Growing up, my first pleasurable coffee experiences were the fancy General Food International Coffee delights that my grandmother loved.
At home, my dad drank Folger’s instant, thus initiating a disgust for instant coffee in my childhood.
In college, I discovered the Melitta drip filters that were so popular among the Peets Coffee Crowd. Easy enough… but then I learned about the French Press. I could actually adjust the strength! A bit messier to clean up, but doable. To this day it’s still my favorite because it requires no consumables and only needs a hot water kettle.
I developed a love/hate relationship with the Moka Pot. My house in Italy came with three in various sizes, so I figured I should learn how to finally use it in 2006. I never really liked the taste of the coffee — it was nothing like espresso from a cafe. Sort of burnt and watery at the same time. I tried more coffee, more milk, and letting it sit until it was cold. Finally, this year — 2024, I learned to make delicious Moka Pot coffee. The secret is to not let the coffee boil on top. Three tips:
- start with hot water (and fill the bottom just to below the valve). Some people use boiling water, but then the pot is too hot to assemble.
- use less coffee. Don’t pack it completely full and don’t tamp it down. I do it about 2/3 full or use a coffee measure proportionate to the number of cups (4 Italian cups = 1 American cup)
- leave the top open while the water boils. As it starts to express up, close the lid before it burps the last bits (so you don’t get a mess all over the stove)
A couple decades ago, I discovered the AeroPress — an upside down french-press espresso maker that produces nice little coffee pucks for easy composting! Get the reusable mesh filter too, although the paper ones are also washable and compostable. It’s nice for travel, but the plastic in the first generation degraded into stickiness and the surrounding edges that allow you to pull out the plunger broke. Newer ones seem better made.
Cuisinart Programmable Coffee Maker — best drip coffer maker there is. My friends who make good coffee in the morning all seem to have this, so I got a refurbished one and indeed it is good. Better for making large amounts.
Turkish coffee of course is always fabulous, but it’s too rich to drink a big mug every morning. It’s really an after dinner drink.
More recently, I’ve become somewhat converted to Nespresso pods (the reusable stainless ones, that is) and REUSABLE k-cups. I hate the idea of making trash to make coffee, but I love the idea of just pressing a button in the morning to make one cup of coffee. Easy to clean up and compost the grounds. Just gotta remember to load it up at night.