Mmm, coffee

Can either of you fellas comment on how pour over coffee compared to the AeroPress brew method? I love my AeroPress but the way y'all talk about pour over does have me intro,gued.

I concur with NeoXerxes . I've tried the aeropress and I prefer the pour over. As for technique its not that hard and there are plenty of videos on youtube - I posted one earlier in this thread that shows the method I use. Ratios are important so a decent scale is necessary and the Hario goose neck kettle while not an absolute necessity its pretty nice to have as it gives way better pour control than a big spout. You can even get electric goose neck kettles with variable temperature control which can be handy if you are, or have in the house, a tea freak that wants different teas steeped at different temperatures. You would only need one pot instead of two. Its not really a hassle and I enjoy the process almost as much as the end product. Its always interesting to watch the coffee bloom as you pour water on it - its an exercise in mindfulness
Mark

@mickey oberman thats rough but I think you're doing a great job in handling one of life's curve balls.  
Marko

I got hooked on Turkish coffee on a trip to Egypt. I would push the limit and savor a portion of the sludge in the bottom as well, much to the dismay of the locals. Nice source of the shakes and cold sweats

Don't make it at home but I applaud the creativity Mickey Oberman.

Marko I also find the pour over process to be very meditative. Somehow it's relaxing, and that's a wonderful feeling before the caffeine hits .

I still need to try proper Turkish coffee.

Marko,

I have no choice.

Mickey

Enjoyed both of these today by Roundsquare Roastery.

For any Canadians out there (I'm not sure what shipping is like to the states), check out Red Engine Roasters from Lethbridge. We have another coffee roaster in town (who I really don't enjoy), and Red Engine (who are the new players). I use a Chemex exclusively, and boy is this coffee great. And, to weigh in on the Aeropress question, I'm not a huge fan as it really tends to bring out the brightness. Which is fine, but I tend to go for medium roasts and coffees with a strong fruit note, so it can be a bit much in the Aeropress. Another YMMV thing it seems

I've looked into both the Chemex & Hario V60 thanks to the great conversations here. I don't think that they are right for me at this time. However, I do plan on revisiting them later when time isn't so precious of a commodity, especially in the mornings.

That doesn't mean that I can't make some improvements to my current setup. Today I ordered a couple things to do just that.

Able Fine Disk metal filter for AeroPress


Hario Skerton Ceramic Burr Manual Grinder

The stainless steel filter will allow me to keep more of the oils from the beans. I already have a burr grinder, but it's electric and makes a lot of noise which isn't the best thing early in the morning when I'd like the kiddos to stay asleep. I'm looking forward to having my first manual grinder.

I have that grinder and I use it when I'm on holiday somewhere I don't want to haul an electric burr mill - it does a great job but you're not going to save any time as it is a slow process. It takes several minutes to grind 24 grams of coffee beans that I use for my pour over. The pour over technique doesn't take long actually, only about 3 minutes to brew it. Boiling the water will take longer, unless you have an induction cooktop or a super high output gas burner. The time issue is that it only makes 1 cup at a time but it is a damn fine cup of coffee. I find that I require less excellent coffee to satisfy me than when I was drinking less good coffee. That seems counterintuitive but there it is. Possibly its caffeine levels - I use 24 grams of coffee to brew a cup of coffee (350 grams H20) and I use 48 grams to brew a 10 cup carafe of drip coffee in my Techni Vorm brewer. Assuming I extract most of the caffeine out of each batch, I'm getting 5 cups worth of caffeine in one cup
I've worked out a different ratio for my wife because she says that the 24/350 is too strong for her.

Coffee, like wet shaving, is a voyage of discovery. Trying different beans and different techniques and talking to people has taught me so much over the years. There are forums as well and you will encounter good people and some strident true believers but like anything , its a matter of personal taste and there are always the inevitable compromises one makes based on time and circumstance. I hope your journey is enjoyable.
Mark

Yeah, the grinder was purchased not to save time, but rather to be quieter. I find the sound of my electric burr mill to be quite harsh on my ears first thing in the morning and I don't want to wake the little ones.