# The ideal way to get into coffee at home



## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

Well as this forum is aimed more towards the consumer and beginners, here is an important thread...

How do you make the jump from instant coffee at home, and speciality coffee at work, to drinking great coffee at home?

Methods, equipment, suppliers etc. can all be reccommended here.


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## Neo (Jun 24, 2008)

I think we should first recommend them dripped coffee instead of espressos.

First, dripped coffee is easier to prepare,forgiving and allow people to taste more delicate flavours that are not usually found in espressos.

Besides, it's easier to tell them which equipment to use. Unlike espresso, all those grinders and machines reports are confusing at first( they are still confusing to me!) and it's pretty hard to make a decision.

Last but not least, the pricey shiny machines are quite expensive and not everyone is willing to pay that much for starting equipments.

Personally I would really recommend Flannel drip sets(aka hario bloom and etc) since it requires light-roasted beans, allowing people to sense more aroma and it can bring out more body than other dripped coffee. With a city roast, it's capable of giving a city+ or even full city body.

oops, is my post off-topic?


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

no thats cool Neo.

One thing I will say though, is that the Hario kit can be a little intense for the newbies.

I think something like a cafetiere or a chemex, and a hand grinder, or even just a blade grinder if you are going for cafetiere!!

Chris


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## Neo (Jun 24, 2008)

chrisweaver_barista said:


> no thats cool Neo.
> 
> One thing I will say though, is that the Hario kit can be a little intense for the newbies.
> 
> ...


No blades for ANY coffee preparation methods









Hand grinders are mostly conicals. Btw, I think the flavour profile in the cup is more or less determined by the design of the burrs. Why the 'zassenhaus' grinders seem to be that good and there is a report that it can beat expensive grinders? Besides from the heat issue, I do think it's about the burr design.

I closely examined a zass grinder's burr and it was just like a conical burr used in big, expensive conical machines.

This might be an old news but I wish to point out that maybe we should not simply be arguing whether conical or flat burrs are better, but also take the arrangement of 'shape edges' into accounts.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

If I recall correctly some of my first 'brewed' coffee experiences were from filter coffee (plunge-pot / cafetiere) with pre-ground supermarket bought coffee.

This in itself tasted infinitely better than instant which I have not drunk for 10 years+.

Plunge-pot coffee is pretty easy to prepare and this is the appeal to most people.

There is very little investment required to prepare this type of coffee with plunge-pots/cafetiere's starting from only a few £'s right up to £100 plus models that have more sophisticated filtration systems.

I broadly agree with the blade vs burr grinder debates but would encourage a new thread to be started to discuss the pros and cons of these methods.

From the plunge-pot I graduated to a Moka Pot before buying my first espresso machine.

During these stages the focus is less on the milk and more on the coffee as many plunge-pot drinkers add cold milk to their coffee.


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## Neo (Jun 24, 2008)

Perhaps they add milk because they're either used to the way it is or there is unpleasant bitterness in the cup. I think we might also be able to tell people the differences between beans of different roast profiles.

If one has tried a cup with fruity and buttery tone, perhaps they will stop adding milk because milk will cover the delicate aromas. I'd suggest some permanent filters to others due to the simplicity of coffee preparation and cleansing. The simpler the harder you have something going wrong.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

aww man, some of my most pleasant experiences at home have been cappuccinos made with moka pot coffee, I dislike the way it burns the coffee, but in a cappuccino you get something reminiscent of a campfire coffeee mmmm

Chris


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## JonS (Jun 25, 2008)

The most important thing is the understanding of the coffees and what they have to offer I think. Although it is hard to deny that espresso is hip and the related cafe culture is how many find their way into coffee.

But, at the end of the day, espresso machines and the related expensive paraphernalia are the road to distraction and ruin for the unwary.

1. Understand the limitations of supermarket coffee, and the importance of "fresh" coffee from a good roaster.

2. Understand the importance of the grinder and the benefits of grinding beans on demand to preserve the flavour of the coffee.

3. Cafetiere / drip / press-pot / aeropress / etc. whichever fits the wallet best

4. Experiment with different coffees and enjoy!

I wish I'd understood all this before I tried to start with espresso







Although I do love espresso...

I too have an emotional attachment to the humble stove-top, mainly because I associate it generally with summer evenings and holidays, and milky coffees. It's comforting. Sadly, I also don't like the temperatures involved. I keep coming back to it to experiment, and the best I've had, is cappuccinos made with medium roast coffee straight out of the roaster !

Jon


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

My main piece of advice to any budding home barista is to buy a grinder. Freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee is a vibrant, exciting experience. The grinder is a huge part of this experience. A good grinder is much more important than a good espresso machine, something which is often ignored by both home and profesionals alike. Invest in a good grinder (a Mazzer or a Compak home model is perfect), and use a French Press until you can afford a good espresso machine. This can help to keep the passion for coffee alive, and increase a newbie's confidence in his ability to make great coffee.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

I could not agree more, if you are really into coffee, and are prepared to pay the money, look for a second hand super jolly. More often than not they can be found on ebay for £150 second hand, and they'll last a long time!

Chris


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## buzzingoncoffee (Dec 27, 2008)

From what I have read here and on other websites, I think I would say my interest in coffee is at the "intermediate stage" and it would appear to me that there is a natural evolution when approaching the subject (largely based around "equipment" and less to do with coffee itself).

I have progressed from coffee shop visiting to grinding and using a French Press at home. I try to shop around for my coffee and still like to visit as many coffee shops as I can for new ideas.

It would appear the next step is to progress futher to purchase more expensive pieces of equipment. However, I must admit I am still enjoying the fundamental experience of smelling and tasting coffee and I want to widen my knowledge of this first so it will be some time before I purchase anything more expensive than my French Press.

Can a coffee enthusiast survive with a Grinder/French Press alone? I wonder will my experiences be limited by my basic equipment?


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Welcome !

I have read your blog and will respond both there and here to a couple of posts that tie in nicely with my thoughts (eg Espressamente - Liverpool One)

With regards to your question;



buzzingoncoffee said:


> Can a coffee enthusiast survive with a Grinder/French Press alone?


I believe you could, for sure, without limitations.

Espresso is not the holy grail of coffee and I have had many good pour over, chemex, cafetiere coffee's that would have been rubbish served as an espresso.

As long as you have a good grinder you can enjoy any type of coffee.

However, if you have a poor grinder then you might only be limited to french press/cafetiere coffee.


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## Carolyn (Jun 15, 2009)

:read:I wish I can do better than instant coffee:drink:


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## awlred (Mar 10, 2009)

My favourite (and pretty much only) way of brewing coffee at home is a french press, for a few reasons. Mostly, it's easy, it's quick, it's clean and you can make a decent amount of coffee fairly quickly. I would agree with other posts, I don't think espresso is for the home user, unless they have a good amount of money to throw at it...

French Press or Cheap drip-brewer £10-15

Hand Grinder £15

Investment £25-30 and things start getting better


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

OK, I don't want to play devils advocate (but I'm going to anyways).

The french press is a great way to make coffee. But it's by no means in anyway perfect. At all!

Even with the fantastic "clean the grinds off the press pot before plunging method" pioneered by various people and championed by Square Mile. It will never give you the amazing transparency of a chemex/filter/vac-pot.


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## gourmetcoffeemaker (Jul 28, 2009)

I also like my stove top. It's so easy and they are cheap to buy as well. I have a mini espresso which is great if you like espresso. Plus you can take them away with you too which is so good if there is no good coffee where you are headed!!


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