Attention coffee connoisseurs

[sadbear]

I am not a coffee connoisseur, but I am beginning to drink more and more of it (home-brewed, of course.)

I buy pre-ground 8 O'clock. It's pretty good, IMO, but what do I know? I've heard that it's even better if you grind it yourself.

Would you guys say that it's worth the investment to buy a decent coffee grinder and start going that route? Is there really that much of a difference?

Thanks!

[GoCubsGo]

1. Yes, it is worth the investment.

Heck, even coffee ground with a cheap-o grinder is preferable to pre-ground. Once you open that bag, the coffee begins to oxidize. I find that, by the time I get to the bottom of the bag, it starts tasting stale. I don't have this problem so much when I grind whole beans.

[nadine_mn]

2. My opinion only...if you are going to grind your own

Beans, then you should buy them fresh. I haven't noticed much of a difference between pre-packages ground and whole beans. The benefit of grinding your own is you decide how fine the coffee is which does make a difference. Finer ground coffee is stronger than coarsely ground.

I like to buy my beans freshly roasted from a local coffee shop and have them grind them for me. That is kind of pricey (on my budget, half a pound is about $8) but its a nice treat! I do have a small grinder..you can get a decent one for under $20.

The best thing is to experiment! Have fun...your coffee journey should be all about finding what works best for you!


Mmmmmm coffee

[northoftheborder]

3. I have had 2 inexpensive grinders (I also love fresh ground coffee). However.....

even the one which had a choice of grind fineness, would grind part of the beans to a fine powder, which really makes bitter coffee. Short of buying a commercial grinder (very expensive) to get a consistent grind, which brand does the best job on grinding a consistent size of granule????

[sadbear]

4. Are they burr grinders?

I hear those are superior.

[northoftheborder]

5. I don't know - I gave them away. I'll check into burr grinders. Thanks.

[GentryDixon]

12. I have a Capresso grinder and love it.

It is my fourth, and by far the best I have had. It is not a Burr grinder, but the Capresso brand has been a good match for me. They offer Burr grinders as well. capresso.com

[Jazzgirl]

14. I second the Capresso burr grinder.

I just bought a new one. I've had several as well and this is my second Capresso. It was the top of the line and so far I like it the best. I could never get a consistent really fine grind for espresso or get it just the way I wanted it for regular coffee until I got this.

There is definitely a major difference in the taste of bagged ground coffee and fresh roasted beans.

Edited to add it is my second Capresso grinder.

[The empressof all]

6. Yes I think it is worth it...

Honestly if you are buying fresh ground beans every few days I think that would produce a fine cup of coffee but if you aren't constantly in and out of the grocer a Burr Grinder is the way to go.

Coffee is important to my SO and I so we have invested in a Capresso Coffee Team which has a burr grinder built in and we can program it to have coffee ready for us when we wake up. I also like the fact that it produces very little mess. He isn't very tidy and coffee grounds go all over when he uses the grinder and the French press or the Melitta.

We make an excellent consistent pot every morning/

[cbayer]

7. Coffee grinders are cheap and I think it makes a big difference.

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. the only major issue..once you go down the road, there is no turning back!

My coffee evolution - cram night instant grad school (yuck...caffeine only use)

to

workplace Maxwell House (yuck)

to

locally roasted beans, grinder, drip maker (big improvement, now spoiled)

to

grinder, French Press, Peet's or Starbucks (intense!)

to

roast my own, grinder, French Press (game...set...match)

Starbucks is indeed Charbucks. Same with most of Peet's - the regional flavors (what separates an Ethiopian from a Kenyan from a Guatamalan coffee) all gets roasted away and you end up with different versions of roast flavor.

There are some great local roasters - this website is a good resource for excellent coffee (a set of reviews each month)

http://www.coffeereview.com/

good luck! Since 2007 all of our coffee is home roasted by me using a stainless steel pop corn popper, coleman stove, on my front porch. Nirvana!

[Major Nikon]

9. The post I authored in the Lounge has a lot of information on this subject

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018271256

[grasswire]

10. fresh ground beans and FRESH cold water...

....will make a superior cuppa joe for you.

Fresh water is critical. Let the tap run for a minute to dispose of the water that has been standing in the pipes, before you use it to make coffee. Your coffee needs fresh, fresh water and its mineral components.

That is the problem with programmed coffee makers that are hooked up to a water supply. The water is not fresh from the tap -- it's stale.

So, a drip cone (now called "pour-over" and favored by afficionados) or a french press will provide the best cup.

The gold standard these days is "single source" beans that come from one particular coffee farm. If you want to read about the specialty coffee trends, go to www.freshcup.com.

But for most of us, even an upgrade to fresh ground beans, fresh water, and a cone or press will make a whole world of difference from pre-ground.

[guardian]

11. Grinding the beans fresh makes a difference you will appreciate.

Even if you just buy a cheapie $15 grinder you will notice a difference. It only take an extra minute to grind your own beans for a pot. Plus the whole beans will keep better/fresher than pre-ground coffee.

I no longer buy store brand coffees. We have a local coffee shop that does a very nice job of two stage roasting where the husk is manually removed, and then the coffee beans can be roasted at a much lower temperature. The result is a coffee that does not have a burnt/bitter taste. It costs more ($14/lb and up) than your $8/lb store coffee but is worth it to me.

I also use filtered water.

As far as brewing goes. If you do the above you will notice an improvement no matter what...even for auto drip machines. If you like expresso then I think one of these inexpensive Italian coffee pot does a fine job



A french press is another inexpensive and great way to brew your coffee

[bif]

13. There's Peet's, and there's everything else.

But it's like getting into wine. You start out liking cheap sweet white wine, and as your tastes refine, you move up to the better stuff.

It's also way better to grind your own. But truthfully, I don't se a big difference in the burr grinders.

[Warpy]

15. It's worth the investment to buy a cheap hand grinder, too

I'm not a coffee hound, but I'm going by what friends and an ex have all said, coffee is much better the closest it's brewed to grinding the beans. That smell when you open a new can of coffee is the smell of flavor escaping. By the time you get down to the bottom of the can, much of the really deep flavor is gone.

That doesn't happen with beans you grind fresh before every pot.

[pinto]

16. I go with fresh ground beans, just enough for a pot. Keep the beans tight in the freezer.

Makes for a really tasty cup or two...

[northoftheborder]

17. I used to keep my coffee in the freezer, but after asking a specialty coffee place if......

....that is the best place to preserve your coffee, (ground or unground) they said that it was best to store it at room temperature, because taking it in and out of the cold could lead to condensation forming on the coffee. The important thing to do, it seems, is just buy what you will need and will use up in no longer than two weeks, to always have fresh coffee. My problem is, now, that I do not have a good coffee source in this little town, and can't just run down to the store every other week to buy coffee. So, I do buy about a months' worth, and store half of it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it.

Thanks for the advice on the grinders.

[Lugnut]

18. I like 8 O'Clock coffee.

I always buy the whole bean Colombian. The inexpensive bean grinder I have works fine for my tastes.

[sadbear]

20. That's probably what I'll do.

Move gradually. Like golf, it seems coffee can turn into a rather expensive hobby/obsession. As it is, I only spend about 5 bucks a week on coffee and I'm not dissatisfied with it. But I do know now that there's better options out there worth exploring.

Thanks!

[DrDan]

19. absolutely better - and a grinder is a good investment