stove-top coffee tips and tricks?

[pandus13]

Hello BITOGers,

I see there are a lot of various coffee makers/instant/keurig threads, but what about us "older style" stove-top coffee makers?
What is your tool of trade, and a the secret to a good satisfied coffee.

Me, I had a mr coffee, and give it away because it was just sitting.
Wife use a really small SS pot to make her occasional cup of coffee (1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of grounds), but it was too small/unstable for our stove-top.
So one day i took our SS 2-qt pot, put 2 cup water in, let it come to a boil on medium, then dump 2 Full teaspoons of coffee grounds , guard it so it does not dump on stove top, let boil on medium-low for 2-3 minutes, stop, let sit for one minute, than use small tea-strainer to depose into wife's cup (with almond milk + 1/2 teaspoon honey).
Wife did not commented, but it seems I'm the designated coffee maker.
For now I used some Aldi marque and some clearance Starbucks

So what are your:
-ritual for making the coffee
-your supplies
-your way of making coffee the old way

 

[Quattro Pete]

I've never tried one myself, but the $20-$30 stove top espresso makers on Amazon seem to be extremely popular. So is the French Press.

As for me, I stick with my traditional espresso machine.
1. Turn on the machine and let it heat up for about 30 min.
2. Measure 17g of beans and grind them into a portafilter.
3. Heat up some milk in a cup.
4. Tamp the grinds in the portafilter and load into the machine.
5. Extract coffee into the previously heated cup of milk.

 

[MichiganMadMan]

Coffee is the first thing I do before figuring out what I'm having for breakfast.

I use a glass tea kettle on my gas range to boil the water. Then an Ikea French press with COARSE ground beans (as fresh as possible).

Dump in 2 tablespoons of grounds, turn off the kettle and let it rest for a minute, pour to just shy of the top of my big coffee mug (sitting next to it as a gauge), stir for a minute, depress plunger screen, pour and officially start the day.

Seeing as they are both glass, I now have spares. The WORST day is when you crack one or both of them and have to resort to gas-station swill. (Ask me how I know).

 

[PimTac]

Back in the fifties and sixties my folks used a stovetop percolator pot made by Revereware. I don’t think they make them anymore and Revere is part of the Correlle group now.

This one by Farberware looks decent. If you are using good coffee and grind it right the percolator will make the best coffee anywhere.

8 Cup Percolator , Polished stainless steel for beauty and durability. by Farberware https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J525J4U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ic61AbQGW243Y

 

[Variant_S]

This is pretty close to what my first coffee maker looked like:



I picked it up at a garage/boot sale for a few cents sometime in the early 1980s. Used it until the bottom cracked and broke. It made great coffee, but was a bit of a mess to clean up.

 

[123Saab]

https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Maker-Porcelain-Brewer/dp/B000QY9YDY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1524082921&sr=8-4&keywords=melitta%2Bpour%2Bover&th=1

Works great for when I'm not in any hurry.

 

[SZR48207]

I use mine once every few months. Never wash with soap -- just rinse it out after.

With the right coffee, you'll get a nice crema effect.

You can buy these Bialetti ones that are made in Italy at Target for about $20.

 

[SOHCman]

Two words: French Press

I prefer an electric kettle for the speedy boil, but you can us a traditional kettle on the stove as well.

Just use enough grounds to taste (I like about 1/3 cup) but I only fill it 2/3 with water because that's all my thermos will hold.

No filter so you get all the oils that are good for you.

 

[andyd]

We have a French press waiting in the wings for a power failure. (propane cook top) Too time consuming and messy for regular use. Regular is a Cuisinart with a timer.

 

[walterjay]

For a long time I made coffee with a stove top percolator. I think it made the best coffee. I would gently perc it for about 5 minutes. I would then remove it from the heat and let it set for about 5 minutes. Letting it set for a little made a huge difference in taste. Now I just use a timed Cuisinart because I have gotten lazy. I may dig out the percolator this weekend and make a good cup of Joe.

 

[tc1446]

Been using a Melita filter size 4, an elect water pot, for many years. We use a new filter for each cup, as we both like diff coffee, diff strength. Theres a variety of cone types on Ebay...just get one that used Size 4 as that makes only one large cup....per drip. You can use it for more than one cup if you like.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Those of you who've experimented with both: which one produces better tasting coffee - french press or percolator?

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Those of you who've experimented with both: which one produces better tasting coffee - french press or percolator?


Negligible difference. The mokapot filters up and out.. the french press filters.. I guess up and out.

 

[SOHCman]

Originally Posted By: andyd
We have a French press waiting in the wings for a power failure. (propane cook top) Too time consuming and messy for regular use. Regular is a Cuisinart with a timer.


What's messy about it? I just rinse it out with plain water after brewing. It all goes down the sink.

 

[SeaJay]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Back in the fifties and sixties my folks used a stovetop percolator pot made by Revereware. I don’t think they make them anymore and Revere is part of the Correlle group now.

This one by Farberware looks decent. If you are using good coffee and grind it right the percolator will make the best coffee anywhere.

8 Cup Percolator , Polished stainless steel for beauty and durability. by Farberware https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J525J4U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ic61AbQGW243Y


I just purchased a Faberware stovetop 8 Cup Percolator late last year. Now I realize what I had been missing for all of those years that I used a Mr. Coffee drip machine. The percolator produces a far, far better cup of coffee. Newer technology (LOL, these drip machines have been around for 40 or more years) is usually, but not always better.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

A lot of the older generation cajuns around here used to/still brew their Community coffee in this type of pot. They put toilet paper in the drip part on top, fill it with Community coffee, and pour hot water over the grounds. My dad still drinks/makes his coffee this way. My grandparents used too as well.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: Reddy45

I use mine once every few months. Never wash with soap -- just rinse it out after.

With the right coffee, you'll get a nice crema effect.

You can buy these Bialetti ones that are made in Italy at Target for about $20.


Got one of these for Christmas from a sister a couple of years ago. Used it this morning with some Starbucks Espresso blend. Ground the beans fine... Beautiful reddish-brown hue coming out of the spout. Heated some organic whole milk to go in it.

Not my normal routine; I usually do just black coffee. Off work today, so, decided to do something different.

So much caffeine I could only finish half. I'll have the other half later.

 

[nthach]

When I make coffee at home, I've been a fan of the hand-crank burr grinder and drip cone. Grind the coffee to the same particle size as fine sea salt or a bit more coarse than kosher salt. I usually aim for 25-35 grams of coffee per 10-12oz mug, I like my coffee strong to hold up to cream but still taste the nuances.