I like the look of the Brazen, but lots of people seem to have trouble with it. Thanks for the referral!
I've got an aeropress and I like it, but I feel like it's just a glorified pour-over. By the time you stir it and wait a couple seconds, half of the liquor has already flowed through the filter. I'd like to be able to control the contact time a little better, like with a french press. Suggestions?
Tom. I use a poor mans French press: my trusty 2 cup pyrex measuring cup and a permanent (metal) filter. Paper absorbs a lot of the oils that give a good coffee its flavour and texture.
I boil the water in the measuring cup (microwave) giving it a quick stir to bring the temp down below boiling before dumping in the ground coffee. I stir in the grounds and let it steep for about 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Pour through the filter and enjoy!
There are two key things in my coffee: fresh roast beans a (between 4 and 7 days post roast and consumed within a week) and a good grinder.
For a grinder you want something that does not make a lot of fines or you end up with a lot of crud in the bottom of the cup. The best hand grinder out there is the Lido by Orphan Espresso, but it may be more than you want to spend to work at grinding coffee. You can get recommendations for a good electric burr grinder, but expect to pay in the $300+ range to get something that does not make a mess of the coffee.
Being in Seattle, you are in the Mecca of fresh roast beans. You can probably wander into at least a dozen places that roast their own and sample various beans and roasts.
I have found a local source of an Ethiopian Yergacheffe that makes a stunningly good light roast. I get a strong black current flavour from it. No shit!! I'm not one for high brow descriptions of things, but there is no doubt in my mind what I taste.
Its a lot more than your local grocery store coffee, but to me its worth that amazing flavour.
