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I can understand how people can read an article like this and think it's too much work or money to get a good cup of coffee. And many folks, including lots of p
by tmoertel 13y ago
I can understand how people can read an article like this and think it's too much work or money to get a good cup of coffee. And many folks, including lots of programmers, view coffee as a utility beverage and are okay drinking anything that's drinkable. It's for these people that I wrote "The Coder's Guide to Coffee," [1] aiming for the sweep spot of cheap, easy, and pretty damn good.
Although I wrote it in 2002, the recommendation hasn't changed:
1. Buy only whole-bean coffee roasted within the last few days.
2. Grind it fresh, just before brewing. (Yes, a cheap "whirly blade" grinder is fine.)
3. Brew it in a French press or a pour-over filter using fresh water, off the boil.
That's it, in a nutshell.
I've gotten criticism for claiming that a cheap blade grinder is fine, but it's true. You can make better coffee using a better grinder, but just using any grinder lets you ditch pre-ground coffee, which is almost always stale, and switch to brewing with fresh coffee, ground on the spot. That one change produces a huge jump in quality. And I'd rather you experience that jump, even if you can't justify more than $10 on your grinder.
The other thing I'd add is that if I had written the Guide today, I probably would have included the AeroPress. It makes really good coffee, but there's a bit of a learning curve before it becomes an easy, reliable brewing method.
[1] http://blog.moertel.com/posts/2002-04-25-coders-guide-to-coffee.html http://blog.moertel.com/posts/2002-04-25-coders-guide-to-cof...
- matt__rose 13y agoI don't even think you need the french press. My method for making fantastic coffee is simple Buy fresh-roasted beans Grind, then immediately.. Throw in a standard drip coffee-maker. Have my morning shower. Enjoy
- shoover 13y agoNot bad. Agreed on fresh-roasted beans being the most important factor. The smell of stale preground coffee drip brewed can ruin my day, but fresh ground brewed the same way isn't so bad. Still, I prefer the pourover/Aeropress style and if given the option will the standard drip machine as a pourover conversion. Just swing open the filter basket, put the coffee in a standard filter, and pour over hot water, letting it drop down into the carafe or a mug. Make it concentrated and top off with water.
- tripzilch 13y agono stirring? I always stir while the water is seeping through my pourover. i should probably do some taste testing on that myself, but it seems most logical that you need to stir at least once, to make sure all the coffee gets wet.
- shoover 13y agoI stir in the aeropress but not the pourover. I basically use this technique: http://stumptowncoffee.com/brew-guides/chemex http://stumptowncoffee.com/brew-guides/chemex.