What in your opinion, is the best coffee I can brew at home? It never tastes like it does when I buy it from?

Question

a coffee shop. So, I am still experimenting with different coffees and different styles of brewing. I use a regular coffee brewer. Is there any specific coffee you would really recommend or any style of brewing that might help? If you have a coffee to recommend, could you please also include how many tablespoons of coffee grind you put/per ___oz of water. Thank you.

The experiment with homemade coffee never ends =/

wow, sorry, i didn't even realize this ended up in R&S!! sorrryyyyy!

Answer 1

You can go out for a spectacular cup of coffee, but trying to duplicate the results of a gourmet shop at home can be difficult. One way to do it is to invest a hefty chunk of change in fancy equipment and expensive brews. But you don’t need an espresso machine, a bean grinder and Starbucks blends to get great-tasting coffee from your own kitchen. Follow these tips to create hot and steamy bliss.

Pick Your Pot
All drip brew coffee makers operate on the same principle, so more expensive isn’t necessarily better. However, it’s worth the extra money to invest in a pot with an automatic shutoff timer (most are set for two hours). Leaving your coffee maker on for too long can damage the machine, and burns residue onto the pot that’s difficult to clean off. Also, if you tend to consume a pot over a longer period of time, consider getting a metal decanter instead of a glass one—it keeps the coffee hot longer.

What About Water
Always use cold water to brew coffee. It’s easier on the coffee machine, and it makes for hotter product. If you have hard water, the mineral deposits will slow down your coffee maker’s performance. When possible, use spring water instead of tap water. You can also extend the life of your machine, whether you have hard water or not, by running a cleaner made specifically for drip brewers through the pot about once a month. Cleaner is available at most grocery stores and costs around $1 per treatment. If you do have hard water, get two packages and make a double-strength batch.

Flavor Fiesta
The brand of coffee you use is just about the only area where more expensive is usually better. You don’t have to splurge on ten-dollar-a-pound gourmet blends, but most of the time Folgers or Maxwell House is well worth the extra dollar or two over generic brands. Also, don’t use the amount of grounds directed on the package. Most of the time, using a little less makes for a more flavorful, mellow brew. Once you choose a brand you like, experiment with the ratio of water to grounds until you find the best results. Like flavor? You can add a hint of just about anything to your coffee by sprinkling spices or extracts like cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa powder or nutmeg on the grounds before brewing. Make your own mocha cappuccino by mixing about two-thirds of a cup of coffee with warm milk and a package of hot chocolate mix.

Grounds, Be Gone
As soon as your coffee is done brewing, whisk out that basket and dump the used grounds (for the environmentally conscious: used coffee grounds make great fertilizer for houseplants). After the brewing process is complete, the grounds settle and dissolve, and bitter oil drips into the coffee, leaving a burnt aftertaste. Your coffee will stay fresher longer, and as a bonus, this trick also reduces staining of the pot.

Answer 2

For the moment, let's overlook the fact that this "question" has absolutely NOTHING to do with R&S.

That being said...

MOST coffee machines "brew" coffee at too high of a temperature (yup, they BURN the coffee to rapidly extract the essence...along with oil and acid).

Have you considered trying COLD BREWING? It gives you all of the flavor and virtually none of the acid and oil. It's a bit more expensive (amount of coffee produced) and takes 24 hours to produce a pitcher of coffee. BUT, the coffee tastes GREAT and can be stored in the fridge for a week to ten days no problem. The materials needed to cold brew are found in most kitchens. Not expensive.

e-mail if you want particulars

Answer 3

If you go to Starbucks and that is your coffee of choice just pick up a bag of their beans, get a grinder and throw a filter into your coffee maker. The ratio: well to a pot of water in the machine I grind enough beans to fill the grinder. I like Starbucks; but, I also enjoy Mendocino Coffee brand...to add spice to the mix I love to add Irish Creme. If you have high cholesterol about 1/4 tspn of cinnamon isn't bad to add to the mix. And I religiously have at least one cup in the a.m. and if I get some peace and quiet to the mix it's a spiritual experience. hope this helps.

Answer 4

Do you like your coffee strong?

My favorite is chilling my coffee. It tastes really good. I take any coffee and put about 3 tablespoons of sugar with 3/4 - 4/5 milk. Then place in the fridge.

Answer 5

I totally get why this is in this section... coffee is a religious experience for me, too.


I use Folgers Columbian at home. In a GREAT Bunn Coffee Machine.

1 tablespoon of coffee per 2 cups of good cold filtered water.

Answer 6

We all make mistakes. Well personally I like Cafe Vienna from General Foods International. If you want espresso and coffee made at home, try these links:

For Espresso: www.espressocoffeesnobs.com
For Iced Coffee: www.diylife.com/2007/07/26/how-to-make-great-iced-coffee-at-home
For Cappuccino: ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Make-Your-Own-Cappuccino-at-Home&id=552823
And for a great cup: coffeeloversportal.com/57/how-to-make-a-great-cup-of-coffee-at-home

For coffee from the pot, no fuss:
Try going to the specialty section in your grocery store or go to coffee shops and buy there coffee and take it home.

Good Luck!!

Answer 7

Pastor Billy says: why not kill two birds with one stone, buy some of that fair trade coffee from the Catholic development and peace org. it tastes very good and helps the poors. see link below

You should also try flavored coffees if the taste just isn't right at home try the French vanilla blends or Hazelnut.

Answer 8

I love Seattle's Best breakfast blend. I like it strong so I use 1 HEAPING tablespoon per 2 cups....Yum, yum, yum! I use a Cuisinart grind and brew automatic coffee maker...(I got it for my wedding 4 years ago) I highly recommend you putting this item on your wedding registry! Best coffee machine I have ever had! :)

Answer 9

The best coffee would be either gourmet coffee or gourmet coffee freshly ground in a coffee grinder. Here are a few pretty good ones:

Seattle's Best Coffee
Newman's Own (I think it's organic)
or most any fresh ground gourmet coffee from Columbia, Belize, or Guatemala...

Answer 10

Try to get your hands on Douwe Egberts coffee.
Seriously. It's the best coffee there is, for a percolator.

You're trying to make coffee made with pressure machines, at home - that's not going to work, unless you get an espresso machine or similar - but bare in mind that 99% of the 'coffee' you buy in coffeeshops ...

Eh. it's just fake. Not really -fake-, but... not good, either.