Coffee 101 ?s from newbie

[Anonymous]

I have never been a coffee drinker. Tea is more my style but I would like to start drinking one cup in the morning. What do I need to buy if I want to make just 1 to 2 cups of coffee using fresh beans? Would it be a grinder and French press? The coffee world on the net is a bit overwhelming. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Anonymous]

Why do you want to start drinking coffee of all things?

[Anonymous]

To help things move along in the morning.
From what I've read 1 cup a day is totally fine.

[Anonymous]

I meant move things along.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I'm sure it is fine, but I'm guessing there are other gentler ways of accomplishing the goal. From a tea drinker who can't imagine just deciding to drink coffee daily.

[Anonymous]

As a coffee addict child of tea drinkers I agree this seems odd. Have you started drinking coffee already? Are you sure you like it? And if so are you picky about the coffee?

But to answer your Q, in my family my parents got a Keurig to have coffee available for guests, which is probably your easiest option.

If you're more picky about your coffee, then grinder + French press would be the way to go.

[Anonymous]

You can grind at the grocery store. I'd just start with a French press. Pick the coarser grind for French press.

Before you try coffee, how about hot water with lemon first thing in the morning. It helps me...

[Anonymous]

Get a 2-cup French press. Try to get something better than Bodum, which seems to be all they sell at the grocery stores and is a lightweight piece of crap.
You can grind your beans at the store. Try that. Once you find you like coffee, there's always time to get your own grinder later.
On the store grinder, set the grind for "coarse." This is not an absolute requirement. I have both a drip coffee maker and a French press, and I set my grind at "Electric Perk," which is about halfway between, so I can use both. Works fine.

You put the grinds in first, then the hot water, then insert the lid and move the plunger to the surface of the water & grinds. Wait 3-4 minutes. Then press the plunger down slowly. Rotate the lid so the pour-filter is at the front, and pour.
Experiment with the quantity of grounds to find what you like, and don't be afraid to use a lot. Try starting with 3 rounded soup spoons at first, and go up or down from there.

Welcome to the coffee world. I think you'll like it.

[Anonymous]

"grounds," not "grinds"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a 2-cup French press. Try to get something better than Bodum, which seems to be all they sell at the grocery stores and is a lightweight piece of crap.
You can grind your beans at the store. Try that. Once you find you like coffee, there's always time to get your own grinder later.
On the store grinder, set the grind for "coarse." This is not an absolute requirement. I have both a drip coffee maker and a French press, and I set my grind at "Electric Perk," which is about halfway between, so I can use both. Works fine.

You put the grinds in first, then the hot water, then insert the lid and move the plunger to the surface of the water & grinds. Wait 3-4 minutes. Then press the plunger down slowly. Rotate the lid so the pour-filter is at the front, and pour.
Experiment with the quantity of grounds to find what you like, and don't be afraid to use a lot. Try starting with 3 rounded soup spoons at first, and go up or down from there.

Welcome to the coffee world. I think you'll like it.

We use a Bodum stainless steel French press and have been happy with it.

What brand(s) do you recommend over Bodum?

[Anonymous]

I would probably get some instant coffee as a start. Someone posted a brand that they really liked here recently, I'll try to look it up. I would honestly spend $5 for this as a start, to see if it even works for you before getting more equipment and supplies. Starbucks sells an instant powder too.

[Anonymous]

I agree that I would just start with good instant. French press is good, but as a serious and regular coffee drinker (3+ cups black per day), French press is not necessarily the best. It can be hard to get the grind to keep grounds from getting into your cup and it's often very "thick".

If you want to brew your own, I'd get a keurig filter that fits on top of your mug, and just boil water and pour over the ground to make individual cups. Easier to regulate.

[Anonymous]

PP who suggested instant as a start:

There's a brand in this thread (along with a method) that I want to try:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/353486.page

[Anonymous]

If you are not a coffee drinker, I am not sure you will like french press coffee, which tends to be stronger than other brewing methods. And it is a pain to clean. French Press is more for someone who is looking for a better taste rather than someone starting out. Keurig or Starbucks now have one cup makers and the coffee is perfectly fine and very easy to clean up. I would only go the instant route if you are trying NOT to become a coffee drinker, though there might be some decent stuff out there now, most instant coffee is dreadful.

[Anonymous]

just get a $20 Mr. Coffee machine, some filters and whatever kind of ground coffee that looks appealing at the store.