I ended up with. It costs a bit but I'm a sucker for things that look nice. http://www.redroostertradingcompany.com/products-page/coffee-grinders/camano-coffee-mill/

The recommended hand grinder over at /coffee is http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345136964&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill or the skerton for 3$ more.

I did try a melitta brew, another pour over method, before settling on the chemex. I found it to taste very similar to a drip machine. The chemex filters really do make a difference.

Any other questions?

>I'm not looking to spend a lot of money on my coffee habit (at least not yet).

You can get a cheap burr grinder (hell, even a shitty blade grinder will be better than what you're used to) and a French Press pot for less than 50 bucks.

Right there you will have everything you will ever need to brew the most delicious coffee you've ever had until you drop your French Press and break it or your grinder craps out. Here is a cheap manual grinder, though you may want an electric for convenience: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Happily, the absolute best cups of coffee you can brew are less costly setup-wise than the bad stuff.

Just don't skimp on your beans. Best bet is to try and find a local place that roasts their own if you can.

i have the hario mini mill and it works great!

Coffee gear really isn't expensive at all. People who say otherwise are either obsessive (like me), want luxury, or are wrong.

A drip cup shouldn't cost more than like $15. A glass V60 costs less than $12. Filters are paper and cost pennies. Coffee mills are the only things that can cost a lot and are genuinely worth the cost. The cheapest good mill is considered to be this hario mini mill at $30 or less. A gooseneck drip pot is not required but can be useful, like this one

Honestly... you don't need any other gear

However, the most important aspect of coffee, as always, is fresh beans.

If you go just a little over budget...

• Aeropress $26
  
  
• Kettle with thermometer $28
  
  
• Hario Mini Grinder $32
  
  Total: $86

I would recommend the Hario Mini. Gives a good grind, and given your relatively small portion sizes it's not gonna become a wrist pain for you to grind up your beans.

no; while the grinder you shared is excellent, mine is smaller:

https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=hario+mini+mill&qid=1572126278&s=kitchen&sr=1-2

this grinder fits very well into this brewer for one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make really good coffee at home.

The Hario Skerton is a better grinder, but the slim is cheaper and dumps the grounds into the aeropress very easily.

I second Tyler's recommendation to try to find a local roaster, both to buy good beans from and ask questions about coffee. Making really good coffee is a lifelong self improvement journey, not a $10 purchase at Safeway. You will need a mentor. If you're willing to say where you live I have a feeling we could help you find the best place.

I recommend a french press to start you off. They're easy to use with minimal clean up, no paper or plastic waste, and they make great coffee. As far as beans go, look for something locally roasted if you can. Also, get a burr grinder. I recommend one of
these or something similar.

Both of your methods described are known as blade grinding or a blade grinder. If do not want to make the investment, a blender will do fine. But search this subreddit for blade grinders and you'll learn they are not ideal, creating a wide range of inconsistent particle sizes.

For coffee, you want the coffee particles all about the same size, this makes brews consistent. In extraction rates and brew time.

It is commonly recommended to get a burr grinder, a good manual one, the hario mini is about $30 dollars. If that doesn't work, going up the ladder is to the nice electrics at about $99 to $140 the best in this range is the baratza encore, at about $140 or so. However, you can buy a refurbished for $99 dollars.

The baratza encore is much more convenient and consistent than the mini, but both of these are light years ahead in terms of consistency.

If you are dead set on the blade grinder, search up the pulse and shake method for a little better consistency.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1407560597&sr=1-1&keywords=Hario+mini
http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK
https://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=RFRB

They update this listing every Thursday.

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

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

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

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

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


Add a bag of fresh roasted beans of your choice.

It's called "Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder"

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1396263953&sr=8-3&keywords=hario+grinder

not hard to use at all and has lasted me just as long as the aeropress.

Could you please share the knowledge on how to get an unpressurised basket for your De'Longhi? I have EC330s which only has a pressurised basket and I haven't been able to find any online which I can be certain of working?

I myself have just made the transition to freshly ground beans this morning when my Hario Slim arrived in the post. The difference between pre-ground and freshly ground is pretty drastic in terms of crema production and taste!

Depends on how much work you wanna put into gettin your grind. My friend and I use this, a manual burr grinder. A burr grinder is going to be much more constant than a cheap blade grinder, although this grinder takes maybe 2-3 minutes to grind up 2tbs of beans (enough time for your water to boil).

3-Cup Chemex // Aerobie Aeropress

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

Immersion Water Boiler // 1 Liter Gooseneck Kettle

/r/Coffee — Join Us.

I have this: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370300514&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+slim+mill and this http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1370300537&sr=1-2&keywords=bonavita+kettle that I got a while back. The Baratza is cool, but might be out of the $40 budget I was looking at. Is a better grinder something I would need? That one is way better than the $10 walmart blade grinder I had.

This one by Hario has excellent reviews and is recommended on several sites.

Seconded. The greatest thing in the world. However, if you don't grind your own beans, you should prioritize a hario hand grinder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GSI Java Press Commuter
It looks pretty durable for camping. I also got the [Hario Coffee Mill Slim] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY). I like that the GSI's inner casing is the plunger, unlike [Bodum's] (http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Insulated-Stainless-Steel-0-45-Liter-15-Ounce/dp/B008TYX146/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1407167811&sr=1-2&keywords=Bodum+travel+press) stick plunger like a tradition French press. I wanted something that would make coffee at home or work as I don't want a drip since I'm trying to reserve electricity, and my wife doesn't drink coffee anymore (medicinal reasons).

EDIT: Hyperlink Formatting (first time, thank you for patients)

IMO I think you can get better bang for your bucks, all possible with a cheaper price tag -- I've assembled a list assuming a pour over kit. Obviously you would want to get a dripper. Now, there are a lot of different kinds out there (even within the same product line e.g. plastic vs ceramic construction), amongst which the popular ones would be the Hario V60 and the Melitta, the Beehouse included. For the kettle, you can get the Bonavita Variable GooseNeck for $60 now at Amazon (it's a steal!), or the Stovetop version for $20 less. The Bonavita allows the user to manipulate the temperature much more precisely, and thus ensures more consistent consecutive cups of coffee. To be even more precise, get a scale. I have owned the Hario Slim Mill for some time now, and with some simple modification, it can grind some pretty darn consistent grinds! I think altogether this will sum total to at most the same price. And above all, make sure you buy him freshly roasted beans!

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

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

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

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

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

Definitely grind your own beans right before you brew them. It makes a huge difference in taste.

If you are using a drip coffee maker, I honestly don't think buying a burr grinder is worth it. But if you are using anything else such as a French press or moka pot, it will definitely be worth the investment. You could also buy a manual coffee grinder, which is a lot cheaper, but obviously more effort.

Porto Rico is great place for beans, there's a lot of variety and it's very cheap. Oren's Special Blends and Gimme Coffee are also worth checking out.

Yeah. I know this may sound crazy but I think the Hario Mini Slim grinder is better than this grinder. I went on a 1 month trip and I used my same setup except for the grinder obviously and got much better results. Either that or the water in the Middle East is far superior than the water in Boston, which I don’t think is the case.

Get this and these filters for doing pourover.

You might also want this grinder, unless you want to have your local shop grind for you as well, which they will. Tell them you're grinding for pourover so they'll know how coarse.

If you decide to also get the presspot, you'll need to grind differently for that, which is why I recommend buying the grinder also. Not to mention, it's super helpful to be able to grind your own, so you can dial in your brews. Additionally, whole beans stay fresh longer than ground coffee. You'll definitely notice a difference between fresh ground and the very end of a bag of ground coffee.

All you need other than that is a way to heat water, and some beans. Do you have a kettle of some sort? Stovetop or electric will work. You want to avoid using your keurig to make hot water, as it doesn't get hot enough.

I would get the ekobrew if I were you (doesn't matter much), but what matters most is the beans and the grinder. this grinder I got recently (price is down 10 bucks as well) and it is great.

I just bought the Delonghi EC702:
http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC702-15-Bar-Pump-Espresso-Stainless/dp/B001CNG7RY

It's basically the same machine just a the steam wand is a little better. I have a Bodum Burr Grinder:
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332696852&sr=1-1

Works very nicely. However if i could have done it over again i would have bought the Baratza Maestro instead:
http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Black-Maestro-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002OQNVO/ref=pd_sbs_hg_15

If you are looking to go cheap i would buy the Hario Mini Mill:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332696967&sr=1-3

The Mini Mill is nice because it has a lid, unlike it's larger borther the Hario Skerton:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332696967&sr=1-5

The Skerton is also a bit harder to hold and grind with (i've tried both). Since your basket will only hold about 12-13 grams you should be fine to use the mini mill.

No, it wouldn't get too stale. However, there are some nice hand grinders like the Hario that won't break the bank, is quiet and has a small profile.

I don't know what your situation is -- but if you can secure it in a locked drawer or hide it I would highly recommend it. You're quality of life at work will improve as well (not to mention the new friends you'll make if you share).

Just got a new grinder (this one) and I'm suddenly having sludge in my coffee. I use an Aeropress. I may just not have the right setting, but I really just want the sludge to go away.

Before my grinder now, I used this one and had no sludge.

They're both burr grinders, what am I doing wrong?

The Hario Mini is pretty good for grinding enough beans for 1 or 2 cups:

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

or a Hario Skerton which is a bit bigger:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/

They have nice ceramic burrs and a smooth motion. Additionally they are quite popular so it's easy to find a ballpark figure for what setting to use for different brew methods.

For brew method, I would probably say aeropress is your best bet. Other good budget options are Clever Dripper, Moka Pot, french press, Kalita Wave, Melitta. Most of these methods work reasonably well without any additional equipment.

These methods all produce different cups, so it depends what you like. Anything with a paper filter tends to lead to a smooth cup without much body, the thicker the filter the more tea-like the cup. French press uses a metal filter so lets a lot of particles into the final cup, which makes it a lot more thick and soupy.

Head over here if you want more responses!

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

A hand grinder should be fine. The scale is for measuring the amount of water and and coffee used. A cheaper scale will work just fine.

A gooseneck kettle isn't as necessary for aeropress, but you will need to be able to heat water to just below boiling. The more control over water temperature, the more consistent your coffee will be day to day.That said, if you heat the water to just below boiling and are happy with the results, then that's all that matters.

I neglected to mention that you'll need a timer, but a smartphone will serve you just fine in that regard.

I'd recommend the Clever. It is easy to use and like it says, it will make ~18 oz. Make it a little strong and dilute with 2 more oz of water for your 20 oz mug. This sub plugs the Hario mini mill or skerton for hand grinders as well.

I have Ekobrew cups which I grind my own beans. I buy the Kicking Horse beans when they go on sale at Loblaws, usually at $10/lb.

I use an apparently older version of this at work:
https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458227629&sr=8-3&keywords=hario

It's lasted five years without issue at this point. I paid less than $30 but I guess that's inflation + shitty dollar.

I guess it's not going to be possible in the budget I'm really prepared to spend on coffee:

Aeropress - £23.50

Grinder - £19.00

Frother - £21.00

Good beans - £5.50

That adds up to ~£70 which is about $100. Eek. I know lots of people here spend lots more than that on it, but it's quite an investment for something I have no idea if I'll even like as much as the pro machine stuff. :(

I have not, but I can recommend this, the Hario Mini. It's an excellent little fella, whose extremely easy to clean, has adjustable grind settings (although they are just clicks), and is in the same price range as the one you posted. I've had mine for probably 2 years now, and it's still going strong. Just make sure you clean him (no water though).

This was my college starter pack:

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

I use a Hario grinder:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY/ref=asc_df_B001804CLY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198088480690&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13176289116097557189&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032067&hvtargid=pla-352141159381&psc=1

If you are really lazy you can remove the handle and chuck the shaft into a cordless drill and voila you have a motorized grinder!

Here are the links:

Aeropress

Grinder

Scale

Thermometer

EDIT: I bring this setup with me when I travel for work, along with a small screw top tupperware full of coffee beans.

The Hario Mini-Slim is pretty good.

I have owned the Hario Slim and the Hario Skerton grinders, they are both very recommendable products. Lots of adjustment and pretty fast. They each take around 300 turns to grind depending on your grind size. The slim is small and ideal for 1 cup, but I'd recommend the Skerton if you want to process more grounds at a time. I think the Skerton produces a better quality overall grind too. Both make delicious coffee.

Fwiw if you’re not making big batches I really recommend the Hario mini mill burr grinder. It’s a hand crank, but I used to use it for espresso and it worked great - ran me maybe $30 at the time and the new version which fixes a few design flaws is around $35. Also, I always use the Stumptown French press guide with ~10 tablespoons (have a scale but never got into using it for coffee, only baking) and usually get good results.

Yes! I'm in college and have no cash. I used to use a Capresso electric grinder but that broke so I'm grabbing a Hario Mini Mill soon, only like $30-$40 - link

I also use a French Press, $20 or so - link

And I have an electric kettle with built-in thermometer, about $20 - link

Eight O'Clock beans are like, $4 from Target. If you have a Trader Joes nearby, they're also a good source of cheap beans.

All in all, I've spent maybe $80 on coffee equipment to make a pretty damn good cup on a college budget, while maintaining some portability.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hario-MSS-1B-1-Piece-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1418175437&sr=1-4&keywords=manual+burr+grinder

Add €3.95 for Parcel Motel costs if you can't get to a B&M store.

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

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

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

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

I'm more of a novice than most of the users on this sub, but here is what I can recommend in terms of good ratio of quality to price (and keeping it below $100).

Grinder: Hario Mini Mill

Brew method: Hario V60

That's $50 right there, and it'll put you well past the quality of the Keurig once you do even a decent pour. You'll also need to blow ~20 bucks on a kettle, ~5 bucks on a pack of filters, and then you have to do your own research on finding beans that work for you.

Small edit: Definitely need to recommend getting kitchen scale so you can be measuring your grounds to water ratio more accurately.

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

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

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

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

I've got two French presses, actually. One is for tea, the other's for coffee. :) ...I've always made coffee that way, just with pre-ground coffee.

The grinder I got is the Hario MSS-1B.

you wont have to break the bank with the hario mini mill. you can adjust the grind setting with a simple twist. durable plastic and ceramic burrs. takes about 2 minutes to grind about 25g which i use to brew a 16oz. i heard it can grind fine enough for espresso machines as well, but never tried it myself.

there's many out there, but once you start hitting close to $100, might as well spend a little more for a electric burr grinder.

Gear

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

Absolutely. You can have top grade coffee for £50.00 total:

• Grinder
  
  
• Press
  
  And source some beans from a good local roaster to you. I have a few recipes I like but coffee is very subjective. Best to experiment with different beans, brew times etc. My go to recipe :
  
  
• Dark Roast Coffee Beans
  
• Filtered Water 30s off the boil
  
  
• Grind beans very fine, 18g
  
  
• Pinch of Himalayan Rock Salt (trust me)
  
  
• I use the inverted press method. Add salt and grind to press as shown.
  
  
• Pour in a finger of water. Agitate in the press with the handle end of a spoon for 15s.
  
  
• Fill up to brim of press, leave for 3min.
  
  
• Pre-wet filter and add filter/cap to press.
  
  
• Place cup on end upside down and revert back to normal orientation. Slowly less water through (should take around 30s) until just as air starts to come through the press.
  
  
• No milk
  
  Enjoy. It’s very strong, rich coffee though. Not a very delicate brew.

1. There are a few basic brew methods, and many variations of each. I'm sure that once you get into it, you'll stumble into the variations. Pour-over/drip, steeping, pressure.
   
2. Espresso isn't something I'd rush into. I'd also avoid a generic drip machine because like the little espresso machine, it wont do a good job and it'll hinder your ability to improve when you realise you can do much, much better.
   
3. The coffee roaster looks good from the website. Assorted/Taster packs are good to start with and find one or two you might enjoy. Find a nice coffee then work with that for a while so you can see how you develop and how far you can go before you even change the coffee!
   
   I'd recommend an Aeropress for it's flexibility and popularity. Inexpensive, durable and has all sorts of aftermarket parts. For example, check out the Prismo for your curiosity on espresso. Its easy to use and easy to clean. There is a massive community of users on the internet who'll give you endless variations on how to use it.
   
   Assuming you have a kettle; an Aeropress, cheap jewellery scales, possibly a cheap meat thermometer and the biggest expense will be the best manual coffee grinder you are willing to spend on. Hario Mini Mill would be an OK starting option.
   
   Doing a price conversion, the Indian Amazon's Aeropress is nearly 2x that of the UK, but the Hario Mill is basically the same. I'd see if you can find the Aeropress for cheaper than Amazon.

This is the grinder I want

If you're going for super cheap but still consistent, you could always get a manual grinder.

Whatever you end up using, get one that uses burrs instead of blades.

No espresso advice though, I still use a French Press atm which only takes me like 10 mins from boiling the water to pouring the coffee with little actual work (I'm about to use a 60sec Keurig machine at work, so it's still luxury in comparison).

Hario Minimill

Aeropress

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

The Hario Slim is a very popular burr grinder, here and in general, for very good reasons:

• price (~$40)
  
• quality of construction (excellent)
  
• output (uniform particle size, easy to adjust).
  
  I own one and absolutely love it. It is manual, however, so you have to grind for a minute or so every time you want to make coffee; if you intend on serving larger quantities of coffee it can become quite annoying. However, seeing as how your machine is a single-shot, this could be a very affordable solution for your needs.

Well in that case I would save and do the grinder first honestly. If you're spending ~25$ for an aeropress, I might do this hand burr grinder first.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334215615&sr=8-1

It's gotten some pretty good reviews from other people on coffeegeeks.com and reddit. I own the big brother Hario Skerton and it's served me quite well. I've also heard that the mini-mill is much better with coarse grounds than a Skerton, so that probably suits your needs pretty well. It's also nice because then if you ever upgrade to a nice electronic burr grinder you'll have a great travel grinder/backup/spare.

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

Aeropress $22

Hario Slim grinder $23

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

American Weigh scale $9

Basic thermometer $9

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

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

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

try either one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453036671&sr=8-2
or
http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453036749&sr=8-2

Although the best deal would be the Hario Mini Mill, I've heard great things about the Porlex Mini.

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

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

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

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

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


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


Next up: preparation methods

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

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

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



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

I'd start with a french press an/or an aeropress. I love my aeropress - cleanest coffee I've ever had. That being said, if you can, pick up a Hario Mini mill on amazon as it will greatly improve the taste of your coffee. Total investment would be $60 or less, not counting coffee.

As far as coffee goes, go to your local small coffee chops and see if any of them roast their own coffee. If they do, support them!

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

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


uses a lot less coffee than a pour over

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

> grinder

Ah man! Well, if you don't often get whole bean you could pick up a hand grinder that isn't super expensive and works well. I use one of these

Of course the electric ones that are like a mini-blender are cheap but it's hard to get a consistent grind with them.

Great, thank you very much!

Admittedly, this wasn't my first option but it seemed like an OK compromise... I was looking to get this one initially. But it is double the price of that other one, and I am currently in a position where saving money would be wiser. How much of an improvement would you say that would be? Or would it be acceptable to buy this one for now? I do expect my financial situation to get better eventually, probably soon.

Get one of [these](https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=1UIODQHOKL90M&keywords=hario+hand+grinder&qid=1554493021&s=gateway&sprefix=hario+hand%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UIODQHOKL90M&keywords=hario+hand+grinder&qid=1554493021&s=gateway&sprefix=hario+hand%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-1), $50, probably cheaper in USD if that's applicable. I've really enjoyed mine and it made a huge difference to my coffee.

Honestly regardless of what people tell you taste is subjective and unless you taste your home made coffee with a better grinder, there's like no way you're gonna know if it's worth it, there's also no way anyone else can either.

I would say go with the cheapest improvement you can and personally I think something like the hario mini mill is that.

I have some pretty weird hobbies (knives and knife sharpening included). I actually don't remember watching videos specifically about roasting in a Whirley Pop, but I think this video is fine, although it's also sort of a plug for a company. I also stir way more than this person.

I would recommend just starting with figuring out the brewing process of coffee before diving into the roasting side of things. A very quick turn-off for a lot of people is the sort of laxative effect coffee has on people, and it's quite bad for some people.

The "minimum" brewing equipment I would recommend is a Melitta pour-over cone, gooseneck kettle (a beaker would probably also work), Hario hand grinder (buying pre-ground is okay, but not great), and scale. If you live in the Bay Area or Boston area, I have recommendations on where to buy beans. If you're anywhere else, I can suggest mail-ordering beans or other nationally supplied coffees.

Aeropress, Manual Grinder, and a Steel Disk Filter. I started with the Hario Mini Mill with an Aeropress and I still use it for work daily. The Aeropress is so loved because its very simple to use and most consistent.

I also said to add in the Able Fine Steel Disk the Able Disk will let in more oils and is reusable forever.

Grand total is $72.50 on Amazon. You can wait on the Filter to drop your total to $60 and it will be worth every penny.

.

Dang. Hmm none specifically but I'd do some googling for UK beans, I ended up buying 3 or 4 very small bags from different roasters before I found one I love. I can only recommend you do the same, there's also a ton of resources in /r/coffee and it's sister subreddits.

edit: As far as first coffee setups I'd take a look at a manual grinder like a Hario and an Aeropress. Seriously such a different/better brew than drip coffee.

This is the one I have, although it seems to be a bit more expensive than I thought. Setting the grind is a little inconvenient on it though.

And is there a coffeeshop near you where you can go to buy coffee and let them grind it? :) Anyway, if you really want to get good coffee you'll need a grinder :) I have the Hario Skerton which is not great for FP although I like the results I get from it, you could also install this mod which will make the grinder better for coarse grinds like the french press, both together are not that expensive and will make a huge difference because your beans are freshly ground right before making the coffee :) (Personally I don't have the mod yet)

Like this?

Would regular coffee beans still make a decent product? My parents went out and bought store brand breakfast blend from Hy-Vee

In that case I'd recommend the following two:

Grinder: Hario Skerton

• Manual grinder, requires some elbow grease to grind your beans
  
• Well received and reviewed, considered a good value and one of the only ways to get consistent grind sub-100$
  
• Larger capacity than its little brother, the Hario Mini mill. More suitable for two people
  
  Brewer: Bodum Chambord French Press
  
  
• Overall a very simple brew method, VERY forgiving
  
• Large enough capacity for two people two have two cups each in the morning
  
• There's not too much difference between different French press pots, Bodum is known to be slightly higher quality than average and considered to be worth the price
  
  Of course, you'll need some beans to go with that! Subscription services are fun and allow you to try many different regions and roast profiles to help find the ones that you/your wife will like the best. Several popular ones are Tonx, Moustache Coffee, or Modest Coffee. For individual roasters Intelligentsia, Stumptown, Verve, and Blue Bottle are all held in high regard and ship throughout the US.
  
  And finally: If she wants the Chemex then get her the damn Chemex. Its a beautiful piece and currently my favorite brewing method, but I'm glad I waited until I had the proper accessories to do it right.

Invest in this and a bag of Peets. Enjoy!

Semi snob here. After a trip to Europe, I couldn't drink regular pre ground instant coffee anymore.

Initially I invested in one of these and would grind the beans and brew my coffee in the morning.

After my right arm started to resemble Popeye's, I splurged on one of these babies which I've been using ever since. Grinds the right amount of beans for you, makes the steamed milk, and has a filter for the water. Had it for over two years, no complaints.

> I have a bag of Kona Hawaiian coffee and a coffee grinder but it makes my kids cry when I use the grinder. What to do?

Get a hand grinder!
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

Do you mean a Hario grinder?

yeah...that thing.
Or rather this thing specifically:

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371768721&sr=8-2&keywords=hario+coffee+grinder

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

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

That'd be a Hario Skerton, I really like mine.

Also, is this grinder better than the one in the picture?
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

I was using this for three years up until January when I finally decided I had to get an electric one. I'd like to try out the Sauvie Island coffee, though. That sounds like it would be close to me, but I'm not able to find Good Coffee in Beaverton on the Googles.

I don't hate cheap electric grinders ~as much~ as a lot of the users on this sub. I think you can get something that will make adequately coarse grinds for a french press for around $25-$30. However, the Hario Skerton is fairly popular on this sub as a cheap grinder.

If you truly want to put money into a grinder, I would start with a Baratza Encore. When you start going cheaper than the Baratza (ie a Capresso 560) you start getting inconsistent grinds. At that point I'd rather just save my money and keep using the hand grinder or cheap blade grinder.

Just to confirm, you guys are referring to this grinder? https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

I used an inexpensive blade grinder to chop up cinnamon once. Big mistake - everything had that taste after. I Ended up throwing the thing out. Perhaps you could use something crazy like vinegar to try and clean it out and then wash it well, but to be honest, if it's a cheap grinder - especially if it's a blade one, you should invest in a manual burr grinder like the Hario Skerton. (I was a bit worried the manual only thing would be a pain but I found it only takes about a min for a full french press of grinds) so, not too much effort, time or expense plus it's a better grinder for sure.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=pd_lpo_79_bs_t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=30YS8QXGG43A28E5R30Z
I have that one.

>the hissing part adds a lot of bitterness so that's why you do not want it in your cup

instantly better coffee! Thank you!

Whoops, just assumed you were American haha. Are you referring to the Skerton? If so, the Skerton has a slight edge on the Mini Mill, but they're roughly comparable. In that case it may very well be the grinder that's holding you back. If you can, I'd spring for a Baratza Virtuoso (electric) or LIDO 3/E/E-T (manual). The Virtuoso is a significant upgrade from the Hario and also noticeably better than the cheaper Baratza Encore. It has the same burrs as the more expensive Preciso. The LIDO is better than all of these, but can take quite a bit of force to turn compared to your current grinder, so do your research and watch some videos before you make a commitment to 20-second arm workouts every morning...

It's the Hario Skerton. I like it a lot but it doesn't work so well for courser grinds like for French press or cold brew. I think you can adapt it though but I'm no good at DIY. It's also good for a mini-bicep workout :)

Edit: grammar and formatting

The links didn't work for me -- this one is the the one I've seen before, but the slim (which is the one I think you linked to) will work great too. Since these burr grinders are manual they will get you better than any automatic (since no money goes to the motor).

There are some that are going to disagree and say that the Hairo won't do what you need. And there is a certain degree of truth to this, but the bottom line is that this will be a huge step up from buying ground coffee.

Because it is just you that is making the coffee, you might want to consider a hand grinder. These take longer to do the job, but they can output the control needed for quality espresso. Porlex, Hario, Lido, and others are available. You should be able to adjust the grind to get the flow of the espresso to be correct.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=hario+coffee+hand+grinder&qid=1562606990&s=home-garden&sr=1-4

Thanks. This one?

Hario Medium Glass Hand Coffee Grinder with Ceramic Burrs https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2--YAbNRD0ZSY

Just wanted to add links for those sourcing their own kit...... (cough cough like me for example). Obviously there are cheaper alternative sites out there where you can source everything if you like.

1. MyPressi Twist 2.0 - $150
   http://www.amazon.com/Mypressi-Twist-Portable-Espresso-Maker/dp/B002L16IRU
   
   
2. Hario Skerton Grinder - $39
   http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332473309&sr=1-1
   
   
3. Espresso Cup - $5 and upwards
   http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=espresso+cup
   
   
4. Coffee/Espresso Tamper - $5 and upwards
   http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_gnr_fkmr0?rh=i%3Agarden%2Ck%3Aespresso+tamper&keywords=espresso+tamper&ie=UTF8&qid=1332473497
   
   
5. American Weigh Folding Pocket Scale - $11
   http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Signature-AWS-100-Digital/dp/B0012LOQUQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332473557&sr=8-2-fkmr0
   
   
6. Foam Pistol Case - $10
   http://www.amazon.com/Plano-Protector-Single-Pistol-Case/dp/B000P3WPHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332473744&sr=8-1
   

Hey man, saw you over in the P5 thread and wanted to help you out over here!

Like the other guys said, check the sidebar first. As for roasting, I wouldn't recommend roasting as a beginner. Roasting can be a trial in patience, and there are already a ton of variables you need to focus on when learning how to brew to your liking. A lot of the people on this sub sell roasted beans, and like you said, there are definitely lots of roasters in your area of the world if you can find them.

Since you're getting invested in this, I would definitely recommend an electric burr grinder -- hand grinding gets old quickly, and you definitely want it to be a burr grinder and not a blade grinder. If you can't purchase the electric grinder, this one is also highly recommended. I also recommend a kitchen scale. Even though I don't really use a scale anymore, it helped when learning to understand about how much coffee and water I preferred when brewing. As far as the brew method goes, I usually tell my friends to start with an Aeropress, but since you've been playing P5, I think a V60 or Kalita Wave might fit your fancy. You can check out more information on how to brew each of these here. If you're going to use this method, just know that a gooseneck kettle will be preferable to a kettle with a small spout.

Good luck!

I have recently invested in some budget coffee equipment for making pour over coffee (iced and hot):

• Hario V60 Drip Decanter (Needed full decanter for iced)
  
  
• Hario Skerton Manual Grinder
  
  
• AMW-2KG Scale
  
  Questions:
  
  Standard coffee cooling too quick. Should I heat up full decanter and my cup before brewing? Or should I just get a ceramic dripper and save the decanter for iced coffee?
  
  My coffee enthusiast friend told me to use spring water and what a difference it has made! That being said, I'd like to avoid wasting it as much as possible. Would it be gross to use near boiling spring water to heat up decanter and cup, then pour it back into the jug with other spring water? Any other advice for using non-tap water?

I see the various hand grinder recommended a lot


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HeIwCb8JE9R6N

Would this one be significantly better than my current one?

Grinding beans just before brewing is highly recommended, you should notice a distinct difference in taste quality. Every morning I would grind my beans using a ceramic conical burr coffee mill for my AeroPress (french press) which tasted much better than pre-ground. But over time that process became tedious and I have since switched to the faster, more convenient (and better tasting) Lavazza espresso maker.

I have had this one for over 3 years now. Love it.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539025043&sr=8-3&keywords=hario+grinder

Hey all,

Just had a question about grinders. I currently use a French Press and am looking into buying a grinder. I am stuck between the [Hario Skerton]
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=psdc_14092841_t1_B013R3Q7B2) and this conical [JavaPresse] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=psdc_14092841_t1_B001802PIQ). I was wondering which would be better for my current setup. I don't really plan on brewing more than two cups at a time. If you have any other suggestions I'd be open to those as well.

Thanks for your help

Hi David! Huge fan of your show, btw.

​

If you want something simple, go with a Rancilio Silvia, which you can find here. https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/rancilio-silvia-espresso-machine-version-m. It’s not as high tech as something that Saeco or La Marzocco would put out but when paired with a Rancilio Rocky grinder they are a great duo worth their price.

​

On the higher end of the price range, the Saeco Superautomatic Xelsis is literally all you will ever need. Anecdata here: a close friend of mine uses it, and it's great. It's fully digitized, it's smaller, it looks great, and the performance is second to none for home espresso IMO. https://www.amazon.com/Saeco-SM7684-04-Automatic-Espresso/dp/B07G3XYR3R. ($2,399)

​

My personal espresso machine I have used for the past 5 years is a Gaggia Classic Semi-auto espresso maker. I can't find it on amazon, however the Gaggia Anima is very similar and actually a bit better than mine. https://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-Automatic-Macchiato-Cappuccino-Programmable/dp/B016RYODRS/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=gaggia+classic&qid=1558640715&s=home-garden&sr=1-4 ($899)

​

As for grinders, I would definitely recommend getting an automated burr grinder. I personally hand grind my coffee just because I like the control it gives you, but it is time consuming. If you want a good hand grinder, start with the Hario Skerton. https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=hario+skerton&qid=1558640805&s=home-garden&sr=1-2 ($40)

​

For an automated grinder, I would start with the Baratza Virtuoso. It's roughly $250 USD and the quality is up there

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ
This one? This is going to end up in a bag pretty often. I don't think I'm comfortable putting glass in there. I travel. Airport's aren't great about glass.

Hario Ceramic Grinder - $40

Nice adjustable grind. Mine lasted 5 years of daily use. I'm on my second one now.

I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ as it's not electric (marginally lower electrical bill) and it doesn't consume any/much counter space. Also I only ever grind enough coffee for what I'm using at that moment.

I currently use this one

this one?

Wait...what is your budget? Are you willing to spend £150?? If so, we could probably put together a great beginners setup for your boyfriend.
I'm thinking:
Aeropress
And Baratza Encore but that's a little over 150. Instead of an Aeropress, a Clever would work, too, but you would also need #4 filters.

Actually, if you want to give him a lot of options for 150, you can get him the Aeropress (23), Clever (18), #4 filters (4), Hario Hand Burr Grinder (22), and a Mocha Pot (23) for a grand total of ~90 quid. I'd also add a .1 gram digital scale for 15 extra. So 105 for quite a good introductory setup for coffee (and I'm assuming you have a kettle for boiling water).

You can buy one of those hand grinder. They're pretty cheap and make pretty consistent grind. So just grind as you drink.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418254756&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+grinder

Coffee has a lot of interesting natural flavors, and you can easily and inexpensively step up your coffee game for even better coffee that has it's own nutty or caramel notes, that will be even tastier than Starbucks or Duncan Donuts. :)

• Brewing: There are a couple easy, inexpensive brewing options. I think the most universally favored for beginners and pro's alike is a weird device called an Aeropress. Another option is a pour-over coffee cone, like this Hario V6. Or what I use: a French Press. What I like about the French Press is that you can almost always find one at a thrift store or yard sale for like $2.
  
  
• Grinding: Coffee starts to get stale once it's ground. Ideally you can grind it before you make it. A quality inexpensive grinder is the Hario Skerton But here's what I do: I get my coffee ground in the store and put it in an air-tight container. I put 1 weeks worth in a separate bag.
  
  
• Grind size is important too, if you use a French Press you want "course" grind. Which you can get in pre-ground coffee.
  
  
• Water: use filtered water.
  
  
• The coffee itself: Starbucks heavily roasts their coffee, but would still be better quality than Dunkin Donuts. Entry-level good coffee can be had at Costco or Trader Joes. Even better coffee comes from 3rd wave coffee shops, or ordering online. Those are higher priced but you get what you pay for.
  
  Honestly though the great thing is you can pick ONE of these things and have better coffee, and each thing you do will improve your cup. And then you can go to /r/coffee and go down the rabbit hole of "the perfect cup". I'm kind of a coffee-snob poser: I get my beans from Trader Joe's and don't own a grinder. But what I get from my French Press is miles ahead of what I used to drink, it allowed me to cut out sugar or sweeteners.

Get an Aeropress, no brainer there. If you camp/hike/travel at all, the Porlex JP-30 (left) fits nicely inside the Aeropress. I have heard good things about the Porlex but don't have one. I do have a Hario Skerton and used it everyday for 2 years to make coffee in a job trailer during out of town work. I continued using it at home until I bought my Bodum Bistro about 6 months ago. I still take it camping but it's bulky and fairly delicate with the glass bottom. Also make sure you get or use a thermometer for your water. Don't just boil and pour.

Stay far away from that blade grinder!!! It's good for spices, not coffee. If you want to keep it cheap, get a hand burr grinder. I've been happy with my Hario Skerton and there's a 3D-printed mod on the front of /r/coffee right now that will improve coarse grind consistency.

I'd honestly stay away from that cheap electric burr grinder too. The Hario is kind of a pain because it's by hand, but you're not buying anything quality for $35 in an electric.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

This grinder (the slim you listed is probably great too), and anything from Counter Culture that says something along the flavor pallet of "Earthy". If he does not like Ethiopian he does not want something acidic most likely. Any brand like Crema, Barista Parlor, Counter Culture, thats from South America would probably interest him. I could get more complex but those will be easy sites to order from.

I just wanted to plug the Hario (or Kyocera) hand burr grinder. Two other people have mentioned it, but since you said you're brewing a cup a day, it is perfect. The quality and construction of the actual burr is equivalent to what you would find in a 2-300 dollar electric burr grinder. The high prices you're paying then are for the unit and the motor. Blade grinders are crap, and a $50 burr grinder has such a low quality grinding apparatus you're not much better off than using a blade grinder.

Also - I find the grinding process quite pleasant in the morning while I wait for the water to boil. It's quiet and smooth, and it really doesn't take long even for a large french press.

The only downside is that switching between an espresso grind and a Keurig grind will take a bit on the hand grinder. I use mine for my french press, Bialetti, and Keurig - and I keep the same grind for all three, which works great.

Linkage: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346279157&sr=8-2&keywords=hario+grinder

Mainly convenience. If you can't afford that burr grinder, buy this:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

Eh. I can do $60, or maybe a couple bucks more. I have amazon prime, so at least I won't need to worry about shipping.

Here's what came up when I searched for Hario Skerton - does that seem right?

Here's the highest rated aeropress - how does it look?

I've never used either the Javapresse or any other manual grinder, but the Hario Skerton is usually brought up when people ask about manual grinders, and it's a little closer in price to the Javapresse (~$35). Just another one to think about.

Amazon, with free shipping

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335546940&sr=8-1

You cannot get a quality burr grinder, but for someone new to coffee, the Hario Skerton is perfectly adequate.

Aeropress is ok, but you can get similar results with a simple single-cup pourover.

You can find one of these plastic filter holders for $3-6 at any big grocery store: https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6

Then get some #2 paper cone filters which are also very cheap.

The part that gets expensive (if you want it to be!) is a coffee grinder. I have a nice electric one at home that I paid about $300 for. But when I'm on the road I use a hand-grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ. The Hario one is $35 but you can find similar ones for $20.

You could also just spend $10 on a shitty electric blade grinder. The fresh-ground coffee will still taste better than the pre-ground stuff but you might not get full flavor extraction if the grind is inconsistent.

To boil water I use an electric kettle, but you can also just use a propane stove or microwave or whatever you have available. I heat my water to anywhere between 190oF and 205oF, actually boiling water is too hot for coffee.

The most important single thing you can do for awesome coffee is simply grinding the beans fresh and then making the coffee. Everything else that coffee snobs do as part of their coffee ritual don't add too much more unless you have a really refined palate and are serious about coffee. Some people need to have their beans uniformly ground at the right diameter, use water at an exact temperature, and have a drip process that lasts for a precise amount of time. They aim for consistency so they spend a shitload on expensive grinders and kettles. They'll only use beans that were roasted within the past week.

But for me, as long as the beans were roasted within the past couple of months (pro-tip: don't buy a bag of coffee beans if it doesn't have the roasting date on it), I grind them fresh for coffee, and use water-that-isn't-boiling-yet, I get a cup I can really enjoy.

Buy my coffee from Thomsons in the South Side (Giffnock). And then use a Hariog grinder and Aeropress to make the coffee.

I will check it out! Also is this the grinder you have? It got good reviews and I am thinking of getting it. Can't really see how big it is.
Hario Skerton Ceramic Coffee Mill (100g) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_4QjTDb4467BFB

$13 for the solo fill cup http://www.amazon.com/Solofill-Refillable-Keurig-K-Cup-Brewers/dp/B005K0L2U2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377875628&sr=8-1&keywords=solofill

$39 for the hand grinder http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377875651&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+skerton

I hand wash my solofill cup... not sure if it can go in the dishwasher.

That's a really great deal. Purchase that and if you're not on a super tight budget grab a grinder like the Baratza Encore or something similar. If you are on a tight budget then grinder wise you could pick up a Hario Skerton for cheap and most people will recommend you this scale as it's very affordable and very accurate. Also has the option to plug into the wall so you're not burning through batteries all the time but I would recommend just picking up a set of rechargeable batteries.

Yeah, a grinder is probably the most important piece and should constitute the majority of your budget. I mentioned the Hario Skerton and the Capresso Infinity as two possible options within your budget.

Is this the 25 skerton you're referring to?
https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Grinder-Capacity-Espresso-Brewing/dp/B010UJZ5XW/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1479422952&sr=1-6&keywords=hario+skerton

I just ask because this is the one that I've been mostly seeing.
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1479422952&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+skerton

What's the difference? Is the $15 worth the extra?

Coffee should be brewed directly after it's been ground. Know how amazing coffee ground smell after they've been ground? That's the flavors and aromas exploding from the grounds!

I make room for a good coffee setup!

Hario V60

V60 filters

Hario Ceramic Grinder

/r/coffee represent!

The manual ones aren't [too expensive.] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ)

1.21 Gigawatts

I really want the coffee shop people looking at me like a criminal when I ask them to grind my beans . . .

I really love the Hario Skerton hand grinder. Great for grinding coffee for 1-2 cups and it's cheap.

Not a pepper mill per se, but it works brilliantly as one. The Hario Coffee Hand Grinder Skerton uses a ceramic milling mechanism. I use it for coffee and other things that require grinding. Very adjustable/versatile/BI4L worthy.

I personally don't have any experience with hand-grinders, but I've never heard of the brand that you linked to.

For the same price, you can get the Hario version, which I've seen mentioned many times around here or elsewhere.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1367909303&sr=1-4&keywords=kyocera+grinder

The blade you have will be easier to use, but you should find you get better coffee using the burr grinder. I started out with this guy because they had it at Kitchen Kapers, and I needed something quiet (manual-only) and burr.

I wouldn't recommend that one. The Kyocera doesn't have a lid, so you have to be careful to keep it upright and not grind too fast or beans fly out. Looks like the Hario version of the one I bought has a lid so it would do better, but I see the one you linked as many people's preference, so I'm sure that'll be great.

I stopped using my hand grinder because I'm lazy, and I just ordered my coffee ground for the last couple years, but then last month I bought an Baratza Encore and have been quite happy with that so far and think that will keep me satisfied for as long as it lives.

If you're like me and having to hand grind your coffee results in you not making coffee when you would have otherwise, then just buy it pre-ground and save up for a nicer electric burr grinder.

I've been contemplating this one since I have a tiny kitchen and all the electric ones are too big.

The best investments you can make are in a quality grinder and a decent scale. I would suggest you don't waste your time with a blade grinder. As others have said, Hario makes a few great hand grinders:

Hario Slim

Hario Skerton

You can use any cheap scale. This is the one that I suggest to most people.

Since you are on a budget I would lean towards an aeropress or a french press. They are close to the same price (~$30) so it depends on the style of coffee that you enjoy. You can certainly use a pour over, but I feel that to get a consistent cup you will also need a goose neck kettle which might put you over your budget.

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

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

Capresso Infinity

Bodum Bistro

Baratza Encore

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

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

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

Aeropress

Chemex

Pour-over

French press

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

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

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

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

(edited to fix the links)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001802PIQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HBCVX0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one?

Or this one?

Little late to this thread and new to the sub, but hopefully someone can still answer my questions! Before I start I'd like to say that I don't have $300 to spend on a good coffee set with a grinder, kettle and etc.

I've never been a huge coffee drinker but I'm really interested in going for it now. I've only ever had regular coffee brands made in an electric coffee maker and I always ended up adding a lot of sugar and milk because it was too strong. This being the case, my research has showed pour over coffee having a smoother taste than something like a french press, although french press is considerably cheaper!

My biggest question is, should I splurge a little for a decent kettle, grinder and pour over coffee maker to achieve what I think to be my preferred taste? Alternatively, I could easily grab a french press from Starbucks via a friend working there for fairly cheap.

That being said, I'm very interested in the art that is pour over coffee and fine tuning it to achieve better taste. The only problem is, everything I've looked at so far is incredibly expensive to start out and I'm not ready to spend that kind of money into this endeavor just yet. The $20-$30 for the coffee maker isn't the problem, it's the $50 hand grinder and $50 kettle that get me thinking that I shouldn't go down that rabbit hole.

Edit: I found a cheap and highly rated Grinder, an easy to use coffee dripper and a decent sized server but I'm unsure of if I'd need one if I'm only making 1-2 cups at a time. Thoughts on these selections and any recommendations for a kettle?

Unfortunately the cost is slowly racking up past the point of me being comfortable spending it all at once.

On another note, I really enjoy my coffee, however it has always been due to the amount of work I get done relative to cups I have. Rather than taste. I'm trying to get more into the taste side, so it can be another aspect that I enjoy.

With that said I have a Modo Mio to make espressos, a french press for normal black coffee. I'm still in the phase of buying pre-ground beans..

I'm looking to make espressos from beans, is this the right tool Bialetti Brikka to make one? and is this the right grinder to grinder Hario the beans to the specific fineness?

For a lower price grinder I would go with a burr hand grinder. Something like this one Hario Skerton for $40

For electric, I've been using what seems to be the lowest recommended for anything other than espresso. A refurbished Baratza Maestro (Looks like now it's called the Maestro Plus) which is $95.00 from Baratza -Maestro Plus be sure to click refurb and not new for the cheaper one.

It was this one. The issue, I think, is not the listing itself, but who is doing the selling since they're all fulfilled by Amazon. Mine was from Master Brewers, which appears to have been shut down. The current batch seems to be sold by Tokyo Blue Sea Market. I have no idea if theirs will be real or knock-off. I think I'm just going to avoid this listing altogether now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001802PIQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one. I'll definitely do that. There is a local roaster who goes by the name "Bald Guy Brew" who roasts coffee for most of the local shops. I might get a pound or two from him.

Sorry people are being jerks. It's definitely not good to reuse the grounds, especially if you're going to drink it black. I would recommend maybe getting a metal filter, so you can just rinse it out after each use and you should use fresh grounds every time. If you want to step up your game a little, you could get a grinder and use whole beans (they taste way fresher). You can either get an electric one like this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JFHHMN2/ref=s9_topr_hm_b1DNO_g79_i1

Or you could get a hand grinder like this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ/ref=s9_topr_hm_b1DNO_g79_i8

The electric one is more convenient, but the hand grinder will give better results (and it really isn't that time consuming). Beyond that, there's an entire world of stuff to look at - chemex, aeropress, moka pots, hario pourovers, better beans, better grinders, a hot water kettle... It's all just a matter of how much time / money you want to put in. Good luck and I hope this helps!!

> A higher quality grinder will give you a more consistent grind.

I agree, I have a $36 Hario burr grinder that I love.

Thanks for the info. I have a French press and the grinder is adjustable, but it doesn't have numbers on it. This is the one I have. So I've had to adjust it and use trial and error. I'm happy enough with it instead of the pour-over style.

This is the right answer! I love the aeropress. I'll only add that you can get a hand-grinder that isn't that expensive, and it is a great complement to the Aeropress. You can really get close to that espresso taste and texture with a finer grind and an Aeropress. (But above comment is right, you could totally skip it and still have a really enjoyable imitation latte.)

would this Hario be a decent starting grinder in your opinion?

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

I think a lot of people don't know what technology is readily available to them, and even more people don't take a long enough view of things to realize how much money the initial investment in equipment will ultimately save them. You can get a good hand grinder (http://amzn.to/OF5wp8) and french press for around $60 total and enjoy excellent coffee every morning. (Digital thermometer might be needed for some people as well.. after a while you can tell when the water is the right temperature by the sound of your kettle.)

Ultimately, you'll find a group of nerds who are into coffee. It takes a certain amount of energy to read up, refine your palate (my current struggle), and develop your skill. It is also easier (in my opinion) to experiment with coffee than with cooking, as it takes only a few minutes and little money to pull a shot. There are tons and tons of variables that effect coffee much more, depending on what you're cooking (humidity, pressure, temperature, beans, etc) but the variation in a lot of those variables can be minimized by pulling many shots in the same session with the same beans, in the same weather, with the same machine.

In the Boston area, it seems that the awareness of good coffee has been spreading and is becoming more popular.

No problem! You can always get the Hario mini mill for ~$22 if you want a cheaper option; that's what I'm using right now until my LIDO 3 comes.. which will hopefully be sometime soon.
A step up from that would be a Porlex grinder for $52. From what I've read, the mini actually fits inside the Aeropress which will be good for travel. I think it has better grind consistency than the mini mill, but there are pretty cheap mods you can do to the Hario Mini Mill (tape and rubber band) and the Skerton (someone sells a 3d printed mod attachment). The Porlex is made of metal, though. Which may be worth the extra, if that's your thing.

If you're looking for an electric grinder that's good for everything but espresso, you can look for a Baratza Encore, which is widely recommended on /r/coffee. It's ~$120, but can last you a long time. Baratza also sells them on their site refurbished for ~$90 from time to time. Though, shipping costs will kill you and make getting a new one almost more worth it. I was thinking about getting one for myself but I opted for the more expensive LIDO since I anticipate living with roommates for a few years and electric grinders are loud. If I were older and settled down, I probably would've opted for this or a Virtuoso. I'm planning to get myself a Baratza Sette 270W when I actually make money, though :p

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

I use this one and I like it a lot

Honestly, take this from someone who has had cheaper machines, get an Aeropress and if you want to use beans, get a Hario MSS-1B 1-Piece Coffee Mini Mill Slim Grinder https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hZaCybJYJWTPD or a Rhinowares Hand Coffee Grinder https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M0NS8A4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_o0aCyb1WY52X2

I've owned both grinders and they're both great, though price prevails here and the rhino is better. Honestly get these, then a cheap milk frother... Its makes a mean coffee and latte! :)

Hario mini

I bought the Haiko mini grinder specifically for camping Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3hfIAb8VRT0VT

I would think something like this would work https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_L6dZtb0G05J41HC4

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

How To Coffee: A Primer

Coffee Gear Suggestions by Price

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

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

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

I got my dad one of these for Christmas and it works really well. It's what I recommend for people who make a cup at a time but don't want to spend a bunch of money: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

Wow, props to Gawdor for writing all those up! I think they are awesome and personally don't think they are a bit long in the tooth. The extra info is really good and having details is nice for people like me who like to delve a little deeper into things.

What I'd like to see in addition to the guides though is a list of equipment recommendations in certain price ranges, with very brief descriptions and links to Amazon or something where people can see the products there and buy them if they choose to. For example:

>Grinder Under $50
>
>Hario Hand Grinder - ~$33 - Cheap alternative to an electric burr grinder. Good for people on a budge who still want the quality of burrs.

However, no Amazon affiliate links where people make money, they should all be straight/direct links like the one in the example.

EDIT: I'm setting up a new section for that right now.

You can certainly make a French Press work, but I prefer it only as a cold brew method. When our reviews launch, you will see that the French Press is good for certain types of coffees, but more often than naught, the French Press simply does not present as good of a cup as, say, the Chemex, V60, or AeroPress.

I strongly recommend going with the AeroPress. Really hard to get a bad cup out of that. I suggest getting a $7 American Weigh scale (AeroPress fits on there) if you don't have a scale already. Also, try out the paper filters that come with it, but I recommend the Able DISK for $12.50.

If you do not have a burr grinder, pick up the Hario Mini. Awesome little grinder!

I've used Hario's mini mill for almost two years, and I love it.

As for getting consistency out of the Aeropress, try this:

1. Insert the plunger around .5"
   
2. with the setup upside down, fill with grounds and hot water
   
3. stir
   
4. Screw on filter, flip, press.

Wow, this is a great selection, thank you for sharing your collection of websites! After (quickly) combing through, I've already found some awesome looking roasts. I'm going to have to give a lot of these a try:

Sao Domingos

Maximilian Sentinel

Keystone Blend

French Roast

Thank you again for these recommendations.

On the subject of a grinder, I'm currently using a blade grinder. I've heard a lot of great things about burr grinders, and I'm thinking about getting a hand-operated burr grinder to not break the bank with the more expensive ones. So far the blade grinder has been working well, so upgrading isn't too critical for me right now.

Haha, yeah this sub might seem really elitist at times. It is actually pretty easy to get started; you can get a $3 Melitta plastic pourover at a grocery, fresh grind, and do a nice cup with an extremely small budget. The grinder is probably the most expensive purchase you'll make, so unless you plan on upgrading, it's worth it to get into it. I make due with a Hario Mini Mill for $26 and am perfectly happy :)

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY


Better grind than most sub $150 electric grinders and it's quiet.

I saw your comment in the nightly thread and thought some more about what your dad might want!

http://www.amazon.ca/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1427764742&sr=8-19&keywords=coffee

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00J9INKO2?psc=1 (this made me laugh)

http://www.amazon.ca/Natural-Linen-Fishing-Fedora-Beige/dp/B00J7KI7T0/ref=sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&qid=1427764812&sr=8-39&keywords=hat+man My dad has a hat like this and he wears it ALL THE TIME!

http://www.amazon.ca/Real-Avid-Tool-Silver-Black/dp/B004N18DFG

No man can have too many fancy knives

http://www.amazon.ca/ScentBlocker-Trinity-Glove-Smart-Medium/dp/B00J59H7MG/ or http://www.amazon.ca/ScentBlocker-Mens-Pocket-Realtree-Medium/dp/B00FI38DT4/

http://www.amazon.ca/Unique-Style-Mug-WORLDS-Sports/dp/B00UV9W4C2 I know it's cheesy as hell, but he could take it with him on the go and outside and it'd remind him of you :)

Moka Pot

[Hario Grinder] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1368467219&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+grinder)

Milk Frother

It won't be perfect, but at 100 bucks that's the best you are going to do. If you are looking for a machine, expect to spend ~250 bucks to get good shots, more than that if you want to do it easily.

I'm waiting with baited breath to see if http://zpmespresso.myshopify.com/ is going to change the whole home espresso game, but for now I'm rocking the Moka Pot and it honestly works pretty well for me.