I recently switched from an automatic coffeemaker to a French press.

[Beware the Beast Man]

:9


I will never go back.
It's worth the hassle of grinding beans, boiling water and waiting for the coffee to brew.

[Richardo]

1. I've heard they're great.

[Benfea]

2. I don't drink coffee...

…unless there's nothing else around. Normally I drink mugicha (a Japanese tea made from roasted barley), which is very simple to make.

[Beware the Beast Man]

6. That sounds good...

I will have to try it sometime.

[Benfea]

9. It's a great caffeine-free tea substitute hot or cold.

Making it is stupidly simple. You fill up one of those "tea leaf cages" (I forget the proper word for it) halfway with the roasted barley. Stick the cage in water and heat it on the stove. When the cage and the barley float, keep the heat on for a couple more minutes, then turn it off before it boils.

You can find the roasted barley for tea in many Asian supermarkets (both Japanese and Koreans drink it), so it's probably available in your area.

[Left Is Write]

22. Hmmm. That DOES sound good.

[fiddlestix]

3. I grind my own beans...

But I let the cawfee maker do the rest!

I make the best cawfee ever. It's true.

[jpgray]

4. Percolator is the only religion I know

You do however need a precision burr grinder for it if you want consistent goodness. Getting the right grind and the right compaction is important.

[Beware the Beast Man]

5. I have a Coleman camp percolator.

I haven't gone camping in years, but it is the house emergency backup coffeemaker.

[jpgray]

7. It took me about a year to get it right

It was frustrating to get one batch out of seven or so perfect, and then about 6 batches of either weak watery nothingness or bitter, grainy nastiness. Turned out I just had a shit coffee grinder.

[applegrove]

8. Don't skimp on the grinder: by Michelle Slatalla - NYTimes

Wake up, get taste of coffee lovers' nirvana

By Michelle Slatalla
New York Times News Service
Published January 21, 2006


"The coffee situation at my house got out of control gradually.

Somehow my husband and I have become the sort of full-blown extremists who argue over the finer points of milk-steaming techniques and who polish the chrome on our ridiculously shiny espresso machine as lovingly as firefighters buff a fancy new hook-and-ladder.

So when a fuse recently blew out on our old-fashioned Riviera Baby Lusso, we panicked and rushed it in for the sort of emergency tuneup more commonly associated with a finicky Italian sports car than a small kitchen appliance.

In the subsequent weeks, a bleak wasteland of coffee shop cappuccinos in cardboard cups, we realized that we would have to come up with a backup plan for the next time the Baby Riv went on the fritz.

My husband suggested buying a second machine. But a fact-finding mission to a local Williams-Sonoma store thoroughly confused us. Newfangled machines looked boxy, and the jargon was too esoteric even for fanatics like us. Some machines relied on special "state-of-the-art coffee capsule systems." Others had sensor pads to display messages in seven languages. Or manual dual frothers. Something called a Jura Capressa Impressa S9 Avantegarde cost $2,399.

.... SNIP"

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/shopping/chi-0601210023jan21,1,274760.story?coll=chi-ent_shopping-hed

[applegrove]

10. She suggests the three or four best & "only" grinders. Read the article.

It's a keeper.

[dolo amber]

38. Coleman goes camping?

What a wilderness stud! :o

[RumpusCat]

11. i like campfire coffee

Plain metal percolator, mm. You can let it boil until the coffee is good'n'sludgy! I like a cup of coffee the spoon stands up in. ^__^

However, my ex-roommates had a french press and it turned out some tasty stuff! Perhaps I'll have to get one too, and then I can have campfire coffee AND cultured coffee!

[Shine]

12. We grind our beans the night before and set up our auto-timed

coffeemaker so that we wake up to a freshly-brewed pot every morning. :thumbsup: I am a coffee snob, but I'm an impatient coffee snob. I've gotten spoiled by having it ready first thing when I walk out to the kitchen. I love it.

greetings, to another coffee freak! :hi:

[GalleryGod]

25. I Can top that,Snob!

We have the Cuisinart "Grind & Brew". You load the BEANS in and set it for a morning hour...it GRINDS and then BREWS..Veddy,Veddy, Snobbish.



"Mr. Coffee",himself, back in the day with the #1 dame in the world!

[Shine]

40. You got me. I concede to your greater snobbishness.

;) YOUR coffee machine sounds vedddy cool, indeed. I didn't even know such a machine existed!



:hi:

[Book Lover]

13. I've gone through three French Presses - I love them

In every instance, though, the container shattered while cleaning, so be careful!

[Hand]

14. Here's what you need...

The JavaPress, with a Lexan container. It's made for camping, but I use one all the time. I finally got one after destroying my umpteenth glass press. I've dropped my JavaPress on the floor enough times that I've probably saved well over $100 in replacements.



Google "javapress" for places to purchase.

[Book Lover]

15. Hey, not too pricey either

Thanks!!

[politicat]

18. Ours came with a neoprene "jacket" to keep the coffee warm while brew-

ing - what a great idea!

And at least where we buy our french presses, the lexans were cheaper than the glass!

[Beware the Beast Man]

23. Nice!

I try to be super careful with this one. I never wash it right after brewing (don't want to crack the glass), and I'm careful how I stir the brew. If that fateful day comes when i have a clumsy morning, I'll keep that one in mind. :thumbsup:

[AlCzervik]

16. i keep thinking about picking up one, i see the Boudini? one all the

time at bed and bath. I've been going through a coffee maker about every 2 years now, they really don't make them like they used too (channeling granpa right now), maybe tomorrow i'll go pick one up. Do you have to grind your own? Sometimes i do but sometimes i'm just too tired and use the stuff in the can.

[redqueen]

17. Oh yes it is!

:9

Don't drink it anymore, but when I did, it was from a French press or nothing.

(Did you know the French call it an Italian press? Always the neighbor's fault! :P)

[samplegirl]

19. a good cup of coffee

deserves the time it takes to perk it.

[KT2000]

20. Another advantage

Most drip coffeemakers have plastic parts that are made with flame retardants. They are implicated in health problems, especially for newborns and children. Breast milk contains these chemicals so they are fed to babies. These chemicals interfere with sexual development and neurodevelopment.
The French press does not have this problem.
Enjoy!

[Left Is Write]

21. Mr. LIW wants one very much.

[Cathyclysmic]

34. We got ours at Target for $15.00...

I'm not the coffee connoisseur that the Beast Man is, but it tastes better now.

[yellowdogintexas]

24. been thinking about this myself. In fact, I was about to buy one

when I found a great bargain on a Krups Espresso/Cappucino machine and have been having lots of fun with it. I still have the little 4 cup basket brewer my mom used to use but I am not fond of it. I have been thinking of replacing it with a 4 cup programmable MrCoffee which turns itself off but is still small.

I grind my coffee at the market when I buy it so having part ground for French and part for espresso would not be a big deal.

[leftofthedial]

26. if you drink enough instant coffee

you can actually travel backwards in time.

[XOKCowboy]

27. I had one of those in my hotel rooom..

in Seoul. The coffee was GREAT but in a hotel room what do ya do with the grounds? I tipped the maids for the mess I maid daily! I've been considering getting one for the house. Thanks for reminding me.

[regnaD kciN]

28. Shouldn't that be a Freedom Press...?

:patriot:

[KitchenWitch]

32. Always one in every group!

:P

[KitchenWitch]

29. I love love love my french press

The really nice thing is if you only want to brew 1 cup, you can!

[billyskank]

30. Is that the same as a cafetiere?

[KitchenWitch]

31. Yes it is!

:hi:

[BlueIris]

33. Seriously?

That's really interesting.

[raptor_rider]

35. We got my F-I-L

a coffee maker that has a grinder built into the back for Christmas. It grinds the beans before it brews the coffee and it is yummy. We were waiting to see how he liked it first before getting one ourselves. It cost over $100, so we have some saving up to do. Nothing better than waking up with a great tasting cup of coffee!!!
Congrats on your purchase!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

36. I love French Press coffee! A delicious brew, indeed.

I'm glad you have discovered the joys of a french press!

[Catfight]

37. I heard they cause cancer? Is that true? nt

[QC]

39. Welcome to the club!

The travel press here has been a real lifesaver for me: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/coffeePresses.asp

Yes, I hate Starbucks and generally don't patronize them, but that little press is a wonderful thing. Great for making coffee at the office. Highly recommended!