Vanity - Need recommendations for a good coffee maker

I’ve known many people who swear by the French Press or an old fashioned percolator and I’ve had coffee made in them both. I still remember the sounds and smells of my mother’s Corning Ware stove top percolator especially on those very early Sunday mornings when my dad and I were going fishing – and FWIW, I started drinking coffee at about 12 years old and come from a long line of coffee drinkers - we Norwegians love our coffee.

I am not however a big fan of either a French Press or a percolator – while I prefer a very strong cup of coffee – I like my coffee strong and smooth - strong but not bitter or boiled, burnt tasting or cloudy or “chewy”.

Coffee that is cloudy and has tiny bits of coffee grounds floating in it are IMO the problems with the French Press. Some coffee aficionados say a French Press makes the best and richest coffee because the oils are not filtered out as with a drip maker and paper filter, but I can’t get past the chunky coffee thing. I’ve read that this can be avoided by grinding your own coffee beans to a much courser grind and never using pre-ground coffee. But that IMO takes a lot of practice and if you are not a coffee drinker yourself, that could be a problem. You also have to heat the water in a kettle just to but not boiling (boiling water and coffee or tea = not good) to get the best results and drink the coffee right away as the longer it sits in the press, the more bitter it becomes and it also gets cold very quickly if you make more than one cup at a time unless you transfer it right away to a carafe.

With percolators especially the stove top ones, the problem is that it breaks a cardinal rule of good coffee making in that coffee should never ever be boiled! In a percolator the coffee is re-boiled as it goes around and coffee is sent back through the grounds more than once. Electric percolators have the same issue although it is not quite as easy to burn the coffee as with a stove top one but it still requires the water passing through the grounds to be boiling and the now boiling coffee is reticulating through the grounds repeatedly. In either case, this can and will lead to coffee that is bitter and burnt tasting. Most coffee purists say that a percolator is the worst method for brewing a good Cup ‘O Joe. The only time to use an old fashioned non-electric percolator is if you are a cowboy (or camper) out on the open range or a soldier in the battle field and all you have is a fire. ; )

And I’m sorry but unless your lady friend(s) is in her late 70’s or 80’s or unless she’s really into “retro kitsch” she’s probably going to think you are a cheapskate if you bring out an old “vintage” stove top or electric percolator you bought off of e-Bay. Just saying : ),

I love and have to have my coffee and so I actually have two coffee machines.

One is a Kurerig that I use on weekday mornings when I have time for only one cup or in the evening when I only want one cup. I am single and live alone and while the K-Cups are more expensive, I’ve found them to be more economical in the long run for making one cup at a time rather than in trying to make just a few cups in a drip machine and ending up throwing half of it down the drain. I find it is nearly impossible to make just one cup in a drip maker without it coming out too weak or way to strong. I sometimes buy the variety packs of K-Cups on Amazon. I also have one of those refillable K-Cups so I can use any coffee I want but keep in mind that the newer Kurerigs won’t work with them although I understand there are already some “hacks” for this. As for the Kurerig’s making weak coffee, some have settings for strength and if you get a “bold” or dark roast coffee like Sumatra it will probably be plenty strong enough. I will also say however that I am a bit of anomaly among most women I know as most women I know don’t like a really strong or bold coffee like I do.

http://www.amazon.com/30-count-Cappuccino-Variety-Pack-Single-Serve/dp/B00KSIE39I/ref=pd_sim_325_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=09VD60PB7HG3Q41FN6PF

My other coffee maker is a Cuisinart drip coffee maker that is about 12 years old and survived 2 moves and still works great. It uses a cone filter and I like to use the unbleached (brown) filters and filtered water (Britta filter). After I make a half or full pot on a Saturday or Sunday morning, I put the coffee in an insulated carafe that I’ve pre-heated with very hot water for a while and this keeps the coffee fresh, hot and very drinkable for many hours if not well into the evening.

I also like to buy whole bean coffee and grind them myself in my Braun grinder (which BTW is also great for grinding whole spices, but I digress). But just as if not more important as the machine, is the quality of the coffee. Personally for grocery store bought coffees I like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks and Green Mountain and Gevalia and Peets are also good. Stay away from Folgers or Maxwell House and McDonald’s and 8’O Clock– awful coffee IMO.

When I lived in Baltimore I used to buy my coffee at the Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company. They imported their beans raw from many sources and roasted them on site (and what a heavenly aroma) and they stocked a wide variety of beans, some very, really expensive like REAL authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain or Kona and many interesting and unusual flavored coffees like ones I really got to like especially for summer – Valencia Orange or Coconut (much better than they sound) but what I really liked about them was I could buy coffee, try out a lot of different coffees, either whole beans or ground, but in quantities as small as quarter pound bags or even two cup sample packs, plus their staff was very knowledgeable and helpful and I liked patronizing a local small business. If you are really interested in trying high end coffees, see if there is anything like that in your area.

https://www.baltcoffee.com/

Of course if you yourself are not a coffee drinker, you don’t want or need two coffee makers. And as someone else mentioned if counter or storage space is an issue, you don’t want some big bulky coffeemaker taking up a lot of space so in that case, although I’m not a fan, a small French Press or probably more a Chemex may be a good option, but invest in a very good one and take the time to learn how to use it and test it out with your sisters first before attempting to make coffee for your date.

And unless you are entertaining your coffee drinking lady “friends” on a regular basis, you also have to be careful to not buy too much coffee in advance. Coffee doesn’t go “bad” but it will lose flavor over time. Some people will put coffee beans in the refrigerator or freezer but that is not really a good idea. Coffee, ground or whole beans are best stored in an air tight container in a cool dark place.

With all that being said, I would recommend getting a small Kurerig type machine. You don’t have to buy an expensive Kurerig machine as Mr. Coffee, Hamilton Beach and others now make small single serve coffee makers that use K-Cups for about the same price or less than you’d pay for a decent drip coffee maker. You’ll get IMO a good and consistent and fool proof cup of coffee every time and will have a lot of choices if you get the variety packs of K-Cups. If you really want to experiment with high end coffees, a good drip coffee maker is probably your best bet. Another nice thing to offer your guests with their coffee no matter how you make it is with some whipped cream and some heated caramel or chocolate sauce lightly drizzled on top or a sprinkle of freshly ground cinnamon or nutmeg.

One thing I will also say about a Kurerig is that if you are not using it on a regular basis; make sure you completely drain all the water out of the reservoir in between uses. Water can get stagnant and slimy (bacteria - biofilms – salmonella = bad stuff) and the machine could develop mold if not properly cleaned on a regular basis, although the same goes for any drip coffee makers too. Running a strong solution of white vinegar and water followed by several rinses of only fresh water through any coffee maker on a regular basis will not only de-scale water mineral build ups but will keep bacteria and mold from forming – wipe all the parts as dry as you can with a soft clean cloth and turn the machine upside down after cleaning to get let it drain and get as dry inside as possible.

or even brew Raffles Tea from Singapore

As for tea – No! No my dear. Never make tea in a coffee maker, or even in a Kurerig with tea K-Cups. Neither will making tea from tea bags IMO, not if you really want to impress her.

A high quality loose leaf tea, a kettle of fresh water, heated just to the point of but not boiling (and fresh water is very important), a china tea pot that has been first heated (proofed) with hot water that is swished around in the tea pot and poured out before adding the tea leaves, then pour in the very hot water, let the tea steep in the pot for a few minutes and then pour the tea through a tea strainer into a nice china tea cup – adding milk or sugar or lemon before or after or if at all, that is all up to you and your guest, but that is IMO the way to serve “real” tea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wziqKyRIelI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-8LbiVjmXc

Once you’ve had tea brewed in this way, even if you are not a tea drinker or a Brit, you will never want it any other way.

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