Crop to Cup Forum

[taylorm]

let's get a list going about home brew methods - this will help us in selecting the right products for the C2C audience.

do you use only 1 brew method, or do you switch between several? if several, how often do you switch? why?

i'll go first. i'm generally espresso (low quality pump machine - in dire need of an upgrade) made into a cappuccino, but about once a week I get a press pot/french press going. a small volume cappuccino (by small I mean small in milk - my cholesterol levels luckily would never permit me to go for those big-gulp lattes) is rich enough to be a reward and drunk at a leisurely pace throughout the morning, but about once or twice a week i'm in need of a longer term solution - hence the large volume pot.

[Arkadash]

I'm a french press man myself. Unfortunately, my self-fill K-Cup doesn't work worth a damn, c'est la vie.

[brooke@croptocup.com]

Well, I'm addicted to anything that is convenient: I use a filter drip coffee maker (and I'm just throwing adjectives together here). It has a timer, so for the mornings that are predictably going to be a rough start, knowing that my favorite and delicious Crop to Cup coffee is just brewed and waiting for me is my motivation to get out of bed.

[ajf0825]

I use an all of the above approach. Espresso, press pot, auto drip, even aeropress. It depends on timing, how awake I am in the morning. Particularly love the Americanos

aj

[WasteNotWantGreen]

I'm typically a drip coffee kind of girl, using a #4 metal filter. One part habit, one part sloth, one part flavor preference.

My ultimate favorite method is using a stove top espresso maker (a super old school percolator). The Moka Express by Bialetti is a commonly found version. Made in Italy, these pots can be found in stainless steel as well as aluminum. LONG lasting if given good care. The only part that may need replacing is a little rubber gasket inside. As for the coffee, I've never had better home brew in my life. Creamy and rich. Great method for Crop to Cup's darker roasts.

Recently, I've gotten into darker roasts brewed via French Press. This method doesn't seem to do lighter roasts justice in my opinion. Instead, I end up with an unfamiliar, often syrupy body. But back to the French Press... I like it, but the end product tends to be quite bitter in comparison to other methods. I have my ratio of water to beans correct. Any suggestions? Or is this just inherent with this style of brewing?