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coffee please help

15 years ago

i have been here at kt off and on since more than 3 years ago---i enjoy the forum very much. i need help to make a good pot of coffee. i can;t get the taste of coffee my dad made when i was living at home,in the early 1950's i think the do not make or harvest beans like they did then, what would you all suggest. i am craving A GOOD CUP thanks everyone carol here in wilkes-barre , pa

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Comments (25)

redcurls
15 years ago
He probably used a percolator. I don't think coffee has tasted the same since the drip machines came in vogue.
User
15 years ago
That's the same answer I would have given you. Back then, it was stove top perc coffee. Or 'farmers' coffee: put the water in the pot, add coffee grounds, then boil. yuck! You get a mouth full of coffee grounds with it made that way.
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"Do you care to comment, maybe in a new post, on any possible use of cowboy charcoal in a vermicompost system, especially any possible use as surface area for microbes? " Cowboy charcoal is the same as lump charcoal, right? I had never heard of it before by that name, probably because cowboys likely used found wood instead of hauling messy charcoal around. I don't think that charcoal is a bad thing, but it seems like extra effort to burn off substances that could have fueled your worms instead. Turning wood into charcoal would theoretically keep most of the ash content, but lock it away longer than a lifetime if the char was buried without further reduction. Granted, if you were doing a very long term, multigenerational project of land reclamation and had an unlimited budget, charcoal does stick around for a while and has the habit of adsorbing things that would have otherwise been washed below the root zone. Instead of washing away though, they would be locked away. From what I remember, clay has similar nutrient performance to charcoal, but you can amend the soil to forcibly unlock its treasure. "the picture clarity was excellent of the worm mating and worm kibbles and bits. " The worm kibbles and bits that I was referring to as undercooked were the cardboard bits. The cardboard looked like the dense stuff that one would find in a cereal box. I add this stuff to my bin and am not saying it's bad. Cereal boxes are often treated with a preservative called BHT. It's not considered harmful because people don't eat the boxes and BHT is the synthesized version of the natural wax found on apples. The BHT would likely repel moisture though, and thus the cardboard has not started to break down in the close-up image. As I was saying though, it really does not matter because the worms bypassed the waiting period by breeding and thus trying again when the food would be ready. "Is there a great food or bedding source for worms that is often overlooked? " You ask if there is a great food or bedding source that is often overlooked. My reply to that I've been saying over and over. Worms need space. The more space you give worms, the more they will be able to take care of themselves. The bin needs to be deep because worms will inhabit whatever depth they prefer, and different worms of the same species prefer widely varying bin microenvironments. A large bin also lets you perform hot composting right in the bin without threatening the worms or wasting the compost products or heat energy. They simply go away from what they don't like and toward what they do. I have performed this experiment in robots I've built in the past that had the equivalent of one brain cell but were fully capable of moving towards one stimulus and away from another. One braincell, but worms are smarter than that. The larger the bin, the more likely it will be outdoors where it doesn't matter if it smells a little and can manage it's own temperature in the cold. 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sleeperblues
15 years ago
My grandparents used a percolator too, on top of the stove and not electric. They used to add either an egg or egg shells to the coffee, I can't remember which. They definitely added the egg shells, but not sure about the egg part. Their coffee used to smell so good when it was brewing!
schoolhouse_gw
15 years ago
Do you have well water? Sometimes that makes a difference.
Georgysmom
15 years ago
Try Folger's. My favorite. Oh, and make sure the pot is really clean.
houstonmom_gw
15 years ago
At my office, we have experimented with LOTS of coffee, pots and brewing methods. Use filtered water, grind the whole beans shortly before making coffee, and find a blend you like. The majority of us like Eight O'Clock French Roast. Several other favorites are Starbucks House Blend and their Cafe Verona. The Eight O'Clock original is also a nice choice. It is less intense than the French Roast. In the office, we use a French Press. At home, I use a Melitta Ready Set Joe...in fact, I like it so much that when I travel, it comes with me! I also weigh out my coffee grounds so my coffee is very consistent day to day!
houstonmom_gw
15 years ago
Should have thought of giving you links in my prior post!

http://www.ultimate-coffees-info.com/ready-set-joe.html

Here is a link that might be useful: French Press
susanjf_gw
15 years ago
a friend who made very good coffee used less than the can suggested...strong isn't always good...

dd likes dunkin donuts brand...
lydia1959
15 years ago
I also really like Dunkin Donuts brand coffee.. it's very smooth tasting.
ntt_hou
15 years ago
Yeah, perk coffee. I recently purchased an electric percolator to replace an out-of-order dripper. I am now so hooked to perk coffee. Using the same coffee brand, the percolator makes a very smooth coffee comparing to the dripper. I also find that I don't need to use as much cream because it's already smooth.
lisa_fla
15 years ago
How long does a percolator take to make?? DH is never pleased with the coffee. We have rotated thru several brands and a few coffee makers as well. I don't drink coffee but I remember how good it smelled in the percolator when I was growing up! I've thought about getting him one.
ntt_hou
15 years ago
My electric percolator takes about 5 or 6 minutes to make 10 cups. I haven't really timed it but it's very quick if not quicker than the dripper I had. It is a Presto 12-cup and purchased from Amazon (link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: Presto 12-cup Electric Percolator from Amazon
jel48
15 years ago
My in-laws used to do the egg coffee too (in a perculator). My mother in law didn't put in the egg shells though, just the egg. She said it made the coffee clearer (maybe it trapped any stray coffee grounds). She did this only occasionally for special occasion coffee.
bulldinkie
15 years ago
i have a perculater,I use less coffee than they call for I like a light cup I use doncan donut coffee.I like to add vanilla creamer.Hubby uses the green mountain coffee maker.
jemdandy
15 years ago
The water affects coffee taste. If the water is "hard", it has a negative effect on taste.

Someone mentioned tossing the grounds and water into the pot together and then boiling it until the water darkens. Around here, this is known as camp or Boy Scout coffee. One technique to separate the grounds is to pour through a strainer when filling a cup. (In a camp setting, the strainer is improvised.)

Boy Scouts with their leaders playing rough-neck in the woods have been known to use another technique to settle the grounds: centrifugal force. One has to have a pot that will stand the rigors. The bail must be strong and firmly attached. You start by swinging the pot until the speed is great enough to pass overhead without spillage. The pot is swung hard through the circle several times and then gently stopped. Supposedly, the grounds will be at the bottom of the pot and by carefully pouring, the amount of grounds entering the cup is minimized. Oh yes, when you start swinging the pot, make sure there is nothing in the "line of fire". Imagne what happens if the handle breaks or the user looses his grip - a full pot of hot coffee hurtling in an unknown trajectory, very dangerous. You might describe this as a red neck solution, but what would expect when you put a bunch of men and boys in the woods.
bulldinkie
15 years ago
Water does make a difference,my faucet water for coffee is awful,I buy bottled and cold water helps.
jannie
15 years ago
I used filtered water. Keep a Brita pitcher in the fridge all the time.
ntt_hou
15 years ago
Jannie, like you, I use Brita filtered water too. I use it for cooking for the most. As for drinking, my frige has a good filtering sysem too.

I need to make a correction about how long it takes for the percolator to brew coffee. I actually timed it this morning. For the electric Presto 12-cup model, it took about 1 minute per cup. So if you'd make 5 cups, it'd take about 5 minutes, for 12 cups, 12 minutes, etc.
cynic
15 years ago
What one person likes,others don't like. It's a matter of taste. I don't like regular Folgers although I did like the French Roast version when I had it. I do not like Dunkin Donuts coffee. Didn't like it at the donut shop and don't like the bag stuff, but since it's affiliated with Folgers & Millstone, I'm not surprised. I always buy Maxwell House these days. I quit buying other brands that I used to like. I've thrown/given away too much coffee.

I've always liked percolated coffee better than drip. There too, some like one over another. But there's a lot of variables in making coffee so they all come together. No one thing will solve issues.

Variables:
- The type of pot. Percolator, drip, French Press, boil it or otherwise
- The cleanliness of the pot. A dirty pot makes for dirty coffee IMO
- The brand of coffee
- The version within the brand. (If peoples' tastes didn't vary we couldn't have the better part of a store aisle filled with coffee brands and varieties.)
- The water. Bad water can't make good coffee. And I disagree about hard water being bad. Again, a matter of taste. I've been using filtered or when I'm traveling I use that maligned and vilified "bottled water" that is causing the end of the world according to some! :)
- How long it sits. If it starts evaporating it'll affect the taste. I usually put it immediately into a vacuum bottle.
- Strength of the coffee. Some are good strong while others are not. Again... taste.
- And.... well, remember your tastes *do* change over time. And often we remember things tasting better sometimes than they did but it could have been because of a myriad of reasons, for instance, it was a treat, didn't have coffee much, or you had something with it that complimented it so well, or it could be the company was great, or other reasons. I know there's things I go "I can't believe I liked that stuff!" or I like it now and couldn't stand it before. Maybe the taste of it changed but I'm more inclined to think my tastes have changed.

The thing about a percolator is you can use fewer grounds and get a stronger coffee from them. Just perk it longer. I never understood not having the adjustment set to the strongest setting and use fewer grounds. Always tasted fine to me. Even my Norelco drip maker had a coffee saver deal where it had the grounds in a smaller basket and you could use less. Worked well. Stovetop percolator goes until the color is right.

I also think a glass percolator gives a better taste than aluminum and even stainless steel. Again... taste.

But I also drink my coffee black. To me, when someone puts cream and sugar in it they get no credibility from me when they express an opinion on taste of the coffee cream & sugar! I always ask why they don't just order hot chocolate! :)
Tomato_Tuff-Tuff
15 years ago
Fresh ground, period. This is just me.. an opinion. If your not grinding your coffee before brewing the rest is kinda pointless. It's really that big of a flavor/richness boost. (I HATE when I post anything that remotely sounds snobbish and this is one of those posts, I apologize in advance but thought the info was worth sharing)
ntt_hou
15 years ago
Cynic, nooo, hot chocolate tastes totally different than cafe latte (in the US, that is basically, coffee+milk/cream+sugar).

Tomato, you didn't sound snobbish to me. What you said is true. I can't speak for everyone but I'm sure many would feel the same. I'm not always in a position to grind beans freshly every morning in order to make a 'great' cup of coffee. It's just not feasable, my physical health does not permit it. So, I settle for a decent cup of coffee; as decent as I can make it. What I'm trying to say is, it's not that we do not acknowledge fresh ground is best but it's just not always... feasable!
Tomato_Tuff-Tuff
15 years ago
Hi ntt. I'm on my third "grind and brew" style coffee maker. None have been satisfactory as they seem to break apart in a couple of years but I can load the beans/water and struggle my bleary eyes through the kitchen in the morning and push a button to start the process. I have an emergency electric grinder to use but until the coffee maker inevitably fails it's a spice grinder..

Don't let me misrepresent myself though. I will grab a cup from Quicktrip or Waffle House if the night was rough! lol
jemdandy
15 years ago
Some coffee mixes contain chickory. Chickory adds a bitter bite to the brew. Some like it; I do not.

In New Orleans, some business offices have two pots: one is regular coffee and the other is 100% chickory.

Chickory gained traction during WW2 when it was used as a coffee substitute.
ntt_hou
15 years ago
Earlier on this thread, someone mentioned about adding an egg in the coffee ground. I was curious and digged up some info.

If the coffee was done in "cowboy" style: in the coffee container, an egg was beaten and mixed in with the coffee ground. The eggshell was thrown in, and water poured into the container and was brought to a boiled. The beaten egg will keep the grounded beans together as the the coffee is being made. Once it's boiled, the coffee is taken off the heat. By adding some cold water into the coffee, the grounded beans would settle to the bottom. The eggshell helps to minimize the acid and would make the coffee less bitter.

If the coffee is made using a filtered cup, only the eggshell is thrown in with the coffee ground for brewing.

Just yesterday, a friend of mine explained that using a pinch of salt will do the same trick as the eggshell. I will try this method in my next perk coffee batch. I'll add a pinch of salt into the ground and see how it is.

I must admit, the percolator sure makes a delicious, smooth cup of coffee. I look forward to it each morning when I wake up. Never thought that a cup of coffee would get me out of bed :o)
cynic
15 years ago
Oh how did I miss grinding the beans? And the grind of the beans itself can make a big difference too.

And ntt_hou, yes I know they're not identical, but the point is that it's kind of like taking a steak and dousing it in ketchup and mustard. Loses the basic flavor so you can't really tell whether the underlying is good or bad. The Odd Couple TV show did a perfect thing about this point. Felix offered Murray (the cop) some coffee. He added about 1/4 cup of cream and about 8-10 tsp of sugar, stirs it, and takes a sip and goes, "Ah Felix, that's *good* coffee!" :)

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