All right, here's a question for you. What do you do with your grounds?

At my old place I was dumping them into the garbage disposal, and that worked out well. Now I don't have a disposal, and was wondering about composting the grounds. But I have very little other composting materials, so essentially I'd be just composting the coffee grounds.

So anyone do anything with them other than throw them in the garbage?

We have the mid-line superauto from Saeco, rebranded by Starbucks. Retails for $1k, and does a very good job. You do still have to froth your milk while holding a pitcher under the steam wand. Then again, Real Men(tm) drink their coffee black.

Don't know about the grounds...I can see them being good for plants (good organic material), but also bad (lots of acids). I think I'd google that unless someone else here knows definitively.

yeah, grounds alone may nat be the best, but I do recall them being mentiond as part of your compost. Mine go in the disposal....

The garbage works for Caribou Coffee.

Reviving the Coffee thread....
 

Well, I was out the other day and picked up a French press coffe maker by Bonjour... I was intrigued for a long time about them and the one I saw had a way o close off the screen so you could effectively "stop" the brewing processs.

Well This morning I made my first batch (using the home roasted beans of course!) and - well - frankly - I was a bit disappointed....?!!

I turned the gring down to a 4 (I use a Kitched Aid Grinder obtained from Williams Sonoma). The press says it's 8 cup, which amounts to about two of my large mugs... I based the amount of coffee I used upon the amount I use in my drip maker (for a 10 cup measued line in the machine ( a little over three mugs) I'd use 8 whole bean scoops.... so for two "mugs" I used 6 scoops....

Aside from the sediment which I sort of expected, the coffee was not the cup I expected.... As a rule do you brew less beans in a French press, or more? The brew tasted more "acrid", almost with an overly "burnt " quality, but really, it's hard to describe....

I hate to brew "bad" coffee, bit this is a surprising turn, as many freel the french press is nearly the best way to brew....

Well Carlos.... Have you any thought here.... grind size, amount... whatever?

Thanks!

Mike

Those are good questions. I use the press as my "emergency" coffee maker, although I fully realize it is another viable way to make coffee. I take it while traveling, and that's the only time I use it. So my expectations are lower (at least it's not Starbucks or Denny's).

Generally I use the same grind as drip, maybe slightly less. I think I tend to use "too much" coffee, which makes it richer to me. I do the same with drip. I usually use lighter roasts with the press. I get the water to where it is just showing some bubbles but not boiling--letting it boil is bad. Use clean water, a clean container, etc (I usually just microwave RO filtered water in the press itself without the metal part).

If you leave the coffee in contact too long it becomes more bitter as more caffeine is extracted. Short brewing leads to flat and thin coffee. Short brewing with extra coffee is kind of my compromise. I think I give it three minutes before pressing, then I let it sit 30 seconds, then pour off gently to leave as much sediment behind as possible.

Thanks Carlos... Thats an idea I hadn't thought of: using the microwave with the press....

I'll experiment a little more. The press I bought has a "closable filter that is supposed to cut off the "brewing" by isolating the grinds.... I gave the mix about four minutes before pressing and sealing.

Like you I tend to brew strong coffee... on holidays whenever I visit family etc. they ask me to make the coffee... I defer as much as I can, as my tastes would most likely have everyone else pouring their cups into whatever houseplant was nearby!

(DUH - on another note, these were new beans that I hadn't yet made a pot through the drip maker... Maybe it's just the beans... But I doubt that. Sweet Maria's is pretty reliable, and this was one of the "cup of Excellence" selections...)

Back to the buzz....

I don't know that I'd do anything with the closing feature; it seems like a gimmick, none of the others have it. They've been brewing that way for hundreds of years. I think you should give it a try the old fashioned way first. Once you push the grounds down, there's very little water contact with the grounds.

Let me know how it works out.

BTW, if you like non-espresso coffee, a vac pot is a worthwhile investment. Similar to drip, just better taste.

You're probably right on the brew gimmick.

This morning I went back to the drip pot... Well Surprise surprise... I do believe this coffee is just not to my taste!! It had a similar flavor, chracter as the french press, just not quite as intense. So I may have jumped the gun on my bad initial impression of pressed coffee.

On the vac -pot, I check out Sweet Maria's often and that have a selection of vacuum pots. Somewher down the raod... Yeah I'll probably get one... It's a shame that there are no "true" coffee emporiums arond here that really go over the top about coffee and have all the best coffee "toys"... Then again I'm lucky... I save a few bucks!

I picked up a Bodum vac pot at a local kitchen store. Decent price, in stock. It's nothing fancy to look at--plastic and electronic--but does a great job.

Beans, mail-order
 

Any best of suggestions for mail-order beans? I hear Carribou (Columbian) is very nice, never tried though.

I'm stuck on Porto Rico <http://portorico.com/> (since it's local as well) in NYC, they have quite a few nice blends. I'm just out of Alex's Blend from there, good coffee and prices.

Jacques

I've had good luck so far with Sweet Maria's even though they are out in California and I'm in CT. They do specialize in green beans....

For roasted beans, I used our Local Willoughby's - which also does mail order. You may want to try them. When you find a place you like, stick with 'em....

Hello everyone! Since I am new to this forum, here I'm introducing myself. I'm Peter and I love coffee. :)

So Peter, did you read through and are you going to roast your own?

I am getting fresh roasted coffee beans and good gourmet coffee from this Gourmet Coffee online store. :)

My Fiancée is a coffee fanatic (I guess it goes with being a nurse)... any suggestions on where to find a decent, strong but not-overpowering blend (she likes it straight-up black) to serve as a "stocking-stuffer" of sorts, for Valentine's?

(I'm not a coffee drinker, myself.)

Try calling in an order for coffee with Portorico.com - their prices are excellent and their coffees are even better!

Jacques

Why not get her something "exotic", like a Yemen Mocha Mattari, or an Ethiopian Yrggecheffe... These are good beans, and will show that you looked a bit into what is out there for her....

Sharing coffee with your garden
 

You can mix the coffee grounds straight into your garden soil -- or on top. They are particularly good for plants that prefer a slightly acidic soil, or to loosen up compact or clay-rich soils. You can with great advantage also spread ’em around roses; they provide more soil nutrients than you might expect.

Composting the coffee grounds first is not a must.

Cheers to that! As Petronius once said, "Wine is life."