this is one of those "YMMV" issues IMHO.

An OCD buddy has tried to convert *me* to his meticulous French Press presentation of a certain type of coffee. While there is considerable difference in the results, his vision of 'perfect' is a woeful and limited sample of what "REAL" coffee is, of course IMHO.

What he views as the supreme cup of essence, to my taste is a pitiful and limited expression of one particular aspect of a complex covfefe....

I happen to like those complex and sometimes gritty results of such as Melita pour-over style far more than the oily and limited shadow of taste French Press offers.

quote:

Originally posted by 2PAK:
French Press. More labor but, better coffee.

100% correct.
The best.
I do it every day, only drip when we need more (qty) of coffee we drip like on weekends, but it's not as rich or as physically hot.

quote:

Originally posted by djinco:
For a brew that equals a Chemex get a Technivorm. Hand made in the Netherlands. Highest quality.
Brews a pot in 6 minutes.

It only does one thing: brew great coffee. No autostart, no cute graphics. No LCD display.

Highly recommended by a famous coffee snob. (Me!)

This.

Whatever method, I always use filtered water and preheat the brewing vessel as well as the cup or mug it's going into.

A pinch of salt into the grounds for me as well.

I enjoy French press, pour over, and Vietnamese style drip. I rarely drink coffee (that is, not out of habit) so I don't want another appliance on my counter.

quote:

What makes either Chemex or Technivorm make better coffee?

The Tech has a huge copper heating block, that gets the water up to brewing temp extremely quickly, so it's in the proper zone for correct extraction.
Most consumer grade brewers do this very slowly, so they don't reach proper temp until much later in the brew... if they ever get there at all.

quote:

up to brewing temp extremely quickly, so it's in the proper zone for correct extraction.

years ago I ran across a source that claimed that a certain % of hydration briefly interrupted before introduction of full liquification allowed the grounds to 'bloom' thereby enhancing better extraction.

Do I have measurable evidence of such? Can I add a link supporting that claim? Hah!

On the other hand, my own taste is satisfied with 'good enough' and not overly preoccupied with the insistence for 'best' in the realm of subjective reality.

We keep our coffee beans in a vacuum sealed container. We fresh grind the beans every morning. Our coffee maker is a drip machine from Zojirushi. The coffee is brewed into a thermal carafe. My humble opinion is that the question isn’t, “Does this type of brewing make better coffee than that type?” It’s, what combination of elements that I can control makes the best coffee? Probably hardest to control is the water, and it may well be the most important thing of all. We’re blessed with clean, pure, unadulterated, great tasting water here, but we’ve lived (in western Colorado) where that wasn’t the case. I put a Pur terminal end water filter on the kitchen faucet in that house and we were really happy with the drinking water, and coffee, with the chlorine odor and taste removed. Hope you find what you’re looking for.

I have used the Chemex and a $20 electric kettle from Target for years now. I hated the press, too messy and never cared for the taste. Use Chemex filters and follow their procedure and it will produce a wonderful coffee even with generic coffee. I use Chock Full O'Nuts for everyday and its awesome

I have a strong preference for French press coffee.

With the right equipment, French press coffee is extremely convenient and hassle-free.

Specifically, a good burr grinder that automatically grinds the correct amount of coffee and a Zojirushi water boiler. I just replaced my old, small one with this one: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/cvdcc

The Zojirushi water boilers are different from an electric kettle. They keep the water hot all the time, are well sealed enough that you can leave them going for a month and the water level doesn't drop, and let you choose between several water temperatures (the main settings are 195F if you're primarily making tea or 208F if you're primarily making coffee). This new one uses an average of about 20 watts of electricity to maintain the water temperature - it is vacuum insulated.

So my French press routine is:

Hit button on grinder.
Wait 10 seconds.
Dump coffee into French press.
Put French press under Zojirushi boiler and hold "dispense" button until full.
Stir.
Wait 2 1/2 minutes.
Press and pour.
Rinse French press.

The Zojirushi boiler is one of our favorite, most-used kitchen appliances. On-demand, always ready, fuss-free water at the perfect temp for coffee.

On the 208F setting, it's best to let the water sit in a cup or pot for a minute or two to cool before brewing tea if you're making tea - we make more French press coffee than we make tea, and letting the water sit for a minute to cool is still much quicker and easier than dealing with a kettle on the stove.

I have been using a Chemex and electric kettle for years.

We have a Keureg as well as another maker but for a really good cup of coffee, I prefer my Chemex.

I had a French press before the Chemex but did not care for the mud/sediment.

A good burr grinder and good beans (not Charbucks).

I am perfectly happy with a plain old drip coffee maker. Makes damn fine coffee as far as I’m concerned. If y’all think it’s worth the trouble to make “fancy” coffee, more power to you.

quote:

Originally posted by SW_Sig:
I have been using a Chemex and electric kettle for years....

+1.

I have used a french press since I started roasting my own coffee

I vote for the Technivorm Moccamaster. I've used it for years, and it absolutely makes great coffee.

When I over-researched coffee makers several years ago, the Technivorm kept appearing. Apparently, it's one of the few coffee makers which actually reaches the ideal 195F to brew the coffee.

That being said, you need to use COLD, filtered water, and, of course, quality coffee (preferably whole beans, ground immediately before brewing). And we use a lot of coffee...12 tbsp ground beans per full pot on the Technivorm (10 Euro cups). That is what's suggested for the machine.

quote:

The Zojirushi boiler is one of our favorite, most-used kitchen appliances. On-demand, always ready, fuss-free water at the perfect temp for coffee.

I'm very interested in trying this, like maladat. I have a French press, but rarely use it...I don't have to patience to boil the water for it.

I really appreciate all of the responses. I am kind of considering the Technivorm one cup machine. Also looking at the Chemex coffeemaker, but haven’t fully decided yet.

I have the water part down. I have a reverse osmosis system in our kitchen I get annual maintenance done on so it is always producing top quality water.

quote:

Originally posted by djinco:
For a brew that equals a Chemex get a Technivorm. Hand made in the Netherlands. Highest quality.
Brews a pot in 6 minutes.

It only does one thing: brew great coffee. No autostart, no cute graphics. No LCD display.

Highly recommended by a famous coffee snob. (Me!)

These are the hot ticket in drip coffee makers because they heat the water to the exact right temperature, and they are designed to pass the water over the coffee for the right amount of time.

You can do the same with a Chemex or a French press, but the Technivorm does it automatically.

Keurigs make mediocre coffee, mostly because the coffee in the cups is not great. But even still . . .

They are pricey.

I will second the Aeropress suggestion.

There are a few methods of using it that result in a really nice cup of coffee.

Clean water and good grounds are a must.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
I really appreciate all of the responses. I am kind of considering the Technivorm one cup machine. Also looking at the Chemex coffeemaker, but haven’t fully decided yet.

I have the water part down. I have a reverse osmosis system in our kitchen I get annual maintenance done on so it is always producing top quality water.

I use the Technivorm Cup One and I am happy with it. I do believe a traditional pour over will produce a slightly better cup of coffee the convenience of the Cup One makes up for it. Fresh grind 17g beans (a little more course then pour over grind) before every cup, filtered water and good to go. With the Cup One so much of the process depends on the hole being clear in the basket so make sure to keep it perfectly clean. I have a tooth pic on the coffee maker to check each time.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnCourage:

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
I really appreciate all of the responses. I am kind of considering the Technivorm one cup machine. Also looking at the Chemex coffeemaker, but haven’t fully decided yet.

I have the water part down. I have a reverse osmosis system in our kitchen I get annual maintenance done on so it is always producing top quality water.

I use the Technivorm Cup One and I am happy with it. I do believe a traditional pour over will produce a slightly better cup of coffee the convenience of the Cup One makes up for it. Fresh grind 17g beans (a little more course then pour over grind) before every cup, filtered water and good to go. With the Cup One so much of the process depends on the hole being clear in the basket so make sure to keep it perfectly clean. I have a tooth pic on the coffee maker to check each time.

I have also considered the Chemex glass carafe only along with the suggested Zojirushi water boiler as I now understand the importance of water temperature. This is probably the cheapest combination. The Chemex coffee maker and the Technivorm do it automatically. I am still trying to decide which way to go.