Quote:
Originally Posted by Minuteman37
Evil, in your opinion what coffee making devices should a serious coffee drinking household possess?
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If by serious you mean 'drinks a lot of coffee':
For modern day? An automatic drip*†. If you're wanting fancy coffee, those single serve coffee machines are pretty swank, but too expensive for 'just a caffeine habit' (in my humble plebeian coffee taste). My neighbor has one of those Keurig machines, and I admit it makes a mighty tasty cup... but again it's a) more expensive than just buying bulk gourmet beans and grinding them fresh and b) makes only one cup at a time. The later is important to me as I take coffee with me when I go out and having to brew up a couple of quarts one cup at a time would be ... tedious.
If you like espresso, espresso machines have come a long way in being small, affordable, and easy to clean. I bought the one I own so I could make single cups at a job (didn't have a coffee pot in the break area, but we were allowed to bring in our own devices for some reason) and occasionally use it when I want a single cup of gourmet coffee (I also have a grinder for rare moments I decide I want some gourmet beans).
For the 1940's England: A single serve drip cup or a steeping ball. The drip cup will make less bitter coffee, but as I understand it, some people like bitterer coffee, so a steeping ball would then be preferred.
If by serious you mean 'coffee connoisseur':
An espresso machine and an automatic drip*†. I say both because some grinds are great when cooled, and you'll want to brew up a bigger batch and then put it in the fridge, or even just brew up a whole pot of your favorite coffee for having with a bunch of guests (brewing single cups for each person while swank is time consuming).
Your own grinder, a good one. Some freezer space to store your different bags of gourmet coffee beans.
For your filtering need, I've heard differing accounts of 'gold versus paper'. Do not use nylon as the filter eventually builds up some residue which won't just won't clean off and breeds bacteria. A metal filter leaves in certain oils which are beneficial for health, but also make it slightly more bitter. Paper filters trap those oils. You'll want pure water and as most bottled water is just tap water in a bottle with a price tag, I suggest getting your own water purifier.
* Water displacement drip coffeemakers are useful if you want to make a lot of coffee at once quickly, but use a lot more electricity. In my case it's not a requirement to 'trade up' to a 'faster' machine, but for parties I could see the value (or if I were rich and just throwing money around).
† Do not get one of the models that has the carafe sitting on a burner. Get the slightly more expensive thermos carafe model (but again not the ones that sit on a burner). Sitting on a hot burner ruins your coffee. Only filthy degenerate heathens enjoy drinking ruined coffee.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GM Joe
What, no mention of vacuum coffee makers? :) That's what we use. They've been around since the 19th century and make great coffee.
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I've never even seen one (aside from pictures online). Don't they have the coffee grounds sitting in the coffee as it steeps? HERESY!
I'd like to try a
Moka Pot (the Brikka version) some day, but they look like their more hassle than their worth.
[NOTE]
All coffee snobbery was tongue-in-check. I'm not really passing judgement on how you filthy degenerate heathens drink your overly bitter, burned, and ruined coffee. You probably even put sugar in it! OH GOD WHY?!?!?
Also apologies for thread digression.
[/NOTE]