After years of drinking disgusting instant coffee I happened to order a cup at a local cafe. Sweet ambrosia. I nedded to make this at home. First I threw all instant coffee out.
>get a cheap coffee machine
tastes like shit
>get a coffee mill and grind beans fresh
tastes like shit
>get expensive italian beans
tastes like shit
>get 100$ machine (pic related) that supposeldy intensifies the flavour by using high degrees or pressure or some shit
tastes a bit better but still shit in comparison
Real talk, what amounts of money do I need to sink in to be able to make a good coffee at home? I can't afford a 3000$ machine, that's ridiculous. I contemplate buying a ~500$ machine but that would be the biggest food related investment I've ever made and I'm afraid of being disappointed again like the 100$ machine.
Any experiences?
Just get a moka, dicker. Add some hot water if you're a pussnut about it.
>>7476685
>Real talk
You say that yet you seem to think that fresh ground beans taste shitty. That makes me honestly confused. What beans did you buy, how did you grind them, and what specifically didn't you like about it?
>>I'm afraid of being disappointed again
How is that a problem? Buy something. If you aren't satisfied with the product then return it. What's the risk?
>>7476685
>coffee autism: the thread
>>7476694
Well it didn't taste terrible, I was exaggerating. But the differene to coffee made with proper machines is pretty staggering.
Also the machines also make this tiny amount of brownish cream on top which I never get...
>>7476694
>returning used coffee machines
I don't think health laws in my country would allow this.
>>7476717
Really? Why would the health laws have anything to do with it? Clearly it might be illegal for a used product like that to be re-sold, but that's the retailer's problem, not yours. Where do you live where you cannot return a product if you were dissatisfied with its performance?
>>7476685
Buy a Moka.
>>7476685
You are comparing regular drip coffee to an espresso.
Espresso is a whole different animal, and unless you are willing to spend some money and learn a bit you are bound to spend a shitload of money in small 100 dollar increments.
>>7476685
>acquire hario v60
>acquire counter culture or intelligentsia light-medium roast beans if no local roasters
>acquire gooseneck kettle
>acquire kitchen scale
>grind 30g beans medium coarse
>rinse hario filter w/hot water
>put grounds in hario in filter, zero scale.
>pour 60g just off boiling water over grounds evenly
>wait 45 seconds and then slowly pour water evenly over grounds until about 475g total, that's it.
Sounds like a lot but it's pretty damn simple once you do it a few times. Make sure to not pour too fast or fill the hario while pouring and use good water. Also, a lot of electric grinders don't grind very coarse, you may have to set it to the coarsest setting.
>>7476713
get this, it's a moka pot. Get good quality coffee beans, grind them to espresso (around 3) and you will have a good coffee with some of the Crema (that brown stuff on the top)
>pic related
>>7476685
don't use a coffee machine, use a pour over/french press/chemex
buy only LIGHT ROAST beans from a local place that roasts themselves, not "expensive italian beans." see if you can find something from ethiopia, colombia, or papua new guinea.
grind them at home, make coffee
Just bite the bullet, pal. Nothing you do at home will come close to that little weird coffee shop downtown.
At home use either a moka express or french press. A machine with enough heat and pressure to get more out of any coffee bean is what you usually see behind the counter of a decent coffee shop...
>>7476968
Medium can be pretty good too.
Whatever you do, don't fall for the aeropress meme.
>>7476685
Just go to the cafe you liked so much every morning then. Chat up the barrista, they'll share the techniques the cafe uses eventually.
Hard mode: put down the screen , you zombie, go talk to someone.
>>7477004
What's wrong with it?
>>7476713
You know the difference between coffee and espresso right?............you will not get cafe quality espresso for under like 800 dollars worth of shit. period. and it's likely the machine at your cafe cost way more than that
Ignore mokapot people, buy aeropress
you don't get good coffee from a machine unless it's an espresso machine. your $100 coffee machine was a waste, good coffee is brewed by hand.
>>7477022
Some guy on /ck/ says it's a meme
OP. You need fresh beans, and a good burr grinder. I have a Baratza Encore that does consistent grinds for everything except high end expresso machines. Next up, a SCAA approved coffee machine. I have a Bonavita bv1800. Get locally roasted beans and you're set.
>>7476942
>grind them to espresso
do not grind as fine as espresso for moka pot it should be closer to a fine drip grind
espresso is way too fine
Grind fresh beans with a burr grinder. Get good beans. And I'll put in another vote for the aeropress. Easier to clean than a french press but about as easy to use.
>>7478271
I forgot to mention, make sure you time it right to get the ideal extraction, and make sure your water is hot but not boiling. (You can google it for ideal temps and stuff but I'm too lazy to do that regularly - I usually just boil water and let it rest for about a minute.)
And I should add that the specific coffee, single source vs. blend, and the roast, all matter in terms of flavor. You don't try the most expensive cereal, find it doesn't taste very good, and swear off cereal forever. Find out what you like.
>>7477039
I have a cheap espresso machine that cost $250 new. With good beans and a good grind it makes a great shot of coffee.
For $500 you could definitely get something cafe quality. But past a certain price point you're paying for a more reliable machine than a better coffee.
Burr Grinder + Chemex + Electric Kettle + Good quality coffee beans
Literally all you need, you can get started for less than $100.
>>7476968
>buy only LIGHT ROAST beans
What kind of advice is this? Light, Medium, Dark, it's all just preference.
>>7476685
They used a cappuccino machine you idiot.
>>7478924
Post links to those 4 items for less than 100 dollars
>>7476685
>Real talk, what amounts of money do I need to sink in to be able to make a good coffee at home?
If you've already got devices for brewing (like a french press and a grinder ), then it all depends on how much a local roaster charges for beans.
Roasters tend to sell a lot of coffee beans of various origins, blends, and roasts so I recommend (periodically) buying the smallest denomination of something different each time before deciding what you prefer.
Those expensive Italian beans are most likely typical mass-produced shit that's a few months stale. Vacuum seals can only keep it all fresh for so long.
A porlex ($40-50)+ aeropress ($30)+ fresh beans produces a pretty good cup. Not as good as an espresso but good for a basic set up.
>>7476685
I have never had a cup of coffee that wasnt sort of bitter.
Will an aeropress really make a cup of coffee that isnt bitter?
Is there really this crazy world of coffee I have been missing out?
I buy it at dunkin donuts, or just use my 10$ drip machine
>>7476942
are all the brands much the same? Cos and avanti one is like half the price of a bialetti one
Jesus fucking christ, nothing to bring out the morons like a coffee brewing thread.
Moka pots are just crappier percolators.
Percolators are truly patrician tier
>>7479144
Chemex on Amazon - $45 (depends on sale, can yoyo as low as 40)
Hand Burr Grinder - $15
Electric Kettle - $30
1lb Coffee - $8
>>7476685
get a chemex
buy beans with a flavour profile that you like
poor hot water
let grounds bloom
continue pouring
drink
>>7479200
find beans that taste the way you want.
I really liked Yumang, but now I can't find that strain anywhere. So sad
>>7479214
I wouldn't think there would be much difference since all do the same thing.
You need a percolator son
Just realize you have the taste buds of a 9 year old and stop trying to be cool by drinking coffee like the rest of us.
This thread inspired me to pull out the french press again after using a shitty coffee machine for ages
so much better tbhfam
Okay, okay, so I've got two options for an equally cheap alternative to a regular coffee machine.
One being a french press and the other being the Mokka thing you see at least once every coffee thread.
Assuming I use it mostly for coffee, espresso occasionally, which should I get?
>moka pots
If you like trub at the bottom of your cup and don't mind only being able to make one cup at a time
>fresh ground beans in a drip pot tastes shitty
Have you considered that maybe the water where you live tastes like shit?
Try different coffee additives. Premade liquid creamers can be pretty good. Use heavy cream and rock sugar instead of the basics. Maybe blend flavored coffee beans with your standard roast
>>7481834
>Try different coffee additives.
Bait.
>>7481814
Personally I prefer french press, but an important consideration is that the quality of the grind really matters.
You want a good _consistently_ course grind otherwise you'll end up with a bunch of grounds in your cup. This basically means investing in a decent (~$100) burr grinder.
>>7476685
>machine
Unless you're willing to spend serious money, not worth it. The best ways to make coffee in the sub $500 range are all manual (pour over, french press, moka pot).
>grinder
Get a good quality burr grinder. There's lots of cheap ones out there but they all do a shit job or don't last. Look to spend around $150. Don't even bother with blade based grinders.
>beans
More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better. Try a wide variety. Also find a local place that either is or deals with local roasters. Don't even bother with the stuff you find at the grocery store.
