Coffee---how do I make a good cup of coffee at home?

[Ottakee]

I am JUST learning to drink coffee.  Like in my 50th year of life, just learning.

Today I made coffee using a donut shop blend, 2 T per cup of coffee, etc. but it doesn't taste very good.  I honestly don't know enough to know if it IS a good cup of coffee and that I just don't realize it.  Or is it too strong?  Too weak?  Bitter as the grounds are bad....even though they are fairly fresh?  Or maybe I need more cream and sugar.

How do I make good coffee at home?  I have a 12 cup drip coffee maker, a Keurig (older style) that will do K cups or your own grounds.

Or is there a place that sells a reliably good (but cheap) cup of coffee so I could at least taste what a "good" cup of coffee is supposed to taste like?

 

[Carol in Cal.]

I like our coffee.

We use a Melitta cone with brown paper filters.  It’s called Pour Over Coffee now, but it’s been around a lot longer than the name.  We buy San Francisco Bay Dark French Roast beans from Costco, and grind them fresh for each pot.  I don’t honestly know the proportions, but I think we make it about twice as strong as the ‘instructions’ typically say.

[AmandaVT]

San Francisco Bay makes really good k-cups - we use them in the office. They make a variety pack, which you could try and taste test to see which blends you like. 

We have a 12 cup drip and an old fashioned espresso pot at home. I use VT Coffee Company at home, which is my all time favorite coffee. We grind fresh for each pot too, but I do grind the night before. If I started the coffee grinder at 530am while getting ready for work, my family would mutiny. 😂

[ktgrok]

I'd use the Keurig, and order a variety pack of types/flavors/roasts. 

Using a drip machine to make small amounts is an exercise in frustration. Even good freshly ground coffee tastes gross if you try to make a small pot in a drip machine. Keurigs dont' make the best coffee, but it will be the same each time and no problems with user error, old grounds, etc. 

If you don't like bitter, you probably want a light roast or medium. Use half and half and sugar. 

Personally, I dislike donut shop blends. I'd say try green mountain or New England Brand coffee for not bitter, mild, consistent coffee, in the keurig. 

 

[marbel]

You just have to try different types of coffees.  A good cup of coffee is one that tastes good to you.  There is no universal "good" coffee. Many people like Starbucks coffee, and many people hate it. (I am in the latter group.) There's also no universally good method for making coffee.  Have fun experimenting and keeping track of what you like and don't like. 

A few years ago the church I attended got their coffee from a very popular roaster. To me, that coffee was so bad! So many people loved it but I thought it was terrible. I would get a cup because I wanted a cup of coffee after church, but I would add hot water and lots of half and half just to make it drinkable. I never understood what others loved about it. 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by marbel

[Pawz4me]

IMO you really just have to play around with it all -- how you brew it (pour over, traditional drip, French press, etc.), different brands/types of coffee and proportions. It can get very confusing, and much depends on individual taste. For example, contrary to @Ktgrok's post, I have no trouble at all making good (to me) small pots of coffee in a drip machine, and while I'm not as adamantly against Keurigs as true coffee snobs (which I in NO way am), I don't really love the coffee they make. And I say that as somebody who used one for years. Again--comes back to personal preference. My *guess* from your post is that the coffee was maybe too strong for you. I'd try a light or medium roast and use less coffee per cup than recommended. That's going to give you a weak brew. But IMO that's a fairly good place to start--at least you'll know where you're at. Then you can use a higher amount of coffee (if you decide you want that) to work up to a stronger cup. Then go from there to try darker roasts, etc.

Don't let anyone con you into believing there's a definitive "good" cup of coffee. All that matters is what's good to you.

[ktgrok]

2 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

For example, contrary to @Ktgrok's post, I have no trouble at all making good (to me) small pots of coffee in a drip machine, and while I'm not as adamantly against Keurigs as true coffee snobs (which I in NO way am), I don't really love the coffee they make. And I say that as somebody who used one for years. Again--comes back to personal preference

you know, I realized later this also depends on the machine. And your water! I can bring a k- cup that I love at my house to my mom's house and use it in her newer Keurig and it tastes awful to me. Either the machine does something different than mine, or it is the difference in her city water versus my city water, or something!

So yeah, gotta play around. 

An aeropress and kettle is another easy way, and pretty fool proof. 

[J-rap]

So much depends on the coffee itself.  Right now I'm on a kick with Peet's Major Dickason's blend, which is available at a lot of stores.  I like my coffee strong.  I usually measure per mug, so I'll fill my mug to the very top with water (that usually equals about 1-1/2 cups water), and then use 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee.   But, that's pretty strong, and you might like it less so.

I make my coffee lots of different ways (French press, regular drip, stove top, etc.), but I generally use the same measurements, either way.

I don't add sugar, but I do like to take the edge off the bitterness with just a little bit of either whole make or barista-blend oat milk.  (I've been using the oat milk lately and I think it tastes just as good as whole milk.)

I also have a Keurig and I can get that same coffee in a ready-made K-cup!  I make it on the medium size setting.

In general, I've found that I almost always like a Columbian blend -- it's got rich flavor but is not so bitter. 

But I agree with others that coffee is a personal thing, and you'll just have to try different types and use different measurements until you find one you like.

 

 

 

[J-rap]

5 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

you know, I realized later this also depends on the machine. And your water! I can bring a k- cup that I love at my house to my mom's house and use it in her newer Keurig and it tastes awful to me. Either the machine does something different than mine, or it is the difference in her city water versus my city water, or something!

So yeah, gotta play around. 

An aeropress and kettle is another easy way, and pretty fool proof. 

Water can really make a difference!  In the town we used to live in, we used Culligan water for coffee or else I could barely drink it.   Where we live now, the regular city water is fine.

[El...]

We like pretty strong coffee, and for us the key to good coffee with a cheap drip machine is a metal filter basket in place of the paper filter. I like my coffee to deliver a round kick to the head. 

After that, the flavor depends on the brand. I bought some Amazon brand that tasted like dirt. However,  8 o'clock from the grocery store is pretty good.

[Spy Car]

Know that in addition to different coffee growing regions having different taste profiles (that are also affected by the degree of roasting) the way you brew the coffee also impacts the final result.

French Press yields bold, oily, assertive coffee. I prefer it as my daily drink, but would hesitate to recommend it unless strong coffee is your thing.

Filtered coffee strikes a middle ground. More refined. Less boldness.

Two other options to consider if you prefer light bodied coffee.

One is vacuum method, but requires an investment in a specialized kit. Very clean and even more refined than filtered.

The second can be brewed from household items: cold brew. From reading your OP this is the direction I'd lean in. You can do a batch and then refrigerate the "concentrate" so you have multiple days of coffee on hand. Do be careful, cold brew concentrate can be so easy drinking that one can over-caffeinate if one isn't mindful of over-consumption.

For more exotic/complex flavor profiles (ones that excel in  French Press (IMO) look to coffees from Africa and the East Indies.

For bright tasting and less assertive coffees look to Central and South American coffees.

Bill

 

[Ottakee]

Ok.  Looks like I need to play around with this a lot more.  I have NEVER ordered a cup of coffee anywhere...so no favorite ones.

I have likely had less than 20 cups of coffee ever in my life....a real newbie.

[Liz CA]

Start with good organic beans because coffee commercially grown can have a lot of crud on it.

https://captaindavyscoffeeroasters.com/      This is just one choice of many. Does your local market have organic coffee? Try out Ethiopian beans, Peruvian beans, etc.

Then it's experimentation time as others have said. I like my hot coffee in a pour over style a la @Carol in CA, then a teaspoon of rapadura or sucanat and a generous dollop of whipping cream. We also have a French Press where dh brews a mean cuppa but yours doesn't have to be like his, it can be much lighter or strike a happy medium. We use a $3.99 cone filter with paper insert and pour boiling water over it = pour over method. French Press works by grinding beans more coarsely and pouring hot water right onto the grind, letting it sit a bit and then pushing down the plunger to filter out the grounds. 

During the summer I prefer cold brewed. Cold, filtered water over coarsely ground coffee - let sit overnight. Ratio of coffee to water is 1.5 to 4. After 12 hours of steeping time, filter out grounds and refrigerate cold brew. Less acidic and easier on the tummy BUT more potent. Don't chug a whole cup, pour 1/4 or 1/2 cup of pure cold brew, add water, sugar, mild, etc.

Maybe you have to "dress up" your cup a little more with sweetener (tons of choices, sugar, stevia, sucanat, etc.) and frothed milk, plain milk, whipping cream. Some people even put coconut oil in their coffee a la Bullet Proof Coffee. My friend does this and her coffee is rather delicious.

Edited September 13, 2020 by Liz CA

[Pen]

There is coffee that nearly everyone finds “bad” like the dregs of the pot sitting on a warmer for hours .  Or dishwater weak. 

 

But “good” is very individual. 

 

I usually just use Mt Hagen freeze dried which tastes pretty good and is very easy to make - just put some in cup of hot water, if too weak add a little more coffee, if too strong add a little water.  Most coffee gourmands are appalled. 🙃  But you could try this.  I did a taste test on a friend who is seriously into coffee without letting her know it was a freeze dried and she like it a lot.    (ETA Mt Hagen is organic and I agree with getting organic...   fair trade too maybe is nice.)  Vitacost tends to have it at better price than Amazon- usually under $10 per bottle at vitacost.  (And if you use honey Vitacost’s organic wildflower honey doesn’t impart extremely weird flavors. ) 

 

But if I want to be serious about it, have guests etc,  I use a French Press.  Mine came with a measuring spoon and the carafe has ml and oz measurements marks on side so I can figure out exactly how I want it (and how some family and friends do) and repeat pretty reliably. 

I tend to like medium non bitter roasts, Ethiopian beans, blends described as “chocolaty”, or even espresso blend roast done in French press, so with a French press grind (I use electric grinder at store). And I like dairy based half and half, milk, cream etc in it.  No non dairy creamer has been satisfying, sadly. I don’t use sugar nowadays. I do sometimes put my sweeter supplements into my coffee or on occasion honey (or even molasses if I need iron, but don’t recommend that for taste reasons.) 

Some Other family members seem to like coffee that I find unpleasantly bitter. 

If it weren’t Covid, going to an independent coffee house with many types of coffee, and asking if you could sample small amounts of a few, could be helpful. 

 

You might also like added spice, like some vanilla or chicory or nutmeg ...

 

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by Pen

[Spy Car]

13 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

Ok.  Looks like I need to play around with this a lot more.  I have NEVER ordered a cup of coffee anywhere...so no favorite ones.

I have likely had less than 20 cups of coffee ever in my life....a real newbie.

When it comes to food tastes, do you tend to prefer very bold and complex flavors in your cuisine or do you tend to prefer less assertive and milder flavors?

Bill

[Bootsie]

A good cup of coffee is subject to interpretation.  What is good to you may be too strong, too weak, too sweet for someone else.  You might try a New Orleans French Market coffee with chicory to make a cafe au lait.  The added chicory smooths the coffee a bit. Cafe au lait would be half coffee and half steamed milk.  If you find you like the taste of the coffee itself, you can begin decreasing the amount of milk.

[catz]

I have never had a keurig and I've also never had a gratifying cup of coffee out of one. 🤷‍♀️  Here filtered water and quality coffee make a huge difference.  We use a high quality drip machine with a copper filter when we want quantity and a french press or espresso machine when we want small amounts.  We've had a pour over too.  I drink my coffee with a splash of milk so my palate probably isn't as discriminating as someone who drinks it black, but with the good coffee, these all come out great IMO.  We buy fresh roast coffee in 5 lb quantities which saves a little money.  3 of us drink multiple cups here daily when my son is here.  If you can grind your own beans right before roasting, all the better.  I personally like light to medium roasts the most though we rotate to dark roast at times. 

If you want a good cuppa, I would do some google-fu for some of your local well rated coffee shops - read some reviews.   Our local shops almost always make a better cup than the chains.  If I need to pick a chain, I prefer Dunn Brothers.  They roast their own beans.  

ETA - we buy locally roasted fair trade coffee.

Edited September 13, 2020 by FuzzyCatz

[Pen]

https://www.vitacost.com/mount-hagen-organic-fair-trade-instant-coffee-3-53-oz-2

this is the Mt Hagen. Combines fair trade, organic, and is easy to adjust strength to decide if you like more or less coffee which then can be useful to know for a coffee maker.   Also easy to experiment with and adjust milk, sweetness, spices...

[Pen]

 

1 minute ago, FuzzyCatz said:

Here filtered water and quality coffee make a huge difference. 

 

Agree that the water itself is huge ! 

 

 

[mathnerd]

I have been drinking pour over style coffee for  many years now. I decided to donate all my coffee makers and use the pour over method after I became a fan of the Turkish coffee that my favorite local chain Philz makes that only uses the Pour Over method. I use a Japanese Hario or a Chemex Pour Over maker (available on amazon), grind my own coffee from organic beans and make my coffee at home. This method is best for me because I only brew 2 cups of coffee in a day and nobody else drinks it at home. I adjust the strength of my brew depending on the time of the day (strong in the AM and weak in the evenings), add mint leaves and cardamom if I am making a turkish style coffee or pumpkin spice occasionally etc. I recommend trying the pour over method to start with and then investing in a coffee maker later on when you have gotten used to drinking coffee.

[Carol in Cal.]

I hate the idea of single use pods, and I don’t love Keurig coffee, but I LOVE Nespresso coffee. So I only use that at work, where I have no place to wash out even the simplest coffee machine.

[Ottakee]

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

[regentrude]

We use a French press. Never going back. And filtered water. Makes a huge difference.

But keep in mind, it ,may well be that there's nothing wrong with your brewing method, but that you simply don't like the roast you've been using. I for example can't stand French roast and the Starbucks blends, but love different roasts and blends

[Pen]

 

It’s also possible that you really just don’t like coffee. I don’t think there’s any requirement to like it.    Plain water may be more healthy. 

[Spy Car]

14 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

It’s also possible that you really just don’t like coffee. I don’t think there’s any requirement to like it.    Plain water may be more healthy. 

I'm going to forget you said this 

Bill (mortified)

[Tanaqui]

44 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

 

Does it really have to be coffee? Can you enjoy a cup of tea while everybody else has coffee? Or cocoa, maybe? Mmm... cocoa.

[Ottakee]

13 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

 

Does it really have to be coffee? Can you enjoy a cup of tea while everybody else has coffee? Or cocoa, maybe? Mmm... cocoa.

I drink tea and cocoa.  I just have enjoyed a cup of coffee once in a while...and want to be able to do that .

[Bootsie]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

What have you liked (or not liked) about coffee that you have had before--do you know if you like it strong or weak? sweetened? with milk?  It doesn't necessarily take a big investment to make a good cup of coffee, once you know what "good" means to you.

[KrissiK]

I haven’t read the replies, but you just need to experiment. Everyone likes their coffee different. Not all coffee brands taste the same. I use a regular coffee maker (Mr. Coffee) and my preferred brand of coffee is McCafe’ breakfast Blend. And I sweeten it up and put in plenty of half and half. But other people might hate that.

[KrissiK]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

You don’t need to make it complicated.it’s really what you like, not what everyone says you need to do to make a good cup of coffee. “Good” is in  The mouth of the beholder.

[mmasc]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

If I were you, I’d probably just buy a Green Mountain Coffee assorted k-cups and some flavored creamer. Done. I’m no coffee expert, I just want to drink one cup in the morning and I get it down by loading it down with vanilla creamer.😁 I like most of green mountain’s coffee—my favorites are the brown sugar crumble (with vanilla creamer) and their breakfast blend. They also have a pumpkin spice currently that’s good. 

 

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

Yeah.

This is JMHO, but I'd forget about all the suggestions of fancy grinders and coffee you have to order and all that. Way, way too complicated--not to mention costly--for someone still trying to figure out whether or not she really likes coffee.

If it were me--because I am both cheap (sometimes) and not a coffee snob (ever)--I'd stick with whatever it is you used this morning. I'm assuming you have some quantity of that? Experiment with different proportions using whatever brewing method you used this morning. See if you can hone in on what you like/don't like. You need a simple starting point, not to jump right into spending a lot on expensive coffee and tools that you may never use. Me, I'm a peasant when it comes to coffee. Over the years I've tried tons of fancy schmancy beans and roasts and grinders, and I have about six different methods of brewing. But my go-to coffee is pre-ground McCafe breakfast blend and a simple automatic drip coffee maker. Don't assume you need lots of expensive stuff to find a perfect cup of coffee for you.

[Pen]

 

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

 

Maybe ask friend to help provide you with a “good” cup of coffee, and decide if you like it. 

Do you like coffee ice cream? Or coffee anything? 

[KatieJ]

3 hours ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

I would keep going with what you have, but cut back on the amount of grounds. I use 1 Tbls per two cups of water for most brands of coffee. I do use more with blends or lighter roasts. 2 Tbls per two cups of water for me requires cream...

[matrips]

4 hours ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

I just have a drip machine.  I found out that Breakfast blends/mediums are more my taste than the dark roasts that I bought for years.  I buy the basic red Folgers canister and use 1 scoop (slightly heaping) per cup of filtered water.  People say they like it.  🤷‍♀️ 

[birchbark]

Moka pot. Super simple and fabulous coffee. You can get inexpensive ones at TJMaxx or Amazon.

[Spy Car]

19 hours ago, Ottakee said:

This is getting really complex.  😀. Not sure I want to invest that much in all sorts of stuff just to make a cup of coffee.  

Maybe I can have a friend end come over and give me pointers using what I have.  I would just like to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee socially once in a while.

You would need no special equipment to make cold brew.

Ground coffee, water, a large jar, and something to strain the grounds (after steeping).

Gives a very "mellow" concentrate that you can reconstitute with hot water to your desired strength.

Bill

 

[Clear Creek]

First, throw away the donut shop blend. Donut shop coffee isn't meant to taste like donuts or even anything good; it is meant to taste like the burned, bitter, watery brew that is served in donut shops. It could have just as easily been called skuzzy gas station blend.

Buy a breakfast blend or anything that says light roast. If you are worried about getting the measurements right, start by using k-cups until you know you have a brand that you like and then you can use a drip coffee maker. The brand matters, as well - unless you live in Texas and can buy the HEB brand coffee, stay away from store brands and from Aldi coffee. Starbucks coffee usually tastes burnt, so get another well-known brand - San Francisco Bay, Peet's, Caribou Coffee, Community Coffee, etc. Also stay away from folgers and maxwell house - they use low-quality beans and don't taste nearly as good as most other brands. Don't buy flavored coffee, use flavored creamer instead. Coffee bean quality and flavor is sacrificed when they add flavor to the beans in my experience (unless, again, you are buying HEB brand coffee beans, lol, or beans from a gourmet store).

[catz]

10 minutes ago, Clear Creek said:

First, throw away the donut shop blend. Donut shop coffee isn't meant to taste like donuts or even anything good; it is meant to taste like the burned, bitter, watery brew that is served in donut shops. It could have just as easily been called skuzzy gas station blend.

LOL - agree.  🤣

If I were going to pick 2 things to do with the drip and keurig you have on hand, I would focus on coffee quality/roast and filtering water.  I have a cuisinart drip machine that has a built in charcoal filter.  I set a calendar reminder to change it every 4-6 weeks.  I do descaling/cleaning at the same time.  Which if you have an old drip machine, that may be worth doing if you're getting gross coffee out of your drip.  I got my first chain coffee shop coffee today since February (it was a treat for the teen but I got something too).  Ugh - still not nearly as good as my drip with a splash of milk.  

I do agree with clear creek, start with a light roast.  I think Starbucks (and many other bagged chain coffees) are over roasted and taste bitter or burnt. Don't get flavored beans, flavor on the back end if you want.   Maybe order a k cup sampler pack to give you some direction?  I much prefer the drip or french press to anything out of a  keurig at the end of the day but that might help you give direction on what to try in the drip.  

[Pen]

 

Coffee sampler:

 

Java Planet - Coffee Beans, Organic Coffee Sampler Pack, Whole Bean Variety Pack, Arabica Gourmet Specialty Coffee, 1.32 lbs of coffee packaged in six 3.2 oz bags… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSNNM5X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kG7xFb87FNZTC

 

I agree good is subjective.  I like a variety of things, but what I really want to be able to do is have a decent cup that I can fix while half asleep.  First, I would ditch the drip machine.  Seriously, forget you own it.  Most home drip machines (think Mr. Coffee) don’t get the water hot enough to make a decent cup of coffee.  I also can’t stand coffee that has been kept warm for too long.  I can tell when a restaurant hasn’t made a fresh pot recently enough as it sort of tastes burned.  Kurig machines are good, but I like to warm my cup up if I am sitting and reading or get distracted by my kids while drinking which you can’t do with a single serve maker.  Plus the cups seem expensive and wasteful.  My favorite is a percolator.  My 10yo could make an amazing pot for me before I woke up.  Use cold water and enough coffee - I use four measuring cups of water and a 1/4 of coffee for a pot.  I usually pour out some of it, but sometimes it just doesn’t turn out right when cut in half.  I use Folgers or similar grocery store brands so it isn’t too big a waste. The pot is equivalent to a Kurig cup. I like half and half in my coffee (not too much) but I gave up sugar.  My sister started coffee late in life (late 40s) and I about fainted the first time I was at her house and she asked if I wanted to stop by McDonalds for a cup on our way to a school program.  All the suggestions on methods and beans are good, but too advanced for beginners.  If you want to try some out I would try McDonald’s small with two creams - you like medium roast, Dunkin Donuts- you like super mild, Tim Hortins and you like a bit darker roast.  Good luck!