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The French Press and the Single Cup Melitta
I can't believe that I have not reviewed
the two following methods of coffee making for all of you
great coffee drinkers. Possibly because they are so simple
or I was so caught up in the hype of being challenged as the
"expert." At this moment North America is going
thru a hyper coffee craze, which is long over due. As recently
as 1 year ago right here in trendy Ann Arbor when I ordered
an espresso (usually pronounced "expresso") I would
be handed this dank little extraction and when I asked the
barrista if they drank coffee the answer disappointingly was
"no" which was crushing because that left no hope
of a common bond with the coffee girl but rather the label:
O.W.C.F (old wired coffee freak). Most recently while serving
espresso at The Winter Shadow
Art Show at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, Michigan
I had a kid and his friend (who couldn't even afford $1 for
a shot) critiquing my brew. So if you don't have the life
experience or the dough for the latest Saeco machine this
is the next best thing.
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The French Press
A trick my buddy Jake taught me with
the French
Press is that you want to put some water in first
and then the coarse ground coffee and then add rest
of the water (just off boil) and stir. Alan Lebowitz
of Zingerman's fame recommends a 4-minute steep time
and then plunge it!
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The Single Cup Melitta
As for the Melitta I follow the advice
of my brew master Chris P Donnelly (visit chrispdonnelly.com)
He grinds the coffee and pours on really hot water and
his coffee comes out great every time ignoring my directions
of dampening the grounds with hot water, steep for 3
minutes and then pour on the hot water.
When I opened the Killer Take Out
Stand with Peter Schmidt and Frank Smith back for the
wind surfers of the Columbia Gorge at Swell City back
in 1989 that's the only way we made coffee (the single
cup Melitta) and it was good.
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Toddy Cold Brew System
 When
people tell me that they're "Coffee Snobs" I get
excited because I am a self-proclaimed coffee snob too, and
it's always a good time to share new blends, brewing techniques,
rag on Starbucks or learn of places to score a great espresso
(mine is still the best at the last Bohemian Adventure).
It was in a conversation with Mark Hartford
today that I realized I needed to add a review of the Toddy
Cold Brew System ,
passed on to me by Soheil, a U of M student from New Orleans
who resides near where I roast here in Ann Arbor and reminds
me of good old Norm Kisken who now resides in Bangkok Thailand.
Regardless, the cold brew method really
produces a cup that is remarkable in every way winter, summer,
hot or cold, it don't matter - if you have 12 hours, you can
brew some coffee that is as smooth as you've ever tasted,
more powerful than energy chewing gum or Red Bull and has
67% less acid than coffee brewed with hot water.
It's really easy to make, and if the ice
coffee you were buying last summer wasn't made with this method
then you were being had with some sweetened high calorie imitation
just because you didn't know. Check it out.
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DeLonghi DCG59 Retro Burr Grinder
The Delonghi
DCG59 is billed as having a Retro design. I find it quite
sexy and superior to the Melitta burr grinder in the same
price range. Sure it's loud, but who said grinding coffee
beans with a burr grinder which costs under $100 was going
to be peaceful? If you want to make your coffee even better
buy some Roos Roast and use this grinder to make your morning
Joe.
The little chute that directs the ground
coffee into the hopper does clog, but if you keep it cleaned
out you’ll have no problems. The good news is that it’s
easy to pour the ground coffee from the hopper into the brew
basket, and then you get that great full flavor that burr
grinding gives. Best of all, your Roos Roast will taste even
better.
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Melitta MEFB2B Fast Brew
 I
like the Melitta
Fast Brew and here's why! It's affordable, and delivers
hot coffee fast, just as promised. A year ago, when I was
in the market for my first new coffeemaker in ten years, I
bought a Mr. Coffee $20.00 brewer. I'm frugal, yes, but a
Google search turned up recommendations for the Mr. Coffee,
because it had the basics down - heat and speed. Mr. Coffee
worked fine, but early on I feared for its longevity because
it seemed flimsy. True to my prediction, the swing-out filter
holder lost the ability to stay shut, and I ditched it a year
later. Having gone the rounds for a coffeemaker just a year
ago, I wanted a quick and simple search. I was willing to
pay $15-$20 more, but only for a machine that didn't come
with multiple features. I'm not interested in timers, automatic
shut-off, a machine that grinds and brews - I just want a
maker that gets the water hot, lets me "sneak-a-cup"
in the middle of the brew and brews fast. I also wanted to
limit my search to two stores - Target and Ace Hardware. As
it turned out, I only needed Ace, my first stop, because there
on the shelf was the Melita, boasting a "2001 Best of
Show" from the American Culinary Institute (I'm easily
impressed) and more importantly, pictures of a stopwatch and
a thermometer along with the following explanation: "Brews
in half the time at higher temperature (200 degrees)"
Sold! I purchased the last black model from the stock
room and brought it home for the first brew. The instructions
were clear and simple (I actually read them and was glad)
and the machine is big (12 cups) but stylish. The only drawbacks
I've discovered so far are that the machine is tall, and it's
not recommended that you brew fewer than four cups at a time.
It's just forced me to drink more coffee, and that's not much
of a problem.
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Rancilio Epoca
pour over is my choice when it comes to espresso machines.
After a year searching e-bay bidding on scaled up old separate
pump machines I decided the one to have is the Rancilio and
it's like the salesman said a real workhorse. Pulling shots
of espresso or frothing tiny bubbles it really works making
great espresso.
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Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine
 The
Rancilio
Silvia is a small and easy-to-handle counter top machine,
yet it performs like its big sister the Epocha, a single head
commercial machine. Perfect for home, office, or studio -
anywhere espresso is required. It’s a great little machine
that will produce the crema you’re looking for, and steam
milk for you or your baby. If you are tired of paying way
too much for nasty tasting espresso (made by a person who
doesn’t even drink coffee) and want to just stay home
in the morning and get the work done, rather then looking
out the window of a cafe (there is nothing wrong with that
either - the café life was good to me) then this machine
will work for you. Remember one of the main factors in making
great espresso is grinding the coffee. So please check out
the next item.
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Rocky Rancilio Espresso Grinder
The Rocky
Rancilio built its reputation on being tough and trouble-free.
It costs a little more but the quality of the grind and reliability
of the machine makes this a great little workhorse.
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