Best Coffee Maker - Need to retire our Keurig (1 Viewer)

[GroveDiesel]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

I recommend digging through the coffee-nerdness of Coffee Reddit. You'll figure out quickly these people take it way too far, but they know their stuff.

If you buy a machine that does all that, it won't do any of it great. If a $300 machine made espresso, single serving coffee, and foam, restaurants would use them instead of leasing $3000 machines.

Agree with what someone said before: having whole beans and grinding them when you make coffee will make the difference. I have no interest in anything to do with pods.
Skip the foam attachment, and get a $30 milk frother from Amazon. They work unbelievably well

This is mine.

The problem with Reddit is that they tend to go way overboard to the point where it’s hard to get reasonable recommendations. It attracts the super fans that all believe that unless you’re spending $1k plus on something that you might as well flush your money down the toilet. Sure, you can buy that $400 record player, or run your fingernails down a chalkboard, same result. Sure you could but that $200 coffee maker, or you could drink toilet water, same thing.

 

[Chaos34]

I recommend digging through the coffee-nerdness of Coffee Reddit. You'll figure out quickly these people take it way too far, but they know their stuff.

I was embarrassingly obsessed with coffee for too long and a regular at reddit and other coffee nerd sites. I even bought green beans and roasted them myself. Way overboard.

If you buy a machine that does all that, it won't do any of it great. If a $300 machine made espresso, single serving coffee, and foam, restaurants would use them instead of leasing $3000 machines.

Disagree here. Machines are just getting better and cheaper. That ninja ($130) i linked probably does all that just perfect with the exception of making legit espresso. I'm sure there's $300 units that do that now. Restaurants lease $3000 commercial units because they produce commercial quantities and have commercial endurance. Not necessary for home brewing and not necessarily better individual results. Kitchen Aid makes a pour over style brewer for just over $100 that produced a better result than the Moccamaster here.

Agree with what someone said before: having whole beans and grinding them when you make coffee will make the difference. I have no interest in anything to do with pods.
Skip the foam attachment, and get a $30 milk frother from Amazon. They work unbelievably well

This is mine.

Agree with all this. Ultimately I learned it doesn't matter what device you use (I have 20 or so). It matters that you use the device right to extract the beans properly. What matters most (and this is particularly for black coffee) is the quality and freshness of your beans. Don't grind much in advance, or preferably use what you grind immediately. Currently sipping a geisha from Oaxaca. It's pretty derned good, but not quite up to Panama geisha yummy yet (plants are very young). Costa Rica and Colombia have caught up though.

 

[The General]

Not sure the advantages of French Press over a Pour Over, but I use pour over at the office as makes good cup. Just find the beans you like. Easy cleanup and makes one cup at a time.

I do like both Nespresso and Keurig as well but there is a bit of waste there with the pods if that is a concern.

I want to switch to pour over... but I am looking for a magic kettle that I can set the water temp on. What do you use to heat water in the office?

Also, who has a lead on a decent quality, but not overly expensive, burr grinder?

We have water cooler things that have hot water so lucky with that.

Making the pour over is like a smoke break…just smells better!

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Not sure the advantages of French Press over a Pour Over, but I use pour over at the office as makes good cup. Just find the beans you like. Easy cleanup and makes one cup at a time.

I do like both Nespresso and Keurig as well but there is a bit of waste there with the pods if that is a concern.

I want to switch to pour over... but I am looking for a magic kettle that I can set the water temp on. What do you use to heat water in the office?

Also, who has a lead on a decent quality, but not overly expensive, burr grinder?

I have a BonaVita kettle in my office I use to make tea. Its fantastic. At home we use an old-school water kettle on the stove-top and a Chemex to make pour-over coffee. My wife is very particular about her coffee. We even take the Chemex camping just to keep her happy. https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/five-cup-handblown-series-glass-coffeemaker.html

 

[Chaos34]

Agree with all this. Ultimately I learned it doesn't matter what device you use (I have 20 or so). It matters that you use the device right to extract the beans properly. What matters most (and this is particularly for black coffee) is the quality and freshness of your beans. Don't grind much in advance, or preferably use what you grind immediately. Currently sipping a geisha from Oaxaca. It's pretty derned good, but not quite up to Panama geisha yummy yet (plants are very young). Costa Rica and Colombia have caught up though.

Bored coffee nerd way too tl/dr post coming.

I'm gonna share what I think is important to really enjoy great coffee somewhat affordably. I'm also distracted by Michigan vs. Penn St. and have to see a game in Happy Valley someday. Amazing environment. Go PSU!

I just had coffee so bad I poured it down the drain and threw away the bag. Washed the nasty out of my mouth with a low cal high caffeine Rockstar.

I was deliberately a bit pretentious and presumptuous with the comments above about geisha beans. I expected some roll eyes or something, but y'all too kind. I ran out yesterday and my next coffee order won't be here until Monday. My daughter's been using Starbucks Breakfast Blend to make espresso drinks and sweet foofoo coffee beverages. I don't let her do that to my high end beans. So I tried my current morning ritual with the Starbucks, a 1 oz dose making a 16 oz black coffee via pour over. Just terrible. I don't hate Starbucks, but this was worse than my closest gas station. Why? The "best by" date is February 2024, and that's part of the problem. Coffee companies can use best by dates a year after roasting. Starbucks I just learned goes 8 months. So this coffee my kid bought a couple weeks ago was roasted in July. That's far from fresh roasted. The other problem was regardless of freshness these "medium roast" beans were dark roasted and burnt. After so many months the coffee aroma was replaced by the smell of the roaster. Starbucks does a great job packaging beans, but they overcook most of their stuff. It's a good way to mask poor quality beans and why most coffee is dark roasted.

This is why you should order beans online. Check the best by or roasted dates on the coffee at your local brick and mortars and you will rarely find fresh roasted bags of coffee. There's over two hundred competing 3rd wave roasters shipping coffee 48 hours or so after roasting. Fwiw, beans need a day or three to cool down and gas off before they're ready to package and brew. Many roasters will say their product "peaks" between day 5 and day 25 or so after the roasting date. It's real. You'll know it when you open a fresh shipment. The aromatics from the bag will fill your kitchen with a heavenly scent. I've ordered from dozens of these roasters over the past decade. I have only been disappointed once. I always order what it takes to get free shipping. Below I offer... errrrr... six roasters I know are top notch and narrowed it down trying to keep it affordable. You'll still pay 2 to 5 times more than you're used to, but it's so worth it and really not that expensive. Life's too short for old stale burnt beans.

31 brands ranked worst to first. That article works for me (sort of) because #1 and 2 are frequently ordered here. "Sort of" cuz the top two are the only ones I would buy. You may even have one of their local shops nearby. The follow up article - best roaster in each state - is a more valuable read. They chose Temple for Cali and I can't argue with it but they could have chosen 10 others. My kid took the barista classes at Temple a couple summers back. She's a hardworking bartender and makes the best coffee in town at that bar, but she's still cheap enough to by old crappy burnt beans for our pantry, smh. Some people never listen, so listen up and trust me below. In no particular order:

1. Stumptown - The top choice in the article, shops all over the country, roast dates on the bags, great coffee company. The article refers to their attention to science. They win a lot of awards and competitions. Their "legendary" Pacamara will be here Monday. Yup, that's expensive but it qualifies for free shipping all by itself and I rarely drink booze these days.

2. Intelligentsia - I would have ranked them #1. The two geishas* I just finished were theirs. This one pretty pricey but ohmagoodness it was good.

3. Mystic Monk - A fun back story about actual monks living in the middle of nowhere Wyoming finding a way to pay bills by roasting great coffee.

4. Red Rooster - Most 3rd wave roasters make a big deal of having a positive social impact. These guys mean it, are worth supporting, and regularly win very high ratings for their product. Some of the more affordable high end deliveries I've had, too.

5. JBC - I linked to their about page. It's all you need to see. No roaster consistently gets higher scores at Coffee Review. Good pricing, great blends, amazing Ethiopian currently available.

6. Verve - Roast Magazine's current roaster of the year. They're on a roll and you can't go wrong with any of their coffees.

Googliing Roast's roaster of the years for the past half decade with give you more options. This was hard to narrow down and doesn't represent the very best. I don't think that's a thing. Try your local roaster if they're doing things right. Just enjoy truly fresh coffee and get a stop here Penn St.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Agree with all this. Ultimately I learned it doesn't matter what device you use (I have 20 or so). It matters that you use the device right to extract the beans properly. What matters most (and this is particularly for black coffee) is the quality and freshness of your beans. Don't grind much in advance, or preferably use what you grind immediately. Currently sipping a geisha from Oaxaca. It's pretty derned good, but not quite up to Panama geisha yummy yet (plants are very young). Costa Rica and Colombia have caught up though.

Bored coffee nerd way too tl/dr post coming.

I'm gonna share what I think is important to really enjoy great coffee somewhat affordably. I'm also distracted by Michigan vs. Penn St. and have to see a game in Happy Valley someday. Amazing environment. Go PSU!

I just had coffee so bad I poured it down the drain and threw away the bag. Washed the nasty out of my mouth with a low cal high caffeine Rockstar.

I was deliberately a bit pretentious and presumptuous with the comments above about geisha beans. I expected some roll eyes or something, but y'all too kind. I ran out yesterday and my next coffee order won't be here until Monday. My daughter's been using Starbucks Breakfast Blend to make espresso drinks and sweet foofoo coffee beverages. I don't let her do that to my high end beans. So I tried my current morning ritual with the Starbucks, a 1 oz dose making a 16 oz black coffee via pour over. Just terrible. I don't hate Starbucks, but this was worse than my closest gas station. Why? The "best by" date is February 2024, and that's part of the problem. Coffee companies can use best by dates a year after roasting. Starbucks I just learned goes 8 months. So this coffee my kid bought a couple weeks ago was roasted in July. That's far from fresh roasted. The other problem was regardless of freshness these "medium roast" beans were dark roasted and burnt. After so many months the coffee aroma was replaced by the smell of the roaster. Starbucks does a great job packaging beans, but they overcook most of their stuff. It's a good way to mask poor quality beans and why most coffee is dark roasted.

This is why you should order beans online. Check the best by or roasted dates on the coffee at your local brick and mortars and you will rarely find fresh roasted bags of coffee. There's over two hundred competing 3rd wave roasters shipping coffee 48 hours or so after roasting. Fwiw, beans need a day or three to cool down and gas off before they're ready to package and brew. Many roasters will say their product "peaks" between day 5 and day 25 or so after the roasting date. It's real. You'll know it when you open a fresh shipment. The aromatics from the bag will fill your kitchen with a heavenly scent. I've ordered from dozens of these roasters over the past decade. I have only been disappointed once. I always order what it takes to get free shipping. Below I offer... errrrr... six roasters I know are top notch and narrowed it down trying to keep it affordable. You'll still pay 2 to 5 times more than you're used to, but it's so worth it and really not that expensive. Life's too short for old stale burnt beans.

31 brands ranked worst to first. That article works for me (sort of) because #1 and 2 are frequently ordered here. "Sort of" cuz the top two are the only ones I would buy. You may even have one of their local shops nearby. The follow up article - best roaster in each state - is a more valuable read. They chose Temple for Cali and I can't argue with it but they could have chosen 10 others. My kid took the barista classes at Temple a couple summers back. She's a hardworking bartender and makes the best coffee in town at that bar, but she's still cheap enough to by old crappy burnt beans for our pantry, smh. Some people never listen, so listen up and trust me below. In no particular order:

1. Stumptown - The top choice in the article, shops all over the country, roast dates on the bags, great coffee company. The article refers to their attention to science. They win a lot of awards and competitions. Their "legendary" Pacamara will be here Monday. Yup, that's expensive but it qualifies for free shipping all by itself and I rarely drink booze these days.

2. Intelligentsia - I would have ranked them #1. The two geishas* I just finished were theirs. This one pretty pricey but ohmagoodness it was good.

3. Mystic Monk - A fun back story about actual monks living in the middle of nowhere Wyoming finding a way to pay bills by roasting great coffee.

4. Red Rooster - Most 3rd wave roasters make a big deal of having a positive social impact. These guys mean it, are worth supporting, and regularly win very high ratings for their product. Some of the more affordable high end deliveries I've had, too.

5. JBC - I linked to their about page. It's all you need to see. No roaster consistently gets higher scores at Coffee Review. Good pricing, great blends, amazing Ethiopian currently available.

6. Verve - Roast Magazine's current roaster of the year. They're on a roll and you can't go wrong with any of their coffees.

Googliing Roast's roaster of the years for the past half decade with give you more options. This was hard to narrow down and doesn't represent the very best. I don't think that's a thing. Try your local roaster if they're doing things right. Just enjoy truly fresh coffee and get a stop here Penn St.

I tried to go to the Stumptown website and it wouldn’t even let me view the site without giving them my email and phone number and agreeing to receive promotional emails and texts. No thanks.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I do like French Press coffee, but it’s really only good for that. No espresso, not terribly quick, easy. As for pods, honestly couldn’t care less about recyclability, but would take advantage of the nespresso send back option.

My son (and, it turns out, GB @Drunken knight) have a Breville puck system that I know makes great coffee, but with the hassle of the puck, so may go that route.

Wife works at WS, so get a nice discount there. We’re narrowing it down…

I have the breville with a grinder on top. Makes perfect espresso

 

[Chaos34]

I tried to go to the Stumptown website and it wouldn’t even let me view the site without giving them my email and phone number and agreeing to receive promotional emails and texts. No thanks.

That's a shame. They're on Amazon with a few of their products, but I worry those bags aren't as fresh as I am encouraging you to get. I never get any promo stuff from them. I might have turned it off, but I've been ordering from them a long long time. Amazon says I can have a bag tomorrow. I think I'll do that. See how fresh it is.

Michigan gots this... booo.

 

[massraider]

. Coffee companies can use best by dates a year after roasting.

Traders Move Coffee Around to Hide Aging Beans for the Last Time

Stockpiles of premium coffee beans on the world’s biggest arabica exchange have plummeted to their lowest levels since 1999 as some sellers race to take advantage of a closing loophole one last time.

www.bloomberg.com

Stockpiles of premium coffee beans on the world’s biggest arabica exchange have plummeted to their lowest levels since 1999 as some sellers race to take advantage of a closing loophole one last time.

Although dropping inventories held in global warehouses monitored by Intercontinental Exchange Inc. would normally signal soaring demand or a crimp in supplies, the more than 20% plunge seen in the past month appears to be a strategic move ahead of a crucial Dec. 1 rule change.

For years, some sellers looking to avoid an “age penalty” meant to discourage lengthy coffee storage have pulled their older beans off the exchange and then resubmitted them for a new round of certification, thereby making the coffee appear fresh. That legal but misleading practice, which has led to roasters receiving older-than-expected beans and obscured the true volume of coffee in the market, will be prohibited as of next month.

 

[Chaos34]

5. JBC - I linked to their about page. It's all you need to see. No roaster consistently gets higher scores at Coffee Review. Good pricing, great blends, amazing Ethiopian currently available.

I just made a $52 order from JBC, three bags for free shipping. Two geishas and a yirgacheffe. I guess that's my favorite roaster for now.

* I put an asterisk after geisha in the long post because I meant to explain a little (not be pretentious). Ethiopia is the fatherland of all coffee. There's 100s of heirloom cultivars growing wild there. Yirgacheffe is one of 3 regions, the one considered the best coffee in the world for awhile. A geisha is just one of those heirlooms that was separated from the others for its disease resistance and shipped to Central America. This was some 80-90 years ago. Until 2004 geisha beans were always mixed with other varieties in various plantations' lots. Then a retired american banker growing coffee in Panama sort of shocked the world with his high altitude stand alone geisha lot. It didn't just win a major competition, it was so good it sold at auction for the highest price in history. Since then it has continued to set price records and bla bla bla. In 2019 the price broke $1000 a pound (for the raw green beans). I once paid $495 for an 8 oz bag (from Intelligentsia) and was lucky to grab it before it sold out. Esmerelda Geisha. That was years ago. Several other Panama Geishas have joined Esmerelda at those wild prices.

But here's the thing. Geishas have spread all over the coffee growing world and they're coming in at affordable prices. This makes this the golden age of great coffee. I just ordered 8 oz of a high altitude Peruvian geisha on sale for $17. That's mind-blowing, really. You should try it. You should try several. The emergence of micro-brewing let us all experience amazing beer for a small premium. This is like that. Competition from 100s of small nerd driven companies has made this an epic time for beer and coffee quality. Spoil yourselves.

 

[HellToupee]

This thread has me on the hunt for a decent grinder. I have a cheapo $25 job and want a burr grinder for my Moccamaster.

 

[Chaos34]

This thread has me on the hunt for a decent grinder. I have a cheapo $25 job and want a burr grinder for my Moccamaster.

I linked to this one earlier in the thread for someone who seemed on a budget.

I've owned it for 10 years and I have worn it out, but it's been a solid little unit. I originally purchased it because it didn't have the static clingy grounds issue many others have. You can't find a better one anywhere near that price. This is a beefier more robust version that gets great reviews. Bodum is good at coffee.

 

[Keerock]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

 

[Don Quixote]

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

Link directs to some What’s Normal TikTok.

 

[gianmarco]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Which Lavazza beans are you getting?

 

[gianmarco]

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

Link directs to some What’s Normal TikTok.

Of course it does.

 

[Keerock]

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

Link directs to some What’s Normal TikTok.

LOL... fixed

 

[Keerock]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Which Lavazza beans are you getting?

Espresso Italiano - Whole Bean Coffee | Lavazza

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean is a 100% Arabica blend. Learn more on the Lavazza website.

www.lavazzausa.com

Coffee Beans - Espresso Arabica and Robusta Beans | Lavazza

Lavazza Coffee Beans are dedicated to espresso lovers. Experience grinding your favorite blend with the best Arabica and Robusta beans at home.

www.lavazzausa.com

These

 

[Don Quixote]

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I think the best move for beans is finding a coffee subscription with a local place. Can have it delivered to your door, and a lot of times free shipping with the subscription. I have a coffee subscription with Vigilante Coffee (in the DC area). What state are you in?

 

[Keerock]

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I think the best move for beans is finding a coffee subscription with a local place. Can have it delivered to your door, and a lot of times free shipping with the subscription. I have a coffee subscription with Vigilante Coffee (in the DC area). What state are you in?

Michigan. Good idea! I'll look around.

 

[gianmarco]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Which Lavazza beans are you getting?

Espresso Italiano - Whole Bean Coffee | Lavazza

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean is a 100% Arabica blend. Learn more on the Lavazza website.

www.lavazzausa.com

Coffee Beans - Espresso Arabica and Robusta Beans | Lavazza

Lavazza Coffee Beans are dedicated to espresso lovers. Experience grinding your favorite blend with the best Arabica and Robusta beans at home.

www.lavazzausa.com

These

Get this one:

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend, light-Medium Espresso Roast, 2.2 Pound (Pack of 1) ,Premium Quality, Aromatic, Mild and creamy

Amazon.com

 

[Keerock]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Which Lavazza beans are you getting?

Espresso Italiano - Whole Bean Coffee | Lavazza

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean is a 100% Arabica blend. Learn more on the Lavazza website.

www.lavazzausa.com

Coffee Beans - Espresso Arabica and Robusta Beans | Lavazza

Lavazza Coffee Beans are dedicated to espresso lovers. Experience grinding your favorite blend with the best Arabica and Robusta beans at home.

www.lavazzausa.com

These

Get this one:

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend, light-Medium Espresso Roast, 2.2 Pound (Pack of 1) ,Premium Quality, Aromatic, Mild and creamy

Amazon.com

OK... Will try it. Why do you recommend it? We typically go for the dark roast (when we used pods)

 

[gianmarco]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Which Lavazza beans are you getting?

Espresso Italiano - Whole Bean Coffee | Lavazza

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean is a 100% Arabica blend. Learn more on the Lavazza website.

www.lavazzausa.com

Coffee Beans - Espresso Arabica and Robusta Beans | Lavazza

Lavazza Coffee Beans are dedicated to espresso lovers. Experience grinding your favorite blend with the best Arabica and Robusta beans at home.

www.lavazzausa.com

These

Get this one:

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend, light-Medium Espresso Roast, 2.2 Pound (Pack of 1) ,Premium Quality, Aromatic, Mild and creamy

Amazon.com

OK... Will try it. Why do you recommend it? We typically go for the dark roast (when we used pods)

Well, a couple reasons:

1. I've tried both of those. I like the one I linked substantially better. I drink espresso 99% of the time and I find that bean makes a better coffee.

2. With your new machine, you may want to read your manual, but a lot of these automatic machines recommend only using light or medium roasts. The dark roasts are much more oily and can clog up the machine. So, you may have to change that up. I used to be the same as you, but I've since changed and the medium roasts have a better taste overall, IMO.

 

[Don Quixote]

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I think the best move for beans is finding a coffee subscription with a local place. Can have it delivered to your door, and a lot of times free shipping with the subscription. I have a coffee subscription with Vigilante Coffee (in the DC area). What state are you in?

Michigan. Good idea! I'll look around.

Madcap Coffee comes up in my quick internet search.

And agree with Gianmarco on preferring the medium roasts.

 

[gianmarco]

Coffee roast guide

 

[gianmarco]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Which Lavazza beans are you getting?

Espresso Italiano - Whole Bean Coffee | Lavazza

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean is a 100% Arabica blend. Learn more on the Lavazza website.

www.lavazzausa.com

Coffee Beans - Espresso Arabica and Robusta Beans | Lavazza

Lavazza Coffee Beans are dedicated to espresso lovers. Experience grinding your favorite blend with the best Arabica and Robusta beans at home.

www.lavazzausa.com

These

Get this one:

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend, light-Medium Espresso Roast, 2.2 Pound (Pack of 1) ,Premium Quality, Aromatic, Mild and creamy

Amazon.com

Also, a lot of times this coffee will be on sale at Amazon if you buy more. It's a great price now for the 3 pack here:

Amazon.com

It's under $7/lb with the coupon.

 

[Grahamburn]

Coffee is for closers.

 

[Brony]

I've gone down the whole coffee nerd hole and have grinders and kettles and presses in the house. And I've gone full circle back to the basic Mr. Coffee 12-cup drip maker. Turns out that I just don't like what the experts call good coffee.

 

[Chaos34]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Whew. What a choice. $1500 for a super auto espresso maker. I think they're awesome. I also think about all the awesome beans I could buy and make my humble pour overs or aeropressers or french pressers. You're so rich Kee!

I am also not an espresso guy. I think they're delicious, but I like bigger hydrating drinks that take longer to drink. Gimme 20 minutes with my coffee and morning reading, thanks. When limited to espresso I always get an Americano, too.

 

[Chaos34]

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I think the best move for beans is finding a coffee subscription with a local place. Can have it delivered to your door, and a lot of times free shipping with the subscription. I have a coffee subscription with Vigilante Coffee (in the DC area). What state are you in?

Yes. It had to be you that recommended Vigilante to me a long long time ago. I had a few orders shipped all the way to Cali. Really good roaster you have there. I agree with subscribing with a roaster for simplicity, a little savings, and kind of set it and forget it for great coffee. I don't do it because it's fun for me to keep trying new roasters.

 

[Keerock]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Whew. What a choice. $1500 for a super auto espresso maker. I think they're awesome. I also think about all the awesome beans I could buy and make my humble pour overs or aeropressers or french pressers. You're so rich Kee!

I am also not an espresso guy. I think they're delicious, but I like bigger hydrating drinks that take longer to drink. Gimme 20 minutes with my coffee and morning reading, thanks. When limited to espresso I always get an Americano, too.

FWIW... my wife gets 50% off

 

[Don Quixote]

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I think the best move for beans is finding a coffee subscription with a local place. Can have it delivered to your door, and a lot of times free shipping with the subscription. I have a coffee subscription with Vigilante Coffee (in the DC area). What state are you in?

Yes. It had to be you that recommended Vigilante to me a long long time ago. I had a few orders shipped all the way to Cali. Really good roaster you have there. I agree with subscribing with a roaster for simplicity, a little savings, and kind of set it and forget it for great coffee. I don't do it because it's fun for me to keep trying new roasters.

RHE is another Vigilante drinker, IIRC.

 

[Chaos34]

I've gone down the whole coffee nerd hole and have grinders and kettles and presses in the house. And I've gone full circle back to the basic Mr. Coffee 12-cup drip maker. Turns out that I just don't like what the experts call good coffee.

I did something similar. For over a year I was perfectly satisfied with a cheap off brand single serve machine sitting next to my desk. I used reuseable pods when I felt like a cup. Cut way back on coffee consumption. Even stopped buying whole beans when my grinder went down for awhile. Happy enough with Starbucks Veranda beans. But my barista trained kid and her cousin who works for Blue Bottle sucked me back in. It was that niece who got me started years ago. One free bag of Blue Bottle's Three Africans, and unlike you, I really liked what experts call good coffee. That's how I slipped down the rabbit hole. First one's free...

Nothing wrong with a good ol' pot of Mr. Coffee.

 

[massraider]

FWIW... my wife gets 50% off

 

[Chaos34]

Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that!

Kee, there isn't much to digest beyond me encouraging you all to support the little guys doing the heavy lifting at 100s of small roasters. Think of them like your favorite micro-beer brewers. Pay a small premium for the good work they do and be rewarded with the freshest roasts you can get. You're a rich guy.

Also, you went with an espresso maker. My thoughts are mostly for black coffee drinkers. I'd still get my espresso blends from small roasters. Something like this, or this, which won the espresso category at the US Barista Championship. Your expensive super auto is probably as good at pulling espressos as Klatch's barista.

My bag from Stumptown arrived yesterday. Roasted on the 8th and arrived on the 13th. That's as fresh as it gets.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I'm happy for you
I did get a little sticker shock at first but I know you did your homework and this will likely last you a very long time.

 

[Keerock]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I'm happy for you
I did get a little sticker shock at first but I know you did your homework and this will likely last you a very long time.

Thanks GB. Wife’s discount helped the sticker shock a lot

 

[massraider]

The title is Best Coffee Maker, not What's the Crappiest Coffee Maker You Put Up With?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

Whew. What a choice. $1500 for a super auto espresso maker. I think they're awesome. I also think about all the awesome beans I could buy and make my humble pour overs or aeropressers or french pressers. You're so rich Kee!

I am also not an espresso guy. I think they're delicious, but I like bigger hydrating drinks that take longer to drink. Gimme 20 minutes with my coffee and morning reading, thanks. When limited to espresso I always get an Americano, too.

FWIW... my wife gets 50% off

Updates notebook….

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Calling all coffee drinkers...

We have been using a Keurig for the last 4-5 years. It's easy and functional, but really not very good/fresh coffee and doesn't give us everything we want.

So what are you all using at home for your coffee? Here are some of our "requirements"

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
5. Easy cleanup

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all for your input!! We ended up getting the Breville Touch Impress

So far, it's been fun. A learning curve for sure. As to how it meets the criteria in my original post:

1. Single serve. Need the machine to make one cup at a time, differing sizes from 8-20+ oz
   • Does make one cup at a time, but doesn't "brew" a cup of coffee... compromise here is an Americano, which is very good
2. Support easy change for different varieties - regular vs caffeinated, espresso vs coffee
   • Fails in this department. Bean hopper is not an easy change. Compromise is to either only put in the hopper what's required for the next cup, or use a separate grinder for one or the other and manually load/tamp the basket
3. Ability to support milk frothing (nice to have)
   • Awesome, automatic frothing
4. Pods vs beans vs ground - don't really care as long as it's easy to change.
   • Supports beans or ground. Haven't tried store bought ground.
5. Easy cleanup
   • Meh... not terrible. Grounds will be great for my grass.

All in all, so far, so good. Still putzing around with the different things we can do. Wife is an espresso/latte drinker (decaf only). I'm more of a plain cup of coffee guy, with an occasional espresso drink. This is certainly more tailored to her preferences, but that's fine.

We've started with Lavazza beans. A little disappointed with the aroma and richness... likely something we can fine tune a bit with the way we are preparing (grind, pull, etc). Thanks for the above info on best beans @Chaos34... will definitely be digesting that! Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a good B&M store for beans yet.

I'm happy for you
I did get a little sticker shock at first but I know you did your homework and this will likely last you a very long time.

Thanks GB. Wife’s discount helped the sticker shock a lot

The Infuser by Breville for $600 is one I'm looking at now

 

[Mister CIA]

Shout out to Veteran's Roasters. @Ilov80s introduced us to them back in the early days of Covid scatter. They cater mostly to restraunts in Chicagoland (and they were feeling the pinch back then). I bought four bags (B3G1 offer), and I thought it was excellent. I'm a 6.5 coffee snob - French press only for me at home (hot), and I make a solid cold brew with Community brand (best of breed in my local grocery stores. ... and nothing less than heavy cream.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Love my breville.

 

[Chaos34]

The Infuser by Breville for $600 is one I'm looking at now

Send Keerock $300 and his wife will get you one.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I've gone down the whole coffee nerd hole and have grinders and kettles and presses in the house. And I've gone full circle back to the basic Mr. Coffee 12-cup drip maker. Turns out that I just don't like what the experts call good coffee.

There is something to be said about the basic Mr Coffee, a lot of folks just don't know how to get the ratio right to make a decent cup of coffee but I'm not above a Mr Coffee pot.
Good coffee beans and cream go a long way, I just prefer organic half n half, that's all I put in my coffee and I don't steam, I like "cold" cream in the bottom as I pour the coffee in.
We have an elderly couple that just turned 90 that live underneath us and they just pick up used Mr Coffee machines at yard sales for about $5 or less and whenever one of them breaks they just buy another used one.

-I also feel my Moccamaster blows those coffee pots away.
I drink craft beer but I'm not above a cold can of Miller Lite or Narragansett

...And then there's moka pots I don't hear much about in here.

 

[Drunken knight]

@Keerock @gianmarco

we primarily use Lavazza, with some illy and blue bottle now and then.

We also use amazon and rotate the beans: gran riserva, perfetto, super crema, top class, etc.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I might have been the original pretentious coffee nerd around here. And I disagree with Chaos34, but only somewhat. I do think, as a matter of first principles, that the brewing process is more important than the beans. If you're brewing his Geisha beans at 190 degrees, I don't think you're going to get a very good cup. But I agree with what he said earlier in that there are now a lot of options that can give you an acceptable brewing process. When we were doing these types of threads 15 or 10 years ago (I know, shudder), Technivorm's were one of only a few models of home brewers that assured you had water hot enough to make an acceptable extraction. And the other options were also in that $250 to $300 range. Now we have more options at lower price points. And even just hand pour-over methods are common enough that you're not going to have any trouble finding a Kalita, some filters, and a good electric kettle.

I think we also have more grinder options than in the past. So, I think it's relatively easy, and not necessarily prohibitively expensive to find your bulletproof process with decent beans from a good provider (even at the grocery store, Stumptown will have a roast date on their beans). And then you can start experimenting with the beans you like. For all my snobbery, I've never been a guy who scoured online for the very best beans. I tend to find a local roaster who I trust and work with what the source.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Is the issue with a Mr. Coffee that it doesn't get the water hot enough or is there something else? The process to me looks like a basic automation of a pour over.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Is the issue with a Mr. Coffee that it doesn't get the water hot enough or is there something else? The process to me looks like a basic automation of a pour over.

A few years ago (maybe more than a few years ago), there was talk of a Mr. Coffee getting an SCAA certification. I'm not sure if it ever happened. But, of course, a machine might brew at the right temperature and just never bother getting a certification. You could pretty easily use a Thermapop or something and see how hot your brew comes out of your Mister Coffee. It should ideally be at least close to 200 (keeping in mind it will be cooling as the water is extracted).

The other limitation with many home brewers is that the showerheads give uneven coverage leading to uneven extraction. But I don't think SCAA certification really addresses that at all. And it can be an issue even in the fancy, more expensive machines. I think the Moccamasters and the Bonavitas do pretty good at that, but they're not perfect.

 

[Chaos34]

...And then there's moka pots I don't hear much about in here.

I have two moka pots from the 60s. A big one and a little one. They were my parents and discovered going through boxes after mom past away a long time ago. I never saw them get used as a kid though. They used a percolator for most of childhood and something like a Mr. Coffee later. I think it was a Black and Decker. Maxwell House for them. Nothing else would do. Anyway, I did the research and put the moka pots through their paces. Strong coffee makers. Probably over-extracting the beans by nerd standards. But I have them stowed because they were too much hassle. They did inspire me to get a nifty vacuum brewer. Bodum again. Made weaker coffee. Again not worth the hassle for me, but it is fun to put over a burner on the dining table after dinner with company and hear the oohs and ahs as it does it's magic.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Is the issue with a Mr. Coffee that it doesn't get the water hot enough or is there something else? The process to me looks like a basic automation of a pour over.

That's definitely one of the issues