Hello from a confused newbie

[Donsell]

Hey all. I'm new here.

I decided that I was tired of the bad coffee I was getting from my KitchenAid drip machine. I've spent the last couple of weeks working to improve this by descaling, buying better coffee and using better water. I measure the coffee, grind it myself in a cheap blade grinder, and make only one 16oz batch at a time so it doesn't sit on the warming tray. It's better, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

So I've been trying to figure out what I should do. I don't know if should invest in a better grinder and see how much that helps the KitchenAid and then move to something like a Gaggia Classic Pro if I want something better, or should I consider a super-automatics? The ease of pressing a button intrigues me, but I don't want to drop $1000 and be dissatisfied with the results.

Or should I try the other end and get a grinder and a pour over or Aeropress?

So if you were in my place and could afford to spend $1000-$1200 on something but wanted to be frugal and smart, what path would you take?

I like strong, rich coffee. I don't drink many milk drinks, but would probably if I could make them easily from home.

Great to meet you all and appreciate the advice!

 

[Musicphan]

Well - the first thing you need to determine is if you want to drink drip or espresso-based drinks. If you're looking at espresso the upper end of your price range will get you a decent setup. When you go espresso you will have to continue to buy fresh coffee. Once the coffee is a month or so old espresso extraction can be lacking. You're looking at $500 or so for a grinder / $1500 on a machine (granted multiple options but that's generalized pricing).

On the other - you can do drip coffee pretty great with minimal cost and investment. A good grinder will set you back $125-$300 (look at Baratza) and a good brewers will cost you between $25 for a Clever Brewer, up to $3-400 for a Technovirm. If you go the brewer route - take a look at this list of brewers:

Certified Home Brewers — Specialty Coffee Association

sca.coffee

 

[topher]

I love my chemex ottomatic.

Ottomatic 2 0 Coffeemaker

www.chemexcoffeemaker.com

 

[Donsell]

Well - the first thing you need to determine is if you want to drink drip or espresso-based drinks. If you're looking at espresso the upper end of your price range will get you a decent setup. When you go espresso you will have to continue to buy fresh coffee. Once the coffee is a month or so old espresso extraction can be lacking. You're looking at $500 or so for a grinder / $1500 on a machine (granted multiple options but that's generalized pricing).

On the other - you can do drip coffee pretty great with minimal cost and investment. A good grinder will set you back $125-$300 (look at Baratza) and a good brewers will cost you between $25 for a Clever Brewer, up to $3-400 for a Technovirm. If you go the brewer route - take a look at this list of brewers:

Certified Home Brewers — Specialty Coffee Association

sca.coffee

Thank you Musicphan. I'm still figuring out what my next step should be. I think it should be to get a better grinder and I'd get one that would let me pull my own espresso in the future. But if I do that and decided to get a superautomatic in the future it would come with a grinder.

 

[Musicphan]

Thank you Musicphan. I'm still figuring out what my next step should be. I think it should be to get a better grinder and I'd get one that would let me pull my own espresso in the future. But if I do that and decided to get a superautomatic in the future it would come with a grinder.

Keep in mind espresso grinders are different than drip grinders... they are designed to grind very small particles and aren't the best for grinding drip.

 

[JeffD]

I think the very first thing to do, before investing big money, is to double check the ratio of water to coffee you are making in your drip machine. I discovered (laugh at me, because I am) that I was way off for many years. Turns out I like 16/1 and have to remember that a coffee cup is 6 oz. (??).

Once I got the ratio right my drip coffee machine made really superior coffee, and I was more content and easy to live with. (While I saved for the high end paraphernalia.)

 

[addertooth]

One less expensive method for you to play with will be Pour-Over coffee.
You can get a basic Bodum pour over for about 30 bucks or less, and get a
regulated temperature (long narrow spout) kettle for around 70 bucks.

Many people tend to prefer (translate as rave over) pour-over coffee.
I think you will find that the Cuisinart burr grinders are a big step up over
blade coffee choppers by a wide margin. You may eventually outgrow it,
but for now it will be a big step up from what you are using. They are about
60 bucks at Walmart and other sources.

I am considering a Espresso machine at this time, but Space is the final frontier.
My kitchen is suffering from "too many doo-dads syndrome".

 

[CupaGil]

Thank you Musicphan. I'm still figuring out what my next step should be. I think it should be to get a better grinder and I'd get one that would let me pull my own espresso in the future. But if I do that and decided to get a superautomatic in the future it would come with a grinder.

The Least expensive good automatic espresso machines with built-in grinder start around $1000 and go up from there..
I have an automatic mid-range price and love the convenience and coffee. Now hooked on milk drinks.

 

[JeffD]

I would spend way under $500 total and get a good burr grinder, a kitchen scale, and a V-60 pour over. Paper filters and beans. You can get a goose neck kettle, but Hario makes a very inexpensive pouring cup called the "Air" that is under $30, and pretty ugly, but works really well.

Save the rest of the money. Spending more than $500 will not get you better coffee. It might add to the convenience factor, or maybe the fancy and cool factor, but for under $500 total you can have great coffee. As they used to say "better coffee a millionaire's money can't buy".