One

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Get some beans, and you'll have better coffee than 95% of campus.

If you want to move to a Chemex instead of the aeropress, you totally could, but remembering dorm life, I'd absolutely pick an Aeropress.

There is no products from brands. Everything on amazon is from alibaba and every brand is no deeper than a name and maybe a logo.
If you want a trick on Amazon, sort by highest rating and find something that looks good. Then sort by lowest price and look for the pictures, COMPLETELY IGNORING ALL REVIEWS. You'll find a picture that matches exactly the same product that was highly rated, but for less than half the price.

Here is an example:

https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543270477&sr=1-8&keywords=Electric+coffee+grinder


https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Coffee-Grinder-Adjustable-Consistent/dp/B078RW6QDJ/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543270500&sr=1-2&keywords=Electric+coffee+grinder

Here is a third one and probably a more accurate match

https://www.amazon.com/Umwon-Adjustable-Precision-Stainless-Traveling/dp/B07CCHBG76/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1543274929&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Electric+coffee+grinder

The Hario Mini MIll is the coffee grinder I'd suggest you go for on a student budget. It's hand-cranked and a burr grinder that's pretty popular on here as an affordable, quality grinder - it's just not suitable for more than one or two cups at a time if you don't want a hand cramp.
Looking at Amazon Germany, it seems to be 25 euros - http://www.amazon.de/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/
Perhaps keep an eye on it and see if the price drops? Over in the UK it's currently £22 on Amazon but I bought it for £13 back in August from the same retailer.

It works very well with a french press for me, the grind can be a bit inconsistent, but I've never found it to be detrimental to the quality of the brew. I'm sure many other folks can chime in on their experiences with the Hario Mini MIll as well.

Here's a pretty good setup if you're willing to get whole beans and grind them yourself:

French Press ($12), Hario Skerton hand grinder ($40) - if you have a pot to boil water in this is all the setup you'd need for great coffee at only $52.

If you don't have a pot, add on an electric kettle for $20 and you're still only at $72 total.

Bottom line is: not really.

Even the moderately good super-automatics start at 4 times the top of your budget ... and they come with plenty of problems of their own which will mean you're going to end up being disappointed in them.

In your budget, you can get yourself a decent hand grinder; a moka pot and a milk frother ... team those up with some decent fresh roast beans and you can get yourself a very acceptable cappuccino. If you spend just a little more and get an electric burr grinder, then you're going to find it a lot easier and faster to grind your beans and you'll use the moka pot more.

For what you're saying, I'd recommend going with: an Encore; a bialetti; and, matching milk frother. All those links are pulled straight from Amazon, but by all means shop around and you might get it down to your budget. As it is, that comes to around $200 - most of which is the grinder. Once you have that grinder, though, you open up a whole world of good coffee in the home.

Edit for link

Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder

Melitta Ready Set Joe Single Cup Coffee Brewer

Filters

That leaves you with about $12 to spare, which you could spend on some beans.

(This is my own setup btw, so I may or may not be biased. It is cheap though.)

That's a Hario burr grinder (dear god why do I know that?). Mostly used for coffee.

Edit: link to product
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

Get a hario skerton for $29...the one at world market is likely crap

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

My simple guide for UK beginners.

• Hario Mini Slim grinder
  
• Aeropress
  
• Decent coffee roasters house blend
  
  Don't waste your money buying fancy AA single estate small batch beans because you just won't get the best out of them. You want a reliable and inexpensive blend that doesn't need a chemistry degree and £300 worth of equipment to achieve good results every time.
  
  I would go as far as to recommend new comers just pick up some decent supermarket branded beans to practice your technique and figure out what type of coffees work for you. The when you become more confident with your method feel free to start exploring more luxury beans.
  
  

This goes two ways depending on whether you're lazy or willing to work for your coffee.

Are you a very lazy person?

Get some ready-made decoction from Amazon. Boil water, mix a little decoction. Done. It's much better than Nescafé.

Are you willing to put in some effort? You need to buy beans, grind them yourself and use an espresso machine.

Beans: Blue Tokai is very good, but expensive. I've heard Koinonia is good, too, but it is again expensive. Devans has good coffee and is cheaper, but are sometimes inconsistent on the roast. The Coffee Gatherer is probably the cheapest source of good beans, but they don't roast well at all. This may or may not matter very much to you.

Grinding mill: buy a dedicated burr grinder. Use it only for grinding coffee. I have this. It's good enough but you can buy bigger and more expensive ones.

Espresso machine: I have a Tecnora. It's cheap and very good, builds great pressure, makes great espresso. You can dilute the espresso to make Americano. Machines from other brands in the same price range don't build up enough pressure and make a very weak Espresso.

I also have an Aeropress which I used for years. People swear by it, as I did, but the espresso machine makes much better coffee. I also used a French press before. It makes gritty and bitter coffee, and leaves grounds in so it keeps brewing as it sits. If you tend to sip large cups over a long while French press coffee is the worst.

Jesus, you guys are the best!!! THANK YOU!!! I'm getting this one. I've been doing it wrong for too long. Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043095WW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_Df0kybY52HEEX

Baratza Encore ~$130 new. Check Baratza refurbished website from time to time

The Encore isn't the best but is a good starting electric burr grinder

Edit: links

Here's a really cheap grinder. I got it on Amazon for $20, so if you wait and watch, the prices might drop.

Depends on the store. Trader Joe's coffee is really good for the price. Whole foods is probably good too. I've heard got things about 8 O'Clock, a brand most stores carry, but I've never had it.

You should check out ceramic manual hand grinders! Basically a small, inexpensive, low investment, quick way to ensure fresh coffee!
I have a Beratza Encore now but I used a hand grinder for 18 months before I got it. The little hand grinders are honestly pretty amazing.

Brb with a link.



I am back.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517587258&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hand+grinder+coffee&dpPl=1&dpID=31OfOtErjNL&ref=plSrch

Not only that but, despite this incredibly long and detailed explanation, making your coffee better is really easy. Any one of these changes will make an improvement. Do all of them and you might never bother going out for coffee again.

1. Use whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. A good grinder doesn't have to be expensive.
   
2. Get a good drip maker. Cheap ones don't always hit the right temperature. I've had this one for years, and it gives me a great pot of coffee even from grocery store beans.
   
3. Make sure you're using the correct amount of coffee. A coffee scoop is 2 tablespoons. Use one scoop per cup. If you like your coffee bold (like I do), use one slightly rounded scoop per cup, and if you're making more than 6 cups, toss in one more.
   
4. If your tap water tastes funky, so will the coffee you make with it. Run it through a brita filter or something first.
   
5. This sounds snobby but bear with me - buy your coffee from a local roaster. It's really not much more expensive. Dunkin Donuts wants $9/lb, my local roaster has some varieties for $10-11/lb. It will be fresher and taste better.
   
   For 1 and 2, I'll admit that buying $110 in equipment just for your coffee is a lot, but both the drip maker and the grinder will last you for years and years and will give you better coffee the whole time. If it saves you from buying just one cup of coffee per week, it pays itself off in a year.
   
   The others cost very little, and will make an improvement immediately.

Hmm... if he just got a French Press for Christmas and is buying pre-ground then I would say to get him a burr grinder such as the Hario Mini Mill (amazon).

Basically, good coffee needs only a couple things and one of them is freshly ground and freshly roasted beans. It doesn't matter what coffee you brew if you didn't grind it freshly it won't be as good. The Mini Mill is also pretty affordable so you could pair that with a bag of freshly roasted coffee. If you don't mind buying things offline (ie, in the real world), then I would try and find a local roaster that you can drive to. Odds are if you're in/near a city you have one but may not know you do. You mentioned a particular place, they sound like a re-seller but likely they do get very fresh shipments (perhaps once a week since this is how my local shops work). If you would prefer to buy it online, then I can suggest Klatch Coffee Roasters in CA and Verve Coffee (also in CA). The former charges for shipping, but it's $5-$6 via USPS. The latter does not, which is fantastic if you're interested in ordering one bag of coffee. I wouldn't pay $5-$6 to ship one bag of coffee, but I would to ship two bags.

The important thing to remember with coffee beans is that you want it fresh. Ideally a couple days after being roasted, if not sooner, so you should be looking to buy this a few days before Valentine's.

From reading this subreddit for a couple days, this sounds like what /r/coffee would recommend:

• Grinder
  
  
• Aeropress
  
  
• Local, freshly roasted coffee (use internet to find local places that sell coffee right after they roast it)
  
  

Drink better coffee.
I started drinking black coffee when a friend bought me a grinder and an Aeropress. I started buying different beans from gocoffeego and now get 2 bags a month. Have never looked back to cream and sugar.

That's a pretty terrible grinder. Coffee snobs won't like it.

In this price range, for a coffee geek, you're better off getting them a nice cup, like this or a manual grinder like this. An AeroPress would be amazing as well.

A nutribullet probably uses blades like a spice grinder or blenders. You’ll get a huge difference in the consistency of the grind using a burr grinder. You can pretty easily get a manual burr grinder from amazon and even the cheap ones will be a lot better than a blade one. The Hario Skerton is on the less expensive side and will definitely be good enough for a french press starting out. Not sure what the price is like in Ireland though.

Hario Buono kettle and either the Hario Skerton or Porlex. Use the rest to buy a scale if you don't have one, or a pour over if you don't have one, or a bag of beans :)

For the best value, get a hand grinder. Electric you are paying for convience and the motor. Hand grinder usually has better quality to warrent the price. I recommend Lido 3 (best but a little expensive, $200), Porlex Mini, or Hario Skerton

https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/orphan-espresso/lido3

https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

I love my Encore:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK

This question comes up all the time. You really can't get a proper espresso machine, and moreso a proper espresso setup (grinder) for under 200 dollars. I'll give you some easy and horrific recommendations though because it seems that's what you're looking for.

I highly recommend the mypressi. If that's not your thing then look up an espresso machine on amazon and choose it based on price, rating, how it looks. It's not going to make real espresso, but whatever. As for your grinder, I recommend anything cheap which will grind fine grounds. This might work.

This all goes against how I view and see espresso, but oh well. This may work for you.

Thanks for the update. That's plenty of money to start.

The two big things you can do to drastically improve your cup is 1.) fresh WHOLE coffee beans (check the roast date); none of that pre-ground stuff. If you are looking for speed and cheap this is a decent grinder that will meet your needs, however if you have the time, (effort) and want to do it right. I would strongly recommend something like this. It is a burr grinder and will give you MUCH better results (rather than chopping beans you are actually grinding them. Burr grinder = squeezing out the best aromas and flavor into your coffee). You can buy one for ~$40 (along with ~$30 for a decent french press).. Get the beans whole and grind them before each use (two scoops of coffee per 6 ounces of water); don't let the beans sit for more than a month. They lose freshness and aroma/taste each day after it's been opened. 2.) use good water. You don't have to use bottled, Brita is fine or tap if you have good water.

and that's it. From there you can explore the types of roast you like, the different regions, blends, etc since you will be making consistent coffee each time this way (very few variables unlike many of the methods of brewing- but hey, isn't that half the fun? Although most would suggest getting a scale right away, I would recommend holding off. A scale can then help you fine tune your technique, but is IMHO a bit too complicated to start with. Instead, I would take the money saved and check out some good coffee shops in your area, particularly ones that roast their own coffee. You'll quickly learn what you like and what you don't.

Good luck, have fun and feel free to msg me if you have anymore questions.

Also: you can try to adjust the grind for the strength of your coffee (to taste). More fine = stronger. More coarse = less strong. That will affect not just the strength, but also the body and "mouth feel" of the coffee (if you do go with a french press, you want a "coarse" grind).

The Harios are decent hand-grinders

• [Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ and also the Skerton)
  
  
• Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill
  
  ... but since it's a gift, electric is a very nice thing to have if you're up early in the morning:
  
  
• [Capresso 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder] (http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-Infinity-Conical-Grinder-8-5-Ounce/)
  
  There are others for under a hundred, but this is an ok place to start.

I'd go for an aeropress. It's what got myself, and later on my girlfriend, into coffee, and it's pretty cheap. It will make a strong, small batch of coffee each time, somewhere between an espresso and a french press (in my opinion).

I'm guessing the macchiatos your fiance is talking about is the Starbucks variety. Macchiatos are supposed to be an espresso shot with very little milk added.

Anyway, continuing on the assumption that the drink she likes is 1-2 shots of espresso and a mug of foamed milk (and flavoring), I would start by making a copy of that at home with the aeropress.

The way I did that is I'd warm up a mug of milk while I'm boiling the water, and use a handheld frother to froth the heated milk. (This won't create the same caliber of foamed milk as you'd get from an espresso machine/steamer but I'm guessing you don't want to drop the cash on one quite yet)... Once the milk is frothed and the water is heated I'd add freshly ground beans(important that they're fresh!) to to the aeropress, and then water, and brew the coffee right into the mug of frothed milk.

At this point you have a pretty close replica to a latte. Since you are newcomers to coffee, you might want to add some sort of flavoring to it. I rarely do, but when I did, I'd just add a little vanilla extract and sugar.

Tips:

• 
  You're going to want to grind your beans at home. Buying preground beans almost guarantees they're going to be stale.
  
• Following what I said above, freshness is key. Try to buy freshly roasted beans.
  
• A lot of the process of coffee making is tinkering to your own taste. If you make a cup of coffee and it's way too strong, don't give up. Try something else untill it's good for you!
  
• Once you get used to the milk-laden coffees, try to broaden your horizons. There are a wide range of coffee types, and they all have their bonuses.
  
  Gear:
  
  
• Aeropress $25.95
  
• Milk frother $2.00
  
• Hario Skerton Hand Grinder $48.50 (Ceramic burr grinders are the best type of coffee grinders, but they run around $300 on average, this one, however is $50.00 but requires some work. I own one and it's worth the effort in my opinion)
  
  Beans: (Places I've tried)
  
  
• Intelligentsia
  
• The Roasterie
  
• Klatch Coffee
  
  Mugs:
  
  
• Great mug
  
• Also great mug, but pretty large
  
  If you have any questions, or if I'm wrong about something let me know! I think this is all for now.

He has an espresso machine, can't read the model name, it might be this capresso model, but it looks standard enough.

he has a vacuum coffee maker, looks kinda like this

Then he has an electric coffee grinder that's pretty good sized. it's not exactly this model, but it's close enough. Edit: it may be this Capresso model grinder as well

I personally think his coffee mugs are way too small, but I drink coffee by the 20oz thermos mug. I might have a small addiction.

Then I'm seeing Angostura Bitters, Milagro anejo tequilia, sailor jerry rum, pre-made simple syrup, and a couple bottles I can't see.

I wrote an answer to a similar question yesterday. Here's a version edited for you, hope this helps.

​

Cheapest possible way to get into it is a whirly blade grinder and a french press. No filters needed, just fresh ground coffee made rather quickly and easily. This was my first ever coffee set up, and really got me into drinking better coffee. Buying locally from a reputable roaster will be the best option for quality beans for a good price, and you seem to know that already.

​

The other option, is to buy nice or buy twice. After using the above set up for a few months I was hooked and decided to upgrade everything. So I will send you some options for the most cost effective way to make specialty level coffee. For this I would look at a nicer grinder and a pour over set up. While hand grinders are great, almost everyone upgrades to an electric one. The linked options there are my favorite for the money. The electric model from baratza can be found refurbished on their website from time to time for additional savings.

The next thing you'll need is a pour over and a kettle to pour with. I recommend a Chemex here as they are good for serving one to three cups comfortably. I recommended a glass handle chemex because they are beautiful, but wood necked models are a little cheaper. I would get the white square filters with it as they impart less papery flavor. As for a kettle you have a ton of options. I am going to link a budget electric kettle as I find the stovetop models to be more of a hassle. The additional cost for an electric kettle is pretty marginal.

​

Hope this is helpful! Happy brewing and welcome to the fam!

Beginner's Kit around here is pretty much going to be a grinder, scale, and Aeropress.

For a grinder, unless you want to jump into the depths of coffee, I'd probably suggest a Porlex, or either a Hario Mini Mill or Skerton.

For a beginner's scale, you can use whatever you have on hand, if you already own one. If you need one, American Weighs are highly recommended.

And the Aeropress! Despite all of the gear I've picked up, I still come back to this method. It's clean, simple, and fast.

But don't forget the fresh coffee. That's going to make the biggest difference.

Grinder

>Capresso Infinity - $89
>
>or
>
>Hario Mini Mill Slim - $30 - If you don't mind hand-grinding your beans


Coffee Maker

>Aeropress - $23 - Balanced flavour, easy cleanup
>
>or
>
>Hario v60 - $19 - If you enjoy the process of preparing your coffee, and enjoy a brighter (more acidity) cup of coffee.
>
>or
>
>A french press - $20 and up - If you want to make more coffee at a time than the Aeropress, don't mind a "thicker" (more coffee particulate and oils in the cup) coffee, and are not opposed to having a little bit more clean-up.

You'll need a kettle for any of these brew methods; a programmable/temperature controlled kettle like this one ($95) is ideal for manual brew methods, but any kettle (and a thermometer if you'd like to get fussy) will do just fine.

Personally I would get the Capresso and the Aeropress if I were you. It's a very balanced and forgiving brew method that can make coffee a few different ways (eg. paper filter for a "brighter" cup, metal for a thicker one). Set aside the rest of your budget and find a good coffee roaster near you!

1. Aeropress and metal filter
   
2. Porlex Mini grinder -- Fits inside the Aeropress
   
3. Small electric immersion heater to boil water
   
4. Good whole-bean coffee
   
   I've traveled with this setup for years on the road and it has yet to let me down. It makes a better cup of coffee than you get in most speciality shops.

The Encore by Baratza.

I'd have to recommend looking away from a pod based machine. Because it's pre-ground the coffee is stale already when you buy it. In addition to using stale coffee these machines aren't capable of producing enough pressure (9 bars) to produce real espresso. Instead of opting for a machine I'd get an aeropress.

An [Aeropress,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GXZ2GS/) [grinder,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PE85xb5KY6678) [scale,] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004164SRA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NG85xb8VP81H3) and [kettle] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8J85xbF33PVD0) will be cheaper than the Nescafe and will produce significantly better coffee.

The nice part about the aeropress is its simplicity and versatility. You can use it as an espresso substitute for Lattes and milk drinks, drink it black for a clean, bold cup, or dilute it to an americano for a traditional cup of coffee. Make sure to get some fresh beans from a local roaster too!

That is basically the cheapest good burr grinder that's not manual. Of course the manual ones work too--the grinder you linked is basically a knockoff Hairo Skerton:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

I started with the Hairo Slim, but it got old eventually and I purchased the Encore.

You'll be in Seattle, what's the problem again? Oh, funds.

For dorm use a French Press and an electric kettle + a manual grinder should do you and not break the bank.

If espresso is more your thing, look into the aeropress, but the grinder and kettle recommendations stand.

I'd go for an Aeropress, a decent hand grinder and an electric kettle. You will have far superior coffee, you can use the kettle to make all sorts of food (boxed mac and cheese, ramen noodles, cous cous, etc.), you will save some money and you will be able to explore all sorts of amazing freshly roasted beans.

I love my Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001802PIQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

• Aeropress, $25
  
• Moka Pot, $26
  
• Hario Mini Mill, $33
  
• Scale (you WILL need this), $9
  Total: $91, spend all remaining moneys on beans
  

After much experimentation, you have a few options:

1. On-campus
   

• EngSoc C&D: Though not world-class, the coffee is very inexpensive. It runs at about $1 per cup. It's less if you bring your own mug. A++ would recommend if caffeine boost is all you need. Cash only. Profits go to Engsoc.
  
• Mathsoc C&D: Similar quality to the EngSoc C&D, and around the same price as the EngSoc C&D. Cash, Debit, and Visa. Profits go toward C&D improvements (furniture & appliances).
  
• Science C&D: I've only stopped by once while it was open, and didn't buy coffee :(. Cash only. I assume profits fund SciSoc.
  
• ENV C&D: I've heard amazing things about the C&D, and it seems like it's run very well. Similar to Science, I've never had a chance to stop by, but will try to this term. They seem to be very entrepreneurial, and are one of the few non-school-run places on campus to offer catering (of limited size). Unsurprisingly, things are green/fair trade. Cash only. Profits go to improving the C&D.
  
• Arts C&D: I've never seen it open. ¯\(ツ)/¯
  
• UW Food Services (Various Locations): Coffee is consistent, both in high-prices and low-quality. Cash & Watcard everywhere, debit in some places. Profits go to the school.
  
• Williams, EV3: I've never ordered a latte, but they probably serve them here. Expect worse service & selection than the off-campus Williams, with prices ≥ off-campus. If you're choosing this, just walk to the plaza for less expensive food and improved service. They take cash, watcard, (and probably debit).
  
• 24H News, SLC: "Emergency Coffee" - don't bother, unless it's really necessary, and everywhere else is closed.
  
• Turnkey Desk, SLC: This is "Emergency Coffee" - don't bother, unless it's an emergency. Choose 24H News over Turnkey.
  
• Tim Hortons (Various Locations): Going to skip this, since it's probably well known to you.
  
  

2. Selected off-campus locations:
   

• Sweet Dreams: Despite being a tea shop, they have well-priced coffee, and awesome employees. Expect to wait a bit longer, since there's usually a line, and they use a french-press to brew the coffee after you order :'). They take cash/visa, and probably watcard.
  
• Williams, Plaza: Miles better than the one in EV3. They have better food selection than the on-campus location. Cash/visa/watcard are all accepted.
  
• Mel's Diner: Their coffee is ok, but they refill it as long as you continue to eat.
  
• DVLB: I've only been for scotch, but something tells me that I'll be holed up at DVLB for a few afternoons this term. It's a nice place to be, and they (apparently) have wifi.
  
• Second Cup: There's a second cup in the plaza. A friend worked there once, and swore to never go back. They may have what you want, but idk.
  
• Starbucks: There's a starbucks at Uni & King. Starbucks is Starbucks is Starbucks.
  
  Many places off-campus & within a reasonable walk serve coffee, but I don't know of any other notable options.
  
  At home, I use an incredibly inexpensive coffee maker: Aerobie Aeropress, with a Hario Hand Mill, both of which are highly-recommended by /r/coffee. I haven't been able to find an amazing place to buy unground coffee beans near campus yet, and I tend to buy beans when in Toronto.
  
  Hope this helps.

Many grocery stores have an industrial grinder in the coffee section.

Or just buy one. Coffee is so much better fresh ground.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRLXUI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_i94ODbDHRHJ79

Porlex Mini, no questions asked.

https://www.amazon.ca/Porlex-Mini-Hand-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

I take it motorcycle camping, used with my aeropress.

I take this everywhere - Aerobie Aeropress. It's not super light however it makes fantastic coffee. In fact I use it at home as my coffee maker of preference.

I use this grinder - Hario Mini Mill Slim Grinder - again, it weighs ~250 g and it just does it's job well.

Edit:

I weighed my grinder including handle - ~250g (+/- 5g accuracy on the scale).

I also weight my Aeropress including the stainless steel S-Filter - ~250g (+/- 5g)

Hario Skerton: Baseline manual grinder

Baratza Encore: Baseline electric grinder

Hario v60

Kalita Wave

Clever Dripper

Pick a grinder, pick one of the pourover methods (or get a French Press) and filters, and you're set. You can get a gooseneck kettle if you want for a better pour.

kettle: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417710975&sr=8-2&keywords=bonavita

Scale: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Drip-Scale-Timer/dp/B009GPJMOU/ref=pd_sim_k_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=04WC4XNEDPNT7K81849C

Hand mills (good to take with the aeropress while traveling):
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1417711031&sr=1-2&keywords=hario+mill

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Canister-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B003EEGDSM/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1417711031&sr=1-3&keywords=hario+mill

Or if you want to go all out you could get a small roaster and some green bean samplers to have some fun with.

Hario Skerton Hand Grinder - $40 manual burr grinder. Some people have complained in the past about getting plastic shavings in their coffee, although this may be a fixed issue. An excellent alternative to blade grinders on the lower end of the price range.

Considering what you've described I'm surprised you're considering a hand grinder. A $99 refurbished Baratza Encore (or a new one) is a great price to performance value.

Probably the gourmet shop in five points will have a baratza burr grinder. This is the one I have and it is 👍👍

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_X6zVDb8FAAGD8

Hario Mini Mill on sale as well for $24! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/

I think I might pick up both thanks to this subreddit!

EDIT: Nabbed the Aeropress, filters, and Mini Mill for $50. I am ready for coffee heaven.

Sure!

This is the popcorn popper I'm using to roast (not pictured)

This is the Sweet Maria's sampler pack (4 lbs of green coffee for roasting). Mine specifically came with these four coffees:

• Java Kopi Sunda
  
  
• Sumatra Toba Batak Peaberry
  
  
• Ethiopia Sidama Deri Kochoha
  
  
• Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima"
  
  Now on to the equipment:
  
  
  Bonavita BV3825ST 1-Liter Stovetop Kettle
  
  American Weigh Black Blade Digital Pocket Scale, 1000 by 0.1 G
  
  Taylor Classic Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer
  
  Chemex Coffee Maker 8 Cup Classic
  
  Chemex Coffee Filters - 100 Chemex Bonded Unbleached Filter Squares FSU-100
  
  Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder
  
  
  I also have a bodum french press and an aeropress. The scale is big enough to measure coffee, but not big enough to brew on, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about getting one, but it was pretty cheap and I don't mind pre-measuring the coffee and water rather than doing it while i brew. I also have already had some issues with the thermometer head rotating, throwing off the measurement, but it's not really a huge deal because it's easy to rotate it back and I usually just bring water to a boil and then let it drop 10 degrees regardless of what the temp actually says. Overall, loving all my new goodies!

Aeropress - $25
Hario Mini - $25
Elec Kettle - $15

Total: $65 for a decent college budget brew station

The aeropress and french press are the easiest way to get a good cup of coffee. Check out these brew guides to see which one you think would be best for you.

1. Aeropress
   
2. french press
   
   Both are pretty easy to clean, but I think the aeropress is a bit easier. However, a good cup of french press is hard to beat with any manual brewing technique, imo. Aeropress only brews a single cup, whereas a larger french press can brew however much you want it to up to its limit. The big downside for french press is that it uses a coarse grind and you have to drop some money on a good grinder if you want a consistent coarse grind - grind consistency is key. (You could also buy beans and have them ground coarse wherever you buy them if you don't want to grind fresh.) With the Aeropress, you use a medium-fine to fine grind which can be achieved with a relatively inexpensive grinder such as the [hario mini mill.] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451402224&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill) I frequently use both. Aeropress is great for travel and work, whereas french press is great for weekend mornings.

You can get a Hario Slim for less than $35. That's probably your best bet.

I'm going to assume that the pepper grinder won't work because of the size of the opening leading into the grinder-- it's going to be optimized for peppercorns, not something the size of a coffee bean.

You could get away with smashing the beans. There was just an infographic posted from Tonx -- here it is -- that talks about smashing with a mallet.

Handground is marketed specifically to people who like pretty grinders, and is very easy to use, but doesn't have any advantage in grind quality over other grinders that cost half as much.

The Skerton is a well understood and versatile grinder. The knockoffs of the Skerton are of dubious quality, and some of them are not very good at all. If you like the Skerton, but don't want to get caught up in the wave of fakes, buy the Kyocera CM50, which is literally the same grinder, just not rebranded for Hario.

I know this one is out of your price range. But after looking at the wiki for this sub, I purchased this grinder a year ago and have absolutely no regrets. If you love coffee and want a machine that does a good job while been seemingly durable, I would honestly consider upping that budget of yours

Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043095WW/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_eTq6wbQWE9GSJ

My two main suggestions for you.

Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso

Kettle: Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Pour-over Kettle

I own both and really enjoy them. Not only are they great at their respective functions, but they’re nice to look at.

To piggy-back on the Hario Skerton recommendation. Make sure to also buy this upgrade for it. It's an extra $13, but it's definitely worth it. Without it, you'll have trouble getting a consistent grind because the burrs will move too much relative to each other.

If you can stretch your budget, Capresso Infinity isn't too bad, and comes with Prime shipping.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AR7SY/

​

I've had this one for 4 years and I love it. Cheaper than the Baratza Encore. I'm no coffee expert, but it's miles improved over the previous budget grinder I had before.

When buying new gear like this, I often find it worthwhile to buy the good stuff from the beginning. It'll cost more upfront, but in the long run you save money by not sinking it into gear that you're just going to upgrade away from. I know you're looking for a starter kit, so I'll outline some entry level stuff and then some recommended upgrades.

For a burr grinder, a decent entry level manual grinder is the Hario Skerton. One complaint with this is inconsistent coarse grind size, which is what you'll be using with a French Press. Orphan Espresso makes an upgrade kit that fixes this problem, but personally I feel that if you're going to spend $40 on the Skerton and $15 on the upgrade kit, you should just spend a few more bucks and get something like the Capresso Infinity. This grinder is going to be way more convenient, versatile, and consistent than the hand grinder. For one last option, there's the Baratza Encore. This is probably the best grinder you'd want for French Press, because anything better / more expensive would just be overkill as they're primarily aimed at espresso.

The Press itself isn't too important. Bodum is usually the recommended brand.

You'll also need a way to heat water. You could go with a stovetop kettle, but I think electric kettles are more convenient, and are roughly the same price anyway. You can get a pretty standard one for less than $25. But getting a gooseneck kettle is going to help control your pour better and ensure the coffee grounds are completely saturated. If you don't want to worry about getting the perfect temperature for brewing, a variable temperature kettle will take care of it for you.

Other than that, you might want a kitchen scale to get the right coffee-to-water ratio, and a thermometer to check your water temperature.

I'd go pour-over. I feel like it's a good place to start because the more expensive things that you need are useful to have in general, but you can also get away with skimping on. Variable temp kettle, accurate scale, burr grinder. You could spend $5 on an instant-read thermometer, and go with the "let the water boil and then sit for 30 seconds" route instead of getting an electric kettle with temp settings, and you COULD buy local coffee in small bags that has been ground right when you buy it (though personally I'd rather buy a burr grinder than buy coffee every couple days). A bee house dripper and filters are like $30 and totally sufficient if you only want to make one cup at a time. Then you can upgrade as you go with kettles, grinders, different pour-over brewers, etc. Although you'd probably want at least a cheap gooseneck kettle.

This is what I'd get. Granted, slightly over $150.

Electric kettle with temp setting

Burr Grinder

Pour-over brewer

Filters

Scale

Porlex JP-30. I've had one for 3 years and it works perfectly.

https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2

hmm, well are you looking for en electric of hand grinder?

for electric, I'd go with the Baratza Encore

hand grinder, I'd go with the Hario mini mill

You've probably seen this little guy before, but I use it for all of my coffee needs (Aeropress, Chemex, French Press) and it's perfect. I have two roommates and we all drink copious amounts of coffee and grind it all with the Mini Mill, about 2 years strong and no complaints whatsoever. 10/10 would buy again.

Since I too recently came to be a fervent fan of the Aeropress I knew I needed to get a burr grinder. Now, I'm sure $100-$200 is going to get you something pretty nice, but if you're looking to keep your budget in check I actually went with the KRUPS GX5000 for only $30. I'm new to grinding my own beans but this one does a fine job, for me at least.

Congratulations on finding it in yourself to make a sound financial change - I, as many others here apparently, wish you well and hope your Aeropress helps you on that journey!

Replying to confirm that I make the best coffee I've ever had with a skerton and v60. Here's my entire set up. These aren't necessarily the best in their class, but they do me well.

-Digital scale (or anything that measures in grams)
-Gooseneck kettle (they make ones that are electric, as well)
-Flow restrictor for kettle (not required, it's just what I have)
-Hario skerton burr grinder
-OE mod for skerton (not required. again, it's just what I have)
-Hario v60 02 (I have the clear plastic one)
-Gerber Pure water (available at Walmart, any "spring water" is what I recommend. My tap water smells of chlorine, so even Britta water is gonna be a bit better than my tap water. You want water that's not too hard, nor too soft. So don't use distilled or RO water or "mineral" water.)
-Digital timer (not required, but I like to time things)
-Hario filters (there's a couple different kinds, try any you want. Mine are the white without the "tabs")
-I'm not linking my mugs/servers. But whatever one(s) you use, I recommend preheating them.

(Edit to add: I have other methods of making coffee. This is just my personal overall favorite.)

Are you broke and patient? Or broke and impatient? The hario is a manual grinder that allows you to control the grind size, admittedly with some trial and error.

You're not going to find any good electric grinders for under $100. Hand grinders are still great as long as you aren't doing espresso.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

I bought a Hario Skerton about 2 years ago before moving onto an electric one and it's great! Every time hand grinders come up on the subreddit, the Hario Skerton is always recommended for beginners.

Hope you enjoy!

Here's a link to it. I have this one, and I love it, but I have noticed that the size of the grounds isn't as consistent as I was led to believe it would be. It's not really an issue for me, but I'm not the most refined connoisseur, either.

Can i be a hater for a second. You're better off asking for an independent grinder like this baratza and this drip machine if you're set on a top quality drip

the SCAA has a list of approved drip machines theyre going to be the best of the best for what you need. The biggest issues with most drip machines is evenness of the brew and temperature variability. Unfortunately im not aware of any good all in one solutions but i can whole hardheartedly recommend the baratza and the brewer can be open season

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Stovetop-Coffee-Siphon-Syphon/dp/B002CVTKW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393865731&sr=8-1&keywords=vacuum+coffee

http://www.amazon.com/Cuissential-Manual-Coffee-Grinder-Ceramic/dp/B008YK3IUM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1393865405&sr=8-9&keywords=coffee+mill

1. Buy whole coffee beans from the store or a local roaster.
   
2. Grind ~30-35 grams of beans per 16oz of water.
   
3. There are two methods for steeping your ground coffee:
   
   1. Get a mason jar and mix your coffee grounds with water, close the mason jar, and let it steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
      
   2. Use a cold brew pitcher like this one and let the grounds steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours
      
4. Strain cold brew through a coffee filter in a steel mesh over a pitcher.
   
5. You now have a pitcher of cold brew coffee concentrate!
   
6. When I make coffee I use a 1:1 ratio of the concentrate and water. I add a splash of half & half and enjoy!
   
   ​
   
   There are some really good videos about it on Youtube too. First time I tried cold brew I followed this video using the mason jar method and it turned out pretty good, just was a little messy to cleanup afterwards.
   
   ​
   
   As a side note, you do not necessarily need whole coffee beans to make cold brew. You can use pre-ground coffee to save some time and money, but using fresh whole beans usually produces a better tasting coffee. I use a basic hand operated coffee grinder.

https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2


That one and the porlex mini will also fit in the aeropress I believe. Grind won't be as nice. I have taken my aeropress on trips, but I've never bothered to take a grinder as well.

A 12 dollar coffee grinder then go to an asian store and buy whole spices. Then get some small tupperware tubs to keep the whole spices in. You will make the cost of the grinder back in one trip. For what I would conventionally call spices.

• cumin
  
• coriander
  
• fennel seed
  
• turmeric (this will be ground already)
  
• Small dried red chillis
  
• mustard seed
  
• Onion seed
  
• Fenugreek
  
  Roughly in that order I guess.
  

I always recommend upgrading the grinder first if you're using a whirly-blade. With a decent grind, you can make excellent coffee with nearly any brewing method, but you're not going to get a decent grind from a blade. I have a Capresso Infinity that I'm pretty fond of. It's not the best burr grinder you could possibly get, but it does a great job for the price.

>My budget is to stay between the $30-$50 range....NOT looking for a hand grinder though!

Sorry to say but that's an impossible ask. The cheapest automatic burr grinder is the Capresso Infinity which can sometimes be found for ~$70, otherwise you are stepping up to a refurbished Baratza Encore for $100 or a new one for $140.

Hey there. I'll give you a little summary of what I think most people on here will tell you in response to your questions.

Books: Blue Bottle ,Coffee Comprehensive and Uncommon Grounds are all good books to cover most of coffee and its processes.

This Capresso Infinity is considered a pretty decent burr grinder for the price. It will not do espresso but will be good enough for most other coffee brewing methods.

Getting a set up that is acceptable for "real" espresso is kind of expensive. A Gaggia classic is considered the bare minimum espresso machine for a "real" espresso. A Baratza Virtuoso is considered bare minimum for a decent espresso grinder. Now, you can (and many people do) find these items used, which obviously reduces the cost greatly. But depending on your area, finding these items up on craigslist or similar sites can be pretty rare.

I'm not from Rhode Island, but googling local roasters will provide some results. As for online ordering, tonx, blue bottle and stumptown are favorites around here for their price and quality. Beans are broken down on what region they came from, how they were processed and how dark they are roasted. Each region has different flavor profiles in their beans. African beans are known for being more fruity than other beans, for example. A little warning, most people on this subreddit believe Starbuck's espresso roast coffee to be too dark. However, many of Starbuck's light/Medium roast coffees have been reviewed as pretty decent. Most websites that sell the beans will list a flavor profile of the beans. The basic saying on this subreddit is that if you have crappy beans, no matter what, your coffee will be crappy. If you are going to overspend anywhere in the process, overspend on quality beans.

The espresso machines that you will be using at starbucks are machines that will basically produce espresso at the push of a button. They will grind, tamp and extract the espresso without any input from you. You should just know right off the bat that there is a whole other world to espresso making that is the exact opposite, with people grinding the beans to the right size, tamping by hand, and extracting shots with a lever that controls pressure. Neither way is right or wrong, you should just know that there are many different types of espresso machines and baristas.

I'll share a little bit of advise, take from it what you will. I was an ambitious college student coffee drinker just like you. I asked for a Breville espresso machine as my first real coffee making device (even before a grinder, how silly of me). I just wanted an espresso machine because that was all I was getting from these coffee shops. Since then I've gotten a nice grinder, a melitta pour over, french press, gooseneck kettle, aeropress, V60, moka pot, and chemex. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't turned on my espresso machine in over a year. There is so much more to coffee than espresso. There are so many methods to brew coffee that are cheaper, more complex and more interesting. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I'd buy the burr grinder I linked, and an Aeropress or any french press (Starbucks sells some pretty nice ones. You could get one with an employee discount) and just learn to love coffee on its own, without frothed milk and flavorings.

There is a ton of info on this subreddit if you stick around for awhile. Questions like yours are posted all the time and answered by very knowledgable people. Your enthusiasm for coffee is extremely exciting to see. Please don't let any of my advise subtract from your enthusiasm. Everyone takes a different path while exploring coffee. That's part of the excitement. You will learn a lot at Starbucks and you will learn a lot if you stay here. Enjoy your stay.

I use a coffee bean grinder which conveniently holds exactly one cup of oats. Such a difference..

Part of making a good cup is repeatability--eliminating variation wherever possible. You'll want a burr grinder and a scale. It's tough, especially with an inconsistent grind, to correctly measure coffee by volume. Any idea on your general brew time? That might be a good indication of what's going on. Let's experiment with technique a bit!

It sounds like you're pouring all of the water in at once after letting it bloom; instead, why not pour about a cup at a time, let it drain for a bit--never letting it get completely dry--and then add the next cup. Rather than pouring in the center, continue pouring in circles the entire time to ensure an even extraction. These are all super minor, and I'm honestly unsure if they'll make any difference. Still, worth a shot!

Maybe try a finer grind, if you can. Shake the blade grinder, grind it for longer--whatever works! A finer grind will prolong the brew time.

> Yeah not 100% sure how to describe the flavor. It's kind of sour but also very "planty" tasting. Sorry if that's unhelpful.

Nah, don't worry about it! I have a tough time describing taste, too. It sounds underextracted to me. If ya have any spare money, a scale goes a long, long way. I use this scale. If you're interested in a grinder, my first--and I'm sure most people's first--was the skerton. I currently use a Baratza Encore, but that might be more than you're willing to invest in a grinder right now.

If you're interested, I can make a video of myself making coffee in my little Chemex.

This is a totally wide-open question, depending on budget and time commitments, as well as personal tastes.


I hate to sound like a /r/coffee cliche, but Aeropress is probably the most flexible, especially for milk drinks. You can brew a concentrated batch with an espresso blend, or a lighter cup with a more standard recipe and whatever beans you prefer. You can kinda texture milk with a french press. It's not going to be cafe-quality but it should be pretty good. If you don't want to get the french press you can honestly just use warmed milk and make a cortado.

Check out this video for some ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_J6Q4oAvLM.

You could probably get away with doing everything with a french press, but it's harder to brew smaller batches with one. You could also consider a Moka Pot instead of an aeropress, but it's more of a one-trick pony, and can be finicky to get consistent results.

I suggest picking up a grinder, a Hario Mini Mill is the best value in the low end. This way you can use fresh beans and get the best flavor. If you're not concerned with all that, the method I described above should work fine with Cafe Bustelo or Lavazza pre-ground coffee.

For a grinder, try one of these guys. I take that & a portable press with me when I tour or go on road trips. Most gas stations have hot water spouts, so I can snob out even in coffee wastelands.

Haro Mini Mill Grinder

French Press Travel Mug or Areopress Coffee Maker

Digital scale able to measure 0.1g

Your favorite kettle/hotpot/other water heating method

You all need to go to /r/coffee
And sorry to tell you but all the GOOD coffee I've found in Tokyo is around 900jpy every 100g.
I recommend you to buy this grinder HARIO ( ハリオ ) 手挽き コーヒーミル ・ セラミック スリム MSS-1TB https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dlzdzbK42C1V8
If you don't have money for a grinder, then I can suppose you don't have a real espresso machine so I recommend you to throw it and buy an aeropress, V60, Kelita or a French Press, and get beans from a specialized shop.

I've been using the Hario Mini Mill for six months now with no problems. You can use to it to grind anything from Espresso to French Press. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373867989&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill

The Baratza would be great, but if you opted for a hand grinder, you'd spend $30 instead $100.

I've had a Hario mini mill for 3+ years now, it's great. Porlex (spelling may be off) makes a similar hand grinder.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Mini-Mill-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

I've use this one and it works great for small batches.

Eu! Ando para fazer um post sobre café no /r/portugal há algum tempo. Para além de expresso, costumo beber café de balão, aeropress e por vezes "pour over" num cone antigo da Melitta.

Em Lisboa tens 3 sitios onde podes beber café bom:

Copenhagen Coffe Lab Lisbon

A Fábrica

Wish Slow Coffee House

E na Ericeira tens o Kfé

Conheço os 3 de Lisboa e sei que tanto no Copenhagen Coffee Lab como na Fábrica podes comprar café em saco e equipamento.

Para mim o melhor kit para começar é um Aeropress e um moinho "Hario Mini Mill". Comprei ambos no Copenhagen Coffee Lab e levo-os sempre comigo quando viajo.

Se tiveres alguma questão, coloca.
__
PS: Para quem não gosta de café de filtro, vão a estes sítios beber um expresso e descobrirão que o delta do dia-a-dia não é assim tão bom.

Brutally honest answer: not worth your time and your money to make this work because you wont ever get the results you want.

More informative answer: The amount of extraction time during the brewing of a K-Cup is not enough to properly get the full flavor of the coffee. Additionally you have no control over water amount or grind amount. When I had a Keurig I bought one of the reusable holders and despite it saying 2Tbsp I could barely fit 1 1/4Tbsp. The most control you have is the water temperature and even then the temperature is not ideal. Also Keurig's are kind of junky, I had one fail after a year and the replacement was acting up within two months. No matter the grind, temp, bean, etc the coffee will always come out under extracted and not enjoyable.

90% of this sub hate keurigs, myself included, but we often do understand the appeal of them. However you need to be aware with that appeal comes major drawbacks like your experiencing now. They are meant entirely as a no frills way of making coffee for people who just want a cup of a coffee.

This would be my recommendation: If you like the appeal of a no frills coffee setup but want to experiment with different beans then I would consider selling the Keurig to a friend or family member. I would use that money to pick up a higher quality drip machine and a hand grinder. If you don't like the idea of using a hand grinder than maybe consider buying a Baratza Encore but it will cost more (FYI watch the Baratza site, every Thursday they restock the refurbs store so you could get a deal).

If you want to get in on the ground floor, so the speak, start with a [french press] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ADS5FO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aeh3xb6XXSXTYand) and/or [pour over] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YA7OUK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Xhh3xbR6CNMZ4), and a [grinder] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_njh3xb7MY9XAP).

Those are all very entry level versions, there is better everything avaliable of course, but you would barely break $50 for all this stuff and have plenty of opportunity to learn and upgrade as you go!

I've got a Hario Skerton (http://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Coffee-Hand-Grinder-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ) and it's easily stashable. If you're really tight on space, you could get the Hario Mini, but you might be limited on the volume of beans you'll be able to grind at once.

Burr grinder gives you a more consistent grind when you grind, and since you can set the coarseness of the grinder, you can easily recreate the same coarseness. With a blade grinder, the coarseness can be affected by how long you hold the button down for, the volume of beans, etc. Lots of variables. Also, super pain in the butt to clean.

For ceramic vs stainless steel, Baratza has a good post explaining it while discussing heat generation in the grinding process: https://www.baratza.com/blog/steel-vs-ceramic-burrs-and-heat-generation-the-lowdown/

Grind by hand like a masochist.

If we're backpacking. I couldn't care less about fresh grounds. I want something hot and that sweet sweet caffeine. We've all switched to instant packets. It's light weight and is less trash to pack out.

if we're car camping, depending on who's going, we either pregrind or bring the grinder. i'm also not above preground beans in a bag. but my hand grinder is glass (older version of this (Hario Skerton)), so it just seems silly and heavy to bring on a hike in.

So I got a coffee mill but then decided not to grind the beans the night before. So I was rushing get things together and the first grind came out way too weak and I had to buy coffee because there wasn't time to get another pot together. But tomorrow should be good. Day off, will be experimenting until it's where I want it.

Never do a blade grinder. It will burn off the oils in the coffee. I started off with this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/KRUPS-Electric-Coffee-Grinder-Stainless/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611192&sr=8-1&keywords=blade+grinder

Coffee tasted pretty bad, switched to this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611218&sr=8-1&keywords=burr+grinder+manual

And the coffee tasted great, but the grind was a bit inconsistent. I used it for about a year, but just bought this guy used on Craigslist:
http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Virtuoso-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8I45C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425611248&sr=8-1&keywords=baratza+virtuoso

Now I'm complete.

I just bought a hand grinder, makes a damn fine pot of coffee but it is a lot of work. I bought this one Amazon has it marked under review for some reason. Before that I had a blade grinder, which is much easier but your coffee won't be anywhere near as good. Pretty much the #1 rule I hear is that the grinder is the single most important piece of equipment for a good cup so it isn't something to skimp on.

This is what I use, and it's wonderful.

Better coffee helps. I've been drinking my coffee like a cowboy for quite a while now, and don't ever think twice about it anymore. But if I'm stuck with shit (like the crap you find in hotels) I'll throw a bit of sugar in there.

If you haven't already, start making your coffee at home. You'll not only save money, but your coffee can be exponentially better than what you can get at Starbucks (Who overroasts the shit out of their beans, resulting in cups that taste burnt.)

Buy a hand burr grinder and a French Press, and start buying fresh roasted beans from a local shop.

I own this grinder, and love it.

If you don't have an independent shop around, online companies like Intelligentsia ship amazing coffee out at what can be called reasonable prices. I never buy more than a pound at a time. Keep your beans airtight and in a dark, cool place.

Never grind your beans until right before brewing, as grounds begin to go stale after twenty minutes. For French Press, you'll want to use a coarser grind.

Try out different blends until you find something tasty, and gradually subtract creamers and sweeteners until you're in the black. I've converted more friends than I can count to black coffee simply by giving them something truly fresh.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001804CLY/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Up that budget by just $13, you won't be disappointed

Why not the Hario Mini Mill? It's only $24 w/ Prime, and you can even get it for $20 and free shipping from other sellers on Amazon.

The Bodum Bistro one is really solid for a good price.

I make large batches of cold brew once a month (almost 5 gallons) to fit into my kegerator and the process is really simple. For what it's worth, my coffee breaks down to about $1 a day for a large Nitro Cold Brew coffee on tap (which sells around me for nearly $4-5 a cup) and I get a lot more coffee, plus very high quality. You could get this price even lower without the kegerator because I included the price for nitro and I also use relatively expensive beans.

Here are the basic tools I would recommend:

​

• brewing bucket or jar
  
• coffee grinder
  
• something to filter the coffee
  
• beans of choice (use whatever you like)
  
  ​
  
  Depending on how much coffee you're looking to make, you can use a different sized vessel. For example, I use a 5 gallon bucket for my keg, whereas if you don't need that much cold brew at once, you can use something like a large mason jar or a smaller sized bucket (say 1 or 2 gallon bucket). I'll definitely recommend you get a bucket with a spout. This makes it very easy to dispense your cold brew.
  
  ​
  
  As for a coffee grinder, buy what you can afford, there are plenty of options on the market. Obviously you're going to have a better grind if you invest a little more but if you can't, at the end of the day, it's not really going to break you. If you're doing large batches, I'd recommend buying an electric grinder. I use a Bodum Bistro Grinder which is less than $90 and works great. You could use a handheld grinder if you wanted to save more money, obviously it's just more work.
  
  ​
  
  To filter the coffee, I use a fine mesh food grade bag (they sell these for things like almond milk) and sit that on top of a mesh strainer that sits on top of my bucket. You don't need the mesh strainer part, it just makes it easier for us since we have more coffee. You might want to strain your cold brew before you pour it but to be honest, I don't always and I don't have much problem. You can always double bag your beans to remove some of this too. Most of it settles on the bottom of the bucket underneath the spout anyway, so you just throw away that part.
  
  ​
  
  Get whatever beans you like. I buy mine in bulk from a local coffee shop. I'd suggest doing a coarse grind and using a 2:1 water to coffee ratio until you figure out your particular preference. That would be to drink it straight out of the gallon. If you want to do more of a coffee concentrate, use more coffee and less water and then add water/milk/cream or whatever when you're preparing your cup.
  
  ​
  
  I hope that helps. Enjoy!

Or buy a Hario Hand Mill! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001804CLY/

Just buy this https://www.amazon.ca/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW

My best tips:

Fresh beans + fresh grind + good water = great coffee pretty much regardless of your brewing method.

The 4 ways you can increase the quality of your coffee is to focus on improving these things: beans, grind, water, brewing method.

This is my set-up:

Beans: I get whole beans sent to me in the mail every two weeks from Moustache Coffee Club. This ensures I always have fresh beans on hand.

Grind: I use this Porlex hand grinder and really like it. I used to use this Hario hand grinder, which was cheaper. I haven't yet splurged for an electric grinder. Maybe some day.

Water: I use a kitchen thermometer to make sure my water is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the optimal range for brewing. I also use this Bonavita kettle for heating the water.

Brewing method: I started off using a Melitta pour-over cone. I've since moved to the AeroPress. I also have a French press. The AeroPress is what I use almost exclusively. I also have a kitchen scale to measure out the water and beans. I use a 16:1 ratio of water to beans. For the AeroPress, 16g of beans and 256g of water fits perfectly. When I measure the water, I aim for between 256 and 260g. I'm not so obsessive that I make sure it's exactly 256 every time.

This sounds like a lot (and there's more, but this is a good start), but I built up to this over a period of a few years. Take your time. Keep learning and exploring and have fun.

Porlex mini, it actually fits inside your Aeropress so you can really minimize on bulkiness. I can't see any other option, really. Quality of a Porlex, good price, good size.

http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066

Well here's the thing about coffee, it's finicky stuff. Much moreso than most Americans would give it credit for. Automatic machines like you have can deliver quality coffee, but unless the one you have cost $200 or more, it won't really be up to the task of making cafe quality coffee. If you want coffee of the same quality (or even better) you'd find at a cafe, you're going to have to know a couple things. Don't worry, I'll tl;dr this with a few specifics at the end, but right now I'm going to go over the things that affect how coffee tastes:

Bean quality: probably the most esoteric and taste-dependent part of coffee, it's not much worth getting into grading, processing, etc, just suffice it to say that folger's is definitely not using top-rate beans and they're mixing robusta (high caffeine, very bitter) in with arabica (moderate caffeine, much better flavor), whereas a decent coffee shop is using 100% arabica

Freshness: Coffee goes stale quick and the flavors dull within about three weeks, a month tops after roasting. Those mass market beans are months old by the time you get them off the shelf. The good news is that there's almost definitely a roaster near you who sells decent beans that are nice and fresh roasted. The bad news is that the cheapest decent coffee you'll find is ~$10/lb most places.

Grind: piggybacking on my last point, coffee, even when sealed in those cans, goes stale VERY fast after being ground (like, within an hour), so buy whole bean and grind it yourself right before brewing

Grind consistency: if the grind isn't uniform, the coffee won't extract evenly and will taste off. The normal blade grinders you think of when you think "coffee grinder" won't work, you'll need a burr grinder, whether hand crank or electric. Doesn't have to be fancy but it does have to be a burr grinder

Brew ratio: coffee will optimally be brewed (for most methods) with 16 or 17g of water (a fat tablespoon) for each gram of coffee. You can guestimate it but digital kitchen scales that read in grams can be had for dirt cheap on amazon. IME people who don't know about brewing coffee tend to use way too little coffee for the amount they brew. This extracts too much from the grounds and makes it watery and bitter

Brew time: each method has its own ideal brew time but for most, like pourover or french press, ~4 minutes is optimal

Water temperature: Coffee should ideally be brewed between 195-205Fthis is where the vast majority of home drip machines fail, the reason that /r/coffee approved drip machines start off at like $200 is that they have big, heavy copper heaters that can reach ideal brew temp, most drip machines have crummy weak heating coils that end up brewing at lower temperatures and making the coffee taste flat and sour.

TL;DR

I know this seems overwhelming, so I'll give you a nice, easy starter kit and instructions how to use it to get you started. And I know you said your bank account was getting crushed, so I'll make this nice and wallet-friendly

For a grinder, go with either this manual one which has the advantage of being really cheap and producing decent grinds, but will take some effort to grind your coffee (2-3 minutes) and setting the grind size can be a pain, or if you want to spend a little bit more and get an electric, go for this one, it's not the greatest in the world but for a starting point it works ok and it's darn cheap.

You can either keep brewing with your auto drip or, if you're still not satisfied, get a french press. They're crazy easy to use (weigh coffee, put in press. Place press on scale and tare. Pour in water. wait four minutes. drink), and they can be had for damn cheap

Then find someone who roasts coffee near you, get some beans, and enjoy!

Anyway sorry to bombard you with the wall of text but coffee's a complicated thing and we're hobbyists (and snobs) around here. Hope that helps! Feel free to ask more questions

EDIT: forgot to add in Todd Carmichael's awesome instruction video for the french press.

Looks like one of Mr. Coffee's models, but rebranded. I've taken this thing apart before - it's a false burr grinder, and should be avoided. If you're tight on cash, give one of the Hario or Porlex hand grinders a shot.

The difference in flavour between fresh-ground and pre-ground is like night and day. Even the difference between spices ground in the last hour and three days before is astonishing.

To grind any spice: (1) dry roast on low flame, turning often to make sure there's no burning. (2) Once you start to smell the aromas, and the spice is nicely golden, remove from heat. (3) Once cool, grind (coffee grinders work great). (4) Try to consume at least some of it right away (no, not straight up).

A recipe I love and make often, which uses a fair number of spices is Andhra chicken fry. It illustrates perfectly the power of fresh-ground spices. If you make this with just-ground spices, you'll be blown away. And three days later, if you're lucky enough to have leftovers, this chicken will still be amazing, but you'll see that comparatively, it'll be a dull version of its former blazing avatar.

EDIT: typos, clarification

EDIT: a grinder like this works really well.

What a steal! I got mine for $250 and considered it a good deal.

1. Nice start with the descaling.
   
   
2. Now I'm going to tell you to spend money. I just outfitted a Silvia myself so everything linked should be available and compatible.
   
   

• You need a good grinder. I bought the Breville smart grinder pro because I couldn't afford anything nicer. It works well, but there is a large gap between grind settings (~6-7ml difference when brewing for 30s) and the grinds do come out a little clumped.
  
  
• Clean your machine. I bought a blind basked and Cafiza cleaning tablets which work well.
  
  
• a bottomless protafilter has helped me get my technique down.
  
  
• Get good fresh coffee to practice. You can't dial in with an old bag of supermarket coffee. Go to a coffee shop you like and get a shot and buy some beans. Then go home and dial in until your shot tastes like the one at the shop.
  
  
• Steaming milk with Mrs. Silvia takes some practice. Buy and extra gallon and practice. You will get the hang of it after a few tries.
  
  

3. what /u/tricross mentioned
   
   links to the things mentioned
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G40VNO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAAJRH1/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ24BH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXGXW8O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MY2EB10/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dépends on your budget and how badly you want good grinds. Of course, a burr grinder is an absolute necessity in making coffee. See which of these questions apply to you:

> I like to slow down and enjoy the process, spending a few minutes of continuous hand grinding is a joy in the morning! However, I’m a student and my budget is $30.

The Hario Skerton with a couple modifications. Get this to decrease burr wobble and put a 1/4 inch split lock washer under the top nib.

> I like to slow down and enjoy the process, spending a few minutes of continuous hand grinding is a joy in the morning! I’m ok with spending up to $300 to get that perfect cup every morning.

Any of:

• helor 101
  
  
• kinum47
  
  
• lido3
  
  
• commandante C40
  
  
• knock feld2
  
  > yeah, fuck that I’d rather press a button and get good consistent ground coffee in 12s or less,
  
  Get the Baratza encore and replace the burrs with a set from the virtuoso.
  
  
  
  

GRIND manual coffee grinder

BOIL immersion heater

BREW french press or an aeropress.

With the french press, you can boil the water right inside of it using the heat stick. With the aeropress, you'll need another container.

Fellow college kid here, I went with this Hario hand mill. Sure it takes a little more effort to get your coffee, but its not nearly as bad as people make it sound. It takes a few minutes and I usually do it while heating up the water. I also hear good things about Hario's mini slim.

Hario Skerton

What do you guys think of this one?

As I've mentioned in other comments, I only make a cup at a time, so this seems sufficient.

The general tradeoff is taste for ease of use, a keurig you'd just pop in a capsule and get mediocre coffee, with some other brew method you'd get better coffee but you would have to work harder. A common starting setup which is quite quick and easy whilst providing a good cup of coffee is an Aeropress, Hario Mini Mill and any decent scale.

Hario mini-mill is a solid option.

I used it for about 6 months with good results. But I got tired of grinding 40g of coffee every morning by hand so I upgraded. It's nice have $300 for coffee grinders money.

Your best bet for dorm room drinks is going to be an Aeropress. It's a weird plastic tube that you use to push hot water through coffee. People here swear by them, and I do too. They don't make espresso, but they can make a terrific cup of coffee as well as a coffee 'concentrate' that can be used as a worthy espresso substitute. In terms of milk, it's really easy to froth milk in a french press. You just put warm milk in a french press and pump the plunger up and down a few times.

Grinding your own beans, if you want to make good tasting drinks, is unfortunately unavoidable. When was first getting into coffee I quickly became bummed out that the expensive and most important part of the process wasn't the exotic, perfectly roasted beans, nor was it the beautiful brewing devices, but instead... the grinder. Fortunately, a basic hand grinder will last you a long time and won't cost too much.

Aeropress - $28
Hand Grinder - $24
French Press - $17

In total that's about $70 worth of stuff. Add a bag of beans and you're at around $80-85 (hey, Christmas is fast approaching!).

Oh, and flavors like french vanilla and pumpkin spice don't really occur naturally in beans, at least not the way you're going to get them somewhere like Starbucks. Cafes typically use syrups, either artificial or natural, to get those flavors.

Oh oh I love coffee! Some cool products to check out on the cheap:

Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder: It's a hand crank grinder, but it's a burr grinder so it produces a more consistent grind which in turn produces a better cup of coffee.

Chemex 3-Cup Classic Glass Coffee Maker: Not as cheap as the french press, but since it uses a paper filter so there isn't as much sediment in the cup. I find that I prefer it over the french press.

Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker: Classic french press.

Optional:

Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale: Scales are helpful in getting a consistent cup every time. You can measure out the water and coffee and dial in the perfect ratio.

Also check out Pinewood Roaster's coffee. I think they're on Franklin and 11th in the same building as Alpha Omega. Grab a bag of Ethiopian Beriti and enjoy!

Even cheaper than aeropress and just as good, but different, is a Hario V60. If you need a new grinder, I'd also recommend Hario.


Total outlay? $36 and change.

Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder

Beehouse Dripper

or

Hario 02 Dripper

or

Bonavita #2 Dripper

or any other pour-over device you like.

And cone filters from the supermarket for 3 or 4 bucks.
I'd recommend going with the beehouse or bonavita if you don't have a pouring kettle due to the slightly more restrictive nature.

This is the hand grinder that they recommend in r/coffee. I own one. Very high quality.

Everyone around here seems to recommend this grinder for those types of brew methods.

I presume he's actually talking about this one but I'd imagine they're largely the same. I have the mini and it does a great job.

Have a Hario mini mill:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

It's pretty good for every-day grinding, and would be fine to pack. Can't vouch for any different/better/worse than the GSI one though.

A tablet + a server running plex.

Replaces a TV, DVD player, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon et al accounts. Provides tons of entertainment when at home and when traveling.

Sleep Stuff

Personally I think there's really no proper way to value a good night's sleep. After years of dealing with poor sleep due to breathing problems in a dry climate and living with obnoxious neighbors whose religion prohibits using headphones figuring out some cheap solutions to my sleep issues has yielded immeasurable quality of life improvements.

Nasal dialaters.

I was having a lot of problems sleeping due to narrow nasal pathways + seasonal changes and my BP was off the charts. The quality of life improvement from quality sleep is hard to quantify as a value.

[Really comfy sleep masks.] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FJQFJX8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1)
The inner lining on these ones reliably peels off for me but I still use mine and I think I could put these on 1 mile from the sun and not see light.

Super comfortable noise canceling ear buds
I have a ridiculously loud 300lb stomping upstairs neighbor who enjoys putting together furniture at 3am due to either meth or sleep apnea or both. He also really enjoys his shitty 1990s R&B. I've had several confrontations and he's changed some of it but you can't request someone not walk around their apartment when they want. I think he has knee problems so his steps are really heavy. These things are the best answer I could find. If I put these on + a TV show it drowns him out. It sucks to rely on noise to cancel out other noise but I love these things, they're super comfortable and they do the job I need.

Coffee Stuff

GeneCafe Coffee Roaster

So I'm the sort of person who is willing to spend the right amount of money when there's value. For me roasting my own coffee provides tons of value. For starters you can order green beans online for $3-5 a lb. I order 6+ months worth of coffee at a time for around $100, give or take. This roaster has now paid for itself compared to buying coffee at my favorite roaster and is in line with the stale, burnt tasting shit you can buy in giant vats at the grocery store.

But beyond just that I get the supreme joy of truly fresh roasted coffee roasted to a level I like which is a lot different than the black and greasy shit you'll get at Kroger's or whatever. I also love that I can bring this is going to be useful if/when I'm living on a homestead somewhere.

Stainless Steel French Press

Goes with the above. I used to buy glass ones and break them, but this $40 french press will probably last for a very long time with only the screen to worry about replacing and god only knows how long that will take.

[Rough Bur Grinder] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001804CLY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I really enjoy replacing electronic equipment with stuff I can power with elbow grease. It's not much of a workout, but it's quieter and still does the same job as the electric one I had purchased and unless other electric ones I'm not sure this one will ever break. My previous ones would break/clog constantly, this one has been trucking without issue for a year and I suspect will last several.

I'm not sure what your price limit is, but I'd suggest considering Hario's Mini Mill. It has ceramic burrs, adjustable grind size, a 1 - 2 cup capacity and is operated manually (hand crank). They're about ~$30, but if you're patient you can get a pretty good deal on one. I have been very happy with mine.

33 bucks for a Hario ceramic burr hand grinder is hard to beat.

Edit: I should mention that I own one, and am quite happy with it. It provides a consistent grind. Be aware that it will take a good amount of work to grind the beans however. I grind while my water is heating, and it usually takes about the same amount of time to grind coffee for 1 cup as it does to boil the water for it.

This decision mostly depends on what your limits are. I'm guessing price, space, and quality are the three most important variables. With those machines you would consistently get a pretty medium quality cup, at a mid-high price range, and it would take up a fair amount of space.

What I would do is consider using a more hands on brewing method, like a french press, aeropress, or pour-over. These three options would be cheaper, take up about the same amount of space, and produce a higher quality cup every time (when you get used to them). If you were to choose one of these you would also need a kettle.

I would also use whole bean coffee (meaning you need a grinder, I would just use this.

In the end it's all up to you, but my favorite brew method is the AeroPress, after a few months of using it I could really start to taste the coffee the way I believe it's meant to be tasted. You'll start to notice things like the natural sweetness, and hints of chocolate or caramel. With a Keurig or Starbucks single-cup I'm sure you would never really get this deep into your coffee.

TL;DR: I advise using a kettle+hand grinder+AeroPress or French Press, not an electric machine.

Bag

Patch

Jars

Hario Mini Mill Slim

Hydro Flask mug

> Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Hand Grinder - ~$33 - Cheap alternative to an electric burr grinder. Good for people on a budget who still want the quality of burrs.

This one is awesome for camping / traveling as well. Unlike the Hario Skerton, this one has a plastic body, so it's less likely to break.

Get an [aeropress] (http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1375298290&sr=8-3&keywords=aero-press) and a [Hario Mini Mill] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375298338&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill). Virtually unbreakable and much easier to clean than a french press, and makes some great coffee. Make sure you can access a hot water kettle or something.

I would say that the grinder is one of the most important part in brewing a good coffee because a good grinder ensures that you have the same grind size, which means that you have an even extraction. If you buy the beans pre-ground, the beans usually oxidizes and loses some of it smell and taste. I would say that I has a lot of effect in the taste and the smell.

Grinder option:
When you say "cheap" how cheap is cheap? If you want to use a manual grinder, I would recommend a Hario Skerton https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

If you want an electronic grinder, you can buy a Baratza Encore https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1510625247&sr=1-2&keywords=baratza+encore&dpID=31mL3pz0NrL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

If looking for electric, the most commonly recommended are:

Capresso, $90

Bodum (Red, $90)

Baratza Encore, $130

The Baratza will be the most recommended and if you look around you might be able to find it for closer to $100. Otherwise the Capresso is probably the best bet.

My favorite thing about coffee as a "hobby" is that, like some have said, it's a hobby that isn't just a waste of money. Fresh beans are a huge 1st step, they really just have tons of flavors that change almost as you work through the bag, and sometimes I feel like the first sip of a french press is different than the middle, etc. For me the different methods I use just work better for different beans, I'm still figuring that out myself. I prefer to french press african beans, pour over on more typically "harsh" beans, and I'm still dialing in aeropress, but I feel like it takes a lot out of the coffee so it seems to work best if I'm like "hmm I'm not sure I like this bean", aeropress... oh nevermind it's great.

You could buy:

Good grinder ~$140

Scale $15

Kettle $25

And three interesting and different types of brewers:

Aeropress ~$30

V60 ~$20

French Press ~$20

That's all the gear for now, you're SET until you become a crazy coffee nut, but for me 90% of the coffee I make is in one of those 3 methods. I have a moka pot, and they're cool too. But that's $250 for gear, and you could probably save a bit with different grinder options but plan to drop the biggest amount of that.

Add in $20 for some high quality beans (S&W is great and their reddit discount is on this page somewhere) and you're around $270 to be brewing great coffee a few different ways. Now you have 4+ different coffees, 3 ways to make it, and the equipment to make sure you're doing it "right".

Okay that's a lot and I hate this "if you buy a cup of coffee a day" crap, but let's just say you drink work swill most of the time, but get a cup of coffee out 3x a week. At $3/cup maybe you tip a quarter each time, you pay off this stuff in 6 months and these things pretty much last forever.

The point is, yes, some of the costs of entry (specifically the grinder) can be a little daunting, and sometimes we get carried away, but overall, the cost of making great coffee at home is significantly less than going out. You're actually getting BETTER coffee too, trying different ways to make it, and enjoying yourself. Wow, okay rambling there. Good luck!

For your budget, I'd say either the [Baratza Virtuoso] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EG70IK?pc_redir=1408943545&robot_redir=1) if you can spring for the little bit extra, and if not the [Encore] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007F183LK?cache=075d072a13b3a5940fafef883998d436&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1409057670&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1) is a very close alternative.

I'd also check Baratza's website for refurbished models as well.

> Baratza Encore

Is there something special about that one? I took a look and balked at the price... will I get similar results with this manual one? I'm using a cheap blade grinder now.

There are definitely $100 grinders recommended in this sub (Baratza Encore and Capresso Infinity are both just over $100 and can go on sale)

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465874028&sr=8-1&keywords=encore+grinder

https://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465874043&sr=8-2&keywords=capresso+infinity

So here's my advice: I currently use a Helor 101, which is a little outside of your target price. I moved to it directly from the typical ceramic Burr grinders.

Those grinders actually work pretty darn well. Quite consistent grind, easily adjustable, easy to clean.

The only issue is their lifespan. You're going to get anywhere from 6 months to a year (I never got that far) of daily use from one before the plastic body shears away from the steel housing. I went through three before I went to the Helor. BUT I knew enough about grinding and what I like in a hand grinder after the first one.

My suggestion: get that cheap ceramic grinder, and get your mileage out of it. That will give you enough time to know if you want to invest in a manual at all, and what you like/don't like. When it finally goes, you'll have everything you'll need.

If you have amazon prime, I think you can choose a "get it tomorrow" option and get it tomorrow...I've had this for 2 years and it has been working fine.

AeroPress, for sure. Here is probably the cheapest setup you can do, and still get the best flavour/experience.

Aerobie AeroPress + Able DISK Fine - $40 (I strongly suggest the DISK Fine over paper filters, but the AeroPress does come with a bunch of filters.)

Pocket Scale - $7

Carafe - $7 (so you press straight into this, and measure yield, as most mugs will not fit on the scale; also great for serving two)

Hario Slim burr grinder - $34 (if you'd rather go electric, the Bodum Bistro burr is a great buy and can be had for $120 new or under $100 used/refurbished)

Bonavita Gooseneck kettle - $50 (You do not need a gooseneck for the AeroPress, but you do for any type of pour over, so why not?)

Good luck, and have fun! Give my video a gander to see how to prepare with the AeroPress. It is fun! Almost as fun as an espresso machine. Ha! Yeah, right! But definitely worth the small coin.

https://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Advanced-Ceramic-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B003S9XF7K?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I use this one. It's possible the bottom container will break as it is glass, but it fits on regular mouth mason jars as well. I have seen absolutely no signs of age on this guy.

Here is my ranking, in order of descending importance, of the variables involved in making a batch in a press:

• Whole bean vs store grounds - get a grinder and grind while your water is heating; you'll notice the difference immediately
  
• Quality of beans - garbage in, garbage out; simple as that.
  
• Grounds/Water volume ratio - I use 2 tbsp grounds per 6 oz (177mL) water.
  
• Grind size - A coarse grind is necessary for a press. The finer the grind, the more silty sediment will be present in your cup, and the thicker the consistency of the brew. Too fine a grind will make it difficult or impossible to push down the plunger. Invest in a good non-chopping grinder (e.g. conical burr) - a good grinder will allow your to produce consistently and accurately sized grinds. I use and love this.
  
• Water temperature - as has been mentioned 190 - 205 F is the desired temperature. I notice a harsh bitterness if the water is too hot. Through experimentation you can learn how long your water needs to stand down from boil to achieve the optimum taste and oil bloom.
  
• Steep time - I steep 4 minutes minimum with a small, four cup Bodum press. According to wikipedia, there is some consensus that coffee may sit on grounds in a press for up to 20 minutes before it is considered spoiled. The brew will pick up increasingly bitter notes the longer it steeps.

Check out the Bodum Bistro. I've had mine for about 3 years and it's a great grinder for under $100. I've got a French Press, Aeropress, and Chemex that I can get an amazing cup of coffee from any of them once you dial it in.

If you don't want to break the bank, the Bodum Bistro is a very nice grinder. I brew using mostly the same methods, and have no problems with consistency or size.

I use the Able Fine disk with my Aeropress and was able to dial in a perfect grind size easily.

EDIT: Link

Better idea. Half the price and much better reviewed.

OR for the same price. Their refurbs are awesome. And that grinder will last you forever.

Most people aren't going to have a recommendation on it. It's an uncommon grinder for this forum

The Bodum burr grinder has served me well for years, averaging 2-3 pots a day. I replaced my Baratza with one, intending to upgrade later, but it works well enough that I'm satisfied.

It's well under $100 when on sale.

How serious are you about your coffee? Or would you like to be?

For what it's worth, I had one of these for 3 years+ and it served me well. You can get this / comparable models for under $100 though. I think I paid $80 for mine, I forget but the Amazon price bot will reply to my post and show the all-time low ;)

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419522809&sr=8-1

I have a Bodum Bistro burr grinder and really think it does a great job for $70. There is another Bodum grinder here that people dislike, but in general this one gets favorable reviews most everwhere I've looked.

If you want to make a single, easy cup of coffee at home you may look into getting an Aeropress. It is fairly easy to make a good cup of coffee for most anyone using one of these things.

I have no experience with the Ninja coffee bar (but I love my Ninja blender). I would recommend looking for a local coffee shop that maybe roasts their own coffee. It isn't guaranteed to be good coffee, but it will be a good place to start because they will likely have many different choices and you'll be supporting a local roaster. They will probably offer to grind it for you and ask what type of method you are using (pour over, drip, french press, etc) until you get a grinder.

If you can spend a little more, try to get a burr grinder, it will make a huge difference, I got my first on used for $50, but I've seen them as low as $30. For the price I'd say either this or this these will be good enough unless you want to try espresso.

You can also get goodish beans at a grocery store. I recomend Peet's. Or you can order very good beans online from companies like stumptown, verve, or counterculture coffee.

Your next upgrade should probably be an aeropress, but if you've been on /r/coffee for more than 5 minutes you know that.

Additionaly:

I know you say that you "only started cooking in the last few months", but make sure you use the freshest spices available. If you have a cabinet (or drawer) full of supermarket spices which are a couple years old - in those cheap plastic bottles - toss them out and get some GOOD ones. I am lucky enough to live near one of the Penzey's Spices stores, but check with people in your city to see what is available.

Whole is better than pre-ground as well since the oils and volatile flavor compounds evaporate away over time once a spice has been ground. Get a coffee grinder to use ONLY for your spices not necessarily this model but something similar. EDIT: Make sure to give it a cleaning with a clean cloth between grinding say...cumin and cinnamon.

Toast your spices gently in a skillet for a minute over low heat just before you grind them. The difference between fresh-toasted whole cumin that you just ground, and a jar which has been sitting in the cabinet for a year is the difference between day and...floor-sweepings!

TL;DR: Buy fresh/whole spices, from a reputable source, grind them yourself just after a light toasting.

coffee grinder.

here's the one i use http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-E160BY-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00006IUX5/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411023135&sr=8-2&keywords=coffee+grinder

I have this Capresso model, and it's working fine for me so far. I use fine for Aeropress and coarse for French press, how it compares to other models.

It's easy to clean. I got mine from a local coffee joint and I think it was less expensive than Amazon.

For a few more bucks you can get one with an all metal outer case.

Before I start, I should warn you that discovering good coffee can be expensive. It's also a bit time consuming. If you're in it for convenience, stick with the beans you're drinking now.

Freshness of coffee is highly dependent on two things: the time since roasting and the time since grinding. The best thing you can do is find a good local coffee roaster and get whole beans from them. Then get a good burr grinder (I love my Capresso Infinity Grinder) and grind it yourself immediately before brewing. Getting the coffee locally is good because you'll get to know the roaster and they'll almost always print the roasting date on the bag. Grinding it yourself ensures that the flavor stays locked in the beans until you're ready to drink your cup.

If you don't have any local coffee roasters, you can try your luck with some decent coffee from Amazon. Cafe Altura Sumatran is pretty good, although they don't put the roasting date on their bags, so you'll have no idea how fresh it is. Some of the best coffee I've ever ordered online was from The Birds and The Beans.

If you're just starting out, then I recommend getting a french press or an aeropress. You can even use them to make pseudo-lattes. (Obviously, to make a real latte, you'd need an espresso machine. But those get really expensive, really fast for anything decent.)

Hope that helps. :)

I'm an entry novice to coffee and did a lot of research on grinders.
I found this grinder
http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1417670127&sr=8-4&keywords=capresso
From what I gathered, it does the job for everything but espresso.
Apparently it doesn't get a fine enough or consistent enough for espresso

You need to know that your coffee is about to get a lot tastier. Also siltier. The silt puts some people off, but I love it--just decant carefully. Also, after the four minutes of steeping, press the plunger and get the coffee off of the grind immediately. Transfer it into a thermos or your cup, don't let it keep sitting there on the beans in the press.

But I will say: DO NOT get a french press without also investing in a decent burr grinder and buying fresh, quality beans from a good roaster (or learn to roast at home). I would recommend this one as a quality grinder at a good price. Set your grind to course, and don't grind until your water is near boiling. Your grinder is your most important piece of equipment for world-class coffee brewing; it is not the piece you want to skimp on.

I have had some truly transcendent cups of coffee...and blown the minds of friends who had never had french press before. Happy mornings!

I love my Bodum Brazil press.

I used to have one of these before upgrading to the Vario. It can't be beat in its price range - $45 on Amazon for a used one right now from Good Buy Products.

I don't know anything about that hand grinder, sorry. I just find it to be a pain in the ass to hand grind 48g for my wife and I every morning so electric all the way. Hario has some good hand grinders.

I like the Baratza because of the versatility, even grind size, ease of maintenance, and it's well built. For me, it's the perfect "foot in the door" to higher quality grinders. However, yes, you pay for it! You can go cheaper for example but you're going to get real crappy burrs (I think those are plastic...) and something that breaks if you look at it.

Moral of the story good sir or madame is this. Cheaper grinder:

• Low quality or poorly milled burrs
  
• Burrs wear down quicker
  
• Maintenance/wear/breaking issues (motor especially, plastic gears, etc)
  
• Uneven grind size
  
• High fines/particulates

I just replaced my grinder and was figuring out what to do with the old one (still works fine, but it’s loud and not the best grinder on the market).

Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oXDTDb9JZFAFB

If you’re interested let me know. I’m in Fall River but will be in Dartmouth several times this week and could drop it off somewhere.

Since I'm a coffee nerd as well, if you're looking to get into coffee for god sakes save for a good grinder. Visit /r/coffee and browse around.

Minimum setup for decent coffee IMHO for a beginner

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788564&sr=8-12&keywords=hand+coffee+grinder

Kalita Wave for Pour-over: https://www.amazon.com/Kalita-05033-Wave-185-Drippers/dp/B000X1AM0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788582&sr=8-1&keywords=kalita+wave

Goose neck kettle: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSVV60-Buono-Pouring-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788593&sr=8-7&keywords=gooseneck+kettle

Alternatively to the wave,

Aeropress - https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1499788632&sr=1-3&keywords=aeropress

Clever - https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Coffee-Dripper-Large-Ounces/dp/B00EOM5RN0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499788656&sr=8-3&keywords=clever+coffee+dripper

Personal notes:
I've used all 3 types of coffee makers above and I still prefer my Kalita wave/v60. If I'm pressed for time and don't really want to think, the Clever.

At that price point you're going to have to go with a hand-grinder. I made the jump from electric blade to hand-burr and I couldn't be more satisfied.

http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1373864074&sr=1-1&keywords=porlex+hand+grinder

I bought the Porlex at Intelligentsia, it was between that our the Hario. The reviews on both are favorable, I just liked how the Porlex felt and looked.

Since everyone else has covered the basics and the detailed know how, I will suggest this.

Don't be discouraged if you try something you do not like.

Whole bean and anything not in a can is going to be far superior.

If you want to get serious, get yourself a decent grinder. I have This.

As for a coffee maker use This.

It is simply the best. I have a coffee pot for when I have company, but the Aeropress makes the best cup of coffee I have ever tasted! It is just like a french press and is simply exceptional.

If you visit a coffee shop and they do not roast their own coffee or bring in fresh roasted coffee from somewhere local, leave.

In my opinion, you notice the most difference with:

1. Grind your beans right before you brew.
   
2. Buy fresh-roasted beans.
   
3. Get a grinder with multiple settings.
   
4. Use different coffee brewers.
   
   I'd say the most important thing is a grinder. You can go for a cheap electric blade grinder, or you could go for a slightly more expensive adjustable hand grinder. The hand grinder is great quality for the price, with the tradeoff being it can take you 3-5 minutes to grind your beans.
   
   Start with a french press or an aeropress. Both are quick and easy, and you shouldn't have to spend more than £25 for one.
   
   

It depends what you're looking for and what your budget is. Personally, I make my coffee with an AeroPress, which makes a beautiful, clean-tasting cup of coffee. I actually use a super fancy grain grinder leftover from the prepping days of Mormonism. Be sure that no matter what grinder you get that it's a burr grinder, not a blade grinder. A blade will give you inconsistent sizes which will lead to over- or under-extraction of the beans. If you want something relatively inexpensive but still good, you should get a manual grinder. The Hario Skerton or Mini Mill is a good place to start. But it really depends on your budget what you should get. Electric, you might go with the Baratza Encore. You might make your way over to /r/coffee for a better answer, but that's my advice.

You're going to get MUCH MUCH MUCH better flavors if you grind it right before you brew it. The oils on coffee, that give it the majority of its flavor, start to degrade very quickly (in a matter of seconds for fine grinds). You will get so much more flavor coming out of your beans if you buy them whole and then use something like the Hario Skerton to grind them right before you use them. This is usually the largest improvement when getting started out.

So what you are going to gather here is that you aren't going to be able to obtain "espresso" for that price range. However, if your girlfriend likes strong coffee in milk there are other options that would get you there without breaking the bank.

For the coffee:

1. Aeropress: This is a very versatile tool that can be used to make a number of coffee styles including strong shots of concentrate to be added to milk. Lots of room to grow and try other styles as well as time goes on.
   
   
2. Moka Pot: Can be either stovetop or electric depending on what works best. These are super popular in europe and have been around for ages so they are generally time-tested. They also make strong, pressurized percolated coffee that can be added to milk drinks.
   
   For the grinder:
   
   Hand burr grinders from Hario or Porlex are great and have a good following. You can get a knockoff on amazon for a lot less but it may fall apart after a while. Depends on your estimated use.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1480362440&sr=8-6&keywords=porlex
   
   For the milk:
   
   Frothing Pitcher: https://www.amazon.com/Gourmia-GMF215-Detachable-Stainless-Non-Stick/dp/B01MD0AAVJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1480362139&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=frother&psc=1
   
   Frothing wand: https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-Milk-Frother-303-011-67-Black/dp/B013S27CLQ/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1480362139&sr=1-9&keywords=frother
   
   
   
   Both of these together should get you where you need to go and make a nice gift bundle (maybe with some beans if you have a few bucks left over.
   
   I hear that the nespresso are ok but I really have to take a stand against the waste and concept. Putting together a bundle gives you a ton of flexibility and is a more thoughtful gift in my opinion.
   

My college setup is going to be a Hario Skerton, Hario V60, and a Bonavita Electric Kettle. It may seem like a lot of money, but after that initial investment you'll spend about 90 cents per cup. Also, the V60 is much easier to clean than a french press.

I have been using the Hario Skerton with my Clever Dripper, and it is a solid grinder. I grind about 21 grams of beans daily, and it is not too bad.

I store my beans in an Airscape and really like it. Keeps the beans fresh, protected from air, temperature, light, and moisture, looks good, and I think it's reasonably priced. I would assume that it does a similar job of storing ground coffee, but I just don't really see the point.

Once you grind the coffee, it begins to go stale much quicker than it does in whole bean form. I totally understand your desire to not wake up your girlfriend by grinding each morning, but grinding the night before is going to drastically reduce the quality of your morning brews, regardless of what you store it in. I would suggest a hand grinder like the skerton or LIDO for grinding fresh each morning without making noise. Actually, the skerton comes out to roughly the same price as the container, so if you already have some way of storing beans (really anything works as long as you're putting it in something airtight and in a dark place), I think buying a hand grinder is the better solution.

How did you measure your coffee and water? What kind of filter did you use? What beans did you use and how old are they?

Would it be possible to squeeze The Skerton into your budget?

I'd say this one.

Welcome to the coffee world! It can be fun acquiring a taste for it and exploring what you like. Since this is important for your diet I recommend gaining a better understanding of coffee to the point where you can enjoy it vs. starting out with crappy coffee.

Visit some local shops and taste variety of drip coffees. They'll range from $2-3 for a 12oz cup. If you don't know what you're ordering there's no shame in asking the baristas about coffee. If they're good they'll be thrilled to talk coffee with you. I'm also happy to tell you my favorite shops across the valley.

There are many different brew methods that influence the flavor and amount of coffee you can make. Since you're new I recommend using an auto drip machine to keep things easy. I began this way, moved to french press and now use the Aeropress and love it. Start simple and get more complex as you go if you would like.

Here are some items you'll need to start:

- Coffee machine

- Coffee grinder

- Bag of beans

Check amazon and read reviews for your coffee machine. There are quite a few out there. As for your grinder I recommend getting what's called a burr grinder. It gives your beans a better grind which will affect the taste/flavor. There are hand grinders, auto grinders, etc. I use this one from Amazon because I wanted one I could camp/travel with.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013R3Q7B2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Beans are going to vary. I recommend buying whole bean and grinding yourself just before brewing so they stay fresh longer. Store them in an airtight container. You can buy beans locally, online, from the grocery store, coffee shops, etc. I'm fussy and don't recommend purchasing generic beans from Starbucks, folgers, grocery stores, etc. Harmons Grocery sells great local beans sometimes at a discount. My favorite local roaster is La Barba Coffee. They cost a bit more but the flavor is great. They also have a bag punch card you can pick up from their Downtown SLC or Draper store. Daily Rise is a little cheaper and also local.

Watch youtube videos on grinding and brewing and go from there. If you dislike black coffee you can always add milk, flavored creamer, sugar, honey, etc.

Yeah definitely worth considering! Personally I use my roommate's Keurig K10 Mini Plus with this reusable filter, grinding whole beans with this manual burr grinder. That all adds up to pretty close to $150. Now I can't guarantee that the coffee strength will be great if brewing a larger quantity of coffee using a larger-sized Keurig machine (the mini really only works for up to 10 oz of fluid). But for now I am pretty happy with this setup until I decide to go for an upgrade.

EDIT: A lot of people also recommended an Aeropress or French press. I haven't tried an Aeropress myself, but I think both might be really great options for you too (and much cheaper), only real downside is that both take more steps and manual work than using a machine like a Keurig or standard drip machine. If the idea of just pressing a button and getting your coffee appeals to you strongly, maybe avoid the mechanical options in favor of the electronic ones. But you would be well-off with any of these tools, I think.

I think most supermarkets/Costco has a bulk coffee grinder you can use. I hand-grind my beans every morning and use this. I'm probably going to upgrade to an electric grinder soon. Sorry about the $250. He sounds like a shitty human.

Bodum Burr grinder is ~55 cheaper - currently $75 which is a good price. I've used one with a bonavita for years with good results - others on this sub have said favorable things about it as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/

Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder-~$170-This thing works like a champ and seems to always produce even grounds at any fineness (of which it has many options to choose from). It's very easy to clean. I have been using it for two years and have had no problems with it whatsoever. Its basket is glass, therefore there is no static cling with the grounds.

The only real complaint that I have heard is it may not grind quite fine enough to produce great espresso, but, as I do not make espresso, this has never come up for me, and I cannot speak to its performance in this area.

The best thing about this grinder is its relatively cheap price-point (some places list it at $120) compared to other burr grinders of the same quality.

If you're willing to sit at the top end of your budget, you might just fall in love with this Bodum piece.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422731209&sr=8-1&keywords=bodum+burr+grinder&pebp=1422731211511&peasin=B0043095WW

 

This is the best grinder I've ever used at home, and using the machine itself is simple. You can easily adjust the fineness of your grind (it adjusts the grind size for our French press and Moka pot beautifully) and serving amount so you aren't over-extracting or wasting your beans.

I have a Bodum. It's pretty decent but I'm far from an expert on the subject but it should give you an option.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043095WW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

if you're looking at the slim for it's form factor during travel, i'd suggest the porlex mini instead. if you're doing any sort of travel with this grinder, the porlex mini is still significantly smaller than the hario slim.

if you do not plan on traveling with this grinder, i'd take the skerton over the slim. the slim will work for the aeropress, but the capacity is just too small for anything larger than single-cup; you'll have to dump the grounds to make room for more. while not necessarily difficult to adjust, the skerton isn't nearly as easy to dial in as the slim, though, so that's the trade-off.

I think you get the best home results with a pour over, which is just a cone that holds a filter over your cup while you pour water in slowly. You can get the whole setup for about $100. $45-55 for a hand grinder (Porlex or Hario), $20 for the cone (V60), plus V60 filters from Amazon and a kitchen scale that measures in grams. You'll need a kettle with a fine spout too but you don't truly need the special goose neck kettles they sell.

You can find youtube videos of how to do the brewing but basically you use a lot of beans per cup (25g), pre-wet them, then add water slowly in phases up to a full cup (360g).

As for beans, Stumptown is a good bet for premium beans if you're mail ordering.

Making espresso at home is much harder and takes expensive equipment to get right so stick with the shops for awhile.

I strongly recommend a Porlex Mini hand grinder.

Porlex Mini Grinder

I cannot stress enough how great it is compared to every other grinder I have ever come across. The stainless steel construction and the compact size were key points for me. As a bonus, it works perfectly for camping and travelling too!

It is the ideal size for Aeropress and for 3 cup Moka pots.

So, here's a consideration. A Keurig requires less than 10 seconds of effort. Anything else you hear in this sub will require from 4 minutes upward of manual effort or concentration, in order to prep and brew. Do you think he is willing to go through with that just for a cup of coffee, since it's quite new to him? If not, either stick with Keurig, or get into the hobby together and make the coffee together. You'll be the one driving for the first few days I'm sure - so then the question becomes are YOU willing to go through the motions, until he gets into it?

If you are I'd say a porlex mini hand grinder, a stainless steel simple French press, and some nice beans (plus some of those single serving chocolate flavoured creamer) would be a perfect starter kit for beginners. Aeropress and chemex can come later when you actually know how to taste the difference - not being snarky, just realistic :)

You came to the right place. Generally don't buy a box of stuff when your new to something. Always one or two items you don't need or want. And one or two items that are missing.

If your going for frugal, spend most of your money on the grinder. Hario Mill Grinder Slim is your best start. French Press is one of the cheapest brew methods (as low as $15 and no additions, plus it makes great coffee). Unless you want to do cowboy style coffee.

I personally like the V60 but it is soooo much easier to do when you have a gooseneck kettle. Maybe consider that later ;P.

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

Good and cheep for when you only want one cup at a time.

The Bonavita drip brewer ($140) is one of the very few SCAA certified home brewers out there. It will make excellent coffee.

A good cheap burr grinder is the Hario Mini Mill ($20). It's a hand grinder and that entails a bunch of extra effort and time, but it's a fraction of the cost of comparable electric burr grinders. If you want a decent electric grinder, a good place to start would be a refurbished Baratza Encore ($99).

The Encore + Bonavita combination will make really good coffee and won't really be much more work than a combo grinder/brewer. However these things are obviously expensive, probably more than anyone who isn't looking to get seriously into coffee should consider. Find what works best for you.

The mini mill is only about $24. If you're so strapped that you're already eating rice and beans every meal, then at least start saving up for one. Otherwise, I'm sure there's something you can sacrifice for a week or two to buy a burr grinder.

Aeropress plus Hario or Porlex grinder. Perfect set up. Exactly €50. Add some great, fresh beans and you are sorted :-)

http://www.amazon.de/Aerobie-80R08-AeroPress-Kaffeebereiter-Papierfilter/dp/B000GXZ2GS - €27

http://www.amazon.de/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ - €23

Yeah, you're probably right.

Any recommendations (I do mostly drip and Aeropress)? I'm considering the Baratza Virtuoso.

If you are looking for an automatic coffee maker this one seems to get recommended often. I have never used one myself though.

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1500TS-Carafe-Coffee-Stainless/dp/B00SK5IXPQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1517883812&sr=1-6&keywords=bonavita+coffee+maker

For a grinder this one is recommended often as a basic electric model. If you want to save some money and don't mind a little effort than a hand grinder like the Hario might be a good option.

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1517884047&sr=1-4&keywords=baratza+encore+grinder

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B01LXZACFB/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1517884146&sr=1-3&keywords=hario+skerton+pro

1. You should get a gooseneck kettle. I prefer them to not have hotplate attached (just use stovetop) and to have a built-in thermometer so you can be versatile with what you use it for. Small spouts are much better than larger spouts to control flow, however this may be hard to find when looking. Unfortunately, the one I bought is no longer up for sale on amazon, however this one is very similar: https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Kettle-Outstanding-Thermometer-40floz/dp/B07GPWZFRW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1550204612&sr=8-5&keywords=pour+over+kettle+gooseneck
   
2. Just a regular food scale should do. This one works and is popular in the coffee community. It's also super cheap. Only problem is that it is battery run and turns off without activity for a minute or so. I use it daily. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IP8KRXS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
3. This is by-far the hardest part. You must get a burr grinder. It's the only way to maintain consistent grinds. You can buy a cheap one for around 30-40$ that do pretty well for a pour over grind but not well for really anything else. The upper end of the cheaper burr grinders would be the baratza encore (https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1550204913&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=baratza+encore+grinder&psc=1), but i probably wouldn't drop the money unless you've got an experienced taste. Honestly, i've made better pour overs with a low budget burr than with a mahlkonig ek43.
   
   I do have another recommendation. IMO, pour overs are the absolute best way to brew coffee, as they extract flavor the best. For this reason, you want to optimize your setup for better results. You're already doing this by buying a scale, good kettle, and grinder for home. What I would also do is buy a paper filter based system. They are often cheaper or the same price than what you're considering buying. I use this V60 at home (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BA2I7A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and it produces amazing results. Additionally, filters are cheap and probably impact the environment equally to stainless steel filters (due to dumping grounds and excess water use), even though this is usually a big appeal for the permanent filters. Paper is significantly better for taste than the steel filters IMO.
   
   Buying good beans is also very important. I hate to use price as a reference point, but most high quality specialty beans are going to be around 15-20 for 8 to 12 oz bags. Stick with single origin light roasts. Look locally or online and build a sense for the flavor based on region and processing.
   
   ​
   
   Feel free to ask any questions!

You probably want to spend the majority of that on a grinder. Quick google That's about the minimum, in terms of quality of the grinder, that I would recommend.

After my partner used our coffee grinder to grind cloves, I absolutely agree that you should have separate grinders for spices and coffee beans.

I've been very happy with this manual burr grinder for coffee:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YK3IUM

But some people can't be bothered to manual grind, which I understand.

Amazon: Hario Skerton Upgrade Kit

If you really want control over how you grind your coffee I recommend getting a manual grinder. I have one myself and it works amazing. Here's the one that I have
https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_6/140-5654303-8085930?ie=UTF8&qid=1549224010&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=coffee+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=31OfOtErjNL&ref=plSrch

Hario Skerton

My recommendation would be

Hario Skerton for grinding

Clever Dripper for brewing.

Aeropress is another option, but IMO the Clever is a little less clean-up to do at work. Clever gives press-like steep with filter for no sediment and easy clean-up. Either is a good option though.

To add: get a good burr grinder; it releases more flavor oils by shaving the beans, rather than chopping them up. If you don't want to dish out the money for an electric (which can run well over $100), you can get a Hario-style hand grinder for $30-40. There is even a slim version for smaller hands.

Treat your awesome beans right with a good grinder and it will pay itself off in excellent coffee for years.

First thing you need is the Hario Burr grinder (if you're on a budget).
Here is the one I use camping and at my boathouse:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ

If you're new to the coffee scene, I recommend subscribing to a coffee service like Blue Bottle Coffee until you develop a taste for what you like. It's a little pricey, so if you're on a budget buy a variety of locally sold beans.

Next, get a water kettle. I bought a variable temperature one 4 1/2 years a go and it still works great and accurately (got a new thermometer and themalcouple for Christmas and just ran an accuracy test just for this comment!)
http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40
For the budget coffee drinker, microwave your water to a boil and measure the temperature with a $5 Walmart kitchen thermometer. Pour on your grounds at 185-195 degrees F.

If you want to get very precise, get a scale that measures to a tenth of a gram. A timer is also useful, but usually don't need to buy once since you can use your phone, microwave, watch, etc.

To any uninformed readers: the grinder OP links to is a knockoff of the Hario Skerton. If you buy a grinder of this style, make sure it is a real Skerton. Here is an Amazon review illustrating why.

TLDR buy this. It's what I use and it's amazeballs for the price.

The Capresso Infinity is the only one worth buying under $100. If you don't want that, try to buy in half pound bags from a local roaster that will grind the coffee for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Conical-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/

I can help you with this: http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-16100-Evolution-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B0001KO9RY

Best decently priced entry level semi-automatic espresso machine to get

http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457504719&sr=8-3&keywords=capresso+infinity

Best entry level grinder

Get your beans from trader joe's (seriously cheap, but seriously good coffee, you'll find out that starbucks uses over-roasted beans)

I like mine with 2 oz espresso and 10 oz of foamed milk and half a tablespoon of sugar

I basically lived at starbucks for 3 years while studying 12 hours a day 5 days a week, this is the cheaper, tastier and faster version

There's a sub for that... /r/roasting

You are correct, the better electric burr grinders are just a bit smaller than a blender and start around the Capresso Infinity for $80 and proceed skyward from there. I thought you might enjoy giggling at our 110 lb, 220V, 3-phase Mahlkonig which can grind 6lbs per minute. For scale, that's a full pound of coffee sitting in front of it.

Well, you really should not buy this grinder: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Automatic-CCM-16PC1/dp/B00018RRRK

The bouldering is absurd and the fines are ridiculous. I have to grind my beans like four times over to get anything even vaguely reminiscent of a consistent grind, it's loud, ugh. I'm not even making espresso, just pour overs...sigh. Terrible grinder.

I'm going to replace it with the Hario Skerton/Skeleton, I think. I read good things about it somewhere...

Whatever you do, don't get this: https://smile.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK

​

It's too inconsistent if you're picky like me. Well, for drip it probably wouldn't be bad cause the filter will catch everything. All other applications you won't get a uniform size. Also the plastic container that catches the grounds is just a magnet for the grounds.

Grinds coffee to an exact size. So I can have the right grind for the brew method I want to use. Aka French press, espresso, cold brew, etc

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

a one time investment will improve the taste of your morning coffee for the rest of your life. i'm not trying to be pushy, but freshly grinding your beans is by far the most important thing to improving your coffee flavor. by far!

Yes, but save your money: http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-E160BY-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00006IUX5/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1321896631&sr=1-2

I fucking hate the tin it comes with. It always gets stuck because the design of the grinder itself is fundamentally flawed.

There's a small lip that traps weed in the grinder. If you give the grinder a smack against a hard surface when you're done using it, you'll find that a not insignificant amount of weed was trapped inside it.

So you place your grinder in the tin, the weed escapes and the tin gets humid, sticky and gummed down.

Which is extra annoying because if you're not at home, you often don't have your other grinder or a place to store this excess weed. So you either have to waste it (rip) or keep it in the tin which causes this.

Do yourself a favour and just buy a cheap coffee grinder and just store the ground weed in a pill bottle or something. Weed that's on the drier side is better to vape anyway so you shouldn't worry too much about using freshly ground stuff like you do when rolling a joint.

You seem to be new here, so I'll help.

If you only have a blade grinder and want minimal investiment, go with a pourover like a hario

If you have a burr grinder pick up a french press(and a hario pourover if you so desire), the bodum presses are great, they have them at target, hell the one from ikea is decent.

If you don't have a grinder, get a grinder. I have the hario mini mill and love it. If you want a decent starter electric burr grinder the capresso infinity is a decent starting point.

For making single serve coffee that's not crap in that price range, I'd consider one of the following grinders (Ordered according to my preference... the first is my favorite):

• Refurb Maestro Plus ($95)
  
• Capresso Infinity ($89)
  
• Bodum Bistro ($79.45)
  
• Hario Slim ($39.07)
  
  Combined with one of the following brewers (not really ordered... I could argue for any of these):
  
  
• Melitta 1-cup ($1.99)
  
• Bodum "3-cup" press ($17.95)
  
• Hario V60 ($9.95)
  
• Clever Dripper ($15.98)
  
• Beehouse ($12.63)
  
  They're easy, cheap, and high quality. Any combination of these will get you a low-fuss cup in the morning, and if your friend uses good, freshly roasted beans, it'll be better than most shops can do.

I'd recommend adding a decent burr grinder to your collection and you'll have everything required for first-rate coffee at home. It's not intuitively obvious, but the grinder might be the single most influential bit of coffee gear you buy. You'll never get a solid, consistent brew if your grinder cannot produce a consistent grind.

I've purchased 2 of these Capresso burr grinders to give to family and they work great, super easy to use (helpful for my mother-in-law), and are generally quiet, reliable, and consistent.

Duuude. Do it. For $120 you get perfectly ground coffee (of easily adjustable coarseness) in about 20 seconds. Such a game changer.

I've heard good things about this Caspresso and Bodum as well if you want to save a few bucks.

Second the coffee grinder. We use this "burr" grinder from amazon

French press is good coffee, but for everyday use we're still using a cheap 5 cup automatic coffee machine we got for like $15 from Wal mart.


You'll find you can enjoy
A: making the coffee -- so you'll get into all the different ways to brew and grind coffee and have fun with that
B: adding to the coffee -- so you enjoy adding chocolate or spices or rum or making your own flavors up
C: not making coffee at all and you stop by Mcdonalds to grab a $1 caffine fix


or any combination.

Grinder and uniform grounds is crucial, burr grinders are known to be the best. I use a capresso $100 burr grinder and has been a powerhouse these past few years (I'll link it below). I recommend paying the premium as well, they offer a $45 burr grinder, however, you get what you pay for. The motor is much weaker and much less consistent grinds.
Also try making the grind closer to coarse rather than medium, French press typically allows more residuals through the filter than any other method, so I would bet it's a contributed to the bitterness.

Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lseozb168FA9E

Edit: also opt for medium roasts rather than dark more often than not. French press brings out lots of flavors and dark roasts are often over-roasted and losing many of the flavors. Bonus fun fact and reason to go lighter: the lighter the roast, the more caffeine. The longer the bean is roasted, the more caffeine is lost because in the process.u

I'd forgo the steel filter, at least for the time being - paper filters produce great coffee and are dirt cheap. I'd put the money you save either toward a scale or an electric grinder. I use a Capresso Infinity grinder, which is about $93 on Amazon at the moment and an American Weigh Scales digital pocket scale, which is about $20 on Amazon.

For the French Press, just don't be cheap. You want something made of borosilicate glass and easy to clean. Bodum is probably the most common, and is perfectly fine.

As for grinders... that gets deep really quickly—just look at the wiki and sidebar links. If you want to make great coffee of any kind, you'll want the nicest grinder you can afford.

If you just need something adequate for press, drip, and pourover coffees, you could do worse than the Capresso Infinity. Whatever you do, make sure it's a quality burr grinder, and not one of those with the whirling blade. Those blade ones are horrid.

Cool! I really wouldn't want to do this though. I have a shitty spice grinder that I use for coffee and that will do until I can afford a ~fancy~ burr grinder.


probs going to get something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421585714&sr=8-1&keywords=burr

what did you get, OP?

Ah, good, so you know what you're doing. Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377711477&sr=8-1&keywords=capresso+infinity

The price tends to bounce around a bit too.

I have an electric burr grinder like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1407271022&sr=1-1

And a kettle like this: http://www.amazon.com/ChefsChoice-Cordless-4-Quart-Electric-Kettle/dp/B001KZH3ZY

My morning routine is literally pressing 2 buttons and waiting. Kettle for a bit, then prep the french press, then press the grinder right when the kettle starts looking ready to go. In go the grounds, in goes the boiling water, and then I mix and wait. I mix it with a bar spoon like this: http://www.amazon.com/Winco-11-inch-Mixing-Stainless-Removable/dp/B000HBOKIA

For the beans themselves, I used to let them make a mess of the cabinet above, but now I store them in a canister next to the grinder. Michael's has some nice glass canisters if you're into that.

Café de Altura is my go to. Probably not going to find it in every grocery store, but I have good luck at the pulperías near me. The grind is too fine for a French press, so I grind it myself. I use an automatic grinder, that I bought from Amazon.

Congratulations on becoming a free thinker and embracing everything that life has to offer! Never stop questioning everything! It's all about the beans, it's basically impossible to make good coffee without using freshly ground and good quality beans that have been recently roasted (i.e. not sat on a shelf for months).

You will need 3 things to start making good coffee.

1. A decent grinder, nothing fancy needed if you're just going to use a french press, but try and avoid ones that use blades, and go for a nice burr grinder, like this one.
   
2. a French press
   
3. Some nice beans, have a look online for a local roaster in your area and give them your support/love/money!.
   
   That's pretty much it, just coarsely grind the coffee, put it in the press with water just slightly off the boil, wait a few mins depending on how strong you like it, press down and serve delicious coffee!

This guy. It was a christmas present and I've never been able to justify buying something better when the one I have still works. I need to get back into french press; my sister and her husband only use that and it's always a nice change. I have a moka pot that I just can't figure out, but I keep trying!

It depends a lot on your grounds, some would say even more than your method of extraction. Your French press technique is solid though. You're being very smart by getting coarsely-ground instead of normal drip grind, but the individual flavour notes of coffee beans deteriorate massively within a very short time of being ground. They won't be completely eliminated, but you'll get more of a "generic good coffee" flavour than anything specific like "orange zest, red cherry and cranberry".

However, you can't just use a blade grinder and expect a good cup. I found that out very quickly after getting a grinder with a variable grind. What I have is pretty close to bottom of the pack as coffee gear goes but this big guy is what a lot of people on here started with and it's serving me very well. Whatever you get, though, it's mandatory that it has as consistent of a grind as you can afford. If you don't want to shell out for a decent grinder then keep buying good-quality coarsely ground beans like you already have because I can guarantee that slightly stale beans are much better than beans that are inconsistently ground.

The reason consistency is needed when you're freshly grinding beans at home is mainly for, again, flavour. As I understand it if one ground is bigger than another ground, then the two individual grounds will extract at different rates. This leads to the bigger pieces being underextracted (underextracted coffee is often acidic and unpleasant) and the smaller ones being overextracted (adding bitterness, generally). Not only does this make the end brew very inconsistent the finer bits of grounds (particulates) will clog up the filter in your press or pourover cup.

Five easy steps to a good cup.

1. Buy only medium or lighter roast WHOLE bean coffee.
   1a. Smell the bag through the pin hole vent before purchase. Bitter coffee will smell bitter or burnt.
   
2. Freeze the whole bean coffee in its container.
   2a. It slows the bittering process caused by exposure of the oils to oxygen.
   
3. Grind it at home in a BURR MILL grinder.
   3a. Let the beans reach room temperature before grinding, or the grinder will clog (condensation + grinds = paste).
   3b. Only grind enough for one brew at a time.
   3c. Stay clear of CHOPPERS, as they don't increase the surface area of the coffee as much as a BURR MILL does.
   
4. Brew using your preferred method.
   4a. Even drip coffee is far better with these steps.
   
5. Enjoy.
   

Which ones are you looking at? Have you looked into Porlex? They make (from all accounts I've read) one of the best hand grinders available.

Here's the most recommended model

Here's a smaller, more portable model

I got my baratza encore about a year ago and I love that thing. Though I've considered picking up the smaller porlex for camping trips and when I travel.

The Porlex JP-30 is a decent cheap hand grinder. I carry one with my aeropress when I'm travelling for work. It actually fits inside the aeropress, which is convenient.

https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Jp-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2

What about for a hand grinder? I need on e to take to work. Any thoughts on this? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002JZCF2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1679UAEKUZ50O

It's the JP-30. This is the one on amazon. It's a pretty decent grinder for the price. I wouldn't use it as my only grinder (Though I did for a few months.), as cranking gets old fast, but it's been nice for camping and situations like this.

The only complaint I have is that the grind adjustment notches aren't very distinct past the first five settings, which can make consistency a pain.

Totally! I love talking about gear.

Grinders:

• Bodum Bistro (on the way out, needs new Burrs, but I really like it for course french press brews)
  
• Mazzer Mini (probably the only coffee thing I have bought new...a splurge but my espresso has benefited immensely)
  
• Baratza Virtuoso - Probably the best all around grinder. Can do course and fine grinds, has a timer, no-static grounds catcher. I like it a lot.
  
• Porlex JP-30 Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder - My hand grinder, it's ceramic and does a consistently good pour-over grind..the only issue is it gets very hot when grinding and when grinding you want the beans to suffer no heat at all. It could be because I have to hold it with my hand when grinding and I'm transferring heat + the friction of the burrs? I really don't know how to improve it but I've started using this only on trips when I have to have a grinder and can't tote around my Baratza.
  
  Scale - Hario Drip Scale w/ Timer - It's black, measures to the tenth of a gram, the first one I bought is slow and it struggles to keep up with measuring my water grams...then I bought another a year later and it's much faster so I'd say if you get one that seems sluggish / slow, return it it's like they added a new CPU or something later in the life of the machine.
  
  Aeropress sometimes....it's the fastest way to make coffee with really easy clean-up. For the event I'm just gonna brew 2 batches on everything except espresso (since I don't want to tote that thing in the office). I hope it turns people on to better coffee.

This is what I use. But I swear I got it for around $20.

If you take a look at the wiki for this subreddit, there's a gear guide. Most people are going to recommend the Hario Mini, it's a solid, inexpensive grinder that will really have a dramatic effect on your coffee.

I'm a mild coffee snob. So what is key: filtered water, temperature and grinding the beans the moment you make it. Straight tap is okay but check your municipality on how they process the water. If they put add weird stuff to reprocess... don't use. I can taste that stuff and then it makes my coffee taste sad, lol. So if not filtered at home then store bought.

I also use a french press. To get the full taste of coffee you don't want to use a coffee filter. The filter pulls some of the nom nom oils from the coffee. Also, more oils means more caffeine in your system. :)

But I had one of those master baristas tell me that they only keep their coffee (once bag is opened) for a week. Gawh! If I tossed out my coffee every week...nope I don't drink coffee that fast and not gonna waste money like that.

I prefer mostly dark roasts. But the most memorable cup of coffee I made for myself was one I bought from a local store and it was an Organic Italian Dark roast. OMG, that was just superb! So I recommend supporting your local stores.

Therefore, get a hand grinder and french press. Also, this may seem like a lot of work but it's a five to seven minute process and really I love it. Once I did it, I gave away my Breville Coffee maker and have never purchased another one since.

I love coffee!

I started out with and highly recommend the Clever Coffee Dripper (I recommend getting the Large which makes about 14 oz and 28 oz if you use the bypass brew method) and a Hario Mini Mill hand grinder. The clean up and prep time for the Clever is just about the same as an Aeropress, but it yields a higher brew volume which is great if you have company.

As for beans, just do a search for a local coffee roaster and start experimenting with beans from various locations (Central/South America, Africa, Pacific Islands, etc). Good luck with your coffee journey!

Grinder: Hario Slim ~$25 or mini mill ~$29 (looks too expensive to go for the mini mill)

Option 1: Aeropress and filters, may be just under or around $50 with the grinder, might overshoot by a few bucks. ~$29 for Aeropress and paper filters, steel filter available but not within budget (~$15-18).

Option 2: melitta pourover cone and filters, need a pyrex to heat/pour your water, but every kitchen should have one of those anyway. ~$13 for cone and filters.

Looks like going the pourover route (before shipping and whatnot) will cost you a total of ~$38, while the Aeropress will be ~$54. The pourover route will mean you don't have as great a control over the brew (many people like an expensive gooseneck kettle, but whatever), but will be significantly under-budget. The Aeropress will be slightly over budget, but you won't have to worry about pour control.

What is your budget?

The aergrind is possibly the best valued grinder, but it is a manual grinder. This guy can grind espresso quality and will greatly improve your mokapot and aeropress. Their Feld2 is also great but less portable. These expensive manual grinders are much easier to grind than the cheaper ones, you dont need nearly as much force. They grind as good as electrics 4x the cost.

If thats out of your budget you could go for this porlex or mini mill but these produce far less consistent grinds, harder to turn, and cant grind as fine.

If you want electric, the baratza encore is a popular recommendation. This is good enough for everything thats not espresso. This is very easily repairable, so it can last longer than other options.

But honestly the price difference to the bodum bistro isn't worth it. Id go for this if you wanted a cheap electric. Also wont grind espresso, but good enough for just about everything else.

Hope that answers your questions!

About a year and half ago I went from 0-60 with this setup:

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSV-Buono-Drip-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Dripper-V60-Clear/dp/B001RBTSMM/ref=pd_sim_k_6

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-White-Filters-Brewer/dp/B001U7EOYA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906139&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+v60+filters

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906080&sr=1-2&keywords=hario+hand+grinder

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Elegant/dp/B004164SRA/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349906101&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchen+scale

Here is a video I found about how it all works:
http://vimeo.com/34182806

The big thing is to use FRESH roasted beans (we're talking ~3 weeks old or less). If you are buying beans that don't have a date on em, try again. Hopefully there is a coffee shop around you that will sell their own roast (usually comes in a 12oz package). If not you can try the grocery store or order online (http://ceremonycoffee.com/ is a good start), it really depends on the city you live in.

I had always liked the aroma and taste of coffee in other things (ice cream specifically) but it wasn't until I got into beer that I really started to appreciate it. Hopefully this finds you well, feel free to send a message my way if you have any specific questions!

My go to budget conscious suggestions are: Hario Mini Mill + Aeropress or French Press of your choice.

$32 Hario Mini Mill

$26 Aeropress

$20 French Press

Mmk.

Let's ignore the espresso machine route, and go for something that will give you strong coffee. Either a moka pot, or maybe an aeropress. (I personally recommend the aeropress.)

As for the milk, the cheaper route would be to heat it up (microwave?) and then use a milk frother to blend air into it. You'll get these big bubbles as opposed to microfoam like you'd get at an actual coffee shop. OR. You can go for a stovetop steam wand like this. You'll need to invest some time/money into this to learn how to make microfoam, but the results will be worth it. I'm actually about to embark on this step :/ (Note, you don't HAVE to foam/froth your milk. It just makes it a little tastier.)

NOW. Back onto the coffee. So we have your "machine/maker" figured out. Let's talk about the ACTUAL coffee. Depending on what you've picked from above, you're in $30-$100+ deep. If you have a local roaster, that's great! Buy beans freshly roasted from them. Learn from them. Ask them to make recommendations. If not, there are a few online sources good for buying roasted coffee. Remember, buy what you can use in about 1-2 weeks. Longer than that and you'll have stale coffee.

If you can, you should buy whole coffee beans, and grind them yourself. The cheaper method is to buy a hand grinder. The Hario Skeleton/Skerton is always highly recommended. A few drawbacks to this, but you'll learn about them on your coffee journey. (Don't want to bombard you with too much information for now.) The Hario Mini Mill is also a great option, especially for travelling, but grinds less.

As for electric grinders, the Baratza Maestro is a good entry level burr grinder, but at a pretty steep price :/ Note: always buy a burr grinder, and note a blade grinder. Bear in mind that using the hand grinders is actually quite a lot of work, especially if you're not a morning type of person. The entire Baratza line of grinders are all highly recommended, but as always, the better the grinder, the higher the cost.

I just got the hario mini mill after much research yesterday, and It's supposed to be better than the skerton for a french press grind. I really like it so far. It does have less volume than the skerton though.

This suggestion will be totally not-ultralight... but for car camping I carry a Hario hand grinder along with an Aeropress. I've taken it on some day trips and easy overnighters though but definitely not when I'm really concerned about weight. http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY

I've used the same combination in the office at work almost every day for years -- well over 700 cups based on the number of aeropress filters I've used -- and they're both still going strong.

For backpacking I either carry instant, or pre-measure ground coffee and put it in a fillable filter bag designed for tea.

I have the perfect solution for you:

Hario Mini Mill.

Look no further, just buy it now.

• Hario v60 $5 with $6 filters, if you have a gooseneck kettle, or a Ready, Set, Joe for $6 with $7 filters if you have a tea kettle/pouring from a pot
  
• Scale* $17 or $9
  
• Kettle
  
• Coffee
  
• Filtered water (I just always use Brita water...not sure if I can tell a difference, but I'm all about eliminating variables)
  
  Check here for information on kettles/scales/etc. A grinder is the most important part of your setup, but with your budget I would recommend simply visiting the store a little more often, buying smaller quantities of beans, and getting them ground there. Otherwise, the Hario Mini Mill for $28 is your best budget option for grinding at home, though they have trouble with coarser grinds (which means that the coffee grounds will extract at different times, potentially resulting in a bitter brew).
  
  
  Where you'll further run into "money issues" are with the kettle and coffee. A gooseneck is recommended for the v60 and is a little more expensive than a simple kettle. I suggest pouring hot water from a pot over the Joe. Quality beans can be a little pricey. But if you do the math, I think you'll find them worth it. $9 a pound at 12 grams per cup is about $.25 a cup. I'm buying some beans now that're $14 for 10oz (I think) and it's around $.60 a cup (I did the math awhile back, so I could be wrong). Point is — do the math for quality beans per cup and it'll put into perspective how (fairly) inexpensive quality beans can be. Especially when compared with store bought drinks or K-Cups.
  
  
  So, my overall recommendation: Joe, filters, scale, pour hot water from kettle/pot, grind at store for now. That's $22-$30 (depending on scale choice) for a good setup. Spend the other money on decent, hopefully freshly roasted and definitely freshly ground, beans. I suggest a 1:16.6 ratio of beans to water. I do 12g coffee per 200g water. Gets me about 6oz., which is how much I prefer to drink at once.
  
  Upgrade options: Hario v60, gooseneck kettle, grinder.
  
  *Scales aren't absolutely necessary, but they're very helpful. The $17 is my recommendation. Much larger base. But reviews for the smaller AWS scales show people using them for coffee. Likely only 1-2 cups at a time with the weight limitation, however, unless you do some smart tare work. A scale is really the only way to get consistent, repeatable results.
  

This guy has served me well in my portable coffee kit for the past 4 years: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Mini-Mill-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

Smaller than the skerton- can't say enough nice things about Hario

This grinder would make an excellent addition to your current setup. Coffee grind consistency is pretty important when using the pour over method and your current grinder is a complete butcher (I should know, it's the one I started with too.)

For this price point I'd suggest getting a hand grinder like the Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder, Mini https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3mzJub0BJ1SAD

But I'm not sure how consistent it is with coarse grinds.

For a french press, might I recommend this: Bodum french press?

As for a grinder, you want to grind coarse for french press. Blade grinders are extremely inconsistent with grind size. Like others have mentioned, burr grinders are better because they grind more consistently and will not heat up the beans as much during the grinding process. The issue with the Hario Skerton that you posted is that is known to be pretty inconsistent at coarse grinds (unless you make some modifications to it). The Hario Slim Mill may actually be better because there is a spring loaded that helps prevent the burr from wobbling.

Your total here would be around $40 which is pretty decent for a beginner setup.

Well, knowing your budget would be important, but trying to be cost sensitive, I found a refurbished Baratza Encore for $99, and the brew method many suggest for entry level is the aeropress which is on amazon for about $30. If that's still too steep a price, you can always start off with a decent hand grinder like the Hario Mini Mill which is also about $30 on amazon. The hand grinder is more cost effective, but obviously takes more time and effort than the electric. All of this is fairly good entry level equipment, and you can always trade up grinders, and try new brew methods further down the road if you so desire.

For starters, get a grinder (here's a cheap but decent manual one) and an Aeropress. It's cheap, takes the last amount of time to brew (~3 minutes), lasts forever, requires the least amount of extra equipment, produces a great balanced cup, is super forgiving with regards to methods, beans, and grinders, you can experiment with its variables (brew recipes, steep time, press duration, etc) endlessly, and the cleanup is super simple (eject the puck, rinse under the tap). You don't need a scale or a kettle; just use the included scoop and fill the chamber.

The Aeropress is the device that got me through college. I used to buy coffee, grind it in-store, heat water in a mug, brew using the inverted method, and then press into the same mug. 8 years later and I still use it (though now I have a grinder, scale, and kettle, and I use a metal filter cuz it tastes better and saves money in the long run).

I would personally recommend against a pourover for your first brewer, as it requires more equipment and is less flexible and more finicky.

If you're having trouble finding good beans around the area, there's a huge variety of online vendors. Craft Coffee is the cheapest I've found ($10-14/12oz bag).

Resources I used: /r/coffee and youtube (I particularly like the sumpcoffee channel).

Conclusions and setup I arrived at:

• Bodum french press - 8 cups is misleading because each cup is actually measured at 4oz, not 8. This is pretty good for one person. I found mine on CL for $15, you can probably find an equally good deal in your area. Especially now, post gift season.
  
  
• Hario Mini Mill - freshly ground coffee is amazing. I answered your post about using pre-ground coffee, so I won't repeat myself. Also consider the fact that as coffee is exposed to air it deteriorates. That's why pre-ground coffee is so derided by coffee community (more surface area exposed -> faster deterioration), and why people recommend you look at "roasted on" dates.
  
  
• A medium roast. For me, these have the perfect combination of fruity and chocolatey. I love the complexity, and I think that Private Selection whole beans (Kroger brand) are a good balance of affordable and tasty. The yirgacheffe beans are a good place to start.
  
  
• Next on the list of things to get (for me) is a scale. It's not a neccessity, but it makes certain things easier (measuring out can be tedious).
  
  
• This is a good article that will teach you a few things
  
  Also, in regards to cleaning the french press. You don't want to dump the grounds into the sink because it can cause clogging. This is what I do - rinse off the metal filter immediately after brewing. Some grounds will be stuck to it, but this shouldn't be a problem. Then, I just leave the glass beaker out on the counter to dry out. That night or next morning the grounds are mostly dry, I dump them into the trash and rinse out the glass beaker with hot water.

this

+

this

+

Any whole bean coffee of you choice (I like green).

This will delicious and still be way cheaper than paying for starbucks even semi regularly.

This Hario? https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B01GPMH590/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=hario&qid=1565050152&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Los ingredientes:

Cafe de supermercado, compro el Senior molido. Encara bastante. Para cuando estoy apurado o para tener en la oficina

Para el cafe regular en casa, compro grano y lo muelo en el momento. Los Araucanos esta super en cuenta, creo que 450$ el kilo, el Palacio del Cafe es un poco mas caro.

Para el cafe especial para hacerse un gusto o impresionar visitas, Amor Perfecto es muy rico. Tambien se puede comprar Starbucks o alguna de las cafeterias especializadas que hay en la vuelta (The Lab) pero ahi se te va a alrededor de 1600$ el kilo.

​

Para bonus extra, utilizar agua mineral sin gas para hacer un buen cafe, queda mejor que la de la canilla. No es tan caro tener un bidon a mano.

----------------

El equipo:

En cuanto a equipo para prepararte un cafe, te recomiendo te traigas un molinillo como este

El metodo de extraccion tambien influye mucho, para mi el mejor es por lejos el espresso. Esta maquina sale unos mangos pero trae litros y litros de felicidad. Por supuesto que hay opciones mas caras y avanzadas.

Sino queres ponerte con una espresso, lo siguiente mejor que encontre (y lo que uso en la oficina) es la Aeropress . Hay gente que realmente ama este metodo y para prepararlo utilizan una balanza de presicion para medir la proporcion agua cafe (hay videos en youtube) yo la verdad no le doy tanta bola.

-----------------

Extra:

Si invertiste en una maquina espresso, te recomiendo comprarte un jarrito de metal para espumar leche y aprender a hacerlo bien. Saber hacer un buen capuchino vale la pena.

This one is: https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=hand+large+burr+grinder&qid=1556983024&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I love it

My beginner battle station.

Traveled down the coffee rabbit hole november and most of this stuff is from Christmas. The gear is, from left, a 250 ml graduated cylinder, a discontinued-found-at-thrift-store copco tea kettle, under it an old continental electric hot plate, next to it a hario slim mini mill grinder, an aeropress, and an aws 100 gram scale. I usually use 250 ml of water with 13-15 grams of coffee, grinded medium-fine, at 15 seconds off boil, steeping for 15 seconds and pressing twice that long. I'm planning on getting a bonavita variable temp soon too.

This thing? that's tempting...

Have you looked into hand grinders? I have this Hario Mini Mill to go with my aeropress and love it! That way you can enjoy fresh ground coffee without needing electricity.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001804CLY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1419405564&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I'm in my 20s. I like the headphone idea. Someone suggested Sennheisers and I totally second that motion. I went with a more expensive model (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323964715&sr=1-3) and I LOVE them. If he's into music and gaming, these are a godsend.

Not sure exactly your son's living situation, but I live on my own and I tend to err on the side of lazy. Because of this, I'm almost always running low on basic bathroom supplies. New toothbrushes, new razors, shampoo, soap, extra bath towels, those kinds of things. Heck, when I first moved out, I went without a shower mat for almost a year. And ceramic tiles are freaking cold.

As I hit my 20's I discovered coffee and all it's amazing wonder. If your son did too, he may like getting a legitimate coffee making kit. I'm talking a decent french press, a ceramic burr grinder, and a kettle (I just use a pot for now, so I don't have any specific suggestions yet). If you really wanna get fancy and you have the money, you could even get him an electric kettle so he has complete temperature control. And if you're ordering that stuff on amazon, I would get a bag of some well reviewed whole beans. I like the Kicking Horse roasting company, but that's just me.


I also wanted to take a moment and suggest basic kitchen supplies. Like the bathroom supplies, these things tend to go unstocked or simply ignored in my house. Things like a good frying pan or a nice sized pot for making pasta. A brita filter with a few extra cartridges. Extra dish soap. Extra sponges. Even kitchen towels for drying hands/dishes (I currently use an old shirt :/ ). I also would suggest things that make cheap food taste better. I'm talking a pepper mill, some garlic salt, onion salt, basic herbs, and a good hot sauce. My brother was always partial to Chulula, but I tend to just go with whatever Trader Joe's has.

Hope this helps!

Getting really good espresso for $200 is near impossible to do, but you can pick up one of the lower end Gaggia machines for just over $200 (and they look quite nice IMO).

This only solves half of the problem though--you need a grinder too. The cheapest grinder that will get you a proper grind for espresso is probably a Kyocera hand grinder.

I started using a cheap coffee grinder (they’re good for grinding your own dried chilies, but I don’t like the grind quality for spices), then a mortar and pestle (too much work for some spices).

Then I switched to a ceramic burr coffee grinder and love it! It’s great for small and large batches, and gives a very consistent grind. I double grind difficult spices like coriander, cloves, and cardamom, but it works through cumin, allspice, black pepper, and fennel with little effort.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003S9XF7K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You just need one of these now.

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1485796415&sr=1-9&keywords=burr+grinder

This is the one I use. If you get a little hand vacuum you can just suck the excess grounds out of the shoot between uses and be good to go c:

Ok, so if you want a consistent grind that you can dial in accurately, you're going to want a burr grinder. Really any should be sufficient for a moka pot, because the only problems might be on the extremes of the grind size. Stay away from those whirly-blade spice grinder type of grinders.

For your low-price options, you're going to be looking more at hand grinders. They're perfectly fine (and some think they actually give a more consistent grind than the electric counterparts), they just take a little more work. A good one at a low price point would be the Hario Skerton mill ($31.58).

If you have a bit more to throw around, you might want to try an electric grinder. Some of the better ones in the middle price point are the Bodum Bistro ($140, though you can sometimes find them on a good sale). Or, you could go with the Baratza Encore ($130).

If you're looking for something more than that, I'm probably not the one to ask. But, if you're just doing moka pot coffee, those should do just fine.

Others are more than welcome to weigh in here, though!

I almost missed it! I've got a few upgrade from my last post! Here is my gear.

From left to right:

• Bodum Bistro - Got this guy at the famous JCP Bodum Sale. For the price, I've been very happy. I'd like to upgrade but can't justify the purchase at the moment.
  
• Hario Skerton
  
• Aeropress
  
• Bialetti Moka Pot - 3 cup
  
• Melitta pour over
  
• Grosche York 350 ml french press
  
• 2 Oxo pop airtight containers - I love these and recommend them highly
  
  What's next you ask? Well with my neck paycheck, I'm buying the following:
  
  
• Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck
  
• Chemex
  
• This Digital Scale
  
• Clever Dripper (maybe)
  
  Any recommendations for other gear? Specifically, scale recs?
  
  Edit: Added Amazon links for anyone interested.

I agree that you need a decent grinder. In other threads, I've suggested the Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder.

Do you know how you want to brew your coffee? I think everyone should have a French Press, and you can get a good one for ~$25 or less. If you think you won't want to wait for 4 minutes for the French Press (or you don't want to clean it, which adds a bit of time), go for an Aeropress, which makes great coffee fast and 1-cup at a time and cleans itself. I'd avoid a drip machine with the other good options. You'll also need a teapot or electric boiler to heat the water, although I suppose you could use the microwave (or just a pot) if you were in a pinch.

Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder has served me well for pour overs and French press. It can do fine espresso grinds for your average consumer espresso machines, but cannot grind fine enough for those prosumer machines.

I brew directly into a Chemex, I like it a lot more than the carafe that comes with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Chemex-6-Cup-Classic-Glass-Coffee/dp/B0000YWF5E/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1498833354&sr=1-3&keywords=chemex

Also, I have had this grinder for 6 years and it still works perfectly
https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Bistro-Electric-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0043095WW/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1498833502&sr=8-10&keywords=coffee+burr+grinder

I also exclusively use the French Press. Since it's a relatively simple brew method that requires the use of just coarse grinds--as opposed to very fine grinds like as used for espresso shots--you won't need a high precision machine, which is good news for your budget. I personally use the Bodum Bistro. It's a very straightforward burr grinder that does great coarse to medium grinds. To be honest, it's a bit lacking on espresso size fine grinds, but then again that's in comparison to a $300 grinder so it's not at all an issue for Press-only users. It's loud like all electric grinders are, but at least it's a lower pitched kind of loud as opposed to the high pitched whine one other brands. I really also like the glass bottle the grinds fall into. I bought a store display model and I've had no problems with it for over a year now.

I'm also going to recommend you upgrade your grinder, and then revisit what you already have.

I have personally used a Bodum bistro grinder, and I enjoyed that. My wife bought one that had issues, and Bodum sent us a second grinder at no charge: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043095WW/

A lot of people will recommend Baratza, and for good reason. They have excellent customer service, and they make really good grinders (up to a point). https://www.baratza.com/product-category/refurb/

I just recently got this burr ginder: Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder ($119.95).

It's pretty pricey, but it's a step up from my blade grinder. Really everyone here is going to advise against a blade grinder.

The lightest weight approach I've found is a pour over and a mini grinder. I found many of the pourover setups to have stiff elements that make packing them difficult. I've also found that most grinders are actually quite bulky (in fact, I returned the GSI JavaGrinder as I found it to be HUGE). The best selection I found was:

• Porlex mini mill (same as what /u/brett88 suggested). It's minimal, it creates a really great, adjustable grind, and it's made out of stainless steel (outside) and ceramic (grinder) http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0044ZA066
  
• Cuissential SlickDrip Pourover. This collapsible pourover cone is entirely silicone, so it folds up in a snap and you can stuff it just about anywhere. http://www.amazon.com/Cuissential-SlickDrip-Collapsible-Silicone-Dripper/dp/B0051HEFAS/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1395682135&sr=1-5&keywords=cuissential

If you're recommending mills to take with the aeropress, I highly recommend the Porlex Mini. It fits inside the aeropress.

I'd go with a porlex mini. It's a better grinder, smaller and if he happens to have an aeropress, it fits snugly inside it like this for super convenient travel.

This guy?

I use a Porlex mini grinder

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044ZA066

It's the only high quality single-serving size grinder I know of. I don't see the need for a glass reservoir as you can simply fill the top with beans and crank until there's no longer resistance and then you have just the right amount of grounds for 16-24oz of coffee. I've been using it for several years.

How good would either of these be for grinding coffee?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MD0HDKG/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T6EJS0/

That sounds a lot like my budget burr grinder: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-BMH23-Automatic-Grinder/dp/B004T6EJS0

It leaves fine particles on every setting, but does a pretty decent job for the price.

Coffee grinder because I want to make the best cup possible.


C'mon... Gimme. I don't have anything specific. For RR.

You guys are awesome. Thank you for the contest.

I have the black one and i can really recommend it, the only thing is that don't trust the grinding dots on the regulator they don't really work all that well to the kinds of coffee you want to brew, especially the espresso grind. They shouldn't even have put a espresso grind choice on this one because it doesn't even grind as fine as espresso should be grinded. BUT the aeropress grind works perfect for aeropress so if you want to only grind aeropress buy it.

Or you could buy a hand grinder it's a little cheaper and you can regulate the grind of your tasting.

I have this one. Just make sure when you purchase, it says that the order will be fulfilled by Amazon. I didn't get a fake.

Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton Storage Capacity (100g) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001802PIQ/

Can't comment on that grinder, but it looks like the Hario Skerton which I do have, and does a pretty good job. Not the greatest when it comes to course grind, so if you want a french press, look elsewhere, unless you do the mod, but then you can't get very good fine grinds.

I have to set aside a good 10min to do a V60 pourover, which includes boiling water on the stove, and grinding with my Skerton. I'm sure it could be done quicker with the right stuff.

For pourover look into a gooseneck, a scale, a grinder, and a pourover device (Kalita Wave/V60/Chemex).

Edit: And that grinder would be a good investment if you have the money.

Aeropress

Grinders come down to price. Bare minimum Hario Skerton if you want electric I would go for Baratza Encore moving up in price Lido 2 or 3 or others of like the Helor other electrics would be Smart Grinder Pro or the Baratza Vario.

Got bought one of these for my birthday, does anyone have suggestions on good places to get beans? I'm central based, and I was just going to head down to Espresso Workshop and buy some.

Alternatively, what's a good way to get into coffee snobbery in Auckland?

Thanks for the contest. Now go and kick some ass!

Here's my entry.

$19 will get you better coffee for years. You'll need a grinder too, but I really don't see this stuff breaking any time in the next 10 years.

Throw away that coffee tin and grinder. For french press especially you need a consistent coarse grind that your not going to get with a blade grinder. Get this grinder instead

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=pd_sim_k_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=19DE06SVG74MQS538Q21


Also an electric kettle will be a lot better than microwaving.

Nice work going with that kettle! I have the same one.

A couple things:

1- Yes, your grinder is an issue. I call the result of the grind by that style of blade "dust and boulders". Some coffe will be over extracted, other coffee will be under extracted.

2- What kind of water are you using? Does it taste good?

3- A hand operated burr grinder will run you about 30-40 dollars ([Hario] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ)) , but I suggest you pinch a few extra dollars and go for a decent quality electric one. Your grinds will be much more uniform!

4- Have you tried properly ground coffee that's fresh? Have a local place grind a small amount before you take it home. Compare your grind and the other.

5- Do you know what kind of coffee:water ratio you prefer? How are the local places with their ratios? Ask your barista next time you get a pour over...

Good Luck!

This is the grinder that I bought when I was first starting. Cheap and great for beginners!

Gooseneck kettle is a must for pour overs if that's what you see in your future! I have the Bonavita 1L electric kettle. Looking back, I would have invested in the more expensive version that lets you vary temperature, but I've had great results with mine regardless.

I started out with a v60, then a Chemex, then the Aeropress. Of the 3, I use the Chemex the most often; it gives the best quality brew with the highest quantity (37g @ ~600mL of water). It took me quite a while master the pour, but it was definitely worth it!

Hope this helps and good luck on your coffee journey!

EDIT: For grinders, I have the Hario skerton. It takes a while to grind the beans, but was marvelous for my budget at the time. Once I have the money though, I'm going for the Baratza Encore. It's cheaper than the Virtuoso, but an old roommate had the Encore and I LOVED having all my beans ground in such a short amount of time.

Just some food for thought!

bodum french press is cheap and goodc

($10). hario hand grinder is relatively cheap and good ($40). glass tea kettle to boil water ($10). $60 total for nice tasting coffee. i did this setup for 2 years or so, no problems, but you'll use a little muscle grinding.

https://www.amazon.com/Medelco-12-Cup-Stovetop-Whistling-Kettle/dp/B000V5X826/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248291&sr=1-3&keywords=glass+tea+kettle

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248316&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+coffee+grinder

https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-BRAZIL-Coffee-Maker-French/dp/B000KEM4TQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500248377&sr=1-1&keywords=french+press+bodum

A hand grinder for french press is rough. You can get something like the Hario Skeron, but you wont get very consistent grinds at the french press level. I would recommend getting the Orphan Espresso mod to improve the grinder. Without overwhelming you with details, it provides more support for better consistency.

Your best bet in that price range might be a hand grinder.

One in that price range is the Hario Skerton currently at $30 dollars.

Just know that it might be a lot of work to hand grind beans. If you think you can't handle this, I would save up for a Capresso Infinity or Barazta Encore or make do with the inconsistent grinds.

Not OP but:

Grinder

Coffee

Brew_Method

Brewing_Gear

Edit: I should note that these beans are roasted. Roasting your own can be a whole new game. Also you will want to get a Water_kettle

I know what I'm about to say is against what you want in coffee, but the gold standard for people starting out, is the Skerton and the Aeropress.


Skerton: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001802PIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450636608&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=hario+skerton&dpPl=1&dpID=415JCWEK1sL&ref=plSrch

Aeropress: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450636649&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Aeropress&dpPl=1&dpID=517aTTC-7pL&ref=plSrch

Its no automatic all-in-one, but for the price, you really can't beat it for starters.

Despite spending upwards of 300$ of gear for coffee, out if the three brew methods I have, the aeropress is my go to.

Its very easy to use and there is a million different "ways" it can make coffee.

There is some effort per cup, you grind beans right before you brew and you have to find a recipe to go by, again, millions, but it makes a very very good cup.

Just my 2c

College usually means frugal so; Hario Mini Mill, $33.00 no s&h.

I was thinking about buying the Aeropress (I've heard great things). I know it won't make true espresso or w/e, but for my needs, I think it'll be just fine. I also found a cheap grinder online that got good reviews. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405019304&sr=8-2&keywords=hario+grinder

Thoughts?

I'm just sick of drinking shitty coffee every day.

The Baratza Virtuoso: costs too much, but I'm really happy with it. The price kept me away for a year after I'd decided to replace our Kitchenaid Proline, and even now when I looked it up to remember the price, I had to shake my head, but it has really improved the quality and consistency of our coffee. Is it worth $200+? I think so. Is it $100 better than an Encore? Probably not, but I don't know.

The Virtuoso is a nice grinder around the £200 price point.

Great setup. For when you're ready.

Something that's cheap and reliable:

Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BJJGDbZW2HR7G

Something that's super cheap (blade grinder)
KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6KJGDbFZSYVDE

As noted a couple of times by others... Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_W8IzCbV0EW1FV

After a year of Starbucks on my walk to work (and adding it up and shaking my head), I reached out to a high school friend and mega coffee nerd, and ultimately went with his recommendation for "best entry level" brew at home set up. It's been great. A little spendy to get into it, but it paid for itself quickly, and I've loved experimenting with different roasts of whole beans and doing the grinding myself.

​

Grinding:

Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

​

Brewing:

Breville BDC450BSS Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker

​

Storing Beans:

Airscape Coffee Canister

​

Good luck, and happy brewing!

​

Edit: Formatting

I think to best answer this request, we'll need a bit more info. Are you ok with a manual grinder, or do you prefer an electric grinder? Do you want a drip brewer or a pour over set up? Are you looking to get into espresso? And, what is your actual budget in your local currency?

And now for a guess at what might work for you...

A [Melitta Plastic Pour Over Dripper](https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527536804&sr=8-1&keywords=mellita) $5 to $6 (a lot of grocery stores carry these in stock)

A box of #2 Cone filters at your local grocery store $2

If you want an automatic drip brewer, and you are making smaller amounts for just you, the [Bonavita 5 cup](https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-BV1500TS-Carafe-Coffee-Stainless/dp/B00SK5IXPQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537674&sr=8-4&keywords=bonavita+brewer) is wroth a look. it runs about $66. I have the 8 cup for the wife and I and we love it.

Filters can be purchased, again, at your local grocery store for about $2.

[Brewista SmartPour Kettle w. Thermometer](https://www.amazon.com/Brewista-Variable-Temperature-Kettle-BKV12S02NA/dp/B01CFBBUVY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537033&sr=8-1&keywords=brewista%2Bsmart%2Bpour&th=1) $40. There are cheaper ones, but I personally have this one and have loved it.

[Scale](https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ-4000-Compact-Digital-Adapter/dp/B004C3CAB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537139&sr=8-1&keywords=Jennings+CJ4000) This is a must. $30

[Bratza Encore](https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527537371&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=baratza+encore&psc=1&smid=A302OQK4GZWXCC) Grinder is the default recommendation around here, and for good reason. It's high quality, and easily serviceable. New they run $139, but you can save $40 and pick up a [refurb](https://www.baratza.com/product/encore-refurb/) (still with the 1 year warrantee) for $99 direct from Baratza.

If you want a cheaper option, and don't mind a manual hand grinder, there are a few options, but the [Hario Skerton Pro](https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Grinder-MMCS-2B/dp/B01MXJI90S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527537536&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+skerton+pro) is about the lowest cost / still decent quality grinders, grinder that most would recommend. It runs about $60, and personally, I'd spend the extra $30 on an Encore refurb.

Happy Mug Beans are a pretty great option. I really enjoy the Big Foot Espresso blend (despite it's name) as a pour over, and even like it in my drip brewer. The Inspirational Artist Blend is a great option too. But really just try them out and see what you like. Their bags (for 1lbs of whole beans) run $11 - $13

Hope that helps.

I was in the same shoes as you, from Canada with a Hario Skerton - which did a fine job at grinding beans consistently in my experience. But who in their right mind is going to get up every morning and manually grind beans, it's gets old.

Bite the bullet. Order yourself a baratza Encore from Amazon. I've never found myself desiring anything more and it is the single best piece in my coffee arsenal

The French press (FP) is great, the grinder is not good. The grinder is what is known as a blade grinder which means that it kind of works like a blender where spinning blades will chop up the coffee. The problem is that it will chop up the coffee really inconsistently and you'll have big chunks, little chunks and dust all mixed together. If you keep it running, you will eventually have dust which is actually OK for Turkish coffee.

To brew a good cup of coffee, you want a relatively consistent particle size so that you can evenly extract the good stuff from the coffee without extracting the bad stuff. If you would use that grinder with an FP, you would end up with huge chunks that wouldn't really extract much coffee goodness and a lot of sludge in the cup.

I'm going to say that you'd probably be better off drinking stale preground coffee over using that grinder. The Hario Skerton is the cheapest grinder (here is a knockoff that appears to have identical burrs/mechanics and is currently cheaper) I'm aware of that is OK for FP although it is better for drip/Aeropress where a finer grind is required. You really want to look out for a burr grinder which is commonly thought to crush the beans but really cuts them into more consistent size.

The cheapest electric grinders that I'd recommend are significantly more expensive but you can sometimes find them cheaper. Capresso Infinity, Bodum Bistro and Baratza Encore are all good grinders but they all run significantly more.

Hi! My limited fact finding has led me to the conclusion that you should aim to use burr grinders rather than blade grinders. Burr grinders allow for an even grind on all beans as the particulate does not travel through the mechanism unless it is a certain granularity. With blade grinders you will often end up with fine grind and coarse, resulting in a bitter cup. Check this out - http://www.amazon.com/Kuissential-Manual-Ceramic-Grinder-Hand-crank/dp/B008YK3IUM

You can do all sorts of brewing with burr grinder - pour over works great I think!

We registered at Amazon for the selection and convenience. We could find just about anything on amazon, and could add anything else through the universal registry feature. Guests shipped most gifts to our home, which was great since we live across the country from where we were married. I'd heard the return policy was rough, but luckily we didn't have any duplicate purchases. Amazon's registry was perfect for our needs.

Some of the most-used items we received:

• VonShef mixing bowls.
  
  
• Narrow measuring spoons. These fit inside containers and are so much less messy.
  
  
• Glass tupperware set.
  
  
• Adjustable temperature water kettle. Our household is really into coffee and tea, and this has made all the difference.
  
  
• Coffee grinder. Our total splurge of a grinder that was generously gifted by another coffee nerd.
  
  
• Griddle pan. Perfect for grilled cheese, pancakes, etc.
  
  
• The Harry Potter box set. We put this on there to break up the typical household list and were so excited for a nice hardcover set!
  
  
• Cast iron dutch oven/skillet combo.

I have this grinder : Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder and love it, I have had it for about 5 years now and it has worked flawlessly. I recommend this. I do not weigh my beans, I know exactly how much by site, I've been pressing (aero press) my coffee now for 5+ years, it has become routine :)

This looks perfect then! The usual recommended grinder in the price range, as it is consistent and can grind large amounts that Chemex brewing may require.

I myself want one, and wish you were my dad/mom ;p

I imagine premeasuring your beans/water the night before isn't an issue for you. In the morning, you could toss the beans into a decent electric grinder, and throw them into a good automated brewer. I still rely on a hand-mill and v60 for my daily needs, so I can't comment on anything except what I've experienced vicariously through the folks here on /r/coffee, but I imagine that would be a near fool-proof way of getting damn good coffee in the morning with minimal effort.

Edit: links.

Pair a Breville Infuser with a Breville Smart Grinder Pro. I've been using the Infuser for 3+ years myself and it's satisfied my needs entirely (for making both espresso and milk-based beverages). While I have no experience with the Smart Grinder Pro, I've heard good things about it, and its at a solid price point.

If you're looking at a Baratza grinder I'd recommend at minimum a Preciso because the burr set is far superior to that of the Encore (more consistent grinding), and its micro-adjustment ring allows for fine-tuning of the grind for better espresso. That being said, the Preciso is being replaced by the new Sette models in late summer, so you might be able to find a discounted Preciso soon-ish.

You need to have room in your budget for a grinder. That being said, that would put the Astra out of your preferred budget. But it does seem like an excellent machine for the price point (no experience here).

If you're wanting to do primarily milk drinks, and concerned about ease, the Brevillle Double Boiler is <$1,000 now. But that leaves no room for a decent grinder - the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is about all that would fit into your budget. A nice upgrade on grinder to a Baratza Sette 270 will set you back another $200.

If you need to save money, consider the Breville Infuser rather than the DB.

Lots of folk will encourage you to look at more commercial duty machines that have simpler maintenance, and in the long run they're correct. But if you only have what you have, that's a pretty good bang for your buck. The machine will probably not be as long-lasting as one of the E61 HX machines, but there's not many out there in your budget. There are a few, like the Lelit Mara but that one doesn't have a very long history like some of the more commonly-recommended machines (that are also more pricey).

If you need to use your own coffee, first you need to have a premium burr grinder, so that you will have the ability to produce nice creamy shots. To refill your Nespresso capsules, the grind size of the coffee is a super important factor to produce satisfactory results. The biggest change for third party refillable capsules is to maintain the pressure during the brewing. I will recommend you looking into those two products. Both of them will produce an exceptionally good shot if you control the coffee weight and the coffee grind size. Also, i provide you with a link for a good entry level grinder and capsule filling station. Hope that helps.

My-Cap oPack - 4 Capsules and 200 Non-Adhesive Foils for Nespresso OriginalLine Brewers (NOT for VertuoLine Brewers), Reusable, Refillable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8M941Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Wmn4Cb48E6BAF

Capsul'in MYCNCCB100 100 Piece Fillable Espresso Tea and Coffee Compatible Pod, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D36PQ9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Hon4Cb0MC0Y29

My-Cap Capsule Filler for Nespresso® OriginalLine Capsules (NOT for VertuoLine Capsules) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JJF313/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rpn4CbFDCR492

Breville BCG820BSSXL The Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Bean Grinder, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OXGXW8O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4pn4Cb1Z0PZ8T

I'd argue that it is an issue with the aeropress, it's just less noticeable due to the brewing method. Because you apply pressure to press out the coffee you dont notice the fines clogging up the brew the way you will with a gravity fed pourover. The fines are still there, and you will notice a difference in flavor in your aeropress once you upgrade your grinder. The uneven grind causes an uneven extraction in any brewing method. Some are just more noticeable.

The Skerton Pro is an upgrade from the original skerton (and the knockoff/ kyocera) but how much of a difference, I couldnt say. I havent seen any side by side comparisons on the two.
SCG has a video that will give you an idea about how the Skerton Pro functions.
It's going to be better than the bistro, but IMO you're better off saving up for an encore or better.

There is a bearing stabilizer for the skerton that might fit your knockoff version (assuming you have the Kyocera cm-50) that only costs around $10 and might hold you over for a bit while you look for a more permanent solution.

Not a kettle suggestion but I recommend getting the Hario Skerton Upgrade for french press grinding. Otherwise your coarse grind will be very inconsistent.

College student here!
I personally use a French press in my room with a hot water kettle (I live in a dorm). For my grinder I use a Khaw-Fee HG1B Manual Coffee Grinder with a Blue Horse upgrade kit. As far as beans go, I recommend going around to local rosters and try one bag at a time; the only way to find out what you like is to try as much as you can.
When I have a little extra time I use my Rok Espresso press, which I have found to work great in the dorm. It's easy to use and clean, pulls a decent shot, and is nearly indestructible.

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01A6CP1HI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517663256&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=khawfee+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=41-m2sv1nxL&ref=plSrch
Blue Horse Upgrade Kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012HDKKQ6/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rok Espresso Press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV1E0GI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517663717&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=rok+espresso&dpPl=1&dpID=41J1GlEZmpL&ref=plSrch

(Sorry for like/lack of hyperlinks, I'm on mobile)

JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7GhaAbH5TR7N1

Nice of you to think of your future possible roommate. We have a "quiet" electric burr grinder and it is loud AF. Our cat exits the house immediately and stays gone until the fish comes out to lure her back in. I'm interested in trying this one out: https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=hand+burr+grinder&qid=1564165325&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 . But I have no first-hand experience.

It's commonly said that the grinder makes the coffee, not the coffee machine. If you've been using store-bought or preground coffee, doing this yourself with your own grinder before brewing will absolutely blow your mind. Burr grinders differ from slice grinders in that they only allow particles to pass through the burr set once they're down to a precise size (which you set, of course), this ensures that the overall consistency of your coffee is uniform. When hot water is added, the extraction process works at the same rate across the grounds.
Secondly, there's a general guideline concerning coffee freshness - Rule of 15s :

• Green coffee beans should be roasted within 15 months
  
• Once roasted, beans are generally stale after 15 days
  
• Ground coffee goes rancid/stale after 15 minutes
  You should be grinding your beans with a quality grinder immediately before brewing for the best flavor - otherwise, a $700 coffee maker won't make a bit of difference compared to a $50 one.
  I'd recommend something like this, although Baratza makes less expensive models. Alternately, you could get a hand-crank burr grinder for around $30.

Picked up the coffee grinder for $8, upon further inspection the gear drive was stripped. I went to the baratza.com website and ordered ~$80 in replacement parts and upgrades, and now I have the equivalent of a $229 fully functioning Baratza Virtuoso .

Some sort of burr grinder such as the Capresso 565 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, or going up a level, the Baratza Virtuoso.

It looks like I actually have a cheaper version of the grinder that swroasting linked, this is it.

http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-559-04-Coffee-Burr-Grinder/dp/B004DAYHXO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1406425653&sr=8-5&keywords=capresso+infinity+burr+grinder

I paid a bit less than that for it though.

If anyone else posts recommendations, disregard the $75 limit. After looking around on Amazon I'll raise that to a soft $150 limit, and consider grinders higher than that if they have a feature or quality that makes them really worth the added price.

After looking around on Amazon I really like the look of the Capresso Infinity swroasting posted, and this looks good too. http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1406425785&sr=8-9&keywords=burr+grinder

Any thoughts on which of those would be better for the price?

The grinder is a Baratza Encore, and they run about $130 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK

EDIT:

This looks like the kettle: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Buono-Coffee-Drip-Kettle/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1405085505&sr=1-4&keywords=hario+electric+kettle

And this looks like the v60: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-VD-02T-Coffee-Dripper-Clear/dp/B001RBTSMM/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1405085525&sr=1-5&keywords=v60

So maybe around $180, unless he got some stuff for cheaper. Not OP, so I can't say for sure.

Maybe something thats well tried and tested, the Baratza Virtuoso? or if you wanted more budget the Baratza Encore, the virtuoso grind is capable of pulling all the great taste from espresso, the encore is capable of making a pretty damn good espresso but not as much as the virtuoso. tbh youd have to be quite the connoisseur to notice any difference.

edit: I do not work for Baratza, I have not used them but anyone I ask has recommended both of these. Web forums and opinion polls will tell you the same! Baratza are damn good at making grinders!

Take a look at the Baratza Encore. I bought mine after reading some good reviews on here and love it so far.

De muelas... algo así

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK

FreshRoast SR500 for $167. I've tried running this thing into the ground and it just won't die (We're talking 2 hours of consecutive roasting, completely nullifying the warranty). It's great for personal use.

Baratza Encore for $129. I've tried running this thing into the ground too. The motor shut off after 4 consecutive pounds of coffee. Then, after it cooled, kept grinding. Not fine enough for turkish coffee though.

That leaves $600 for the espresso maker, coffee and miscellaneous things (water filter, maybe)... which is reasonable.

I'd look into the Baratza Encore. You can frequently find refurbed ones for ~$100, but still worth it IMO new. As for a kettle, I've been using an electric Bonavita for about 3 years now -- can't recommend it enough. You can find stovetop goosnecks for about half the price on Amazon. Also if your friend doesn't have one already, I'd also suggest getting a scale. I've been using this HuiSmart one which is super convenient since it has the built-in timer and measures to .1g.

All this would run you just under $200. Of the suggestions, I think I would prioritize more of your budget to the grinder then kettle then scale.

Tough to make a recommendation without knowing your budget, and what you currently own, use, and like or dislike.

I have over a dozen coffee making devices, multiple pour overs, Aeropress, Chemex, Siphon, and a few electric machines. They all have their own plusses and minuses, and I use them all (today was a generic ceramic cone with a Melita 4 filter), but the 2 things that get used every time I make coffee are a grinder and scale.

Upgrading to a good burr grinder is almost universally acknowledged to be amongst the most useful things you can do to improve your coffee, and actually weighing your beans and water are probably a close second. My Baratza Encore does a great job, and I'm also very happy with my American Weigh Scales LB-3000.

Aeropresses are really the way to go: small, easy to clean up, and makes a really-good espresso-approximation (think you need to reach like 3 atm of pressure for a real espresso).

I also got a stainless steel filter to use instead of the paper-jobbies that come with it. You never have to worry about running out of filters: http://www.amazon.com/Able-Brewing-DISK-AeroPress-Espresso/dp/B00E58P7ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397759932&sr=8-2&keywords=aeropress+filter+stainless+steel

Also if don't have a burr grinder yet then get one. This one is a good bargain and capable of grinding fine enough for esspresso: http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1397759998&sr=8-8&keywords=burr+grinder

A espresso machine is only 1/4 the way to making good espresso.
As others have said, cleaning is essential since you received the machine used. Descaling and clearing the build up of coffee residue will be a great start.
The other 3 things you need for good espresso is:

1. A grinder with a metal burr, this is very impotent, it is only burr grinders that can grind to espresso. Avoid cheap plastic burr grinders (Mr. Coffee). I would suggest this Ive used this grinder for 2 years now, for espresso and pour overs, not to mention this is one of the cheapest grinders on the market that will grind to espresso.
   
   
2. You are going to need a decent tamper. These are easy to come by and everyone has their own tamper preference. This tamper will fit most Gaggia machines, most have a 58mm basket, and would suggest it as a starter tamper.
   
   
3. You need good coffee beans. Don't buy the Illy Ground Espresso tin or any other preground espresso. Also avoid Starbucks, DD, or any other major coffee chain. Find a local coffee shop that roasts in house and buy bags from them. Small local roasters always have the best quality beans.
   

We use freshly ground beans from our favorite not-so-local local roaster in Philly (we don't live near there, but we came across it a few years ago and we still order from the place regularly).

For the grounds: 10 - 12 Tbsp of ground coffee. We don't know exactly how much it is unless I go measure it because we just carved a notch at the right amount in our beloved coffee grinder.

For the water: We also marked the appropriate line on our hot water kettle with a sharpie. We use a thermometer to stop it early around 204 - 205F. Someday we hope to get a fancy one that actually monitors the temperature! But not this day.

Then as /u/VoteLobster noted we pour for the bloom. Once it's bloomed we switch between pouring around the edges and in the middle so there's no build up and we get maximum coverage of water-to-grounds.

I was overwhelmed with reading all of the options when I got into this. After a lot of reading I got a Chemex.

Oxo kettle

OXO On Adjustable Temperature Electric Pour-Over Kettle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074KHPS7F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wMMmDbCR9T648

Baratza encore

Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007F183LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YNMmDbPHSKK4G

American Weigh Scales AMW-SC-2KG... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RF3XJ2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

These four things were the most highly recommended from all chemex posts on this sub. These are the basics, and from there I used tons of different beans

I would advice against buying that electric grinder. It won't be very good and pretty hard to make consistent tasting coffee with.

This one uses blades. Blades to grind coffee is like using a rock to cut vegetables. Yes it gets "the job done" but with a lot of compromise.

Blade grinders (as opposed to burr grinders) are unable to grind coffee in consistent size particles. Meaning hot water won't extract your coffee evenly. Which makes a huge difference.

Cheapest "good" hand grinder is the Hario Skerton or Hario Mini Mill. A step up from that is the Porlex Mini which offers a bit better grind quality, alluminium instead of plastic, and fits inside the aeropress.

If you want to go electric the cheapest good option is this Bodum grinder but at that point you might as well go with the Baratza Encore which is a great iconic grinder that is a great grinder for everything up to espresso.

Manual grinding isn't too bad. If you enjoy "the ritual". Grinding for the Aeropress takes about 1 minute. The thing is, if you want to start brewing more, for say French Press or V60, you really want to invest in an electric grinder. Because grinding for 4 cups of coffee by hand suuuucks! Also, early in the morning, you really appreciate an electric grinder.

Ideal is to have both. But I know that's kinda crazy. Electric at home, manual for at work/while travelling.

https://www.amazon.de/Baratza-Encore-Electric-Grinder-Conical/dp/B007F183LK

I'd actually suggest getting an entry-level electric grinder like a Baratza Encore to save time & effort on grinding coffee.

What do you think of this setup?

​

Gooseneck

​

Baratza Encore

​

Chemex

​

Chemex Filter

​

$304 shipped from Amazon.

​

Would this be a good intro to better coffee setup? I don't know if there's a more cost-efficient way to go, but this seems acceptable to me.

The Baratza Encore is one of the most recommended grinders over at r/coffee. $140 for a very reliable grinder with great customer service. If that's still expensive, then a hand grinder, like the Hario Skerton, is a great alternative at $40.

I'd go for the MoccaMaster its perfect for an office.

but that would make you settle for a poorer grinder than a Baratza Encore. If you could at least spring for a Bodum grinder you would have a nice office set up.

I highly recommend the Hario Drip Scale. It's made for coffee, super easy to use, accurate, dependable, and good aesthetic design. Been using it for 2 years.

Edit: And while we're on the subject, you don't only want to measure your coffee beans. You want to measure your water temperature and get a consistent grind as well. This Bonavita electric kettle has always been good to me, as well as the Baratza Burr Grinder.

Get a Baratza Encore for $129, an Aeropess for $33 and a Milk Frother. Spend your money on better, local, fresh coffee. It's not true espresso but the strength and quality will beat most low end espresso makers. It also lets you get in the game cheap to see if it works for you. Making drinks at home, heat the milk in a pan, pull your shot on the Aeropress, froth the milk, enjoy!

I ceramic hand grinder works well. This seems like a popular one. I have this one and it works pretty well. If you drink coffee pretty regularly, then you should probably go with an electric one. This Baratza is considered really good for the price.

Not a coffee maker, of which there are any number of great options, but the thing that's probably more important, a good grinder.

You need a burr grinder for the best coffee. For better coffee, this is the best single upgrade you can make, drip, press or moka pot.

My preferred grinder is the [Baratza Virtuoso] (http://www.amazon.com/kitchen-dining/dp/B000EG70IK). I've had one for years and it's a great performer for drip or press coffee. For a lot less, you can now get the [Encore] (http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=pd_sbs_k_2). I've never used one - they weren't around when I got mine - but they get good reviews too.

Btw, both Grace in the Kitchen in Kanata and Paradis on Bank sell them in town

As others have already asked, what's your budget and where do you live?
The grinder you're most likely looking for though is the Baratza Encore.

• http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/coffee-roasters/drum-roasters/behmor.html
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-Silvia/dp/B00076SCVG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343532928&sr=8-1&keywords=rancilio+silvia
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343532954&sr=8-1&keywords=baratza+encore
  
  all of these have a learning curve, but are good choices, especially for your price range

I use a chemex jug, so it's pour-over.

I assume that you mean the Baratza Encore for about £150

Honestly, the easiest way to start is probably an Aeropress and a decent kettle. Get a gooseneck early, then you won't have to buy a second kettle later if you decide to start playing with pour-overs. If you want to make boiling water a little more passive, get an electric one. I have this one and it works like a charm.

Another cheap starter option for brewing is the V60 and its various clones. The original is plastic, but this one is ceramic and only $20. It takes some practice to get pour-overs just right, but it's worth it. And for $20, it's not a bad way to give it a shot or just to have in your collection.

Grinders are a whole discussion. I have a Baratza Encore that I really like. It's easy to maintain and Baratza's support was pretty good to me when I needed them. If you want to go a little cheaper, you might consider a Skerton or Mini Mill.

For beans, have fun. There are a ton of places to get decent beans, and part of the fun is finding new places. There are a number of redditors that roast and will probably sell beans to you if you like. (Including me!) I would suggest some, but I actually skipped this part and went straight to roasting.

EDIT: Oh, and good luck. You're opening a door to a rabbit hole, now.

Most popular grinder you'll see around here is the Baratza Encore, but it's $40 over your budget. If you're not in a rush, Baratza occasionally sells refurb units for $100.

If you need something now, the Bodum Bistro is worth looking at. I literally just replaced mine, after about 5 years of use. It's ok given the price, but I wish I just bought an Encore to start.

There's some other options at or under $100, like the Capresso Infinity, but I don't see it mentioned as much.

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=encore+grinder&qid=1554328450&s=gateway&sr=8-3


Kettle: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSV-Stainless-Stovetop-Original/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hario+kettle&qid=1554328475&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Definitely look for a refurbished Baratza Encore (though that page says they won't have refurbs in stock until Nov. 24). You could also get one from Amazon immediately, though that's $40 above your budget.

Hand grinders will be well within your budget, but won't produce the volume you need in one dose, not to mention hand grinding that much coffee will be a pain.

Wait for the refurbs or see if your parents will chip in for a new one.

http://www.amazon.com/Kuissential-Manual-Ceramic-Grinder-Hand-crank/dp/B008YK3IUM/ref=lp_289750_1_14?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1417360182&sr=1-14

Something like this. It's designed to smash the pieces until they fit through the hole. Gives a very tight particle size distribution, especially when compared to the blade grinders.

Thanks! Quite nicely. The shaft is supported along the entire length, and there's a spring that gently presses the burs apart. Way nicer than my old hand grinder, a shitty Hario Skerton clone, which had a bent shaft so the burs wobbled.
Edit: Found the Hario Skerton clone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YK3IUM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Before knowing much about grinders a few years ago, I bought this, not knowing about the Hario Skerton at all. Now it seems like there are even cheaper knockoffs (of the knockoff) below $20 on Amazon

I'm not in the diehard camp, it gets the job done.

Is all you want to make coffee-wise cold brew? Forever? If so, then you can get away with a grinder that I'd never recommend for hot coffee because of its uneven particle distribution -- this one (use an always-available 20% off coupon). For cold brew, you don't have to worry so much about overextraction.

Then get the Filtron, and you're all set.

If you might want to someday do hot coffee, I'd get a better grinder -- this one. And a kettle and a kitchen scale.

I solved this problem by purchasing a Buratza Encore (amazon link)

I'd recommend buying a clever dripper ($22):

https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Coffee-Dripper-Large-Ounces/dp/B00EOM5RN0

An Encore grinder ($130):

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1466017902&sr=8-1&keywords=encore+grinder

And a hot water urn ($114):

https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-CD-WBC40-TS-4-Liter-Boiler-Warmer/dp/B00M0GOI78/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1466017943&sr=8-5&keywords=hot+water+dispenser

Total: $266. You can grind a day's worth in the morning. Any time you want, put a filter in the Clever, pour the always-hot water over from the urn, stir, wait 3-4 minutes, set on your cup, it drains, enjoy. It brews a world class cup at a time, the urn keeps you from having to heat water each time, and great coffee really doesn't get easier!

It's been said already but I have few other thoughts. Purchase an Encore. I've had mine for 6 years now with zero problems and it's still performing. Think of it as an investment.

The only thing I would suggest is make a scale a priority as well. It's secondary to the grinder but eliminates much of the guess work and allows you to make repeatable brews.

If you're open to it, consider getting a clever dripper. It's how I started because I couldn't afford to buy a gooseneck kettle at the time.

If what you have above is within your budget I would stretch it a little bit more to get a proper grinder.

To sum up I would suggest:

• Encore Grinder
  
• Scale
  
• Clever Dripper

The answer to your question is really dependent on budget. A quick perusal through the sub will show you that the Aeropress is a popular option because it is one of the least expensive ways to get a solid cup of coffee.

If you have some cash to part with, it might be worth looking at setting yourself up with a pourover setup - I'd probably suggest the v60. You would need the v60, the hario buono, and you'd probably want a scale to weigh coffee (there are a LOT of options, many cheaper than what I've linked). You would also need to get a reasonably good grinder - check out the sidebar for a list of grinders. Yes, it's a lot of capital to get started, but the coffee is fantastic and the equipment is very durable. This equipment, properly cared for, could potentially outlast you in many cases.

There's also the standard drip coffee maker, but from my experience if you go that route you ought to just invest in the cheapest one. The quality coffee from most drip machines is pretty similar. A better question is what grinder to get - that will improve your brew quality across all methods. Again, sidebar has great advice, but a really popular grinder here is the[ Baratza Encore] (http://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459250167&sr=8-1&keywords=baratza+encore+coffee+grinder) which you can sometimes find on their refurb page for discounted prices.

No matter what you choose - good luck and happy caffienation

I have a Hario Mini Mill which I like and it gets the job done, but I'm really looking for something electric. If you're doing french press, it doesnt take much time to grind beans but if you're doing anything finer than that it probably takes me 5 minutes to grind 45-50g of beans which just isn't what I wanna do right after I wake up. I've heard good things about the Hario Skerton as well.

For electric grinders, I've heard that the Baratza Encore is the best bang for your buck. Also, I would get an adjustable temperature kettle (people perfer goosenecks but I just have a regular one) and a kitchen scale! The scale is super useful for cooking in general and I think they're good to have, especially for coffee.

Also, I have a Chemex and love it. I don't think I could live without it.

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00LW8122Y

Clever: https://www.amazon.com/Clever-Coffee-Dripper-Large-Ounces/dp/B00EOM5RN0

Clever filters: https://www.amazon.com/Filtropa-Paper-Coffee-Filters-White/dp/B0001IXA9O

Aeropress: https://www.amazon.com/Aeropress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Scale: https://www.amazon.com/Jennings-CJ4000-4000g-Digital-Scale/dp/B004C3CAB8

To answer your question, the strength of your coffee is mostly influenced by how much coffee you're using versus how much water. For a strong cup with your Keurig, go with the setting with the smallest amount of water. The Keurig is by no means the "best" method to make coffee, but it will make coffee. If you decide to get a manual brewer (French press, Aeropress, Kalita Wave, etc.) the brew time has some leeway, but I'd recommend just using more coffee than trying to push the recommended brew time too far. Coffee can/should be strong without being bitter, and keeping the water and coffee together too long will create bitterness.


What follows is everything you need to know about making great coffee. Warning, this may be overwhelming:

1. Freshly ground coffee is going to taste better. Consider coffee like bread. A loaf left on the counter will get stale faster if you slice it up. Freshly roasted is better, but it might be more expensive/harder for you to find and you might not want to dive that deep yet.
   
2. Conical burr grinders are better than blade grinders. The problem is that a decent automatic burr grinder is going to be ~$100 and that's a steep price for someone just getting into coffee. Many people will recommend the mini mill, Skerton, or something along those lines that is hand-crank. (Good non-name brand options: 1 and 2) Those are your best bet. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, you can get an automatic blade grinder if you might have an issue with manual grinding/don't want to drop a lot of money. I will mention that darker roasts are easier to grind manually so there's less worry for your wrist. The problem with blade grinders is you get a bunch of differently sized bits, which makes it more difficult to get consistency and figure out a grind size/brew time you like.
   
3. Each method of brewing calls for a differently sized grind. This is pretty important. If it's too small, you'll get a bitter cup. If it's too big, you'll get a sour cup. The same goes for brew time. Too long will make a bitter cup, and too short will make a sour cup. However, there's some leeway on both of these to your taste.
   
4. There are a bunch of ways to make coffee that change how it tastes. Methods that involve filtering through paper make a cleaner cup, but you lose most of the oils in the coffee. Metal filters leave in these oils, but can also leave a lot of sediment/mud in the bottom of your cup. You might drink this if you drink that last sip, and it isn't really nice.
   
5. Weighing your coffee is much more accurate if you want to make a consistent cup. A tablespoon of a darker roast might be 5 grams while a tablespoon of a lighter roast might be 7 grams.
   
6. You'll need something to boil water in. If you have a kettle, great. If you don't, you can use a pan or you can buy a kettle. It doesn't need to be a fancy/expensive gooseneck-style one (1 and 2), but you might want one of those if you get into pourover methods.
   
   I would recommend a French press (1 2 3 4) or Aeropress for someone just getting into coffee. They're much more forgiving than pour-over methods, meaning you're less likely to make a bitter cup. They each have their own drawbacks, too. An Aeropress is easier to clean up, but can only make one cup at a time. A French press takes more time to clean, but can make about 3 cups at a time. (By cups I mean a standard 12-ounce mug.) Definitely get a grinder, too (see above). A scale (1 and 2) is optional but recommended. For beans, seek out a local roaster/coffee shop, but there are tons of online options available, too.
   
   Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes crazy) world of coffee!

The Wave is good. Other easy methods for beginners would be the Aeropress or the French Press.

More importantly I would find a local roaster from which to get fresh beans. Quality beans will be a huge difference in flavor for you regardless of brewing method (though drip maker is still not recommended over other methods mentioned). I know you said you are frugal, as am I, but I found myself drinking LESS coffee when I was spending more on quality not because it was more expensive but because the flavor was so much more intense and fulfilling. I savored it more and instead of drinking 1200mL of store bought drip I was enjoying 700mL of Chemex (similar pour over method) tremendously more.

If you are anything like me you will take your time to build your equipment and slowly buy more. I enjoyed doing it this way because I could move as my tastes evolved. As you mentioned, investing in a good burr grinder should probably be the most important thing. I think my Baratza Encore is worth its weight in gold. After that I slowly added more brewing methods and this Hario scale. The weighing of your water and coffee is so much simpler when it comes to make a consistently great cup of coffee.

I know this is a long reply and a list of stuff but it is three years worth of accumulation, mostly thanks to Amazon gift cards at Christmas time! Most importantly, just enjoy yourself and your coffee! If you like a method others don't or don't like weighing things then don't. Your taste is yours, enjoy it.

Wow! With a $500 budget you can actually do so much, and to be honest I don't think that kind of investment is really necessary, especially since overlooking your choices, you seem to be spending way too much for things you can get for a lower price. My setup is only ~$100, and I can get a great brew (though I use a hand grinder). I use a Kalita Wave 155 (this is the smallest size, but feel free to opt for the 185 size if you brew 2+ cups in one sitting). $22.50. The filters are quite pricey at $10.95, but worth it in the long run (for a one cup drinker a-day like me, it will last 3 months+ per pack). A French press from Bodum will only set you back $27 - double walled doesn't really do much because I find temperature loss isn't really a problem. The size I recommend for this one is only suited again for a 1-cup drinker, because my personal experience is using a 1L size for a single or even 2 cup drinker in one sitting will result in extremely sludgey cups. As others have suggested, if looking for a nice electric grinder, spring for the Encore. A good scale is this one for $39. I don't even use a true dedicated gooseneck kettle for this setup, just an adequate tea kettle but I do advocate the variable temp Bonavita you're thinking of. So this all amounts to $313.20. Happy drinking.

I would suggest spending what money you have on a decent grinder. I believe you will see the biggest improvement in your coffee game there. If you do not mind a manual style, I would recommend the Lido 3 / Lido ET. If you prefer an automatic, then a Baratza Encore.

https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/orphan-espresso/lido3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LW8122Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492734903&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Baratza&dpPl=1&dpID=41g1KqxBoRL&ref=plSrch

The Breville smart grinder pro is the deal of the day on amazon canada for 180$ CAD, which is equivalent to 141$ USD. Is this as good a deal as it seems?

Also, do we know anything about the durability of the smart grinder pro? Thanks!

Kitchen is amazing. Though I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you asked about the coffee. That grinder is probably going to under-perform for what is required of a bottomless portafilter. It likely doesn't go fine enough and even if it does, it doesn't have enough fine options to tune your grind to exactly where you need it. Espresso is largely trial and error until you can get it right and if your grinder has 1-2 options for fine grinding, that's not great. You have one of the best grinders you can get for that tier, but I'm not sure it will cut it for espresso. You're going to need to go over $200 in most cases for a true espresso grinder. This guy is probably the best bang for your buck and will last forever. Any more expensive and you won't notice the differences with the machine that you have. Rancillo makes some killers one but they push $400. I would encourage you to try out your grinder with your new portafilter, but instincts tell me you aren't going to be able to replicate what you can get at a coffee shop. It will either be too inconsistent of a grind or won't go fine enough. I could be wrong though. /r/coffee is full of (usually) nice people if you are interested.

I got the Breville Infuser and Smart Grinder Pro from Amazon a couple of weeks ago. I love them. By no means am I an expert, but I enjoy the shots I pull just as much as from coffee shops using La Marzoccos. Yes the beans, barista, and placebo all play into that, but it still pulls a great shot and is pretty affordable. You could even go cheaper and get the Duo Temp Pro which could functionally be the same as the Infuser and is $100 cheaper so you could spend it on cups, knockbox, distributor but the infuser would still put you under budget. I went with the infuser because you can adjust the temperature and you can pull manually or preset volume, which allows you to eliminate that variable for a consistent shot and you can see how your tamp/grind are as the program pulls 60mL (2oz) no matter what and so you can gauge what you need to do to dial that volume in for the proper extraction time. Downside is that if you want a naked portafilter then you gotta DIY or buy one from Aus for like $150, but I don’t think it’s a huge deal and if you do then maybe that’s where your extra budget could go. The pressure gauge is also nice although it won’t really tell you what you don’t already know from extraction time.

I can’t say this is the best machine for the price (although Seattle Coffee Gear did so take that as you will) but I can highly recommend it. I would get it over the Barista Express as the extra $50 for a dedicated grinder is totally worth it as it is more versatile and I’ve heard it’s a better grinder than the built in one. I also recommend it over the Gaggia. Although it does not have the modabilitiy of the Classic, it has most of the features that people mod the Gaggia for already, plus it uses a traditional steam arm instead of a panarello like the Gaggia, and has stainless steel lined thermocoil instead of aluminum thermoblock.

Overall would definitely recommend going separate grinder and machine no matter what.

I know you said $180, but I'd suggest streching to $220 and getting the Smartgrinder Pro. It's not a world beater but should be solid with the Classic. Just be careful with ultra-light roasts, it jams up on occasion.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BCG820BSSXL-Grinder-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B00OXGXW8O/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1458603381&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=smartgrinder

IMHO, if you are willing to get a gaggia classic and want to learn the "nuances of espresso" you must be willing to pay more than $180 for a grinder (unless you get a thrift store, garage sale, craigslist steal).

I really can't think of a single machine for both. I'm not sure of your budget, but a more affordable semi-automatic setup would be the new KitchenAid pour-over machine, Breville Barista Express, and Smart Grinder Pro. You can get all three for around $800 (with 20% BBB coupons for example) and have great espresso and coffee using your own freshly-ground beans.

I've had this one for a few years and love it.

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BCG820BSSXL-Grinder-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B00OXGXW8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505330923&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+grinder

Bro if you can spend 1500CAN rancilio isnt worth it.. its great build but alot of wait between each action..

here is a few options i gathered for you.. browsed alot to get best rates and sale prices for you.. all prices in CAD

Espresso

• Breville Barista Express $600 (comes with buildin Grinder)
  
  
• Breville Dual Boiler espresso 1300$
  
  
• La Pavoni Europiccola $1060
  
  i have selected afew grinders for you, u can adjust your budget accordingly and what suits you..
  
  Grinders:
  
  
• Breville SmartPro $240
  
  
• Gaggia MDF $400
  
  
• ROK GRINDER $400
  
  
• Barazta Preciso $400
  
  
• Barazta Sette $530
  
  P.S if you can spend upto 2500CAD than u can get really awesome setup.. Rocket Appartamento $1900 with Baratza Sette 270 $530

I have the Smart Grinder Pro as a separate unit, I love it, grinds so perfectly

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXGXW8O/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Everyone who uses Amazon also needs to use camelcamelcamel. It shows prices for products going back several years, so you know if you're actually getting a deal or not.

Example: https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com/Breville-BREBCG820BSSXL-Smart-Grinder-Pro/product/B00OXGXW8O?locale=CA

Not to hijack your thing here, but I found this one on Amazon as well. Not sure what the difference between this one and the others are aside from the fact that the 3D print is cheaper.

Is something like this good? Skerton Upgrade Kit
Not in the US, and a 3d printer is far away.

Do you have the skeleton upgrade kit? It's about $11 dollars on amazon and it help the consistency a lot!

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Horse-Products-KI-100-Skerton/dp/B012HDKKQ6

You could also consider buying a regular skerton and some sort of upgrade kit like this one if you want to save a bit more £ and are slightly handy:


https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Horse-Products-KI-100-Skerton/dp/B012HDKKQ6/

​

I installed one a while ago and found it helped out a bit with consistency on the larger grind sizes.

I installed an upgrade kit.

Yeah, the skerton is known for having poor performance when trying to grind coarse, but I'm pretty happy with how it performs when doing a finer grind. There's a mod you can get for it, i got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012HDKKQ6/. I've actually not installed the mod yet, because I'm still trying out the finer ground coffees. Aeropress is my goto coffee method, but I'm still mostly an espresso drinker (I don't use the skerton for espresso, I have a dedicated espresso grinder)

On another note, I'm used to seeing aeropress coffee ground much finer, usually in between drip and espresso. That's what I've always done, so it's interesting to see different methods. I may have to try that some day to compare.

Get the upgrade kit for your Hario. It’s still not perfect, but it’s worth the additional $13.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B012HDKKQ6/ref=pd_aw_fbt_79_img_2/144-8189983-3317244?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N7BKNA8T3NRY3SWM412Q

I have this guy and it works really well. Better than my electric grinder (and it's only $24 bucks). But just know that you'll be manually grinding for 3-5 minutes to get 1 cup. Some people don't like to work for their coffee first thing in the morning.

JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013R3Q7B2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PGPYBbB24NM1T

I'm in the camp that believes there is a noticeable difference after only a few hours. When I was in school, I used to grind in the morning so that I could brew them at my desk in the afternoon. Part of this was, I admit, affected by the lower quality brew method I used at my desk, but eventually I decided it was better to just buy coffee at a cart on campus. If it helps the case, some days I got home early enough to brew the morning's grounds at home, and quality was still lower.

Might I suggest something like this? It'd give a small workout on a 15 break and give you a decent grind.

It is easy to use. Fill tank with water. Grind beans. Put grinds in coffee basket and tamp. Put basket on the unit and tighten down. Put cup underneath basket and turn the knob once. Wait for the green light to come on. Turn the knob again to dispense. Turn off when done.

And here is the tamper I use. It is excellent IMO. Cheap and useful AND sturdy. Can't beat it.

EDIT: Well here is the rest of what I use as well. Grinder. This is a bit cheap, you could do better but also do worse.

And the milk pitcher for frothing. It may seem silly to spend that much on a metal pitcher but I highly recommend it.

So for about $120 $140 plus shipping you can be all set up!

EDIT 2: Buy decent whole beans and keep them tightly rolled in the bag and put the bag in something like this. Grind just enough to make a cup when you are wanting one.

I bought one of these, and it works well. It took a couple minutes of grinding away, but did a pretty good job. I eventually bought a Baratza Encore because I'm old and lazy ;)

Do you have any budget at all? You mention an Aeropress which wouldn't be free, so I'm going to assume you have $30-$75.

Key components to good coffee:

• quality, fresh, properly roasted beans
  
  You can manage quality of beans by finding a reliable coffee shop to go buy from. The beans should not be oily as this indicates they were poorly roasted. The should have been roasted in the past week.
  
  
• cleanliness of equipment
  
  You can manage this by cleaning your equipment and choosing equipment that can be thoroughly cleaned. Many cheap automatic drip brewers are damn near impossible to clean.
  
  
• proper water quality and temperature
  
  If your water quality sucks then you'll have to get it treated or go bottled. The temperature needs to be ~200 degrees F. Most automatic drip makers do not get the water hot enough.
  
  
• proper distribution of water on coffee
  
  With a french press or aeropress the water is in direct contact with the coffee. Most cheap automatic drip makers have a 'shower' head that frequently does a terrible job of water distribution. A Chemex give you complete control of this variable.
  
  
• proper infusion time of water in coffee
  
  You don't get much control over this with an automatic drip. You do get to control this with french press, aeropress, and chemex.
  
  
• proper volume of water to coffee
  
  You get to totally control this one...
  
  
• consistent grind of beans
  
  Here's the difficult one in your scenario. I'm from the camp that says the grinder is the single most important piece of equipment for brewing good coffee. That said, even a whirly-blade bean-whacker grinder with good, fresh beans will be better than folgers. Advice here is to buy the best grinder you can/will afford. If you can bring yourself to do it, buy a Baratza Encore. If you want to go cheaper and don't mind manually grinding your coffee then look at the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder that can be found for as little as $24.
  
  An important question... are you wanting to make a single-serving or multiple at one time? If single serve, consider the aeropress. If multiple, then go with a Chemex or clone. You'll also need a source of hot water... that can be stove top in a pan or tea-kettle or you could get an electric kettle.
  
  JavaPresse manual grinder $24
  
  Chemex clone brewer - $14
  
  Cheap electric kettle $20
  
  Pound of good coffee - ~$15
  
  Total - $73
  
  With quality electric grinder instead: $179
  
  Total pieces of equipment: 3 (1 optional)
  
  

Random question. I drink quite a few too many energy drink, and want to switch to coffee at work. I'll try, then end up going back. Mostly because I want creamer to go with it, and nowhere to really refrigerate creamer at work. Put it in the fridge, someone is guaranteed to take/use it.

I've got a conical burr grinder so i dont care if its pre-ground or whole bean. I'm basically looking for recommendations on a good bean thats dark, but not too bitter, through a traditional drip machine. I've got a french press too, but boiling water at work isn't too reliable. I have to use to machine we have at work, and with the number of french presses already at work, its usually already out of hot water by the time i get in.

I usually go with caribou coffee, medium roast; or blue mountain kona coffee; but typically throw a touch of creamer in it. usually baileys irish cream (not the alcoholic kind :()is there a better 'mid/dark' roast that isnt too bitter i could whip up and maybe throw in a touch of brown sugar, no creamer? not looking for super ultra mega extreme quality or 'from this random small batch company and pay 80$ for it'; i need to be able to run to a store and grab a bag.

for my dripper, i usually fill my burr grinder up 2/3rd of the way, and use that. no idea if im using too much, or too little.


Basically, tips for 'making coffee at work', how much to use, and a non-creamer specific brand i can make and chug down. oh, and high caffeine content. anyone got this?

I've had an Aeropress for years. I've used THIS for under $25 and had zero issues. It looks good, it has numerous settings for grinds from very fine to very course, and it'll make your GF's forearms very strong in the coming months, which may or may not be beneficial.

Why don't​ you just buy an electric burrr grinder such as:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0161Q2RUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494669939&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=electric+burr+grinder&dpPl=1&dpID=41VPWVS%2BlWL&ref=plSrch

It would save you a lot of time and effort, possibly cheaper in the end.

>What models did you get? I have access to a kettle at work and I don't really like the way the coffee is made and may take a stab at making it myself.

It got this kettle and this press and this grinder.

The grinder and press are pretty fantastic (don't be fooled by the discounted price on the press - it's good quality), but I'd suggest a maybe getting a different kettle if you're a perfectionist with brewing at home.

200° is the ideal temperature for French press, but this model skips from 198° to 203°, so I have to wait a minute or so to let it cool slightly.

Just fyi the hand grinder is kind of a pain in the ass. I got one, used it for a week, then dropped the dough for an electric one. It takes like 60 spins per cup and I was making about 4 cups every morning (2 for me, 2 for the wife).

I bought a krupps grinder for like 75 or something. Totally worth it.

Edit: it was only like $40

like /u/cchiker said, it depends on what kind of coffee you want to make. I prefer pour overs and take mine black, so here is my "budget" coffee gear list:

Hand burr grinder $60 - https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Mini-Mill-Slim-Plus/dp/B01GPMH590/

Hario v60 dripper starter set $30 - https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-V60-Coffee-Starter-Clear/dp/B00JJIOJ7E/

Gooseneck kettle $50 - https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-VKB-100HSV-V60-Coffee-Kettle/dp/B008L3R8BM

1lb of locally roasted single origin beans $20

I like dark roasts, and prefer African coffee beans if I get a choice in it, they have a nice deep and spicy flavor. I get them as whole roasted beans from a coffee shop in town, which roasts them fresh every couple of days. If you are looking to get into it, you can just search for coffee roasters in your area, and if there really aren't any I'd look for roasters who sell single origin beans online. In a pinch, Starbuck's single origin beans are good too, just really expensive for what they are.

I use a hand mill grinder, a gooseneck kettle, and a Chemex coffee maker and filters. It sounds like a lot, but all that together is still cheaper than a decent drip machine. You grind the beans with the grinder (I use 3 heaping tbps of grounds), bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute (letting it come down just a little in temp keeps the coffee from being acidic, the gooseneck also helps with that). Pour a little on the grounds in the filter, and let it sit for about 30 seconds wet to bloom. Then pour the rest and just let it drip through.

The chemex makes the smoothest, best tasting coffee I've ever had, and I've tried quite a few different methods. If you like it stronger, a french press might be better for you.

Stuff:

Chemex Coffee Maker

Filters

Hand Mill Grinder

Goose Neck Kettle

From experience, after about 7-8 days, the quality drops off a bit. By 10-12 days, I think there's a noticeable loss of flavor.

At the risk of sending you down a dangerous rabbit hole, this dripper is what I use with the OEM filters. When I'm on travel/vacation, I grind with the Hario mini which produces a nice, consistent grind (as inexpensive grinders go). AT 10-11 clicks out from the finest setting it will take about 2 minutes to grind 15-17 grams (enough for 350-400ml of water, and faster than said water will boil in a typical microwave).

If you batch your beans into zip-lok baggies (~1 weeks worth each) you can freeze them and they will easily hold for a month.


Other roasters of note in the area include Red Rooster (in Floyd) and ones who's name I can't remember in Draper - Sugar Magnolia on main sells the latter. Both are more expensive (those two ~$16-18/12oz) than Mill Mountain ($13-15/16 oz) and I've not found them "better". Then again, I'm not a big fan of modern, fruity/acidic coffee.

I second this. Grab that Yirgacheffe blueberry bomb whenever you can! Their Central American light to medium roasts are also a safe bet. I had a bag of Guatemalan from Hopscotch that was BURSTING with watermelon. Man I miss that bag of beans...

If you want to step up that morning cup I recommend buying whole beans. Something as cheap as this hand grinder will produce a nice even grind. Coffee ground fresh before brewing makes a massive difference that anyone can appreciate.

Brown County roasts a good bean too. Just stick to light and medium roasts. I've had few dark roasts around here that weren't burnt and oily.

1469, Because that is how much I got. :)

I'm getting a kitchenaide mixer with my tax money, and would love to add a coffee/spice grinder to my collection. :)

You need this coffee grinder for all those mornings after you party like a rock star.

At first I was like, "Nigga you high," but then I googled it. Fuck grinders, I'm getting one.

Best investment I ever made

Woah, I've heard of vitamixes before but thats great that they can last for years and years! Have you tried a coffee grinder? I'm sure you can find them cheap, maybe even at a goodwill or a garage sale. I've seen on the food network that they use them for spices as well as coffee and it makes the spices into almost a dust. However you may not be able to do much at a time.

this guy

Dump everything(dry) in there and it turns the shit to dust.

The first time ever I used pretty high quality stuff, but the other times it was just regular, nothing spectacular. I used a coffee grinder to bust it up. These things knock the crystals off the weed as well, so i brushed all those into the mix as well. You could make a decent tray of brownies with 14g of decent buds. You just have to eat a little more of it. I think if you ate the equivalent of 1g in a brownie then you would feel pretty high, so 14 grams would make 14 brownies. The high is really good, make sure you don't have anything to do for 8 hours or so.

This works much better IMO and it's a fraction of the price. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006IUX5/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cheap in price, not in quality. This shit grinds my abv to a powder in a few seconds and is super small for storage.

I own one, and three months in, I've got no complaints whatsoever. It was definitely a step up from my Skerton. It offers a much more consistent grind. I'd say go for it, but I'd also look into the Capresso Infinity 560 for that price range.

Trader Joe's costa rican is amazing as well, but about double the price I believe.

My suggestion:

https://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/

Along with

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-Central-DCC-1200-Programmable-Cofeemaker/dp/B00005IBX9/

Or a french press. You'll have awesome coffee to take with you in a thermos every day.

Well worst case, find a good roaster or coffee shop and buy beans from them. They will usually have an awesome grinder and will be willing to grind it for you if you buy from them.

You could get an electric grinder like the Capresso Infinity: http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY it won't add that much time. Just a couple minutes and it will drastically improve your brew.

French press is pretty easy, you do not have to be as precise (use measuring spoons instead of scale etc) as this guy if you want easier but this is my favorite video guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDasYv-IsiE

If you can spend the money I would try and find a better brewer at least. You can find cheaper options than the technivorm if you search on here.

That grinder is likely a big part of the issue. The ones with the little whirling blades make it pretty much impossible to get a consistent grind, since some of the already-ground coffee will get re-ground (to a finer consistency) as the machine operates. It also can make the coffee more bitter, because the super-fine coffee that's part of the mix will get over-extracted.

Shaking it around a little bit as it grinds can help a little bit, but the real solution is a burr grinder, which start at around $30 for this little hand-powered Hario Mini Mill, and going up over $1000 depending on the model. I've been using this little Capresso Infinity ($86) for many years and it's still serving me well.

In the meantime, adding a little more coffee grounds before brewing should help with the wateriness.

I'm genuinely curious here... Wouldn't an entry level burr grinder (capresso Infinity) still be way better in terms of consistency than a blade grinder?

I know it's not perfect, but wouldn't that be more inline with the budget?

Hey man, let me hit you with my personal coffee journey. It worked super well for me, and it starts pretty entry-level. I highly recommend.

So, first and foremost, you need to start with pourover. Here's a pretty cheap starter set. Then you'll also need a kitchen scale, here's one of the smallest, most accurate ones I've found.

I'd also recommend getting an automatic burr grinder, which isn't exactly entry level, so it could be a secondary purchase if you find that you really want to get ball-deep into coffee. I started off with the Infinity Grinder, which worked well for me until I got an espresso machine (more on that later). But for pourover and most other methods (aeropress, coffee maker, even shit like siphon coffee, it's perfectly fine). Having an electric grinder is just going to make your life easier overall. But if you don't want to jump right into that, you could use the grinder included in the set I listed (I've never used it - it's probably not great, but I'm sure it'll work).

And that's all you need to make one god damn good cup of coffee. I've spent thousands of dollars on coffee equipment over the years, but for me, the best way to brew a simple cup of coffee is using a pourover method. And it's incredibly fun!

Now, once you've got a few months of pourover under your belt, it may be time to move onto other methods of brewing. Grab yourself an Aeropress. Aeropress effectively is the midpoint between normal coffee and espresso. It absolutely does not make real espresso, regardless of what anyone tells you, but that doesn't mean what it makes isn't super delicious. Plus it lets you start experimenting with the closest thing you'll be able to get to cappuccinos, and other fun things like flavored lattes when you have company over and want to impress them with some tasty java.

The Aeropress is fantastic, and it's ridiculously easy to clean. It's a nice way to be able to travel with a decent coffee maker, too.

Then, once you've got a couple years of delicious coffee down, it's time to get into the big leagues. Espresso.

Holy fuck dude. Espresso is complicated, and you really have to throw away everything you thought you knew about coffee. I know how pretentious that sounds, but it's super true. What I went with was a Crossland CC1, which was mainly because I got it for cheap on Craigslist for $400. But, warning, the Infinity Grinder will not grind accurate enough for espresso. For that you'll need something like a Baratza Hario or Sette 270 (I went with the Sette 270).

Anyway, that's waaaaaaaaay in your future. I'd highly recommend just starting off with pourover and some great beans (check locally, or order from Intelligentsia).

Enjoy your journey, bro. It's a great world out there.

I use a Capresso Infinity and typically use the left most "Fine" grind setting as I find the Extra Find to be too hard to press. But it is definitely something to play with as you may find a coarser grind gives you the flavor and taste you prefer.

Capresso Infinity

Edit: Link http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419521820&sr=8-1&keywords=capresso+infinity

Being as french presses use quite a bit of coffee, I would suggest ponying up an extra $50 and buying an electric burr grinder- something like a Capresso infinity: http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1421175602&sr=1-1&keywords=capresso+infinity

> Don't shop on price alone. There are some bad $80 - $100 grinders out there

Of course! We know that we should use review sites before purchasing our coffee gear :)
coffeegeek.com, consumersearch.com, amazon, home-barista. Post if you have any other favorite review sites.

So regarding the price of grinders, when I was researching mine I found a number of VERY affordable ones like, Mr. Coffee Automatic Burr Mill, for about $40. This is roughly half the price of Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder at $85.

WHY are these models half as much? A number of reviews mentioned the plastic burrs which give lower quality grinds (less consistent sized grounds) then the more expensive models. Some other downsides were: plastic wears out faster and that these cheaper models have a shorter lifespan or at least seem to break way sooner than they should. Obviously with any manufactured product, YMMV.

My point in recommending a price range for a grinder was that if the price is too good to be true, it probably is!

OP, regarding your Burr Grinder, I have this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345119827&sr=8-1&keywords=capresso+burr+grinder

It has been absolutely stellar, and I believe they have it at Bed Bath and Beyond which I think has a 20% off coupon going right now. Just thought I'd throw that out there since it's quite a bit cheaper than the one you list.

Grinds everything from French Press to a fine Turkish Coffee grind.

Here's a summary of the good automatic drip machines.

If you can lower the "easy" threshold just a bit and give up the programmable timer feature, you can get very good coffee for under $250. Pick up a $70-$90 burr grinder and the well-reviewed (from the first link) Bonavita machine for $130.

You can get a Capresso Infinity for just under $90. I have the slightly more expensive chrome version and it's been working great for me for the past 6 years.

http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY

This was great for me before I upgraded. Used it for 4 years for machine drip and pour overs. Sold it 2 years ago to a friend who still uses it. Great grinder as long as you keep it clean.

Noise depends on your family. I would also check the side bar for other recommendations.

I found this. The description says it has a setting for Turkish fine grind, which is basically the same. Otherwise Armenian/Middle Eastern markets should have it.

The Capresso Infinity is my goto recommendation for that price point.

For iced coffee I generally steep in a french press overnight. Plunge & serve/store. Works pretty well. As for grinders, definitely go with a burr:

-Cheaper manual: Hario Skerton

-More expensive automatic: Capresso Infinity

Something like this-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KEM4TQ
And this-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000AR7SY
Would probably be great for you, based on what you said, and stays in your budget.
You'll probably want to expand eventually, but this is a great starting point.

The Cuisinart with the measuring/storage thing on top is quite brilliant. Once you have your measurements set up, you can just bap it and it will grind exactly how much you want.

Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VcQCybT7HVATC

just got this on amazon. it's amazing, customizable, and cheap while being expensive enough to qualify for free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=pe_385040_30332200_pe_309540_26725410_item

Broke college student here, I'm also a barista that's use to having amazing, freshly roasted coffee. So far, no one has lied. AMAZING espresso IS expensive. But can you make a latte as well as your local cafe? With a little practice, time and money, yes.

My current home setup consists of a Delonghi EC155, this is a true espresso machine, it's not steam powered and with a little modification and practice makes good espresso. Modification wise the only thing I'd recommend is depressurizing the portafilter basket, which is easy. If you ever want a better machine but don't want to spend the money you can modify it even more. They're vary popular machines and can be modified to pull amazing shots. They go anywhere from 70-130, however, occasionally things get repacked or the packaging gets damaged in the warehouse. They'll offer them at a hefty discount, I just got mine "reboxed" from amazon for 47 dollars, wait a few days and one will come up. If you use your student email you can get Amazon Prime for free, take advantage of that.

http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Maker/dp/B000F49XXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396498476&sr=8-1&keywords=delonghi+ec155

I also got this tamper, works well, it's a little light for my tastes but for home use it's fine. The EC155 has a 52mm basket, if having a 50mm tamper bothers you then pay the extra few bucks for a 52mm tamper. Personally doesn't bother me, and it was only 7 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Espresso-Tamper-Sizes-Alloy-Coffee/dp/B0001XRNEM/ref=pd_bxgy_k_text_z

Here's a milk frothing cup, you'll need it to properly froth milk. You can poorly froth milk in a microwave but why do that when you can spend an extra 8 dollars and do it properly? I personally got mine for a dollar from a thrift store.

http://www.amazon.com/Update-International-EP-12-Stainless-Frothing/dp/B000MR6I9I/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_y

I got one of these grinders years ago for around 20 dollars. I've seen them used, repackaged, and refurbished for about that much. Wait around and a deal will come up. You can also get a Hario Mini and a number of other hand grinders. But this one does just fine. Now out of the box it won't grind fine enough for espresso, however, with about 20 minutes worth of work you can shim it and it'll grind perfectly for espresso. It's not hard and anyone can do it with a screw driver and some tin foil.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1396498766&sr=1-1&keywords=cuisinart+grinder

At this point if you're willing to wait for a deal on the EC155 you've only spent 107 dollars. Even less if you're willing to wait on a deal for the burr grinder as well. If you want AMAZING coffee you can spend another 27 dollars and get an Aeropress, or wait for a deal and get it for 20 dollars. It will make a coffee concentrate which will taste "okay" for a latte.

At this point, I cannot recommend going to your local coffee houses and asking if you can buy green beans. They typically sell green coffee for 5-8 dollars a pound. You can roast your own coffee with a skillet and a whisk, or a popcorn popper, there are hundreds of ways to do it cheaply and it easy. You'll save money and you'll be drinking tastier coffee.

Don't let these people get you down, good espresso doesn't have to be expensive. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

I would advise you to stay clear of any blade grinders because of their lack of consistency. With your budget in mind I would say look at the low end burr grinders like cuisinart or [mr.coffee](http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-BVMC-BMH23-Automatic- Grinder/dp/B004T6EJS0/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1393740073&sr=1-3), they may not be ideal but ideal doesn't seem like what you are looking for. I can't speak for either of these products because I have never used them, but I would say that spending a little extra will be worth it in the long run incase you decide to further your coffee arsenal in the future. Hope this helps!

A little above your price range ($45) but seems to have good reviews.

Plus, it's a Cuisinart...so you know it'll last.

The best beans in the world will only go so far if you grind them at the store weeks in advance then run them through a Mr. Coffee. If you want to up your coffee game at home, I'd highly recommend an Aeropress plus a cheap burr grinder (automatic or manual).

This grind is using the finest setting for a
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill that I got as a wedding gift. I think it does a great job, especially for the price.

A solution for your non-connoisseur lifestyle is the Zojirushi brewer and a Cuisinart Burr Grinder. Both are relatively inexpensive, last a long time, and will out-perform any other product in their respective price ranges. The Zojirushi actually brews at 198 (I have one) and the grinder is a burr grinder, it produces equally sized grounds. This setup is "good enough" for just about anyone. The only thing you will need is a source for fresh, properly roasted, beans. If you can get your hands on it, my favorite of the single origins is Ethiopian Yergacheffe- it is a fantastic coffee! If you can't find fresh coffee in your area, check online, most roasters will ship their beans. Good luck!

What are good baselines for this stuff and what kind of adjustments are within the realm of reason.

For example:

I have one of those Cuisinart Electric Kettles. I can do water temps of boiling, 200 F, 190 F and a few lower ones. I'm using 190 F as my baseline but I can really only adjust a little in each direction.

I have a burr grinder (Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill ) which seems like a decent entry level grinder but produces a LOT of grounds, even on its smallest setting. I don't feel like I can easily adjust the amount of coffee I'm using and I really don't feel like I can adjust the grind very much either without getting well into the drip coffee size.

That kind of leaves time and agitation, though I guess I can play with the amount of water. I have no earthly idea what good baselines are for that.

You can, but it'll suck and overall be a waste of your money unless you are upgrading from pre-ground or whirly bean-whacker and even then it'll be a minor upgrade.

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=coffee+grinder&qid=1550360183&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2941120011&rps=1&s=kitchen&sr=1-3

I've had pretty good luck with this grinder. I realize it's a disk grinder... and I DID get it for $5 at a flea market... but all in all, it performs pretty well, and even at regular price it's not a huge investment.

Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0FX2BbQS5TVEB

Good to know! Mine may not be good enough. I have this one https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK&ved=2ahUKEwitvZn1hLTeAhVI1IMKHZAbDtoQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw2kicmeDT7JaRJnOUvcVWbf

#1 tip for good coffee is get a good burr grinder and grind fresh. The grind of the coffee is the single most important thing.

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_4

​

Small tip: after putting the beans in the press, pour just enough water to cover the beans and let it sit for 30 seconds, then fill up the rest of the way. This makes the coffee a little bit less bitter.

Damn, had no idea coffee grinders could get so expensive. And am I to assume that something like this is not something I should try using to get a great cup of coffee? Or will it work for the time being, as it's what I currently own?

This one, but much cheaper at costco.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK

I have this electric one ($40). It could be finer, but it gets the job done and doesn't break the bank.

I bought a Cuisinart coffee grinder from Amazon and after I'd had it for maybe eight months the switch went bad, so it would never stop grinding until I pulled out the ground coffee hopper.

I called them, as it was still under warranty, and they sent me a replacement. When I received it, though, I also found a set of cordless salt and pepper grinders in the box as well. When I called Cuisinart to ask them if there was some sort of mistake I was told "No, keep them."

at first I thought it was a Cuisinart DBM 8 but on second look i'm not so sure here it is

> I mean, I bought the good grounds and everything.

OK, this is a big warning flag. Are you saying you bought pre-ground coffee? If so, that is your first problem. Never use pre-ground coffee. Once the bean is ground, it is quickly losing flavor and getting bitter, the chemical process of degradation is in motion, so you want to minimize the time between grinding and brewing. I use this grinder. So get yourself some whole beans and a grinder. The reason I use that grinder is because it is a burr grinder which gives a more consistent grind than the blade style grinders, but those are fine too.

Also, find a local roaster in your area. You want as fresh of a roast as possible. Some coffee shops roast their own beans, so try those first. If you can't find that check your local grocery store for a local roaster who has their beans carried on the shelves.

Now, if you want stronger coffee the key is to make sure that you use more coffee and brew it the proper amount of time. The problem is there is no perfect answer to how long or what ratio of coffee to water. You start with a four minute brew, then if you want a stronger taste you can try adding a minute or two to your brewing time, or adjusting the amount of coffee. It is a process to find the right ratios, but usually once you figure it out for your particular brew, then you can make good coffee consistently. I have a rotation of about five coffee bean blends that I like to use, and each one has a different ideal time/amount brewing process. My favorite is a good bean from Yemen, but in recent years I have found it hard to find beans from Yemen in the US.

Source: I have had coffee in 26 countries around the world including the Middle East and East Africa where coffee originated. (The Ethiopians claim they were the first to have coffee, but I have met people from Yemen who swear up and down it was in Yemen first.)

Good Eats Episode about Coffee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=K6XA7lh7P_Y

The automatic burr grinders seem to be cheaper today, unfortunately the baratzas seem to be full pride. Anyone use this one?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00018RRRK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468329800&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=coffee+grinder+burr&dpPl=1&dpID=41L--UNKmSL&ref=plSrch

I have this one that a friend got as a wedding gift even though she never drank coffee. Obviously everything I grind is coarse but it still kicks out quite a bit of fine powdery dust.

I usually am brewing Kicking Horse 454 Horsepower mixed with some heavy whipping cream (shoutout /r/keto) and a drip of Irish Cream flavoring., but currently trying some Kona coffee given to me by a friend. (it's smooth!)

Grinder:

Cuisinart DBM-8 - ok-good burr grinder, variable grind size, even grind results, kind of loud though.


Machine:

Hamilton Beach 49981 - great drip brew for single cup (or thermos, in my case).

Misc:

Bean storage

Thermos

I use a (hand grinder)[https://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2] in the break room, never felt like a jackass. Good conversation piece too.

Here is what I would get

• Porlex JP-30 grinder $40
  
• Hario V60 $12.50 + $7 for filters
  
• Chromatic coffee really good coffee with free shipping. Pick something good. ~$17.
  
  That comes to ~$75 for your everything including your first 1.5 weeks of beans.
  
  

I think you answered your own question. If you have been using and enjoying a french press then stick with it there is a whole range of size and price options and even places like Target sell them. As far as other inexpensive options there are a variety of pour over devices that use paper filters which may be easier to clean up. I have a Cilio #4 that I use at work with a Hario Skerton grinder and a cheap electric kettle. The Cilio is porcelain and has held up well but there are some stainless ones. There is also the Aeropress which is a fun little gizmo and makes great coffee. The Porlex grinder nests nicely inside the Aeropress plunger so it takes up very little space in a bag.

Not sure about availability and pricing in Germany so everything here is in US dollars. If pricing over there is a straight conversion from dollars to euros ( $100 = 105€) you'll be pretty close to 100€.

In terms of grinders, you'll be in the manual grinding arena with Hario Skerton, Hario Mini or the Porlex JP-3 if you want to spend a bit more. Just be aware these are good enough for a single person but if you're doing more, be prepared to grind in batches.

Since you're doing a pour over, you're going to need a gooseneck kettle to help control your pour. You're out of the range for electric kettles with temperature control, however you may be able to find electric goosenecks without temperature controls. Again, Hario is a popular option but I've heard mixed reviews about them, namely poor heat retention and debate over whether to use it directly on a stove top. The Stagg Kettle is well regarded and can fit into your budget if you choose a less expensive grinder.

I'd recommend a Porlex grinder, it fits right in the Aeropress and is super portable, or if you want something cheaper but still very good I'd recommend the Hario Mini Mill, it's what I personally use.

I got recommended the porlex mini and the porlex JP-30. Both are the same expect for size and use burr grinders. Got the JP-30 and I think its great. Also heard the Hario Skerton and Hario Mini are pretty good.

You are certainly on the right path - Blue Bottle, french press, freshly grind beans. It only gets better from here!

The next best step you can make is getting a burr grinder. You'll be surprised how big of a difference it'll make to have consistent grind and you'll be able to finely adjust the grind. The Porlex hand grinder is a good start. http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-JP-30-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002JZCF2

Yes, I have the Porlex mini. It's not cheap at $42, but be glad you're not paying CDN prices - for me it was $60. The Porlex JP-30 Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder is larger, It says 30g capacity. I thought it held more. My mini holds 25g easily, which is a common dose for a single pourover.

The Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton is often recommended here and is slightly cheaper at $37, but I don't have any experience with it. I like that the porlex seems more durable as there is no glass. the Porlex mini also fits inside an aeropress. But you're going for the pourover first right?! ;)

The Lido is another option but maybe beyond your current budget. You can see what /r/coffee thinks about it here

If it helps, I love Unicorn Blood, and I grind my own using this grinder and I've never had an issue with taste.

Look, if you're a beginner, you really can't do better than a french press and basic coffee grinder. The coffee you'll get, while not as good as consistently ground coffee, will still be delicious. I think it's a great place to start and you can eventually graduate up to a higher quality grinder.

I know there will be plenty of differing opinions, but I used a basic coffee grinder with my french press for four years, and the coffee was still excellent.

French Press - Bodum Brazil

Basic Mr. Coffee Grinder

Okay, so, quick and cheap. Done deal.

So, out of all the brew methods that are cheap and easy, well, the French press. I'm gonna assume you want dirt cheap and brand new.

1. The French press
   
   Option 1: $8.99
   
   French Press Coffee & Tea Maker with Heat Proof and Stainless Steel Filter, 11 Oz / 350ml https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JK15COE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_q7AXzb7AY716Z
   
   Option 2: $13.99
   
   Golden French Press (34 oz, 4 mugs) French Coffee Press With Double Filter And Stainless Steal https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KN1VUZE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_V9AXzbJQVB16J
   
   Now, you need a grinder, one that will give you the coarse grind you need for the French press.
   
   
2. Grinder
   
   Option 1: $13.30
   
   KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, 3-Ounce, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4-AXzb9S5J6SB
   
   It looks like the cheapest grinder I have ever seen, but, you wanted cheap, so, there you go. Few seconds pressed down and you'll get your coarse grind. That's the flaw as well, you can't set or dial in your grind, simply, grind a little bit more to get it finer.
   
   Option 2: $19.99
   
   Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Electric Coffee Grinder with Multi Settings, IDS77 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRLXUI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JbBXzb5P629BK
   
   Still cheap, but, you can adjust the grind size.
   
   Total cost: $22.30- $33.99, excluding shipping.
   
   Also, they have other sellers who sell it cheaper, or, used, but, that's up to you if you want to take the risk.
   
   I don't vouch for these grinders in any way, however, I feel once you go down this journey of brewing for yourself, you will become hooked as we all have. Have fun, explore, try different coffees. I know there's a journey for you in coffee. Welcome to the club. :)

Hario Slim is $25 and worked well for me. The hex on the shaft eventually wears out, but they'll replace it for free if you email them (or they did for me at least)

Hario MSS-1B Mini Coffee Mill Slim Grinder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DvdZxbM1MQA0Z

Get a little hario hand grinder like this: http://smile.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1410441180&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+hand+grinder

And of course you'll need AeroPress Timer: www.aeropresstimer.com

Totally understandable, can't just dispose of a gift. I hope you enjoy the coffee "hobby". I can say my first upgrade when I started was to get a [Hario Mini](Hario Mini Mill Slim Hand Coffee Grinder https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/) to use at my office so I could stop drinking the Keurig garbage haha. It's small, but pretty good for what it is, and the results are good for the money, plus it's portable! Enjoy!

I have this and it does a great job. It grinds the perfect amount for two large cups of coffee. Takes less than a minute to do.

Hario makes good stuff, I use one of their hand grinders at home. Similar to the Skerton but this one is slightly smaller but IMO easier to hold onto while grinding.


http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371863664&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+grinder

Hario Mini Mill and an MSR MugMate or equivalent will be an excellent office set up. I use the Kyocera CM-45 which I love but tends to be more expensive and harder to find - and the MSR mugmate every day in my office. It's essentially french press coffee. Coarse grind, brew for 4 minutes, enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322801932&sr=8-1

Maybe this is too labor intense, but for insanely good espresso and americano, get an Aeropress and a Burr Grinder like this electric one or this hand one

The aeropress prevents over-pressing of the beans, which prevents the coffee from getting acidic, as I understand it. The aeropress requires a bit more work to use, but it's really easy to clean (you just pop the used grounds into the trash and then rinse off the end of the areopress). The burr grinder grinds the beans much better than your average slicing grinder can.

This manual grinder is great - just be prepared to put in some effort:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

i'd say at that price try to find something used. this way:


1.)if you get a cheap pump-driven pressurized portafilter machine, you're not going to regret it after moving up and realizing you spent so much on something that would have little value later (for resale, or just keep as a "backup")


2.)you may be able to find a decent used machine. not sure what the UK market is like but here (vancouver, canada) you can find stuff like the old starbucks machines (with the non-pressurized PF) comfortably in that price range.


either way, if you get used make sure the owner can show you how to pull a shot on the machine. the reason is it can be quite involved (especially for better machines), and it also shows if machine is in good shape (the gaskets, especially). on cheaper machines it may be close to impossible to replace. (i picked up a bar32 for $5 at a thrift sale to play with, and it leaks like crazy. =)

as to the grinder, this article is making more and more sense the more i'm getting into espresso. there is a minor loophole: the hario hand grinders here and here can actually get you to pretty close to the grind that works on most machines.

TL;DR- machine: try get used. grinder: hario hand grinders

Kinda late here, but I would say if you want to be able to control grind size on a budget you should get a manual grinder. Here is the one I have and it works great. If you need coffee for more than two people then it's a bit of a chore, but for a single cup it's perfect.

I don't know about that manufacturer for the grinder, but most people haven't had great luck with similar types. There are lots of reports of them breaking or being of inconsistent build quality. Almost universally on this sub, people recommend hario for introductory grinders (sub 30$) and nothing else. It should be noted that non-coffee enthusiasts may quickly tire of manually grinding their coffee. And imo, while freshly grounded is superior, many may feel that increase in quality not worth the extra effort. you know your dad. he may be one of these people. in which case, a manual grinder might only just take up space.

french press seems good. it's pretty! It'll be a full bodied murky coffee because there isn't a paper filter. A cleaner coffee can be achieved via a v60 cone or aeropress like you were thinking about. This is all up for preference and i will note that the cost of filters is near negligible. It comes down to like a nickle per brew. As for cleaning, the aeropress is slightly more annoying to clean and dry than a cone, but it's not that troublesome.

As for the beans, i have no idea. i'm a part of the camp that believes the process is superior to the materials. So, so long as it isn't bad, then it should be good. And accordingly, I buy bargain bin beans because i don't care. They taste good enough for me. But some of my friends believe in only single origin beans from an expensive and artisan roaster like blue bottle. I don't think either of us is wrong. again: just preference.

all in all, looks decent. hope he enjoys the gifts!

Hey, I'm a complete noob when it comes to coffee and just found this subreddit. I've been looking at what people suggest for single cup coffee makers and and looking at getting the Aeropress and the Hario Skerton grinder. Are these good or is there something else you guys recommend? I'm very open to any input you guys have but would like to keep it under around 100 dollars. Thanks in advance.

The one in OP's pic looks like a Hario Skerton

There is lots of info at /r/coffee ..... my recommendation based on my research and my use is the Hario Mini. The Skerton has some downsides as compared to the mini which swayed me to the mini. It's been almost 2 years since I researched so I don't remember exactly the differences.

As for the Aeropress in OP's picture, it is a very fine coffee maker and I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend a Chemex. I use my Chemex daily and the Aeropress frequently.

/r/coffee should have all the info you need.

While on tour last summer, I had this little kit to keep my coffee habit happy in middle of nowhere America:

Hario Mini Mill

[Bonavita Bona Voyage 0.5-Liter Electric Travel Kettle] (http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Voyage-0-5-Liter-Electric-Travel/dp/B008YQLZOW/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1404394599&sr=1-10&keywords=bonavita)

Clever Dripper

I went with this set up so I didn't have to worry about bringing a goose neck kettle with me and could just pour straight from the kettle to the clever. I weighed out the typical amount of beans I use for a full Clever and marked it on the mini mill so I wouldn't have to keep a scale with me. Worked great and saved me from buying daily coffees at Starbucks. I've seen others post more elaborate travel set ups around here, so hopefully they'll respond.

As one of the newer members of the RAoA Aeropress Society, I need a good grinder, please. Will the real slim shady please stand up? I have a Hario Slim on my list.

Thank you for the contest!

I'd go with the Hario mini.

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047BIWSK/

Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder, Mini https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001804CLY/

I have a friend who's really happy with the Hario mini for his espresso machine.

I don't have any experience with this but it has good reviews: Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder for $40.

Hario Mini. I fucking love mine so much I use it as my main grinder. Gives a nice little work out in the morning.

Pretty decent grinds as well, and cheap to boot with a ceramic burr.

Aeropress

Mini Mill

You can also get a thermometer and scale, to help with consistency a little, but there are rules of thumb that make them unnecessary IMHO. At least for my humble pallet.

I started with that setup, and have since upgraded to an expensive electric grinder and expensive electric kettle, but they really only help with speed. $50 gets you everything you need, so to me it's a great place to start. Use the rest to buy great beans.

I use the following:

• This to microwave the water
  
• An aeropress
  
• This mill

I love that your first cup of coffee linked you strongly-enough to the coffee community that you're already saying "we". :-)

Welcome to the cult club!

I became a coffee snob accidentally, since with each improvement I'd make to my coffee, I could no longer even stomach what I'd enjoyed before. So beware of that . . . That said, my advice would be:

1. An order of magnitude more important than ANYTHING else (buying good coffee, brewing it "right", etc.) is fresh-ground coffee. Grinding stale grocery-store beans minutes before brewing and throwing them in an old Mr. Coffee won't be "good", per se, but it'll be better than fancy third-wave beans ground the day before and brewed with TLC in a fancy third-wave pourover.
   
   1b. A blade grinder will have been be a waste of $15 when you finally replace it (and you will). Go for a Hario Slim for your first grinder, because even when you upgrade, you'll still use it for travel, work, etc.
   
   
2. Espresso is expensive. Don't even try until you want to invest significant (>$500) money into it. For the cost of an espresso setup at home that you won't outgrow simply as your tastes and skills evolve, you can have a prime setup for every other mainstream and traditional brewing method. When starting out, save espresso for your favourite coffee shops. There's time enough to decide if you want to invest in that whole sub-cult[ure].
   
   
3. Manual > automatic, even when it's not. This is because almost any manual brewing method will grow with you as you improve your skills and explore your tastes, but even a Technivorm will never make different coffee than it does right now, regardless of how your tastes change. Save even a good automatic brewer for later, if you end up needing/wanting one.
   
   My recommended starter kit:
   
   

• Melitta Ready Set Joe dripper
  
• bleached filters
  
• Hario Slim grinder
  
  For under $40 shipped, you'll have a setup with minimal sunk cost if you decide manual coffee isn't for you, will make coffee every bit as good (imho) as more beautiful systems, and won't be obsolete if and when you upgrade (since it'll still give you wonderful coffee at work or on the road).
  
  PS. See my essay on my descent into coffee-snobbery I contributed to an online writing community I used to participate in regularly.
  
  PPS. If you meet the Coffee Buddha in the cafe, kill him.
  

It may be just me, but I'd think a bitterer cup might overpower some sticks. Maybe try a medium or "blonde" roast?

This is going down a bit of a rabbit hole, but if you drink coffee often enough you might want to look into at least getting a decent hand grinder (I've had this one for several years, but there may be something better out now for around the same price) and grinding your beans fresh. That, along with getting beans that were roasted recently, makes a world of difference in the quality of your coffee, even if you're still brewing in an auto-drip.

This one is good? http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

If you're looking to buy a grinder, something like this should do just fine if you don't mind grinding manually: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/

I have a similar one from Hario and love it.

The Hario Slim is the grinder I use every day. And the Aeropress that I brew my coffee in. Amazon even links them all together in the "commonly bought together" thingus for $65.

Admittedly, $65 sounds like a lot to lay out for anything new. That said, it's very hard to screw up and the Hario/Aeropress duo are, I've found, quite reliable. Mine gets daily use.

A French Press, while terribly fancy, may be more work than you're willing to invest to start yourself off. The Aeropress, conversely, is simple to use, simple to clean up, and well supported by we coffee snobs.

The next thing you'd need are beans. Beans you can get lots of places. Something to be aware of, the reason we prefer going from the bean directly rather than just buying pre-ground is because once you grind the bean you really ought to use it with in a day or two. That tub of Maxwell House was ground up months before you ever opened it. It suffocated long ago and died.

There are numerous roasters that you can order from online with a pound of beans ranging from $13-17 or thereabouts. This is for beans that were usually roasted two or three days before they arrive at your house.

Personally, and not to seem like a shill, but I get my beans from SW Roasting, a fellow redditor. Their sampler pack of beans from multiple continents can be a great introduction and they offer a truly personal service.

If even that seems like a little much for a beginner, I've found the single origin beans on offer from Target's Archer Farms brand aren't terrible. They're cheap, around $9. They're not as freshly roasted as you'd get from one of the online roasters but they're still good.

Admittedly, the initial outlay might seem daunting but you will have set yourself well on your way to coffee snobbery with the rest of us. After that, it's just $15-20 a month for beans depending on how much you drink.

And, really, worlds beyond instant. Go ahead, get the things I mentioned or any of the other options my fellows have suggested. Then, make that instant coffee in a mug you threw in the microwave. Drink it black. Spit it out because you love your tastebuds and wish to apologize to them. Brew some good beans you ground yourself and taste a significant, staggering difference.

Both will be about the same, neither will be any good. the first steps to a good cup require three main things:

• Good beans (find a local roaster. Expect to pay $10-15 a pound. I know this is steep, but it makes ALL the difference)
  
  
• grinding your coffee fresh when you brew it (pre-ground coffee loses much of its flavor in a few hours, forget the months that many people spend on a ground bag). You can find excellent cheap hand-operated burr grinders for about $35. Stay away from blade grinders; they'll make your beans a choppy, uneven mess.
  
  
• a better brewing method. They're not hard to learn at all, and the equipment is cheap. Here's a plastic pour-over cone for 6 bucks. A pack of filters for it costs another $5. A lot of people like the $25 aeropress also, because it's very straightforward and versatile (the pourover only makes regular coffee). there are other options as well; browse /r/coffee to learn more.
  
  tl;dr the things you should do to up your coffee game the first level (in the order you should do them) are: 1. Find a new brewing method 2. Buy better beans 3. Get a grinder

Make sure it's a burr grinder, that's probably a blade grinder. The cheapest adequate grinder would probably be the hario mini mill which is usually ~$30, but keep in mind it's a hand grinder so it requires some muscle. The cheapest passable electric one would be closer to $100.

Depending on how much coffee you drink, a Hario Mini Mill or a Hario Skerton is probably your best bet. There's really no replacement for a burr grinder if you want consistency, and the Harios have high quality ceramic burrs and are both <$50.

Never used the Bonavita, but a conical burr grinder is great!

One thing is you can also jump in making great coffee for a lot cheaper than this. This Hario hand grinder and an Aeropress/Hario V60 pour over are a great way to get amazing coffee for half the cost.

Although don't let that persuade you if you have done your research and that's what you want! To a better brew!

I have this one and am really happy with it:

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=zg_bs_289750_8/187-4485175-9927863

Like others have mentioned, less than 10 minutes and I can be out the door

You need: good beans + way to grind + near boiling water + brewing method of choice

Hario Mini Mill - Good grinder to start with. You want a burr grinder. If money really isn't an issue, invest in an electric burr. Faster and more consistent grind. Baratza is great.

Aeropress is a solid option. I highly recommend it too. French presses are good too, but just be aware that cleaning it can take a while, so you might have to leave it around until you have time to clean it.

Clever Coffee Dripper - I recommend this. Really easy to use and cleaning it takes a minute at most. As fast as a french press to brew.

I would disagree.

The reason I don't like my french press as much (in my opinion) is that I associate it with the garbage coffee I made in it with my old blade grinder. Honestly, just getting a Hario Mini Mill like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY made a wold of difference.

It's also pretty easy to follow french press directions. Just sayin'.

I was using the press for the last couple of years, and while I enjoyed it sometimes I wanted a lighter, cleaner cup. The chemex, as far as I can tell, tends to brew a cup that is lighter and brighter. There is less sediment too. If you care about mouth feel at all I would say that the chemex is more silky while the press is more velvety.

This is the grinder I ended up with. It costs a bit but I'm a sucker for things that look nice. http://www.redroostertradingcompany.com/products-page/coffee-grinders/camano-coffee-mill/

The recommended hand grinder over at /coffee is http://www.amazon.com/Hario-MSS-1B-Mini-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345136964&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+mini+mill or the skerton for 3$ more.

I did try a melitta brew, another pour over method, before settling on the chemex. I found it to taste very similar to a drip machine. The chemex filters really do make a difference.

Any other questions?

i have the hario mini mill and it works great!

Coffee gear really isn't expensive at all. People who say otherwise are either obsessive (like me), want luxury, or are wrong.

A drip cup shouldn't cost more than like $15. A glass V60 costs less than $12. Filters are paper and cost pennies. Coffee mills are the only things that can cost a lot and are genuinely worth the cost. The cheapest good mill is considered to be this hario mini mill at $30 or less. A gooseneck drip pot is not required but can be useful, like this one

Honestly... you don't need any other gear

However, the most important aspect of coffee, as always, is fresh beans.

If you go just a little over budget...

• Aeropress $26
  
  
• Kettle with thermometer $28
  
  
• Hario Mini Grinder $32
  
  Total: $86

I would recommend the Hario Mini. Gives a good grind, and given your relatively small portion sizes it's not gonna become a wrist pain for you to grind up your beans.

no; while the grinder you shared is excellent, mine is smaller:

https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=hario+mini+mill&qid=1572126278&s=kitchen&sr=1-2

this grinder fits very well into this brewer for one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make really good coffee at home.

The Hario Skerton is a better grinder, but the slim is cheaper and dumps the grounds into the aeropress very easily.

I second Tyler's recommendation to try to find a local roaster, both to buy good beans from and ask questions about coffee. Making really good coffee is a lifelong self improvement journey, not a $10 purchase at Safeway. You will need a mentor. If you're willing to say where you live I have a feeling we could help you find the best place.

I recommend a french press to start you off. They're easy to use with minimal clean up, no paper or plastic waste, and they make great coffee. As far as beans go, look for something locally roasted if you can. Also, get a burr grinder. I recommend one of
these or something similar.

Aeropress or V60(Need to buy filters for both but they aren't expensive) and a Hario Mini Mill . Cheapest methods but make extremely high quality coffee.

If you want true Espresso the first one you list isn't gonna do it.

I think one of the cheapest useable option is the Gaggia Classic. You can get it with a hand grinder and are all set to go. This one is pretty good.

Want to spend more? The Rancilio Silvia is beloved by many, from beginners to advanced. Here it is with a matching electrical grinder.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of those devices, because my kitchen is way to small for more than an AeroPress but I have friends who own this stuff and they make great coffee.

I have the previous iteration of this hario and it works great. Be sure to order the metallic filter like keith_is_good recommended, even more savings and cleaning is a not an issue

I second the Hario Skerton or the Slim. Those are the best grinders you're going to be able to find at that price range. Absolutely steer clear of any blade grinders whatsoever.

Seriously, get a grinder! A Skerton is all you need for cafetiere, and it's only £23.

As the other guy mentioned, Hasbean is a great place to buy beans. There is also Rave and Pact and numerous other roasters selling beans online, too many to mention. The advantage of getting your beans from these guys rather than in the supermarket is that they're freshly roasted, whereas the supermarket stuff was probably stale before it even left the warehouse.

For ease and lower cost, I'd recommend getting a hand grinder like a Hario Skerton and a Clever Dripper. If you have a little extra cash, step up to an electric burr grinder like the Baratza Encore. Any kind of electric kettle will be your best way of boiling water.

In a basic coffee system, grinding fresh before you brew is likely to make the greatest positive impact and electric is super easy. A hand grinder might take 30-45 seconds to grind for a batch of coffee, but that's a small time investment for a large return. In terms of brewers, lots of folks like the Aeropress for its portability and its ability to produce fantastic coffee, but I like the Clever because it's also very easy and tends to produce a normal cup of coffee rather than a more intense and concentrated cup that you get from the Aeropress.

They do at my work as well, but it's my K-Cups.

The solution is lame, but it's effective, and produces a better cup IMO:

1.) I have a pourover coffee maker. http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/three-cup-classic-series-coffeemaker.html

2.) I bought a hand crank grinder. https://smile.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ?ie=UTF8&sa-no-redirect=1

3.) I have a gooseneck kettle.

I just make hot water in the keurig, have it drip into the gooseneck, grind up some beans, and do a pourover, slowly at my desk.

Everyone stopped taking my coffee. Plus with some locally-roasted beans, it beats the shit out of anything Keurig.

Amazon link.

Ok I am going to try to answer every question

1. 100% worth it. The difference in taste is indescribable. With a good burr grinder and an aero press the coffee will be immeasurably better. And, you can measure a system were it will take you maybe 5 minutes, tops. Heck, you can even pre measure the water and coffee the night before if you need to save time.
   
   
2. This is hard to answer since everyone's choices are different. I have never seen a mug recommend on here that I loved, they always seem to be really tacky in my opinion, I guess I just don't like novelty mugs. One thing that is mostly a safe bet is going to a local roaster or a good roster online and buying there branded mugs, a lot of those are really cool. This one from Kickapoo Roatsers is really cool for instance. A lot of stump towns diner mugs are really nice.In addition, A lot of these are really unique, albeit pricy. But these are all personal preferences, find what you like.
   
   
3. Starbucks is very contervesial on this subreddit. What follows here is my personal opinion. First, if there is a Starbucks that sells reserve near you, you are in luck because those bags are mostly quite good. The problem with most of Starbucks roasts is that they are so dark most are undrinkable, as lighter roasts typically bring out the natural flavors in coffee. The only semi good ones are there "light" or "blond" roasts, and even then those are pretty average. Some of there single origin, like the (now out of season) Guatemalan Casi Cielo were decent quality. I would first try out local roasters with actually freshly roasted beans, and if there are absolutely none with some good freshly roasted beans near you, then online would be a good place to start. Try some of the big (all good) ones like blue bottle, intelligentsia, or stump town. One I don't see recommended on here a lot is La Colombe, which is quite delicious, I loved there Hatian.
   
   Lastly, and most importantly, BUY A GOOD BURR GRINDER. Freshly ground truly does make all the difference. A good starter is the Hario Skerton availiable on Amazon, or a Hario mini mill, also on Amazon.
   
   I hope this helps! Good luck man!

A burr grinder & high quality beans are essential if you want to make excellent coffee. Here's the most minimal & least expensive burr grinder that I know of...
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Skerton/dp/B001802PIQ

I'm satisfied with mine, but every so often I feel lazy and yearn for the expensive, massive burr grinder that I sold.

Hario makes quite good manual burr grinders.

I have this grinder and I love it. Definitely go for Hario.

Orphan Espresso has an upgrade kit for the Hario Skerton (or Kyocera CM-50CF) which makes it suitable for press, but it also makes it more difficult to adjust to finer settings. The reason they have the upgrade kit is because otherwise the burrs rattle around on the spring mechanism when working with coarser grinds, resulting in unevenness (though definitely better than a blade grinder). The Skerton + the OE upgrade is likely the best bang for your buck in terms of hand grinders which perform well at coarser settings!

Start looking here, https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

if you have the coin Orphan Espresso makes some badass hand grinders.

I use a refurbed baratza virtuoso cause I'm lazy and dont want a workout with my morning ritual.

I don't understand this... If you make tasty coffee in the morning it is a wonderful way to start your day. The caffeine is my least favorite part of coffee (though I don't really experience much effects of it). If you have a good pour over or french press in the morning it is such a wonderful beverage. I drink it for the flavor; I didn't have any for the month and didn't experience any withdrawal effects. Get some freshly roasted beans, a grinder and a clever dripper. Once you have good coffee you won't go back.

Aeropress gives you a lot of freedom on the taste of your coffee, so I recommend that. There is also no need for a lot of additional equipment with it unless you want to get info coffee more in the future. Quality of your coffee is equally as important as your method, so you don't have to break your bank, but try to get your hands on locally roasted single origin beans. (Best result is if you can buy your own grinder to make the freshest coffee, but if your budget doesn't allow for that, then ground coffee will do).

Aeropress - $35

Electric grinder - $37 (decent, takes no time at all)

Hario Skerton hand grinder (more reliable, takes some time, don't cheap out on the $15 dollar amazon version if you want a decent grind) - $39

If you go this route I also recommend looking at the World Aeropress Championship recipes and following in their lead to emulate a world-class cuppa joe.

Grab one of these. On sale for 27 bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1415137856&sr=1-1&keywords=hario+grinder

Next step is good beans. Finding the best beans is of preference choice, you'll have to explore that on your own. I started with Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, and Collectivo and found my favorites from there.

My recommended way of making coffee would be the Aeropress for starters, and moving on to a Moka pot for some really good espresso if you can find a hot plate.

My [Hario Skerton] (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ) with the [Orphan Espresso mod] ( http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-Lower-Bearing-UPGRADE-KIT-for-Hario-Skerton-Kyocera-CM50-Hand-Grinders_p_4066.html) isn't half bad at a coarse grind. I use it for my French Press daily.

You absolutely need the following to enjoy coffee out of a chemex:

• Burr Grinder: I suggest, to start, the Hario Mill Grinder
  
  
• Gooseneck Kettle: I suggest the Bonavita Electric Kettle
  
  
• Scale: I suggest the AWS Pocket Scale
  
  
  The scale is the least necessary, but the other two are absolutely essential to make decent coffee out of the chemex.
  
  Once you have those, watch a couple demonstration videos and mess around to find what you like! Below is the video I watched when I first started using this method:
  
  
• Buddy Brew Chemex Tutorial
  
  Overall, it's a bit of an investment, but it's so worth it! The chemex is a great method, and I use it often! Good luck!

    Buy a grinder! I have this one (http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ) and it's absolutely amazing. The next thing I would suggest is just buying a scale. I didn't really think it would make a difference, but measuring out your coffee by grams definitely makes a huge difference.

Alright, I'll lay out two set ups for two different price points.


Cheap Set Up

Hario Skerton This is the most basic entry level grinder possible, grinds enough for one person pretty easily, and gets "good enough results for a poor college student

Aeropress You can make full cups of coffee or pseudo-espresso that you can mix with milk for a pseudo, its easy to clean, and probably the most forgiving coffee making tool.

And then any kettle and any scale. Look for cheap on both, were going for cheap here, and were not doing rocket science, should be another 25-30 total for both of these, which lands you just under $100 total for this set up. You don't need to bother roasting beans yourselves, and if you're in a college town theres probably a local roaster around that you can get good quality roasted beans from and be happy with. For cold brew just throw grounds and water in jar in you fridge for a day in a 8:1 ratio, then strain the goop the next day for a solid cold brew concentrate



The pricier beginner college set up


Baratza Encore. If you can afford this, then get it. The things great, does everything but espresso grind really well, and because its not manual its doesn't take that long and it doesn't require any real effort on your part. I love mine, but the $140 price tag could be steep (I wouldn't have bought it when I was in college, I was poor as shit).


Brew Methods: I still recommend at least an Aeropress, but pair it with a 1LFrench press too for when you want to make a lot of coffee at once, or coffee for friends. you can also make cold brew in a French press instead of a jar, and you can use it to strain it out. Also, if you really want to make the closest thing to espresso that you can without blowing $300 dollars, get a 3-cup moka pot. You can find a cheap one at your Ross or Home Goods equivalent.



For kettle, you can get a variable temp one if you want to spend the money, people recommend the Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck but I still just use my cheap 15 dollar kettle and am doing fine.


As far as scales go, I still just say find a cheap scale that works well enough.



Bits and Bobs


Hand held Milk Frother for frother hot milk for lattes. Sounds like something you would like.

Also keep in mind grinding. Not a problem if you buy pre-ground, but if you buy whole beans, just get something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ

I have a set up that i love that was only like 50 dollars and makes great coffee.
I have this french press
http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Brazil-French-Coffee-34-Ounce/dp/B005ADS5FO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450216508&sr=8-5&keywords=french+press

and this grinder

http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Ceramic-Skerton-Storage-Capacity/dp/B001802PIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450216551&sr=8-1&keywords=coffee+grinder+hario

It is sorta labor intensive but makes way better coffee than most machines that are way more pricey.

Also the key is to have good, fresh beans.

I also have a hario v60 for when i want to make coffee quick.