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Ramblio

  • Chico

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  • Julieroc40

    One of the brands of coffee I like is Jim beams vanilla bourbon. You won't taste the alcohol, but the flavor is really good. I also like some of the flavors by Victor Allen. I wonder though with coffee getting more expensive if the companies have made some changes to how they process it, and maybe that's why your flavors taste weaker.

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  • Tim95

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  • Igor

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  • Nick Stockton

    All the Keurig coffee tastes the same to me. At my house I have a French press instead. You can get them online for around 25 bucks if you want a nice stainless steel one. Getting coffee as either whole bean or preground for it is also much cheaper than those coffee pods the Keurig uses. I know you said you like the Keurig, but if you really want a drastic upgrade in quality, getting a French press is an easy way to do it. They are super simple to use. No electronics or anything like that, just put the grounds in the bottom of the French press, fill it up with boiling water, put the lid with the attached strainer on top, let it sit for five or six minutes, then push the handle down to strain the grounds out of the liquid and hold them in the bottom of the French press. If you have an electric kettle it's even easier, because then you don't have to boil water on the stove. I also have a hand grinder and grind my own beans, but that is completely unnecessary if you get preground coffee and consume it within a couple months while it is still fresh. For a good start to better coffee, you can't go wrong with a Sumatra dark roast and either putting something sweet in it if you need, or just drinking it straight if you prefer the unencumbered taste of a good strong coffee. Sumatra is not a brand, it's a type, so you can find Sumatra dark roasts from brands like Starbucks, or store brands like Safeway or even Amazon; it's all good, just go with whatever has the best price.

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  • LuisXavier

    I’m assuming u’ve been descaling the machine. We clean ours every 3 months or whenever the descaling light turns on. As far as coffee pods. I like one called Green Mountain brand Vanilla caramel flavor

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  • Mya💜

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  • Mya💜

    Replying to  @user987196: Audio

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  • Tim95

    Okay cool two interesting things there in your reply. To rule out if it’s your coffee machine which it sounds like it might be, you could find out the brand of coffee that your friend is using that has the same machine as you, and see how it comes out in your machine. And OMG if you enjoy coffee made in a French press, I so so recommend that you get one 😄

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  • Fimi

    It depends on where you are and how you make coffee.

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  • SamVibes

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  • Nick Stockton

    You mentioned that if you go with a French press you might like to grind your own beans. If you opt to do that, you want a burr grinder and you want to set it to a course grind. Course grind is best for French press. That allows the oil from the grounds to be maximally released into the water, and it also means that they are less likely to slip through the strainer filter when you push the handle down. I definitely recommend starting with preground at first, but if you choose to get into grinding your own beans, then I recommend the Hario "Skerton Pro" Ceramic Coffee Mill. That's the one I've used for many years. It is currently $54 on Amazon, and is a good deal considering a lot of enthusiasts spend hundreds of dollars on a good burr grinder, and a lot of them end up being made in China. This one is made in Japan, and the quality is excellent. I've used it for several years and it still grinds like new. You specifically want that version, the pro, which is only a few bucks more than the regular version, because it will produce a more consistent grind for French press. Also it is easier to adjust then a lot of grinders. Many other grinders I've seen require you to take the thing apart and adjust it using a screwdriver, this one simply has a little dial for adjustment that you turn with your fingers. Detach the grinder from the collection jar, and turn it upside down so that the bit that was inside the jar is now facing up, in the center of that is a little metal dial, turn it all the way clockwise which is the maximum closed position where the burrs inside are touching, then from that position turn it 13 clicks counterclockwise witches the optimal coarseness for a French press. I set mine years ago when I bought it, and I've never had to touch it again as I only use a French press.

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  • Nick Stockton

    Also, when buying a French press. Stainless steel is definitely the way to go. When I first started, I used one that was a glass carafe that fit inside a metal holder with a plastic handle. That glass bit ended up shattering one day when I washed it. I bought a replacement part, that ended up shattering as well. It was then that I upgraded to the stainless steel, and never looked back. Also that glass one was single wall, so it wouldn't hold heat for very long. When buying a stainless steel, make sure it says it is double walled. Most of them are. Don't go with plastic. We have enough plastic in our heads from all the micro plastics in everything, we don't need to make it worse. Also plastic sir not double wall either. Like I said in my previous message, you can find good stainless steel French press units for around 25 on Amazon, though the one I personally use is around 60 from a name-brand Italian company.

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  • Valentin

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  • Tim95

    I too have a stainless steel French press. Nick your comments on the grinder are really interesting, I currently just have an electric grinder that I pulse about seven times, but I’m going to look into the grinder that you mentioned

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