If you drink daily coffee, how do you make it?

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Morc

Morc

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Any coffee machine recs? Espresso machine recs? Bean recs? Trying to avoid the daily holy trip to the $5 sugary bean water store and instead make bean water at home
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I was a barista for 8 yrs and I recommend cold brew for this kind of situation. Can be made as long as you have two big containers and any kind of coffee filter. It's hard to mess up, has lots of caffeine and you can even make a "concentrate" once a week that you dilute to make your daily coffee. Then microwave for hot or add ice for... well, iced. Do you prefer fruity coffees or more nutty or chocolaty?
 
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aimstosneeze said:
I was a barista for 8 yrs and I recommend cold brew for this kind of situation. Can be made as long as you have two big containers and any kind of coffee filter. It's hard to mess up, has lots of caffeine and you can even make a "concentrate" once a week that you dilute to make your daily coffee. Then microwave for hot or add ice for... well, iced. Do you prefer fruity coffees or more nutty or chocolaty?
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More nutty/chocolaty. Would you recommend grinding your own coffee beans (coarse, right?). Would something like the Takeya system work?
 
Was living with my rents for the past year and we always had 2 liters of cold brew brewing in the fridge. My caffeine addiction got outta hand. Nespresso maker was the move before then. Keurig reusable cups that you put your own grounds into was the move when I was on my own.
 
I came in having never been a coffee drinker but recognized that having a morning caffeine boost would be helpful. Honestly, I went all-in on free black coffee from morning report or from the coffee maker on the ward. The difference between $5 300 cal drink and FREE 0 cal drink 5-6 days/wk was massive, and if you can come to grips with the idea that the only point is to have a caffeine-delivery system and it doesn't really matter what it tastes like, it's easily the most economical answer.
 
Morc said:
More nutty/chocolaty. Would you recommend grinding your own coffee beans (coarse, right?). Would something like the Takeya system work?
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That system looks nice! I use a teapot with a mesh insert and then just filter it with a paper coffee filter once it’s done because I use preground beans and they seep through the mesh. Grinding your own would probably prevent that. But using an additional filter at the end for any sludginess works great.
 
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@Morc Worth it to get an espresso machine. I have a 15 bar machine I didn't use much, then worked as a barista and even a decent machine can make good espresso if you know how to use it.
 
Detective SnowBucket said:
@Morc Worth it to get an espresso machine. I have a 15 bar machine I didn't use much, then worked as a barista and even a decent machine can make good espresso if you know how to use it.
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Any recommendations? I am actually willing to invest in a good machine to save $ in the long run and also as a fun hobby
 
@Morc Honestly doesn't have to be anything special. Find a 15-bar machine with an integrated tamper, a flexible/jointed steam wand with a small tip (if you want one at all), extra points for a double boiler (more expensive) and super extra points for an integrated pressure gauge. Should be loads to choose from on Amazon and I'd just go with the reviews from there.

To check all/most of these boxes you're looking at $500. <- these guys are known for great machines.
But there's no need for all of the boxes to be checked to make an excellent espresso (or even just decent).
One thing I don't recommend is an integrated grinder. Not saying it's bad, just saying that grinding is the hardest part of espresso. Also, I'm doubtful that it can be that good of a grinder if it's integrated into a $500 machine. Poor grinds will just leave you frustrated.

You can automatically narrow down your selection to 15 bar machines only. This is because they're designed to be able to use a wider range of grind sizes, like that you'll get when you buy coffee at a grocery/specialty store. That way you don't have to worry about calibrating the grind to fit the machine every time (Dialing is on of the hardest things about making espresso). This is good because a quality grinder is expensive, they can be very highly calibrated machines, the ones at work were $5k apiece. Also good because it would be hard for someone to just starting out to know how to calibrate without being taught plus you don't have to be very good at tamping with a 15 bar machine. If you get a 15 bar machine in the $100-$500 range you just need a small scale and you're done. Cheers!
 
Pour overs are really fun to experiment with. Kalita Wave, V60 or Chemex are all pretty cheap and you can get some tasty and interesting cups of coffee. You can nerd out and tinker with grind sizes, brewing temperatures, pour rates, etc. which I think is really fun.

Also buy nicer coffee beans (not grocery store ones) if you can. It makes a huge difference in the taste, regardless of the brewing method you decide to use.
 
What's wrong with a standard drip coffee machine? French presses are nice and all but not having to clean filters or boil water saves some time. A decent espresso maker isn't feasible for most medical students unless you have several hundred dollars lying around
 
If I want a hot black coffee: V60 pour over. The plastic one (the best heat retention) is like $7 on Amazon. If I want a latte: espresso machine. I use a Gaggia Classic and Breville Smart Grinder Pro (MUST HAVE GOOD GRINDER FOR PROPER ESPRESSO). If you want to invest money in good equipment for long-term use, you can buy a setup like mine, or the Breville Barista Express; either way prepare to spend around 500 or so.
I always get fresh roasted coffee from a local roaster. Conveniently, my med school has one right in the middle of the campus 🙂
If you have time, check out r/coffee and r/espresso on reddit.
 
Or you save $ and valuable time... by not drinking coffee? Tbh it ain't fo me.

I really have nothing to add to the convo but I'm feeling snarky 🤣


I should go to bed
 
I'm all about percolators as they're the most cost affordable and simple option imo. you legit don't need anything besides a heat source and water. You could even take it camping!
 
I use a Keurig and prefer the caramel vanilla cream k-cups. I buy a similar creamer that I froth with frothing tool. I warm up the creamer in a small cup in the microwave first because I like my coffee hot. Then I froth the creamer and add it to my coffee while frothing it some more. The excess foam ends up on top. It is almost as good as a Starbucks caramel macchiato. I was going to buy an expensive machine so I could make lattes, but it wasn’t necessary with the frother. I’ve had a few friends buy the same frother after drinking a cup of coffee at my house. I highly recommend it, especially if you are on a tight budget and have limited counter space.
Amazon product ASIN B0002KZUNK
 
I recommend an Aeropress: extremely versatile, produces good coffee as well as decent "shots" for espresso drinks (latte, americano), cheap, and easy to clean/take care of.

Also, if you enjoy coffee it's worth it spending a little extra on a good burr grinder and buying fresh roasted whole beans from a local coffee roaster.
 
I use a French press that cost $15 off of Amazon. Works great and tastes great as well
 
genessis42 said:
I'm surprised no one here mentioned Moka pots.

Not an true espresso per se. But strong coffee nonetheless.
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My poor man’s espresso.

Anyone ever get one of the fancy drip coffee makers and think they are any good? Moccamaster? Kinda seems odd to drop $300 on a drip coffee maker or “automatic pour over”.
 
NITRAS said:
My poor man’s espresso.

Anyone ever get one of the fancy drip coffee makers and think they are any good? Moccamaster? Kinda seems odd to drop $300 on a drip coffee maker or “automatic pour over”.
Click to expand...
I had one of the expensive ones, but I prefer a French press to a drip coffee maker. My preference though
 
Morc said:
Any coffee machine recs? Espresso machine recs? Bean recs? Trying to avoid the daily holy trip to the $5 sugary bean water store and instead make bean water at home
Click to expand...
Not a coffee drinker, but Mrs Dr Goro is.

She buys pre-ground coffee and uses a Keurig machine. Instead of buying the pods, she uses a strainer pod made for these machine. No plastic waste! And a helluva lot cheaper than the pods. The ones shown here are from Amazon. She uses a brown one for her coffee; I use a green one for my tea.

We do have a mini-coffee grinder for whole beans. Used only occasionally.

1596991601973.png
 
NITRAS said:
My poor man’s espresso.

Anyone ever get one of the fancy drip coffee makers and think they are any good? Moccamaster? Kinda seems odd to drop $300 on a drip coffee maker or “automatic pour over”.
Click to expand...

Never tried cups from these brewers, but I've looked over some of the videos and reviews for these expensive "automatic pour over" coffee makers, and I personally don't think it's worth it. There's the awesome convenience of setting up your coffee in the evening and have a pot ready when you wake up. The best feature is that they'll probably consistently pump water through at high enough temps to get good extraction vs cheaper coffee makers. There are even some that'll have a set "blooming time" to mimic the pour over methods. But a V60/Kalita Wave + a gooseneck kettle will probably cost you ~$100, and you'll be able to get really tasty cups of coffee once you get your technique down.
 
Cheap walmart drip coffee maker with half and half is all you need. No milk, no sugar. Just half and half.
 
mesopic said:
I recommend an Aeropress: extremely versatile, produces good coffee as well as decent "shots" for espresso drinks (latte, americano), cheap, and easy to clean/take care of.

Also, if you enjoy coffee it's worth it spending a little extra on a good burr grinder and buying fresh roasted whole beans from a local coffee roaster.
Click to expand...

Aeropress gang. Nice electric conical burr grinder, electric kettle, freshly roasted beans delivered to my door by Happy Mug. I weigh the beans out the night before, and grind them in the morning just before brewing. Better coffee than you could buy at most coffee shops, for the price of ~$0.50 per day, and at less time cost than stopping by the Dunkins or whatever at the hospital.
 
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