Author Topic: Coffee  (Read 12691 times)

keyvaluepair

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Coffee
« on: August 27, 2020, 12:30:46 PM »
I've found the cheapest way to get good coffee is to roast it yourself.

I source beans from greencoffee.coop or Happymug, though I get more from the coop. I use a popcorn popper to roast at the desired temperature. Informally it seems that the cost of green beans can be 3-5x cheaper than the comparable roast since these are high quality beans.

This is my third year roasting and I regret why I didn't start earlier

moneypitfeeder

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2020, 05:41:05 PM »
I looked at greencoffee.coop and there was no way to view prices/coffee available/options, and there was no way to see that information. Do you need to be registered just to view the posts? I realize you need to be registered to post, but just to check it out, that seems ridiculous.

LetItGrow

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2020, 06:20:13 AM »
I’ve been interested in this myself. Hope others with experience give their stories.

keyvaluepair

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2020, 02:29:57 PM »
I looked at greencoffee.coop and there was no way to view prices/coffee available/options, and there was no way to see that information. Do you need to be registered just to view the posts? I realize you need to be registered to post, but just to check it out, that seems ridiculous.
Yes, need to be signed in. This site is completely volunteer driven, so they don't have a lot of IT bandwidth. Just saying

moneypitfeeder

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2020, 09:28:04 PM »
@keyvaluepair do you mind posting a few examples of cost per lb? I realize that cost might shift often, but I also don't want to sign up for yet another site that I don't use.

keyvaluepair

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2020, 07:33:13 AM »
Right now, pickings are slim, we are waiting for some single origin Guatemala to show up, but:
==
  • Brazil Peaberry Natural
  • Brazil Peaberry semi-washed
  • Brazil Red Bourbon semi-washed
All are single origin, eco coffees. Cost $3.50 a pound. Farm is Gerezin Farm (Ivan Caxeta).

I like the red bourbon and the peaberry natural quite a bit as an espresso base. There have been exceptional Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees I've bought from the site. Generally, the price is about $1 a pound cheaper than happymug - which is my other buying site.

maisymouser

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2020, 11:40:08 AM »
Oh, cool! Posting to follow. I have *really* gotten on the coffee train this past few years. I don't have high-end tastes when it comes to coffee, though I do love and enjoy the "good" stuff. I have an air popper for my popcorn (best $16 appliance investment ever) so I will totally have to check this out... when my current coffee runs out.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2020, 11:41:46 AM by maisymouser »

maisymouser

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2020, 11:40:49 AM »
@keyvaluepair do you mind posting a few examples of cost per lb? I realize that cost might shift often, but I also don't want to sign up for yet another site that I don't use.

Amen to that, thanks for asking. Signing up for free to view prices is one of my pet peeves. And thanks @keyvaluepair for obliging.

the_gastropod

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2020, 11:47:46 AM »
Ahhh I’m really interested in trying to roast my own beans. But I live in a small studio apartment in a highrise building, so no outdoor space to let the chaff fly. Any pro tips for taming the mess indoors?

eyesonthehorizon

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2020, 03:41:13 PM »
Containing chaff: damp cloth in the airstream of the outlet end could help, but I might start looking for outlets at the park... or roast on the burner in a whirly-pop, although I'm not sure how much smoke you get as I've only daydreamed about this so far.
Thanks for the suggested green coffee sources, keyvaluepair!

moneypitfeeder

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2020, 06:09:22 PM »
Thank you @keyvaluepair for posting examples. I'll have to research what is involved with the roasting/chaff/safety, I naively thought you could just roast them in the oven.

sparkytheop

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2020, 10:28:04 PM »
When motivated, and it's a windy day, I also roast my own.  I use a whirly-pop.  Took a few tries to get the right heat and timing down, but even my worst results were pretty good.  When I'm not motivated, I use beans from Costco.

I'll have to check out that site, seems cheaper than what I've used.  5 oz pre-roast weight became 4.1 oz after roasting, but the beans expand and take up more room (6 oz volume became 8 oz volume).  Now I just fill my container about 2/3 so that it all fits after it's roasted.

Syonyk

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #12 on: September 26, 2020, 12:12:16 PM »
I keep trying to insist to people that my hand-ground, single cup Aeropress coffee is just because it's convenient, not because I'm a coffee snob, but... nobody seems to agree with me.

What's the price on green beans?  I tend to splurge on the beans and I buy from various people I know who've gotten pretty far into roasting - it doesn't impact my bottom line meaningfully to spend a tiny bit more on beans and support someone's small business.  I spend a few dollars a week on coffee, but it's real, honest, single source coffee, not "a milk and sugar based meal with coffee flavoring" as seems popular...

alienbogey

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2020, 12:07:17 AM »
i started roasting with a $3 thrift store air popper, then I kept modding it, then when i was sure i really liked roasting I splurged on a Gene Cafe roaster.

I buy my beans online from Sweet Maria's. 

Dicey

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2020, 06:47:06 AM »
I looked at greencoffee.coop and there was no way to view prices/coffee available/options, and there was no way to see that information. Do you need to be registered just to view the posts? I realize you need to be registered to post, but just to check it out, that seems ridiculous.

@keyvaluepair do you mind posting a few examples of cost per lb? I realize that cost might shift often, but I also don't want to sign up for yet another site that I don't use.
Wait, is this the Share Your Badassity section of the MMM Forum, home of the Original Facepunch? That's a lot of whinging over a few keystrokes.

ericrugiero

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #15 on: October 04, 2020, 02:27:06 PM »
Cool.  The greencoffee coop seems like a good source.  I've tried roasting my own a couple times with both a whirly pop and just a pan on the side burner of grill.  It's really not that hard but there is a learning curve to recognize when the beans are "done" to your liking.  The only place I've ordered is from amazon at about $6.50/lb including shipping. 

mntnmn117

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #16 on: October 09, 2020, 12:29:27 PM »
If you roast in popcorn air popper can it still be used for popcorn?

GuitarStv

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #17 on: October 09, 2020, 12:56:44 PM »
The cheapest way to get coffee is to only drink the free stuff in your office . . . and just not drink it otherwise.

nereo

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #18 on: October 09, 2020, 01:37:04 PM »
If you roast in popcorn air popper can it still be used for popcorn?
Not really.  The oils in the beans will permanently tinge popcorn with a coffee flavor... and not in a good way (trust me, I thought "coffee-infused popcorn" would be good,,, but it just tastes vaguely bitter and burnt).  If you still want to make popcorn you'll need a dedicated air popper.

Another method you cna use is just to roast beans over the stovetop in a dry skillet.  You need to constantly move the beans to avoid scortching but it works well with zero stuff to buy (other than the beans).

diapasoun

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #19 on: October 09, 2020, 03:39:37 PM »
Oh no. I don't need another hobby. This is so tempting though. I don't drink a ton of coffee, but this just sounds fun. And if it lets me save on my beans...

Maybe I should request green coffee beans as a Christmas gift. :3


nereo

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #20 on: October 09, 2020, 04:47:16 PM »
Oh no. I don't need another hobby. This is so tempting though. I don't drink a ton of coffee, but this just sounds fun. And if it lets me save on my beans...

Maybe I should request green coffee beans as a Christmas gift. :3

I mean, as hobbies go, it's about as low cost, low commitment, low learning curve as you can get.

Just spend $3 on some green coffee beans and roast them in a dry skillet, making sure to stir constantly.  If you find you enjoy freshly roasted coffee... go NUTS and pick up an air popper at your local thrift shop.  OMG that's almost $10 invested!!

diapasoun

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2020, 05:20:46 PM »
Oh, the worry is definitely more about the part where I'm already overbooked time-wise on hobbies than it is about the money. I'll happily invest $10 (or even more! gasp!) in a hobby that brings me real joy.

It is, at least, very low commitment. That is good when you're not sure about time. ;)

sparkytheop

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #22 on: October 09, 2020, 05:33:28 PM »
The cheapest way to get coffee is to only drink the free stuff in your office . . . and just not drink it otherwise.

My work only provides bottled water because they have to (5 gallon jugs and dispensers, the well water tests positive for e coli and other junk a few times a year).  They will no longer provide cups to drink it with though, so there is no way they'd supply free coffee.

Besides, life isn't worth living if you have to give up every vice.  I'm happy keeping this one and just finding ways to keep it inexpensive.

cool7hand

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #23 on: October 10, 2020, 09:47:49 AM »
I agree with sparkytheop. Everyone should be free to implement MMM's suggestions to fit their own vision of FIRE.

JetBlast

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #24 on: October 23, 2020, 04:03:41 PM »
Could be fun if roasting your own coffee interests you. It does not for me and I’m ok with my current cost of ~$.26 per mug of coffee at home. The savings wouldn’t be worth the effort unless I enjoyed the activity itself.

nereo

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #25 on: October 23, 2020, 04:54:35 PM »
Could be fun if roasting your own coffee interests you. It does not for me and I’m ok with my current cost of ~$.26 per mug of coffee at home. The savings wouldn’t be worth the effort unless I enjoyed the activity itself.
Have you tried it?

Dicey

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #26 on: October 23, 2020, 07:23:24 PM »
Could be fun if roasting your own coffee interests you. It does not for me and I’m ok with my current cost of ~$.26 per mug of coffee at home. The savings wouldn’t be worth the effort unless I enjoyed the activity itself.
Or just quit coffee all together and save $1.82/week, $7.28/month, $87.36/year etc. And that's if you only drink one cup a day!


Pigeon

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #27 on: October 23, 2020, 07:37:37 PM »
Could be fun if roasting your own coffee interests you. It does not for me and I’m ok with my current cost of ~$.26 per mug of coffee at home. The savings wouldn’t be worth the effort unless I enjoyed the activity itself.
Or just quit coffee all together and save $1.82/week, $7.28/month, $87.36/year etc. And that's if you only drink one cup a day!

Not worth the cost of a divorce attorney.

maisymouser

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #28 on: October 23, 2020, 08:06:09 PM »
Could be fun if roasting your own coffee interests you. It does not for me and I’m ok with my current cost of ~$.26 per mug of coffee at home. The savings wouldn’t be worth the effort unless I enjoyed the activity itself.
Or just quit coffee all together and save $1.82/week, $7.28/month, $87.36/year etc. And that's if you only drink one cup a day!

It's a fair point @Dicey but even drinking 1-2 cups a day, I would happily pay $160 for the pleasure of that morning brew. One of those little pleasures that I'm not willing to sacrifice to retire one month early (or whatever the math would end up working out to).

That said, I had a no-coffee-challenge for myself to kind of reset/recalibrate my caffeine habit this week and it was quite successful. Looking forward to drinking less coffee overall moving forward.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #29 on: October 23, 2020, 08:12:52 PM »
Wow, I had no idea it was this easy to roast your own coffee beans. I may try this when I run out of Starbucks gift cards that I've been using to pick up free bags of dark roast beans.

Dicey

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #30 on: October 23, 2020, 08:58:54 PM »
Could be fun if roasting your own coffee interests you. It does not for me and I’m ok with my current cost of ~$.26 per mug of coffee at home. The savings wouldn’t be worth the effort unless I enjoyed the activity itself.
Or just quit coffee all together and save $1.82/week, $7.28/month, $87.36/year etc. And that's if you only drink one cup a day!

It's a fair point @Dicey but even drinking 1-2 cups a day, I would happily pay $160 for the pleasure of that morning brew. One of those little pleasures that I'm not willing to sacrifice to retire one month early (or whatever the math would end up working out to).

That said, I had a no-coffee-challenge for myself to kind of reset/recalibrate my caffeine habit this week and it was quite successful. Looking forward to drinking less coffee overall moving forward.
Dudes, it was a joke. But this exchange triggered a memory. I feel a Dicey TaleTM coming on...

I love the smell of good coffee, even though I don't drink it. Back in the late 80's, my roommate's boyfriend (now husband) used to work for a well-known coffee roastery in Beverly Hills. A man used to come in to their shop and collect their empty burlap sacks. They finally asked him what he did with them. Said he used them to groom horses and the horses loved the smell of coffee on the bags. One day, the man came in and gave them two tickets to the horse races at Santa Anita (google it). My friends were thrilled to discover they were tickets to the owner's private box. Yeah, the dude was no mere horse groomer. My friends placed a long shot bet and won $800. Nice return on those used burlap bags.

norajean

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #31 on: October 24, 2020, 05:47:39 AM »
There is no one size fits all solution for the coffee problem billions face every day. There are hundreds of solutions of differing cost, complexity and quality. Many people employ several and vary by day. We do pour over for single cups, thermal French press for more coffee, Korean instant for afternoon cups, and Italian hand pump for espresso.  We have tried Nespresso and Keurig, hoping the convenience justified the cost but found the quality severely lacking.

I’m ok with letting an expert do the bean roasting since there are so many around Portland.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #32 on: October 24, 2020, 07:42:59 AM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

nereo

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #33 on: October 24, 2020, 07:44:01 AM »
There is no one size fits all solution for the coffee problem billions face every day. There are hundreds of solutions of differing cost, complexity and quality. Many people employ several and vary by day. We do pour over for single cups, thermal French press for more coffee, Korean instant for afternoon cups, and Italian hand pump for espresso.  We have tried Nespresso and Keurig, hoping the convenience justified the cost but found the quality severely lacking.

I’m ok with letting an expert do the bean roasting since there are so many around Portland.

That just reminded me - apparently there's over 25,000 unique coffee drinks one can order at Dunkin alone...

What's Korean instant? 

nobody

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #34 on: October 24, 2020, 07:00:35 PM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

To add to this, another option is a Vietnamese coffee maker/filter.  The one I have is completely stainless steel and cost about $5.  It's good for making single cups of coffee.  It's a gravity fed contraption, so no electricity, also, no paper filters needed.

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #35 on: October 26, 2020, 09:52:37 AM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

To add to this, another option is a Vietnamese coffee maker/filter.  The one I have is completely stainless steel and cost about $5.  It's good for making single cups of coffee.  It's a gravity fed contraption, so no electricity, also, no paper filters needed.

That's funny you both mention switching to stainless steel filters from paper, as I've been recently contemplating the opposite. For the one or two cups of coffee I'll make a week I use a french press, and have the beans ground appropriately at the roasters. Despite getting the beans ground on a good quality machine (I assume!), I'll always end up with a bit of coffee sludge at the bottom, and have been considering getting some paper filters to run the coffee through after brewing to catch that. I've also read that the paper filters capture some of the oils from the beans that are linked with adverse blood lipid outcomes, but I don't know how solid the science is on that. If true, it would be another bonus to doing so. Do either of you have issues with coffee sludge with the stainless steel filters?

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #36 on: October 26, 2020, 10:56:11 AM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

To add to this, another option is a Vietnamese coffee maker/filter.  The one I have is completely stainless steel and cost about $5.  It's good for making single cups of coffee.  It's a gravity fed contraption, so no electricity, also, no paper filters needed.

That's funny you both mention switching to stainless steel filters from paper, as I've been recently contemplating the opposite. For the one or two cups of coffee I'll make a week I use a french press, and have the beans ground appropriately at the roasters. Despite getting the beans ground on a good quality machine (I assume!), I'll always end up with a bit of coffee sludge at the bottom, and have been considering getting some paper filters to run the coffee through after brewing to catch that. I've also read that the paper filters capture some of the oils from the beans that are linked with adverse blood lipid outcomes, but I don't know how solid the science is on that. If true, it would be another bonus to doing so. Do either of you have issues with coffee sludge with the stainless steel filters?

My reusable filter has really fine mesh, so I haven't had any problems with sludge. To me, it looks and tastes just as good as when I was using paper filters, except for the reduction in cost and environmental stuff.

nobody

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #37 on: October 27, 2020, 11:57:24 PM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

To add to this, another option is a Vietnamese coffee maker/filter.  The one I have is completely stainless steel and cost about $5.  It's good for making single cups of coffee.  It's a gravity fed contraption, so no electricity, also, no paper filters needed.

That's funny you both mention switching to stainless steel filters from paper, as I've been recently contemplating the opposite. For the one or two cups of coffee I'll make a week I use a french press, and have the beans ground appropriately at the roasters. Despite getting the beans ground on a good quality machine (I assume!), I'll always end up with a bit of coffee sludge at the bottom, and have been considering getting some paper filters to run the coffee through after brewing to catch that. I've also read that the paper filters capture some of the oils from the beans that are linked with adverse blood lipid outcomes, but I don't know how solid the science is on that. If true, it would be another bonus to doing so. Do either of you have issues with coffee sludge with the stainless steel filters?

No, I don't have issues with sludge.  I do bloom the coffee grounds first, which may help prevent that from happening.

Metalcat

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #38 on: October 28, 2020, 05:29:06 AM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

To add to this, another option is a Vietnamese coffee maker/filter.  The one I have is completely stainless steel and cost about $5.  It's good for making single cups of coffee.  It's a gravity fed contraption, so no electricity, also, no paper filters needed.

That's funny you both mention switching to stainless steel filters from paper, as I've been recently contemplating the opposite. For the one or two cups of coffee I'll make a week I use a french press, and have the beans ground appropriately at the roasters. Despite getting the beans ground on a good quality machine (I assume!), I'll always end up with a bit of coffee sludge at the bottom, and have been considering getting some paper filters to run the coffee through after brewing to catch that. I've also read that the paper filters capture some of the oils from the beans that are linked with adverse blood lipid outcomes, but I don't know how solid the science is on that. If true, it would be another bonus to doing so. Do either of you have issues with coffee sludge with the stainless steel filters?

A French press is very different. There will always be some degree of leakage with a French press, so you will always get sludge.

I don't know what metal filters others are using, but DH uses an aeropress with a metal filter and it's completely different than the metal mesh in the French press. It's also sealed, so there's no way for sludge to get through.

norajean

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #39 on: October 28, 2020, 05:35:05 AM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

Metalcat

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #40 on: October 28, 2020, 06:15:09 AM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

I use a French press, and I don't mind the sludge. DH hates it though.

ETA, I forgot to ask, @HMman are you asking to have your coffee ground for a French press? Because the grind is supposed to be much bigger than for drip coffee because the water spends so much time in contact with the coffee. It should almost be small chunks instead of powdery grounds. It makes a huge difference in the sludge amount as well.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2020, 06:18:37 AM by Malcat »

nereo

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #41 on: October 28, 2020, 07:04:54 AM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

I use a French press, and I don't mind the sludge. DH hates it though.

ETA, I forgot to ask, @HMman are you asking to have your coffee ground for a French press? Because the grind is supposed to be much bigger than for drip coffee because the water spends so much time in contact with the coffee. It should almost be small chunks instead of powdery grounds. It makes a huge difference in the sludge amount as well.

If you are feeling spendy, like French Press coffee but hate sludge, you might want to check out Espro brand.  <<facepunch for suggesting it!>>
It uses a double basket-filter instead of the normal circular disks, with a silicone gasket.  Manages to make a sludge-free cup of french press (or very close to it). But damn are they pricy, at 3x the cost of other insulated French Press coffee makers.  But basically a 'buy-it-for-a-really-long-time' kind of purchase.

HMman

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #42 on: October 28, 2020, 09:11:38 AM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

I use a French press, and I don't mind the sludge. DH hates it though.

ETA, I forgot to ask, @HMman are you asking to have your coffee ground for a French press? Because the grind is supposed to be much bigger than for drip coffee because the water spends so much time in contact with the coffee. It should almost be small chunks instead of powdery grounds. It makes a huge difference in the sludge amount as well.

Yes, the beans are ground for a French press. I also hate the sludge, and the little bit I get drives me nuts - I nurse my cup of coffee for a while, so it causes the last third or so to taste bitter and overbrewed. It's not a huge deal, but it bugs me enough that I'd like to get rid of it.

@nobody and @WhiteTrashCash I'm surprised to hear the stainless steel filters work as well as the paper ones, so I'll have to look in to that. Thanks!

Metalcat

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #43 on: October 28, 2020, 10:09:59 AM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

I use a French press, and I don't mind the sludge. DH hates it though.

ETA, I forgot to ask, @HMman are you asking to have your coffee ground for a French press? Because the grind is supposed to be much bigger than for drip coffee because the water spends so much time in contact with the coffee. It should almost be small chunks instead of powdery grounds. It makes a huge difference in the sludge amount as well.

Yes, the beans are ground for a French press. I also hate the sludge, and the little bit I get drives me nuts - I nurse my cup of coffee for a while, so it causes the last third or so to taste bitter and overbrewed. It's not a huge deal, but it bugs me enough that I'd like to get rid of it.

@nobody and @WhiteTrashCash I'm surprised to hear the stainless steel filters work as well as the paper ones, so I'll have to look in to that. Thanks!

Have you tried and aeropress?

HMman

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #44 on: October 28, 2020, 11:13:00 AM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

I use a French press, and I don't mind the sludge. DH hates it though.

ETA, I forgot to ask, @HMman are you asking to have your coffee ground for a French press? Because the grind is supposed to be much bigger than for drip coffee because the water spends so much time in contact with the coffee. It should almost be small chunks instead of powdery grounds. It makes a huge difference in the sludge amount as well.

Yes, the beans are ground for a French press. I also hate the sludge, and the little bit I get drives me nuts - I nurse my cup of coffee for a while, so it causes the last third or so to taste bitter and overbrewed. It's not a huge deal, but it bugs me enough that I'd like to get rid of it.

@nobody and @WhiteTrashCash I'm surprised to hear the stainless steel filters work as well as the paper ones, so I'll have to look in to that. Thanks!

Have you tried and aeropress?

I haven't, no. Seeing as it's sludge-free enough for your husband, it sounds like it would be worth a try. I'll start with a second filtration step first, though, and see if I can continue to get use out of my French press. It looks like Aeropresses are fairly inexpensive, but the less kitchen gadgets the better.

Metalcat

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #45 on: October 28, 2020, 12:43:39 PM »
What's wrong with sludge?  It rinses right out of the cup.

I use a French press, and I don't mind the sludge. DH hates it though.

ETA, I forgot to ask, @HMman are you asking to have your coffee ground for a French press? Because the grind is supposed to be much bigger than for drip coffee because the water spends so much time in contact with the coffee. It should almost be small chunks instead of powdery grounds. It makes a huge difference in the sludge amount as well.

Yes, the beans are ground for a French press. I also hate the sludge, and the little bit I get drives me nuts - I nurse my cup of coffee for a while, so it causes the last third or so to taste bitter and overbrewed. It's not a huge deal, but it bugs me enough that I'd like to get rid of it.

@nobody and @WhiteTrashCash I'm surprised to hear the stainless steel filters work as well as the paper ones, so I'll have to look in to that. Thanks!

Have you tried and aeropress?

I haven't, no. Seeing as it's sludge-free enough for your husband, it sounds like it would be worth a try. I'll start with a second filtration step first, though, and see if I can continue to get use out of my French press. It looks like Aeropresses are fairly inexpensive, but the less kitchen gadgets the better.

It makes very different coffee, it's closer to espresso, so it's pretty strong.

Samuel

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #46 on: October 28, 2020, 01:20:29 PM »
I don't drink coffee anymore but I do have an aeropress around for guests. People have universally been quite satisfied with the output. It does produce very strong coffee but since you have boiling water on hand anyways it's easy to cut it to the desired strength. Only real downside is if you need to make several servings at once since it takes a few minutes per cup.

HMman

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #47 on: October 28, 2020, 04:22:23 PM »
It makes very different coffee, it's closer to espresso, so it's pretty strong.

Hmmm, I do like my coffee strong. You're definitely selling me on this device, haha.

Just Joe

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #48 on: October 29, 2020, 02:35:44 PM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

We've made coffee like that too for a long time. BUT - possible cholesterol connection.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=coffee+cholesterol

Supposedly the paper filters help. We reserve the French Press or unfiltered coffee for the weekends now.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Coffee
« Reply #49 on: October 30, 2020, 07:02:53 AM »
If anyone is looking for another cheap way to reduce coffee costs, my wife bought me a reusable filter made from plastic and mesh for a couple dollars on Amazon and it's replaced my paper filters for over a year now. It works just as well and it not only saves money but also reduces paper waste in landfills. It's worth checking out if you don't already have one.

We've made coffee like that too for a long time. BUT - possible cholesterol connection.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=coffee+cholesterol

Supposedly the paper filters help. We reserve the French Press or unfiltered coffee for the weekends now.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I read some more about it and it appears to only be a concern for people who drink a lot of coffee each day. I generally have one cup on weekdays and two cups on weekends, so I think I'll be okay. I use a very small one person coffee pot, so the amounts I make are generally quite small.