Home Brew Coffee Recommendations

[PSU95alum]

I don't buy expensive coffees. Can't stand the oily Starbucks swill at all. I like my coffee on the darker edge of medium roast. 8 o'clock, Folgers, etc are the usual suspects flowing through my automatic drip coffee maker.

Recently I noticed a new Folger's brand coffee that was marked down as a 'promotional' item. The 1850 line of 'upscale' coffees from Folgers. I'm really enjoying the Pioneer Blend.

https://www.1850coffee.com/coffee

Any others I should check out?

(EDIT: After re-reading my post, I see it came across as condescending. That was not my intent. I rip on my dad and in-laws all the time when they are over because they bring their own 8 o'clock coffee because we'll do a French Roast or something they hate. My chastising you was in the spirit I banter with my family).

Not for nothing, but the fact that you call Starbucks "swill" and admit to drinking 8 o'clock and Folgers tells me everything I need to know about your ability to be a connoisseur of fine coffees. Lol.
You think you like coffee, but you really don't. Furthermore, please tell me you don't put cream and sugar in your coffee. On second thought, if you are drinking Folgers and 8pm, you better load it up with a crap ton of cream and sugar.

 

[Aloha T]

based on the OP's stated preferences, osu68's post might be the best in this thread

You're probably right!

 

[Lion8286]

Not for nothing, but the fact that you call Starbucks "swill" and admit to drinking 8 o'clock and Folgers tells me everything I need to know about your ability to be a connoisseur of fine coffees. Lol.

You think you like coffee, but you really don't. Furthermore, please tell me you don't put cream and sugar in your coffee. On second thought, if you are drinking Folgers and 8pm, you better load it up with a crap ton of cream and sugar.

Tell us more about your pool 95. . .lol

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Aloha T]

Not for nothing, but the fact that you call Starbucks "swill" and admit to drinking 8 o'clock and Folgers tells me everything I need to know about your ability to be a connoisseur of fine coffees. Lol.

You think you like coffee, but you really don't. Furthermore, please tell me you don't put cream and sugar in your coffee. On second thought, if you are drinking Folgers and 8pm, you better load it up with a crap ton of cream and sugar.

A number of people who understand coffee might consider Starbucks as swill..good marketing does not equal great product...fair to middling would be more accurate when describing Starbucks

 

[PSU95alum]

A number of people who understand coffee might consider Starbucks as swill..good marketing does not equal great product...fair to middling would be more accurate when describing Starbucks

Absolutely, I would agree with this statement.

 

[PSU95alum]

Tell us more about your pool 95. . .lol

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

As you may or may not know, I haven't said much about my pool since it's been under construction. But I do appreciate the tons of advice that board members gave me during my planning phase.

 

[osu68]

If you ever tasted REAL coffee, your opinion of what tastes good might change

Do You consider Kona real coffee? Not my 'cup o' tea' - like many 'designer coffees', it is too bitter for my tastes. Again, to each his/her/its own!

T-A: Some humor to add to this discussion!

A man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, 'You should do it because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.
The husband said, 'You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'
Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.'
Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says

'HEBREWS'

 

[kijanalives]

Peet’s and Caribou.

Folgers.....just don’t.

Peet’s Alma de la Tierra
Taylor Made Goat Rock Roast

Only closers get coffee....

 

[Aloha T]

Do You consider Kona real coffee? Not my 'cup o' tea' - like many 'designer coffees', it is too bitter for my tastes. Again, to each his/her/its own!

T-A: Some humor to add to this discussion!

A man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, 'You should do it because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.
The husband said, 'You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'
Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.'
Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.'
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says

'HEBREWS'

Agree 100% to each his own...but good Kona brewed properly will never be described as bitter...

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

Agree 100% to each his own...but good Kona brewed properly will never be described as bitter...

I'd take it one step further and say roasted properly. A lot of roasters think they need to roast the piss out of everything to get dark oily sheens on the finished product.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

Agree 100% to each his own...but good Kona brewed properly will never be described as bitter...

Probably had something labelled "Kona" that may have been a blend with 1% kona and 99% crap.

 

[Aloha T]

Probably had something labelled "Kona" that may have been a blend with 1% kona and 99% crap.

Not too far off..as long as there is 10% Kona , it can be labelled as such

 

[tboyer]

Anyone have any suggestions for Nespresso brewers? The Nespresso brand coffees are good, but kind of expensive. I've tried Bestpresso, and they're OK. Not really great reviews on Amazon for any other brand.

I tried to figure out a cost-effective way to do Nespresso but I just couldn't. Nespresso pods are about 70 cents a cup at the cheapest and Bestpresso (best knockoff brand) is drinkable but a big step down and it's still 35 cents a cup. Well in a household that drinks 8-10 cups a day ,that adds up to well over $1000 ($2000 if you buy genuine Nespresso pods)

So I decided to try out a beans-to-espresso machine. Costs more up front but pays for itself pretty quick. Here's what we bought, which is a well regarded entry level model:

https://www.wholelattelove.com/gaggia-brera-espresso-machine-in-black

(You can also get these used on Ebay for about half the price)

The Brera does NOT make great espresso, it's not anywhere close to barista quality. But it is espresso and it is passable, and it's super easy -- push a button and put a cup under the dispenser.

BTW we do not bother with the steam wand. We have a little magnetic heater frother that works great. ($50-100)

 

[tboyer]

There's a million different ways to enjoy coffee, and a million different kinds of people who can call themselves lovers of coffee. To me it's boring if you can't appreciate the other ways people appreciate coffee.

My Grandpa bought Bokar Blend and put it in a stovetop percolater and drank around 15 cups a day. He was a coffee lover. I know people who wouldn't drink anything but cheap Cuban coffee (Bustello, cheap Robusta beans, very dark roast) and they drink a lot of it.

I've owned Rancilio Silvia and Rocky, and $15 a pound beans, and made something approximating coffee house espresso at home. I've made French Press and Aerobee Press coffee and they're both wonderful.

But in the end I drink too much coffee to want to drink something that is that time consuming.

So for years we had Bonavita drip machine (which maintains a 200-degree brewing temp) and an inexpensive burr grinder. That's a good solution.

But then someone gave us a Nespresso and that got us into spresso again. So now we have a beans to espresso machine. I'm sure in a couple of years it will be on to something else. Coffee is a lifetime journey/addiction.

 

[Thorndike2012]

Jeepers!

I wasn't rude to anyone. I said that I don't like Starbucks coffee. I've never had Starbucks that wasn't bitter and over priced. So much hate...

Yeah...I can enjoy a cup of Eight O'Clock or Folgers. So?

I really like the 1850 line right now. Shoot me.

And I never claimed to be a 'connoisseur of fine coffees'. I just like coffee.

And I NEVER put anything in my coffee. Black. Period. Anything else is not coffee.

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

Not too far off..as long as there is 10% Kona , it can be labelled as such

That explains why Trader Joe's Kona coffee tastes nothing like the Kona I brought back from a coffee plantation on the Big Island. Also, the best cup of coffee I've ever had was a small 1 person coffee stall at the airport in Jamaica.

 

[ericstratton-rushchairman]

Another coffee post...

I know you guys are tired of this - I do coffee consulting work. The best coffees will be undoubtedly be found at your high quality local regional roasters. They should offer selections of light, medium, and dark roasts.

The key thing is the use of arabica coffee. Arabica coffee is grown at higher elevations, is hand picked and represents less than 10% of the coffee grown worldwide. DUNKIN uses arabica (and obviously SB).

The mass market brands (MH, CS, F red can) use a different variety - Robusta. Good news - robusta is higher in caffeine - bad news is poorer in flavor attributes. Outside of Brazil, the number two provider of Robusta is Vietnam. Enough said. This is why ‘canned coffee’ is a $1.99 vs the premium brands like SB, Caribou, Peet’s, Green Mountain etc

I am not getting into the DUNKIN vs Green Mountain vs SB vs Peet’s debate. DUNKIN is a lightly roasted Brazil based coffee - Green Mountain has roasts ranging from light (Donut Shop to high end Barista Primo - SB, Caribou, Peet’s offer a whole line of lighter to darker options. They are all roasted and marketed to different coffee consumers.

Bottom line - go with 100% arabica -local roaster is best, premium lines better, EOC - Sams Club - Kirkland are good lower cost alternatives (designed to match the National gourmet brands - this is where I do the most of my work).

The guys on this forum who tell you to roast your own - good luck not stinking up your house or really consistently getting a consistent end roast color.

Great stuff... I'm a big coffee drinker but really knew very little until now.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

That explains why Trader Joe's Kona coffee tastes nothing like the Kona I brought back from a coffee plantation on the Big Island. Also, the best cup of coffee I've ever had was a small 1 person coffee stall at the airport in Jamaica.

I have been thoroughly disappointed with TJs coffees. I bought their ton of Kenyan once and it was pure swill—bottom of the barrel stuff. Ended up trying all of their others and they were about the same.

Wegmans, on the other hand, has some awesome store-brand coffee. Plus they now sell La Colombe.

 

[Woodpecker]

That explains why Trader Joe's Kona coffee tastes nothing like the Kona I brought back from a coffee plantation on the Big Island. Also, the best cup of coffee I've ever had was a small 1 person coffee stall at the airport in Jamaica.

 

[ouirpsu]

I tried to figure out a cost-effective way to do Nespresso but I just couldn't. Nespresso pods are about 70 cents a cup at the cheapest and Bestpresso (best knockoff brand) is drinkable but a big step down and it's still 35 cents a cup. Well in a household that drinks 8-10 cups a day ,that adds up to well over $1000 ($2000 if you buy genuine Nespresso pods)

So I decided to try out a beans-to-espresso machine. Costs more up front but pays for itself pretty quick. Here's what we bought, which is a well regarded entry level model:

https://www.wholelattelove.com/gaggia-brera-espresso-machine-in-black

(You can also get these used on Ebay for about half the price)

The Brera does NOT make great espresso, it's not anywhere close to barista quality. But it is espresso and it is passable, and it's super easy -- push a button and put a cup under the dispenser.

BTW we do not bother with the steam wand. We have a little magnetic heater frother that works great. ($50-100)

I just started combining one Nespresso and one Bestpresso per cup. It's actually pretty good.

 

[nits74]

I didn't get hooked on coffee until an advanced age (about five years ago), so I'm no expert. FWIW, I like Tim Horton's and Peets. I don't get the Starbucks thing. Nothing special in my opinion. No accounting for taste, though.