See the scan copy. Let’s try Gf$% Don't Miss!Seven Yummy Coffee Desse...
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. So, how much coffee for one cup of coffee? You should use a full tablespoon of ground coffee for each 8 ounces(about 227 grams) 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.
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R says
For Larry re: Why cold water – Hot tap water contains dissolved lead.
Tay says
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.
Larry Ward says
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.
Korey Rosvold says
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.
RON COLLINS/CANADA says
as for the coffee cream never more than 10% if you use to much it will taste creamey
RON COLLINS/CANADA says
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”
RON COLLINS/CANADA says
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
May says
You can buy enamel french drip coffeepots at frenchdrip.com, a business which is, of course, located in Louisiana.
Art says
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????
Leslie says
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?
firespirit3 says
its a percolator
firespirit3 says
its a percolator
hamidreza says
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.
Jeff H says
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!
drew says
Try a pinch of kosher salt in a pot of coffee. You will love it.
Dprang says
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.
Reiss says
RE: comment 29 from ‘E’
Yes, grinding the same coffee finer will produce a ‘stronger’ cup of coffee because you are increasing the surface area of the coffee that comes into contact with the coffee. Reiss
Brian says
Here is a suggestion for many of you.
Simply combine the method of the French Press (Coffee submerged in a glass with plunger and screen) which many of you may be aware of, and the standard automatic or manual drip method.
Using a Melita portable Drip Coffee Maker (Larger one with the carafe)
Simply plug the hole of the Cone basket from underneath with something………That can be easily removed.
Let’s use 24oz. of coffee as an example.
Make your coffee as you ordinarily would, perhaps using 1 tbsp of coffee per 6 oz. of water and heating up your own water to boiling…..pour it into a measuring cup……..let is sit for a few seconds to bring it under the boiling temp………to about 200 degrees.
Pour 24 oz. of water into the cone basket. Perhaps the full 24 oz. won’t fit.
Now, combining the french press and drip methods…….Let the hot water sit in the basket for at least 5 minutes or so……….Then pick carefully pick up the basket by the handle….carefully unplug the hole at the bottom of the basket and let the brewed coffee drip out. You can then add any of the remaining water as the water level in the basket lowers.
I actually widened the opening at the bottom so that the water will drip out much faster after having settled in the basket with the coffee for about 5 minutes.
Quick review……….Plug the bottom of your portable Melita Drip Coffee Maker…..Carafe Version (Available at Super Markets)
Add your coffee…….Boil your own water and pour it into your measuring cup…Let it sit for few seconds to slightly cool down to approx 200 degrees.
Let the coffee and the hot water sit in the basket for 5 minutes or so………Then carefully unplug the hole………and let the coffee drip into the carafe.
Pretty simple…….and makes a HUGE difference.
You can experiment with different times and quantities.
karen says
I am related to robert the bruce! small world! I too love luzanne and french market! I am looking for a stainless french press, because I like to savor my coffee and not rush the experience and I think the stainless well keep the coffee hotter longer?
golfndad says
this dscussion was interesting from a historical point of view, but im thinking that you are all missing the point. To make a quick and excellent cup pf coffee the best process is still the ‘FRENCH PRESS” IT IS FOOLPROOF AND YOU CAN END THE 1/2/3 MEASURE CONTROVERSY SIMPLY BY ADJUSTING UNTIL YOU GET THE FLAVOR/STRENGth that you like.
My french press is one ive had for years, dragging it from cape cod to cananda to florida…no wired..no batteries..no mistrakes, ever!”
I prefer chickory in my coffee..luzanne and french market are my favs of commercial blends…i also buy chickory from COMMUNiTY COFFEE online and try it mixed with various coffees as my fancy hits me…chickory is around $2.50 per 12 oz and i usually use 13 chickory to 2/3 coffee.
if you dont own a french press u should..it wll never wear out and is usually made of this pyrex like glass that is very strurdy..maybe even unbreakable (but i hate to tempt fate)
i also use amr coffee type maker for larger consumption but they only last us about a year or 2 nomatter how cheap or how expensive.
when im alone,,its the french press for me..drip goes in trash…when i have visitors i go to wally world and get a $20 drip and it usually out lasts the guests..then into the trash!
lastly, i started my love affair with chickory at cafe dumand in n’oleans..only srever perfect at 5am with half hot milk!..still the best along with a mound of benes!
robert the bruce
Lori says
I am looking for a French Drip coffee pot. I saw a couple of people on here have found them. Where did you find one? My cousin is getting married in New Orleans soon & I’d love to get one for her! Thanks!
David H says
# Sue Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
I would like to know why if I use a paper filter or one I bought to set into the coffee area.
I always end up with grounds in my coffee pot.
Thanks Sue
Hi, Sue. The coffee brew is coming out of a single little hole in the bottom of the basket. This is to slow down the outgoing trickle, so most or all of the grounds will be immersed in hot water at the same time.
(This is actually the most efficient way to make coffee, which is why the water only has to pass through once, and why drip coffee has the highest caffeine content of any type of coffee.)
But if you use too fine a grind of coffee grounds in an auto-drip coffee maker, it “traps” too much water at once, slowing its trickle down too much. Then the water will tend to overflow over the sides of the paper basket, and bring some grounds into the hole with it.
Even worse, the too-fine grounds tend to form a “mud” in the basket. When this mud overflows the paper and gets down to the drain hole, it can clog it up — sending water and grounds over the sides of the brewing basket too, and onto the counter or floor!
So more is not always better. If you’re grinding your own, don’t overdo it; and if you’re buying it ground, go for medium grind rather than fine. It should be slightly grainy, rather than powdery. A powdery fine grind will compact too much. An espresso pump can push water through the compacted powder; but mere gravity and drip can’t.
One other thing can cause the brew to overflow: using the wrong size paper filter! If the machine calls for #6, don’t use #4; etc.
Cheers,
David
Bill Berry says
My wife and I have owned a coffee maker since the day we met; 14 years and we’ll be replacing it with it’s new counterpart. Of us who own this type of maker understand in 3 minutes your coffee will be ready unless you use the “decaffienated” tap (lack of a better word) which slows the amount of water passing to the grounds. The current thinking today is 2 tablespoons not 1 tablespoon per 5 oz cup of coffee though when 5 or 6 oz. became a cup I have no idea (isn’t a cup 8 oz.) and who has 5 oz. coffee cups? Alton Brown of Good Eats aired an episode which he also inferred that each 5 oz. cup of coffee requires 2 tablespoons as well as Starbucks. In our hourse it’s been a 1:1 ratio up to we began reading the labels on coffee; the bottom line is if you own your own grinder as we do we use whole beans; generally from Sam’s Club which sells Starbucks and other generic brands that are rated in the high 80s but the really good stuff is going to be expensive at wherever your local coffee shop might be and of course, online. Personally, I like a coarse grind; my wife medium, but the grind will determine how much coffee you’re going to need. It’s simple math when you’re making just one or two cups and the size of our cups is 16 oz. and 18 oz. of coffee so in my case 4 tablespoons go in the basket. It is not an exact science. The bigger the pot the more exotic the math gets. The reason is how much water do you want to pass over your grinds and for how long. One or two cups is easy math; a pot is balancing act between flavor and bitterness and to avoid bitterness you’re talking about a serious amount of coffee and then the question becomes permanent or paper filter and is it big enough to hold the grounds; remember 3 minutes is likely to fill your filter all the way up with grounds when you’re making a full pot. I use the “restricter” decaf tap but it too will change the strength of your coffee. The bottom line is you have to manipulate what is good for you, not what is on the label. There is no hard rule about a good cup of coffee; we all have our quirks. The rule however for coffee strengths is constant – one is the roast and how dark and the darker..the stronger to bitter. I prefer coarse as I just said a moment ago and while it requires more coffee grinded it’s flavor and aroma is 2nd to none; but that’s me. We own a Cuisinart grinder and we generally make our coffee to different strenghs, but that’s us. For the moment I’m dying to get my hands on a good espresso maker that won’t break the bank; any idea? Thanks and all have a wonderful day/evening; take care!
E says
Need some advice about the grind. We have had a Krups blade grinder forever. Just got a Capresso burr grinder for my birthday. We use a Cuisinart drip with paper filters. Both like dark coffee.
I have read that I should be grinding coarse of medium/coarse. Wife believes grinding fine will lead to a stronger cup. Any advice???
Thanks!
Sue says
I would like to know why if I use a paper filter or one I bought to set into the coffee area.
I always end up with grounds in my coffee pot.
Thanks Sue
Goodie says
I have gone through several automatic coffeemakers over the past few years seeking the Holy Grail of a good, strong, hot cup of coffee. I’ve tried Cuisinart, Mr. Coffee, Capresso, Black and Decker. No success. The best was an old-style Melita grind-and-brew that’s no longer made, and unfortunately finally broke.
They all seem to break, leak, produce weak or cool coffee. One even produced bad smelling coffee!
I use Gevalia, grind it myself and toy with the proportions of grounds ans water.
From another website, a Technivorm Moccamaster seemed a good/expensive bet – then I read reviews and found it easily leaks and doesn’t pour properly.
friends had a ceramic pot with a ceramic grounds holder that sat into the top and a water holder on top of that (a true drip pot) Terriffic coffee, but I can’t locate one like it (antique).
What should/can I do to get that perfect cup of coffee?
NewsView says
TEMPERATURE
I agree with Karen, #22. The automatic drip coffeemaker manufacturers don’t publish their design specifications on how hot an optimally functioning machine should get. That leaves the guesswork up to us. You can get automatic drip coffee fresh brewed into a carafe anywhere from 150 – 180 depending on the brand. Mr. Coffee seems to settle around 165, whereas KRUPS and Cuisinart dispense slightly hotter (170-175). Not sure about BUNNs because I have no direct experience with that brand, but most users report that those brew a very hot cup ‘o joe.
Karen has a point, here, however. We all know the optimal temp for proper extraction if we’ve read anything on the web (just below boiling. However, there is only one Dutch-made coffeemaker endorsed by the trade association for achieving this. Which implies that results with other machines will be hit or miss, with variation in brew and extraction temps even between machines with identical model numbers. It also seems to diminish the flavor/heat when an automatic drip coffeemaker is beginning to wear out or scale over inside from infrequent cleaning. It’s vitally important to descale with diluted white vinegar religiously!
AROMA
Moreover, what is the significance of the “smell test”, which is to say if your coffee tastes bad and your grounds smell burnt, is it getting *too* hot. Can you tell by the odor of the used grounds anything about how little or how much extraction, and can it be a reliable troubleshooting method? This, too, is something I’ve never read anything about, but conceivably it might yield some clues as to how well an automatic drip machine is running.
SEMANTICS
RE: #21
Alan, the key word here is the word “AUTOMATIC”, as in automatic drip coffeemaker. That is the industry nomenclature, and has been since the early 1970s. You are confusing Jeremy, and others here, by leaving a critical modifier out.
Second, do not put hot water into your automatic drip coffeemaker (in answer to a previous question).
ON TOPIC
To those going off on tangents about non-automatic drip brewing methods (Alan, etc.): Please stay on topic! The subject on *this page* is the use of an automatic drip coffeemaker, the type most people are going to have questions about. You don’t need to tell the “coffee snob” how to do other types of brews or even the pros and cons between them because they’ve already made up their minds. The article on this page is going to be useful to new coffee drinkers and/or people trying to figure out if there is any way to get their new automatic drip machine to produce a more flavorful brew. Personally, every time I start with a new automatic drip coffeemaker, I find myself having to experiment with the coarseness of the grind, the amount measured out per cup and to also account for the fact that some automatic drip coffeemaker manufacturers define a cup as 5 oz whereas other brands a “cup” is 6 oz (but never a standard 8 oz size).
A CUP IS NOT A CUP
The article here, in this instance, doesn’t even touch on the havoc it plays when one realizes that their 10-cup automatic drip coffeemaker is actually making only 6.25 8 oz cups (5 oz), or for a 12-cup Mr. Coffee, at a presumed 6 oz measure, a total per pot of just nine 8 oz cups. That’s why the measurement you use for one coffee machine may not produce similar results for another. One might be using a 5 oz cup, and the other 6.
So here’s the deal, folks: The New Orleans style coffee is fascinating, but it is off topic. Moreover, for those who want to talk about the percolators that some people hate and others love, there’s a separate page on this site just for that topic.
ARE THERMAL COFFEEMAKERS A POOR CHOICE FOR BEST TASTE?
I would like to see comments here where people share their best tips for a good cup of coffee using an *automatic drip coffeemakeer*, either the conventional glass decanter type or the stainless steel thermal variety.
Example: I have found that brewing from an automatic drip coffee machine into a stainless steel thermal carafe gradually imparts a somewhat “old coffee” taste to the all-metal carafe, despite using baking soda, dish soap and vinegar to clean the carafe with each and every use. I once bought a certified KRUPS refurb stainless steel thermal carafe model from a mainstream retail store and even straight from the factory it smelled of old coffee associated with prior use. Then, when I recently purchased a Cuisinart DTC-975, the coffee odor began to cling to the inside of the thermal carafe from the very first use and no amount of soaking and cleaning has made it as “odor neutral” — like-new smelling — as my old machine using a glass carafe. There has to be a negative impact to the coffee flavor when just ONE USE will make the receptacle into which it brews start smelling stale or off. With continued use, I suspect the coffee itself can’t be far behind. Or at least that is *my* theory — and most recent disappointment since I was looking forward to the thermal design carafe in pursuit of coffee that wasn’t “baked” on a warming plate.
Chris Healy says
I would disagree with Alan’s excellent instructions on a few opints. First, for good, traditional New Orleans coffee, one must use coffee and chicory–the darker the better–but the tastes are changing from the old Creole preferences to more “American” standards. I like Union, CDM, and French Market (particularly the City Roast rather than the Creole Roast, although both are good), finding Community New Orleans Blend somewhat light. Second, boiling water is a no-no: place the French drip pot (la grégue) in a saucepan of simmering water, then use a teaspoon of that water at a time to drip through the gounds. Keep the pot in the simmering water to keep the coffee warm, but be aware that it will strenghthen over time.
The coffee itself can be drunk in two ways, either as cafe au lait (a half-and-half mixture with scalded milk) or straight in a demitasse. If you are familiar with Cuban coffee as either cafe con leche or cafe cubano, you have the general principle. My Oklahoma ex-inlaws used to call my coffee “starter coffee” because they had to mix it with water.
My own five-piece pot is a different design than Alan’s, for my bottom filter is flat, with a lifting handle (so a paper filter is not an option), while the top filter (more of a disperser) is rounded.
johhny says
to jeremy –
yes, using hot water in a drip coffee maker may damage it. It is heating up the water internally, and doesn’t know how hot the water you are supplying will be, so if you put in 120 degree or hotter water, it’ll heat it up beyond the proper temperature for brewing coffee – so it’ll brew incorrectly and may get too hot internally.
by the way, the best machine to use for consistent results and no hassles is a bunn pour-over model.
good luck
Alan Durfee says
You want decent if not great coffee? Please don’t use an electric anything!
If you must use an “electric” drip pot, then it will heat its own water. You don’t start with hot water.
As I said before, read my first post. There i no need for confusion. If you must use an elecrtic “something”, then get a modern one of some sort, not an old aluminum or stainless antique.
Alan
Karen says
Wow the more I read about coffee makers the more confused I am! How hot should the water be in an electric drip coffee maker?
Alan Durfee says
Jeremy,
you have the wrong idea about what a drip coffe maker is. You MUST use hot (boiling water). any maker that requires cold water, is some type of percolator, NOT a drip coffee maker. And percolators, by design, require power to operate. A drip maker (at least the only ones I have ever used) do not need power.
see my April 25th post above.
jeremy says
can you put hot water into a drip coffee maker….i have heard that if you use hot water instead of cold water it will ruin the coffee maker…true or false…”?
brspiritus says
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.
Norma Zellers says
I do not like strong coffee, so I use two heaping scoops for 12 cups of coffee.
Jim McLoughlin says
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.
Gioia says
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!
Diet and Coke says
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!
Jo Z says
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?
Alan Durfee says
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!
R. Soniat Talton says
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
Alan Durfee says
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!
Jewel Alt says
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.
Alan Durfee says
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!
BudS says
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.
no says
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
dawn cogburn says
this is the best coffee i have ever tasted!!! good job.
Jay says
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?
Lars says
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
Susan says
Enjoyed this article. Reminded me of my ‘corporate’ days, where coffee etiquette was of utmost importance! Thanks for the walk down memory lane :)
Barky says
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.
NewsView says
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.