First of all, a great cup of coffee starts with quality . All the money in the world won’t save a bad cup of coffee. I would start with a quality burr grinder (look at Baratza and Hario Skerton ), and then look into a pour over method of extraction. The pour over method consists of a brewer (like the Hario V60 ), a cone shaped filter, and a kettle. The kettle is used to heat the water, which is poured over the grounds into the cone shaped filter. The result is an extremely concentrated cup of coffee. You should be able to get a brew that’s better than Starbucks.
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Apologies if my standards are too low, but, there seems to be some interest in easy ways to make coffee so I thought I would share mine. (I am usually congested with hay fever, pretty much all the time … so I don’t bother with fancy beans or with grinding them fresh, either. That’s the “low standards” part.)
I put ground coffee in a mason jar, put in a little water, swirl it around so the coffee gets wet, then fill it with cold water, and stick it in the 'fridge each night. In the morning, I pour it through a paper filter.
Here’s what I found interesting - for the first time, I can drink coffee black. I actually kind of really like it. I can’t drink hot coffee or hot espresso black, they are too bitter for me. But this way is working out really well.
And it’s easy in the sense that my coffee is ready immediately in the a.m. (It isn’t easy in the sense that you have to be careful when you pour not to knock over the filter, and thus make a huge mess.) Theoretically it may use less energy, since the 'fridge is going to be on anyway.
But I do admire those nifty copper machines. Wow! So beautiful. They are like art.
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Welcome !
I like your idea and may try it myself and thank you for sharing your easy method to make iced coffee.
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In essence, you’re making your own cold brew. Cold brew tends to be mellower than iced coffee or hot brewed coffee, so I can see why you’d find it easier to drink black than hot coffee.
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Could you heat this style coffee? I like hot coffee in the morning.
True. I pour it over ice and refer to it as iced coffee.
I can’t drink regular iced coffee far too strong for me.
A local coffee shop uses the cold brew method to infuse their tea, pour it over ice and sell it as iced tea.
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It’s out in the old pool house. I never updated the cabinets from the day we bought the house. There is a wood lined sauna that houses my green coffee.
Early on the pool house was the kids place to have friends over and now it’s been my cigar smoking/coffee roasting house. The non working sauna (who needs a sauna in Florida) is where I store green coffee and my tools bucket and what not.
Yes, you can heat it and a lot of people do this to save time. I tried it for a while, but it wasn’t for me. Two points. First, heat to 170F or whatever your ideal drinking temp is, don’t let it boil. Second, if it’s heavily concentrated, you can usually heat it up just by pouring in boiling water.
Thanks, I’m going to try this method. I’ve bought in the past Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate for baking and an occasional iced coffee. Never thought to try it hot. https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/cold-brew-coffee-concentrate-050759
I’ve heated it, but when I do I put in a lot of milk, so I am not sure what it might do to the flavor otherwise.
We don’t have the 'fridge space to try but, I have wondered at times if coffee ferments, and if it did, what would that be? (Countertop fermentation might get me thrown out of the house … )
I have 2 coffee machines that I use every day, both are Jura machines. For a single shot I use the ENA model which has a very hot steam wand then press a button and it makes a perfect single shot in a very short time. I prefer this machine because it is compact, very good quality and the steam wand is fast. For larger quantities I use the Jura-Capresso coffee center which has a built in burr grinder and I can make a full pot of coffee (serves about 6) with a single push of a button. It grinds fresh beans as it is brewing and has two hot water spouts, one for tea and one for steam/foam. I got the top of the line machine and the quality and design is excellent. I personally think the Nespresso machine is a bit of a gimmick. An ok single shot but not as good as a machine you control. I prefer the Jura machines because they have a large water tank, fast steam wand and dual hot water outlets. For a good cup of coffee you need to start with fresh beans, a quality grinder, hot water and a fast machine with a good steam wand. If you have all of these then you can make a very good cup of coffee using any machine.
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Great thing I brew in it and mokka-e even sometimes turns out espresso
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I found this repost on Serious Eats a good read.
While I can’t see myself going back to ‘bad’ coffee I do admit to a certain nostalgia for Maxwell House, having consumed conservatively 10,000 cups of it in NJ diners in my teens. Although I haven’t tasted it in 20 years, I could no doubt recognize and appreciate it’s distinct taste were it to be offered to me.
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I still drink ordinary coffee, just like I still eat ordinary burgers and pizza.
I enjoy the really good stuff more if I continue with a full range of products. I also really enjoy the ordinary stuff. Sometimes it hits the spot.
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I would’ve said NJ/NY (state line was oh 2 football fields away from our NY house) Diner coffee profile was/is Eight O’clock coffee. At home we were a Maxwell House house & I was also most of my adult life. I really didn’t start upscale coffee 'til about 20 years ago.
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width: 49cm, height: 24.3cm, depth: 22.9cm
I still have my original AeroPress. Used it a couple months ago when my wife was out of town. She was never a fan and preferred drip
Hi, Thank’s and good to know that.
I was too busy enjoying the coffee in my kitchen as it was so good.
Really didn’t pay much attention to the dimensions of the Nespresso and it certainly is a consideration for the future.
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An uneducated palette; easily pleased; cheap grinder; simple drip coffee maker; and the magic ingredient: a whole bean coffee I like and grind myself.
Equal Exchange brand, breakfast blend whole bean. I order online and it is shipped to me. About $11 a pound currently when ordering the 5 lb bag. I freeze the bag until I need it, then let it thaw unopened. When I open it, I then reseal the beans in room temperature. I grind every 2-3 days and store the grounds in a plastic sealed container, again at room temp. I have tried several variations on this, and can’t notice enough of a difference to bother with more work or expense.
I like 100% Kona or Blue Mountain, and a few others, but seldom bother any more. Equal Exchange has several sales each year, but I just order when needed and have not adjusted to the sales cycle.
With my el cheapo electric, non-burr grinder, I can grind to different degrees of granularities, but use medium-fine for the drip. I DO have a hand grinder back up for the end days. No way am I going out uncaffeinated. 
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