Why Cheap Coffee Makers Suck (And How To Fix Them)

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Here are the two coffee makers featured (this is not a recommendation!):
Melitta: geni.us/cheapmelitta
Russell Hobbs: geni.us/cheaprussellhobbs
Music:
"Summer Route" by lwfi
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Links:
Patreon: / jameshoffmann
Limited Edition Merch: www.tenshundredsthousands.com
My Books:
The World Atlas of Coffee: geni.us/atlasofcoffee
The World Atlas of Coffee Audiobook: bit.ly/worldatlasofcoffeeaudio
The Best of Jimseven: geni.us/bestofjimseven
Find me here:
Instagram: / jimseven
Twitter: / jimseven
Things I use and like:
My video kit: kit.co/jimseven/video-making-...
My current studio coffee kit: kit.co/jimseven/studio-coffee...
My glasses: bit.ly/boldlondon
My hair product of choice: geni.us/forthehair
Neewer Products I Use:
geni.us/neewer-C-stand
geni.us/neewersl60
geni.us/neewerslider

[@hskrwr9495]

Using a £3,000 grinder for a £30 coffee Brewer is exactly the kind of overkill I've come to love and expect from this channel

[@gytefisk]

Just out of curiosity, how much do you think an industrial grinder that grind your cheap supermarket coffee cost? I bet it cost much, much more that £3000…

[@gytefisk]

@@hskrwr9495 no way a coffee producer on a industrial scale use those kind of grinders. Those are something you will find at the supermarket.

[@hskrwr9495]

@@gytefisk yes. That is what I said. And what I thought you were asking about. Legit coffee roasters obviously will have more expensive equipment, but then you have other issues like the coffee being ground months before you pick it up off the shelf, which I would argue impacts the taste more than the actual grinder used at that point assuming it wasn't a blade grinder

[@gytefisk]

@@hskrwr9495 my point was simply that brewing with a 30£ coffee brewer and a >3000£ grinder is not exactly uncommon. In fact, this is what most people do.

[@MrAranton]

@@gytefisk A coffee grinder for end consumers (or cafés) that costs 3000 pounds is good at different things than an industrial coffee grinder that costs 3000 pounds. Industrial grinders are optimized for capacity, their ability to be continously fed and running 24/7/365, not for producing what coffee afficionados like James would consider "well ground coffee".

[@cjtathome]

My daughter just asked me if I’m watching “The judgy coffe guy “ again …. Consider a name change 😆

[@kruks]

Hah. In one of James' previous videos he said he tries to put more positivity than negativity into the world and I thought, hmmm, keep working on that, James. 😄

[@jennaleew2095]

My family knows him as "the fancy English coffee man"

[@cjtathome]

@@jennaleew2095 , Nice …. Give James his dues , he knows his beans, makes a great video and appreciates quality and value

[@jennaleew2095]

@@cjtathome he definitely does! My family only ever hears his videos when I'm watching them so "the fancy coffee man" is what they call him because they don't watch, your daughter calling him the judgy coffee guy just made me think of that!

[@Assenayo]

Does your daughter shop at Aldi by any chance?

[@FNQTadventures]

Absolute gamechanger hack: I used the small plastic disc with legs that comes with a takeaway pizza to prevent the product being squashed. I drilled a few holes in it of varying diameters and then place it in the coffee, where the coffee impact point is. This ensured adequate distribution across the coffee grinds, resulting in a well-extracted brew.

[@se-lene]

Great minds think alike 🤭 I did this with some type of round plastic too and it definitely changed the coffee for the better

[@gamingwithstand6886]

This is a good idea. However plastic can be very. Watch this video. The Global Spermageddon | Explorer kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYeqdpmdm7OqsMU

[@kpotter78]

Absolute genius! Thanks!

[@nanoverse]

One barista told this tip to wet the filter beforehand. Takes a little sourness away, or placebo.

[@assymcgee7217]

That's what Macgyver would of done. Did you see the plastic thing & think hmm🤔 or were you actively looking for something to do the job & came across it ?

[@elijahwatson8119]

Drip electric coffee makers are kind of amazing in a value engineering sense. They're so simple that for a decade I've owned a (very) basic 12 cup coffee maker that cost me $10 USD and still works to this day. But I have no taste sense for high quality coffee so folgers made with a drip machine is just fine to me.

[@ntolman]

I like my coffee with sugar and milk. Black coffee is disgusting to me. My French press and electric kettle work just fine for me.

[@beardiemom]

Yeah, nothing wrong with a drip electric coffee maker, it was my first choice while I was a poor uni student - though I went with something slightly more costly that had an insulated pot instead of the heating element below the glass caraffe. I now spent the money on a medium cost portafilter machine (€500) and I really like that, too - honestly more than my drip machine. But, for someone who just needs some coffee to get them going in the morning, there is *nothing* wrong with a cheap drip machine. Honestly, if I wasn't such a sucker for cappuccinos and latte macchiatos, I would have likely just stuck with my trusty dripper that has stuck with me for 8 years of daily coffee making and two relationships.

[@cassaleelee]

I've never known any coffee maker to actually die. They're always in thrift stores.

[@Kira_Martel]

I wish we could find one to last that long. We had one for a good few years, then when it died, we replaced it with another one of the same type that only lasted a few months. Then the next one we got died an early death as well. This became a saga of trying to find a new coffeemaker just to have it crap out in less than a year. Finally, my mom took a sharpie and wrote the date of purchase on the top of the most recent machine, just so we knew we weren't crazy, and that seemed to end the cycle. …Until today. Almost exactly four years to the day of purchase in March 2019, it finally gave up the ghost, when it started making an incessant high-pitched whine during a clean cycle that wouldn't stop when the clean cycle ended. She's out right now trying to find a replacement. 🤞🏻 My parents drink an inordinate amount of coffee, so we need a machine that will stand up to a first pot at 07:00 and last pot at 23:00 kind of lifestyle. We switched to the thermos-style carafe because the machines with the heating plate would build up too much scale in the tubing keeping the pot warm and making new cups all day long every day. If it was just me and my husband, I'd switch to pour-over and never deal with electronic or mechanical parts ever again, but that just doesn't work for my folks' lifestyle. 😅

[@ellenrik]

I grew up in the early 60's (coffee consumption date not birth date) and unless you've had coffee made in those cheap aluminum stove top percolators, you have no idea what bad coffee tastes like. Folgers in a drip machine is my morning go to also.

[@maxistmind]

My way of doing this for a couple of months now: - fill in the ground coffee - pour over hot water to bloom - rest of the water in the tank - wait 30 seconds - start the machine & add the jug A more practical & safe way to do what James did with turning on & off imho ... Hope this helps :)

[@jehminjung89]

Lets be honest. I think the V60 Setup would just be about as fast.

[@leroybrown4797]

Excellent ideas and not much of an inconvenient either

[@sarah-uae391]

I'll try it ..

[@moralessanchezoscarelias6412]

Cleaner setup, thanks!

[@kznsky14]

This is what I would have tried as well. Probably before going the Siri, ITTT, Avleo, taped switch route. I also run a hot carafe of plain water first to heat up the element and leave the lines full of hot water, then use that as my preheated water.

[@blackswanmtg]

I love how he explains the features of a cheap coffee makers like he is explaining a foreign safari. It's like a mystical beast to high-end coffee people lol. "The spring stopper - very interesting" lol. Never change James. Also glad I am not the only person who thinks the cup count on cheap coffee pots are ridiculous. Makes no sense.

[@beardiemom]

I'm German, I adhered to it religiously like any other guideline. Now I have a portafilter machine that makes much better coffee and encourages experimenting in the instructions, making me more comfortable with changing parameters.

[@nsf_318]

i didnt actually have a coffee maker with that until i moved in with my girlfriend, hers had it and it did blow my mind lol. his explaining of it is golden though

[@tim78117]

I once donated a GOOD Mr. Coffee to a group of friends. Some idiot ripped the spring out of the brew interrupter. That sounds pretty "cave-man" as an approach to solving flow when it got clogged.

[@Abigail-hu5wf]

@Beardiemom I love that I cannot tell if you're joking. Please don't tell me, I want to live in a world where Germans are helplessly bound by fairy contracts to obey all written instructions on how to serve coffee unless they run clockwise around a church to break the spell.

[@ldf4064]

Watch it again but image David Attenborough’s voice.

[@rhollyday]

After watching this video a year ago I started making "cowboy coffee," by just boiling the coffee grounds in a 2 quart revereware saucepan with lid. I let it boil for two minutes, stirring once or twice, then I tilt it to settle the grounds in the corner a couple seconds, and pour it slowly through a medium kitchen strainer, not a fancy metal coffee strainer that clogs. Some small amount of ultra fine grounds get through, but it is just powder and it sinks to the bottom so I can easily avoid it, but I usually drink it anyway as they say it's good for microbiome LOL. This coffee tastes great and it's just as fast as the coffee machine and much easier to clean. No filters, no broken junk. Play with timing for flavor.

[@mariusvanc]

You can probably "step up" to a french press.

[@jpgr8937]

Haha this is how my parents made coffee back when we were poor. They'd actually boil water in a saucepan and then use a thin wire to close a filter with coffee in it and then dunk it in the water.

[@Marty1857]

I believe it will depend on the machine; however, I have found that using two paper filters (instead of the singular one) placed inside a mesh basket (which sits inside the plastic housing) does a great job of getting the most extraction and flavor for this method of brewing. The coffee steeps more, obviously, and is flavorful and strong enough for me. I grind my beans in a burr grinder, and experiment with various roasts and flavors, but other than that I’m not a fanatic. I just like coffee! I do utilize the timer, in order to have a hot pot ready for me when I wake up. I DO turn off the coffee maker and move the carafe off the hot plate; I have figured out the timing so that I arrive when the coffee maker is just finishing up. Yes, even just ten minutes on the hot plate makes a significant difference (to me).

[@deeser]

"Th Violence Of The Spout" is of course James Hoffmann's coffee based erotica novel. Available in all good bookshops!

[@chriscoleman2489]

Oh, I thought it was the thrash metal band that James toured with in 2015/6? 🤘🏻

[@zanafer]

I'd dig that! I guess Gypsy could have gone that route :0

[@Nintendodo64]

I was thinking metal album title.

[@Zraknul]

"With boiling water" is another good one.

[@imbk]

So you're telling me they're not available in any naughty bookshops?

[@sdw9342]

I think if you're putting hot water in anyway, you may as well manually bloom with the carafe out and then after 20 seconds, fill the water chamber, return the carafe, and turn on the machine. That way, there's no messing around with on/off switches, and the workflow is similar to a pour over.

[@lauraz6]

Good point

[@stritlit]

Exactly what I do! The result is on par with a V60.

[@fwizzybee42]

Recently I went on a trip and they had just a cheap coffee maker and a kettle. Turned out the coffee maker was broken so I basically did this, except had to finish with the kettle as well. Worked fine.

[@vladtepes9614]

@@fwizzybee42 That's what I was thinking. Just leave the machine off and use it like a pour over setup.

[@andrewburke5358]

Agreed. If you're bringing a kettle into the equation I feel like you might as well use it as a pour over setup. I've always just run 8oz or so of water through the machine without any coffee in it to warm it up. If the temp at the end of the brew is hot enough just running some water through gives you a pretty good brew temp. Bonus, most of the time when you're using a machine like this it hasn't been cleaned in ages and benefits from that quick rinse. Double bonus, you can use that water to preheat your drinking vessel.

[@omerasad8322]

Great video! I love your analytical way of experimenting with the methods! IDEA: What if you put the regular paper filter into the cheap coffee maker, pour in your coffee, then put another filter on top. Maybe this could help mitigate some of the violence of the water coming in?

[@waynewood8840]

The Mr Coffee maker at work has a brew arm (hot water supply to the basket) that will swing out of the way back to the tank allowing the heated water to recirculate. Once the water is completely heated, the valve on the bottom of the brew basket will allow you to keep the carafe out until the basket fills enough to allow bloom. I keep the carafe out from under the brew basket while I recirculate the heated water until I see vapor from the top of the reservoir, then swing the arm over the brew basket and allow it to fill until it is about 1/2 inch from the top of the filter, then place the carafe under the basket. This gives me a delightful brew at work, much improved over the dump the coffee grounds in and throw the cold water over the basket.

[@ebikecnx7239]

Yep, that's the logical way to do it! James likes to try the most complicated solutions to the simplest problems it seems.

[@hokep61]

Been doing bascially the same process on my old Mr. Coffee for years.

[@GratefulTurtle]

As much as we love James Hoffmann, this is hilariously overcomplicated. When I brewed at my aunt's place I just left the machine off and used it similarly to a v60. Worked fine! haha

[@becauseimafan]

That's... Kind of brilliant actually?!! I love this, and wouldn't ever have thought of this. ... Well maybe if the bizarre circumstance happened that I've just boiled water and was about to put it in the coffeemaker tank, and the power went out. I'd probably go "Well I could get out my red Melitta pour over, but I'd have to change filters and waste my ground coffee... 💡" - But that's only maybe, lol. Brilliantly simple idea 👏

[@tomasrosalesr]

Simple and effective. I like it.

[@CarlosPerezChavez]

Amazing!

[@jayes8191]

Did you pour boiling hot water (all of it) over the coffee grounds, sitting in the machine’s coffee filter, and just let gravity drip it out?

[@benshaya4538]

Came here to say this.

[@erythuria]

"I don't like using the pretentious language." - this is the first time you've lied to us, James ;)

[@dovydasgrigas441]

He hates the fact he loves it.

[@ximono]

Pretentious is such a pretentious word

[@james.randorff]

I never thought of “pretty” as a pretentious word.

[@rubensoeteman]

@@james.randorff if you're describing something's taste it most definitely is.

[@richdyer2000]

if you ever hear a loud bang, that’s someone’s chin hitting the floor when they watched that.

[@user-hn9kx6lh9y]

Using the $20 Mr. Coffee coffee maker I used 180F water. I removed the carafe to allow the coffee bed to fill at the beginning to allow a 1 minute bloom, then I added the carafe to open the funnel valve. I also added a steel screen cylinder from a tea defuser under the spout. The grinds brewed much more even with a nice but oblong bloom and a perfectly smooth surface after it drained. The coffee was much improved by being hotter in the basket from max 182 to 205F, much smoother and a cleaner finish. I wish I could post a pick of the difuser mod! Thanks!

[@mixup2216]

You can probably send an imgur link for a picture

[@bluesummers5051]

Omg! With all that extra work, why not just buy a better coffee maker lol

[@timor64]

@@bluesummers5051 Maybe he (probably he not she but still maybe she!) didn't buy it, just found one dumped and decided to max its function instead of letting all that plastic go to landfill

[@regis32]

@@bluesummers5051 People have such makers at home. Why throw it out? Not everyone is like you, especially people who don't like throwing everything away, littering the Earth

[@MACTEP_CHOB]

Because it is always fun to get something cheap, then putting some work to make it better. The stuff just becomes more valuable. Also with that mindset, you probably hate overclockers@@bluesummers5051

[@5353Jumper]

For the Bloom - since you are adding warm/hot water out of a kettle for even start temperature, why not just add a bit from the kettle direct to the grounds to bloom them before starting the coffee maker?

[@lunarose9]

I had that thought too

[@stanblackburn700]

@@lunarose9 Same

[@Teknopottu]

This

[@thebigfatmonkey]

That's actually wonderfully simple and effective.

[@cozyslippers]

That's what I was going to say!

[@Ignideus]

Finally got into non-instant coffee because of this channel! Bought my first hand grinder just now 😁

[@yzhang8629]

I used to buy ground coffee only, now I’m really tempting to buy a coffee grinder

[@durvesh8579]

@@yzhang8629 you should definitely buy one. You could always get a locally made one but you could invest in a better hand grinder. They last for years I have a hario hand grinder which is almost three years old now.

[@cinemaocd1752]

Me too! I just ground an entire mocha pot's worth in my hand grinder. I'm going to be buff!

[@phs125]

I bought a hand grinder and coffee beans. They both arrived today. Such a coincidence. Made 2 cups of arabica today, Gonna make robusta tomorrow... And I'm guessing I drank robusta my entire Life, because colour of arabica really looked like a "brown coffee" instead of black coffee...

[@neilthehermit4655]

Congratulations !

[@pgoconn]

"It's ground on a grinder that costs ... 100 times more than this." The way your voice went up at the end really made me chuckle.

[@joemoeller1442]

Jesus fuck, the grinder costs 3000?

[@markromani9491]

My guess he’s using the Weber EG1 🤔

[@markrussell5705]

Fantastic. Was just about to post the same. 🤣

[@jonasmuller7437]

@@joemoeller1442 he ain't messin around

[@leonardmilcin7798]

I have recently charged battery in my car with a specialty laboratory programmable power supply that costs more than the car. As a bonus, got a nice chart characterizing my car's battery! Talk about overkill:)

[@Charlesb88]

The stopper feature found under the basket of many if not all budget drip coffee machines is frequently called a “pause and serve mechanism” (at least in American electric drip coffee maker manuals) because it’s main main purpose is so that when you’re brewing a full pot of coffee you can serve yourself a cup without having to wait for the all the coffee to fully brew first. It is not there primarily to prevent you from accidentally trying to brew coffee without the carafe in place and thus accidentally dripping brewed coffee onto the hot plate (warming plate) below. With this feature, so long as you don’t remove the coffee carafe for too long you can pour yourself a cup of coffee and the coffee can continue to brew in the filter basket and once you return the carafe it will then allow the brewed coffee filling up the brewing basket to pour out into the carafe. If, however, you wait to long to put the carafe back in such a situation then you end up with coffee and grounds overflowing he basket onto the machines hot plate and onto your counter something I have learned the hard way. So while this “Pause and Serve” feature also serves to prevent coffee just flowing onto the hot plate if you forgot to place the carafe into the machine before turning it on, that scenario is very unlikely. Someone being impatient and wanting some coffee before the full brew cycle has completed is much more common and that’s why they added this feature when the modern electric drip coffee maker was invented.

[@jtleejr]

the "sneak a cup" feature

[@davidecasassa8679]

At the office this function was denigrated as the "parasite feature" because those exploiting it skimmed off the early and more concentrated brew to the detriment of everyone else, who drank the weaker and over-extracted remainder of the pot.

[@DesignedbyWill2084]

Make sure you put the carafe fully in place to open the stopper. Same result as leaving it out. Not that I had that happen. Nope, not me...

[@NateB]

Why not just double up the filters?

[@Charlesb88]

@@NateB Not sure What do you think doubling the filters would do here in relation to the “Pause and Serve” feature? Did you put your comment on the wrong thread?

[@timcarlos]

I've tried the same bloom method but it requires attn that most people wouldn't consider because "it isn't convenient" and "who wants to stand over and automatic coffeemaker in the morning?" What I've discovered to work well is to use TWO paper filters because it hold the coffee in the basket a bit longer and it also tends to allow a smaller cup fill the basket with a bit more water to overcome the burrowing effect of water hitting the smaller amount of coffee grounds. Try it for yourself.

[@vladtepes9614]

This is what I love about James. He wants everyone to get the most out of their coffee, not just the big spenders.

[@herambhaldankar4652]

Haha, he wants everyone to buy coffee (preferably his), this is what google and Facebook did initial days, they encourage use and spread of internet in general

[@SpadesHeart]

@@herambhaldankar4652 ...I mean... I think it's safe to say that the secret of coffee is out and in pretty widespread use. The video is a touch useless though from a technique perspective. If you are the type to buy one of these machines over something manual, chances are you aren't going to put in this work. That isn't to say that it isn't a good educational exercise. It really proves there is no point to these kinds of brewers. Buy something exceptional, or learn technique with something manual like a pour over or a French press. The in-between is cumbersome.

[@herambhaldankar4652]

@@SpadesHeart I disagree, I think there are a plenty of people who drink coffee to get caffeine in the system and use method that their parents used …. Later as they discover speciality coffee videos like this helps them get a tiny bit more out of the existing machine with the new fancy beans they got.

[@LucasFernandes-sr8gc]

@@herambhaldankar4652 Man whose business is industry hopes to make industry more successful. Major conspiracy.

[@eliasali9383]

@@SpadesHeart disagree. I have no problem digging deep into specialty coffee, but since my parents won't go through the process of making a v60 every morning, I try my best to get them to make the best and easiest coffee possible and this video does just that.

[@elovelan]

I do most of these steps when I'm feeling lazy or too groggy to want to deal with pour over. However, instead of starting with boiling water, I start the coffee maker with a bit of water, no grounds and just the filter. This helps to preheat the tube, rinses and preheats the filter, and preheats the carafe a bit (I have a thermal carafe). I stop the coffee maker when it starts sputtering which seems to keep some hot water in the tube and then add the grounds and brewing water. I'll have to try a probe to see the temps and report back! When it comes to the bloom, I do a quick stir before I place the carafe under the stopper and it seems to help a bit with channeling. I also have a brewer where I can swing the spout so it empties back into the reservoir so I don't have to shut it off during the bloom.

[@xDisengage]

With my bonavita connoisseur I had to do something similar. Running just water through at first to rinse the filter, heat the carafe, and warm up the machine really helps make a difference.

[@Legerma]

I do this with my moccamaster when making small batches. I experimented with shutting it off for a bloom phase but actually preferred the steep phase.

[@2005Colly]

I've done the "run once with only water and immediately brew". This makes huge difference. The hot water in the reservoir scares me. I've also waited to put the carafe in too.

[@PaulPlaceway]

Ditto [with my MoccaMaster]: just a bit of water to wet the filter while I grind my beans, evenly wet the filter and dump the excess, then put the coffee in. Fill the intake with a full load of cool filtered water, close the cone valve and do a short bloom phase, a 20--30 sec. pause, and turn it on and open the valve when it starts gurgling. I describe this as a "mechanically-assisted pour over". (Also: mine has an insulated stainless carafe, rather than the glass kind.)

[@midlife3581]

Dangit, i wish I had read the comments before writing up my own essay about the same thing. Interested if folding the paper would reduce the channeling though.

[@jacobpossibly]

I've learned that if you use a simple spoon you can direct the water and even stir the grounds a bit during the blooming phase as shown then once the basket is filled put the carafe in at such an angle so the valve on the brew basket opens completely, you might have to pull the brew basket out a bit to get the valve to open all the way when it contacts the carafe and directing the water the entire time is helpful as well

[@elementseven]

I bought a £9 (not a typo) batch brewer in a supermarket 4 years ago for the office. My colleague and I tried some of these techniques for a bit of a joke but incredibly it produces some actually pretty nice coffee. Thanks very much as usual, James.

[@rcollingridge1]

James’ dedication to knitwear all year round is admirable

[@rivolinho]

@Mike Edwards let's not be hyperbolic. Its almost 30c in England today and James is no doubt in knitwear

[@rivolinho]

@Mike Edwards I'm in Ireland. Its 27c today and we're on the verge of calling a national emergency!

[@Currywurst4444]

The thing I took away from this was to let the coffee maker run once without coffee to warm up the water (and maybe rinse the filter). Then you pour the water from the jug back into the tank and add the coffee to start again.

[@chuck1804]

This is ingenious.

[@vinchinzo594]

@@chuck1804 Make sure the plastic in the water-tank is BPA free if you do this. Very hot water + plastic with BPA = leeching bad chemicals into your body.

[@Blackmuseops]

OK mate. I just did it, and this is brilliant. Thank you!

[@seitenryu6844]

Upside is the carafe is warned as well.

[@RevNelson]

@@seitenryu6844 Can confirm, a startled carafe is NOT pleasant in the morning.

[@mannynumber]

I have a 30 euro drip coffee machine and as a dark roast fan it does wonders. Some tips to make great coffee with a cheap model: 1) descale the coffee machine with 1 part vinegar 3 parts water every month 2) wash all removable parts with soap and water every day 3) I do something I call a double extraction method, after the coffee is ready, I pour it again over the coffee in the filter and that solves the channeling issue, the heat issue (hot liquid is touching the coffee no need to use hot water) and increases contact time between the coffee and the water.

[@nayelnora]

this is a life saver thanks

[@elanoranial]

POURING the ready coffee over the filter is chefs kiss imo

[@John_Alford]

Although it's a bit messier in the "tank", I've poured most of the coffee back in there. After my "come back to life" first ounces, whatever the taste. I'm retired Navy, so even an el cheapo with grocery store grind is tolerable caffeine delivery. Just not "great coffee".

[@trentvlak]

So why even bother with an automatic machine with this hassle.

[@rekkisomo]

@@trentvlak make-do with what you have I guess! A lot of these machines are in thrift stores for next to nothing, and some white goods assistance services give them to you for free. That, plus if you're in a hurry or busy and just want drip coffee, it's extremely handy.

[@charlesbyrne71]

I use both a fine mesh metal filter and a paper filter. There is a taste difference. I will consider the bloom and hot water suggestions as well.

[@konradtarnowski7086]

"You can taste a kind of absence of goodness" - well, that explains everything ;)

[@lizzieb7373]

I adore how he says things like this, well thought out criticism.

[@humildemarcelo]

Absence of goodness sound right for a crime novel

[@KrishnenduKes]

"The coffee is ground by a grinder that costs 100 times more than the machine!" Lol! :D :D

[@beanbaka]

If it helps someone drink nicer coffee 👍

[@Virginiafox21]

I'm sure that describes a lot of the people who brew with the aeropress, including me, lol. I've bought coffee that costs more than the thing I brew it in.

[@beanbaka]

I can't imagine some one grinding in rhino hand grinder and brewing in eagle one 😏 but it works this way round

[@emceeunderdogrising]

@@Virginiafox21 My Aeropress has paid for itself countless times.

[@Tom-sq9co]

This got me so good.

[@-Gadget-]

A lot of cheap coffee makers have the nozzle built into the lid, so that when you open the lid the nozzle lifts up with the lid, and so doing, the hot water just keeps circulating from the element, back into the tank. I do this with the one I bought, just to get the initial water hot enough before starting the brew. I do like the steep method and will most certainly give that a try the next time I decide to use it (I mainly prefer the Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Maker or Baccarat Stove coffee maker that you stick on an open flame more, for some reason, as to me it just tastes better), although I do this whole process with a twist.... I only add 2 scoops of very finely ground coffee, a full tank of water which supposedly makes 6 cups, and then add the result to my 550ml mug (which I'm assuming was designed for soup) , and add whipped cream for a cappuccino that everyone that has had one, says that not even the coffee shops can create. One for breakfast, one for dinner, and my quota is fulfilled. I'm probably defeating the entire concept of coffee, but to me, this is like a reward for me, for putting up with everyone's crap all day 🤣

[@tim78117]

The ones that brew lid open can be rotated. Per this channel I see the robot coffee makers do this for you.

[@NoOne-ef7yu]

I started using a 3D printed showerhead type insert after seeing this. It makes a world of difference in how my filter coffee tastes, almost beyond comparison. (I am using annealed PLA, which can withstand more than 100C without melting)

[@Ben-cb7uq]

watch out for food safety, it's not just the material, but the surface too

[@lloix]

Is it my imagination, or are James's Patreon subscribers quaking in their well-heeled boots at the horror of getting one of these?

[@Eyeolair]

My boots remained unquaked thank u very much haha :-p

[@thankfullynonumbers]

And mine are neither quaked nor well-heeled.

[@wi.i]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn7Lg5uKqbGNbrc ❤️❤️❤️

[@thedarb]

For once I'm glad I am on the American / Canadian power standard. ;)

[@notsureigaf]

James: "have your spray head distribute this water evenly or there will be violence" Melitta: "I choose violence"

[@paulnorman8274]

Fairly steep walls in a cone shaped filter/basket, is likely quite tolerant of violence in the center. When the outside walls of the coffee "puck" are V shaped, it makes, at least intuitive, sense that the inside walls should ideally have an indentation as well. Big, flat bottomed baskets seem to suffer much more from lack of a properly distributing showered (or manual pour.)

[@wipis59]

I think it was a Black and Decker. I worked in an office with a pretty cheap machine. It had a feature where if you lifted the lid the sprayer wand would swing back and pour the water back into the reservoir. This was very useful. You could start the machine with the lid up and allow the machine to hear up and warm the water in the reservoir. Then put the lid down and soak the grounds. Then pull it up again to allow a sort of bloom Similar to the machines in the video you could pull out the carafe and trap the water. This was important or else the first soak would burn when it drips down. Then 30 or so second later I would put the lid down, put in the carafe and let it run normally.

[@wandrewp]

Woah. You gave me a really good idea. My Mr. Coffee spray head moves and can be redirected to the water reservoir. So if Ive got time in the morning I could initially direct the water in a closed loop for a minute then point it back to the grounds. Of course, some water will be lost to steam, but I do like a bolder brew so that’s ok.

[@JohnArktor]

My tip is to add a reusable filter beneath the paper filter. It increases the brewing time by adding an obstacle to the water when it exits the paper, making it so that the wayer stays longer inside the coffee filter. It helps a lot with these very fast and very cheap makers that we use at the office. Also. No hot plate, but a thermos instead of the glass jug, helps.

[@bittech1]

Hold the phone. I just got a Mylk advert… on this video. I did some sort of double take seeing James’ normal intro but with the “Skip Ad” button in the bottom right.

[@notme123123]

I had the same ad. My reaction wasn’t to the “Skip Ad”button, it was “why is James talking so slow?” And that was because KZbin doesn’t let you play ads at 150% speed like you can with videos. And if you haven’t tried it, coffee KZbinrs absolutely should be listened to at faster speeds.

[@annie_122]

Yup same 😂😂

[@TJSPARKLE]

6 times this has happened to me watching these videos now lol mmmm nothing like well thumbed milk 😂

[@jamesfleetwood7661]

Yeah. Creepy ad.

[@richardbrimson1650]

@@notme123123 playing this video at x0.5 speed is comedy gold. He sounds so drunk

[@StevenZephyc]

"30 pound is pretty cheap" While I'm sipping coffee made from my $9 coffee maker.

[@tianshuz]

Please show a picture of your coffee maker. I can't image what $9 can buy for a coffee maker.

[@MikeSmith-ch7jv]

came here to say that. got mine online for like 12 dollars 30 British pounds is like $41! how the hell is that a cheap coffee maker

[@Gazdatronik]

@@MikeSmith-ch7jv Historically, everything in Britishland costs more.

[@raul0ca]

A $9 coffee maker is 40 pounds after VAT

[@liesalllies]

Yep mine was approximately 6USD. I say approximately because it was actually 9.99 for a coffee maker and toaster.

[@cade5400]

My trick for cheap batch brewers is using hot water in the brew chamber and then not releasing the water until all the water has been added to the brew slurry. I also stir the slurry to get all the grounds covered faster.

[@Espresssos]

I have one at home and I always use the bloom method with timing. It’s really hard to measure how much milliliters there is but time is somewhat helpful. For the bed itself , I often use the stop flow feature as clever dripper. I can observe the bed in my machine without the glass and when it reaches a certain level , I give the whole upper section a little shake to even out the bed. Some times a couple of drips drop on the hot plate but mostly it’s dirt free. Then I place my glass under and let it drain. It’s not perfect but hey when there are lots of people it’s the easiest way to brew 😊

[@hansolo366]

Imagine brewing coffee with this at your parents house and asking them for ice cubes lol

[@AJ-ox8xy]

Haha I brought my areopress and made coffee with that once for them. Both of them were blown away and decided to buy an areopress for themselves and threw away their old unit.

[@EastofVictoriaPark]

@@AJ-ox8xy Your parents must be in the tiny, miniscule minority. People who have done something easy the same way for decades and then have the option to do something that is more difficult and are not used to doing seems like it won't last.

[@AJ-ox8xy]

@@EastofVictoriaPark we'll see. They're rather lively in their old age.

[@dreamervanroom]

In college I always asked for ice on the side, and a spoon.

[@walsh20047]

🤣

[@amaranthisasin]

Half a mesh tea ball glued over the spigot to break up the water as it comes into the filter basket.

[@Citroen_2cv]

Boom

[@kathryn_dc]

I was going to suggest a fine mesh screen instead of the metal disk.

[@MrKentaroMotoPI]

I put a ceramic tea strainer, inverted, over the coffee grounds. It's like a leaky umbrella.

[@jordansmith4040]

Technology Connections has an excellent video on how these are designed and why they are so simple. One think to note is that the hot plate is usually temperature controlled by the water, which adds an extra variable to this experimentation.

[@ToddZabel]

I tried each of these techniques and I swear I just made one of the best cups of coffee I've had in years with my Mr. Coffee 12 cup machine. Thanks!!! Note: I did things just a bit differently: 1) I actually just turned the arm back over the reservoir to allow it to pump hot water back in until it was well heated (maybe 2-3 minutes) and then I turned it back over the coffee/basket. 2) Using tongs, I rotated the basket periodically during the bloom and steep phases with the carafe removed, lasting about a minute until replacing the carafe. A very evenly extracted, sweet, rich flavor with no excessive sourness or bitterness. Thanks again!

[@wandrewp]

Yeah I’m gonna try that swing arm trick with my Mr coffee 12 cup. Does it turn out bolder since water is theoretically lost to steam?

[@ToddZabel]

@@wandrewp Yes, and the more consistent brew temperature also contributes to this effect, I think.

[@bobthompson4063]

Well, what an education that was. A simple couple of steps has improved my daily life - thank you James. I’m going to work on a fix for the coffee maker spout dampener to spread/slow the water ingress. The pre heated water makes the biggest difference in flavour for me. Genius.

[@GetOutsideYourself]

When you used boiling water on the second round, remember the water in the tubes was already warm from the previous brew, so some of the benefit of straightaway hotness comes from avoiding that cool initial burst that would otherwise be there if this were the first use.

[@chaoaguilar6397]

This is one of the youtube videos that changed a lot in terms of my coffee experience. I dont own an espresso maker. What we have is the same coffee maker in the video. But this video, taught me a lot and it is such a game changer! Much appreciated!

[@FavioIraola]

Thanks a lot for the content, really enjoyed it, it goes a long way for those like me, who want a bit better coffee using what we have. Perhaps a fine mesh could do the trick, similar to the ones used in the portafilters but maybe a slight larger diameter to cover all the coffee.

[@demmidemmi]

"I don't want to sound pretentious." Says the man loudly slurping coffee from his custom thin film effect spoon. Never change James ❤️

[@tallbikercat]

James, I am trying to wrap my mind around why you used the coffee maker's internal heater for the bloom. The coffee maker has the nifty swing basket, and you have a kettle of water fresh off the boil...why not swing the basket out and directly pour into it so that you can more accurately control the bloom volume and get the coffee bed even. Then fill the reservoir while you count to 30, swing the basket in and turn on the coffee maker. Sounds much easier and more accurate than the whole automated plug thing.

[@jeffr7558]

For that matter, why use the internal heater at all? If you're going to the trouble involved with these hacks, you could literally just use the machine as a V60. Lift the top lid and have at it...

[@dominicsay8090]

I was wondering exactly the same thing!

[@BrettVano]

@@jeffr7558 I did exactly that camping in a trailer once because it wasn't worth running the generator just for the coffee maker.

[@joclaussen]

Because, to quote James directly, he "was looking for a slightly more ridiculous solution to that". I think that's all that was: A bit of a joke.

[@BrettVano]

@@joclaussen agreed. I think he communicated that a straightforward solution wasn’t his main goal.

[@matus201]

Over time of using my cheap brewer, I naturally started using the steep-and-release and hot-water-to-start methods. For the hot water, the trick I use is that I can move the shower head to spit out back into the reservoir, so the brewer is able to warm its own water. But these days, since I own an espresso machine, I use the cheap brewer only on days when I have to drive early (usually on a ski day!). The whole thing is set up the night before, the water warms up to room temperature, and the machine is turned off just after I wake up. The purpose of the coffee is to taste decent, and to make my driving safe.

[@km4hr]

Suggestion: Run the water through the machine twice, the first time without coffee in the basket. This will result in a pot full of very hot water. Pour this hot water back into the machine, add coffee, and run the normal brew cycle. This will result in normally brewed coffee using preheated (hot) water. I'll try this myself and see what happens. It may result in a melted machine. But for $30, what the heck?

[@vitamind7392]

Seems Smart! Have you had success?

[@Sturrmm]

If you run near boiling water through a drip machine you can cause steam pressure buildup and actually damage the machine and potentially cause injury. Don't put hot water in a drip machine that heats its own water supply.

[@km4hr]

@@vitamind7392 Yes, It works but I can't tell the difference in the way the coffee tastes. But I'm not a coffee connoisseur. The procedure didn't seem to harm my Mr. Coffee machine.

[@ChumX100]

That seems like a good idea, not only would this avoid the initial cold water phase, but, as opposed to the external kettle method, it would also pre-heat the machine making the temperature more even throughout the whole process. I'm gonna try it.

[@mharrison1325]

We run our Delonghi Dedica espresso machine for a few empty shots before making the espresso for this reason, preheat all the bits 👌🏻

[@agwasp]

The advert I got for this video was Rebel Kitchen, and was a video of James making coffee… he’s broken the system! (but I was confused for a second how he managed to be his own advert)

[@SoWhatsAgain]

The cheap coffee brewer at my workplace has a nice feature that when the lid is open, the spout goes away from above filter compartment to the place above the water tank, effectively recycling the water, so it's an easy way to avoid cold start and also to interrupt the water flow during bloom just by opening the lid.

[@markm0000]

Genius

[@phntm_ai]

The office I work at uses a Mr. Coffee brewer with the Folgers from Sam's Club that comes in the big container, and this is what I've ended up doing: 1)pour some hot water over 2 filters without ground coffee until there's about 1-2 cm layer of water 2)add the ground coffee 3)pour from remaining hot water over the grounds to bloom, leaving about 1 cm gap between edge of the filter and coffee, and the rest into the tank 4)after about 25-30 seconds, start the machine 5)when the water starts to flow out of the spout consistently (usually after the first 2-3 spurts), add the jug underneath

[@Hmbay726]

We had an old Black & Decker coffeemaker which we brought to a vacation cabin for guests to use. It has a 7-hole spray head over the filter so less violence during brewing plus the release valve so we could do a bloom phase directly from the kettle and put the rest of the hot water in the tank. Result!

[@S0liD4CE]

just use the brew basket manually and with a kettle like a "clever dripper" - easiest way to get a good cup.

[@vinidsg]

I thought about it too. Did you test it?

[@NicolaStrambini]

My thought exactly! If you already have hot water, and the coffee machine has the valve, why not bypass the water chamber entirely and use the Clever Dripper technicque?

[@MCDreng]

probably actually how it was invented. and yeah I did that with my cheap drip machine a couple times

[@leroybrown4797]

Good ideal but done people love the confidence that comes with the automatic drip feature.

[@SytheZN]

An alternative to putting hot water in the tank is to turn on the plate ~30s before adding the water so the heater is already hot when the priming happens. The first burst will still be a little cooler but the ramp time to equilibrium is much quicker.

[@Kira_Martel]

Some machines will yell at you if you try to turn the heating element on before you've put water in the tank.

[@maristuginski]

Really liked the idea of heating the water prior, easy enough and I know it'll be better. Maybe I'll also try using the mash filter with the paper filtre, like another commenter said they do.

[@MrZacharyfive]

I used my kettle to bloom the grinds, and to heat the reservoir water and the difference to my basic coffee maker coffee is amazing. thank you for this video.

[@davidcornillie]

Thanks for delving into drip brewers. I tried a small round paper filter (Melita #1) on top of the coffee bed. It remained in place, kept the bed flat and resulted in a noticeably better brew.

[@TorturdChaos]

I find all this fascinating, and love a good cup of coffee, but for me this whole thing misses the point of a drip coffee maker - convenience. I use a drip coffee maker on weekdays so I can set it up the night before and wake up to an acceptable cup off coffee before work. On weekends or days off then I get out the pour over or french press to make a better cup of coffee.

[@choreomaniac]

True but it shouldn’t be that hard to manufacture a cheap coffee maker that blooms, starts at a higher temp and avoids channeling with multiple small nozzles instead of one bigger one.

[@paulnorman8274]

@@choreomaniac Avoiding the initial cold hit, which it sounds like was the biggest hurdle to overcome to improve quality, would require a thermostat and a pump (or at least a very highly tuned labyrinth of plumbing). And electronics controlling it all. Getting the desired start-hot-then-decline, which comes for free with a manual kettle, is a lot more complicated in an automatic brewer where the heating element is also doing the "pumping." Pregrind coffee in a manual brewer, and autostart a kettle with a hold function, and all you have to do in the morning, is the physical pouring over...... If you're making coffee for a group big enough to render a pourover a hassle; the sheer amount of water required, render the undesirable temperature anomalies of the auto brewers less consequential. Probably why the conceptually-similar-to-these-cheap-brewers Cup One, never really seem to brew one cup quite as as nicely as full sized Moccamasters brew full carafes.

[@choreomaniac]

@@paulnorman8274 if you want boiling water only, the thermostat could be very simple, like a kettle that turns off while boiling. And as you say, just let the water temp fall naturally like a kettle. Programming would be simpler too since you are only dealing with boiling water. You wouldn’t even need a thermostat since you could just use pressure change to indicate boiling. Something like a switch that turns on when steam comes out of a hole pushing it on.

[@ARFthegodking]

Get a Bunn for around $100. Coffee is way better, brew time is like 3 min, and its just as easy as a cheap coffee maker.

[@KingOfGlassCollector]

And also you can drink 3-4 cups with the drip. At least it keeps it warm. With v60 you are drinking cold coffee after the first cup. Sometimes convenience is priority over quality.

[@joshua43214]

Years ago, I purchased a $17.00 no frills coffee maker for those times when I felt to lazy to use my push pot. It made the best coffee I ever had from a drip machine until I purchased my current brewer. What made it special? it had an excellent shower head, and an oversized boiler with no hot plate. If you are in the market for a cheaper brewer, look for something that has a good shower head

[@ToiletDuck88]

So what brand was it? and what model

[@MMOStein]

I had a similar experience, I bought a cheap Black & Decker coffee maker with no hot plate by accident (eventually returned it for one with a hot plate). I made a few cups with it and that thing made the best coffee I had *ever* had. At the time I thought I was just getting good at making coffee, but now that I think about it, I did notice it had a decent shower head, and how *hot* the coffee was in comparison to regular machines. I never seen coffee brew that hot out of a drip machine before, but I didn't think much of it at the time. I totally need to look into this more because I've been having trouble getting tasty coffee out of drip machines, and I distinctly remember my experience with that plateless machine, and ponder how I made it so good that one time.

[@onezeroone354]

More episodes like this please! ❤ If we cannot get the best products due to price and/or availability, really appreciate guidance on what we CAN buy from popular stores. Thanks again!

[@scottroberts5511]

I've begun using a folded extra filter to lay on top of the grounds (not unlike the disk you used) to control splash up on the lid and I've noticed a better extraction. We like our coffee "Crazy Strong" that way too. I'll try the boiling water trick next

[@vishnurajath2]

I use this technique: Just run the machine without coffee and collect the right amount of hot water in the carafe. This will pre heat the tubings and chambers. Then use the same water for brewing. This will require frequent descaling of the machine to avoid bad taste.

use filtered water please

[@ssp_2015]

Yuck

[@vishnurajath2]

I hate to say, but the system is way cleaner in our household to relate with others.

[@teeroy7973]

I am so thankful that my pallette is not so "refined" that I can "taste the cold start" lol. I can enjoy Folgers out of a Mr. Coffee and thats a blessing. I enjoy good coffee for sure, but more importantly, i just enjoy coffee in general.

[@pianoanime]

Watching this video right after the most recent Technology Connections one on cheap coffee makers is hilarious juxtaposition.

[@termitreter6545]

Lol me too. Sometimes the youtube algorythm knows where to send you. For most people this kinda machine is just fine. Maybe dont take the cheapest one, thermos is nice, but thats about it.

[@shawnbarry5553]

The one thing with machine coffee is it replaces human time. I can grind my coffee, pour in the water, set it and forget it until the batch is done. In reality, I use a coffee maker for convenience, so any steps outside of adding hot water to the machine would be encroaching on my personal time, and I would probably bite the bullet and use a separate, more involved brewing method like my Chemex, cafetière, moka pot, etc. to increase the qualitative yield. It's interesting regardless to see you fiddle around with these machines!

[@replynotificationsdisabled]

Spends personal time on social media instead*

[@ahkl77]

Or upgrade to a Moccamaster and get an actually good batch brew the way cafes have them, at a lower price per cup than pour-overs (V60/ Chemax)

[@tareqkirresh9499]

For distributing water and creating a sort of "shower" head, you can wrap the drip head with a few layers of aluminum foil and puncture it in a few places - not ideal, but it improves distribution.

[@thomasjenkins5727]

Another thing to try would be a metal filter instead of a metal disk. One that covers all of the beans, so it doesn't fall off. Now that I think of it, this can be made with perforated aluminum foil. Something like that hand tool can also be attached with aluminum foil, metal wires, or even twist ties.

[@kenmat91]

Would the metal screen from a french press work well for this? You'd be able to pick a size that rests on the sides of the brewer so that it's sitting above the slurry but not too far above. It may be good to plug the center hole with foil to mitigate the violent downwards force too. This can also serve as a sort of tray for the ice cubes to sit on at the end of the brew.

[@lizzieb7373]

@@kenmat91 that was my thought too, depending on basket size you could use the screen from a French press.. but then I said why am I doing this? 🤣

[@edwarddurkin6635]

Aluminum? Ugh. Get something that is glass or ceramic.

James, this is by far the most influential video on your channel (just slightly ahead of the Brad Pitt commercial 😉) and I couldn't thank you enough for it! Following your advice I was able to dramatically improve our morning coffee! Thank you!

[@davidaden6191]

I did the bloom phase by taking away the carafe, and that improved the taste - significantly. I haven't tried to put in hot water, just thought now after seeing your video. Well, I did one extra move: in the midst of the brewing process, I stirred gently with spoon just to make the coffee bed even. Result? More flat coffee bed afterward.

[@markallen8757]

Was there no difference in quality of coffee then?

[@Riknos]

How is taking away the carafe cause a bloom phase? Does your coffee machine switch off when you remove the carafe?

[@markallen8757]

@@Riknos 99 percent of them do not stop after you remove the carafe.

[@markallen8757]

@@Riknos I figured I'd answer because they're never going to reply to anyone it seems based on their comment history.

[@MattM-24]

I have this theory that cheap coffee makers are meant to be used with very dark roasted coffee that most people are drinking, like Folgers. Extracting that kind of coffee at 100°C in a V60 would taste awful

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Extracting that stuff at the heat this produces is too hot too

[@jameshoffmann]

I thought that, but they get up to nearly boiling towards the end of the brew, which is particularly bad news for darker roasts in terms of added bitterness

[@TheRollingStone11]

@@jameshoffmann It’s all part of the industries plan to prop up coffee creamer sales!

[@moose99moose]

@@jameshoffmann I doubt they care 😟

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@TheRollingStone11 the Deep State loves creamer!!!

[@Ryan_Perrin]

I got my dad an auto coffee maker with a great water head. It was a ring that had something like 8 spouts that effectively trickled water out. It was only $30 USD. So, not so bad. The typical spouts will have a single or double blast of water that comes out, especially at the end where it basically blows more air than water.

[@stevejohnson1685]

Thanks for this video! This morning, I tried pre-heating water, and doing a bloom cycle, for my cheapo $30 Mr. Coffee drip maker, and it did seem better (I used some decent coffee, as well). I did the following manually. Using the existing start and stop buttons, and the existing heater & tubing, I'm thinking about the possibility of augmenting my existing coffeemaker, using an Arduino / ATTiny85, a thermocouple / temperature sensor, a servomotor and plastic geartrain to: 1. At start, swing the drip arm from off the basket to over the reservoir 2. Start the heater, and monitor temperature until it's 90°C or above 3. Swing the drip arm back to the basket, wetting the coffee in the filter, for 30 seconds(for my manual process, I took a measuring spoon, caught hot water from the nozzle, and distributed it around the basket to moisten the coffee relatively uniformly). With a geartrain and servo motor, the arm could be swept back and forth in an arc over the basket to achieve similar results. No new nozzle design required. 4. Swing the drip arm back over the reservoir for another 30 seconds for the bloom. During this time, water will continue to drop, but back into the reservoir. 5. Swing the drip arm back over the basket, leaving it there 6. At stop, swing the drip arm back over the reservoir, permitting the basket to be removed and later refilled. Then, shut off the heating element. I think this will take the brew time right up there to the 4-5 minute mark you found with your various tests in your "Best Home Coffee Brewing Machine" video.

[@andrewsmith4105]

I have the Melita (although the thermal carafe version which removes the hotplate) and i'd say it produces good coffee. The big difference i would point out is that I only brew a whole carafe in one hit (so 1.2l for this one) so the impact of the cold start is probably lessened over your single cup brews.

[@ehudgoldik5462]

I would really like to see a video on "is it possible to get delicious coffee from and old fasion percolator". I mean the ones in which the coffee keeps cycling through the grounds as long as you keep it on the stove.

[@candycottrell6469]

You can get a good cup of coffee from a stove top percolator, but you really have to know how to do it correctly. It does take some know how.

[@TomLeg]

I imitate my parents in using an old-fashioned percolator ... they first received one when we were refugees from the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. They threw away the lid and the inner parts and used the pot to make Turkish coffee. I use more water, so it's more like cowboy coffee.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Alec from Technology Connections has a video about that. Like everything he does, it is somehow understated and over the top at the same time.

[@imissnickplur4964]

@@qwertyTRiG hey, thanks for that tip! luv that guy, i found him recently while researching hurricane lanterns. -- he explains how the electric percolators are much better than the direct-to-burner ones. i used to buy old coffee makers back when we used to yardsale & i've got three cool-looking electric ones. one is stainless steel, one is enamel and the last is glass. i also have several sizes of those tin or aluminum ones that go directly onto the heat source. -- i've never used any of them, but thanks to this thread & the vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2rEp516btqajsU&ab_channel=TechnologyConnections you recommended, i think i might try out one or two of them.

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@imissnickplur4964 He's really good at making me interested in things I have no interest in.

[@Dave_the_Dave]

Some cheap coffee makers do have a water outlet with more of a "shower head" that distributes the water more evenly. I'm far from a connoisseur but I can tell the difference even in just that aspect. I'm going to try starting with hot water, steeping without the carafe, then inserting the carafe and continuing the brew.

[@patrickdevlin3971]

My $50 Mr Coffee has a ~2.5inch shower that covers most of the filter basket and gives me a reasonably flat bed. I do a cycle with no grounds, add my grounds, pour some water straight into the basket for a bloom phase, pour the rest back into the reservoir, and turn it back on. This method produces coffee as good as the beans I use.

[@TheCraftydevilSpeaks]

When time allows, I start the coffee maker with no coffee or filter and add one mug of water. When that stops brewing, I dump out the water, add the filter and coffee and fill the water tank to the top waterline, then start it up. I remove the carafe and allow the hot water to pool in the filter. I take a spoon and swirl the water and coffee together for a minute to mix well, then put the pot back on before the filter gets overwhelmed and let it finish brewing. I do this when I can for 2 reasons. 1- my Mr Coffee’s water is not hot when it first comes out (did this since it was new) and I found myself having to heat my mug in the microwave after adding the milk just so I could enjoy a hot cup of coffee. 2- the water spits out in spurts and as you mentioned, seems to only hit the coffee grounds in the middle of the filter. The outer grounds barely get wet but I doubt I’m getting the flavor from it. By stirring up the water with the coffee grounds I’m getting alot stronger cup of coffee. A waitress at a coffee shop once told me that the reason their coffee was so good was the water temperature was a lot hotter than a home brewer produces and that causes the grounds to release more flavor. Only a percolator seems to come closest to a coffee shop quality cup but I don’t have time to wait for that in the morning. Now that I have watched this I’m wondering if I just heat water on the stove and pour it directly into the filter. My coffeemaker says to only pour cold water in the hopper or it could ruin the heating elements, so I don’t recommend pouring hot water into the hopper.

[@sacriste]

I tried the easier points of this with the office maker: preheating the water and buffering the starting. But amazingly the brewer had a shower like boiling water output. So three good points. The result was amazing, smells and tastes a lot better. We also have decent raw coffee to start with, we are in Guatemala. You are a genius, thanks.

[@tattonb84]

James, last year after watching your v60 technique I started my own hacks on my workplace cheap coffee maker... The steep phase changes the coffee in huge ways, but I also found that if I added more water to the reservoir and did and rinse the filter and get the machine warmed up phase then added the coffee after draining the water that also helped. I also give the coffee bed a nice swirl ( you have to be very careful so you don’t spill everywhere though). Mostly I did what you do for a v60 but in a cheap machine. Sadly the workplace does not use the nicest coffee -Trader Joe’s Columbian supremo, but I did bring in a cheap old burr grinder and we grind each pot fresh.(huge improvement for non specialty coffee) Thanks for this video though let’s me know I’m not that crazy for trying to fix/hack a cheap dripper.

[@carpdog42]

re: "everybody uses bpa free now" right... they switched from the chemical we know to ones we don't know as much about. Plastic makers are glad people still take "bpa-free" as a talisman of protection.

[@afsocit]

yep. www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-containers-may-be-just-as-hazardous/

[@NAJALU]

Just posted the same thing! BPS is a common replacement. If you look at the molecular structure, the similarities are concerning at best.

[@julianshepherd2038]

I bought a glass kettle and have no regrets.

[@greysuit17]

Most of the “solutions” companies come up with for supposed problems never really fix the issue at hand. Recycling, e-vehicles, etc etc It always in hindsight becomes a pipe dream.

[@NAJALU]

@@greysuit17 the recycling one makes me especially sad.

[@botersause3627]

you are doing incredible things in the field of the home coffee consumer marked, keep it up!

[@stanblackburn700]

The win here is the hot water in the tank and fabricated bloom phase -- love it!

[@pwnesto]

My method: Before adding coffee, run the hot water through into the carafe (maybe twice for extra heat). Then add the grounds and brew it Clever-style by pouring the hot water from the carafe into the dripper. When the desired time is reached, put the carafe onto the hot plate to release the stopper and do the drawdown.

[@donlourie769]

I turn on the machine for a few minutes, load in my coffee, then add water to the tank. It steams and hisses but it is HOT water from the start. I do not add the carafe yet. After two cups of water have been heated,(looking at the tank), I give the coffee grounds a gentle stir, add the carafe then put in 3 ice cubes in the tank. I get good coffee.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

My drip coffee machine cost me £5 from Tesco, while it was on a half price sale. I’m not a massive coffee connoisseur, I just like real ground coffee more than instant on the occasions I choose it over tea, so for me it was a great deal 😊

[@ivrogggg]

tea is the best

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

@@ivrogggg tea is indeed the best! Assam tea, in particular. Actually I’ve converted a few coffee-only drinkers by exposing them to the divine glory of our Lord and Saviour, -Mr. Spock- Assam tea! 🖖

[@catchall673]

Hi James. Really enjoy your work! To address the violence or channeling of the coffee in the filter basket, I would suggest taking a second filter, fold over the bottom, and place it inside the original filter to cover the grounds. The second filter will slow down the hot water and hopefully eliminate the crater in the coffee grounds.

[@mesiroy1234]

He nicr guy but ithink he very pretnoues. And you cant teaste what he said

[@tomdupree2758]

try a search for "dispersion funnel for flash chromatography" for ideas on solving the water impact problem. Basically they are closed end funnels with holes in the sides of the spout, they direct the flow horizontally to reduce impact on the loose material below. it is going to require some tinkering though to make it hands free.

[@roblucchetti2993]

James: Does ml to oz conversion mid-sentence Me: Falls out of chair.

[@garrettsanders8429]

30:1 is close enough for everyday use! 👍🏻

[@111000100101001]

We have one of those elcheapo models that has a swinging spout (instead of the cup on your model in the video). The design intent is that you swing the spout out of the way and over the water tank while you add the filter and coffee. We simply leave it swung over the water tank and turn on the brewer. The hot water flows from the spout back into the water tank and heats it very hot after a few minutes. We then simply swing the spout over the coffee briefly for a bloom, then back to the tank for a bit, then back over the coffee for a fabulous brew :)

[@chuck1804]

I bought one of these $12 from value village. Plugged into an old fashioned timer switch so I can replicate Hoffman's Sage brewer wake up system for a fraction of the price. Beyond that I just grind fine to optimize extraction and don't leave the hotplate on forever. I can compromise a little on flavour to minimize significantly on faff.

[@BarryBazzawillWilliams]

Goes into friends kitchen Me: "I am going to make some coffee" F: "no worries can you see the coffee maker" Me: "Yes, and I am going to need a kettle and some ice" F: ????????????????????????????????????

[@wi.i]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pn7Lg5uKqbGNbrc ❤️❤️❤️

[@thedarb]

F: "What did you do, Ray? What did you do?!?"

[@anitapaulsen3282]

LOL!

[@BoredInNW6]

"Also, I'll need your wifi password"

[@aslancpa]

And your water distributor hack

[@ekabir666]

I have a cheap machine like this at home, and I was having a hard time extracting a good cup of coffee with that. So, maybe in October 2020 I've done some experiment like you did today and found out the way to make better coffee. And that's the way you made the 4th cup in this video. Putting hot water in the tank and let the coffee bloom for few minutes in the chamber, then put the pot.

[@GeorgeFreeland]

I started preheating the water and leading with a steep, stir and release yesterday, and it's made a world of difference just using store brand ground coffee. It tastes considerably smoother than before. I have one reusable mesh filter that has a solid bottom (flat bottom bowl type), which might be one answer to the crater problem. Even with a hole in the middle of the grounds, the water still has to flow to the edge to get out. A more ridiculous option would be to get a 3D-printed custom clip-on baffle (using proper food-safe for hot liquid materials) to put over the brew basket.

[@Raj-nh3fc]

What is also worth remembering is the way the coffee makers drip the brewed coffee down in to the jar. Braun kf520 has a special technique. It allows the hot water to stay and react with the coffee for a short while before the coffee drips down in to the glass jar (a sort of a siphon like function that has a start delay built in). The filter holder being dubbel walled, retains heat better too while the water is extracting the coffee. Melitta lacks both these feature since it functions as a plain funnel with drip stop only. We have had both Melitta and Braun and we think Braun has certain advantage here.

[@HaydenX]

I actually do have an interesting idea for the water-distribution hack: What about the top of a decent salt shaker? They are generally stainless steel and have a bunch of small holes in them.

[@raspucin70]

I was going to say a single-wall "strainer" from a espresso brew head, but your solution is cheaper

[@rydaler]

I was thinking of just a coffee filter on top, would still have some cratering but much less and would have the same water interaction I was also thinking of using the temperature sensor in the off/on cycle, work to a ideal temperature and turn the unit off and on within a range

[@parkermoore6231]

i got a black and decker drip pot in pieces on my desk that's definitely getting that addition, genius

[@paulnorman8274]

I'm not convinced you want an even distribution across the top surface of a cone shaped filter/basket. At the very edges, the water will "fall" through only a millimeter of coffee, before hitting the filter. Overextracting the edges. While the thicker coffee stack in the center will underextract from the same water flow. (simplified. I realize water hitting coffee doesn't keep "falling" in a dead straight line...). So, in a cone shaped filter/basket, I suspect you'd want at least a fair bit of center weighting of the water flow. The Moccamaster Cup One, which is not really all that different from these except for the (somewhat outlandish for what you get) price, and presumed prioritization of coffee quality over low price, similarly lacks a shower head. And that sure is not because they couldn't afford to put one in at the price they are charging, nor that they don't know about them, since their bigger brewers have them. Instead, I suspect their solution to the single cup problem, even in their rather cost-no-object world, was a fairly steep walled cone, combined with a very small drain hole in the bottom. The former to favor heavy center weighting of water flow. The latter to increase the time coffee is in contact with water, despite the small amount of water and the rather "thin" bed of grounds required for just one cup. With a side effect of the latter being, a very "wet" slurry, further encouraging water from the center to also flow the short distance outwards to the edges.

[@raspucin70]

@@paulnorman8274 That is a valid point.

[@asknoble1]

How to fix the channeling/aggression: Fold an Aeropress filter into a tiny “Chemex” cone and burrow the cone into the center surface of the bed. Fixed :)

[@echt114]

After experimenting and learning what an optimal grind looks like and getting the ratio of grounds/water correct, I've been very pleased with ordinary drip coffee makers. If you do those things properly and use good fresh beans, it's almost always going to be quite good. When I've had bad coffee from drip makers, it's usually 1.) ground too fine, 2.) overextracted - too much water, or 3.) the result of attempts to make just 1 or 2 cups, which almost never works.

[@MechMan0124]

The best coffee I've ever brewed at home was from an old, defective drip coffee machine I had a few years back. The check-valve assembly had failed partially, and the thing would take ages to brew a pot due to the tiny portions of piping hot water/steam that it would add to the grounds basket. I had to add about a 1/2 cup of extra water to the tank to account for steam losses, but man that thing made some incredible, rich, complex coffee. The thermostat finally failed on it. I replaced it, but the set point on the new thermostat module was a little cooler, and it never tasted the same.. I thought about maybe insulating the thermostat device from the heating element a little, but have yet to crack another machine open to try it. That's one of the pitfalls with the cheapo machines: variation and age-drift in the little bi-metal disk thermostats. Even within the same brand and model, some units cycle too cool and make crummy coffee, and some are too hot and brew too fast/tend to fail early. Or the cycle temperature drifts a lot as it ages. It's a bit of a roll of the dice, but I'm just not willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a snooty brewing machine with adjustable temperature and rate. I wonder if restricting the flow rate into the element might make for an improved brew? It's usually a flexible rubber hose between the tank and element, so something simple and adjustable like a tiny hose clamp might let you dial it in. Hmm...