Coffee maker for non-coffee drinkers

[Anonymous]

Do the French press. You put the grounds in the glass and let it steep in hot water. Then you push the plunger and it separates the grounds from the liquid so you can pour the coffee into a mug. You can get a 1-cup or a 3 cup if you think you’ll make more than one cup at a time. Then you just have to look up how many tablespoons of coffee grounds you need for the water in the French press. It’s super easy.

[Anonymous]

I would get a cheap small Mr. Coffee drip machine if you have space to store it. You can store a bag of coffee in the freezer and it will be OK for a long time.

A french press can be messy and challenging, and TBH your guests just want a cup of coffee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP - I don’t like the waste of a Keurig. But maybe I’ll consider it since we won’t be using it so often.
Re: a French press, how is that different from a regular coffee maker?

When you say “regular coffee maker” I assume you are talking about an electric one that has a carafe and a filter area and a reservoir for water. It heats internally and requires a paper or reusable filter.

A French press is a pitcher with a mesh strainer. You place coffee grounds in the bottom of the pitcher, fill with boiling water (from electric kettle or stove kettle or microwave or whatever), allow it to brew for 5ish minutes, and then plunge the grounds to the bottom with the strainer. It does not have a heater, plugs into nothing, takes 5 minutes to brew and also 5 minutes to clean.

[Anonymous]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/zojirushi-zutto-5-cup-coffeemaker-silver/9882958.p?skuId=9882958&utm_source=feed&ref=212&loc=843388686&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7NO7BhDsARIsADg_hIbgv96ACO1FmjW2lfugxKZDRZee9hI4GgPIb3d0iHrcqKR9a4uSKscaAuf0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions, this is OP again. I’m going with a French press. If someone has one they love, let me know!

[Anonymous]

Can you get good results with drip-grind (finer than French press grind) coffee in a French press? Drip grind is the most commonly available off-the-shelf. Some supermarkets sell whole beans and have a self-service grinder, but who knows how often those are cleaned. I'm the PP who suggested good instant coffee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with a Keurig, OP? That really will be easiest for guests.

You can just go to Target and get a cheapo drip coffee maker, too. But then you need to get fresh beans when someone is coming to town.

Keurig coffee tastes like $hit

But guests aren't coming for OP's special brew - they just want morning caffeine. Keurig is easiest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would get a cheap small Mr. Coffee drip machine if you have space to store it. You can store a bag of coffee in the freezer and it will be OK for a long time.

A french press can be messy and challenging, and TBH your guests just want a cup of coffee.

+1 French press makes good coffee but your guests are probably not going to want to deal with it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get a cheap small Mr. Coffee drip machine if you have space to store it. You can store a bag of coffee in the freezer and it will be OK for a long time.

A french press can be messy and challenging, and TBH your guests just want a cup of coffee.

+1 French press makes good coffee but your guests are probably not going to want to deal with it

Both of you sound annoying and lazy. Put coffee grounds in pitcher. Add boiling water. Wait. Pour. Why is that "challenging" or something someone "probably won't want to deal with"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you get good results with drip-grind (finer than French press grind) coffee in a French press? Drip grind is the most commonly available off-the-shelf. Some supermarkets sell whole beans and have a self-service grinder, but who knows how often those are cleaned. I'm the PP who suggested good instant coffee.

Yes. A French press is remarkably simple and easy… I use one scoop / rounded tablespoon per cup. For an 8-cup French press, I pour roughly the amount of beans that fits in a Krup’s grinder (1/2 cup) in, grind it and pour that whole amount in the French press. I let it steep maybe two minutes. (I used to do the five minute thing but then I read that it doesn’t actually require that and is a common misunderstanding) cleanup is less than one minute. Dump grounds, rinse glass pitcher, remove metal screening elements from plunger, rinse, put in dishwasher. Washing each piece carefully by hand is two minutes.

To me the most inconvenient thing about a French press is that it requires a kettle or other means of heating up the water. Hopefully OP is a tea drinker already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you get good results with drip-grind (finer than French press grind) coffee in a French press? Drip grind is the most commonly available off-the-shelf. Some supermarkets sell whole beans and have a self-service grinder, but who knows how often those are cleaned. I'm the PP who suggested good instant coffee.

Yes. A French press is remarkably simple and easy… I use one scoop / rounded tablespoon per cup. For an 8-cup French press, I pour roughly the amount of beans that fits in a Krup’s grinder (1/2 cup) in, grind it and pour that whole amount in the French press. I let it steep maybe two minutes. (I used to do the five minute thing but then I read that it doesn’t actually require that and is a common misunderstanding) cleanup is less than one minute. Dump grounds, rinse glass pitcher, remove metal screening elements from plunger, rinse, put in dishwasher. Washing each piece carefully by hand is two minutes.

To me the most inconvenient thing about a French press is that it requires a kettle or other means of heating up the water. Hopefully OP is a tea drinker already.

Sorry I meant to add that a French press makes great of not good coffee with really any grind, including espresso. IFYKYK

[Anonymous]

I also wouldn't get a machine because if you forget to clean it/dry it in between visitors it'll be a moldy mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I do not drink coffee, no one in our household does. We get many guests/visitors who do. We have a Keurig because we would never be able to keep anything else fresh and as a result would be frequently buying and wasting coffee. I know you did say no Keurig, but just thought I’d mention a reason we went that route.

We are the same. We go through so little I am not too worried about the plastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with a Keurig, OP? That really will be easiest for guests.

You can just go to Target and get a cheapo drip coffee maker, too. But then you need to get fresh beans when someone is coming to town.

The coffee tastes disgusting and is never hot enough. You also end up with gross water in the tank that needs to be "burped" out regularly. The system introduces more heated plastic to the beverages than any other system.

A French press is the best idea just learn how to use it so you can show your guests who've never used one how to use it.

I have a mini Keurig. Just 1 cup at a,time. You never leave water in it. Wouldn't work for a huge party but quick for a couple of cups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get a cheap small Mr. Coffee drip machine if you have space to store it. You can store a bag of coffee in the freezer and it will be OK for a long time.

A french press can be messy and challenging, and TBH your guests just want a cup of coffee.

+1 French press makes good coffee but your guests are probably not going to want to deal with it

Both of you sound annoying and lazy. Put coffee grounds in pitcher. Add boiling water. Wait. Pour. Why is that "challenging" or something someone "probably won't want to deal with"?

Just imagining being up at 6 in the morning trying not to make noise in someone's kitchen while people are still asleep, looking for the kettle, the grounds, etc. Keurigs are easy. Anyway, the coffee will be good.