I can't remember if I've posted on nostr my advice for making good coffee at home.

If you drink instant coffee, there is something you can do that is very inexpensive and barely much more work than boiling a kettle of water, and your coffee will be way better than instant.

If you have an espresso machine at home, this advice isn't for you, you already have good coffee I imagine.

Here is the advice: Get an AeroPress. Get a coffee grinder that uses burrs. Doesn't have to be expensive. You can get a cheap hand grinder like a Timemore, Kingrinder, or 1zpresso... or mayb you can find an old cheap electric coffee grinder. As long as it uses burrs and doesn't have a spinning blade. Then buy whole coffee beans at the supermarket (try different ones until you get one you like). Grind the beans right before brewing in your AeroPress. Grind your coffee while you wait for the water to boil, setup the AeroPress with a filter, then pour in the grounds, pour in the hot water, let it sit about a minute, and press it through. FAR better than instant, and almost as instant. Plus very cheap. You can get an aeropress for probably < US $50 and a hand grinder also for < US $50. I bought both in NZ for less then NZ $100 each.

Using roast coffee beans instead of instant makes a big difference.

Grinding those beans semi-properly with a burr makes an appreciable difference.

The paper filter in the AeroPress and probably other factors about how it works makes a difference.

Instant sucks. Upgrade. But IMHO spending tons of money on espresso machines and fancy grinders isn't going to make your coffee that much better than AeroPress is. Unless you really need espresso shots, in which case... ask someone else.

I agree but now I've upped my coffee game to a v60 and never use my aeropress. The quality of the coffee is what makes all the difference once you are using a burr grinder.

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I haven't tried the v60. Yes, the coffee bean selection makes a huge difference. The roast especially but if lighter roast, the source.

We have quite hard tap water so I use bottled and that makes a big difference.

I'm on rain water. Some would say I should add minerals. But I don't bother.

You worry about PFAS in the rain? That's a big source of it nowadays.

Colombia or Ethiopian beans for that v60? alternating is best

I have a subscription where the roaster sends me different specialty coffee every month. I tend to like clean washed Ethiopian but there are some amazing coffees from all over the world.

I’m drinking v60, the espresso machine, now started cold brewing too.

I've never made cold brew. It's gets a bad wrap. I had a cup from a start up that were trying to sell to cafés anditt was really nice.

I just used my aeropress for the first time in about 6 months. I used the James Hoffman technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6VlT_jUVPc the brew tasted hollow compared to my v60. Maybe I need to dial in the grind size but I'm already grinding pretty fine.

I’ve never had aeropress.

think I’m holding back because obsession needs to be dialed back down a little.

It might be better suited for a cold one?