That is interesting. I am doubtless not a gourmet, though I have very definite standards for the taste of a cup. Earlier today I brewed 8 oz of Costco's San Francisco roast (~$14 for 3 lb, dark) in a press and drank it black with sugar -- no bitterness beyond what you want from coffee. I do find coffee from a press "heavier" than that from a Melita filter. Sunday mornings, brewed the same, was black without sugar. Not the best cup I've tasted but as good as I get from a Melita.
My next learn-how-to project is the Moka Pot: mine always comes out murky and somewhat bitter without the "fullness" of coffee taste that you want in a good cup; heavy but somewhat tasteless -- perhaps too much coffee? Too fine a grind? Odd: one thing I like about a press is that I can just rinse it under the tap and wash all the grounds down the drain. Horses for courses. On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 1:54 PM, Mike On A Bike <[email protected]>wrote: > I had used a french press for years and would be horrified whenever I ran > out of milk and had to drink it black, because of the bitterness. My > thinking was "coffee is supposed to be disgusting unless you add a generous > amount of milk". > > However, I have found that I get an amazing cup from using 1) a manual > conical burr grinder (I use the Hario Skerton and love it) 2) an AeroPress > used carefully with a timer (I complete the brewing process in just under > 2:00.). I think the grind is absolutely critical and it is an insult to > good beans (all I use) to use a blade grinder. The Hario only takes about > 2-3 minutes to grind what I need for a morning, or about the time it takes > the water to boil. The evenness of the medium-ish grind I use is fantastic. > > I think the AeroPress is just about perfect in terms of extraction, and > the ease of cleanup is a HUGE plus to me. I always dreaded cleaning the > french press and all the grounds that have to go down the sink. Also great > for camping! > > For those interested in the lore of the AeroPress, here's an interesting > article on the inventor: > http://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-aeropress/ > > > On Monday, March 17, 2014 1:34:50 PM UTC-4, Patrick Moore wrote: >> >> A quick followup to the responses. I've applied the Deacon's and others' >> suggestions and advice for the press and indeed the coffee is much better. >> I now see that my problem with it -- sour, muddy -- was simply that I used >> too little coffee and that ground too fine. I do let it steep for more than >> 4 minutes, actually more or less doubling the total steeping time (even >> when I don't forget and leave the thing sitting for even longer) and the >> coffee has been very good. Doubtless it is not at a gourmet level, but it >> is as good (slightly "heavier") than what I get from a fine grind in a >> Melita cone. >> >> As to the grind, I've used the "breadcrumb" suggestion and simply use my >> blade grinder in brief pulses; the little bit of fine stuff in the mix >> hasn't seemed to hurt the brew. >> >> So thanks all again. Next up is to work on the Moka Pot. >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Albuquerque, NM, USA Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
