I just bought one of these about a month ago, dammit!
This is the best coffee maker on the planet, bar none. Been a coffee junkie all my life, used to spend 30-40 minutes to make a good cup. Then I bought a Technivorm. Oh, my... that's a cup of coffee. It was worth every penny when I paid full price and now you cheeky little buggers get a really sweet deal. If I hadn't been drinking superb coffee for the last month, I'd be jealous.
IMPORTANT tips for a great pot of coffee with this thing-
-Pre-heat the carafe by filling it with hot (not boiling) water for 3-5 minutes before brewing. Keeps the coffee hot longer. I've noticed that when I used boiling water, the coffee continued to extract in the carafe and became slightly sour after about an hour. Just the hottest water from the tap will do the trick and keep the flavor better longer.
-Use good coffee, freshly roasted (within 2 weeks of). Shouldn't even have to say this, but I do. When the coffee is hit with the hot water, you should see foam forming. That's a GOOD thing. Means fresh roasted beans.
- Use ENOUGH coffee. It's probably gonna come as a shock, but most of you use far too little coffee and end up drinking weak sour crap. Use the chart below to figure out where to get the best amount of coffee for the brewer and your tastes. (chart courtesy of Specialty Coffee Association of America)
For me, I use 68g beans for the full 10 cup brew (these are European coffee cups not American). It looks like my filter will overflow, but it doesn't.
-Yes, measure the beans by weight. Here's a funky thing about beans and grind. Different beans grind differently. This has to do with a number of factors, the largest of which I think is the roast of the beans, which changes the brittleness of the bean surface and lets if fracture differently. Upshot of all of this- when I grind 68g of a light roast bean, it takes my grinder 35 seconds. When I grind 68g of my favorite dark roast bean, it take 53 seconds. The total volume of the ground beans is also vastly different. Darker roasts tend to be "puffier". So eliminate as many variables as possible for a repeatable great cup. I like to measure out my 68g, put it in an empty grinder and grind it all. That way I know I'm getting my proper weight and not wasting anything.
-Use the correct grind. Right in the middle of the drip setting on most grinders should be great. Variations in grind size can cause some differences in flavor profile, so experiment to find your favorite.
-Grind the coffee immediately before brewing, within 10 minutes at most. Not kidding here. You know how good freshly ground coffee smells? Those compounds are evaporating off the ground beans. That's why you can smell them. Get them in the cup, not in the air. Then there's the fun fact that some of the volatiles in the freshly ground beans start to react with atmospheric oxygen immediately, and not in a good way.
-Drink it as soon after brewing as is practical. It's best immediately. It will make your whole day.
If you don't have one of these, buy one. Then go have a great cup of coffee.
This is the best coffee maker on the planet, bar none. Been a coffee junkie all my life, used to spend 30-40 minutes to make a good cup. Then I bought a Technivorm. Oh, my... that's a cup of coffee. It was worth every penny when I paid full price and now you cheeky little buggers get a really sweet deal. If I hadn't been drinking superb coffee for the last month, I'd be jealous.
IMPORTANT tips for a great pot of coffee with this thing- -Pre-heat the carafe by filling it with hot (not boiling) water for 3-5 minutes before brewing. Keeps the coffee hot longer. I've noticed that when I used boiling water, the coffee continued to extract in the carafe and became slightly sour after about an hour. Just the hottest water from the tap will do the trick and keep the flavor better longer. -Use good coffee, freshly roasted (within 2 weeks of). Shouldn't even have to say this, but I do. When the coffee is hit with the hot water, you should see foam forming. That's a GOOD thing. Means fresh roasted beans. - Use ENOUGH coffee. It's probably gonna come as a shock, but most of you use far too little coffee and end up drinking weak sour crap. Use the chart below to figure out where to get the best amount of coffee for the brewer and your tastes. (chart courtesy of Specialty Coffee Association of America)
If you don't have one of these, buy one. Then go have a great cup of coffee.