[mrRobinson]

Since there isn't a Chefelf Cafe yet this forum should fit. Just wondering how people brew their coffee. What "technology" or system do you use and why?

I have an old wooden hand grinder for beans that I buy that I'd like to try. Typically I reserve this for exotic, rare, or relatively expensive type coffee. Like a bag of whole bean jamaican blue mountain or the kopi luwak I'm still waiting on from Raven's Brew. Once I hand grind them I would brew these in my cona D vacuum brewer as shown here. This can be quite a little process so it isn't how I obtain my main intake of coffee. For that I use a much more efficient system. I use a brewer from keurig. I had the pleasure to beta test their home model brewer for a little over a year before it was released and now own and use it frequently throughout the day. You can go to their page to see the system and why it is so conveinient. There is a lot of technology in these automatic coffee makers. Getting the water to the right temp, pushing the water/air through the pod and ending up with a good amount of brown foam on top, etc. I've even used something as fancy as the Miele CVA-610 and could still write a page of bullet points on how it could be better. So I'm always looking forward to seeing new machines coming out. The keurig is even a slightly more expensive one. There is one from senseo that has the same premise.

My Nespresso pod espresso maker has broken so I'm in the market for a new espresso machine. I've been eyeing up this one a whole lot. It would look great on my kitchen counter but I think at first I'd put it next to my bed so I could stare at it and use it first thing in the morning. I've been missing my shot in the dark.

anyway, what do you guys do for coffee? favorite brand/flavors/machines?

[Chefelf]

As my girlfriend can atest to, I am a horrible maker of coffee. I don't know what it is... I just don't have the touch. Being a chef, you'd think I'd have a better handle on it but my coffee just doesn't come out that great. Personally, I think it's that my coffee brewers suck. I had a Starbucks Barista Aroma that used to work great but then it started to die.

I replaced that with an inexpensive Mr. Coffee but that didn't seem to do the trick either. It doesn't seem to heat up the water hot enough. When I pour a cup of coffee, two seconds after the brewing process is complete I shouldn't be able to drink it without burning my mouth severely, yet I can.

Jen got me an excellent cappuccino maker and I use that relatively frequently. It does a great job but I'm still missing a good coffee maker.

Seeing that this is my perdicament I often just succumb to the siren song of Dunkin' Donuts as does everyone in New England.

[Heccubus]

I'm the type who can settle for boiled water with instant mixed in. If I'm not within walking distance of a Tim Horton's that is...which I am...


Maybe you should just ignore me for now.

[looktothesky]

I don't really like coffee, so when I need to stay up for a party in my MMORPG, orrrr, I just don't wanna go to bed, the caffiene from pop or the sugar in jujubes keeps me up.

I don't know how you can stand drinking that stuff... even if it is dulled down with sugar and milk / creme... :yuck:

[mrRobinson]

The last two posts have caused me great pains. I am in mourning.

[Chefelf]

Nothing having to do with Tim Horton's I hope.

[Heccubus]

The last two posts have caused me great pains. I am in mourning.

Well I don't like "coffee snobs" either, so I guess we're even.

[mrRobinson]

Cool premature judgement. I'll be sure to do the same in the future. Then we'll be even.

[Heccubus]

My point was that I don't care where my coffee comes from. It's just coffee. You said that two posts, one which proclaimed indifference to how I get coffee, and one that stated a disliking for the stuff, caused you "great pains". There was nothing judgemental about my post, as that's how you came off by saying something like that.

[mrRobinson]

I also said I was in mourning.... which should have clued you in to my gross exaggeration for effect, since the word mourning is typically associated with death.
I look at it this way, I really like coffee, enough so that I really care how it tastes when I drink it. To get different tasting coffee you have different beans with different roasts and different ways of brewing. With this in mind, when the next post has a point of not caring where its from since its just coffee and the one after that says they don't even like coffee then maybe you can see why I said I had "great pains" without it coming off as if a coffee snob (I'm not sure I really know what that is). Anyway I wrote a long post about coffee and the brewers, etc. and with the follow up posts being indifferent that is why I was jesting with my "great pains" comment. Now that I've explained it ad infinitum, if you still don't get it then fine. I just hope someone who actually likes coffee and can share what they use will post next.

[Heccubus]

I get it now, but there was no way of telling that your post was not being entirely serious. Therein lies the misunderstanding.

[Rory]

I like my coffee with lots of cream and lots of sugar. They have coffee at my job. Its made in a coffee maker. I cannot say more than that, I am afraid.

[Amber-Nicole]

I came across some "Chocolate Velvet" flavored cofee last week. Good stuff. Really good chocolate flavor. I like it so much that I've only slept 6 hours this entire week.

[looktothesky]

I once had a drink and it was very similar to Hot Chocolate, except... get this! It was Hot Vanilla. I don't remember where I got it, but it was the greatest drink I've ever had...

[Heccubus]

I once had a drink and it was very similar to Hot Chocolate, except... get this! It was Hot Vanilla. I don't remember where I got it, but it was the greatest drink I've ever had...

I think you can get something like that at Second Cup...they have white hot chocolate too.