Does a percolator make "better" coffee? I've heard from a friend that she uses a percolator instead of the "regular" brewer. I've never used or drank coffee made from a percolator, is there a difference? Does it make better coffee?

This might be a subjective question, I don't know. Just want to hear your thought on it.

First things first, you should decide if it's better than any other brewing method, or not. Decide your cup by tasting and experimenting. (By the way, it's unclear what you mean by "regular brewer" in your question. According to my experience, there's no regular way of brewing coffee.)

I'm not a fan of percolators. However, l can add a few objective things on percolators.

Actually, you should understand how it brews as a first step. The water in the container boils, gets through ground coffee, drips over the container again. Therefore, you can fine tune brew time. You may brew for a short time for mild coffee or brew longer periods for intense cups. There are nice schemas of how it works in Wikipedia.

The final cup is generally dull as most of the volatile flavor has been vaporized during process.
As aromatics are vaporized, it smells nice.
Most people brew longer with their percolator as they like the strong coffee taste in the morning.
You may have a burnt taste out of your coffee by over brewing if you are not careful.

You may also want to see similar questions on this site just like:

Why does espresso taste different to percolator coffee?
What's the difference between a percolator and a moka pot?


Could light transmittance be used to timely determine extraction? I was wondering if I could get perfect extraction timing by measuring the light transmittance (of course with the same coarseness of grind) like a Beer's law sort of thing. Anyone have any readings? Or like a method you use to determine optimal extraction?

Refractometers are widely used to measure the opaqueness of the coffee during brewing to timely determine the extraction time.

Spectrophotometers are used to measure color instead of opaqueness. They are mostly useful to determine the roast degree.

So, why not?

However, in my opinion, perfect is something defined by personal preference when considered with coffee.

If you want to find the perfect roast degree, you may choose your specific beans first, specific brewing method, etc. Then choose the specific roast degree. After that, a spectrophotometer may help you to find that exact point each time you repeat the roasting process. Similar to that, during brewing, a refractometer may help you to find that previously decided specific point each time you repeat that brewing process.

In summary, there is no guidance you can hear as the perfect point that you can scientifically lean on. But you may hear some advice based on the coffee community's common experience. Generally, if you are not into industrial production, you don't generally need nerdy equipment to follow such advise.


What are good methods to prepare and vend cold brew? I am considering in preparing a cold brew and vending at events such as music festivals/parties.  What are good methods for ideally brewing the coffee the night prior to the event and storing it, then serving it?  How should the cold brew be made?  My initial idea was to make several gallons via pour over and refrigerate and serve out of a 5 or 10 gallon dispenser with a spicket on site.

For large batches of cold-brew I suggest to try out the Toddy.

For more information (I suspect you have any knowledge about cold-brew) I suggest you to read this article.


Whats special about the Hario V60 filterpapers? I'm using the Hario V60 for quite some time and I always used the V60 filterpapers which are stated to be the best for my ceramic dripper. I never thought about it, until a friend of mine ask me whats special about them and why I don't use normal papers which will quite fit into them too and are much cheaper.

Honestly, I couldn't answer it for sure. I just thought about it, that I read something about a different paper structure but as I said. I'm not sure with this.

Is there any real difference between the V60 paper and normal filters or is it just the fact that they will fit better into my ceramic dripper?

Short version: The Hario brand filters are thinner than other paper filters and seem to have more texture than other types of filters. I assume this has some, but perhaps slight, impact on the rate at which water passes through the filter and also what "stuff" passes through the filter, which impacts the resulting brew and its taste.

Longer version: The rest of this response is basically a comparison of the Hario filters to other types of filters. This isn't particularly authoritative nor scientific. I don't immediately find any good online resources on this; one video that I don't care to link or watch, and another article from Serious Eats on dripper styles but it doesn't compare the filters themselves as such. So, I'm going rogue.

The different cone (and filter) manufacturers each have their own shape, presumably to ensure product lock-in for consumables (in this case, primarily filters). Here are the three primary ones that I'm aware of:

Clockwise from upper left: off-brand Melitta-style #2, Hario brand V60 02, Chemex brand pre-folded bonded. All are "natural" brown (unbleached, etc.) varieties.

My basic summary, having looked at these three examples from my own stockpile (certainly, this is a small sample) in order from thickest to thinnest:

The Chemex filter is very thick; almost more like like a thin pressed cotton cloth or fabric. Almost completely opaque. The Chemex filter page states that they are "20-30% heavier" than other filters and removes finer sediment and "undesirable oils and fats".
The Melitta-style is in the middle, and is similar in nature to most other Melitta-style and basket-style filter paper. Thick enough to be mostly opaque, but noticeably thinner than Chemex. The Melitta brand filters have claimed "flavor enhancing perforations."
The Hario brand is the thinnest by a fair margin. It's almost translucent through most of the filter, with a somewhat leaf-vein-like pattern to it, presumably from paper fibre and production method. This brown ("natural") style seems to be called "Misarashi" for reasons I don't understand. There's little information on the Hario (.co.uk / .jp) pages about the nature of the filters.

Frankly, I don't notice a significant difference in coffee draining rate (throughput), but I suspect there is. I (personally) think there's a slight difference in taste and output of the brew, but perhaps I'm fooling myself into legitimizing more coffee gear.

As stated in this other question about Hario V60 filters off-brand filters do not seem common (in our regions).


Volume of water to 2 grams of instant coffee I picked up a pack of Kenco Millicano 2 gram sticks to take to college with me because the coffee at the college doesn't taste great and is €1.50 for a tiny cup, so I was wondering in your experience what would be an acceptable volume of water for this mass of coffee?

Those sound like single-serving packets; they are probably intended for a single "cup" of coffee -- somewhere between 150mL - 250mL (5 fl. oz. - 8 fl. oz), depending on how strong you prefer your coffee. Volumetrically, instant coffee is usually on the order of 5-10 mL (1-2 tsp) coffee powder per cup, and this sounds like it's about the same.

I'd suggest starting with 150mL / 5 fl. oz. and try it. Add more water as necessary. Or, in the event that you like it even stronger, use less water next time. For a strength more like mass-market coffee, you might get up to 350mL cup (10 or 12 fl. oz.).

Aren't there directions on the packet or box? Seems like there should be. If so, I'd use those instead. :)


How coffee activates the nerve cells of the brain and what is the mechanism of it? After drinking coffee we feel so relaxed and our brains feel so free. Why this happens?

Caffeine blocks the adenosine methabolism in the neurons which normally manages the tiredness and sleep.

Here is a very nice informative video if you prefer to watch.

Adenosine molecules are released by neurons during the day and after they reach some concentration, they activate the adenosine receptors of the neurons of our brains. This is a mechanism to stop us being extremely tired and makes us sleep regularly for daily maintenance of our body.

Caffeine is a very similar molecule to adenosine in the molecular scale. So, it tricks the receptors as if it is adenosine. But, it doesn't activate the sleeping procedure. So, as a result, we block our sleeping cycle by masquerading adenosine with caffeine for a while. After a while, caffeine is removed from our brain by blood flow and everything returns to normal.


The one-way valve, to squeeze or not to squeeze? I buy 2-3 bags of fresh roasted beans and after a few days the bags balloon out. Should I squeeze the gases out or let the gases seep out naturally?

It doesn't actually matter!

The valve on the bag is there to let gas out without letting gas in. The reason for this is that freshly roasted beans will continue to give off a bit of CO2 for a little while. Coffee that's packaged immediately after roasting will give off a bit in the bag, hence the need for a valve.

Oxygen causes coffee to go off, which is why we keep our coffee in airtight containers to preserve it as long as possible. It's why the valve on the bag is designed to prevent air from the outside getting in.

The CO2 that's accumulating in the bags is essentially inert, and won't cause the coffee beans to go off. It makes no difference whether you squeeze it out or not!


How much caffeine delivered by eating coffee grounds I eat coffee grounds.

I have size 000 capsules (just think of the size of the largest supplement capsules you may have seen), a capsule maker, and some Death Wish (which they tout as premium Ruousto, with "twice the caffeine" (that's their marketing line)) coffee, ground to regular drip coffee maker standards (as delivered by the company, to me).

I tamp the ground coffee into those capsules; it's pretty densely compacted.
Naturally, I get a bit more caffeine per quantity than as brewed (any method) or as would come from Arabica, but, how many milligrams per capsule, roughly?
Anyone able to venture a guess?

Well, eating coffee beans provides you with much more caffeine than drinking coffee. In comparison with the 95 milligrams in 1 cup of brewed coffee, a 28-bean serving of dark chocolate-covered coffee beans contains 336 milligrams of caffeine. So if your capsules could hold one bean, lets say, that would be roughly 12 milligrams of caffeine per bean.


Are there health risks to eating coffee? I like to eat coffee beans without grinding or brewing them. I just chew it raw, as it is. Is this activity unhealthy?

Edit:

I'm talking about the brown, roasted coffee beans.

No.  Not any substantial ones.

There are several listed questions around the topic of eating coffee beans.  Ingesting roasted coffee beans without grinding/brewing them in some manner is quite common.  Many companies sell them specifically to be consumed this way.  Probably the main associated health risk would be caffeine overdose.  However, it's roughly the same as simply drinking far too much coffee.  The main difference being that since coffee (brewed) takes up so much more volume, you are likely to become physically uncomfortable from it before you could get to dangerous levels.  With coffee beans you could likely get to dangerous levels much easier since it would be possible to eat many more beans before experiencing the same "fullness" effect.


Cafe Mai vietnamese coffee - what is the US equivalent? I was at an AirBnb in Washington DC and the host (or previous guest) had left coffee in the cupboard. Only enough for 12 cups or so, and I'm feeling guilty that I consumed the entire packet over couple of days without replenishing.  Anyway, it was 'Cafe Mai' brand like so:

And I am wondering what is the nearest thing I can buy in the US. Flying to Vietnam to visit the (famous) coffee shop isn't going to happen any time soon :(

I can see a few types on their website (http://cafemai.vn), like "Paris Mai", "Moca", "Aliculi Dac Lac", "Espresso Viet Nam", "Buon Me Thuot", but I can't work out from the photos what I had.

I would say that the easiest way to get authentic vietnamese coffee in Washington DC would be to go to an asian supermarket and buy a pack of vietnamese coffee. I've never been to DC, but I just googled "Asian supermarket in Washington DC" and also "Vietnamese supermarket in Washington DC" and plenty of option show up. So it should be easy to pick one that's close to you.

Other than that vietnamese coffee is of the Robusta species and the roast profile is quite dark. So you can also just go to a well sorted supermarket and buy a pack of Robusta dark roast beans/grounds, preferably of vietnamese origin. It will be more or less the same as the coffee roasted by vietnamese roasters.


How does drinking coffee after a heavy meal counteract the drowsiness? General knowledge tells you that eating a heavy meal will make you drowsy since blood is being redirected for use in the digestion.

At the same time coffee does make you more alert because of some chemical effects.

Can the chemical properties of coffee really overcome the need of blood for the brain to be more active? I think that the blood flow is fundamental to avoid feeling drowsy but whenever I drink coffee after a meal I get really alert and almost feel no post-meal drowsiness.

I am by no means a biochemist/physiologist, but I will give this my best scientific go.

The main reason people get sleepy after eating large meals, "get the 'itis" as many call it, simply has to do with homeostasis. The average person's diet usually consists mostly of carbohydrates. Carbs, especially when eaten in large quantities, causes a large spike in our blood sugar. In order for your body to bring the sugar levels back down to normal, the body releases insulin.

  This stimulates movement of tryptophan (an amino acid in the brain), which then leads to the increased production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for sleep. And this increased level of serotonin triggers sleepiness after a meal. - See more at: http://blog.zocdoc.com/get-sleepy-meal-weird-science-daily-life/#sthash.fseXW9aA.dpuf

Dangerously enough, constant spiking and falling of the blood sugar levels in the human body can lead to T2 Diabetes (most associated with processed sugars).

Tryphtophan is the same amino that is found abundantly in turkey may be why some people take snoozes after large Thanksgiving day meals!

Now, this brings us to the coffee portion. Coffee has caffeine which is a CNS stimulant. It increases blood pressure, metabolism, causes natriuresis (increase in saline secretion), but most obviously, may cause jitteriness, mild anxiety and alertness.

This is because when caffeine is consumed, it antagonizes adenosine receptors; in other words, caffeine prevents adenosine from activating the receptor by blocking the location on the receptor where adenosine binds to it. As a result, caffeine temporarily prevents or relieves drowsiness, and thus maintains or restores alertness.

It is not the blood in your body that affects sleepiness/alertness, rather the neurotransmitters and their chemical synapses

TL;DR: After eating, your body is naturally producing neurotransmitters to bring your body to a state of homeostasis. When you ingest coffee, which contains caffeine, it counteracts this and keeps you awake and alert.


How does Nel Drip compare to paper filtered Pour Over? I have read about the seemingly involved "Nel Drip" preparation method, and I'm wondering how Nel Pot preparation differs from regular pour-over or drip methods.

I've looked at stuff like this beautiful guide from Blue Bottle and an interview from the same outfit, another preparation guide, some forum posts like this one from CoffeeGeek and others. I also see some other questions tagged pour-over like this one discussing general methods focused on paper filters, and some over at Seasoned Advice but none about Nel.

Nel Drip preparation differs (from other pour-over/drip) in its apparatus ("Nel Pot"), which itself consists of a cotton / flannel filter loosely hanging or suspended over a glass carafe. It also seems to be called "woodneck" (but this is not the Chemex, which also has a wooden bit). "Nel" seems to be stylised as proper noun, but also seems to be short for flan-nel, and is of Japanese origin, though I can't find any proper references.

As with other brewing methods, there seems to be some kind of romantic fascination or magical mystique about it, and perhaps a "cult-like following" of sorts. I've seen widely varying comments, from the preparation method being fragile or finicky, to "easy, cheap ... incredible" (both from links above).

It looks like Nel Drip preparation takes more gear, more preparation, more grounds, coarser grounds, and more maintenance. There's talk of pre-boiling the filter, bamboo paddles, storing the filter in the fridge or freezer, ...?

My Questions:

How does it differ (in taste/outcome) from conventional paper filter pour-over/drip?
Preparation tips that are different from regular pour-over/drip?
Cleaning, maintenance, storage of the filters?

I hope that some with experience can talk me into (or out of!) getting more coffee gear... :)

Lets answer this question with some data! My company uses machine learning, data science, and sensory science to build flavor profiling and quality control tools for the craft beverage industry.

Lets use some of our 9,000+ full sensory reviews to examine the difference between Paper Filter Pour-over coffees and the Nel.

TL;DR: Nel takes a ton of work to do properly and consistently - but produces a distinct and interesting flavor profile difficult if not impossible to achieve through other brewing methods.

The Data

  Data

  7,371 Reviews of Central American Washed Coffees brewed in Chemex, Beehouse, kalita wave, or  V60 with a paper filter

  Average of 7 day old coffee with a SD of 5 days, the data is evenly dichotomously split between a ratio of 40:600 and 35:400 (up-dose) grams of water : grams of coffee

  2,143 Reviews of Central American Washed Coffees brewed in Nel;

  Average of 30 day old coffee with a SD of 10 days, brewed at approx 50g coffee to 180 ml water

Differences in the Beans - before preparation

Proper Nel uses old beans, usually a month past roast - often considered stale! This is a historical antecedent - fresh coffee was hard to come by when the dutch we're the only trading partner (for some time, and the only one shipping coffee) for Japan.

Pour-Over Methods produce the best flavor profile using fresh coffee (less than 14 days from roast, on average).

Differences in Preparation

Nel: Very high coffee to water ratio, hovering around ~50g coffee to ~200g water. Very slow pour. It should take at least 6 min to pour the water through the grinds.

Pour-over: More standard coffee to water ration, often around ~40g coffee to ~600g water. Standard pour rate, with total brew time around 4 min.

Differences in Flavor Profile

For this section of the analysis, I will be using the Gastrograph to communicate complex flavor profiles consistently and simply. On the Gastrograph, the intensity is shown ranging from 0, the center of the graph, to 5 (the outer most point).

Let's look at the difference in flavor profiles of Central American Coffees below:

Pour-over methods using paper filters:

And we can compare to:

Want further analysis? Just leave a comment!


How to keep a cup of Coffee hot enough not to burn me? When I warm a cup of water up in a microwave I get the feeling that is gets too hot for me to drink it without burning my lips. But, then it chills too fast, which renders me to drink it all before it's cold again.

Does someone know a trick for avoiding that? Is using fire the only solution?

Did you try a thermos? There are thermally isolated cups. Also, there are many different types of them.

This one, for example, really looks like a miniaturized thermos.

This one is a two-fold stainless-steel cup. Maybe better for camping. The trapped air in between two layers keep your coffee warm for a longer period.

You can also find prettier looking two-fold glass cups. Esthetic ally, they look better.


What should be the daily coffee intake? I am from Pakistan. Summers here are very hot. My question is how many cups of coffee are recommended as a daily intake in summers? should the daily intake of coffee vary in summers and winters?

This, or similar questions have been answered a few times. Each time, they are phrased a bit differently with new perspectives, so I would like to answer these, also add the previous discussions.

Starting in the reverse order, drinking coffee in alternating seasons should not matter. Actually, this boils down how much water your metabolism consume in summer or in winter time. As well as, how much water you consumed: plain or in coffee form -which is more common. In Coffee SE, we have discussed caffeine related dehydration a few times, where the following two discussions has extended answers:

Does coffee cause dehydration?
Will I get dehydrated from drinking coffee?

Then, as the second part of your question whether there exists a limit for coffee consumption? Yes, there is. Actually, the limit for caffeine intake is so high that under normal conditions even the water you consumed together with your coffee become deadly at that point. Still, if you want to see the answer it is here:

What is the limit to the amount of coffee one can consume?

And, finally, you may wonder whether is there a suggested amount. Yes, there is:

How many cups of coffee is it safe to consume per day?


Why do the coffee shops give sparkling water along with the Espresso? Why do coffee shops provide sparkling water (mineral water) along with Espresso?

Most people drink espresso not just because it is hot, strong and contains caffeine, but because it is very rich and flavorful. The water is intended to cleanse your palate before the first sip so that you can better enjoy the taste of the espresso.


Does the caffeine content differ in "ristretto" shots? My intuition tells me the difference in caffeine content will be slight to non-existent between regular shots and ristretto shots. But perhaps I'm not adequately accounting for the reduced volume. And I don't actually know the little details that might contribute to an educated guess.

Which part of the pour has the highest concentration of caffeine? What are the temperature and pressure ranges within which caffeine extraction is most effective? Does the color of the crema indicate anything about the caffeine levels in a single shot?

Well first off what is your definition of ristretto? It's very frequently misunderstood to mean simply a short shot of espresso, when really it's all about your coffee to yield ratio. Ristretto styled shots range somewhere in the 1:1 to 1:1.5 range (arguably). For example if you put in 18 grams of coffee, and then yield out 20 grams of espresso (1:1.1)- then you are somewhere in the land of ristretto.

What does this mean as far as caffeine goes? There is no difference at all. Whether you are pulling a normale or a ristretto shot, you still want an extraction somewhere around 20% of the original coffee mass. This means that you are extracting the exact same amount of coffee, but simply putting that into a smaller amount of water.

The other thing to look at is that caffeine is one of the first compounds that is extracted in the extraction process. So even if you decided to pull the shot a bit short and under extract it, you should still have the same caffeine content.

I'm sorry I have no sources or citation. I hope this helps!


Is cold coffee stronger than regular coffee? If we have to start our day with caffeine then can we take cold coffee instead of regular coffee? And what are the effects of cold coffee on our health?

Cold brew generally has a higher concentration of caffeine due to the process of which it is made. Somewhere between 1:4 and 1:8 caffeine to water ratio. Whilst regular coffee is somewhere between 1:15 to 1:25.

If you want to dive deeper into the caffeine in cold brew, you can check out this link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5740146/


How can I get a more even grind with a rotary grinder? In general, I prefer burr grinders for grinding coffee beans, but sometimes I have to use a rotary grinder. I'd like to understand how to best use the rotary grinder for grinding coffee beans.

I find burr grinders generally produce a superior result in terms of grind consistency, less heat generated, and therefore final product is better. Sometimes in a pinch, however, I need to use a rotary grinder (e.g., it's the only grinder around; burr grinder hopper is full of other beans; flavoured beans that I don't want to pollute the burr grinder; testing to see if a newly roasted batch of beans is "ready", etc.) -- and there are some advantages of rotary grinders.

I'd like to use the rotary grinder in such a way as to make the ground coffee particle size as even as possible. Is this even possible? I find that, no matter how I use the thing, I end up with some very large chunks (even whole beans) and some extremely fine powder. The result is only usable in filter coffee (drip/pour-over), but it simply doesn't "work" as well as when the ground coffee particle size is more even.

I have searched for techniques or recommendations, but I find exactly nothing helpful on this, but I believe there must be some way to optimize the use of a rotary grinder. I have tried things like...

Pulsing the machine. Turning on for a second, then letting the blades come to rest, then pulsing some more, until I achieve approximately the grind I'm looking for;
Shaking the grinder up and down during the grinding;
Revolving the grinder around in a circle the opposite way that the blades are spinning;
Using more or less beans in a single grinding session ("half full" seems to work best for me)

All of these seem to have minimal / marginal benefit. Is there any way to improve the coffee bean grind consistency using a rotary grinder?

"Using more or less beans in a single grinding session" will yield the most bang for buck, usually.  However, this is highly dependent on your particular rotary grinder.  Rotary grinders are like miniature blenders.  Just like in a full size blender trying to make a milkshake or something, if you over- or under-fill the blender, then the blade won't be able to mix the ingredients as it cuts through them.  Cheap grinders won't be designed to mix very well as they grind, so with terrible grinders, you probably won't see much benefit to your strides.

You need to experiment with your particular blade-style rotary grinder to see how much you can add without prohibiting movement once the beans are fully chopped up, and without leaving too much movement where they just bounce around inside.  Too much room will create friction from the grinder chamber sides, and will start to warm up the coffee oils.  Too little room will result in the same bean being over-ground (too much friction from the blade), and you'll get coffee paste in the inner center of the grinder chamber.

Achieving consistency and repeatability to the level of a fast-food chain will be impossible, as rotary grinders are way to sensitive to how many beans you put in, as well as size and shape of the bean, how hard the bean is (age of bean), lunar phase, etc.  Maybe this is why all the big coffee chains use more expensive burr grinders in-store (not that the coffee is better, which it arguably is, its just more predictable).  Some fancy rotary grinders have timers and knobs and levers to set so you don't have to count to yourself before you let go of the grind-button.  That helps, but is far from a silver bullet.


Where can I get Koiwai coffee milk delivered to Europe? Since I went to Japan on holidays I've been craving the coffee milk that I've had over there, but I haven't been able to get it at home.

No local asian stores stock it and I haven't been able to find any online stores (although admittedly I have been looking at only English-speaking sites) that have any available - or deliver to Europe.

I'm not sure what it is about it, but i've been thinking about it ever since. Is there somewhere online where I can order some?

You can buy them from Rakuten. They ship internationally, with the exception of some countries, due to them not sufficing to the standards.

I don't believe there to be such a limit in Europe though, so you should be fine.

It costs ¥ 3,369 which comes down to roughly $27. And no account is required to order.


Hario V60 Plastic Dripper vs Ceramic Dripper: Is there any difference in brew quality? I am planning on purchasing a V60 and was wondering if there was any difference between the brew produced by the plastic and the ceramic Hario V60?

The main difference between the ceramic and plastic V60 is heat retention. The ceramic will retain heat and can be pre-warmed, creating a stable temperature. Depending on who you are this may not make a huge difference but I prefer the ceramic as I feel the plastic sucks some heat out of the water/coffee.

The other reason I prefer ceramic is for cleaning purposes. The ceramic is nonporous and I've used mine for 6 months with no residue or stains whatsoever. The plastic can form build ups from minerals in water or coffee and start to appear visually unappealing (not sure if it will affect flavor of coffee)

The plastic V60 is obviously more durable and resistant to bumps and minor drops, so it can be a portable solution for coffee. However the ceramic V60 is the most visually appealing of the V60's (in my opinion) and it stays at my home on the counter so I prefer it. I believe the grooves inside the brewer and the size of everything is identical, so you can't go wrong with any of them.


How to prevent Bonavita 1900 TS drip-brewer from producing bitter flavored coffee? My family bought me a Bonavita 1900 TS for Father's day. Unfortunately after burning through 3/4 of a bag of coffee, I still haven't produced a good tasting carafe of coffee. Every time, it comes out (varying levels, but still) bitter and dry.

I tried grinding (with my Capresso Infinity) in the exact middle setting and worked my way all the way to the most coarse setting under coarse. Can still go further, but I have a feeling I'm missing something.

I'm using BJ's Kona blend Arabica, medium roast. Yeah, not the highest grade stuff. But I like it good enough from my old 12 cup Cuisinart at 6 scoops with 12 cups of water (per the coffeemaker measurement).

I've tried anywhere from 55-65g of grounds with 1L of water in the Bonavita. Which is way more grounds than I used to use in my old Cuisinart, but I'm trying to follow recommendations I've found online.

Any ideas?

I recently purchased the Bonavita as well. After years of using basic automatic drip coffee makers this was an adjustment. I still haven't perfected the art of the cup using the Bonavita. The problem is that the Bonavita brews at the correct temperature, so I think you really need to be a little more precise when brewing (at least that's what I discovered).
First of all, the Bonavita brews only 8 cups--and each cup is only 5 oz. I use a scale to get as close as I can to the correct water-coffee ratio. I no longer use a scoop: a scale is the way to go.
I have found that with the Bonavita a medium course grind is best. I also found that lighter roasts are less likely to produce the bitter flavor you are experiencing.
I usually brew at a water ratio of 1:14. So that means that I use about 84 grams of coffee for a full pot. I know, seems like a lot of coffee. i never used that much with my Mr. Coffee.  But, once you figure out the correct grind and amount, the Bonavita produces a great cup of coffee.
Go to https://baristahustle.com/the-coffee-compass/ and read the article. The "Coffee Compass" really helped me out in trying to get that great cup. Just the other day, I ground up some coffee at a slightly higher setting and the coffee was weak. So now, using that setting, I had to up the amount of coffee by a couple of grams and it was perfect. And that was thanks to the Coffee Compass.
It is so trial and error, I have to say.
Here are the basic ratios to use with the Bonavita. I have found that the 1:14 produces the better cup in my opinion. Also, lighter roasts tend to not be as bitter as the darker roasts.

Bonavita cup = 5 oz. (147.87 grams = 1 Bonavita cup or 29.574 grams an
ounce) Each cup = 5.215 ounces
4 Bonavita Cups = 20 oz = 591.47 g   (Ratios:  1:14=42 g; 1:15=39 g;
1:16=37 g) Note: Finer grind
5 Bonavita Cups = 25 oz = 739.33 g (Ratios:  1:14=53 g; 1:15=49 g; 1:16=46 g)
6 Bonavita Cups = 30 oz = 887.20 g   (Ratios:  1:14=63 g; 1:15=59 g; 1:16=55.45 g) Note: Medium grind
8 Bonavita Cups = 40 oz =1182.94 g  (Ratios:  1:14=84.5 g; 1:15=79 g; 1:16=74 g) Note: Courser grind

Hope this helps. Happy brewing.


What does Kopi Luwak taste like? I have never had the opportunity to try Kopi Luwak, and I'd like to know how it tastes:

How does its taste differ from more traditionally processed coffee from the same region?
Are there other coffees with similar tasting notes?

I am aware that such a question may be considered opinion-based, but using some sort of external reference, or analysis of its traits, it could receive a more objective answer.

I've had this on the farm where it was harvested, and was able to verify for myself that wild, happy civets were left to their own selection process and merely followed around by farmers eager to find the drops.
It's not unlike any other Arabica bean. What I had was single-source, but that's rarer - farms doing it correctly don't produce a lot, so packagers and marketers will usually buy from dozens. That brings me to the first thing that determines the taste of it:
The Roast
Some farmers roast themselves, others just sell the beans. Many sell directly to people and to packagers, so unless you get it single-source, you're probably going to have a bag of beans roasted anywhere from blonde to nearly dark. If you're serious about tasting it, find a place that offers single-source, or roasts their own. You want it just at the second 'crack'. A comparable color is a Starbucks 'blonde' roast, or the usual color of illy in the red can.
The Brew
I've had it two ways, as espresso and in a press. I prefer to have it in a press, despite not getting nearly as much crema. A coarse grind, hot clean water and about 4 minutes to brew. Drink it immediately with a clean palette. Make sure you're not thirsty, make sure you're not hungry, and make sure there's nothing going on with your taste buds other than the coffee. You want to sip slow and enjoy it. Don't let it get cold, but slow down.
The Taste
While debates are quite hot regarding whether or not the civet's digestion of the bean adds anything to flavor, I'm quite confident that the selection process does. Good Arabica coffee is known for the subtle nutty / caramel hints, and you know it when you drink this. I couldn't detect any difference in acidity, but the flavors that the bean is known are definitely more present than usual. This makes a lot of sense given the selection process, civets are very picky cats.
But, that's not to say that a very discriminating and trained picker couldn't get you something close. In fact, illy (red) comes very close to the same quality and presence of flavor undertones that I've experienced with alamid (kopi luwak).
Conclusion
Don't raise your expectations too high, it's not really that much better than any other very high quality Arabica. You're paying for the process (make sure you're dealing with an 'honest' source) as much as you are the quality of bean, novelty and experience.
It tastes very good, but so do the illy beans I grind every day.


Coffee in a flask - How long can I store? In the past I have made up to 2L of coffee using a french press and stored it in a flask that I have brought to lectures. Sometimes I will continue drinking this after 5 days, but it tastes pretty bad.

Two related questions: Is it bad for my health to drink after two weeks? Does it lose caffeine over time?

There are a few factors at play here. The temperature that the coffee is brewed at and how well the flask holds that temperature are primary.

While the coffee stays hot the caffeine level will decrease. The speed will depend on the temperature and the amount of caffeine to start with (which is thoroughly discussed in other questions here).

When the coffee cools bacteria growth will start. At what point this bacteria become dangerous not only depends on temperature but also how clean the flask was to begin with and what quality water is being used. Clean tap water in the US, brewing coffee in a very clean french press, and placed into an incredibly clean flask could last two weeks (although it would taste terrible and have little caffeine) but if any of those steps is less than ideal there is a good chance of bacteria growth. Some people's guts will handle that bacteria without a problem, other people may get sick.

Edit: I should point out that as I have researched more I'm less certain about the statement regarding caffeine levels over time. Caffeine should not burn at any temperature coffee is left at, and it does not evaporate. So either experiments that say caffeine levels decrease are wrong or the reason it decreases is not clear. Some suggest that bacteria eats the caffeine, which does tie into why it becomes less safe to drink over time.


Cafe latte with 0% fat milk? Is it possible to order cafe latte with 0% fat milk? Or most places would say that is not latte etc
Would the taste be bad?

Cafe Latte comes in many variants, all of which are Cafe Lattes. If you ever see anyone ordering a "Cafe Latte with nonfat milk" at Starbucks, this typically refers to a Cafe Latte with milk that has less than 0.5% of fat.

Note that 0.0% fat milk is not available everywhere. For example, it is common in central Europe that the lowest percentage of fat available for milk is 0.3% or 1.5%. I recently checked at a German Starbucks what milk they have to pour into filter coffee, and they start at 1.5% fat. Note that even if the label on a box of milk says 0% fat, there will always be some traces of fat.

Whether it tastes well: that is subjective. Fat does add to the taste. But a 0.3% fat milk Cafe Latte is probably closer to a 1.5% fat milk Cafe Latte in terms of taste than to a coconut milk Cafe Latte, which is also enjoyed by many coffee consumers and also bears the name "Cafe Latte". Whether you will actually be able to get a close-to-0% fat Cafe Latte depends on the place that you are visiting: not all coffee places may have that type of milk in stock.


Quick Homemade Great Tasting Coffee vs Price? Good Coffee When Working From Home

I work from home and often don't have the time to go to a coffee shop to get a nice freshly brewed coffee.

Solutions I've Tried

To combat this, I've tried various solutions such as a French Press and organic instant.

The organic brand of instant coffee I found is a little better than other brands, but it's still almost unbearably bad unless I lace it with lots of milk and sugar, as per this question here. However, I try to avoid sugar, especially in coffee.

Although the French Press tastes a little better than instant, it's a pain to use, clean and prepare, and is a little too time-consuming.

Expensive Consumer Grade Coffee Machines

I was thinking about getting a coffee machine but found them to be incredibly expensive with no guarantee it will last or taste any better than a French Press. And with so many variations, it's hard to know which to choose. I don't trust reviews as they are often sponsored or left by the manufacturer themselves, so it's hard to know if they are actually any good.

The Question

Q: What is the best way to get an experience as close as possible to a freshly brewed coffeehouse coffee without breaking the bank. Let's say the total budget is $500 USD.

Apologies if this is a duplicate. I did look but didn't see a similar question with an answer. I will delete this question if there is one.
I understand that a good coffee requires good barista skills. This question is about what equipment can help me achieve that quickly from home without breaking the bank.

If it Helps

Probably also important... I like a Flat White with no sugar and nice creamy milk.

I can make a few assumptions based on your story. First, I clearly understand that you are also short on time. Second, as you mentioned barista style you tend to drink espresso varieties and don't check the options for disposable single-use filters, etc., which are easier to clean.

500$ budget is more than enough for a reasonable home setup. You have two options. First one is a bit more time consuming, second one is more automated. Either (1) you could buy a grinder and an home espresso machine or (2) you could buy a bean-to-cup machine.

As you are short on time, I specifically mention what these cost in units of time.

Option 1: If you have a separate grinder and espresso machine, you require periodic cleaning (by cleaning tablets, I assume monthly?) and decalcifying (by tablets or liquids again, I assume monthly, bi-monthly?) for your espresso machine. The portafilter must be rinsed after each use and from time to time cleaned thoroughly. If you have a milk frother, it requires extra care after each use. Grinder also requires periodic cleaning (monthly, bi-monthly?).
Option 2: If you have a bean-to-cup machine, you should require to physically clean it thoroughly in periodic intervals. This may require you to take down a few parts (don't worry, they are designed for this) and assamble afterwards. Then, of course clean and decalcify as in regular espresso machines. This option may require a bit more care, but at the end, it is way faster in daily use.

And, what about the brands? I think you can just read reviews anywhere. I'm happy with my bean-to-cup machine for daily coffee. Still, I know it is not preparing the best shot.


Help me to identify the name of this part This part is leaking. Can anybody please help me to identify the name of this part (see image)?
If it's not possible to get these parts anymore, can I use a different part which does the same job?

The espresso machine is a G3 Ferrari Lady C.

Looks like a plastic compression fitting


Latte Art... How much foam is too much foam? I've been a home coffee enthusiast for nearly 12 months now, so to cut a long question short, I'm pulling really nice & consistent espresso shots now after much experimenting & learning...but it's the latte art that is eluding me. I end up with what I think is way too much foam despite my attempts at keeping the stretch to a small amount. Does usually look smooth & silky at a good temperature & I my pouring is getting better all the time - but still the art will not show... Is it the milk?.. I'm only using supermarket bought full cream milk. Thanks !! :)

Ideally for latte art you should have zero foam in the conventional sense i.e. coarse foam or froth that has easily discerned bubbles. What you want to achieve is to make a completely homogeneous pitcher of microfoam.


freddo espresso pods vs espresso pods I'd like to consider myself a newbie at...coffee...consumption and I wanted to buy an espresso machine for myself and right now I'm between, a nespresso machine and a dolce gusto machine and the only thing that is holding me back is that, I can find freddo espresso pods for the dolce gusto machine but not for the nespresso one.
Now, I know that freddo means cold, but I don't know if there is a point in having different pods for freddo espresso and "normal" espresso.
That being said, does anyone know, in they're experience, if there is a difference between the two types of pods?

One is coffee de-oiled and re-mixed, the other is instant coffee with added sugar, however only plastic pods instead of aluminum + plastic.


Odd coffee notation on menus On a trip to Texas I've noticed that espresso drinks are listed on menu boards as "3 oz.," "6 oz.," and "8 oz.," instead of "cortado," "cappuccino," and "latte," respectively. I have not seen this notation anywhere else. Is it unique to Texas, or a new convention that is still catching on, or what?

i'm wondering if this is a wee joke?
In any coffee joint in north america it's common to have a name for the size of a drink like vente, grande or small medim large, BUT these are also associated with eactly these kinds of OZ sizes

For example on the startbucks coffee sizes page, it reads

The drink sizes we currently offer are:

Short [8 fl. oz.]
Tall [12 fl. oz.]
Grande [16 fl. oz.]
Venti® Hot [20 fl. oz.]
Venti® Cold [24 fl. oz.]

also, i may be reading you incorrectly but
"cortado," "cappuccino," and "latte,"
are types of drinks;
oz on the other hand are sizes.

you can have any size applied to a latte for example.

???
apologies if i have misinterpretted you.

m.c.


Espresso drips out slowly So my wife and I have a Delonghi EC155 espresso machine that we have used for years.  Lately it's been having a lot of trouble pushing the water through the coffee.  We can hear the pump pumping, but the water just barely drips out.  We end up having to pull it 2 or 3 times to get a full shot (or just wait for the drips to fill up the shot glass).

I opened up this machine once before in the hopes of cleaning it, but found almost everything inside pretty clean and the plumbing is all sealed up.  So I'm a little befuddled as to what to do next.

How do I fix my machine so that the shots come out in a single pull?  I wonder if my pump just can form enough pressure anymore - can I measure the pressure?

A note on the grounds:  We have the grinder set to the finest grind, which comes out like a fine sand.  We've had it this way for a long time and not had any problems.  We fill the basket to about 1/2 full (it's a double shot basket, and we only need one shot - the single shot basket was fed to the garbage disposal years ago) and tamp.  I've been tamping more lightly recently, thinking that the problem was grounds that are too compressed to let the water through.

Thanks

As suggested in comment above, descaling or decalcifying your machine may solve your problem. We just run straight distilled white vinegar through ours to do so. Running the machine with distilled water rather than tap water helps keep mineral deposits to a minimum.

Also, running it without water can create an airlock (which makes it take a while for the water to pull through), and allows the pump to spin freely, and so can wreak havoc on, or at least weaken the pump. (I don't know what specific pump is employed by your machine, but this page may apply.)

Moreover, in the event that the pump has become weakened, it can be helpful to keep the reservoir completely full of water. I do not believe that a normally working machine would be affected too much by the grinding coarseness selected.

Edited to add: While commercial descaling/decalcifying solutions are available (and might work really well) for this application, the staff on a website selling such reports in the Q&A, "Breville actually recommends using vinegar to descale their machines while you're under their warranty."

When deciding what to use, it may be to one's advantage to research whether the product is under warranty, and what the specific manufacturer recommends. Also, take into consideration that the unlisted chemicals that might be found in a given solution could put off foul odors and/or flavors (not that vinegar makes a good perfume, by any means).

P.S.  I just found out that the safety data sheet for one descaling liquid contains the following hazard warning (although the company might issue the same warning about vinegar if they sold it):

H315 Causes skin irritation.

H319 Causes serious eye irritation.


How long is brewed coffee fresh for and what does that blinking light mean at Starbucks? I asked a Starbucks barista what the blinking light is for on the brewed coffee and he said is starts blinking 15 minutes after the coffee is brewed.

This makes no sense to me as they would have to brew coffee 4 times an hour which they obviously do not do because it would be ludicrous.

The blinking light means it has been sitting there for 30 mins.

Starbucks Baristas do in fact brew coffee every 15 mins and are supposed to dump the coffee when the light blinks.

source: a starbucks barista


Does storing coffee in a freezer preserve freshness? Does storing ground coffee in a freezer make it stay fresh longer? If so, how long will it remain fresh?

No. In fact it's likely to make your coffee taste bad, and gum up your grinder. You should store your coffee in an air-tight container, at or just below room temp (about 25 degrees Celsius).

Coffee can and will absorb all kinds of odors, and while your freezer probably doesn't smell like much, there are odors that will (at the minimum) dull the taste of the coffee. Additionally, when you take your coffee out to room temp, condensation kicks in which further degrades the beans and messes up your grind. Depending on your climate, the condensation can also invite mold. Yuck!

The only time you should be freezing or refrigerating coffee is when you're doing so because you've created a desert with some :) Otherwise, dark air-tight containers are the best way to go, just store them in your cabinet.

A good rule of thumb: Store anything you buy the way it was when you bought it, unless the label tells you to do something different once you open it.


Calculate diluted concentration of cold-brew Imagine I produce a concentrated Cold-Brew, with a 1:4 ratio.

How can I make a cup of diluted cold-brew that contains the standard ratio (1:15) ?

For the response consider explaining the math with:

100grs of concentrated Cold-brew (brewed with 1:4 ratio)
Achieve a final beverage of 500grs (must have a 1:15)

PS: I don't think that is as simple as adding the n remaining parts, that's the reason why I'm asking this.

The math is fairly simple. You know for how much concentrated cold brew you will be using that it is at a ratio of 1:4. Since the resulting concentration of the cold brew is constant (since it has already been brewed) we only really care about the parts of water that are in it; 4 parts.

Therefore to calculate how much water you need to add to dilute your 1:4 concentrate into a 1:15 cup, divide the amount of concentrate you are using by 4 and then multiply that by the remaining parts you wish to add, which is 15 - 4 = 11 which gives you the amount of water you need to add in whatever units you measured the amount of concentrate you started with.

Using your example numbers:

Start with 100g of cold brew concentrate at 1:4 ratio. Each part of water is therefore 100/4 = 25g. The amount of water you will need to add is therefore 11 x 25g = 275g to result in a total amount of 375g in your final cup.

Check the final answer by doing a reverse calculation. If the concentrate is 1:4 and you have 100g of it, it means you started with 25g of ground coffee. Therefore making a 1:15 ratio cup of coffee with 25g of coffee means 25g x 15 = 375g of water must be added.

The answers align.

In general:

For an amount of cold brew to be diluted, c units, which has a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:n, the amount of each part of water in the cold brew, w equals c/n. The amount of water to be added to achieve a final ratio of 1:m is therefore w x (m-n) units.

Units are any form of measure of the liquid mass being used, in g, mL or others.


Will I get dehydrated from drinking coffee? In fact, 54 percent of Americans over the age of 18 drink an average of 3.1 (8 oz) cups per day; the equivalent to 40 billion dollars spent solely on the ever-so-popular cup o' Joe. With over half of the American adult population sharing the same admiration for good ol' java, what's happening inside our bodies if we're drinking it every single day?

Edit: I realized there have been a very similar answer on Coffee SE, already. Excuse me for my lack of attention. I add this link before my answer to complete the discussion.

Does coffee cause dehydration?

What's happening inside our bodies, is quite a question. I cannot answer that. However, I can answer the entitled question; no, you shouldn't be dehydrated by consuming coffee.

There are numerous studies made on this issue. Some of them including sports area some others are generic.

Scott Paluska states:

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world, and athletes frequently use it as an ergogenic aid. It improves performance and endurance during prolonged, exhaustive exercise. To a lesser degree it also enhances short-term, high-intensity athletic performance. Caffeine improves concentration, reduces fatigue, and enhances alertness. Habitual intake does not diminish caffeine's ergogenic properties. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the physiologic effects of caffeine, but adenosine receptor antagonism most likely accounts for the primary mode of action. It is relatively safe and has no known negative performance effects, nor does it cause significant dehydration or electrolyte imbalance during exercise. Routine caffeine consumption may cause tolerance or dependence, and abrupt discontinuation produces irritability, mood shifts, headache, drowsiness, or fatigue. Major sport governing bodies ban excessive use of caffeine, but current monitoring techniques are inadequate, and ethical dilemmas persist regarding caffeine intake by athletes.

Paluska, S. A. (2003). Caffeine and exercise. Curr Sports Med Rep, 2(4), 213-9.
Yang Zhang et al. states:

In practical terms, there was no evidence that caffeine ingestion in moderation would impair fluid balance during prolonged exercise in the heat or during 3 hours of recovery.

Zhang, Y., Carter, S. J., Schumacker, R. E., Neggers, Y. H., Curtner-Smith, M. D., Richardson, M. T., ... & Bishop, P. A. (2014). Effect of caffeine ingestion on fluid balance during exercise in the heat and during recovery. South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 26(2), 43-47.
Sophie Killer et al. states:

It is often suggested that coffee causes dehydration and its consumption should be avoided or significantly reduced to maintain fluid balance. The aim of this study was to directly compare the effects of coffee consumption against water ingestion across a range of validated hydration assessment techniques. In a counterbalanced cross-over design, 50 male coffee drinkers (habitually consuming 3–6 cups per day) participated in two trials, each lasting three consecutive days. In addition to controlled physical activity, food and fluid intake, participants consumed either 4×200 mL of coffee containing 4 mg/kg caffeine (C) or water (W). Total body water (TBW) was calculated pre- and post-trial via ingestion of Deuterium Oxide. Urinary and haematological hydration markers were recorded daily in addition to nude body mass measurement (BM). Plasma was analysed for caffeine to confirm compliance. There were no significant changes in TBW from beginning to end of either trial and no differences between trials (51.5±1.4 vs. 51.4±1.3 kg, for C and W, respectively). No differences were observed between trials across any haematological markers or in 24 h urine volume (2409±660 vs. 2428±669 mL, for C and W, respectively), USG, osmolality or creatinine. Mean urinary Na+ excretion was higher in C than W (p = 0.02). No significant differences in BM were found between conditions, although a small progressive daily fall was observed within both trials (0.4±0.5 kg; p<0.05). Our data show that there were no significant differences across a wide range of haematological and urinary markers of hydration status between trials. These data suggest that coffee, when consumed in moderation by caffeine habituated males provides similar hydrating qualities to water.

Killer, S. C., Blannin, A. K., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2014). No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a free-living population. PloS one, 9(1), e84154.
Adam Seal, et al. states:

The data indicate that caffeine intake of 6 mg kg−1 in the form of coffee can induce an acute diuretic effect, while 3 mg kg−1 do not disturb fluid balance in healthy casual coffee drinking adults at rest.

Seal, A. D., Bardis, C. N., Gavrieli, A., Grigorakis, P., Adams, J. D., Arnaoutis, G., ... & Kavouras, S. A. (2017). coffee with high but not low caffeine content augments Fluid and electrolyte excretion at rest. Frontiers in Nutrition, 4, 40.

The most interesting result here may be the last one as it suggests that you should avoid drinking a lot. 6 mg caffeine per kg may cause dehydration.

Actually, from this previous discussion we roughly know how much caffeine are there in a cup of coffee; around 160. This means, as a typical 80 kg male, if you don't consume 4 cups of coffee one after another, it should not be a problem. In a few hours, some of the caffeine should be metabolize so you can drink some more. But I don't know the pharmakinetics of caffeine. Maybe a pharmacologist may answer better. In which intervals should we drink the maximum amount of coffee and not to dehydrate?


Does using an Aeropress keep more of the coffee oil (crema)? I've noticed that coffee made with my Aeropress has a much richer flavor even though I use the same water temperature, number of scoops, roast, etc.

Is this because the Aeropress method produces crema (the tawny substance found in espresso shots)? And, if so, is there a way to optimize crema extraction with an Aeropress?

The aeropress does not produce crema. There is no where near enough pressure using the aeropress to produce crema. Crema doesn't make coffee better, its typically a sign of good espresso, but isn't found in any other form of brewing nor is it what make the coffee actually taste better. French presses don't create crema either, and its a misleading yet common belief that they do.

The aeropress likely has about the same amount of oils as a pour-over cup of coffee if you're using the paper filters. The aeropress get it's richness from its style of brewing known as "immersion brewing". Longer contact with the grounds extracts compounds usually left behind by pour-over/drip methods. Combine with pressure, the aeropress, in short, just extracts more flavor by having a longer brew time and an environment which increases solubility with pressure.

Clarification:

The AeroPress has a short "brew time", however what I was meaning to say is that the aeropress and other immersion brewers have a longer contact time of the bean and the water. Therefore you have more extraction. The aeropress, unlike any other immersion method uses pressure to increase solubility. It's known that if you increase pressure that you extract quicker, and your solvent(water in this case) is able to achieve higher saturation.


Aeropress: Does inverted method cause premature wear of the rubber plunger gasket? I got an Aeropress recently since I can no longer access the espresso machine at my company office (first world problem, I know). I've taken a liking to the "inverted" method of brewing. Do any long time users of the Aeropress know if this method will cause the rubbery gasket on the plunger to wear out faster?

I assume the gasket is made to at least withstand boiling water, but it's unsettling to think that I might be drinking rubber contaminated coffee.

No, it won't. I'm an owner of the first generation Aeropress (brown/amber plastic instead of gray), using it daily (skipping weekends) for six years, and the rubber is fine.


Why does water remain in the bottom chamber after brewing with a moka pot? We are new owners of a Espress Nero four cup Moka Pot by Vev-Vigano.  We have followed instructions from print sources, on-line articles, and YouTube videos and have yet to see reference as to why the pouring pot is only half full while the boiler still has water in it when the pot starts to gurgle.

Why does some water remain in the bottom chamber of the moka pot after brewing?

This is deliberate.

In a moka pot, the downward spout of the funnel does not reach all the way to the bottom of the pot. Brewing will stop once the level of water in the pot falls below the bottom of the funnel (if you carry on brewing after this point, you'll be making coffee with the superheated steam, which will be burnt and bitter).

I'm not sure why this is how it works, but I guess it's to prevent the pot from boiling dry, and retaining a thermal mass in the bottom pot to help it cool down again.

Original image from Wikipedia article on moka pot, thanks to user Alborzagros!


What is the reasonable size for a coffee ground particle? I am looking at the following coffee grinders: Macap MXK conical burr grinder, Mazzer Robur conical burr grinder, and Mazzer Super Jolly flat burr grinder that supposedly produce a low particle size of the ground coffee. I came across an experiment (here) that showed the ground coffee particle size after being placed in water was about 10 micron (in diameter) on average. This seemed dubious to me and the post hasn't been active in 9 years so I was wondering if anyone knows if this is reasonable and if you have any recommendation for coffee grinders that produce a low particle size?

You're mis-interpreting the significance of the results in the cited experiment. There were also statistically controlled follow up experiments (e.g. here) that studied grinder particle size distribution in more detail on the same site.

Consequently even when very precise uni-modal particle size regulation is achieved as is the case with industrial roller miller grinders, particle sizes must be deliberately blended for espresso grinds to achieve the required bi-modal distribution.

This bi-modal size distribution is crucial for proper espresso extraction where the coffee bed (espresso puck) is subject to approx 10 bar water pressure.

Your intent in asking for grinder recommendations capable of producing small particle sizes appears to be based on the mistaken assumption that this is the normal working range for grinders. It is not. A good espresso grinder needs to have a well-defined bi-modal distribution with the largest volume of coarse (approx 500u)  and a smaller volume of fine (approx 50u) particles. And a bulk (brewed coffee) grinder should have a tighter unimodal distribution and a working range of about 100 - 1000u.

The first plot above is the particle size distribution by volume in the OP cited experiment showing the characteristic espresso grinder bi-modal curve with average particle size peaks at approximately 500u and 50u. The second graph shows the bi-modal distribution for a Robur espresso grinder from a subsequent experiment (TGPII, Robur). And the third graph shows a high resolution plot from a instrumentation manufacturer (Sympatec).

As to the specific grinders that the OP was considering, all three are well known and respected commercial espresso grinders. FWIW, large conical grinders are easier to use and produce more consistent results. But all would work well for espresso.

Why these things matter

High quality bulk coffee grinders by contrast show a tighter, uni-modal size distribution at the selected size. The usual working range for brewed coffee is about 100u - 900u (Turkish - French press).

  the ground coffee particle size after being placed in water was about
  10 micron (in diameter) on average

10u can only be said to be the average particle size by count. It must be noted however that the proportion of 10u particles by volume is minuscule. A meaningful characterization of average particle size needs to be done by volume or distribution, the former has a strong correlation with expert taste tests.


Is coffee bad for my heart? For most healthy people, caffeine could cause a short, temporary increase in blood pressure. If you don't have high blood pressure you can still feel your heart race after your morning cup. Avid coffee drinkers can build up a tolerance to the caffeine and may not experience effects after a cup. So is it true that coffee is bad for the heart?

If someone already have a heart condition, probably she should ask such questions to her physician.

As it's noted in the question itself, it's a known fact that caffeine may increase blood pressure temporarily. If someone is on the edge of an hearth attack, coffee may trigger this (by increasing the blood pressure). As well as, running after your grandson or arguing hot on some topic could trigger, too.

In summary, under normal circumstances, a temporary blood pressure increase should not be a problem for your health if you're a healthy person. However, we are not M.D.'s here, so, please go ask a physician first if you have doubts. Drink decaf if you feel safer.


Do we know when the first cappuccino was brewed and how it acquired its name? Is it possible to know when the first documented case of someone brewing a cappuccino coffee and how this beverage got its name?

It was in Vienna, by a Capuchin Monk who is a friend of the owner of the first coffee shop of the city.

Please see this previous answer.


What do producers usually mix ground coffee with to make it cheaper? I will not go into details, or reasons (political, economic, logistic or otherwise), but in my country, coffee has been scarce and expensive in the last couple of years.

I've been suspecting that some coffee producers have been cutting it (mixing it) with cheaper things. The unmistakable aroma of coffee is now mixed with some bitter tones sometimes, fishy tones some other times. The flavor is not quite coffee also.  It's been so long since I've smelled the unmistakable aroma of real,  honest to God coffee. I'm almost 100% convinced that they are mixing it with roasted black beans or something.

My questions is, what other grains, nuts or whatever do coffee produces  usually mix ground coffee with in order to make it cheaper?

How can I check whether or not the ground coffee has been mixed up?

I will not go into any political discussion, theory or similar, but I can give you a few historical facts.

There have always been times in the last few centuries when coffee was a rare commodity. And it has always been expensive to some degree, making it "something for special occasions" in the poorer parts of European societies.

People used and still use various "substitutes" from grains (barley, spelt, rice), roots (chiccory, dandelion), fruit (acorns, dates), typically roasted, ground and prepared like coffee beans, resulting in a somewhat bitter, dark drink more or less resembling genuine coffee. (For a more extensive list, see the link above.)

Instead of replacing coffee, they can also be mixed with coffee, "stretching" the yield of the coffee beans.

If you want to check your coffee for "fillers", buy whole beans - none of the coffee substitutes look even remotely like coffee beans.


What is an optimal coffee to water ratio for pour-overs? Does anyone have any good recommendations for an optimal coffee to water ratio for pour-overs? I am not interested in cold brews and I use a Chemex carafe with Chemex filters.
I generally prefer light to medium-dark roasts, but I am open to trying other roasts that tend towards the darker side.
I would guess that dark roasts may require a lower coffee to water ratio than lighter roasts.

This is going to be unpopular but my routine doesn't really involve measuring much.  I want get the brewing over with ASAP so I can drink my coffee.

Prime the filter with hot water and pour out water
Put in ground coffee, I just use 6 TBSP for the 8 cup classic
Prime grounds by pouring just enough in to stir them up and get wet
Wait for gas to release (should have a nice cone of grounds)
Pour water into the center of the grinds and then circulate as water rises
Wait until brewed coffee gets to the belly button of the chemex
Pour more water in until it is about 1/4 inch to the top
Let drain out and enjoy

I just go a bit bigger with my scoops if I'm looking for more of dark brew.  My goal here is to control the output so that when finished I have enough coffee for about two pint glasses.  Thy key is that belly button which I'm guessing is the half-way mark.


What variables influence yield for a stovetop/moka pot? I got a moka pot a couple of months ago and have more or less settled on a formula I like, but one thing still really puzzles me. The quantity that ends up in the top chamber has started varying considerably. The pot is supposed to make enough for about two full cups, but sometimes only about half a cup's worth will come out and then it'll make the 'boiling over' sound that usually tells me it's done. If I try to keep it on the heat, it'll just keep furiously boiling and no more coffee will come into the top chamber. When I get a low yield, it'll always be really strong, so I can dilute it afterwards and the result is roughly the same, but it's still annoying.

I'm finding it very hard to pin down the variables that make it do this. Of course I always fill the bottom chamber the same amount - just below the valve. I have been varying the grind but I will get two wildly different results even between two brews using the exact same grind setting. I have now settled on a medium fine grind. I have switched from cold water to 90°C - but again, when I was trying both of those options out I was getting varying yields for each. The only thing that I don't keep all that precise control over is quantity of beans (I roughly fill to a finger over a certain marker in my grinder) but I don't see how that would influence things that much.

I must admit I don't understand very well the whole percolation mechanism (in my naive brain, it shouldn't work at all!) so I find it hard to reason through it. Any tips?

PS. If it makes any difference, the model I'm using is a Stellar SC63 6 cup

Yield and the quality of the brew depends on how water is pushed through the grounds. Some things to consider:

grind size: the finer the grind, the more pressure is needed to push water through. If you need to build more pressure, it may take longer to get to the same yield.
grind consistency: this is related to grind size. If you have larger and smaller pieces in your ground coffee, you may get channelling. To get an idea of what happens, the smaller pieces may be lumped together needing relatively much pressure to push water through whereas the water can easily be pushed along the larger pieces. As such, an inconsistent grind can easily lead to an inconsistent brew (including yield).
tamp pressure: do you tamp the grind (or do you level it out and push it with your fingers)? The more packed your grounds are, the more pressure is needed to push water through.
Heat, how big you set your flame and how far you set your moka pot compared to the flame will influence how pressure builds. A very large flame with the moka pot directly above it will heat quickly and build pressure faster. This might result in a faster brew. You want to watch out though, you might end up heating the upper chamber too much making the first part of your brew burn making the whole thing needlessly bitter.


Does my coffee pot need to be fixed? So, I have this GREAT cocoa coffee. It is literally the best coffee I have ever tasted. I know, big statement. Anyways, I recently moved out and had to buy a new coffee pot. :(

Well, my coffee consumption went from 100 to 0 real quick because of the taste I've been getting with this new coffee pot. I've tried tap water and bottled water and it doesn't change anything. It just tastes like.... well it tastes like crap.

Any suggestions on how to fix it? I'd love to drink coffee every morning again without having to pay $2 for a large cup of Biggby's coffee. :-)

(Also, if someone could create a new tag called coffee-pot that'd be fantastic and useful :-) )

It's just a cheap $25 5-cup Mr.Coffee as well!

If you could be more specific with your question it would be easier to answer.  For example was your previous "pot" a percolator or automatic coffee maker or what?  By the same token, what is your current set up?  By a process of elimination you should be able to isolate the factor that's causing your coffee to taste sh***ty.  Basically those are:

The coffee itself - is it from the same source, being stored the same, same age, etc.
Same water - you said you'd tried different water sources.  Bottled water should yield good coffee.
The method of brewing, which would include water temperature, coarseness of grind, how long it extracts (steeps), cleanliness of the equipment, etc.

If all the factors except the method of brewing are accounted for, then the problem is in the brewing method, which would include the coffee maker.  If you know it's clean and it still tastes bad, you need a different brewing method.  Depending on how much coffee you drink, there are lots of options that will yield good coffee.  I have found that the simpler methods (i.e., French press, AeroPress, pour over) are the easiest to control and therefore give you the best chance of getting a good result.  They are also cheaper and easier to keep clean.  Brewing good coffee is actually pretty straightforward so don't give up!


Water shooting out of spout in Moka pot I've been watching videos of people preparing coffee in Moka pots on Youtube and one thing I noticed is that most people seem to initially leave the lid open. However, when I tried this the initial volume of water from the spout erupts out in both directions with such ferocity that it actually leaves the pot entirely and drenches the stove on either direction.

In every video I have seen they seem to have a nice gentle flow that merely dribbles out of the spout and falls down the spout into the chamber. My one is more like a volcano!

I have tried using a lower setting on the hob - there are 6 settings. At the very lowest (#1) it doesn't boil at all. At settings 3-6 I get a huge jet of water as described above. At setting #2 I get a smaller jet of water (that still shoots out of the pot) however on this setting the water seems to stop boiling up from the lower chamber leaving me with half a cup of coffee.

I realise that I can just do this with the lid down but I'm curious as to why this seems to happen. It's a single cup aluminium Moka pot which hadn't been used regularly for maybe a year until the last few weeks when I have been using it regularly. I took it apart earlier today and gave everything a good scrub. Still no difference.

I have tried with the coffee chamber, full, half-full and empty (so just boiling water). It doesn't matter - same result with all. I always fill the water up to just below the valve. I have tried with cold water and warm water. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this behaviour?

How's the grind on your coffee? It should be pretty fine, if not the water will move through the puck very quickly. Have you tried using a little finer coffee?

Also recommended method is to use already boiling water, add it to the bottom of the moka pot and use a towel to tighten. This way you don't heat the actual ground coffee and burn it before water even gets up there.


How quickly does ground coffee get stale? On this website I found this claim:

  Great baristas in fact will only grind beans for an espresso right
  before using them. 30 seconds after they have been ground, the beans
  are already too stale for a good espresso.

I am deeply skeptical. Is there any way to verify, quantify, or otherwise substantiate that claim, or is it superstition?

I can say, by experience, that it's not a superstition. Maybe not seconds, but for sure it's just a few minutes.

Maybe someone could find a reference to an experiment or I may encounter and add it later. But, you can easily observe it by your nose.

The aromatic components are the source of the flavor in coffee beans. When you ground them, you crack them fine. The components get free and start to evaporate. That's why you can smell them. However, we want to taste them so badly. So, we need to trap then into the water as quick as possible, before most of them evaporate.

Below is a nice chart that shows how quickly coffee goes stale when it's stored as whole beans. Ground coffee, I assume, would be similar, but so much quicker as the surface area is greater for evaporation this time.

When does coffee go off?


What affects coffee quality? When I go to a coffee shop, I see many different coffees. There are these cheap powdered coffees that don't taste too good, ground coffee, and whole coffee beans. On the internet or in specialty shops, you can find even more types of coffee. What could help me judge coffee quality? For example, I know that with tea the rule of thumb is that bigger, looser leaves are of better quality. Moreover, the first harvest is the most precious one. Do similar rules apply to coffee? What are other general rules that signify better coffee?

This is a fairly general question, so pardon me for a slightly generic answer.

First thing you'll want to consider is the quality of the coffee itself.  Typically, the more expensive a coffee is, the higher quality it will be.  It's the age old phrase, 'You get what you pay for".

Secondly, the less steps from it being picked to it being in your cup, the better.  Packaged, ground coffee has more steps (Packaging, grinding) before being brewed.  Whole bean coffee has less.

Third, the longer it's been ground, the longer it has had to degrade.  You'll want to grind your whole-bean coffee as close to the time of brew as possible.  Oxygen will erode the flavor of the coffee over time.  Ground coffee has more surface area to be exposed to oxygen.

I hope this addresses what you were asking properly.


What is the ideal method/temp of brewing Turkish coffee in a Cezve? Are there specific methods to brewing the perfect Turkish coffee and temperature to heat it to?

You should heat your coffee upto about 70 degrees Celcius so it builds a foam or froth but do not let it boil! You need to keep it at this stage for as long as you can, and if the coffee starts to get to hot and appears to rise then move it off the heat and repeat at most 2 times.

A few important things are

use fresh coffee or it will not foam as well
pre-heat the water in the pot first, without the coffee, just until it starts to heat up
do not stir until the coffee sinks itself
allow the coffee to heat slowly, not on a high heat (I don't directly place the pot on the heat ring - slightly off of it)

Here's a link to a useful page on Turkish coffee world website with a method for making Turkish coffee.
http://www.turkishcoffeeworld.com/How-to-make-Turkish-Coffee-s/54.htm


What does Fair Trade guarantee? As a result of my social environment, i always buy coffee that has the Fair Trade label.
Of course it means i spend some extra cash that goes to the coffee producing farmers in exotic countries.
But i would like to know what the organisation is, that supervises the coffee trade, and what exactly the label guarantees.

If you mean the coffee bean farmer by 'end-producer',
Fair Trade guarantees a relative increase of the contract that the farmer can negotiate.

Say, for example a farmer gets USD 20,- for his entire crop usually, then

He might get USD 140,- for the same amount of beans when selling to a Fair Trade contracter.
Also see: How much do the farmers get about prices in Ethiopia.


Time to bin Pod machines? Finished with pod machines, bad for the environment.
Decided on ground coffee machine, looked at De Longhi Dedica up to now, New Sage/Breville Bambino Plus looks good, but £400!! nevertheless, if it does the job!
Need advice from some knowledgible chaps on here...require good machine plus decent grinder, also good Microfoam for Latte Art

I got a Delonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 bean to cup machine recently. It grinds the beans, makes the coffee, and cleans itself.  It is as easy as pods, but I get to use any coffee beans I want, without pods.

The Magnifica costs about $525 US, which is about as expensive as the Breville.  However, when you do the math, it is not that bad, except that it requires a larger up front investment. Plus, you do not need to buy a grinder.

I compared to a Keurig machine which will cost around $100 US, and uses pods that cost between $0.50 or $0.90 per cup. My favorite coffee beans sell for about $12 for 2 lbs (thank you, Costco), which translates to about $0.10 per cup in the Magnifica.

I computed that the Magnifica initial and operating cost will break even with the Keurig cost in much less than a year.  No pod waste either. No coffee grounds all over my counters due to static electricity from a separate grinder.

So far, I love the machine. I get great crema and a lovely cup at the push of a button.

The machine has a dual block system to ensure that the manual steam wand is ready to go.  However, I do not know enough to tell you if the frothier produces appropriate microfoam for latte art.  It makes good cappuccino and latte, as far as I am concerned, but I am not an artist about it.

My sister has had this machine for over 10 years with no problems, so I am confident in the reliability of grinder, infuser, and overall system.

If you can find a store than carries them, you might see if you can get a demo.


Why do some grounds float and others sink when brewing by pour over When brewing by the pour over method (in my case with a Chemex) I've noticed that some ground beans will float when I fill the filter with hot water, and other beans will not float. It's consistent with specific roasts, so I will use two roasts for illustration (leaving out the roaster for now to avoid any prejudices).

Roast A will always float when pouring hot water over, throughout the entire brewing process.

Roast B will always sink, especially towards the end of brewing.

If I leave the grounds and water undisturbed until all of the water has gone through the filter, roast A's filter will be coated with the grounds while most of the grounds in roast B's filter will be flat on the bottom (as you'd expect).

Also of note, roast A has a much more intense bloom after an initial pour of roughly 20g of water into 20g of grounds. It looks like a freshly baked brownie, whereas roast B's bloom is much less intense.

My question is, what does this say about the beans for them to act one way or the other? My first thought was maybe it had to do with freshness of the roasted bean, but A and B could have the same roast date (less than a week old) and still act as described. Or maybe it's not freshness of the roast but freshness of the bean prior to being roasted? I'm not qualified to hypothesize the chemical reasons for behavior, but hopefully someone here is.

Bean density varies dramatically with roast level.  The more roasted a bean is, the less dense it becomes.  My guess would be that less dense beans would have more of a tendency to float and more dense beans would have a tendency to sink.  However, I imagine that there are other factors as well.  Grind size would affect the mass vs surface size of the grounds and have some say as well.  Age could also be a factor since freshly roasted beans still contain/give off some amount of gas.  That degassing time can also vary with roast level and bean variety, so just time since roast may not always be a consistent measure.  Overall I'd guess there are four plus factors affecting the "float" of your grounds.  And that's not to even say anything about the content of the water itself.


Does coffee taste different when it is ground at home? Is there a difference in the taste of the coffee that I grind myself versus the ground coffee that I buy from the store? Does the size of the ground change the taste of the coffee that I brew?

I bypass the first question.

Yes, ground size considerably affects the taste of the final cup. In general, there's a common rule of five component for a good cup of coffee. Each component must require its precedent.

Good beans
Good roasting
Homogenously/correct-sized grinding
Correct equipment
Skilled cook

(Italians mostly merge first two articles and name it as 4M for espresso.)

As stated above, the grounds must be all at the same size. Moreover they must be the correct size. The finest for Turkish, a bit less fine for espresso, boulders are good for French press, etc.


Are coffee tree berries edible? According this legend, somebody called Sheik Omar chewed on coffee berries when living in exile. It is mentioned he found them too bitter at the time. But is it possible to eat them?

Also, according wikipedia: "The caffeine in coffee "beans" is a natural plant defense against herbivory, i.e., a toxic substance that protects the seeds of the plant."

But clearly that does not poison us humans.

TL;DR Yes, they are edible and non-toxic to humans.

Coffee cherries, as they are properly called, are a thin papery skin and attached mucilage (what we think of as the flesh of the fruit). Coffee cherries are consumed as a drink, cascara, by coffee farmers in Latin America.

Coffee cherries contain more caffeine than coffee, on average, as they do not go though a roasting process. Depending on the green processing / pulping / milling process the coffee went through, coffee cherries often have a bitter and gamy flavor.


Can coffee pods be recycled? There are now a variety of systems using single-serving coffee pods or capsules. But what happens to the capsules after they are used?

What are these capsules actually made of? How much of the materials can be usefully recovered for recycling?

How widespread are recycling facilities? Presumably it will vary depending on the system and country etc.

Keurig have publicly stated they are switching to using fully recyclable materials by 2020 (I have no idea why it will take them five years to implement something most companies have been doing for decades, but that's beside the point).  You can see more at their Web site.  You can also get Keurig-compatible (although not "approved") pods that do not have the outer plastic.  They are just an upper ring, a foil cover and a filter with grounds dangling loose.  While some of these make great coffee, I am told they go stle rather quickly if you don't have a tightly sealed container in which to store them.

Flavia/Alterra have their own recycling program.  I don't know about home-use situations, but at least for managed, corporate-use programs, their single-serve packets can be recycled using the packet-disposal boxes they provide.

I can't speak to other single-serve manufacturers.


What am I doing wrong when I do my pour-over? I recently started to brew my own coffee using the pour-over method because buying from the coffee shop was getting too expensive for a daily coffee drinker. I bought a bag of coffee grounds and a coffee dripper online. The dripper is a stainless steel type with a couple fine mesh filters in it, which lets me do pour overs without a paper filter.

Here's my method: I'm putting 3 tablespoons of grounds into my dripper, and then with a kettle of 17oz, just off the boiling water, begin pouring over my grounds with enough water to fill the dripper half full. I wait 10 seconds while the grounds bloom and then I fill the dripper to the top and wait for the coffee to brew. Then, when the dripper gets about half empty, I fill it back up with water. I intend to end with ~16oz of coffee.

My problem is that the grounds end up plugging up my dripper and the drip process ends up taking forever. By the time all the water has passed through my coffee grounds and dripper the coffee is COLD!

What am I doing wrong? Am I trying to get too much coffee out of the pour-over method? Is it really only meant for a single cup serving? Like 6oz and 1 tablespoon of grounds? Are my grounds not fine enough?

EDIT:
Despite what everyone is saying here, I've done a little research and I've read that when doing pour overs, you want your grind to be more fine. They say the consistency of sugar, not sea salt. I find a little truth to this in that when I originally bought the dripper, I used a bag that had grounds that have been much more fine that what I've been using lately. Needless to say, I think I just need to experiment with it.

You need to use a coarser grind.  You have grounds that are just the right size to block the mesh. Too small and they'll just pass through, making your coffee gritty.  Medium-sized and they'll block the mesh.  Large (coarse) enough, and coffee can flow around them.  Not too large: you won't be able to extract enough from the beans with this brewing method using very coarse grounds.

How are you grinding now?  If you're using a blade grinder, you'll often get a large variety of grain sizes (from very fine to very coarse), which means those medium and fine grains will start to clog to holes, even if much of the grounds are coarse.  A burr grinder will give you more consistency.

Personally, I would recommend a plastic or ceramic pour-over brewer, which uses a paper filter.  This method is much more forgiving.  Paper filters won't get clogged with medium grains, and fine grains won't pass through.  I can easily brew 8-16 ounces with my "single-cup" pour-over brewer.

One last suggestion: Give your bloom more than 10 seconds!  60 seconds will give your grounds enough time to fully bloom and become ready for further brewing.

Good luck!


Are coffee 'vaults' like Friis really effective? Some days ago I stumbled upon with this coffee jar: Friis coffee vault.

Are products like this, with an special valve, really useful to preserve the freshness of ground or whole bean coffee?

So there are a fair few, well, questionable claims on that page, and some downright contradictions:

  One Year of Friis Freshness Valves included, to vent freshness damaging CO2 gases

CO2 gasses are not 'freshness damaging'. CO2 is, to all intents and purposes, inert in this context. The only gas you really care about when freshness is concerned is Oxygen.

Also, a well-designed valve shouldn't wear out. It's not like a filter that gets clogged over time, it's just a mechanism.

  Air-Tight Storage

Air-tight with a valve? It's either air-tight, or it has a valve...

What this product is, is a well sealed and opaque container. It will likely perform no differently from any other well sealed and opaque container.


Light-colored matter clinging to roasted coffee beans On a recent shopping trip I bought some locally roasted beans from Rwanda, which were labelled "Karenge".

The aroma is delicious, but on opening the bag I immediately noticed light-colored matter clinging to the clefts of the roasted beans (click for close-up):

Upon grinding light-colored flecks are noticeable in their contrast with the dark coffee grounds.

What is this light-colored matter, and does its presence result from shortcuts in the coffee production or processing?

What you are likely seeing is the silverskin of the coffee cherry.  Green coffee beans prior to roasting generally still have the silverskin intact/attached.  As the bean expands during roasting and the silverskin dries out, it generally comes off.  Part of the roasting process is some sort of agitation and airflow to remove this chaff.  Depending on the roast level and other mechanical factors, more or less of the silverskin may be removed.  On lighter roasted coffee with less expansion you can often see bits of silverskin along the seam on the bean.  Some processing methods prior to roasting also remove less of the silverskin, "dry processed" coffee in particular tends to be more chaffy when roasting and may require a longer time agitating or smaller roast batches to remove chaff.

Many of my lighter roasts end up with a bit more chaff than I'd like.  Like most anything involving coffee, you can find differing opinions on how much it affects taste.


How much does caffeine concentration in a cup of coffee decrease as a function of time (roughly)? For example, if I let a cup of coffee sit for 1-2 hours, would the amount of caffeine I get mostly be the same? Or does it decrease?

Caffeine is quite stable, it doesn’t evaporate or break down at room temperature (or coffee temperature), apart from dissolving in the water used to brew your coffee. So after an hour or two, the caffeine content is the same1 as right after brewing.

Unfortunately, the same is not true for some of the other substances that have us appreciate coffee, so you may expect the flavor to deteriorate a bit (or a lot, depending on whether you started with a handful of freshly ground slow-roasted beans or a few spoonfuls of Folger’s coffee-flavored sawdust). But that’s not what you were asking about.

———-

1 If we were really nitpicking, we could even say that the caffeine ratio (not content) increases due to a minute bit of water evaporating during the given time frame. But for the average household precision, “stays the same” is sufficient.


Certain Types of Coffee Machines Use Certain Filters? I was on this website which states that there are four main types of coffee makers:

Drip Coffee
Espresso
French Press
Single Cup

I'm wondering that they might have to use different types of filters. The types of filter might vary on the coffee maker. Some say that single cup coffee makers should only use paper filters (I don't know why) and others might have to use this type of coffee filter.

So my question is, do each of these have a certain filter you have to use with them or can they use multiple types?

Due to the fact that this is a lengthy question, I will try to be concise and to the point.

In short, yes, all of these main types coffee makers use a different type or size of filter. Sometimes each type can use a different filter. I will provide a non-exhaustive list of filter types for these coffee makers which you have listed. Although the list in non-exhaustive, it will provide the main types of filters for each device.

Understanding Permanent versus Paper filters

A permanent filter is often made out of metal and is, in most cases, a mesh (not true for espresso machines). They are not disposable and are made to be reused many times.

An impermanent filter is generally made out of paper and is disposable and is generally not meant to be reused.

Drip Coffee

Drip Coffee machines are one of the most common coffee machines for home use. The filter used will either be paper or permanent.

A paper filter for the drip coffee machine will either be flat-bottom or cone-shaped depending on the make and model of the coffee machine.

Flat-bottom filters:

Cone shaped filter:

The permanent filter can take the same shapes, however it is generally a flat-bottom shape yet can be a hybrid between a cone shaped and a flat-bottom shaped filter. I can only describe this as an upside down triangular prism. Below is a picture of the aforementioned hybrid filter.

Single Cup

These filters are generally made out of paper and are usually a cone shape which is usually specific/unique to the type of single cup brewing device.

French (Push) Press

A french or push uses a permanent filter which is made out of a fine metal mesh. It is on the bottom of the plunger. The entire bottom of the filter has three main parts, shown below.

The Parts of a French Press Filter:

Espresso Machine

An espresso machine's filter is called a portafilter. It shaped like a small basket, made out of metal, and has small holes in the metal on the bottom. There are three sizes. The most common are the single and double shot filters and a rarer one is the triple shot filter. They increase in size to hold more ground coffee.

There are generally three types of portafilters in circulation with mainstream home espresso machines.

Single wall. This is the most common in the industrial setting. It is contains only one wall on the bottom of the filter.
Double wall. Think about this as a portafilter for the inexperienced and is most common for the home espresso machine. It has a secondary wall on the bottom of the portafilter with only a few holes in it. The presence of two walls helps to regulate extraction pressure and is therefore good for those who are not very good at tamping pressure and grind size.
Pod filter. This is simply a specially designed filter that is the same shape as the others and comes with some home espresso machines. They are used to hold pre-made and pre-packaged espresso pods that one simply drops into the filter and can avoid many of the other steps of traditional espresso brewing such as tamping and grinding.

Portafilters (single wall) on left and baskets (which hold them and are upside down) on the right:

The filter on the left is a single shot and the filter on the right is a double shot.


How to make perfect coffee espresso? what is the exact measurement of coffee ground for espresso, I bought a new machine, I don't use coffee pods just coffee grounds.

Your basket has a size that suits a certain amount of coffee. This can range anywhere between 8-10g to 22g. Check if there are any indicators of this. Failing that, overfill the basket and then sweep your finger across the excess over the top and see how much coffee that is, that's a ballpark figure for how much the basket can comfortably take.

You didn't mention if your machine uses a pressurised portafilter (the handle) or not. You can usually tell as it has a single hole at the bottom and is a little deeper than a standard portafilter. These tend to be more forgiving to mistakes in dosing and pressure.

Learn to tamp your coffee evenly and consistently. There are plenty of videos online on how to do this.

Try to figure out a recipe that works, using the weight of the coffee you put in, how much coffee comes out, and how long it takes for that coffee to come out. The standard recipe that is currently in trend is 18g in, 36g out (we use grams instead of ml for simplicity) in about 28 seconds. This is presuming a basket size of 18g though.