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What contraption do I buy to make coffee at home?

Liquid Plejades

Liquid Plejades

Member
Mar 3, 2018
4,511
Yes, I'm that dumb, but there seems to be a dozen different ways to make coffee.

ive realized that buying a cup of coffee everyday is not economically sound choice for me moving forward, as it adds up. And also I really hate waiting in line every morning before work to get coffee. So I started looking things up and there seems to be the regular coffee machines, nespresso and other pod machines, more fancy looking machines, drip, French press etc etc

what do y'all recommend? I just wanna wake up, have the device initiate the coffee making process while I shower, and before I walk to work I can fill my mug and head out.
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
92,372
here
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Conkersbadfurday

Conkersbadfurday

Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,279
Minnesota
I read that as "contraceptive" and was super fucking confused.

But as to the question, I have a Kuerig that I like. Dunno how well it shakes out in terms of price per cup, but it's easy as hell with low maintenance. I don't ever want more than a single cup either, so brewing a full pot isn't my thing.
 

Deleted member 2145

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
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if you're not getting good beans just throw that shit in a mr. coffee and call it a day. that's the route if you literally want to set a timer and come out of the shower to a cup of coffee but it's not the best method if you've got good beans

if you're getting good beans go french press or pour over depending on how much or how little you want to baby it while it brews
 
QuinchoOsito

QuinchoOsito

Member
Oct 10, 2018
545
If you're after convenience and speed, go for a Mr Coffee 4 cup programmable coffee maker or something like that. Should be 30 or 40 bucks or so, and you can set it to brew at whatever time you want it to. It says 4 cups but it's more like 2 big mugs so should be about as big as your thermos.
 
Sheepinator

Sheepinator

Member
Jul 25, 2018
27,917
I have a Keurig Vue. I think they discontinued that line. I don't buy the single serve coffee pods though, way too expensive. Get yourself a plastic reusable pod, buy filters like the EZ-Cup 2.0 Perfect Pod brand (I get mine at Bed Bath and Beyond with their frequent "spend over $30 get $10 off" deals), and I get large-ish bags of Starbucks beans from Costco. You'll need a grinder too. It only takes a few minutes to make a cup of whatever size you want. For variety I get small bags of already ground coffee, which you buy pre-made or check your local grocery store and grind them there.

Alternatively, get yourself a little Mr. Coffee with a pot included, and a separate grinder, but then it's going to make a pot instead of one cup.
 
OP
OP
Liquid Plejades

Liquid Plejades

Member
Mar 3, 2018
4,511
phanphare said:
if you're not getting good beans just throw that shit in a mr. coffee and call it a day. that's the route if you literally want to set a timer and come out of the shower to a cup of coffee but it's not the best method if you've got good beans

if you're getting good beans go french press or pour over depending on how much or how little you want to baby it while it brews
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im open to buying good beans, but that does require a lot more effort besides grinding them or whatever?
 
Meatfist

Meatfist

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,289
Convenience? Programmable coffee maker
Coffee that doesn't taste like doo-doo? A nice french press, burr grinder and way to heat water
 
yongeandcollege

yongeandcollege

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,329
i'd get a french press even if you're using whatever beans. This way you don't need to have another appliance out on your kitchen counter.
 
CHC

CHC

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
10,246
I recommend buying a burr grinder, kettle, and pour over funnel. It's definitely the best coffee I've made at home and it beats most of what I drink at local places.

Really just getting fresh roasted coffee and grinding it on a cup-by-cup basis is like 90% of what makes the coffee taste great. But I will say doing it this way is not THAT much cheaper if you're buying good, newly roasted coffee. It probably comes out to like almost a dollar a cup. Which is still cheaper than you get anywhere other than a deli, but still it's not like mega savings. It is really good coffee though!

* oh yeah, you'll also need a digital scale to portion your cups right. It's easier than it sounds, simple 1:15 to 1:18 coffee to water ratio usually, depending on how you like it.
 
Nappuccino

Nappuccino

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
12,997
Buying a small scale is going to be essential if you want a good, constistent brew. Measuring by weight really cannot be overstated in its usefulness. (That said, I still just eyeball it at the office, and I make a decent cup anyway--it's just not always what I'd hoped for).

I'd go for a pour over cone--either a cheap plastic one to try it out, or a nice porceline one if you can find a good deal on one.
or


Or, I'd go for an areopress--because it is damn simple.

Oh, and a gooseneck kettle.

Both of these methods are simple and easy to clean up, so they're great for a 5 or so minute brew in the morning.

But, if you just want it quick and easy, a 20$ Mr. Coffee is going to do you just fine.
 
CHC

CHC

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
10,246
Liquid Plejades said:
im open to buying good beans, but that does require a lot more effort besides grinding them or whatever?
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I buy beans by the bag at a local hipster coffee place and the only part that takes any effort is (a) learning which varieties I prefer and (b) checking the roast date. If there aren't any "nice" coffee shops near you there are lots of subscription services that will send you bags every two weeks or whatever. Blue Bottle is one of them, there are lots of others too!
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,950
From your description you probably want a programmable drip coffee maker. You can get basic drip coffee makers for like $20 but for programmable ones (eg prep the night before so it's just ready at a set time each morning) you might want to spend between $60-100.

Good brands for this are usually Brevil, Cuisinart. They do the trick and have features you expect.

Higher priced ones (closer to $100) might have better heating elements, use less electricity, have stainless steel carafes, multiple coffee pot settings etc. Lower priced ones ($50 or $60) might have glass carafe with a heating plate, less programmable options, etc. But typically the coffee will be mostly the same.

For hot coffee I prefer a French press but it's nominally more effort than you're looking for. French press is easy but its not really 'set it and forget it' like a drip coffee maker is. For cold coffee i have an Oxo Cold Brew set that I love and make Cold Brew each week. I buy beans at a local roaster and have them ground there because their grinder is better than the one I have at home, no mess no cleanup for me. I usually use the whole bag quickly and im ok using coffee ground a week ahead of time.

For your use case buying ground coffee will probably be the best choice here. For drip coffee with paper filters you want closer to a fine grind level. For French press, most cold brew systems etc you usually go for a coarse grind. I get it as coarse as I can.
 
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M.J.

M.J.

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,059
Getting whole beans and a burr grinder are what changed coffee for me. Just so much flavor!
I have a drip coffee maker, one of those NINJA ones. It's pretty easy for me and it makes a lot of coffee.
 
Buggy Loop

Buggy Loop

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Oct 27, 2017
1,232
French press is damn good and cheap. Buy good beans and grind them yourself and it'll be an amazing tasting coffee without needing expensive equipment.
 
Rune Walsh

Rune Walsh

Too many boners
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Oct 25, 2017
6,018
I have a Mr. Coffee cheapo drip coffee maker and buy Trader Joes medium roast. I also have no time to grind or do a pour over in the morning. I set it up at night, hit a button in the morning and I'm out the door.


A friend of mine owned a coffee shop that made amazing pour overs with Intelligentsia's Black Cat beans. You can absolutely taste the difference but you're going to pay out the nose for it.
 
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Deleted member 2145

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Liquid Plejades said:
im open to buying good beans, but that does require a lot more effort besides grinding them or whatever?
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not really, I don't know where you live but you can usually find a couple of options locally though a grocer or somewhere. around here harris teeter has a couple of local partners that they get fresh roasted beans from where they'll stamp the roast date on it, I think publix does the same, probably places like trader joe's and fresh market too. otherwise you can always buy online, there's a lot of options and some pretty affordable ones too, subscriptions, etc.

Nappuccino said:
Buying a small scale is going to be essential if you want a good, constistent brew. Measuring by weight really cannot be overstated in its usefulness.
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yeah this too

you want to control all of your variables and if you change them do so intentionally (as opposed to varying weights because you're just scooping) so you can have a consistent cup to your personal preference
 
Border

Border

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,859
chemex_8-cup_2.jpg


Such utter simplicity. Nothing to plug in or malfunction. Just add grounds, filter, and hot water.
 
ginger ninja

ginger ninja

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Oct 25, 2017
3,060
Water kettle so you can add hot water to cheap instant coffee with powdered milk which gives you the worst shits and nausea afterwards as you ponder your life choices :(
 
Failburger

Failburger

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Dec 3, 2018
2,455
Just get a breville with a built in burr grinder.

It's literally just pour in water and push a button
 

Deleted member 11637

Oct 27, 2017
18,204
A French press makes a good strong cup of coffee and is easy to clean.
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
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Oct 27, 2017
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I wont even suggest my approach is feasible for you. My family buys and ships coffee to me straight from Costa Rica micro farms called ingenios. I grind and brew this coffee using a chemex or a Kalita. Cant really do it any other way.
 
DJ_Lae

DJ_Lae

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,856
Edmonton
If I could only have one coffee brewing device I'd keep my Aeropress. You can treat it like a single-serve french press, and with the filter (don't use a reusable one) the end result is less bitter and has no silt. Cleanup is also absurdly simple.
 
Nappuccino

Nappuccino

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
12,997
BennyWhatever said:
French Press is by far the most tedious to clean of all the options so far. How do you clean yours? I like mine but that's by far my biggest complaint is how much effort it takes to clean compared to other methods. Is there something I'm missing?
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I was gifted a French press, and I agree. I normally clean it by pouring water and the grounds through a pour over filter. It's . . . not the most efficient way to do it, but it works well enough, I guess.
 

Deleted member 11637

Oct 27, 2017
18,204
BennyWhatever said:
French Press is by far the most tedious to clean of all the options so far. How do you clean yours? I like mine but that's by far my biggest complaint is how much effort it takes to clean compared to other methods. Is there something I'm missing?
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Click to shrink...

I don't bother cleaning all the metal bits every time, maybe once every few weeks, and it all unscrews into four separate parts that are easy to scrub and rinse. Harder than cleaning a Chemex, sure, but much easier than deep-cleaning an automatic coffee maker.
 

Deleted member 48434

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Oct 8, 2018
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I know how to use an Espresso Machine, and even have one at home, but I'm too used to the taste of instant coffee.
Using the machine is too much effort.

Just buy instant coffee.
 
super-famicom

super-famicom

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Oct 26, 2017
25,117
Burr Grinder plus one of the following: Hario V60 dripper, Kalita Wave, Chemex, French press, or an Aeropress.
 
Buggy Loop

Buggy Loop

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,232
BennyWhatever said:
French Press is by far the most tedious to clean of all the options so far. How do you clean yours? I like mine but that's by far my biggest complaint is how much effort it takes to clean compared to other methods. Is there something I'm missing?
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Click to shrink...


Maybe? I can't think of an easier to clean coffee device (that you can actually see is clean, not hidden away like most machines that are near impossible to clean..)
 
totowhoa

totowhoa

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,222
Ill throw my hat in the ring and say buy (or budget to buy) a nice espresso machine. $1/day-ish for a year. Not only can you brew great coffee, you can also indulge on the weekends and spend a few extra minutes making things like chai tea lattes or caramel macchiatos or whatever you fancy.

Plenty of great budget solutions hear, but I love my espresso machine for when I feel like making a fancy drink of some kind.
 
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