I'm off of the caffeinated soda (or Pop, as they say in these parts), and will need a little source of caffeine on occasion.  I had been drinking about 12+ cans of Diet Coke a day.  Now, I'm drinking water, juices, and an occasional coffee.  

Not having ever been a coffee drinker, I don't know what to consider a good cup, a bad cup or a great cup of coffee.  I have a coffee maker, and know a little about the various roasts, types, etc., but not how my stuff compares when I make it to a "good cup" of coffee.  

My Cousin (technically, my Cousin-In-Law) made the point that you should learn to drink your coffee black.  There may not be sugar and cream around, so if you like it black you are always fine.  So, I'm not looking for how many sugars or creams you put in it, just where to look for a good cup to start learning, or how to make good coffee at home.

Thanks!!

AFARR


PS--My Home coffee maker is a Braun with a water filter built in--I was told once that they are one of the better makers for home use.

This isn't something you can determine from writing.  Basically, if it came from a metal can, or it's instant, it's bad coffee.

Which is not to say stuff you get from an espresso stand is always good.  Starbucks drip coffee is awful, considering what you pay for it.  Burnt.

You have a coffee maker.  Now go get a little electric grinder and a bag of vacuum packed beans.

I don't drink much coffee at all.

But I take it black. And perkolated. Drip is to acidic or something. Can't stand that stuff.

Use treated or purified water if you can't stand your local tap water plain.

Some of the flavored dairy creamers aren't too bad for a change of pace.

Where I come from, and in my Profession, I feel I am uniquely qualified to answer this profound question...
OK, that's bullshit, sort of.

Dark Espresso Roast; 5 scoops instead of 3; unbleached coffee filters (you are using some type of "Mr. Coffee", right?); and fresh, cold water, not tap water.

This, my friend, will get your motor runnin'!!

Sometimes my coffee has to remain in the 'to-go' cup for hours at a time, but, it tastes as good cold as it does hot, and always whets my whistle when I need that caffeine boost.
Enjoy good coffee, 'tis a treat.

This is what I drink [%|]
[url]www.extremecoffee.com [/url]
I started drinking this stuff in college and now I don't drink anything else.  It has a slight dark chocolately flavor to it.  Its some goooood stuff.

Bit of a followup--I have a grinder, but would need another (I use the one I have for grinding spices, and I don't think my coffee would taste good flavored like cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and cumin.  

How is it best to store the coffee (ground or unground)?  

And, how much water to how much coffee--Bus, you mention 5 scoops vs. 3, but how much water do you use?  My maker has a 12 cup capacity vs. others that I have seen that have 8 or 10.  Good point on the unbleached filter (bleached flour has a sour aftertaste to me, so I would bet a filter may do the same thing)

I just grind the beans and keep 'em in the freezer in a coffee can.
Fill up the coffee decanter to 12 cups and let 'er rip.
Don't drink this stuff after 1800 or you'll be awake for a long night... [;)]

>>you should learn to drink your coffee black.<<
Well, I wouldn’t drink coffee like Christian Slater did in “True Romance” (70-30 coffee to sugar ratio!) But you don’t have to learn it ‘black’ either!

The secret to good coffee is . . . . don’t drink swill! [:)]
Use Gloria Jean’s or another coffee retailer/blender that selects and roasts their own coffee. Here are some of my favorites:

Authentic Mocha Java: {what I’m drinking tonite} Solid old-world flavor,  med-full body

Coral Mountain:  Light, pure, clean taste and medium body. Good every-day coffee.  My “old standby” when I can’t decide.

GJ Special Blend   [i]really good[/I] for a “house blend” Another  Clean, medium body coffee that’s very drinkable and no danger of acidity.

Royal Zimbabwe: A spicy aroma, somewhat hint of sweet flavor, medium body and fine finish, nearly [i]everything[/I] Jamaican Blue Mountain is without the $30.00+ per pound! Cost.

[b]Jamaican Blue Mountain:[/b] Simply the finest coffee. Authentic and rare. Worth giving as a present. “Sunday morning coffee” What Royal Zimbabwe nearly misses being and what Starbuck’s will [i]never[/i] achieve. Make it in a clean coffee maker and use bottled water. Never reheat because it’s glory is fleeting.

As to the equipment:
You’ve got your Braun, so be it. I would not go for gimmicks like a built-in anything. The essence is to have a drip coffee maker that brews slowly. A regular Braun will do. KEEP IT CLEAN!. NEVER pour water from the carafe into the tank. Buy dedicated pitcher so there is no possibility of old coffee oils accidently entering the clean watertank.

Buy whole bean and burr grind the beans. Burr grinders are simply the best. Do not refrigerate the coffee. But you may freeze it for short periods. Try to purchase coffee weekly and then grind the beans immediately before brewing because whole beans stay fresh longer than ground coffee.

Finally, there may be an essence to what your cousin said. That would be to learn to enjoy unflavored, Gourmet Coffees made from selected quality roasted beans. Avoid the fake flavors like creames, nut or chocolate flavors and learn to distinguish the subtle aromas of the brew.

Good Luck!

The best coffee is here:
[url]www.peets.com[/url]
[url]www.northcoastcoffee.com[/url]

Automatic coffee makers are not as good as the old Melitta filter drip where you allow hot water to drain into a cup or a pot. This is according to America's Test Kitchens on PBS.

Coffee should be served black and hot. Coffee sitting in a pot on a warmer gets overcooked and loses flavor, Air Pots work better at preserving flavor but that coffee that drips into a cup or pot and is fresh is best.

Never freeze beans either, buy them freshly roasted and keep them in an airtight container in a cool dark place. Grind immediately before brewing.

The best coffee comes from a NAVY coffee pot. Preferably at 0300.

Is it true that sea dogs like their coffee with salt? Just askin.

Btw, the very first step to making a great cup of joe is having a sparkling clean machine.

T

Coffee-n-Chicory

[img]http://www.communitycoffee.com/assets/prodimg/new_orleans.jpg[/img]

... When the beans are ground just perfect.

... Not too coarse, not too fine.

(Shameless BHD rip off)

Best I've seen comes from [url]www.peets.com[/url] or [url]www.caferoma.com[/url].  I moved back to Caliban after 15 years in TX, but I had a mail order pipeline of Roma's French roast and Espresso roast most of the time I was there.

Pure water, a CLEAN Braun machine (or sometimes a French press), a burr grinder, and unbleached #4 filters are what I use.  Sometimes I fire up the espresso machine if I'm really slow in the morning.

If you have a buddy in Hawaii, real Kona is great after a big dinner.

hanko

Like JonnieGTyler says. Go with percolated coffee. The drip has a very bad taste. I never could place what drip taste like. But I think acidic is right on target.

Our company bought all of the departments a fancy $500.00 coffee drip maker with some new gourmet coffee. I guess we went with a new vendor. Damn coffee still tastes like the cheap coffee brands.

Oh yeah. When I was in the Marines and was on mess duty we were instructed to add a little bit of salt in the coffee grounds. This helped take out some of the bitterness. I have tried it on the coffee drip at work and it did not do any good.

Yanqui

What?  From the rec.food.drink.coffee/alt.coffee/alt.food.coffee FAQ:

Boy, that stuff is really an acquired taste!  Not too many folks drink it black, but as cafe au lait, it's *good*!

Interesting history concerning the use of chicory, too - the practice dates to the Civil War.

Glad to hear you are off the sodas.  I have a woman who works for me that was drinking 12-15 a day and ended up burning a hole in one of her kidneys.  Those things have phosphoric acid in them which we used to use to remove corrosion with.  

As for Braun products?  I have a coffee mill made by them that I love.  I have gone through 2 Braun coffee makers and they ain't cheap.  I'm now back to using a cheapo Proctor-Silex which seems to be doing just as good of a job as the Brauns did at a third of the cost.

#1 rule, have a good wench that can make it for you.

No seriously, stay awy from the fancy crap, stay with 100% columbian (sp?). Buy whole fresh beans, a cheap grinder and adjust amount of coffee to what suits your taste. That easy and simple.

I prefer my coffee black because you or someone else cant really mess it up to bad, not to mention that is how I've been drinking it since I was 7.

BrenLover

I've probably tried every coffee maker on the market at one time or another.  The best one is the one I've used for the past 8-10 years. It is a commercial Bunn model V-17 (?) pour over. It's not that expensive, about $250 I think. It is reliable and consistant. The water stays hot so a pot of great coffee (or hot water) is only minutes away.

If your wife's not a coffee lover she probably won't be crazy about having it in her kitchen though.

ROTFLMAO! Quality reply! Got a :rolleyes: from the g/f!

A great choice.
Knowing what this stuff costs today can you believe Chicory was once considered a 'filler' for the poor ?

(Use good water and a gold filter (Cost is about $20.00) try to avoid all paper filters..)

Hands down the best coffee I have ever had, this far in my life: Starbucks Grande Americano with about a 1/4 inch for room for half/half milk, and 2 Sweet and low with a sprinkle of cinnamon. MMMMM

The single most important factor is grinding the beans immediately before use.  Once beans are ground the aromatic oils which give coffee its flavor begin to evaporate.  Anything which has been ground and put in a can, a bag, or anything else, is fundamentally garbage.

Secondly is the type of bean and the roast.  If you want a robust cup, get dark roasted beans.  Stay away from "flavored" beans such as "French vanilla" or "Hazelnut", especially if you have a security clearance.  The FBI takes a jaundiced view of people who drink flavored coffees, and rightly so-- it's unAmerican.

I prefer my coffee with cream.  If you like it better black, fine, but don't feel like you have to learn to drink it that way.

Much good advice has already been given
1. Peets is a great source of beans, dark roasts are best IMHO.
2. Keep whole beans in an air-tight container in the freezer and grind to the consistency of course sand shortly before use (small quantities may be kept ground for a few days so you don’t need to grind every day)
3. Use a coffee maker which drains the coffee into a thermos (so it is not reheated)
4. Use a gold plated (they are not expensive and last a long time) filter
5. Prime the grounds by pouring in a small quantity of hot water and stirring the mixture in the filter to uniformly wet the grounds, before the coffee maker heated water drains through it.

Community DARK roast fixed in a French Press pot! Now thats Heaven! [shock] Gotta have it every morning! No way I can do without it. NO WAY MAN! Oh sorry got excited just thinking about it....

Find the cheapest coffee grounds and maker.  Brew about 10 cups.  Pour yourself about half a cup and fill the rest of the cup with Jim Beam Whiskey.  Problem solved.  No buyin' the expensive columbian this or jamacian that.  $2.49 a half pint and the best thing is after about three cups you won't even need the caffeine.  Hell it makes you day more mellow.  Trust me, I'm on my third pot today.

ARChoo doesn't have a clue... Community Medium Roast is the real deal!  (just kidding ARChoo)  

And a good friend from N.O. makes COLD DRIP coffee.  Don't ask me how, but it is smooth, rich, and will get your motor going.

Also, I leave you with this little quote from my old Uncle Grady, may he rest in peace, "Boy, it don't take near as much water to make coffee as most people think."