So I have drank coffee on and off since I was a teenager, and I recently took probably a 2 year break from it. When I was drinking coffee, it was usually because they had a pod system at work, and it was an excuse to get up from my desk and take a break. With that said, I have been watching this Netflix show Resident Alien recently, and there is a lot of coffee drinking in it, and I started craving a hot cup. On my way home from dropping my daughter off at daycare, I stopped at the local gas station\market and got a cup and was like “Man, I miss coffee, and this coffee is pretty terrible.”

So this got me thinking that I want to get back into morning coffee tradition, but I no longer work in an office, I work from home. I don’t want to go pod system because they are wasteful, weak, and a pain in the but to clean\maintain. My wife doesn’t drink coffee, so I don’t need to make a whole pot. So I was thinking of going French press, as that seems to be suggested in a lot of places for single-serve.

Do you folks have a suggestion on French press brands? I know it’s a pretty simple mechanism, but I’m not against spending a couple extra bucks to get something that will enhance my coffee making\drinking experience. Additionally, I am looking for something that will filter out as many grounds as possible. Are you guys for\against paper filters? Should I get a metal one? Do I need one of those things that goes on top of my mug to hold the filter? Where do I start?

I know coffee can get really mad scientist really quick, and I’m not trying to go that route (yet). My brother-in-law has one of those electric kettles that gets to an exact temperature, and he grinds his own beans and weights them, and does the whole swirly pour to get “the perfect cup” and while that seems cool, I am not ready to take it to that level.

So what is your suggestion on “starter builds”?

Also, what about beans? Do I grind my own? Do I start with store bought stuff (I always liked Cafe Bustelo)?

Any and all advice is welcome.

Edit: I also forgot to add - I have read about cold brewing being really smooth. How do I cold brew and heat it back up? Do people do that? Would love to hear more about it.

Edit2: Oh man, this community is awesome! I didn’t expect so many great responses. Pulling the trigger on an Aeropress after reading all the comments here and watching some James Hoffman videos about it. It definitely looks like the right fit for me. I’m not going to get a grinder quite yet, as I feel like I am just beginning my journey and I don’t want to go balls to the wall right out the gate. There is a coffee shop right down the street from me that sells\grinds beans, so that sounds like the best bet for trying different things.

Sxan mentioned the Toddy’s kit, and that also has my interest. Maybe that’s next after a grinder. I have a feeling I am about to go down an expensive caffeine fueled rabbit hole. Wish me luck. I will report back.

  • AA5B@lemmy.world
    2·
    9 months ago

    As a fellow relative newb to coffee ….

    • keep it simple to start. Save the overly technical details until you’re firmly hooked
    • definitely buy whole beans and grind your own. Even when I don’t drink much coffee this made a huge difference just by keeping it fresher. I just use a cheap grinder, which is a noticeable improvement over stale pre ground coffee
    • I use a French Press and highly recommend - simple, cheap, reliable, not too much extra effort although I also have a Keurig for workdays. My French Press has two layers of washable filter screens and I’ve seen some with as many as four. You probably want more than one layer. I never tried a paper filter: I like that everything is reusable except the grounds. Some people use paper because it catches most of the cholesterol, whereas I don’t see how it adds enough to matter (plus dietary cholesterol is digested to its components)
    • I just started making Cold Brew and it is amazing! It is much smoother and creamier than hot coffee. It never occurred to me to heat it though. It’s cold. There are tons of cheap cold brew pitchers, or you can make your own. Mine is just a filter basket in a water pitcher. I tend to only make this on weekends because I rarely think that far ahead
    • find a local roaster to buy from. It’s not necessarily better or cheaper but it gives a personal touch to make the whole process more enjoyable

    My teen sometimes drinks coffee but needs to add creamer and sweetener, but he enjoys cold brew black (and cold). It’s much less bitter.