Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: zahc on June 26, 2019, 09:06:58 PM

Title: Coffee
Post by: zahc on June 26, 2019, 09:06:58 PM
My $15, black Friday sale, programmable 5 cup drip coffee maker stopped heating today after 5 years. It's glued together so I can't even try to fix it.

It's going to cost $40-50 for a similar drip machine, that is for a cheap drip machine that I might not like for some reason. I can get an electric kettle and French press, or a classic drip pot for about the same amount. Should I try a French press? Is it better?

My grandfather used the same percolator for what must be 35 or more years. I don't think percolator coffee is supposed to be good though. What is the permanent way to make coffee, that doesn't break every so often and end up in a landfill?
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: HeroHog on June 26, 2019, 09:23:43 PM
For us, Mr Coffee! It is also voted to make the best drip coffee.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: dogmush on June 26, 2019, 09:41:33 PM
Chemex and an electric kettle.

Great coffee, lasts forever.  It is a little more labor intensive,  but worth it.

Also, www.blackriflecoffee.com
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: Doggy Daddy on June 26, 2019, 09:52:55 PM
I've seen cheap non-programmable knockoffs at Walmart for $15 or less.  I'm considering picking one up to use as a hot plate so I can press a caraffe full off coffee and keep it warm.  The good coffee here is pressed through an Aeropress, but it does small batches.

You might like it.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510Ckj%2BmfcL._SL1200_.jpg)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018RY8H0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018RY8H0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)


Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: dogmush on June 26, 2019, 09:56:20 PM
I use an aeropress for my first cuppa, but it's a one at a time rig.

I can get a liter at a time out of my Chemex. That's what I keep on my desk at work.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zxcvbob on June 26, 2019, 10:28:24 PM
$5 Mr. Coffee from Goodwill or The Salvation Army thrift store.  After an initial cleaning with vinegar, I usually get about 5 years of heavy use from them.

I actually like percolator coffee, from big electric percolators.  You can find them at thrift stores too, but they make a *lot* of coffee at a time.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: Ben on June 26, 2019, 10:36:34 PM
I only use old fashioned methods anymore. French press when I want a cup or two, stovetop percolator for more. Though for the last several months, I've been hooked on cowboy coffee and have my methodology down to where I'm getting (to me) really good tasting coffee (using Black Rifle or Arbuckle coffee these days). It's a little more time intensive, but I've got the time. :)

All the above methods are done with $25 or less containers that I think will outlive me.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zxcvbob on June 26, 2019, 11:09:29 PM
I have one of these, or something extremely close, and it makes good coffee.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Kitchen-Craft-Drip-Coffee-Maker-West-Bend-Aluminum-Co-w-instruc-card/173870658392  Should last forever.  (Wife put mine in the dishwasher once and thought she ruined it, but it cleaned up okay with some Mother's aluminum wheel polish)
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: Ben on June 26, 2019, 11:13:34 PM
I have one of these, or something extremely close, and it makes good coffee.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Kitchen-Craft-Drip-Coffee-Maker-West-Bend-Aluminum-Co-w-instruc-card/173870658392  Should last forever.  (Wife put mine in the dishwasher once and thought she ruined it, but it cleaned up okay with some Mother's aluminum wheel polish)

I remember my mom making coffee in one of those (though straight-walled) for years and years and years. I don't know whatever happened to it, but given my current penchant for coffee making methods like that, I wish it was still around.

I remember they used to haul that and an electric fry pan to motels whenever we went on vacation.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: Ron on June 27, 2019, 06:10:36 AM
It’s been a while since my coffee machine bit the dust.

Been using my camping French press ever since.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: freakazoid on June 27, 2019, 06:50:38 AM
Do you folks like coffee?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFURd_EOIuU
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: charby on June 27, 2019, 08:10:47 AM
My $15, black Friday sale, programmable 5 cup drip coffee maker stopped heating today after 5 years.

Mao-Mart still has them for under $20

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mr-Coffee-5-Cup-Programmable-Black-Stainless-Steel-Drip-Coffee-Maker/117567802?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=810&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-51320962143&wl5=9017973&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=117567802&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjw0tHoBRBhEiwAvP1GFWX9WuKYC0lUnfJJcdeXvsZMHj2n-tiJcOhpXKuL9GIiOQD2BsrTEhoCRdIQAvD_BwE
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: brimic on June 27, 2019, 08:28:12 AM
If you are only drinking a cup or two of coffee at a time, and Aeropress is hard to beat.
A bit spendy for a drip maker, but I love mine, as I drink coffee throughout the day, and this one uses a dewar-style carafe to keep it hot a long time, instead of a burner (which burns the coffee).   https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mr-Coffee-Classic-Coffee-10-Cup-Thermal-Coffee-Maker/14320818?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227000433817&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40345762352&wl4=pla-52123974769&wl5=9005889&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=14320818&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIst37p9SJ4wIVQksNCh1o_g1uEAQYASABEgJRA_D_BwE
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 27, 2019, 09:04:48 AM
$20 bucks from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L1XMRDM?pf_rd_p=2edffb5d-036e-4cd0-bc77-99980e2d4856&pf_rd_r=JAPNV9C44Q8PCB1KPS7G


And 5 cups? What are you, some kind of teatotaling heathen Communazi or something that you hate coffee?
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zahc on June 27, 2019, 09:12:03 AM
This thread is reminding me that what I need to do is go get a cheap drip coffee machine as fast as possible so that this doesn't turn into a months-long experimentation session which ends up costing a thousand dollars and forming a new hobby I don't need.



Quote
And 5 cups? What are you, some kind of teatotaling heathen Communazi or something that you hate coffee?
Posted on: Today at 04:28:12 AM Posted by: brimic
Insert
I only need 1 or two American-size cups with my breakfast. After that I'm gone from the house and have to buy coffee.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 27, 2019, 09:18:47 AM
"I only need 1 or two American-size cups with my breakfast. After that I'm gone from the house and have to buy coffee."

I only drink from American-size cups...

40 ounce. MACGA! (Make American Cups Great Again!)

For years I took a thermos of Maxwell House to the office with me and drank it through the morning.

For the last couple of months, while I'm waiting for my clearances to finalize, I've been at the HQ of the company I'm subbed to, and they have a massive, multi functional Keurig machine that does about 60 different versions of coffee and hot chocolate. And the thing is... its damned good coffee.

Even better, it's free.

Once I finally get to the customer site I'll start taking a thermos with me again.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: MillCreek on June 27, 2019, 09:57:45 AM
http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=58716.0
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: brimic on June 27, 2019, 10:02:29 AM
"I only need 1 or two American-size cups with my breakfast. After that I'm gone from the house and have to buy coffee."

I only drink from American-size cups...

40 ounce. MACGA! (Make American Cups Great Again!)


:rofl:

I've been doing it wrong- I have a 20ish ounce coffee trough on my desk that I refill twice every morning. A 40 OZer would increase my productivity.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zxcvbob on June 27, 2019, 10:03:24 AM
http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=58716.0

Yeah, I thought we had done this before  :lol:
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: Brad Johnson on June 27, 2019, 10:06:08 AM
Another vote for Mr. Coffee. No frou-frou or fancy name, just coffee.

5-cup programmable. Thirty bucks. Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Simple-5-Cup-Programmable/dp/B002Q8HNDG/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=mr+coffee&qid=1561644305&refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A2985883011&rnid=2985881011&s=kitchen&sr=1-10

Non-programmable version. Twenty bucks. (Just remember to turn it off before you leave)
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-4-Cup-Switch-Maker/dp/B000FTNEGS/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=mr+coffee&qid=1561644256&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Brad
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 27, 2019, 10:40:39 AM
Yeah, I thought we had done this before  :lol:

There was one I started back in 2017, too, or thereabouts, when I thought my Target cheapie was crapping out on me. Thing is, I gave it a good vinegar soak to clean out any scale and it seems to have rallied.

Right now I'm only using it on the weekends given that the coffee at my current office is free, but once I get onsite at the customer location I'll be using it every day again.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 27, 2019, 11:54:16 AM
One thing I will mention...

Be careful, some of the cheap units don't have auto timer shutoffs, even the programmable ones.

I insist on an auto off feature on any coffee maker I get.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zahc on June 27, 2019, 11:22:31 PM
Score!

https://www.target.com/p/mr-coffee-advanced-brew-coffee-maker-black-jwx3/-/A-51077471

Proud new owner of $18 programmable 5-cup drip machine. It says something about our economy, but if I can keep buying new Chinese automatic drip machines for less than $20 every 5 years, it's probably what I will keep doing.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 28, 2019, 02:58:57 PM
OK, word to the wise.

That has, like mine, a solid hinged top.

You MUST let the top open after you brew coffee to allow the water chamber and basket to dry out. Otherwise you will quickly grow one hell of a bumper crop of mold in the inner works.

I never thought about that when I got mine some years ago. After a month or two I looked into the water chamber and almost threw up. It looked like a fungus factory.

I cleaned it out with bleach water and now the lid stays open unless I'm brewing coffee.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: WLJ on June 28, 2019, 03:01:44 PM
OK, word to the wise.

That has, like mine, a solid hinged top.

You MUST let the top open after you brew coffee to allow the water chamber and basket to dry out. Otherwise you will quickly grow one hell of a bumper crop of mold in the inner works.

I never thought about that when I got mine some years ago. After a month or two I looked into the water chamber and almost threw up. It looked like a fungus factory.

I cleaned it out with bleach water and now the lid stays open unless I'm brewing coffee.

It's all part of the flavor experience     >:D
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: MillCreek on June 28, 2019, 05:11:45 PM
My fancy-schmancy drip machine has a removable water tank, filter basket and filter basket holder. Once every two weeks (on payday, so I remember it), I wash all these plastic pieces plus the thermal carafe and carafe lid in the top rack of the dishwasher.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zahc on June 28, 2019, 05:58:39 PM
I run lye through every couple weeks. That nukes everything pretty well.
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: lee n. field on June 28, 2019, 06:22:59 PM
any more I usually just one of those plastic cone with paper filter things.   Does that make me  a Philistine?
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 28, 2019, 08:13:28 PM
Lye doesn't remove hard water scale. White vinegar does. It also kills mold and bacteria.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: K Frame on June 28, 2019, 08:14:13 PM
I use an eternal mesh basket filter. Got tired of running out of paper.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: zahc on June 28, 2019, 10:49:19 PM
I use the vinegar too. First you clean with the base, then the acid. A classic RCA clean, just like cleaning silicon waters.

Title: Re: Coffee
Post by: 230RN on June 29, 2019, 12:00:20 AM
"More guns, cameras, small boys, and coffeepots have been ruined by excessive cleaning than any other single cause."

Terry said that. =D  >:D

      (https://st2.depositphotos.com/1911991/6914/i/950/depositphotos_69143999-stock-photo-lighting-a-fuse-to-a.jpg)

Image credit in properties