Coffee purists keep telling me I'm compromising flavor by using a coffee machine. A French Press is the only way to go, so I broke down and bought a Bodum Columbia Thermal 48-Ounce Stainless Steel model.
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I know lots of people up here that have presses... and then they go out and buy Starbucks-brand bags in grocery stores or, god forbid, Folgers in one of those giant coffee cans.
Posted by: Jesse Menn | May 24, 2009 at 10:38 AM
You can't mate a French Press with philistine coffee. If I had the bucks, I'd have Stumptown of Portland mail me dark roast coffee every week. The Costco and Trader Joe's brands are good enough for me.
Posted by: Jeffrey McMahon | May 24, 2009 at 10:43 AM
My wife has small french presses that are glass and plastic bodies----water can be microvaved right in in its own carafe before coffee is pressed. I don't mind some coffee grounds (or is that grinds) in my cup. A good compromise is a perculator, which still beats and automatic drip. If you must do automatic drip, "Mr. Coffee" makes the best ones in my opinion.
Posted by: Angelo | May 24, 2009 at 05:56 PM
I've never used a press. My choice is the good old percolator. I don't consider myself a coffee snob, meaning good old Folgers is fine for me. The fancy coffee is fine for the occasional treat. :)
Posted by: Scooby214 | May 24, 2009 at 06:29 PM
Scoob: I agree with you---and I like Chock Full O Nuts out of the can, or Maxwell House, Folgers, etc. But one thing to remember is that all mass market cans now grind for automatic drip coffee (i.e. intended for paper filters). If you can find a coffee shop where the teenager knows what they're doing, grinding specifically for a perculator gives you dry coffee that is more coarse---better for the metal filter in a perculator. But the ADC coffee works good enough in a perculator and like I said, I don't mind grinds/grounds in my cup.
Posted by: Angelo | May 25, 2009 at 05:02 AM
I can still find coffee locally that is ground for percolators. Having a few grinds in my coffee is okay for me as well. When we set up camp, we use an old percolator over a fire. Having a few grinds in that coffee is the least of our worries. The trick then is to get it hot enough to brew, but not so hot as to scorch the coffee.
Posted by: Scooby214 | May 25, 2009 at 07:28 AM
The best widely available coffee I've been able to find is Peets -- by far. Chock Full O Nuts is supposed to be the best of the generic tin of coffee brands, but I've never had it.
Posted by: Jesse Menn | May 25, 2009 at 08:58 AM
You can smell the warm fresh French roast Costco coffee beans. They are irresistible.
Posted by: Jeffrey McMahon | May 25, 2009 at 09:11 AM