I’m not a coffee aficionado but I do love a good cup of coffee. And, when I want a cup of coffee I want it hot and I want it fresh. Maybe I’m a coffee snob, but I won’t drink coffee that’s been sitting around . . . I’d rather have no coffee than subject myself to bad coffee.
I have three coffee makers in my life and each of them is indispensible. And, perhaps I’ve spoiled myself but when I brew coffee its fresh ground whole bean coffee. I’m not so snooty that I have to have fresh roasted coffee . . . yet.
The most used coffee maker in our home is the Black & Decker Brew & Go. My husband brought it into our relationship and I wouldn’t be without it (or him). He had it a few years before we met and we’ve been together 7+ years and it’s still going strong. It brews right into a coffee mug or 15 oz travel mug and then shuts itself off. It has a permanent filter but for easy clean-up I use Melitta No. 1 Cone Coffee Filters. One coffee scoop of coffee makes a perfect cup of coffee every time and nothing is wasted.
It’s a nice compact size - 9-3/4 inches high, 7 inches wide, and 6 inches deep – which is important to me because I have so little counter space and none to spare. I take one of these with us when we travel, as well.
It’s lasted us a good long time and I would buy another without a second thought . . . I actually bought a spare one a couple years ago just in case and I haven’t hade to replace our everyday on yet, so the spare is our travel unit.
By the way . . . it’s really very inexpensive at around $20 (or less). A real bargain!
Our back-up coffee maker is the Keurig B30 Black Coffee Brewer. This is for those times when I want a quick cup of coffee and don’t have the energy to pull out the filters, scoop the coffee . . . etc . . . hey, you know how it is when you really need a cup of coffee! We received this as a gift. It isn’t something I would have bought for myself, but I like it just fine. It makes a single cup of coffee (8 oz). You can get a variety of different styles and flavors of coffee, which is what I really like about it. The unit uses Keurig's patented K-Cups, which offer over 70 varieties of pre-measured gourmet coffee and tea . . . my favorite is the Golden French Toast . . . YUM! You simply insert the K-cup, add the water and push the button. No fuss, no muss.
This coffee maker takes up more space than I have to spare - 11-1/2 by 10 by 13-1/4 inches - but since I don’t use it everyday I have it off to the side on a hutch. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it does not have a reservoir so you need to add water every time you want a cup of coffee . . . for me it’s not an issue since it’s not my everyday coffee maker. I also use the Keurig K-Cup Carousel for convenience.
The third coffee maker is not for at home . . . it’s exclusively for camping . . . the Coleman camping coffeemaker. It’s big, it’s cumbersome and it is SO worth it! It makes fantastic coffee . . . just like fresh brewed coffee at home! We’ve used other coffee makers when we’re camping . . . and when I say camping I mean sleeping in a tent and cooking on a camp stove camping . . . no fancy-shmancy RV for us. There is absolutely nothing like a hot cup of coffee on a sleepy outdoor morning, everything tastes better when you eat it outside.This coffeemaker makes up to ten 6-ounce cups of coffee without the necessity of an electrical outlet. Instead, the Coleman coffeemaker sits atop a Coleman two- or three-burner camping stove and brews a full pot of coffee . . . it takes some time but, again, it is SO worth it.
Because if its size and weight, this coffee is not so good for backwood camping but it’s awesome when you’re set up at a campsite. If you want coffee at your campsite I cannot imagine anything better than this.
The last item is not a coffee maker but a necessary accessory in my kitchen . . . the Proctor Silex Coffee Grinder. This is an inexpensive unit at under $15 and it’s a little workhorse. Like I said I fresh grind our coffee and I’ve been using the same one for several years. It’s quick and makes a nice grind. 
I remember well the disasters we had trying to make a good cup of coffee when you were here. My coffee pot and my skills would not do the job.
ReplyDeleteNow I have a Bodum French Press. I am prepared for your return. The press makes a good if slightly strong cup of coffee. It is full bodied and contains the oils that normally get taken out by a filter. You should try one. Just do not leave the coffee in the press. If you make more than you can pour the first time put the rest in a carafe to keep the second round fresh and hot. If left in the press it gets very bitter as it sits on the grounds.
There is also a model for back backers so good coffee while backwood camping is possible. http://alturl.com/nzqp3 Just never get the small ones that say you can drink out of the insulated cup the coffee is made in. You are drinking coffee that is sitting in the grounds. It gets stronger and stronger by the minute.
Me, I still like my Meleta drip coffee pots the best. I have a 1 cup and a 10 cup. They make fast, fresh, and very good coffee. Different than the french press but as good or better.
Come back and visit and I can show you how my coffee skills have improved. :)
Michael.