Talk to me about intro espresso/cappuccino machines. I ended up buying the Bonavita Connoisseur drip a little while back along with Baratza Encore grinder. Lately have been stopping for espresso shots or cappuccinos. From my reading, the Encore is not the best espresso grinder but will get the job done. Is there a intro, simple machine that does espresso and steams milk without killing the bank?

My mother made percolator coffee. Best coffee I’ve ever drank, and I’ve never been able to duplicate it. My parents ground their own beans as I do.

When I was 19, instant coffee made with hot tap water worked. I’ve been using a Melitta pour over since about 1978 and have been grinding my beans for about the last 5 years. Occasionally when I buy some new flavor beans, I’ll brew a cup with my French Press. That is the real test as to how the coffee tastes and is the deciding factor as to whether I buy those beans again or not.

However, I recently took the temperature of the water as it went thru the process. Out of the tea kettle the water is about 192 degrees F. In the cone it is about 155 degrees F and in the coffee pot as it sits on a simmering burner the temp drops to 135 degrees F while I am brewing. From what I’ve learned about brewing coffee about a year ago, the temperature needs to stay a consistent 185 degrees F all the way thru the process. This method does not. I would love to have a Technivorm Moccamaster, but they do not make them with a carafe smaller than 10 cups. I am the only coffee drinker in the house and my current coffee maker is a 4 cup, and it’s more than I drink in one day. I don’t drink coffee like I used to. None of the better coffee brewing machines seem to make anything smaller than 10 cups. Overkill for me.

With the Moccamaster you don’t have to brew the entire carafe full. It has hash marks on the side so you can fill to a certain level consistently if you don’t want to brew an entire pot. The single cup version is only 10 oz so that might not be enough...at least for my cup it wouldn’t be enough to fill it.

As far as what I use...the Moccamaster that I got for Christmas paired with a Baratza Encore grinder and fresh locally roasted beans from Consious Cup (small chain of just two local stores in my area as of now). I have found that I prefer beans from central and South America over ones from Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by f2:

quote:

Originally posted by wingspar:
I would love to have a Technivorm Moccamaster, but they do not make them with a carafe smaller than 10 cups. I am the only coffee drinker in the house and my current coffee maker is a 4 cup, and it’s more than I drink in one day. I don’t drink coffee like I used to. None of the better coffee brewing machines seem to make anything smaller than 10 cups. Overkill for me.

Single serve coffee brewer

Single service coffee makers are a joke to me. I see no need. I want to make a pot of coffee in the morning and be done with it. I just don’t need anything larger than 4 cups.

quote:

Originally posted by Largefarva:
With the Moccamaster you don’t have to brew the entire carafe full. It has hash marks on the side so you can fill to a certain level consistently if you don’t want to brew an entire pot. The single cup version is only 10 oz so that might not be enough...at least for my cup it wouldn’t be enough to fill it.

I’m aware of that. I’ve done a fair amount of research on the Technivorm Moccamaster and just can’t justify such a large expense on something that I really do not want. I don’t have the counter space for something so large, but will Make space should I find something that will work for me. I sent a letter to them not too long ago asking them about a 4 cup brewer with glass carafe, and got a reply that just said “Thank you for the feedback”.

Moccamaster for me. My issue is that I brew one pot and put it in a thermos, and immediately start another pot. 10 cups is not enough.
I need a 16 cup. What I do works great. Very fast brew.
The Technivorm Moccamaster does one job; brew a GREAT pot of coffee!

Community coffee every morning! Guess I'm an ole coonass

Most days I use my Krupps electric drip coffee maker. Some days I'll use a french press for something different. At work, its a Keureg for convenience.