Posted Sat Jun 2, 2012, 9:04am Subject: Re: Decent one to two cup brewer
I have numerous coffee makers including french presses but I do not find myself using them much.
I think the moka pots make a really good tasting strong coffee...but they are measured in tass so you really need a 6-tass maker to equal about 10-12 ounces of very strong coffee....or if you like the weaker strength of standard coffee makers, then afterwards cut the coffee with hot water to your liking similar to an Americano....and then you can get about 20 ounces or so out of a 6-tass, if that is to your liking.
The smaller the moka pot, the better the coffee in my opinion. I like the 3 tass best but they also make 1, 2 and some larger tass sizes. But 3-tass only gives you about 5-6 strong ounces.
The drawback to the moka pot for some people is that you really need to be there through the whole process and cannot really walk away or you risk ruining the coffee by cooking it too long. If you are a set-it-and-forget-it person, then neither moka nor french press is for you.
I think the french press is more finicky in that you really need to time it with a timer to get a good coffee. The french press is less finicky with variations in size of grind so if you don't have a good grinder you should still be ok. With the moka pot it is better to have a more even grind.
Both moka and french press take some experimentation to get everything right to your liking. There is another thread on here where I explained my technique for making moka coffee in a 6-tass pot. But there are probably a dozen successful variations that others use based on their pots and tastes.
With any of the coffee makers you should use whole bean and grind yourself.
sumatraman Senior Member Joined: 16 Feb 2011 Posts: 46 Location: usa Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: No machine - Moka pot Grinder: Breville Vac Pot: Yama 5, Sunbeam 20A Drip: Revere s. steel, phin, &... Roaster: Rptisserie w/drum, aux air...
Posted Sat Jun 2, 2012, 9:26am Subject: Re: Decent one to two cup brewer
I agree - the 6 cup moka I have is great for about 15 oz. You do have to pay some attention to temp as said. The CCD - Clever Coffee Dripper is an option too. Pretty easy.
What I've been using lately for work days is the Black and Decker brew and go. It does about 15 oz also. You can use a reg. mug from your kitchen or the to go mug that comes with it. It'll take a paper filter but the mesh screen that comes with it is fine with the correct grind.
Brewboy19 Senior Member Joined: 13 May 2012 Posts: 13 Location: Michigan Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Krups Grinder: Black and decker lol Drip: Krups Roaster: Behmoar
Posted Sat Jun 2, 2012, 9:43am Subject: Re: Decent one to two cup brewer
I have a single cup toastess that I use now but the coffee never taste right. It looks very similar to the black and decker brew and go. Maybe it's the grind I am using. I timed the time it takes to make a cup and it's like 4:30 and the temp of the hot water coming out is 195 f. From what I understand that should do a decent job with the proper grind correct?
What type of grind is normaly best for these type of machines? Normal drip or drip automatic?
I may try the clever coffee brewer, looks pretty cool. Would you suggest a filter with the ccb?
I love the CCD for up to 16 oz of coffee. Because it uses a filter, grind size and uniformity are not critical (in a French Press, if you have too much fines or just too fine a grind, you'll get lots of sediment). Since it has a built in valve, you don't have to nurse it.
Just put in the filter, put the coffee in, add the hot water (I use boiling since it cools fast - perfectionist should use slightly cooler than boiling (about 200 degrees), put on a timer for four minutes then put it on your mug and let it drain. Because the coffee steeps fully for the four minutes, you get excellent extraction.
cmcconomy Senior Member Joined: 3 Jun 2012 Posts: 14 Location: Toronto Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Jun 3, 2012, 7:32am Subject: Re: Decent one to two cup brewer
I am a huge fan of Siphon brewing. The control it provides over temperature is unparallelled (well.. you'll want a thermometer too) I've found the "3-cup" size offers the best control over temperature and also never stalls on me, whereas last christmas I got the much larger Bodum Santos and it stalls all the time, which is a pain.
I think the Hario V60 pour over or the moka pot is the best bet. I love the pourover funnel for the perfect cup but chemex and americano using a moka pot are both in the running. Using fresh beans is a must.
Posted Sun Jun 3, 2012, 9:47am Subject: Re: Decent one to two cup brewer
If you're still looking for a good one to two cup brewer (12-24oz), you could look into a Kalita 185 or a Beehouse dripper. The Kalita is a bit more expensive but both brewers are forgiving and efficient. I use a Kalita 155 in my office as well as a 185 when making 500ml or more.
adelemac Senior Member Joined: 4 Mar 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: MyPressiTwist Grinder: Baratza Vario Drip: Chemex; EsproPress
Posted Sun Jun 3, 2012, 10:09am Subject: Re: Decent one to two cup brewer
My favorite brewer in the morning, if I am doing one cup of coffee, is the Hario (can put it right over my cup). If I am making more than one cup, I use my Chemex (holds more coffee). I find clean up is easier with Chemex/Hario than with French Press (just toss the filter with the coffee grounds), which is why I use pourovers first thing in the morning.
I used to avoid French Press because I didn't like the sediment and strong taste in it. Recently I've tried using the Kone (metal filter) and Espro Press - both have the advantage of French Press (no paper filter so more oils are allowed through; and no paper taste) with much less sediment. Coffee is a great beverage - you can prepare it many ways depending on what your taste buds want that day.
I'd suggest you go to a decent coffee shop and try out a French Press style to see if you like it. If you don't like the French Press, then try one of the pourovers (Hario, Chemex, Clever, etc). You will be able to get a much better cup of coffee from a pourover than most automated drip coffee makers. The three mentioned pourovers are all pretty affordable - chances are you will eventually have more than one brewing method at home (since you have found this website).
The three things that have had the biggest impact on the taste of my coffee have been 1) switched to a decent grinder - Baratza Vario (though the other Baratza models or a decent maunual (hand) grinder would be fine for brewed coffee) 2) using fresh roasted coffee and 3) checking the temperature of the water is between 200 - 205 degrees (was using too hot water initially).
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