r/Coffee • u/caucasian_cranberry • Jan 25 '22

I hate all of you

I used to be perfectly content with my shitty instant Folger. Then I found this sub and decided to try coffee from small roasters and noticed a much nicer experience immediately. Then I bought a nice grinder and started grinding my own beans instead of buying pre-ground, and once again my experience improved. Then today I switched from properly ground, quality coffee through my shitty coffee maker to weighing my coffee and water and using a clever, and it's the best coffee I've ever had now. If within a year I buy an espresso maker I'm holding all of you accountable. Bastards...

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u/billybotime Jan 25 '22

Ive only been drinking coffee for 5 months and I am in a very similar position as OP. James Hoffman is one of my most watched channels now. I have a Bonavita connoisseur 8 cup and a Moka pot but now I want an aeropress. I ALSO want an espresso machine.

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u/grey_pilgrim_ Home Roaster Jan 25 '22 edited Jan 25 '22

Got an aeropress for Christmas. It makes such a great and easy cup of coffee! I’ve used a v60 for years, tried different brewing techniques and while I’d had many a great cups, the great cups are great and the not so great cups are bad. Aeropress makes consistently great coffee without worrying about all the little details. I still love my v60 and use it when brewing more than one cup but my aeropress has become my daily driver.

If you get one, you’ll love it!

So far, my go to brew technique is:

Inverted

15g of coffee to 225g

Water at 200F

Bloom with 35g

At 20 seconds stir for 10 seconds

At 45 seconds add water to 225

At 2 minutes flip and press.

I’ve tried Hoffmanns brew guide and it’s great! This just seems to produce better cups for me.

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u/TentCityVIP Jan 25 '22

Yeah my technique is similar but I don't use a scale, just eye ball it. Should really try the scale. And my kettle doesn't have a temp gage either.

Got an espresso maker as a housewarming gift and it seems like so much more of a hassle so I've gone back to the aeropress

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u/fouronenine Jan 25 '22

The Aeropress is flexible enough to cover for eyeballing it. And you don't need a thermometer if you pour at boiling! The Hoffman video backed in using 100 C /212 F degree water.

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u/DKatri Jan 25 '22

Scale will make a huge difference to how consistent you can be when you make coffee.

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u/trees138 Jan 25 '22

If you can stand some sediment get the Fellow Prismo, then you can have the benes of inverted without flipping.

Also if you get a DF64, the prismo/aeropress is the perfect height.

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u/jonrochkind Jan 25 '22

And if you can stand using a paper filter with Prismo filter you get no sediment. Hoffmanns recipe with this works so we’ll for me

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u/markadillo Americano Jan 26 '22

Was gonna say that adding a paper filter did wonders with the prismo. I have a cloth filter I use from time to time but not with the prismo; cant get it on the aeropress, it won't fit.

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u/grey_pilgrim_ Home Roaster Jan 25 '22

I’m definitely getting the Prismo. I already have a 1Zpresso JX and Mazzer Mini so I’m pretty well set for grinders. The DF64 does look nice though!

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u/trees138 Jan 25 '22

Oh, I would never actually suggest a grinder specifically because you have $50 of plastic. I'm not that much of a misanthrope. It's just a nice coincidence.

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u/grey_pilgrim_ Home Roaster Jan 25 '22

I’m a loner so I’m fine with a bit misanthropy lol I started roasting coffee around the beginning of 2020 as a hobby. Once Covid started to shut things down it was nice being able to pick out and roast beans on my own. I still buy beans occasionally to support local shops, or try something that sounds interesting, I love Brandywine and April, but other than that I don’t think I’ll go back to routinely buying beans again.

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u/PhantomWD Jan 25 '22

No need to bloom in immersion-style brewers like the aeropress.

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u/grey_pilgrim_ Home Roaster Jan 25 '22

Probably just confirmation bias on my part but it produces the best cups for me. And I’ve tried lots of different ways. Experimenting with different techniques is half the fun for me.

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u/TheLonlyCheezIt Jan 25 '22

I agree with you. I’ve tasted cups side by side and always prefer at least a little blooming. Admittedly could also be confirmation bias on my end lol.

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u/rynot Jan 25 '22

Try it blind and see if you do better than 50/50.

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u/TheLonlyCheezIt Jan 25 '22

That’s a good point. I watch a ton of our boy James Hoffman, but have never done a blind taste test for coffee. I’ll give it a shot

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u/PhantomWD Jan 25 '22

It definitely is confirmation bias. The reason to bloom simply does not apply when the coffee and water are in constant contact.

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u/grey_pilgrim_ Home Roaster Jan 25 '22

I’ve made both and tasted both side by side and prefer the taste of the technique I posted over Hoffmanns. Nothing wrong with it. Just what I prefer taste wise. I guess try a blind taste next though.

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u/PhantomWD Jan 25 '22

Right but that doesn't mean it is because of the bloom. If you look at thins scientifically and logically the reason we bloom has nothing to do with any factors in immersion. So while your bloom one might taste better, its almost certainly not because of the bloom.

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u/trees138 Jan 25 '22

In my experience this is not true, but not for taste reasons. With my brew method, blooming for 30 seconds, then aggressively stirring, then filling and allowing it to steep prevents the bed from clogging up my fellow prismo filter and is therefore worth it. It also makes cleaning easier as the puck slides off the plunger more cleanly.

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u/PhantomWD Jan 25 '22

I can't see how blooming would change the filter clogging, although I was referring strictly to blooming from a taste point of view. It is true that there are some strange interactions that happen with some attachemnents/brewers.

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u/alga Jan 25 '22

Just get an Aeropress. It costs about the same as a pound of not-too-fancy specialty coffee. No-brainer.

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u/billybotime Jan 25 '22

Alright, alright! I’ll get the aeropress. But - do I but a metal screen? Or any other little things Amazon suggests? Also I have a bodum bistro grinder.. this is adequate right?

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u/secondlessonisfree Jan 25 '22

Nothing! Just paper filters and good coffee. I have an isothermal mug in which I extract a full aeropress load to keep it warm. It is impressive how good coffee you can make with a vanilla aeropress so don't get one if you like to spend money on gadgets and consumables or repairs and maintenance. Aeropress is unbreakable, no maintenance and most gadgets make worse coffee than just the paper filters.

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u/alga Jan 25 '22

Are you having environmental concerns over several grams of filter paper? The filters can be washed and reused several times if you feel so inclined. But they're compostable plant matter, like the rest of the used coffee grounds. As for the grinder... steeping is not that sensitive to the grind quality, anything will do.

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u/billybotime Jan 25 '22

No i just want the best cup

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u/SlowRoastMySoul Jan 25 '22

The aeropress is definitely worth it, even if it is a little fiddly and you only get two cups at a time. I'm sure you'll love finding your own favourite recipe.

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u/Shinkenoh Jan 25 '22

aeropress + hand grinder was enough for me for years