Coffee

[captain ron]

I finally after 47 years picked up my first bad habit  .... Drinking Coffee, well a cup of french vanilla creamer and a half pound of sugar with a splash of java. I'm so dumb to coffee making the first time I made coffee was last May when I was dating the Kanuc. I made coffee every morning for the new love of my life while she was still in bed. The last day when we were cleaning up my friends cottage she took the coffee filter out of the coffee maker to clean it and it had no grounds in it. She asked what happened to the coffee grounds and I replied I don't know it was like that the past 3 days. She looks at the coffee jar....... it's instant

So today I make a pot of coffee using Folgers which sucks, because I'm out of Harley Davidson coffee which is surprisingly good. but had to pour it out it was so strong it couldn't be doctored up even with tons of cream and sugar. My question is  How do you make perfect coffee?

[Lee Bradley]

First don't use any coffee from a tin can or a plastic can.

Do find a coffee shop in your area that sells coffee beans and try a number of their varieties; right now I'm drinking Sulawesi. Ask their advise on how much coffee to use per cup. Try to stick with that ratio if the coffee is too strong for your taste (your taste will change) try a different variety or roast.

I am a snob when it comes to coffee and whisky; I buy good stuff and don't cut it.  No sugar, cream or flavorings if you do go ahead and buy the cheap stuff.

I don't drink that worldwide brand from Seattle as they burn their coffee to my taste.

[HighTechRedneck]

Coffee is a very subjective thing.  It's hard to find two people in one group that prefer the same brand and strength.  The best thing to do is try a variety of classes/brands/blends, brewing each one at several different strengths.  Taste each one straight up and with various flavorings.  You will eventually find the "one" for you.  It will take time but when you find your favorite, it will have been worth it.

Personally, I like Folgers Custom Roast, using 4 rounded tablespoons for a standard 10 cup auto drip coffee maker.  I drink it straight up without any additives.  Before I tried the Custom Roast, I used to like the Columbian Roast best.

[Dallas]

mmmmmmmmmmm, ................. COFFEE ............... mmmmmmmmmmmm

Ron,

What Lee said is true, so is what HTRN said.

Our coffee drinking preferences are very different.

Personally, I like to grind my own beans in a little grinder I got at a flea market. The coffee I use, mostly, is the whole bean, Hawaiian coffee from Sams Club, but your local grocery store also carries different brands of whole bean coffee such as EightO'Clock and Millstone.
If I have to use preground coffee I prefer Folgers "Special Roast" or "Colombian", but have been known to buy whatever is on sale, just to get me by.
I really like my coffee and since I don't drink much alcohol anymore, I drink even more. I usually have between 2 and 3 pots before Cat gets up in the morning and always have a pot going during the day. It doesn't have a chance to get old, but then I have been known to drink 3 or 4 day old coffee quite often too.

In my "normal persons" drip coffee maker, I use 2 heaping 1/8th cup scoops per 10 cup fill. Remember, that's 10 6oz. coffee cups, not 8oz. measuring cups.
In my 12 cup percolator, (An antique that sits on the stove), I use 3 heaping 1/8th cup scoops. ( For some reason, it takes more coffee grounds to make good coffee in that thing, but it always tastes better). In my 42 cup coffee Urn, On sale at Wally's, I use 6 heaping 1/8th cup scoops.

As you can see there really isn't any rhyme or reason to the amount of coffee that goes in to the pot, and you'll just have to experiment with amounts for youself.

[larryc]

For the best tasting coffee with minimum oils, acids and sediment try the cold water method of brewing coffee.

See www.4csons.com/filtron

[WEC4104]

I love my coffee, too.  I am sure lots of folks will weigh in with suggestions for brands, quantity to use, and other techniques.

I'll limit my comment to one area... the water.  I find the water you start with is very important.  Any impurities or chlorine taste (city water) seems to get magnified when you make it into coffee. Starting with pure, fresh, cold, water the best and easiest thing you can do.  

WEC4104

[zimtok]

They have these great new coffe makers that make one cup at a time.
It uses a coffee packet so there is no measuring and no mess. and great if one or two cups is all you need.
But it is a bit more expensive.

[skihor]

Try Sumatra coffee. Full body, low acidity. I prefer the Boengi (sp). Just ask at a coffee place for full body, low acidity, grind your own beans and experiment.

Don & Sheila

[Busted Knuckle]

I like my coffee exactly opposite of my women! Black and bitter (just for you smart allics I like my women white & sweet) And I like my coffee straight from Columbia (Jaun Valdez delivers it personally while making his regular deliverys LOL! He uses my coffee to hide the scent. LOL.) BK 

[brojcol]

 

Uh, I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I like the International Foods Coffee French Vanilla. 

My wife calls it "fag" coffee.

Here at work, my assistant was in the Marine Corps and he makes the best coffee in the world.  He uses regular Folgers and puts a dash of cinnamon into it.

[Dreamscape]

I don't like Starbucks, too burnt for me.

I like Folgers, any kind. My wife likes it stronger than mine, so guess who wins! It's really all about personal preferance. Everyone is differant.

Most of the time I just drink whatever is around and not complain.

I agree with using clean, cold water. Preferably not city water.

Next proper post might be HOW TO MAKE A NIGHTCAP

Happy Trails,

Paul

Dreamscape

[NewbeeMC9]

Rumor has it that it's the smell of the coffee that is more important in the morning than actual drinking it

[FloridaCliff]

Paul,

You hit it right on the head.   Its the water.

I brought a gallon of my own natural water from deep beneath the Florida aquafer to work and everyone thought it was a new brand of coffee.

Same ole Folgers.

Cliff

[HarLee]

 ;D3Scoops of Yuban and well water and a 12 cup perculater and - it works for me - Harry

[niles500]

Ron - why would you screw up when you had such a good thing going - there obviously was no complaint about your "brew" - you should have told her it was "magic" coffee and leave it at that - sheesh, we'll never get you hitched!