Mmmmm, Coffee

[PoofyOddish]

So, even though I really have no reason to drink it as much as I do, I love coffee. I'm partial to a strong brew with a hint of hazelnut, if I'm not experimenting with other flavors and such. Oh, and iced mochas are good, too :3 My question is this: what kinds of coffee do you enjoy? I'm always looking to try more, but it's hard to know what to try with so many options (and I get frustrated when I have a bad cup of coffee, so I hate wasting my time with bad blends and such XD)

In addition, any tips to success with drip coffee? I'm still developing a method, so if anyone has anything to share, I'd be appreciative.

[ArisFlackerbee]

Corey will be a good expert on this subject. I like coffee that tastes good...lol. I'm pretty easy to please. I don't do sweet coffee unless I've made it sweet myself through flavored creamers. But generally, I don't like sweetened coffee at all. I love it black with cream, the stronger flavor the better.

I would love to experiment myself, but I also usually don't drink coffee outside of my normal job. I did have a lot during Mariothons but, that's of course a given.

[monkfluffer]

The quality of coffee depends on how fiddly you want to get with it. I know people that roast their own beans, grind them, and hand-press their coffee every day. It's probably the best coffee on Earth, but it takes 20+ minutes to make one cup.

Since I'm lazy, I try to make it as quickly as possible, but I still take the extra time to grind the beans and filter the water. Those two steps seem to make the most difference. As for the type of coffee, Daz Bog is my favorite, but it's expensive. I usually get a bag of Moka Java from Cost Plus for around $6 and it's just as good as anything you'd get at the grocery store. Sometimes I'll get a bag of Starbucks' espresso roast beans and brew them in a drip machine.

If you don't already have a grinder and want to get one, make sure you get what's called a burr mill grinder. It has actual wheels that crush the beans instead of chopping them like cheaper blade grinders do. Amazon has a good selection of grinders.

As for the water, you'll want filtered, cold water. I used to think using hot water was better, but it ends up causing the coffee to be too bitter because hot water can old more coffee particles in a solution than cold water can. The filtering just makes sure you taste more of the coffee than the minerals, additives, etc. in the water.

I brew my coffee in a drip machine. I just recently bought the ubiquitous Cuisinart DCC-1200 that's been on every TV show in the last 20 years. www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DCC-1200-Central-Programmable-Coffeemaker/dp/B00005IBX9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350014870&sr=8-1&keywords=cuisinart+dcc+1200. I've heard the Aeropress makes great coffee without a lot of work, but it's still too much for me. aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm.

Aeropress video. vimeo.com/40980282

Since you can't get pre-flavored coffee unless it's pre-ground, I add flavor to it between grinding and brewing. For me, that just means sprinkling a little cinnamon in with the grounds after you've dumped them into the filter. I also add a very small pinch of Kosher salt to enhance the details of the coffee's flavor. Once it's brewed, you can't tell there was salt in the filter. Unless you use too much, that is. I've only ever used cinnamon in my coffee, but I've heard nutmeg, cardamom, etc. are also good.

Once it's brewed I typically only add sugar unless I've used fairly acidic beans. In that case I'll use a little fat-free milk. I grew up with bad coffee that needed a lot of sugar so I never got used to drinking it without. I don't use nearly as much as I used to, though.

I think that's all the important stuff I know. A lot of it is personal preference and experimentation.

[Sauce]

Coffee is gross.

[monkfluffer]

I forgot to add that Flesh is a big coffee person so he may have some good ideas too.

(Sauce is gross.)