Who else grinds coffee?

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I don't find coffee grinders messy at all. Not any more so than the few grounds you'd get on your counter spooning ground coffee into your coffee maker.

Maybe our grinder is just crappy then. The bf seems to make way more of a mess with the grinder than with the regular old machine.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

I like chewing on whole beans. Grinding coffee seems to ritualize the coffee experience. I like that

 

[Tomasso]

for more on her reasons, I'd have to ask her to explain in greater detail.

Let's just have your coffee nerd call my coffee nerd and let them argue it out.

 

[randooch]

Big Topic!

I keep escalating my coffee habit. Now I'm up to a Rancilio espresso machine, a Slis burr grinder, and freshly roasted whole organic beans from a local source. A good cup of americano, or two or three, every morning makes it easier to get out of bed.

Health nuts beware the French press! It's tasty, but that form of coffee is the worst for increasing blood-serum cholesterol. It's all the oils, I understand. Filtered is the best, and espresso is in the middle.

Ahhhhhh!

 

[Spitfire]

I like chewing on whole beans. Grinding coffee seems to ritualize the coffee experience. I like that

ME TOO!!!!!

 

[Tomasso]

I know a guy who sprinkles finely ground coffee on vanilla ice cream.

 

[feltfan]

Let me start by saying some of us here roast our own beans from
time to time, as well as grinding them!

I've noticed virtually no difference between coffee brewed in a french press and that brewed in a vacuum pot.

Really? You can control both the temperature of the water
and the duration of the brewing with a French press, but not
with a siphon. The French press leaves in more coffee solids.
Quite a different brew.

Both methods expose the grounds to water of the proper temperature, about 205 degrees unlike the automatic drip machines, which generally heat the water to only about 165 degrees.

Actually, the water has to be boiling (210F around here, I believe)
to rise up in the siphon. That's too hot for optimal coffee brewing.

The old-time Drip-O-Lators This includes the Melita and Chemex models) can make excellent coffee, too, if the water is poured into them at a rolling boil.

Which most people don't do because a roiling boil burns coffee.

It is a pity that they are no longer made.

Huh? Siphon systems certainly still are made, in Japan and I believe
in the UK as well. I think Starbucks offered one quite recently.

 

[Frykitty]

Stainless steel stovetop espresso is the only I make coffee. Avoid the aluminium ones. I buy locally roasted beans and grind them at home. Honestly I've only had one or two Starbucks in my life, and I didn't really like them. That's just one mans opinion, because obviously they are insanely popular.
A post just isn't complete without a picture

 

[John Lever]

I always use freshly ground coffee when I make coffee with my espresso machine. I even used to buy green beans and roast them in my own mini roaster. The smoky smell is amazing, but it's hard to buy the un-roasted beans these days.

 

[Rachael]

ever since I gave up caffeine, I grind and press my decaf. I couldn't drink it otherwise. Also, it helps me pretend that I'm drinking real coffee, and the placebo effect kicks in a bit. I miss caffeine.

 

[PADDY]

All the way...!!

• 
  Grind the beans just for each cup of coffee (as the coffee deteriorates 'very' quickly). I've discovered in European countries that 'love/respect' their coffee and hence their customers, that they will just 'grind enough beans' for that customer's cuppa (even in really run-down trucker's cafes in Spain, the coffee was to die for!).
  
  Either French Press or Italian Espresso maker. I tend to use my Gaggia Espresso machine 'far too much' (could explain a few things about this hyper Irishman!) and it is my daily workhorse.
  
  (A little nugget of info) One of the reasons I headed 'north' to the cold (on the last USA visit) was to find the ulitmate Coffee House in Seattle (I love, love, love the stuff).
  
  Last year I went on a professional Barrista's course, just because I love the whole science and ritual behind making the ultimate 'cup of Joe!'

 

[spiridon]

Honestly I've only had one or two Starbucks in my life, and I didn't really like them. That's just one mans opinion, because obviously they are insanely popular.

It's amazing what marketing can do.....Starbucks has convinced everyone that over-roasted coffee is good coffee......and then they charge a ridiculous price for their OVER-ROASTED beans to top it off!

 

[BellyTank]

I really prefer Coffee made at home.
I prefer my own brew to anything out there.
And paying for a cup of Coffee seems to take away from the experience-
for me, at least.

The oils included in press Coffee are what makes it better.
I never intended my Coffee drinking to be healthy.


B
T

 

[RedPop4]

Belly Tank, you're golden.
KittyT, you too.

I will offer this nugget....keep some of your freshly ground coffee a few days, then compare it to grocery-store coffee. They'll smell the same. I'm sorry to say, that the freshest of pre-ground coffee is stale before you ever cut into the vacuum-sealed packaging. And having a bit of tupperware to "keep it fresh" is nearly useless as it's already stale.

I French press on the weekend, and at work I use an AeroPress.

If you all think grinding your own beans produces an amazing and fresh cup of coffee (and you're NOT wrong) wait until you try it with beans you've roasted just the day before.....

 

[BellyTank]

Is there any other way?

And then in one of these:

When I still lived in Copenhagen, I saw Coffee presses in the "Cheap Shop", "Tiger", for the great price of only DKK20(around $3.50)-
Big spender that I am, I bought 3 of them.

Seems that they last better in my kitchen than the Bodum (Chambord), which cost about 20 times the price.

I still have 3 un-broken coffe presses...


B
T

 

[BellyTank]

For the sake of playing Devil's Advocate,
I just made some Coffee in my "Krupps" filter.

Has that instant coffee twang in my cheek.

Poo-hey!


B
T

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Bean Storage.

So how do you store the beans? Or do you folks have a friendly local bean dealer that will sell you just enough beans for one cup of coffee? I'm certain that Algerian Coffee Stores would not provide such a service.

I've heard tell of keeping them in the fridge, keeping them in the freezer, keeping them in vacuum sealed tins … what's the best then?

bk

 

[skyvue]

Storing them in the freezer does harm and no good.

A cool, dark place in a sealed container is your best bet.

(The above comes from the wife, who taught me everything I know in this arena.)

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

Maybe our grinder is just crappy then. The bf seems to make way more of a mess with the grinder than with the regular old machine.

Try to find one of these beauties: The Kichenaid BCG100ER Best home grinder I have ever seen. The section that grinds the beans is removable, so you can lift it off the base and empty it directly into your coffee contrivance. Very neat, no mess.

I always grind my own coffee. During the week I use a Krups drip machine with a thermal carafe and timer. I grind the beans and set the timer the night before. The coffee is not the peak of freshness, but it is ready when I wake and is still better than Folgers. The weekends are for the French press.

 

[just_me]

It's amazing what marketing can do.....Starbucks has convinced everyone that over-roasted coffee is good coffee......and then they charge a ridiculous price for their OVER-ROASTED beans to top it off!

Not everyone. lol I can't stand their coffee. It tastes burned (not to mention that it's overpriced and the employees are pretentious).