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Quick recipe
- Ratio: 1:16 (about 55 g coffee to 900 ml water for a full 10-cup pot, or 7 g per 5 oz / 150 ml “cup”). The SCAA Golden Cup standard. Adjust to taste.
- Grind: medium, like coarse sea salt. Pre-ground supermarket coffee usually works fine here.
- Water: fresh, cold, filtered if your tap is hard or chlorinated.
- Temperature: 195 to 205 F (90 to 96 C) at the brew basket. Most cheap drip makers do not hit this. Pick the machine carefully.
- Machine: a SCAA-certified drip maker (Technivorm Moccamaster, OXO Brew 9-Cup) makes more difference than any other variable. A $25 Mr. Coffee will get you weak coffee no matter how good the beans.
- Off the warmer: Decant into a thermal carafe as soon as brewing finishes. Coffee on a hot plate goes bitter in 20 minutes.
For more brewing methods, see our French press primer and our Moka pot guide. For step-by-step detail and the corrections this article has accumulated from readers over the years, read on.
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 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.
That was fifteen years ago, and the cheap office Mr. Coffee we were stuck with was a big part of the problem. The rest was that nobody else was paying attention to what they put in it. Drip coffee gets a bad reputation from a few decades of weak, lukewarm, supermarket-grind coffee in restaurants and break rooms. The reputation isn’t really fair. Drip coffee at home, done right, on the right machine, is one of the cleanest and most reliable cups you can make. The trick is knowing which variables matter and which don’t.
Why most drip coffee tastes bad
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA, now SCA) publishes a standard for what they call “Golden Cup” drip coffee. The standard requires water to hit the coffee grounds at 195 to 205 F (90 to 96 C), with the full brew completing in 4 to 6 minutes, at a ratio close to 55 g coffee per liter of water (1:18 to 1:16). Coffee brewed inside that window is consistently drinkable; coffee brewed outside it usually isn’t.
Here is the embarrassing truth that most consumer drip-coffee-maker brands do not advertise: a lot of cheap machines never get that hot. Reader NewsView measured several brands back in 2010 and posted the numbers in the comments below this article: “You can get automatic drip coffee fresh brewed into a carafe anywhere from 150 to 180 F depending on the brand. Mr. Coffee seems to settle around 165, whereas KRUPS and Cuisinart dispense slightly hotter (170 to 175).” That matches what independent testers find when they put a thermometer in a $25 drip maker today. Water that cool extracts under-extracted, sour, weak coffee no matter how good the beans are. If you have ever wondered why the same beans taste great at one place and flat at another, the brewing temperature is almost always the answer.
The SCAA maintains a certification list of drip coffee makers that hit the right temperature reliably. Buying off that list is the single biggest upgrade most American coffee drinkers can make to their home setup.
The machines worth buying
- Technivorm Moccamaster ($300 to $360) is the gold standard. Made by hand in the Netherlands since 1968, SCAA certified, 5-year warranty, brews at the correct temperature in 4 to 6 minutes. Mine has been brewing daily for 9 years on a single replaced silicone gasket. Worth the money if you brew coffee every day and care about the cup.
- OXO Brew 9-Cup ($200) is the value pick. SCAA certified, hits 195 to 205 F (90 to 96 C), has a 30-second pre-infusion bloom that the Moccamaster doesn’t, and looks reasonable on a counter. The thermal carafe model keeps coffee hot without a burner. This is the machine to buy if you don’t want to spend Moccamaster money.
- The Bonavita 1900TS ($170) used to be the budget SCAA-certified pick. As of 2026 Bonavita is harder to find but worth grabbing used if you see one.
- The Behmor Brazen Plus ($230) lets you set your own brewing temperature, which is unusual at this price.
- Skip: the entry-level Mr. Coffee, Hamilton Beach, Black+Decker, and Cuisinart drip makers under about $100. They all brew under temperature. They are fine for keeping a pot warm at an office. They are not the right tool for good coffee.
One useful frame: a SCAA-certified machine costs more than a cheap one but less than a year of buying coffee shop drip coffee. The math works in under three months for most daily drinkers.
Use enough coffee (your old recipe is probably wrong)
The biggest mistake most American home drip drinkers make is using too little coffee. The “1 tablespoon per 8 oz cup” advice that came stamped on the side of countless coffee makers (including the one I had in the office) translates to about 1:48 by weight, which is roughly half the strength a Golden Cup brew calls for. Coffee at that ratio tastes flat and sour, and the standard response is “add more water, the coffee tastes bitter,” which makes it worse.
The right ratio is 1:16 to 1:18 by weight. In practice:
- For a 10-cup brew (the typical American drip pot is rated for 10 “cups” of 5 oz / 150 ml each, totaling about 50 oz / 1.5 L of water): use 80 to 90 g (about 1 oz / 28 g, or 2 ounces by weight) of ground coffee.
- For a single mug (12 oz / 350 ml): use 22 g of ground coffee.
- For 6 cups (30 oz / 900 ml): use about 55 g, which is the SCAA’s reference standard.
If you don’t own a kitchen scale, two level tablespoons per 6 oz / 180 ml of water gets you in the right neighborhood. Hat tip to longtime reader Bill Berry, who pushed back on the original 1-tablespoon recommendation in the comments back in 2010: he was right then and he is still right. (The original version of this article also had a unit-conversion typo: “8 ounces (about 227 grams)” of water, where 227 g is actually the weight of a 1 lb bag of coffee, not 8 fl oz of water, which is closer to 237 g. The error has been fixed in this version.)
Grind size and freshness
Drip coffee wants a medium grind, similar to coarse sea salt. Too fine and the bed packs and the brew runs slow and over-extracts. Too coarse and the water runs through too fast and you get under-extracted, weak coffee. Pre-ground supermarket “drip” coffee from a recognized brand will get you in the right neighborhood without any thought.
If you want to take it a level up, buy whole bean coffee and grind right before you brew. A burr grinder is the right tool. A blade grinder is acceptable for drip (it is not for espresso). Coffee that has been ground more than about 30 minutes ago has already lost a noticeable share of its aromatic compounds. Coffee that was ground at the factory three months ago and sealed in a vacuum bag is still better than nothing, but it is not where the real flavor lives.
Avoid the open-bin coffee bean displays at supermarkets where you scoop into a paper bag. Those bins are not airtight, beans have often been sitting in them for weeks, and the result is stale coffee at fresh-coffee prices. Vacuum-sealed bags with a roast date printed on them are the better choice, even if the price is the same.
Water (the variable nobody thinks about)
Coffee is 98 percent water. The water you use is meaningfully part of the flavor. The general rule: if your tap water tastes good to drink straight, it will make good coffee. If your tap water tastes chlorinated, hard, or off, run it through a Brita pitcher or a faucet filter before brewing.
Skip distilled water and reverse-osmosis water. They lack the mineral content (calcium, magnesium) that helps extract flavor compounds from the grounds. Distilled water in a drip maker produces flat-tasting coffee even with great beans and the right machine. The SCAA actually publishes a brewing water standard with target mineral ranges; bottled “spring” water that lists mineral content on the label is usually close enough.
The actual brewing process
- Fill the reservoir with cold, filtered water. Cold not hot. Drip makers are designed to heat water from cold; loading hot water can damage the temperature sensor.
- Drop a paper filter into the basket and rinse it briefly with hot water from your tap. This removes any paper taste and pre-warms the basket. Dump the rinse water before brewing.
- Add ground coffee at the ratio above. Level the bed with a finger or a spoon so the water hits evenly.
- Start the brew. If your machine has a “bloom” or pre-infusion setting (OXO, Behmor), use it. If not, no harm done.
- Wait for the brew to finish. Total brew time should be 4 to 6 minutes for a 10-cup pot. If yours runs faster, your grind is too coarse; if it runs much slower, too fine.
- Decant immediately into a thermal carafe (or just pour the cup and turn off the warming plate). Coffee left on a hot plate for more than 20 minutes goes bitter and burnt. This is the single most fixable thing in a typical American household coffee setup.
Paper vs. permanent filters
Paper filters produce a cleaner cup. They absorb the diterpene oils in coffee (cafestol and kahweol) that can raise LDL cholesterol, and they catch fines that would otherwise pass into the cup. They cost two or three cents apiece and the cleanup is “drop the filter and grounds into the compost.”
Gold-tone permanent filters cost more upfront, last for years, and let the coffee oils through, giving you a slightly richer, fuller-bodied cup. The trade-off is cleanup (rinse the filter, dump the grounds) and the cholesterol effect if that matters to you. There is no wrong answer here; it is a personal preference. The original version of this article recommended paper exclusively, which is the safer default but not the only good choice. Reader feedback on this point has been mixed for years.
Cleaning and descaling
Coffee oils cling to every surface they touch and turn rancid within a few days at room temperature. A clean drip maker makes meaningfully better coffee than a dirty one, and the difference is more noticeable than people expect.
- Every brew: rinse the carafe and filter basket with hot water. No soap unless something is genuinely greasy; coffee oils season the pot.
- Once a week: wash the carafe, lid, and basket with soap and water and let them air-dry. Wipe down the shower head (the underside of the lid above the basket, where most people never look) with a damp cloth.
- Once a month: descale by running a full reservoir of half white vinegar and half water through the machine, then two cycles of plain water to rinse. If you live somewhere with hard water, descale every two to three weeks.
Common mistakes
- The machine. If you are using a cheap drip maker that doesn’t hit 195 to 205 F (90 to 96 C), no amount of bean upgrading will fix the cup. This is the most common single failure mode and the hardest to diagnose without a thermometer.
- Using too little coffee. See the ratio section. American “1 tablespoon per 8 oz cup” is roughly half-strength.
- Leaving coffee on the warming plate. 20 minutes is the rough cutoff. After that, the cup goes bitter fast. Move to a thermal carafe or just drink what you’ve poured and brew fresh.
- The “brew pause” mid-brew. Pulling the carafe to grab a cup before brewing finishes gives you a too-strong first cup and a too-weak rest of the pot. The first water through extracts most of the flavor compounds; the later water is more of a rinse. Let it finish.
- Distilled or RO water. Flat coffee. Use filtered tap or bottled spring water.
- Skipping descaling. Mineral buildup inside the machine slows brewing and lowers brewing temperature over time. A machine that brewed great a year ago and tastes flat now is usually just dirty inside.
Troubleshooting
- Sour, weak, thin coffee: almost always under-extraction. Increase coffee dose first (try 1:15), then check grind (try finer), then descale the machine to rule out temperature drop.
- Bitter, harsh coffee: over-extraction. Reduce dose (try 1:18), check grind (try coarser), and decant immediately when brewing finishes. Also stop using the brew pause.
- Coffee with grounds in the carafe: the paper filter is folded incorrectly or your grind is too fine. Re-fold the filter so it sits flush in the basket. Use a coarser grind.
- Lukewarm coffee out of a hot machine: the machine isn’t hitting target temperature. Either the heating element is failing or the machine is descaled-overdue. If descaling doesn’t fix it, the machine is the problem.
- Coffee tastes great fresh but flat 20 minutes later: get a thermal carafe. The hot plate is cooking the coffee.
- Different machines, same beans, very different cups: brewing temperature. The cheaper machine is probably under-extracting.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best drip coffee maker under $100?
There isn’t one I’d recommend. The cheapest reliable SCAA-certified machines start around $170 (used Bonavita) or $200 new (OXO Brew 9-Cup). Below that price, you are buying a hot-water maker, not a coffee maker. The Mr. Coffee, Hamilton Beach, Black+Decker, and budget Cuisinart machines all underperform on brewing temperature in independent testing.
Is the Moccamaster really worth $300?
If you brew coffee daily and the cup matters to you, yes. The machine is overbuilt, brews at the right temperature for the full life of the unit, and has a 5-year warranty that the company actually honors. If you brew once or twice a week, the OXO Brew 9-Cup at $200 is the smarter buy and the cup difference is small.
How much coffee per cup, really?
About 1 tablespoon (7 g) per 5 oz / 150 ml of water, or roughly 2 tablespoons per 12 oz / 350 ml mug. That is the SCAA Golden Cup ratio. The “1 tablespoon per 8 oz” advice printed on the side of older coffee makers produces weak coffee and is one of the reasons American drip has a bad reputation.
Can I make good coffee with pre-ground supermarket beans?
Yes, if the beans are from a vacuum-sealed bag with a recent roast date and you are not trying to win awards. The drop-off from whole bean ground-this-morning to a fresh bag of supermarket pre-ground is real but small. The drop-off from supermarket pre-ground to an open-bin scoop-your-own at a busy market is significant. Avoid the latter.
What about French drip / chicory / New Orleans style?
It is a real and excellent tradition, and the comment thread on this article has been arguing about the details since 2009 (hat tip to Alan Durfee, Chris Healy, and several others). New Orleans-style French drip uses a porcelain-enameled multi-chamber pot, a dark coffee-and-chicory blend, and a slow hand-pour technique. It is closer to a pour-over than to a modern drip machine, and it produces a strong, smooth, chicory-tinged cup that pairs well with milk. If you have access to a Café du Monde or Community Coffee dark roast with chicory and you want to try it, you can do it on any pour-over setup; you don’t need the specialized pot. The cup is its own thing and worth experiencing once.
Does coffee oxidize quickly once brewed?
Yes. A brewed pot held at brewing temperature on a hot plate degrades noticeably within 20 minutes and is unpleasant after about 45. A brewed pot decanted into a thermal carafe stays drinkable for 2 to 4 hours. The thermal carafe is the single biggest small upgrade you can make to a drip-coffee setup that already has a decent machine.
Why does my coffee taste different from one day to the next using the same beans?
Variables that change without you noticing: water (chlorination levels in tap water vary), bean freshness (week 1 vs. week 3 of an open bag is a real difference), dose (eyeballed tablespoons vary 20 to 30 percent), machine temperature (cheaper machines drift), and how long the pot sat before you poured. Brew at the same ratio by weight, with filtered water, on a clean machine, and the cup-to-cup variation drops to almost nothing.
Why this article changed
The original version of this article ran from 2007 to 2026 and accumulated 74 comments, many of which corrected or added to the practical advice it contained. The version you just read folds in what those readers taught us: the SCAA temperature standard most consumer machines miss (NewsView, 2010), the ratio correction from 1 tablespoon per 8 oz to something closer to the Golden Cup standard (Bill Berry, 2010; Tome Trajkovski, 2019), the New Orleans French drip tradition (Alan Durfee and Chris Healy, 2009), and the cleaning and descaling protocols that the original article only glanced at. It also fixes a unit-conversion typo where “8 ounces” of water was equated with “227 g” (the weight of a 1 lb coffee bag, not 8 fl oz of water). The thread is still open. If you have refinements, please add them.
Discussion 96
My glass carafe just broke- does anyone know if there is any chance they make a replacement?
Medelco Universal 12-Cup Replacement Coffee Glass Carafe
bed bath and beyond…
its a percolator
Once my beans are ground I find it very awkward to measure. Does anyone have the formula for the ratio of water to whole beans?
I always fresh grind my coffee beans for every pot of coffee.
For measuring I use a typical coffee specific scoop, which is, or should be, 1 tablespoon. . I use one FULL scoop for every cup. For me, that is one scoop/tablespoon per 6oz of water, as I like my coffee on the stronger flavor side.
So, how much whole coffee beans to one scoop of ground coffee? I measure one full scoop of beans and count is as one scoop of ground coffee. To get that I make sure that each scoop/tablespoon of beans creates a “mound” of beans in the scoop. That means that the bean amount goes over the level of the tablespoon scoop. That little bit of extra whole beans allows for the air space in a scoop of whole beans compared to the near zero air space when ground.
Again, that’s 1 FULL/mound of whole coffee beans for every 1 tablespoon sized scoop of ground coffee. With this ratio I put in the amount of whole beans I need into the grinder, and then grind, and then use all of the fresh ground coffee to make my pot.
My grinder has a grind cup that is removable. It’s very handy. After I grind the beans, I then remove the grind cup and pour it directly into my drip coffee maker. Easy.
I’ve seen charts that give a “recommended” ground coffee to coffee “cup” of water. For coffee and tea a “cup” is only 6oz, which is obviously less than what is a standard 8oz cup we use for all standard measurement. There is a history to that, but you can look that up yourself. Over the decades, for my taste, I find that a tablespoon scoop of ground coffee to every 60z of water in a standard coffee maker makes the coffee as I like it. Standard coffee pots have markings on the pot. Each marking is 60z not 80z.
The recommendation is that, when you make more coffee, then you can use less ground coffee. For example, my Mr. Coffee maker recommends 6.5 tablespoons/scoop for 8 coffee cups, where each cup is 6oz. 8-6oz coffee cups is 48oz. . BTW, 48oz is 6 regular 8oz cups. Odd, I know.
You can do your own experiment to see how much coffee beans is equivalent to the size scoop of ground coffee that you like. Use you coffee grinder. Scoop out 1 standard tablespoon scoop of coffee beans. Grind those beans. Now, measure how much those ground beans are. If the ground beans fill a standard 1 Tablespoon scoop level to the top of the scoop, then you know how much whole bean to ground.
For grinding I use a “pulsed” method, meaning, I don’t start to grind and keep grinding until I get the size of grind I want. BY pulsing I grind the coffee without the potential to “burn” my coffee beans with sustained high speed grinding. I use a standard “blade” style grinder. To grind, I do a total of 15 seconds of grind time. So, I do 3 pulses of 5 seconds each. For each second I count and say, “one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc.”, to 5 Mississippi, then I stop grinding for a count of two seconds, then a second pulse of 5, stop for a two count, and then the 3rd round of 5 seconds. That gives me a great grind size for a drip coffee maker. You can experiment with what you like. Going longer on the grind will gives smaller and smaller grounds. However, if you grind is too small, then it could clog your coffee filter and you can get a spillover, or you may get grinds in your brewed coffee. If you grinds are too large, then your coffee may taste weaker, and you’re wasting coffee as larger grounds don’t expose as much coffee to the water. Again, experiment using the basics and go from there.
15:1
Reading over these so-called corrections, it’s apparent making good coffee is extremely subjective. I’ve known people who were extremely proud of their coffee and, IMO, it tasted like sewer water smells. Experiment until it is right for YOU.
I bought this coffee maker over two years ago and used it for about a month. I could not keep it from dripping when I removed the canister for that first cup while it was still brewing. The teflon wore off the hot plate part and I could not tell it was any better than the cheapest “Mr. Coffee” that I went back to. Don’t waste your money on it
Do NOT use paper filters…they filter out the oils, and bleached (white) filters affect the taste. And I’ve yet to read anything anywhere that agrees on the amount of grounds to water.
No one mentions this but those oils are SO essential to flavor and body.
Have been using my French Press for 4 months now…at first a bit tedious..but truly worth it because of the true full coffee flavor i enjoy so. I can’t fathom going back to paying $4 a day for coffee at the ‘bux.
We love this coffee maker a lot. We love so many features about it. OUr filter basket does come out, so we must have a newer model. The Lid to the Pot broke when it was dropped, which makes pouring and brewing a challenge. is there a way to order a new lid?
Re: using hot tap water vs. cold and dissolved lead, I believe manufacturers always recommend cold for the reason stated by another poster here, dissolved lead. Until recently all soldered joints were done with lead containing solder and hot water will absorb low levels of lead. Solders now do not have lead and of course most new construction uses plastic supply lines but what with the recent BPA controversy with plastics in microwaves perhaps the cold water recommendations are valid. Boiling tap water in a kettle first? probably a valid option.
I use just a pinch of sea salt in my water, and it seems to bring out the flavor more cleanly.
I live in Tampa, and learned this trick from a Cuban Guy.
I grew up making coffee for my folks, using an old drip pot .. I still have the pot! I strayed and used an electric drip coffee pot for a few years, but finally came to my senses and haven’t strayed since! I use CDM, cold water boiled and poured to drip slowly … I got hooked on coffee and chicory while living in New Orleans. I live in Texas now and was elated when I found a store that carried CDM!!!
Bodum French Press…check!…Starbux Dark French Roast Beans…check!…Grinder…check!…prepped and ready for tomorrow mornings java! Thank You Coffee Friends for all the advice.
Cool…thanks….I was worried I’d offend Coffee Aficianados…and Keurig might be a bit weak for that morning caffeine kick I enjoy…
Hey, Yes on Keurig! People that have them love them!! Cool way to make single cup. And hot coco, tea… And different flavors of coffee.
One last question….researching for a while….am I allowed to say the “K” word? Keurig…..lots of buzz….but am apprehensive….Your thoughts?
I have had my coffee maker for about a year and a half. It works great except that I still haven’t figured out how to set the timer accurately. I use a paper filter in the basket and everything works quite well.
I ran vinegar water thru it once because my water has mineral issues, but so far, it’s working beautifully. Can anybody tell me how to set the timer (can’t find my manual)? I thought I set it last night but when I woke up, it had brewed and cooled completely and I never heard it brewing.
No clue!! It doesn’t overheat the coffee so it never gets that ‘burned’ taste that so many do when they sit too long. Turns off on it’s own after 2 hours if you don’t do it manually.
Love it!!
Thank you TG. looks like I have lots of studying to do….but at least now I have direction and purpose.
If you buy pre ground coffee check the grind size, (filter machines and cones say to use medium coarsely ground coffee) it should say size of grind on coffee package, or you can have starbucks grind for you when purchasing, make sure you tell them what kind of machine you are using..Ideally, you want to get a grinder of your own so you can grind right before brewing..Burr grinders are best but a simple blade grinder will work. Some have settings for coarse, medium coarse etc. I like hand grinders the best though.
If you need to make a pot of coffee..There are 3 main ways. All taste different and, have different caffeine kicks, and,, all are really good.. Filter machine, French Press or Percolator. Most people use a paper filter machine because it’s the easiest.
Hi Meg… your question has an answer on YouTube. It’s called “How to make a single cup of coffee with a one- cup filter cone” Nice, simple, and inexpensive. If or when you need more than one cup..Then, let’s talk.
French Press?….which brand is the best for a single (substantial) cup of coffee…and how do you use it? I’ve been spoiled by Starbux but refuse to pay $4 for coffee anymore.
Nifty idea putting “just off” boiling water into filter machine. Bodum, makes French Presses and recommend 7 grams, one tablespoon, one level scoop of coffee per each FOUR oz of water ounces. I personally use 1.25 tablespoons per 4 oz water. This makes full flavored. the expression used to be
” plus one for the pot” so yeah, I think you have to find your own
ratio.
RE: (For Larry re: Why cold water – Hot tap water contains dissolved lead.)
– What if you have copper or cpvc pipes ? If there is dissolved lead in your water, you better completley change your plumbing because it is against federal law to have lead in your water or in chipping paint
– Cold vs. hot ? When using hot water, I get hotter coffee coming out so it must extract the coffee flavors better right ? Cold wtaer just takes longer to perk.
How hot does the coffee brew?
I am very disappointed in this coffee maker. We too purchased it after all the rave reviews in Consumer Reports. We’ve had it for about 6 months, and while it does make a good cup of coffee, the warming plate started rusting within the first month. And the worst thing about the coffee pot is that if the glass carafe is precisely, and I mean precisely lined up, the water will run down around the outsides of the carafe and overfill inside the filter basket making a HUGE mess everywhere. Maybe we just got a lemon?
I have had mine for several weeks now and the water doesn’t seem to go all the way thru the grounds…….when I take out the filter, it makes a mess. And yes, it does occasionally drip when I take the pot off of the heating element.
If you don’t have the option to take your glass carafe off of the burner, place 3 pennies between the burner and the carafe. This prevents scorching of the coffee.
One’s coffee preferences are truly subjective but it seems, if it’s drank black, subtle differences count more; if it’s drank with milk, sugar and/or other additives, the subtleties in coffee flavor can be covered up. This may account for some of the varying opinions.
A few things seem consistent – always remove your coffee pot from the heater once brewed. It seems to take only minutes to negatively affect the flavor.
Microwaving coffee might be better than burning it on a heater, but it still affects the flavor so I suggest brew only what you need or, as previously mentioned, preheat a thermal carafe and pour your fresh brew in there to keep it warm longer.
Fresh ground beans are definitely best but you can find decent pre-ground, vacuum sealed coffee. Buy from a store with high turnover as product will be fresher.
I’d like to say otherwise, but the grind matters (it’s a nuisance, but it matters). Since there are so many variables to give what each person thinks is a good cup of joe, experimentation with coffee type, quantity and grind type relative to your specific drip machine (or any coffee maker, for that matter), is the only way to know what makes “your” perfect cup.
Thanks everyone for sharing. This type of sharing is helpful.
For Larry re: Why cold water – Hot tap water contains dissolved lead.
I use a Hamilton Beach four cup brew station. I use 2 level tablespoons per pot of coffee. I have a cup that handily measures out 24 ounces, so four six-ounce cups. This works out to one teaspoon per cup of coffee, roughly speaking. I clean the basket and holder after every brew, and I don’t use the warming feature. If my coffee gets cold, I warm it in the microwave. Say what you may, but I don’t taste a difference.
Why does Mr.Coffee specify cold water? Perhaps hot water from tap from house water heater? But I have taken charcoal filtered house tap cold water customarily. However, more recently experimented with the same water heated in tea kettle to boil and filled Mr.Coffee maker with it. It certainly moves the water more rapidly through the fresh ground beans. Is there any opinions on this practice. I am not certain of a flavor distinction for better or worse. Typically used the fine side of medium grind.
I’ve started pouring boiling water into my drip machine. I don’t stand near it while brewing as I’m not sure how safe this is. At last I’m brewing at 200 degrees instead of my machines 158 tempiture. Fresh beans, fresh clean water and beans ground for filter shape and type.
as for the coffee cream never more than 10% if you use to much it will taste creamey
note we use filtered water to remove chlorine and other tastes this is important for the coffee flavor to not be masked,as for the brand do your own thing,when we go to trailer my wife is always asked to make the coffee and “tea”
tried lots of different brands,use maxwell house dark roast formula filtered water 10/12 cup line on pot,4 oz coffee with measurer do not forget fresh filter,we always make full pot, has heat controlfor after brew this works well,coffees good all day
You can buy enamel french drip coffeepots at frenchdrip.com, a business which is, of course, located in Louisiana.
I don’t see anybody using a pinch of salt in their coffee makers… Doesn’t this take the bitterness out????
Reading all the formulas, we dicided to use one tablespoon to 8oz water…. Not bad, but it still needs something…. Salt????
My grandmother always used an old fashioned drip coffee pot. I think it was made of aluminum or stainless steel. It had the 3 stage concept; the bottom, the middle basket for the coffee and the top part that you pour the boiling water into. Everyone raved about the coffee made in this pot. I am trying to find one, can anyone help me out?
hi,
I have bought a new coffee maker, not a expensive one, which kind of coffee should I pour in it? I tested Turky one, but it didn’t have a good result,
please guide me.
For people who use electric dripmakers:
Proper brew temp is from 190 to 200 degrees when the water passes through the grinds. Only two brands achieve this as far as I know, Capresso, and Technivorm. Both will not have burner plates. I had the Capresso, and the coffee was amazing, just not hot enough. But if you heated the carafe b4 brewing with how water it was perfect. As for the other brands of electric drip coffee makers, try this: When you pour the water into the resevoir, let it sit for a full 15 minutes before you brew. I don’t know why but it makes a BIG difference. Please let me know what you think!
Try a pinch of kosher salt in a pot of coffee. You will love it.
The best coffee I have ever drank is from using an old fashioned perculator….
As the article states…. it is cleaned…add fresh ground coffee (perculator setting),
a touch of salt….
It is oldfashioned and wonderful.