A total of 15 reviews of this product on Reddit.
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Grinder is the most important no matter what kind of brewing you’re doing.
If you want an electric grinder, I’d look at maybe the Baratza Encore conical burr grinder.
For a manual grinder, maybe the 1zpresso JX-Pro. Both great prices, but you might get better consistency with the manual grinder since you’re paying for better physical components rather than an electric motor.
For a French press, there are really no “terrible” options. Borosilicate glass is a must, more metal instead of plastics for the framing, and one that you actually like the look of. I prefer the borosilicate glass because I can see as it brews, but everyone likes what they like.
A classic French press is the Bodum Chambord, but there are other fancier ones like the Espro Press French presses and stuff. I think the Bodum one is on sale right now though.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008XEWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_S4GeGb7K1MK8F
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For just $32.20 you can get him a shiny stainless steel Bodum Chambord 8 Cup French Press on Amazon.
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I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Chambord-French-Coffee-Chrome/dp/B00008XEWG/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1475201978&sr=8-15&keywords=french+press
But, it was much less expensive when I bought it. At the end of the day, most of them are just a carafe with some sort of movable filter/press. The cheap ones probably work just as well.
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Even then you’re still wasting paper. I’ve been using a french press for years, and the only thing I throw away are coffee grounds.
Boil water in a pot, pour in over grounds, stir and let sit for 2 minutes, then press and pour. There is a metal mesh screen that filters out the grounds when you press it, and you get a much richer flavor from the coffee than either a Keurig or a traditional coffee maker.
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Simple enough. A french press and any ol’ electric kettle from Amazon should do just fine. I’d get this french press. You can also get a Hario mini mill grinder if you’re willing to hand grind your own coffee. Follow this guide to brew coffee in it. You can make 32oz of coffee in 4-5 minutes.
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These metal pillars holding the glass. https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Chambord-French-Coffee-Chrome/dp/B00008XEWG
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The above description does not apply to me but the French press does, (and u/MsVeronicaPaige knows me a little bit) — Ms. Paige, French presses are the only thing I use! This one is classic and works well.
I like that I can essentially customize how strong my coffee is each day. It’s kinda-sorta like pour-over but a way more efficient use of the beans, imo. Due to the inherent soaking method, I feel like I can taste my brand of coffee better than a traditional coffee maker (I like to alternate between Philz and Stumptown beans).
I like that there are no filters to buy, throw out, or potentially break. I also like to put the whole press in the fridge and make some iced coffee, or put it in the fridge for the next day if I have some left over from today.
If you’re drinking “a cup of grinds,” either try to avoid the last ~2 ounces at the bottom of the press, and/or buy whole beans and set the coffee grinder to “coarse” or “medium.” If you’re buying ground beans from the store, the grind may be too fine for the mesh filter to fully capture.
xoxo
Edit: PS – hot pic and great captions, as always!
cc: u/DM_4_compliments
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FYI I ended up buying the Bodum Chambord French Press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008XEWG The packaging says made in Portugal and their website talks about their Portugal facility as well.
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The good thing about french presses is that there isn’t much of a learning curve and I’d actually consider it the easiest way to brew coffee! French presses utilize a metal filter, so the body of the coffee will be slightly thicker and you will often end up with a small amount of sediment in the coffee. Because of this factor, you will want to grind your coffee a bit coarser than you would for a pourover, so that the fine particles won’t escape the larger holes of a metal filter.
The general recommendation for brewing with a french press is to use water that’s around 200ºF, use a 1:16-1:18 coffee to water ratio, give the brew a slow stir to ensure even saturation, and let steep for 4 minutes before gently pushing the plunger down. When you push the plunger down, try to move slowly and stop just before compacting the coffee bed, which help avoid excess “sludge” at the bottom of your cup. If you’re new to french press brewing, I would recommend a glass model so you can see what’s going on, but stainless steel models are definitely good for heat insulation or if you like to drink your brew over a longer period. Either way, you can get great results without breaking the bank. Here is a link to a glass Bodum french press: many people have a model similar to this and it is all you will probably need. Happy brewing!
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>I (19f) am an Ex-Mormon who moved out of my Mormon household two years ago and have discovered I have a deep and startling adoration for coffee!
I left a few years ago and know how you feel. It can be incredibly daunting to learn about everything. If nothing makes sense, just let me know and I’ll try to clarify.
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>How do I make instant coffee?
Someone else answered this. It’s dehydrated brewed coffee so all you need to do is add it to hot water. No filter is necessary. Some instant coffees have some cream and/or sugar already mixed in. It will be listed on the ingredients.
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>What’s an affordable, user-friendly, durable coffee maker that I could buy? I want something that will last, and doesn’t require any extra machinery for espresso or French squeeze stuff
There are a few different ways to brew coffee. Here are a few:
- Drip: Hot water is poured over ground coffee and goes through a paper filter. This is your standard American coffee maker like the Mr. Coffee branded makers. A lot of people here like manual drip coffee where they pour water on top instead of a machine doing it. Two common tools for manual drip are V60 and Chemex.
- Espresso: Finley ground coffee is pushed though coffee with high pressure. Espresso mixed with foamed or steamed milk is how you make some of the Italian sounding café drinks like latte, cappuccino, etc. It is expensive to get the equipment to make espresso at home.
- Pod machine: There are two main kinds of these machines, Keurig and Nespresso. You simply put the capsule of coffee in the machine and press a button. They are fast and convenient but don’t make very good coffee.
- French Press: Coffee goes in the bottom of a press like this and water is poured on top. After seeping for a couple minutes, you push a plunger down to keep the ground coffee at the bottom of it and then you can pour you can see how it’s done here
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>What type of coffee filter is specifically made for ‘normal’ machines?
You can look up the model of your machine and it will tell you what size filters you need.
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>How will I know what shape of coffee to buy for a regular machine?
As stated above, instant coffee doesn’t need any sort of machine. The pod machines require their own type of pod depending on if it’s Keurig or nespresso. For drip or french press, you can buy whole bean coffee or pre-ground coffee. When beans are ground right before brewing, it tastes better but you will need a grinder.
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>What is the DANGEROUS amount of coffee to consume in one day?
This depends on your caffeine tolerance. I would just recommend drinking slow and if you feel jittery, stop. That’s how I personally do it.
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>How the cuss does grocery store coffee creamer taste so cussing disgusting?!!?!
I also think they’re disgusting and can’t stand them. It’s just corn syrup and fake flavorings. Was that a Fantastic Mr. Fox reference?
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>I like super sweet sugary creamy Starbucks coffees but when I drink it myself I prefer it plain black. I’m fine drinking it black but I’d like to be able to add something in when I’ve got a coffee sweet tooth. Is there a certain amount of creamer you’re supposed to never go above when adding it in?
If you want a sweeter drink, I would recommend just plain sugar and a tablespoon or two of half-and-half instead of creamer. The pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks have 50 grams of sugar so it’s basically drinking a milkshake. I love milkshakes.
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>Along the lines of the question above, what does it mean when someone asks ‘cream or sugar?’ or ‘do you want room?’
The answer for cream is usually ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but you can ask for just a little or a lot. For sugar, often times they have the little sugar packets and you can specify how many you want. Sometimes the cream comes in little individually packaged cups and you also specify how many you want. It takes some trial and error to figure out what you personally like. When they ask if you want room, that means they have cream you can add yourself. They won’t fill up the whole cup so that there’s room for you to add cream.
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If you have any questions let me know.
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I’m looking to buy a French press. This Bodum press is recommended in the wiki, but this Mueller one has better Amazon reviews. Anyone have experience with either and want to comment, or suggest an entirely different third one?
Second question, people talk about the importance of buying very recently roasted beans, where are you guys finding those?
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There are so many awesome ways to brew coffee. This video goes over 15 popular types. The one you describe with the glass pot sounds like a drip coffee machine or French press. Not entirely sure what you mean by “attachable spoon” but espresso is the type you get from Starbucks or a cafe.
Personally I would start by getting a decent hand grinder , (hario skerton pro would be a good start). Once you have that you can try experimenting with brewing methods like Aeropress, Chemex or French press
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No problem! Aeropress is a brand/product so there’s really only one. I only see one link, but the one you linked is what I have! Aeropress lists a few different “bundles” I guess, so if you wanted additional filters or a tote bag go for it. I want to say 350 filters are included so unless you drink several cups a day, its enough for now.
I also have this french press & something similar to this pourover.
All three will make a quality cup of coffee, the Aeropress makes the best with the least amount of effort & cleans up easiest. The only downside of the french press is that you can’t make a large batch of coffee (you could make an extremely concentrated aeropress and divide that in to multiple cups though), you’ll want the french press for that.
