I am on a continuing quest for the perfect cup of coffee, and looking for some help…?

Question

I am really not into the froufrou cups of coffee that people buy at Starbucks, or Dutch Brothers. I am talking about real, home brewed coffee.
I am by no means a coffee expert (thus the question). Please understand this has been a long, long, ongoing quest. A couple of decades have taught me some things that I like;

1. I use a percolator, specifically a Farberware (No filters). My old GE percolator recently died, and I am looking for a replacement.
2. I use 1/3 Prime Dark Kona and 2/3 Costa Rica Terrazu (Coarse Grind of course)
3. I use clean, filtered well water
4. Never over cook (unless on a campfire)

Unfortunately, I still have not found the perfect, the consummate, unflawed cup of regular coffee.

Can anyone help me find just such a cup of coffee?

Answer 1

I would suggest you invest in a Coffee Press, Adjustable Coffee Grinder and a Tea Kettle,(if you don’t already own one). My Recipe is;



Whole Bean Coffee, (your choice, I use Espresso) Coarse Ground just before you put it in the press.

Pour in the just starting to boil hot water and let it steep for about 5 minutes and the push down slowly on the plunger. I know this sounds time consuming but I think this might get you to your goal to the unflawed cup of coffee.



Enjoy

Answer 2

If you have had success with percolating and you like the coffee, then by all means, you should stick to a good thing. However, the "experts" say that's probably the worst possible way to make coffee because the water it too hot -- which dissolves un-desireable, bitter compounds. Also, since the coffee continues to re-circulate through the grounds, the experts say that dissolves more of the bitter compounds.



An old, tried and true method for making good coffee comes from the French... the French press. It is fast and simple and many claim it's the best possible way to make coffee.



You're doing all the right things: clean water, coffee that you like, clean filters, etc. A French press can be purchased for just a few dollars so you can try it to see if you like the results. Here's the method.



Boil your water. Take it from the heat and let it sit for a minute or two. You want the water to be between 195 and 205 degrees F. While the water is "cooling" prepare the press by placing the appropriate amount of coffee in it. Pour the water on the grounds place the top on (don't press it yet) and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Press the coffee down and pour your cup. If you have more than you're going to drink in the next 15 to 30 minutes, you'll be smart to transfer the coffee to an insulated carafe to keep it from getting too strong.



Bon Appetit!

Answer 3

I've picked up a few bits of advise over the years.



I heard some coffee experts say that a percolator was probably the worst way to brew coffee because you are perking out the heavier oils that make the coffee less than smooth. They said you want the water to go thru only once. Ala Mr. Coffee, etc.



Grind the beans fresh for each use. Blue Mountain coffee beans are good, but not worth the difference.



My high school girlfriend's mother made the best coffee. She used a percolator, because that's what there was back then, but she put half an egg shell in it. There had to be more to it because I tried her recipe in her pot on her stove with her giving advise and it wasn't as good as hers.



One night I had a cup of coffee boiled over an open fire. That was memorable and great. He just added cold water to make the grounds separate. You could chew that stuff and it was great. It opens my eyes just to think of it.



Our cook in the army would add a palm of salt and two whole eggs, shells and all, to the urn. Good coffee. Was it 5 gallons or 50 gallons? I can't remember.



Coffee turns acid after about 30 minutes no matter what you do. If that's a problem, get a one cup brewer.



The well water sounds good, if its not too hard. We use reverse osmosis water at work. It is essentially distilled water. Makes good coffee.



Bottoms up. :)

Answer 4

Here are the "rules"



1. The equipment should be pristine

2. The water should be cold

3. The coffee should brew no longer than 3 minutes



Here are the "tips"



1. The bean is up to you. Buy what you enjoy. Grind it with a Burr grinder that treats it more like a coffee bean and less like a peppercorn. Grind coffee as you use it.



2. The water should be as pristine as the equipment. When it comes down to it, coffee is really about the water. If you need to, buy spring water, chill it in the refrigerator and use that ... even if just once. You'll notice a huge difference right away. Well water cannot be cleaned to the point of spring water (believe me, I grew up with well water and it was a constant battle when it came to using it for consumption)



3. The very BEST coffee maker you can buy is the Melitta ® One Cup. The second best coffee maker you can buy is a French Press. Beyond that, you are really only buying an electric coffee maker for the bells and whistles like programmable timer, alarm, hot plate, insulated pot ... but none of those are as important as the grind and the time it takes to make a cup of coffee.



Fortunately you can buy the Melitta ® One Cup very inexpensively. Your costs will come with your favorite bean(s) and the best water.



I hope this helps!

Answer 5

First of all: a percolator makes the worst coffee. Coffee should never be boiled & percolators boil it repeatedly.



I have seven way to brew coffee and I like them all, but the best ones are often the simplest & cheapest.



I love my balance brewer, but good ones can cost hundreds of dollars.



If you want a richer flavor, go with a french press. Not only are the cheap & simple, they can be used for fewer than the maximum # of cups and work great for loose tea as well.



My favorite filtered coffee is from my Chemex manual drip coffee maker. It's design lets you make as little as one cup all the way to max capacity with the same flavor. The coffee steeps in the top like a french press and then filters down to make a delicious, but milder cup. There's no maintenance needed (other than washing) and you only need a source of boiling water. The only requirement is that you have to use their filters, but they are so much better than any other paper filter, that's not a bad thing.



btw: a quality pepper mill uses a manual burr grinder. So in fact my burr coffee grinder treats my coffee the same way I treat my peppercorns. :)

Answer 6

There's only two ways of decent coffee, espresso and vacuum siphon.



You know about espresso, the other is like the Bodum Santos. Makes amazing coffee. You can read about it in the link



ETA



"The very BEST coffee maker you can buy is the Melitta ® One Cup."



That is ridiculous. It makes me wonder if you've ever had good coffee. That's just standard drip-filtered coffee. Very poor extraction, poor steeping, and little temperature control. To say French Presse is second to this is just so wrong.

Answer 7

i've got picked up some bits of recommend with the aid of the years. I heard some coffee experts say that a percolator became probable the worst thank you to brew coffee on account which you're perking out the heavier oils that make the coffee decrease than tender. They stated you choose the water to circulate with the aid of in simple terms as quickly as. Ala Mr. coffee, etc. Grind the beans clean for each use. Blue Mountain coffee beans are solid, yet not nicely certainly worth the version. My intense college female buddy's mom made the wonderful coffee. She used a percolator, on account that's what there became back then, yet she placed a million/2 an egg shell in it. There had to be extra to it simply by fact i attempted her recipe in her pot on her range along with her giving recommend and it wasn't as solid as hers. One night I had a cup of coffee boiled over an open hearth. That became memorable and enormous. He in simple terms further chilly water to make the grounds separate. you ought to chunk that stuff and it became great. It opens my eyes in simple terms to think of of it. Our cook dinner interior the army might upload a palm of salt and a pair of total eggs, shells and all, to the urn. solid coffee. became it 5 gallons or 50 gallons? i won't be able to undergo in techniques. coffee turns acid after approximately half-hour no remember what you do. If it is a concern, get a one cup brewer. The nicely water sounds solid, if its not too demanding. We use opposite osmosis water at artwork. it is basically distilled water. Makes solid coffee. Bottoms up. :)

Answer 8

Go to Indonesia, the island of Java.



IN the central highlands- just outside a village called Jampit there's a bloke called Ulan. GO ask his fro his best blue grounds.





He'll whipe you up a batch and give you some fresh nutmeg cookies too, and a pack to take home.



The coffee machine does't really matter- just use water and a clean sock.