Coffee makers, ranked

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 03/22/2015 at 14:33 • Filed to: Coffee makers

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1. Traditional stove top espresso maker. Doesn't necessarily make the best coffee and a bit of a bother if you're in a hurry but just think of the theatricality and tradition. Tends to leak, you need a cooker to hand.

2. Home espresso machine. Easier to use than the traditional one, more choices in coffee types

3. Electric filter coffee maker. Pay enough and you can have your coffee waiting for you in the morning. How bad is that?

4. Cafetiere. Cheap and simple, just needs a kettle and you're good.

5. Nespresso or similar. Produces quite good coffee at a considerable price per cup.

TopSirloin > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 14:36

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The cheapest, and simplest.

KnowsAboutCars > TopSirloin 03/22/2015 at 14:41

4

Nope, this is.

Cé hé sin > TopSirloin 03/22/2015 at 14:43

8

Simplest and most expensive.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 14:47

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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TopSirloin 03/22/2015 at 14:49

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It is neither.

TopSirloin > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 14:50

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Well if you use it every day.

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 14:51

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We've got one of these. And yes, you can have hot coffee waiting for you in the morning when you get up. It's a cone filter, which I think is significantly better than the flat basket filter. I'm on my second one, though. The first one fried the electronics and led to a call to the fire department when I couldn't find the source of the burning smell.

ranwhenparked > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 14:58

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I have to say that I've very rarely had a bad cup from an old fashioned electric percolator. The problem with that is that I usually can't kill an entire pot myself.

For Sweden > ranwhenparked 03/22/2015 at 14:59

4

amateur

Flat Six > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 15:23

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This is my favorite - pour over. Simple, fast, cheap, and delicious. Home espresso can never measure up to the professional stuff even if you have a $4000 machine. However with a good grinder you can get top notch results with pour over.

TopSirloin > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/22/2015 at 15:24

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Best looking?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TopSirloin 03/22/2015 at 15:29

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I see where you're going with this

buford-t-justice > Flat Six 03/22/2015 at 15:32

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Grinder do you use?

Flat Six > buford-t-justice 03/22/2015 at 15:34

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Baratza Vario

promoted by the color red > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 15:37

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The Corvette of the coffee world. Plastic, American, yet incredibly nuanced.

Cé hé sin > promoted by the color red 03/22/2015 at 15:50

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That's just another variation of no. 4 though isn't it?

Anima > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 15:51

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3. Electric filter coffee maker. Pay enough and you can have your coffee waiting for you in the morning. How bad is that?

OR buy a cheaper one and one of these:

newsmctado > promoted by the color red 03/22/2015 at 16:02

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Ok. So I have seen these around. The super trendy/expensive coffee shop downtown sells them and hype them a bunch. I tend to use a French Press. What is so great about this? Not trying to be snarky. Honestly want to know.

Agrajag > ranwhenparked 03/22/2015 at 16:03

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I have an ancient one and that thing has your coffee ready in just minutes.

I also have the same problem where unless there are other people I'm going to be wasting coffee.

not mine but similar.

Agrajag > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 16:05

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If I have company I'll use my electric percolator or french press. Otherwise instant is just fine for me.

Delusion77 > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 16:21

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French press is the best for me but if I am making a lot then I use a simple pour over filter and if im making a specialty coffee then a moka pot is all I can afford.

KirkyV > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 19:03

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Not really, though they are similar in principle. I have a French press and an Aeropress, and they produce very different kinds of coffee; I appreciate the rich oiliness of the French press's brew, but the Aeropress' relatively clean, espresso-esque brew is good too, and works very well with milkier coffees. I think if I'm just having black coffee, I prefer the French press, but if I'm making, say, a latte, I'll go with the Aeropress. It's a lot easier to clean, too—it essentially cleans itself as you plunge, so all you have to do is eject the 'puck' of grounds and rinse the rubber end.

The difference in brewing time is significant, too. The French press takes a few minutes, while the most commonly used Aeropress method takes seconds.

Cé hé sin > KirkyV 03/22/2015 at 19:09

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People call cafetieres French Presses outside America? I've only ever heard the term on this site.

KirkyV > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 19:14

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I tend to switch between the two, depending on who I'm talking to. I first heard the term 'French Press' used by my very English grandparents.

DipodomysDeserti > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 19:53

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The Turkish coffee pot. For when you're in the mood for some coffee syrup.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 20:02

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I use a really cheap version of #3. I always have good coffee with it because I buy good coffee.

Also there is another type of coffee method... Greek style. That's where you take a simple small pot, put in the coffee grounds and water and just boil it like that. Then you wait for a few minutes to let it settle and then pour off the top, leaving the boiled up coffee grounds on the bottom.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Agrajag 03/22/2015 at 20:03

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Instant coffee like that typically tastes terrible to me.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > DipodomysDeserti 03/22/2015 at 20:03

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The Greeks do it that way too.

Agrajag > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 03/22/2015 at 20:11

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I certainly prefer ground over instant, but as with many things, ease often trumps laziness.

Not all instants are equal either. I generally like Maxwell House, were as Sanka or Folger's can rot in hell.

DipodomysDeserti > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 03/22/2015 at 20:16

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A lot of Balkan countries too.

promoted by the color red > newsmctado 03/22/2015 at 22:51

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More adjustable variables. For instance, you can pour water with it inverted and let it steep, pour water without it inverted and push the coffee through immediately. Some people stop pushing the plunger at the first hiss, some like to go all the way. And of course, you can tweak water temperature, brewing time, and grind size like any coffee maker.

It's also dirt cheap. I paid about $25 for mine shipped to my front door with 1000 filters.

This leans closer to the espresso end of the spectrum (it's not quite espresso) and, as such, works well with find grinds. The French Press allows more oils to remain in your coffee and does NOT work well with fine grinds - unless you like your coffee with pulp.

promoted by the color red > Cé hé sin 03/22/2015 at 22:57

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Sort of. Going back to the sports car analogy, it's like the difference between the Corvette and the MX-5 - two different ways of achieving the same goals. The French Press allows more oils to remain in the finished drink while the Aeropress leans closer to the espresso end of the spectrum. In a related note, DO NOT use fine grinds in a French Press.