Coffee – A Beginners Guide

As the title, looking for any recommendations/advice on making 'proper' coffee. Main requirements are small (living in uni halls so want to keep in room – not get abused by others), and on a low ish budget. Rather spend money on shiny bike bits!

I don't like instant, just tastes flat/plain (Douwe Egberts) to me. Filter coffee from home tastes good (from ground beans in a bag), but don't want a big unit when I'll just be making a cup at a time, plus too big for halls. Do I need to get a grinder and beans or does pre ground stuff taste alright?

I await the wide-ranging knowledge of STW with eager anticipation!

Pre ground is OK if you use it within a week of opening the bag. Beans are better, get a grinder (snobs will tell you it has to a burr grinder, ignore them, they are the same idiots who'll try to tell you that buffaloes are in fact Bison). And a mocha stove pot. You're set.

If you buy decaff you deserve all you get, really.

I guess it depends how far you want to go, personally I'm happy with using a cafetiere and pre-ground Tesco 'extra special' java coffee (kept in the fridge once opened in an air tight container). I don't pretend to be a connoisseur though (I like latte's from evil coffee company chains to :p ).

Keep the coffee in the freezer and it'll last longer. Obviously before you put it in the boiling water!

Whaddya want?

Filter tastes different to espresso.

Espresso is more of a faff to get right, and more expensive, but I prefer it. Its the basis of all the 'coffee shop' coffees – i.e.
espresso + hot water = americano
espresso + steamed (frothy) milk = capuccino
espresso + hot milk = latte
etc.

Pre-ground is fine, but might go off quicker(?)

Personally, at home I use a 'stove top' coffee maker, it's what the Italians use. If you are used to filter/cafetiere coffee it might taste a bit strong.

http://www.bialetti.it/uk/catalogue/scheda.asp?id_cat=24

Coffee is somwehere between cafetiere coffee and true espresso, IMO.

Oh, and if you are using an espresso machine or stove-top pot like I linked to, you will want to use finer ground coffee (usually labelled 'espresso') as it will behave differently (and taste nicer).

Ok, all useful info so far there! I think I would prefer to grind the beans myself, as I've found I prefer a stronger fresher taste.

Just spent a little while looking at the stove top coffee vids on youtube to understand how they work. Assuming the steam pressure when heated pushes the water up the filter spout? Also would it work alright on an electric hob? So they produce the 'creme' on the top of espressos like a proper coffee shop machine does?

With a cafetiere do you have paper filters or a built in filter? And how to you ensure the beans are coarse enough to use in it, just by timing the grinding, or by buying prepared ground beans designed for it?

Where's a good place to get good value beans from? Any old supermarket will do, or any brands in particular to look out for?

Geek alert …!

Easiest will be a cafetiere/press pot, with preground coffee. 1 decent spoonfull of coffee/person + one for the pot. Warm the cafetiere first, and use water that's just off the boil (30secs+) after it's boiled. Leave it with the plunger up for 4 or 5 minutes, then plunge and leave any sediment to settle for a minute or so, then pour.

Preground stuff is OK (nothing better) when it's fresh, but even after a few days it begins to taste stale. You'll get much better results from using whole beans and grinding on demand. Contrary to muggins up there, DO get a burr grinder. One for stove top or cafetiere doesn't have to be massively expensive, as it doesn't have to be as precise as an espresso grinder. The dualit one is pretty good.

A moka pot/stovetop is the other easy option, but you need access to a cooker.

Best tip I can give, is to find if there's a good local roaster near you and buy good, fresh beans from them regularly in small quantities (say a weeks worth) and use a good grinder, adjusted appropriately for the way you're brewing.
The rest of the gear is pretty irrelevant – you can make a pretty decent cup with a tea strainer if you want.

With a cafetiere do you have paper filters or a built in filter? And how to you ensure the beans are coarse enough to use in it, just by timing the grinding, or by buying prepared ground beans designed for it?

Cafetieres have built in filters.
You can adjust the grind coarseness on the grinder.

Where's a good place to get good value beans from? Any old supermarket will do, or any brands in particular to look out for?

Illy or Lavazza are OK from supermarkets. As I said, have a hunt about for a local roaster, or order online from Hasbean.co.uk

Aero Press – buy an Aero Press. Best one-cup-at-a-time solution by far. Cheap, robust, easy to use. We have most methods of coffee-making and this is the best for solo / travel use.

Where are you going to uni? Lots of places have local roasters – Bristol has Twoday Coffee for example – coffee roasted every 48hrs and they will grind it to your requirement.

Was just about to post about how amazing the Aero Press is.
Play have them cheap…

A stove top will be fine and dandy and produce acceptable results unless you want to enter the world of coffee (its a dear do believe me)

I would go for:

alessi

As for the coffee find a local shop which grinds to order and buy little and often.

Keep it in the fridge in an airtight container.

When you are ready get a second hand or refurbished gaggia classic machine and a quality burr (mill grinder)

fwiw I find the Illy coffee much nicer that Lavazza. Try both (how much cash do students have now?)

If you like your faff and you use a cafetiere then still it after adding the water and then wrap the whole thing in a towel to keep it hot (as recommended by a friend that uses them). Personalty I would go for poppa's recommendation of the bialettti. They always seem more consistent

Surely we are talking one cup filter, straight into the mug?

A very good place to start, just right for a Halls of Residence.

Definitely go for a Bodium French press and a coffee grinder, easiest the best results for your money.

Helicopter blade grinders are OK, but burr ones do produce more consistently ground coffee.

May I hijack this to ask something. One of the mountainbike mags recently had an item about what I would call a screw together cafetiere powered by 12v from a car dash. This had been bought in Italy by a staffer but I have not been able to find anything on the internet. Does anyone know where these can be obtained?

Thanks

Lavazza and a stove top pot is my daily coffee of choice, Illy is nicer but is more expensive.

Lavazza and a stove top pot is my daily coffee of choice

Kicks like a mule at 4am. 😀

Another vote for a stove top Bialetti; I've got both the 1-cup and the 3-cup.

Try www. hasbean.co.uk

Stephen has awesome coffee, with you next day roasted to order and ground to your liking if don't have a grinder.

I agree with others for espresso, if you don't have the cash or space, £600 is min for decent heat exchanger machine, then stovetop is the one to go for.

Aero press is also great and very portable.

Chemex is much better than cafetiere and produces fantastic, clean results in whatever amount you want, just need a kettle.

The coffee is the most important thing.

Once you have had quality coffee, freshly roasted by someone who knows what they're doing there is no going back, you'll be on tea in the coffee shops rather than suffer their coffee and you will necer buy from a supermarket again, their coffee is a min 3months old.

stephen at has bean will grind to chemex if you ask him.

I'm with simonralli2 – keep it simple. And Lavazza Rossa or Ora (Red or Gold to you and me) is my current favourite, keeps for a week in an airtight container in the fridge which is about a packets worth at 2-3 mugs a day.

Keep the coffee in the freezer and it'll last longer.

I don't and wouldn't freeze it http://www.coffeeam.com/coffee-storage.html

What you need is one of these…..

😉

The trouble with doing it "properly" – i.e. grinding the beans – is that it's all a bit too much hassle and you may find yourself not bothering.

We use Black Lavazza and a Gaggia Classic machine at home, and a cafetiere when camping. Don't really like the burnt taste of stove tops.

But consider a little Nespresso machine and pods. A bit dearer but surprisingly good. Other benefits – small footprint and zero hassle.

Thank you swadey – I was beginning to think i was invisible there. Do halls of residences have ovens then? In ours all we had was a kettle and fridge. All food was catered.

Most retail coffee is suitable for a bodum type caffetiere.
If you want a really top notch crema then maybe grind your own or buy an espresso variety which is finer ground.
There are some really good preground coffees out there to choose from.
I use preground always in a Krups pumped espresso machine.

Bruneep's link says to NOT freeze coffee. I must say the link is talking rubbish. The oils in coffee will not degrade by freezing. From a chemists perspective the number one thing that will kill your coffee is oxygen. So keeping it airtight is important. The type of film used to make coffee packaging offers a good O2 barrier. Considering O2 molecules are much smaller than most macromolecules that would cause taint, I really would not worry about these getting through the bag. I don't freeze mine, but do keep in the fridge and roll down the bag top and hold with an elastic band.

one of these and Lavazza Rosso

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=bialetti&rlz=1R2SVEC_enGB374&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=8758883837429455824&ei=O-1qTI2OA82TjAeFvfh6&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC0Q8wIwAg#

And the Lavazza Rosso is on 2 for £4 at Asda 😀

Smartcafe cafetiere mug. Sub £10, works with any ground coffee, insulated mug, reusable filter. Little waste as you just make 1 mug of coffee as & when you want it.

Get one of those little two part Espresso pots, they use all around the med , that bubble up from below. Under a tenner for a decent one from Robert Dyas.
Coffee machines are for Cafes. Do it properly!

When making espresso in a stovetop, how much espresso do I then water down to make a mug? Are we talking a shot glass? 50:50? Something else??

I must say the link is talking rubbish

This is a short article discussing methods of storage for roasted coffee. This is based upon opinions and experience and has no scientific background whatsoever.

freezing coffee beans

Oh well whatever you say.

Wow, quite a widespread set of opinions. I think I'm just going to take the plunge and go for a grinder, try different beans to see what I like. As for the medium of enfusing the hot water with coffee essence, I'm still undecided about filter/stovepot/cafetiere route. More opinions/suggestions welcome!

I agree about the freezing aspect, that its unlikely to do noticeable damage. Sealed in an airtight ish box/bag I can't imagine much moisture/air getting to the beans and contaminating them.

I'm at Brunel in Uxbridge, moving into our (gf and I) own studio flat in halls on campus (double room with ensuite, and then a kitchen/lounge/desk in a similar sized room nextdoor), hence why size is an issue. Its self catered, so have an oven, eleccy hob, fridge, freezer, sink etc etc.

Anything decent equipment will get either nicked or broken in Halls – seriously, no point taking shiny stuff that you'll just worry about!
I'm not sure i'd bother with a stove top one, but they're cheap and do make it stronger than a french press.
French press is cheapest overall though & you can make a lot in one go, to keep you & your flatmates going 🙂

petrieboy – just whatever you prefer, at the end of the day you've got to be happy drinking it! Go halves to start with.

Illy in a stove top – job done

When making espresso in a stovetop, how much espresso do I then water down to make a mug? Are we talking a shot glass? 50:50? Something else??

A typical espresso bassed drink will have 1 or 2 shots of coffee topped up with water/milk/milk froth. This is prob circa 10 – 20% of the total drink volume.

Here's what i do –

stick the stove top pot (2 cup size) on the cooker

heat a mug of milk for 1 min in microwave

froth milk up with one of those cheap aerolatte hand held thingies

pour in coffee

(or u can heat half a mug of milk and top up with boiling water)

Tastes as nice as anything I've had from a machine, with the exception of my mate rod who spent about a grand on brewing gear and is an expert in the field

By the way, I can heartily recommend Marks and Spencer Espresso coffee – I really like it and its only £2.29. Makes really good espresso (IMO, of course).

Please guys try some decent freshly roasted coffee that isn't a million years old like most lavazza and illy/supermarket coffee, the taste difference is massive and much is over roasted as its an easy way of hyping lower quality coffee as 'italian roast'
Here's a link to a chemex

Chemex coffee brewer

I can't stand over-roasted coffee.

I'm a convert to the stove top and I grind my own beans when I can be bothered.
A one cup £10 stove top, using a 4/5 strength, will give you a pretty much perfect espresso or adding water and milk after, a good white.

There is much cockweaselness spoken about what beans to use, so I ignore it all and try allsorts until one fits. Mysore and Kenyan pea at the mo, don't you know 😀

Kept in freezer is the way

Whatever you get make sure it does 2 cups of coffee. This is important for two reasons:

1) Deadlines, when one cup aint enough caffeine
2) When you've asked someone back to your room for a cup of coffee 😉

+

+

=

Job Done