"FERRANTE" > wrote in message
...
> I have a cheap coffee grinder, one that has just one button that
> activates the blade. Anyone have one of these and if so, how do you
> know how long to grind your coffee? I use a drip-method coffee pot.
>
> Mark Anthony Ferrante

I generally grind mine for about 15 seconds. The longer you grind, the
smaller the particles and the stronger the coffee will be. Some people
claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the beans
while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that the
cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
grinders. You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt, but
it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
subjective. To reduce the heating of the grounds and assure a more uniform
grind, you can shake the grinder while it is operating. It is probably
better to grind a large quantity of coffee in smaller batches rather than
prolonging the grinding time by overloading the machine.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "FERRANTE" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I have a cheap coffee grinder, one that has just one button that
> > activates the blade. Anyone have one of these and if so, how do you
> > know how long to grind your coffee? I use a drip-method coffee pot.
> >
> > Mark Anthony Ferrante
>
> I generally grind mine for about 15 seconds. The longer you grind, the
> smaller the particles and the stronger the coffee will be. Some people
> claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the beans
> while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that
the
> cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
> grinders. You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt,
but
> it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
> subjective. To reduce the heating of the grounds and assure a more
uniform
> grind, you can shake the grinder while it is operating. It is probably
> better to grind a large quantity of coffee in smaller batches rather than
> prolonging the grinding time by overloading the machine.
>
>

I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between burr
and rotary ground coffee.

Jack Sanka

Jack Schidt® wrote:

> I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between burr
> and rotary ground coffee.


Quite contraire, mon frair... Try dumping that coffee powder from your
rotary grinder into my French Press... If the screen doesn't clog first
sending scalding hot coffee into your face then you can consider
yourself lucky... but trying to endure the coffee flavored sludge that
follows is enough to send anyone to the hospital...

~john!

--
What was it like to see - the face of your own stability - suddenly look
away...

"levelwave" > wrote in message
...
> Jack Schidt® wrote:
>
> > I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between
burr
> > and rotary ground coffee.
>
>
> Quite contraire, mon frair... Try dumping that coffee powder from your
> rotary grinder into my French Press... If the screen doesn't clog first
> sending scalding hot coffee into your face then you can consider
> yourself lucky... but trying to endure the coffee flavored sludge that
> follows is enough to send anyone to the hospital...
>


LOL 9 out of 10 people don't have a french press.

Jack Maxwell

Jack Schidt® wrote:
> "levelwave" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Jack Schidt® wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between
>
> burr
>
>>>and rotary ground coffee.
>>
>>
>>Quite contraire, mon frair... Try dumping that coffee powder from your
>>rotary grinder into my French Press... If the screen doesn't clog first
>>sending scalding hot coffee into your face then you can consider
>>yourself lucky... but trying to endure the coffee flavored sludge that
>>follows is enough to send anyone to the hospital...
>>
>
>
>
> LOL 9 out of 10 people don't have a french press.
>
> Jack Maxwell
>
>
I have two. Does that change the statistics?
--
Alan

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and
avoid the people, you might better stay home."
--James Michener

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:38:41 -0400, levelwave >
wrote:

>
>
>Quite contraire, mon frair... Try dumping that coffee powder from your
>rotary grinder into my French Press...

French press question. Once the coffee has been made, don't you have
to pour the entire amount into another container? Won't the trapped
coffee, at the bottom, make the coffee too strong after a while?

I recently bought a small French Press off Ebay, but I am yet to use
it. Soon. Also, what is the difference between coffee produced that
way as opposed to a drip grind?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Mark Ferrante

In rec.food.cooking, FERRANTE > wrote:

> French press question. Once the coffee has been made, don't you have
> to pour the entire amount into another container? Won't the trapped
> coffee, at the bottom, make the coffee too strong after a while?

Yes, that can happen.


> I recently bought a small French Press off Ebay, but I am yet to use
> it. Soon. Also, what is the difference between coffee produced that
> way as opposed to a drip grind?

French press shares, with some other methods, the characteristic of
wetting all of the grounds with all of the water for the entire brew
cycle. When you combine that characteristic with the ability to make the
water the proper temperature, you have a lot of control over how the
coffee will turn out.

Drip works fine too - with the caveat that the vast majority of drip
makers are garbage. Very few of them get the water hot enough, and even
fewer of them disperse the water over the grounds completely. Instead,
they just drip it all in the middle, overextracting some of the coffee
while underextracting most of it.

That being said, drip coffee can be delicious, and is very different in
texture from presspot coffee. Drip coffee is sparkling clear (if you use
a paper filter) while presspot coffee has a lot of suspended solids in it.
some people have a strong preferance for one or the other.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

FERRANTE wrote:

> French press question. Once the coffee has been made, don't you have
> to pour the entire amount into another container? Won't the trapped
> coffee, at the bottom, make the coffee too strong after a while?


How long are you planning on letting the coffee sit around in the French
Press?... The little insulation provided on my Bodum will leave you with
cold coffee after say 10 to 15 minutes... I normally only make enough
for two cups so the coffee rarely sits in the Pot for more than a few
minutes...


> I recently bought a small French Press off Ebay, but I am yet to use
> it. Soon. Also, what is the difference between coffee produced that
> way as opposed to a drip grind?


There is no comparison... French Press *always* produces a full bodied
rich cup of coffee (if correctly made) whereas my drip machine is more
fickle than my last girlfriend...

....but it did take me several tries to become satisfied with my French
Press... Don't expect to make a single cup of coffee in a six cup press
and have it taste acceptable... you wont get good "plunger pressure"
unless you're making two or more cups (8 ounce cups)... also choose a
very course grind... small grains can lead to big boils... keep that in
mind at all times...

happy plunging

~john!


--
What was it like to see - the face of your own stability - suddenly look
away...

In rec.food.cooking, "Jack Schidt?" > wrote:

> I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between burr
> and rotary ground coffee.

You are likely correct. But then again, 7 out of 10 people think that
Olive Garden serves delicious Italian food.

However, if you were to poll 10 people who enjoy good food, and who are
able to taste things, you might get a different answer.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

> wrote in message
...
> In rec.food.cooking, "Jack Schidt?" > wrote:
>
> > I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between
burr
> > and rotary ground coffee.
>
> You are likely correct. But then again, 7 out of 10 people think that
> Olive Garden serves delicious Italian food.
>
> However, if you were to poll 10 people who enjoy good food, and who are
> able to taste things, you might get a different answer.
>

You're probably right, Esk; I'm just a cynic in skeptic's clothing though.

Jack Agin

In rec.food.cooking, "Jack Schidt?" > wrote:

> You're probably right, Esk; I'm just a cynic in skeptic's clothing though.

Hey - nothing wrong with that. I'm the same way.

One of these days, have a good cup of coffee. It might be something
you've never before had. Like truly great wine, most people have never
tasted great coffee.


--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

> wrote in message
...
> In rec.food.cooking, "Jack Schidt?" > wrote:
>
> > You're probably right, Esk; I'm just a cynic in skeptic's clothing
though.
>
> Hey - nothing wrong with that. I'm the same way.
>
> One of these days, have a good cup of coffee. It might be something
> you've never before had. Like truly great wine, most people have never
> tasted great coffee.
>


Ok, I'll try some good coffee for a change. There's a Cumberland Farms
about 2 miles from me.

Kidding, amigo, I likes strong kaffee mit schlag. Yep, dats me.

Jack KaffeeHag

> wrote in message
...
> In rec.food.cooking, "Jack Schidt?" > wrote:
>
> > I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between
burr
> > and rotary ground coffee.
>
> You are likely correct. But then again, 7 out of 10 people think that
> Olive Garden serves delicious Italian food.
>
> However, if you were to poll 10 people who enjoy good food, and who are
> able to taste things, you might get a different answer.

I'm glad I don't have to carry the burden of being the arbiter of good
taste.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
> > In rec.food.cooking, "Jack Schidt?" > wrote:
> >
> > > I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people couldn't taste the difference between
> burr
> > > and rotary ground coffee.
> >
> > You are likely correct. But then again, 7 out of 10 people think that
> > Olive Garden serves delicious Italian food.
> >
> > However, if you were to poll 10 people who enjoy good food, and who are
> > able to taste things, you might get a different answer.
>
> I'm glad I don't have to carry the burden of being the arbiter of good
> taste.
>
>

That's next week, Vox; we're taking turns here.

Jack Rotation

In rec.food.cooking, Vox Humana > wrote:

> I'm glad I don't have to carry the burden of being the arbiter of good
> taste.

Me too. But I'm even more glad that I start every morning with freshly
roasted coffee, produced by some of the finest plantations in the world.
I could never afford the world's finest wines, or the world's finest dry
aged beef, or caviar, or art, but the finest coffees are only about 30
cents a cup.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

"Vox Humana" > wrote
> Some people
> claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the beans
> while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that
the
> cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
> grinders. You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt,
but
> it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
> subjective.

They only tested cheap burr grinders. My grinder probably weighs the total
of all those grinders. A good burr grinder shaves the beans to a uniform
size. It is also adjustable for all types of coffee brewing methods.
That said, if I didn't make espresso my grinder would be overkill.

-Hound

"Cuchulain Libby" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote
> > Some people
> > claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the beans
> > while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that
> the
> > cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
> > grinders. You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt,
> but
> > it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
> > subjective.
>
> They only tested cheap burr grinders. My grinder probably weighs the total
> of all those grinders. A good burr grinder shaves the beans to a uniform
> size. It is also adjustable for all types of coffee brewing methods.
> That said, if I didn't make espresso my grinder would be overkill.
>

I guess it all comes down to how discriminating you are and how much you are
willing to spend. I like a good cup of coffee, but it isn't a religious
experience. My mother drinks gallons of really horrid watered down decaf.
She detests the coffee I make. I really lucked out recently. My
supermarket was resetting the shelves and selling off the existing stock for
a song. I found a whole cart full of expensive coffee beans that were
selling for $8 for 12 oz. marked down to 75 cents! I bought 20 bags and
have been enjoying far better coffee than I would have normally bought.

In rec.food.cooking, Vox Humana > wrote:

> I guess it all comes down to how discriminating you are and how much you are
> willing to spend. I like a good cup of coffee, but it isn't a religious
> experience. My mother drinks gallons of really horrid watered down decaf.
> She detests the coffee I make. I really lucked out recently. My
> supermarket was resetting the shelves and selling off the existing stock for
> a song. I found a whole cart full of expensive coffee beans that were
> selling for $8 for 12 oz. marked down to 75 cents! I bought 20 bags and
> have been enjoying far better coffee than I would have normally bought.

If you normally buy coffee less good than stale supermarket crap, then
likely your mother is right to detest the coffee you make.

What you ae saying is the equivalent of somebody clucking about the
discounted fish sticks they bought, and then condemning their mother for
not liking them.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:36:05 GMT, "Vox Humana" >
wrote:

>
>"Cuchulain Libby" > wrote in message
.. .
>>
>> "Vox Humana" > wrote
>> > Some people
>> > claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the
beans
>> > while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and
>experience. My mother drinks gallons of really horrid watered down
decaf.
>She detests the coffee I make. I really lucked out recently. My
>supermarket was resetting the shelves and selling off the existing
stock for
>a song. I found a whole cart full of expensive coffee beans that
were
>selling for $8 for 12 oz. marked down to 75 cents! I bought 20 bags
and
>have been enjoying far better coffee than I would have normally
bought.
>
OT-Didn't you used to buy very good coffee? Or is it another human
voice I am thinking of? I can't imagine the old and stale beans from
a supermarket do the trick.

Of course, as someone with a few decades of appreciated learning
experiences, I would have to say- IMHO -you generally get what you pay
for.
aloha,
Thunder
http://www.smithfarms.com
Farmers & Sellers of 100%
Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

"Smithfarms Pure Kona" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:36:05 GMT, "Vox Humana" >
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Cuchulain Libby" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >>
> >> "Vox Humana" > wrote
> >> > Some people
> >> > claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the
> beans
> >> > while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and
> >experience. My mother drinks gallons of really horrid watered down
> decaf.
> >She detests the coffee I make. I really lucked out recently. My
> >supermarket was resetting the shelves and selling off the existing
> stock for
> >a song. I found a whole cart full of expensive coffee beans that
> were
> >selling for $8 for 12 oz. marked down to 75 cents! I bought 20 bags
> and
> >have been enjoying far better coffee than I would have normally
> bought.
> >
> OT-Didn't you used to buy very good coffee? Or is it another human
> voice I am thinking of? I can't imagine the old and stale beans from
> a supermarket do the trick.
>
> Of course, as someone with a few decades of appreciated learning
> experiences, I would have to say- IMHO -you generally get what you pay
> for.
> aloha,

You must be thinking of someone else. I think I got more than my 75 cents
worth one this but I imagine that people who roast their own beans and mill
them in $300+ machines probably would find my coffee unacceptable.

In rec.food.cooking, Vox Humana > wrote:

> You must be thinking of someone else. I think I got more than my 75 cents
> worth one this but I imagine that people who roast their own beans and mill
> them in $300+ machines probably would find my coffee unacceptable.

Naw, they'd just find it less enjoyable than their regular coffee. After
all, people who eat dry aged beef can also enjoy hot dogs, and people who
bake their own bread can also accept a sandwich made on bread from the
supermarket.

The thing that makes coffee somewhat wierd is that so many people use it
as a drug. Those who really enjoy coffee drink it as a beverage, with its
psychoactive properties ranking a distant second to the flavor.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

> wrote:

> The thing that makes coffee somewhat wierd is that so many people use it
> as a drug. Those who really enjoy coffee drink it as a beverage, with its
> psychoactive properties ranking a distant second to the flavor.
>

That's me. I use it as a drug with the flavor being the secondary
consideration. I do go for the best tasting pre-ground stuff I've been able
to find (Community Dark Roast) I'm really not into coffee enough to go
through the work of roasting and grinding.

Now, with beer I'm the other way around. The only reason I'd drink something
like a Coors or Bud would be to be polite. Homebrew is in my future.

-Mike

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:22:36 GMT, "Cuchulain Libby"
> wrote:

>
>"Vox Humana" > wrote
>> Some people
>> claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the beans
>> while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that
>the
>> cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
>> grinders. You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt,
>but
>> it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
>> subjective.
>
>They only tested cheap burr grinders. My grinder probably weighs the total
>of all those grinders. A good burr grinder shaves the beans to a uniform
>size. It is also adjustable for all types of coffee brewing methods.
>That said, if I didn't make espresso my grinder would be overkill.
>
>-Hound
>

If the $300 that Richard quoted is the threshold price for a "good"
coffee mill one may as well just spend an extra $75.00 or so and get a
Country Living grain mill. It uses steel burrs, will produce anything
from mere cracked beans to fine powder and do it with a lot harder
stuff than roasted coffee beans (think popcorn). It's very
adjustable, easy to crank manually, or can be motorized. To top it
off it's very versatile since it'll also mill grains, beans, and nuts
for you. Spices too if you need a lot at once.

Think I'll settle for a cheaper coffee mill.

......Alan.


--
Curiosity killed the cat -
lack of it is killing mankind.

In rec.food.cooking, A.T. Hagan > wrote:

> If the $300 that Richard quoted is the threshold price for a "good"
> coffee mill

A pretty decent one, for anything other than espresso, can be had for 1/3
of that price. A fairly good one can be had for about 1/2 that price.

Entry level for really pretty good ones is around $275. It is a precision
instrument.

> Think I'll settle for a cheaper coffee mill.


Look for a Bodum Antigua on eBay. For $50, you'll get a really pretty
decent mill. If you want an excellent product, look for a manual grinder
made by Zassenhaus. If you are lucky, you'll get a nice one for $30.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

In rec.food.cooking, Vox Humana > wrote:

> Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that the
> cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
> grinders.

Which pretty much proves that Cook's Illustrated doesn't know shit about
what it reviews.


You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt, but
> it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
> subjective.

Yep. Some people prefer a velvet Elvis.

And if CI were to review art, they'd tell you that a Velvet Elvis is
better than Dogs Playing Poker.

Here's a clue: The burr grinders they used were junk.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who