I have tried various ways of making coffee and I conclude to my own taste that espresso made properly in a decent machine tastes the best to how I like it. Its hard to vouch for others.
This type of thing tends to open Pandora's box with opposing ends of the spectrum. The ultra hipster money to burn lobby who would wear white coats and make coffee in a vacuum sealed room with machines costing the price of a decent motorbike, then the others who just like to beat up on people of that ilk and vice versa.
Most of the people claiming that you can't make good espresso in a good home machine will have never had one and a lot of the other group will not want to go back and taste pressed or filtered coffee due to the stigma it might cause them in there peer group and the outlay they have in the equipment can also give a placebo effect to them.
Then you have me who buys a half decent home machine takes some time to get it right a few mods etc buys a half decent grinder and sticks with it as it tastes good. I have a modded up Gaggia Classic bought used and a Gaggia MDF grinder I can work it probably better than anyone so I get decent coffee, better than drip coffee or press, way, way, way better than instant! I'm happy in the knowledge I have tried most ways. I don't care my coffee tastes better than yours and my penis is 10 inches too and fat. It doesn't bother me you have a twin boiler machine costing a few grand and a grands worth of grinder equally as it doesn't some person using old fashioned ways of extracting coffee which I think have been superseded by machines for pure taste all things being equal. That doesn't mean a £20 french press is not advantageous in some ways ie cost, portability, reliability and speed. But to me it is a compromise like riding a hardtail all the time.
I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE ALL WRONG.
Repeat.
I think my coffee tolerance is pretty good, I know when it's shit but I don't know when it's better than "good".
I've always found the aeropress pretty much average / weak. I think filter coffee in a pot is slightly nicer personally and I've got one of those bodum insulated flask / coffee filters that I use a lot.
I bought a gaggia classic cheap and usually do a double shot into my cup and top up with water then milk... I think that makes a very good "drinkable" coffee without getting snobby (it's just lavaza red pre ground).. seems to have a good crema and tastes smooth yet strong.
It also makes good espressos.
My advice would be to get a classic second hand as they are bombproof and easy to make lots of styles of coffee.
If you're not that fussed just go for a plunge filter coffee and get rid of any hassle of paper filters.
One of these:
- https://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/brewers/products/chemex-gh
...with a lid.
Am I missing something, or is that just a forty quid jug? What do you do, put a filter paper in the top and pour the water through it?
