How to make a good cup of drip coffee

[omowasu]

Ok, ok, so I have a French press, and much prefer pressed coffee over anything. Haven't done the Moka yet, but it is on my list. However, I will be the first to admit that I am lazy as hell, and still drink drip coffee at least half of the time as a result. I also travel for business and pleasure, and I can't always take a press with me. So, I have been refining my technique for drip brewing and have made a couple of very good cups - with just a little tweaking. Here are my thoughts, please add or criticize as necessary.

1> Start with clean water at room temperature. One of the biggest gripes from drip brewers is that they never get hot enough. I have found a difference when I start with cold water versus water at room temperature. The warmer water brews hotter and brews faster. Clean water is a no-brainer. I just use a Brita pitcher that I leave next to the coffeemakers.

2> Use a medium-fine grind, similar to beach sand in consistency. Most machines recommend medium grind. My goal is to impede the flow of hot water across the grinds enough to "pool" hot water on top of the grind, but not overflow the basket. This maximizes the water to grind contact time. A medium-fine seems to do this quite well.

3> IF the drip machine has a stopper which stops the flow of coffee when the pot is removed, keep the pot off the burner for the first cup or so of brewing. This causes the hot water to saturate the entire basket of beans, providing a "press effect" of sorts. Just make sure you put the pot back under the basket - and don't wait too long. I have forgotten once before. My floors are a little darker where the result landed.

4> If all else fails, buy a Technivorm (still trying to convince the wife...)

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by omowasu

4> If all else fails, buy a Technivorm (still trying to convince the wife...)

5> Save $200 and make perfect coffee...

[burninator]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

5> Save $200 and make perfect coffee...

+1

I'm real cheap, though, so I stuck with the basket from my drip machine.

[Rolando]

The best results from a drip are related to length of time and basket size. You want the smallest basket size and the longest brew. No paper filters. A metal carafe is better and the warming plate should cut off directly after brew. It can't repace a freedom press but it is the next best thing.

Then the other items which are true for drip and freedom press. Use only filtered or bottle water. The beans should only be ground moments before use and the grinder must be a 2 stage grinder where the beans pass through the mill to a hopper below. A single stage creates too much dust.


I have been experimenting with this particular issue for years.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by burninator

I stuck with the basket from my drip machine.

I bow to your brew and thrift.

Sidebar for the drip coffee novice: further to the good advice in post #1, the ability to control water temp on the grounds with a manual pourover (gold or paper) filter insures practically perfect coffee. Electric brewers, even the most costly, cannot guarantee proper water temp hitting the coffee. Auto drip brewers are convenient, fast, etc. but it is amazing how many of them have crapped out thermostats OTB. A $15.99 WallyWorld cheapie can work brilliantly for a decade while the next one on the same shelf will never brew well. If you brew with a dripper and the coffee tastes flat you can always test the thermostat's accuracy by running a matching manual pourover pot. Boil water in a kettle - let cool for 15-20 seconds - pourover and stir over grounds.

[raisin]

Originally Posted by omowasu

4> If all else fails, buy a Technivorm (still trying to convince the wife...)

Or, for the seme-frugal, save 50% with the OCS brewers.

[MarkinCA]

[SIZE=3]I love the one-cupper[/SIZE]

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by raisin

... save 50% with the OCS brewers.

Have you had good luck with the OCS product? Details?

[raisin]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Have you had good luck with the OCS product? Details?

I've had the OCS-8 and OCS-12, which are almost exactly the same model, the only difference being the size of the carafe and the water-level indicator.

Joe, Rob and I did a vertical with the Technivorm a few months back and agreed that they both make most excellent coffee, with the OCS making a richer FP type cup as opposed to the smoother product of the TV. We figured the difference was entirely a function of the filter types used in either machine. (TV utilizes a cone filter, whilst the OCS has a flat bottom)

The TV wins on looks, but the current "Green Coffee" discount detailed at CoffeeGeek on the OCS makes it a no-brainer.

There are reviews here:

http://www.retrevo.com/s/Newco-OCS-1...79ag220/t/1-2/

and a lot of comparitive threads here:

http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines

I got my 12 cupper and an additional SS Carafe from Newco, for less than $150, including shipping.

[foureyedgeek]

Pardon my naivety, but what's going on in the above photo?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by foureyedgeek

Pardon my naivety, but what's going on in the above photo?

That is one version of a manual pourover filter.

There are many approaches to this excellent, inexpensive brewing method. It all pivots on the fact you, not a $0.12 Chinese thermostat, have control of brew water temperature. Brew water temp is a big deal in the world of better tasting coffee. Grinder matters, but not life or death with paper filtered pourovers.

See more:

http://fantes.com/coffee-manualdrip.html

http://coffeegeek.com/guides/howtouseapourover

[novasurf]

OCS 12 is a great brewer.
We use it for testing and for large family get togethers.
Perfect every time.

Other factors in making a good cup of drip:

The coffee
The grind

[foureyedgeek]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

That is one version of a manual pourover filter.

Thanks for the reply. I already heat my own water manually for french press so this seems like an easy way to mix things up.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by foureyedgeek

Thanks for the reply. I already heat my own water manually for french press so this seems like an easy way to mix things up.

The pourover with goldmetal filter makes coffee akin to a press; with paper filter it's sludge free coffee and reduced oil. They need a little attention during brewing (or not; I find myself stirring and scraping the grounds as it drains) but they're inexpensive and very effective.