Doug Franklin mused: > > On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 15:53:46 -0500, Daniel J. Matyola wrote: > > > If you have a good coffee maker, buy quality fresh beans and grind them > > just before brewing, you can make much better coffee yourself. > > Screw the (drip) coffee maker, get a real, stainless steel percolator. > Most drip coffee makers seem to heat the water too much (or something), > giving the coffee a scalded flavor. Fresh beans, ground right before > you drop them in the perc. Second best only to a french press. When > the perc is done, get the basked out, pour your cups, and put the rest > in a thermos bottle so it doesn't steam away.
So if you think a French press is better, why not use one? It's just as easy to use the above procedure; it's pretty close to what we do (except we brew slightly over-strength, and mix the freshly-brewed coffee with a small amount of additional hot water in the vacuum flask; that way there is enough coffee for us each to get two full servings). I didn't think coffee was that high-temperature-sensitive; after all, an espresso machine pumps what is effectively boiling water through the grounds. Tea, though, really wants water just a little below boiling; if you're at high altitude, when the boiling point of water is depressed, tea won't taste as good (although you probably won't care :-). The Japanese understand this; alongside the espresso machine in our kitchen is a Japanese instant hot water dispenser, which heats the water to 208 degrees. It replaced our trusty Russell-Hobbs kettle.
