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Great except for the decaf. I cannot drink regular coffee after breakfast or I will not sleep. And instant? Blech! I would ask if any of the guests use it.
It just so happens that my one scoop of coffee to one mug at my house is 16:1, precisely!
Question: how do you store coffee?
I was trying not to overcomplicate things - like getting only a half pound of decaf and making only a half pot and finding another carafe to put that in so they could make another pot of real coffee, etc. etc.
Does Starbucks Via work for you? I've never had the decaf, but in an emergency, I thought the regular coffee versions of it are tolerable.
On storing coffee - I actually roast my own as needed, so it doesn't sit around very long - 4 days max usually. I'd just keep it in the bag, squeeze the air out and use tape or a rubber band to keep it closed. Unless one is really fussy over minor degradation issues, that should suffice. If not, get a container where you can create a vacuum and use that - kitchen stores usually have something like that. I wouldn't refrigerate or freeze.
I've never understood the reason for the Keurig. People complain that with a "regular" coffeemaker, there is too much waste. What waste?, I say. Just make a "small pot".
Here in the U.S. of A., coffeemaker manufacturers call a cup 6 ounces. If you're only drinking two cups, put in enough water for three. (The grounds are going to soak up some of it)
As for the coffee itself, my vote is for the 8 o'clock brand - 100% Colombian - and make sure to close the bag tightly between uses.
I received a Cuisinart pot as a gift and I'm satisfied with it. It has a thermal carafe so no warming plate to foul the taste.
Good luck with whichever one you choose, but don't get over-anxious. Follow the directions that come with your new pot and who knows? You may get to be a coffee convert!
Is your company coming in groups or one at a time? If it's in groups you'll have to get a coffee maker but if it's one at a time go with a "single cup at a time" maker.-(I'm not talking about the Kureg style-just the Black and Decker or similar. That way they have the permanent filter so you don't have to mess with the paper ones and you don't have to store a big ole coffee maker you'll hardly ever use- who the heck has room to store extra appliances?
Pro tips on how to make decent coffee on the cheap:
1. Don't freaking waste the money on a Keurig. I cannot believe that was even a recommendation for your situation. You don't drink coffee. So just get the cheapest drip coffeemaker you can find at Target or BB&B (use your 10% coupon!) or wherever you're shopping. No bells and whistles needed, you're going to use this what, two-three times a year? 10-12 cup volume oughta do it.
2. As mentioned earlier, get the right filters. You need to know if the filter holder accepts cone shapes or flat bottomed shapes. Make sure you know that before you buy filters.
3. Buy a bag of whole bean coffee. Ask for something not shiny (seriously, shiny beans are either way overroasted or way stale, no exceptions). If the supermarket you shop at has Eight O'Clock, get that. Dunkin Donuts works too. You don't need more than a pound and shouldn't spend more than $10 on either of these choices.
4. Have the store set their grinder dial to dead center. This will produce a slightly larger grain size than what most people use, but most people overextract their coffee because of using too fine a grind. Grind the whole pound. Yeah, the pros say to grind only what you're using right before you brew, but you're only doing this for a couple of days and it's for company - and what you're going to make will probably be way better than what they brew and drink themselves.
5. Screw the decaf, you're not going to use that much. Get the decaf coffee tea bag things or the smallest jar of instant you can find. Again, you don't drink coffee but you're being hospitable having it in your house. You don't need to be perfect.
6. Your glass carafe will have lines on it. Do this once and you won't have to do it again - fill it with water to the top line (10 or 12 cups). Get a measuring cup and figure out how much water that actually is. Odds are pretty good that 10 cups will be 50 ounces and 12 cups will be 60. Even though a cook recognizes a cup = 8 ounces, coffeemaker manufacturers don't and it's even different by country (but that's another story). Btw, this step also rinses out the carafe.
7. Put the filter in the filter holder and rinse until it's saturated. If the filter holder doesn't detach from the machine, skip this step. But if it does detach, by all means do so.
8. Whatever that measurement is for a full pot, divide by 16. So for 50 ounces, that 3-1/8, for 60 ounces, that's 3-3/4. Yes, there is math. 3-1/8 ounces (10 cups) = 6 tablespoons and a 1/2 teaspoon. 3-3/4 ounces (12 cups) = 7 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon.
9. Put the appropriate amount of coffee in the filter and level it off.
10. Fill the carafe with water (not icy cold, not near boiling) to the line for a full pot (10 or 12 cups), then pour that water into the machine. If your tap water is extra hard, use bottled.
11. Turn it on and wait for the water to filter through into the carafe.
12. Voila! Coffee. If the pot has a warmer, don't leave the coffee on that plate for more than 30 minutes. It'll start to stink and be less than delicious, especially if the carafe is low. Pour it out and make another pot if guests want more.
13. When the guests leave, make sure everything in the machine is dry and clean and put it away until next time you have guests.
Trust me on this, if you follow these directions, your guests will never know you don't make the stuff and they will comment on how good the coffee is even though you're using relatively cheap beans and a cheap coffeemaker. The key components are fresh coffee (or relatively fresh in your case as you're having it ground at the store) and the 16:1 water to coffee ratio that results in the measurements above.
And for God's sake whatever you do, don't buy anything in a can that's got robusta in it. Only 100% arabica (Eight O'Clock and Dunkin qualify here), not a dark roast and especially not a "french" roast.
This advice is spot on. It may seem like a lot to go through, but it is because of the learning curve, it is step by step. I would make one other recommendation. If you are using tap water that is chlorinated put it in a pitcher and let it set over night. The chlorine will dissipate and make better coffee, and also warms the water slightly.
I don't drink coffee but this thread has made me curious. What does a Keurig coffee maker cost and how much are the K-cups?
The smallest one is about 100 bucks. The K cups vary on the brand and whats on sale. Usually there are 12 in a box. I have paid from5.99 on sale to 13. not on sale.
Pro tips on how to make decent coffee on the cheap:
1. Don't freaking waste the money on a Keurig. I cannot believe that was even a recommendation for your situation. You don't drink coffee. So just get the cheapest drip coffeemaker you can find at Target or BB&B (use your 10% coupon!) or wherever you're shopping. No bells and whistles needed, you're going to use this what, two-three times a year? 10-12 cup volume oughta do it.
2. As mentioned earlier, get the right filters. You need to know if the filter holder accepts cone shapes or flat bottomed shapes. Make sure you know that before you buy filters.
3. Buy a bag of whole bean coffee. Ask for something not shiny (seriously, shiny beans are either way overroasted or way stale, no exceptions). If the supermarket you shop at has Eight O'Clock, get that. Dunkin Donuts works too. You don't need more than a pound and shouldn't spend more than $10 on either of these choices.
4. Have the store set their grinder dial to dead center. This will produce a slightly larger grain size than what most people use, but most people overextract their coffee because of using too fine a grind. Grind the whole pound. Yeah, the pros say to grind only what you're using right before you brew, but you're only doing this for a couple of days and it's for company - and what you're going to make will probably be way better than what they brew and drink themselves.
5. Screw the decaf, you're not going to use that much. Get the decaf coffee tea bag things or the smallest jar of instant you can find. Again, you don't drink coffee but you're being hospitable having it in your house. You don't need to be perfect.
6. Your glass carafe will have lines on it. Do this once and you won't have to do it again - fill it with water to the top line (10 or 12 cups). Get a measuring cup and figure out how much water that actually is. Odds are pretty good that 10 cups will be 50 ounces and 12 cups will be 60. Even though a cook recognizes a cup = 8 ounces, coffeemaker manufacturers don't and it's even different by country (but that's another story). Btw, this step also rinses out the carafe.
7. Put the filter in the filter holder and rinse until it's saturated. If the filter holder doesn't detach from the machine, skip this step. But if it does detach, by all means do so.
8. Whatever that measurement is for a full pot, divide by 16. So for 50 ounces, that 3-1/8, for 60 ounces, that's 3-3/4. Yes, there is math. 3-1/8 ounces (10 cups) = 6 tablespoons and a 1/2 teaspoon. 3-3/4 ounces (12 cups) = 7 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon.
9. Put the appropriate amount of coffee in the filter and level it off.
10. Fill the carafe with water (not icy cold, not near boiling) to the line for a full pot (10 or 12 cups), then pour that water into the machine. If your tap water is extra hard, use bottled.
11. Turn it on and wait for the water to filter through into the carafe.
12. Voila! Coffee. If the pot has a warmer, don't leave the coffee on that plate for more than 30 minutes. It'll start to stink and be less than delicious, especially if the carafe is low. Pour it out and make another pot if guests want more.
13. When the guests leave, make sure everything in the machine is dry and clean and put it away until next time you have guests.
Trust me on this, if you follow these directions, your guests will never know you don't make the stuff and they will comment on how good the coffee is even though you're using relatively cheap beans and a cheap coffeemaker. The key components are fresh coffee (or relatively fresh in your case as you're having it ground at the store) and the 16:1 water to coffee ratio that results in the measurements above.
And for God's sake whatever you do, don't buy anything in a can that's got robusta in it. Only 100% arabica (Eight O'Clock and Dunkin qualify here), not a dark roast and especially not a "french" roast.
I am going to print this out. This is the Coffee Bible. Love it. Thanks.
Alton Brown happens to be wrong. First he's got a slightly high coffee to water ratio, which I'll account to his personal taste. But the big one is that he's using a mesh filter, therefore needs a somewhat coarser grind - and 15 seconds of continuous grinding in a cheap whirly grinder will create a powdery grind below the blades - which will turn into sludge in your cup.
If you're using a whirly grinder, pulse for a few seconds, stir up the grinds, then pulse again and always use a paper filter to trap the fines so you don't get sludge.
My new drip coffee maker calls for a ratio of 1 tablespoon ground coffee per cup. I like my coffee a little stronger than that and so I use a rounded tablespoon per cup when I use the coffee maker. But I grew up on 'cowboy coffee' and prefer a French press now for coffee.
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What does a Keurig coffee maker cost and how much are the K-cups?
