Drip Coffee Maker – How to make perfect coffee with a drip coffee maker
Drip coffee makers are the single most popular small kitchen appliance in the US. You can buy an automatic drip coffee maker for as little as ten dollars, or go all out for one with all the bells and whistles – including its own coffee grinder – for over two hundred dollars. And despite the growing love (and resulting culture of) espresso, even espresso lovers sometimes admit that they just want a good cup of joe.
A couple of years back, I worked in an office where coffee was the lubricant that kept the wheels humming. We ran round the clock, and the coffee pot was always on and always full. It was also more often than not, barely drinkable. The standing rule of the coffee pot was “If you drink the last cup, put on another pot”. From the day that I started working there and made my first pot of coffee, there was a new rule. “If you drink the last cup of coffee, let Deb know so she can make another pot.” Whenever I put on a fresh pot, people would drift from the far side of the building, and by the time it was finished dripping, there was a line at the coffee pot, waiting for that first cup.
There’s no big secret to making good coffee with a drip coffee maker. It’s simple and straightforward – but there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Invest in a coffee grinder.
It’s amazing what a difference that one single thing makes. When you grind coffee, you increase the surface area of the coffee bean that is exposed to air, hastening the release of the oils that give coffee its rich flavor. If possible, grind coffee right before you use it. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, buy at a store that sells whole beans that you can grind yourself. Buy just enough for a few days at a time, and store it in an airtight container at home.
2. Buy good coffee.
The better the coffee you start with, the better the coffee you’ll end up with. Of course, good coffee is a subjective thing. The one big suggestion I have here is that you avoid those big supermarket displays with plastic bins of coffee beans – the kind where you scoop or pour out beans into a bag. The bins aren’t airtight, and you have no idea how long they’ve been sitting in those bins getting stale. Vacuum-sealed bags or cans of coffee beans are better. Even ground coffee in a vacuum sealed bag is a better choice.
3. Keep your drip coffee maker and coffee pot clean.
Coffee oils cling to everything, and once they’re deposited they start growing rancid. Wash out your pot and filter basket every time you make a fresh pot, and clean your coffee maker once a week. Descale it once a month. And do remember to clean the shower heads up under where the filter basket goes. That’s an area most people never think to clean.
4. Use a paper filter.
You’ve probably seen ads for “permanent coffee filters” in gold or nylon. They sound like a great idea, but see #3 above. Coffee residues tend to collect in hard to clean places on them. It’s better and easier to buy good quality paper coffee filters and have a fresh one for every brew.
5. Use enough coffee.
The biggest mistake that people make when making coffee in a drip coffee maker is using too little coffee. You should use a full tablespoon of ground coffee for each 8 ounces of water. Measure it out the first few times and you’ll be surprised how much coffee that actually is.
6. Use fresh, cold water.
I’ve heard people recommend using distilled water with all the minerals and impurities removed. Frankly, distilled water is good for your machine, but it makes flat tasting coffee. If your tap water is good for drinking, it will make good coffee. If it’s not, use a water filter or use spring water.
7. Avoid the temptation to use the brew pause.
The first cup or so of coffee will carry most of the coffee flavor. If you pour that off and return the pot to fill the rest of the way, the first cup of coffee will be very strong, and the rest of the pot very weak. Practice patience, grasshopper.
8. Take the coffee off the warming plate when it’s done brewing.
Coffee left on the warmer plate will continue to “cook”. Instead, pour any coffee that’s left over into a thermal pot, preferably one with a vacuum seal.
That’s all there is to it. Follow that advice, and you’ll have the entire office lining up to drink your coffee, and skipping the afternoon run to the nearest Starbucks.
January 1st, 2008 at 9:20 am
This is a great article overall, but there is one more major aspect to making a good pot of coffee that needs to be mentioned for two reasons: 1) taste, and 2) successful operation of the coffee maker. I am referring to the correct grind, which should be medium grind for most coffee makers. A grind that is too fine may taste weak or bitter, and it may also clog the filter and thereby cause the overflow problems that many people complain about in coffee maker reviews.
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
It’s not “better” or “easier” use paper filters. That’s totally subjective. Also, it’s not 1 Tbsp per 8 oz of water — that’s very very weak coffee. It’s more like 1 Tbsp per 5 oz of water.
August 2nd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Enjoyed this article. Reminded me of my ‘corporate’ days, where coffee etiquette was of utmost importance! Thanks for the walk down memory lane
October 28th, 2008 at 5:29 am
When cleaning the coffee pot put a little bit
of baking soda in a drop of dish soap
makes them both together so they become a paste
this will clean out the oils and freshen the pot every time you will notice a difference
December 5th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I’m confused on the amount of coffee grounds per ounce of water. I like mine pretty strong and usually end up drinking it black. Any suggestions?
December 10th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
this is the best coffee i have ever tasted!!! good job.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Jay Says:
December 5th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I’m confused on the amount of coffee grounds per ounce of water. I like mine pretty strong and usually end up drinking it black. Any suggestions?
A coffee scoop
measured out these 2 tablespoons
1 ounce
a standard rule, one scoop of coffee and a 6 ounce cup
there can be different rules,
depending on either fixing it
manual drip
French press
or automatic trip information I give you here is for the automatic trip
automatic trip
April 3rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Coffee/Water measurement. Using an ordinary drip coffeemaker (Mr Coffee 12 cup) and ordinary ground coffee (Community-Dark Roast),I use four level coffee scoops, and ordinary tap water. A little rounded scoop of coffee makes a big difference in strength, so measure carefully. I then pour the coffee into a thermos,as soon as it finishes brewing, and drink it all day long. Usually make a half-pot in the afternoon by adding two scoops of grounds to the rest and seven measures of water. The key is the coffee and the level scoop measurement.
April 5th, 2009 at 8:28 am
REALLY GOOD COFFEE?
Forget anything with a cord on it or any procedure which reheats coffee once made.
I grew up in New Orleans, and everyone on both sides of family made coffee every day using a 5-part porcelain-enameled French-Drip pot. My Mother (God Bless her) made coffee this way seven days a week for over 70 years (and she was not a coffee drinker).
Please note that you have to REALLY care about your coffee and your family to go through this routine:
1)Use what they used to call “fine-grind” coffee (drip-grind is too coarse), whatever brand you prefer. And PLEASE DO NOT use chicory flavoring.
Note, I don’t think that home-type grinders can get it this fine, but I am not sure.
2) insert bottom strainer in upper section of pot, and line with one-layer of filter paper.
3) *pack* in as much coffee as the section will hold using wooden spoon handle or old wooden potato masher which fits, and set this assembly on lower section of pot.
4) insert upper strainer on top of coffee.
5) while you are preparing breakfast, slowly add boiling water (it will definitely be slow)over a 30-45 minute period. In between water addition, be sure to put lid on upper section.
6) please note that this pot is NEVER, EVER placed on a burner.
7. what you now have in lower section of pot is a thick coffee liqueur-*very* strong.
8. Now, to suit taste, add SMALL amount of liqueur to your coffee cup and top off with either boiling water or hot milk, or combination.
9. you have now reached coffee nirvana.
10. take whatever is not used for breakfast and put in small jar with lid and refrigerate. It will be just as good tomorrow.
Prior admonitions about hard water use is contrary to good coffee. Filtered, or bottled will NOT give you the taste benefits derived from your local water supply (certain municipalties excepted). As far as hard-water deposit clean-up, that’s no big deal. A little vinegar every now and then does does the trick.
Note that I haven’t been able to find an original (typically manuf. from 20’s to early 50’s), complete 5-piece pot as described in many years, and I do look occasionally.
They also used to make china French Drip pots with 3-pieces, but they will not work nearly as well.
Not for the faint-of-heart, or the lazy or the time-restricted person, for sure. My guarantee-you WILL be spoiled forever more.
Bon Appetit!
May 11th, 2009 at 5:14 am
Reply to Alan Durfee: I just located and purchased an original 5 part porcelain. All parts are porcelain including all strainers. It is white with black trim and about 10 inches tall. I had gone to the web to discover why there were 2 strainers inside the biggin. From a coffee lover.
May 13th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
To Jewel
Glad you were able to find the complete French Drip Coffee Maker. Hard to come by and a lot of the new (overseas) junk out there is not worth having. Are there more where yours came from?
Bottom strainer is the rounded one; top one is flat.
I wouldn’t get too uptight about hard water deposits (if you get them). A little white vinegar soak does wonders-every now and then.
Please let us know how it works for you.
Where did the term “biggin” come from? Never heard that in my years of drinking the nectar that comes out of one of these things.
I haven’t had a decent cup of coffee now for about 25 years now. Oh well!
May 24th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
to Jewel or anyone
Please! Where on the web can I find one of these pots? I too am from New Orleans and have memories of that very slow drip method. I have a small pot (almost 8″) and it has only one filter. Better results than anything electric of course, and, moreover those all break. Have even been considering stove-top percolator…would want a well-made one…any comments there? Thanks
May 25th, 2009 at 1:49 am
To: R.Soni Talton
Percolators are with a doubt the very last type of coffee maker you should ever consider. They recirculate the coffee by *Boiling* it, which is an absolute no-no. Not only that, but most of them allow you keep the coffee hot by continuoous heating. Double bad!
Please don’t!
May 30th, 2009 at 12:05 am
I was trying to purchase Costa Rica coffee online. I saw that they have dark roast and light roast. If I want mideum roast, does it mean I can mix half each or dark and light roast?
June 12th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
this is diet and coke we are 11 years old and we just stayed up ALL NIGHT and we NEEEEED coffee b4 we crash! and we dont know how to make coffee but diets mom has a coffee maker and we dont know how to make coffee with it and this is NOOOOO HELP! u wasted my time!
June 17th, 2009 at 12:33 am
PLEASE: I need a simple formula for my Mr. Coffee automatic drip machine. Mine is a 12 cup pot BUT each of those cups are only 5 oz. What I would truly appreciate is a formula for Strong Coffee and one for Medium Coffee based on the 5oz. cup. Any takers here? Thank you!
July 4th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Please allow me to take exception to Mr. Durfee’s take on New Orleans French drip coffee preparation. First, chicory is simply a matter of taste. If you grew up drinking it daily as cafe au lait it creates the fondest of memories if you now live in Texas and drink some of the dish water they call coffee here. I would say that most New Orleanians would agree that a tablespoon of coffee per 6 ozs. of water plus a tablespoon for the pot would satisfy most New Orleans coffee drinkers. Of course, tastes vary and some might like it stronger or weaker. I have seen some people add the water one tablespoon at a time but this really tests one’s patience. The best advise is to just take your time adding the water. No place in the U.S. made better coffee than New Orleans but things are changing now.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I do not like strong coffee, so I use two heaping scoops for 12 cups of coffee.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I just scored a new old stock biggin from Normandy France on Ebay. In it’s original tissue paper and box. A note on home grinders making a fine grind, you must invest in a good burr grinder to be able to do this. I used to have a Hamilton Beach burr grinder and it would make a grind as fine as talcum powder for expresso. Just my .02 cents.