Brand new to coffee and I have questions

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

Hey guys! I have lived for 49 years HATING coffee. LOVED to smell it, but HATED the taste of it. Since I had my surgery (Gastric sleeve - lost 110 pounds since August 5), I have craved coffee. I bought my wife a Keurig for Christmas and have found myself drinking more than her. LOL.

We have a regular coffee pot maker that she used before the Keurig that I could use, but we can also get the reusable KCups as well. I guess my question is, what should I try? Im drinking a lot of the Hazelnut coffees now with only a little cream in it (sugar free, and no other sweeter at all). I have had some Italian roast and French roast coffees with the Keurig and am not a real fan of that heavy "burned" roasted taste. Its not bad, but if I had a choice, Id probably go hazelnut or something a little more mild than the French Roast...Italian roast is OK, but still...

I guess what I'm asking is for opinions on what to try. I could go with fresh ground in the disposable kCups or in the regular coffee maker that we have. I just have no clue what the difference is between coffee and GOOD coffee. This is where you guys..the experts, come into play.

I want to try something new and something that I can buy that is a pound or half pound or something that I can enjoy that isn't already packaged in the regular KCups. So, knowing what you have read here...what would YOU suggest I try? What would YOU offer for advice? Regular coffee maker or Keurig regular KCups or disposable with fresh ground. I just need help! Oh, and I DO like th Sumatra in the KCups so Sumatra works! So..help?

BTW...I also enjoy a good cigar with a cuppa coffee...if that makes any difference.

 

[peterjschmidt]

This may be unwanted advice, but you may want to consider a manual brewer like the Clever Coffee Dripper or a press pot. With something along those lines, you can control the brewing parameters better than a Keurig or most coffee makers. I know it doesn't make sense, since you just invested in the Keurig, but if you're going to fuss with it's basket-thingie you may as well just take control of the whole process.

Do you own a grinder?

 

[coffeetom]

Hi there CoffeeBBQandCigars

here's my opinion:

About your Keurig:
I honestly hate Keurigs and the only advantage I see in them is the convenience of a single cup within seconds without any work.
So the only time I use a K-Cup or a Pod (in my Bunn MCU) is early in the morning when the family's still asleep and I need a wake-up caffeine shot and don't care so much about the taste.

Using fresh grounds in a disposable or reusable Keurig cup would be my choice if I only had a Keurig at home.
But sooner or later I would probably switch to a pour-over dripper, which is about the same work but highly likely a better result (grind, fill into filter, pour water, done).

About the "good" coffee:
I'm pretty new to the "good" coffee too and still have no clue what I like (dark, medium, light, latin, asian, african coffee, etc.).
So I signed up for a monthly subscription service that ships a bag of specialty coffee to my door, as often as I want to.
Those subscriptions have the advantage that you normally have a large selection of different coffees so you can test until you know your favorites.

That's at least how I learn about new coffees right now.

 

[AdventureCopan]

Defiantly get away from the Keurig. Imo it's not a good way to drink coffee for many reasons. A traditional dripper would be better and then down the line a pour over (my personal fav).

What coffee is best is debatable big time since everyone has different tastes. My personal fav is med roast Honduran black. My second best is the same with Peppermint Essential Oil drops put in the grounds before starting the pour over.
Welcome to the addiction!!
-Daniel Kent

 

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

Droppers? Now I gotta learn a whole new thing. Lol. Explain what a drip pot is please. Why is it better than a regular coffee maker?

 

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

Pour over? I am about to get in deep aren't I?

 

[AdventureCopan]

Pour over and drip pot are the same thing...just deferent terminology. Here's ours...
LOVE it! Just requires more patience as you do it, not a machine. However it's "better" imo because you get better control over water temp, water flow, brew speed, etc. also yes your gonna get deep!

I'm by no means an expert or coffee snob, but I'm opinionated and addicted so just as bad I guess. Like anything really, just have fun with it, read up and experiment!
-Daniel Kent

 

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

OK...will using one of these fancy pour over pots really make a big difference or are these just the next big thing in coffee? I mean, is there THAT much of a difference in the taste? Im asking because I seriously don't know.

 

[AdventureCopan]

Good question. That's debatable I suppose. I used the same regular coffee maker for about 15yrs before switching and I and my wife believe it was a big difference. However I wouldn't suggest rushing out and buying one. I love it so much I got rid of my conventional one. It's a significant investment with money and time for good stuff and I thought on it for a year before making the leap. My stuff is Hario if you are inclined to research it. Hope that helps! -Daniel Kent

 

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

So...what were the major differences in taste? What could you pick out of the coffee with the pour over that you couldn't with the conventional pot? I guess I'm asking what makes pour over better? Im sure it IS better the way people talk about it, but why? Again, this is all a part of my learning experience...im not trying to be an ass. I learn by asking questions and hearing the opinions of the people who are experienced. Just tell me to shut up if I get too bad...LOL

 

[PinkRose]

So...what were the major differences in taste? What could you pick out of the coffee with the pour over that you couldn't with the conventional pot? I guess I'm asking what makes pour over better? Im sure it IS better the way people talk about it, but why? Again, this is all a part of my learning experience...im not trying to be an ass. I learn by asking questions and hearing the opinions of the people who are experienced. Just tell me to shut up if I get too bad...LOL

You're not being a pain by asking questions. That's how we all learn.

If you have a few minutes, take a look at this article that describes the pour-over method of making coffee.

Coffee Science: How to Make the Best Pourover Coffee at Home | Serious Eats

If you're interested in giving it a try, the pour over coffee dripper is relatively inexpensive. And, you can get by without buying a special kettle. That can wait until you're really in deep.

Amazon.com: Hario VDC-02W V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, White: Coffee Pots: Kitchen & Dining

Rose

 

[Kudzu]

[h=1]CoffeeBBQandCigars, welcome to Coffee Forums![/h]
Two young Marines, bitten by the coffee bug, did a good bit of research and experimenting, and put together a little multi-media presentation on coffee basics. The meat of it is a presentation on each method of making coffee, giving the characteristics of coffee brewed by each method. It is very fundamental, I think it is well done and provides a lot of information. For example, it would likely help you decide which brewing method might work best for YOU, with less trial and error. I believe it sells for $5. The catch is that it is only available for iOS devices. If you are interested, I will dig up a link for you.

 

[AdventureCopan]

^^^ I'm interested in the link. Sounds cool!

@CoffeeBBQandCigars others are better suited to tell you why the switch is worth it and the distinct differences. I mostly just drink Honduran Med Roast from our area so I'm pretty familiar with the various flavors of it when I drink it. When I do the pour over it's as though all the flavors pop if that makes sense. It's possible it could be the romance of heating the water vs the machine doing it and you pouring the water over the grounds and watching it "foam up" with carbon dioxide while smelling right under your nose.

I probably just made myself sound stupid. LOL. Listen to the others...

-Daniel Kent

 

[PinkRose]

When I do the pour over it's as though all the flavors pop, if that makes sense. It's possible it could be the romance of heating the water vs the machine doing it and you pouring the water over the grounds and watching it "foam up" with carbon dioxide while smelling right under your nose.

I probably just made myself sound stupid. LOL. Listen to the others...

-Daniel Kent

Daniel,

You certainly didn't make yourself sound stupid. It's quite the opposite!

What you described is probably exactly what lots of people experience when they make pour-over coffee. The aromas, the ritual, and the relaxing nature of the brewing method all contribute to a pleasurable experience.

Rose

 

[coffeetom]

@AdventureCopan: You don't sound stupid at all! In my opinion, every food or drink that was made with love, tastes 100% better :smile:.

@CoffeeBBQandcigars:

Why pour-over is probably better than drip?

There are some guidelines from the SCAA (special coffee association of america) about how to get the best out of coffee, like perfect brewing temperature of 195 - 205 F.

Many drip coffee makers have the following issues (either all or some):

- don't heat water to perfect temperature and be able to keep the temperature during brewing process
- not all coffee grounds are fully extracted due to low quality showerhead
- no pre-infusion feature (the blooming - degasing - CO2 release of fresh roasted coffee).
- wrong timing - too long or short brewing process

With a manual pour-over cone, you have it all in your hand.
You heat water manually, you can pour some water first for the bloom (you'll see bubbles in fresh coffee), you pour water over ALL coffee grounds.

Now the question of the day is: Would you taste the difference?
Because in the end, it's all about if you appreciate all the effort you put in.

As PinkRose said, the pour-over cones are not expensive.
So get one and test yourself.

Make the same coffee in your drip coffee maker and with the pour-over.
Then let your wife fill two neutral cups and you decide which one you like better.

Nobody else, but you can say what coffee you like best!

BTW: In my profile I have a link to my website all about coffee, how to's, coffee makers, etc. (In case you want to look around and get more info).