We already took a look at how to make better coffee without spending any money a few weeks ago.  Now comes part 2 in our series on how to make better coffee.   This time it is all about the gear, what you should look for, what to be wary of, and what we use in our kitchen.  Having the right gear really does make a huge difference in how a cup of coffee comes out.  I have learned this the hard way buying a coffee maker that doesn’t get hot enough and cheaper super loud grinder from Mr. Coffee.

Two things are really important in brewing coffee, temperature and consistency.  You need water temperature of at least 206 degrees but not a lot more.  The reason is below that temperature the coffee doesn’t brew properly and you get a more bitter cup of coffee.  Be warned though go to high and the same thing happens. I know it sounds finicky but it is very much the case and tasted back to back it is very noticeable.  The second is consistency of your grind.  Beans ground inconsistently brew inconsistently meaning some burn and some go way over ruining your cup of Joe.

Three main producers of drip machines are known to get hot enough: Bunn, Bonavita, and Technovorm.  All of these can easily be found on amazon and contain the right heating elements for optimal brewing.  Coffee grinders are a little more effective as a group and a number of them ranging in price from under $100 to way too expensive to a good job, here is a list from Home Grounds  which is also a pretty good blog. You want to look for a couple of things in your grinder, the ability to vary the coarseness and conical burn grinders.  A conical bur grinder will not burn the grounds the way a blade grinder will.  Thus producing a a smoother cup of coffee.

In the @TheRealCFO’s Kitchen we use these two pieces and are very happy:

CAPRESSO 565 Infinity SS Grinder:

Bonavita BV1900TS:

We have used the ubiquitous Cuisinart coffee maker pictured below and sold at Costco.  We also once cheaped out and bought the least expensive bur grinder on Amazon… While the latter does do a better job than a blade grinder, it is loud, grinds poorly.  The Cuisinart make produces a wet smelling mildew cup.

So for good coffee, remember consistency and proper heat are what you need from your gear – for some other tips check out part one of our “How to make better coffee” series.