I also ordered a kit!

I agree with some other comments here that $100 won’t get you what you’re hoping for.

A better upgrade would be to start saving for a good handheld burr grinder (like an 1zpresso model) to replace the blade grinder. Your French Press and AeroPress will likely taste notably better!

If you do want to venture into good espresso, as someone else mentioned, start looking into Cafelat Robot or Flair. Both can make fantastic espresso at higher quality than semi-automatic machines of the same price point and require much less upkeep. But, for any espresso, you will need more gear (scale, tamper, vessels, etc.) which adds to the price. And all espresso machines will massively benefit from a good grinder.

Good luck!

Good question, and I’m not sure. In comparison to a pour over, the majority of the extraction will take place during the immersion phase, so I would guess shape doesn’t matter as much. A conical brewer typically has a faster draw down compared to flat bottom, which may benefit you as you’re trying to remove the coffee when the immersion phase is complete. But this is all speculation!

I like the Switch because I can tinker with different recipes easily, adding an immersion phase at different points. Check out Tetsu Kasuya’s “God Recipe” for one idea.

I love my Switch. I got a size 03 so when I want to do immersion, I can play with bigger volumes. I have a 02 glass V60 as well, and can swap that onto the switch if needed.

They also left out Lowertown, which is a pretty great place to hang out, especially when the weather’s good. Hyperion is my favorite roaster in this area. I haven’t been to Socotra yet - what do you like about it?

I set up a coffee station in my office and it has made working in the office much more enjoyable! I have a cheap gooseneck kettle and 1zpresso KMax hand grinder, along with a scale and carafe. My office mate and I bring various beans from roasters around town or when we travel. We have various methods for brewing to choose from: V60 size 02, Hario Switch size 03, Orea v3 (with negotiator option for no bypass), and an AeroPress.

They should’ve at least put a redirect to the native version instead of the browser unsupported message.

They did both.

This is such a great write-up. Thank you!

I also am a mainly pour over person but incorporate other methods (French Press, AeroPress, Syphon, etc.) depending on how I’m feeling and the beans I’m brewing. Check out Hoffman’s French Press video. I used to not enjoy most FP because I would either way over extract or make it too weak. His approach has minimal agitation, maximizes immersion by letting it sit as long as possible after removing the bitter floating grounds, and reduces the grinds in the final brew by not plunging all the way and decanting slowly. As an addition, you could just decant through one of your pour over filters if you still don’t enjoy the mouth feel.

BBC assigned a misleading title. Apple settled to avoid spending the time, money, and PR mess of adjudicating this in the court.

Any craft store will have tiny rubber and nylon hammers for jewelry and crafts. Small Rubber and nylon mallet

I really like James Hoffmann’s French Press technique: Hoffmann’s Ultimate French Press

Yeah, I think you can buy the Oxo carafe separately if you want an extra, but I haven’t looked into it. We transfer the brew concentrate into taller carafes so they don’t take up as much space in our fridge (I think they’re the 1L Anchor Hocking carafes with lids).

By the time we are pouring the last bit of the concentrate, the small amount of sludge stays in the carafe and doesn’t impact the cup!

Oh I forgot about the paper filters for the Oxo! I think you’re right about the slight difference in size. I stopped using the paper filters and only use the mesh screen, as I still enjoy the brews without them.

Nice and thoughtful post about cold brew and the Toddy! I did Toddy batches weekly for a couple years and enjoyed the smoothness and convenience you described. I had to purchase another container because of the dreaded crack near the stopper. Eventually I switched to the Oxo and haven’t looked back. Benefits are: no need to mess with sponge filters, no reaching under to pull out the stopper, looks great on the countertop, self-contained and packs up nicely for storage.

Same price range as the Toddy, so keep it in mind if your Toddy ever cracks. Happy brewing!

30g coffee to 480g water, 96 C, 03 Switch

• 0:00 add 60g bloom w switch open
• 0:45 add 140g w switch open (total 200g)
• 1:30 close switch add 280g immersion (total 480g)
• 2:30 open switch Finish around 3:20

Ahhh great! You’re starting to slide already! A pour over is my daily driver and my preferred method for light roasts. If you go this route you will additionally need a scale and will greatly benefit from a gooseneck kettle.

Folx have some great comments above. Personally, I think a plastic V60 is a great starting point to refine your technique without having to worry about the thermal impact of glass or porcelain on your slurry. A clever dripper is a good option too.

Also a good hand grinder (eg: 1zpresso) makes a world of difference for pour overs!

Oh man there are so many starting points! If I understand the goals you gave us, they are:

• Want good coffee
• No pour over
• Willing to do French Press
• Minimize grounds in the brew
• Single serve
• Brother-in-law is too intense about it for my current state

With that I would recommend an AeroPress. It is great for single serving, it extracts using immersion first (similar to French Press) then pressure, the paper filter ensures it will be a clean cup (no grounds), it is much easier to clean up than a French Press, and there a lot of different recipes to play with should you ever choose to. Plus it’s relatively cheap.

Cold brew is also nice, especially when made in batches. You can probably already do this with vessels you have at home. Toddy cold brew is a well-known system. I also have (and prefer) the Oxo cold brew system - I find it easier to handle and looks better on the counter.

If you are willing to get a burr grinder you will immediately make better coffee, regardless of the method you choose! There are many directions to go here, so you will need to research to find what makes most sense to you. Skip the blade grinder. Conical burr is fine for what you’re getting into. A safe bet that will work fine for French Press, AeroPress, and/or Cold Brew is the Oxo Brew Conical Burr Grinder that you can find for around $100 in the US.

There are so many deep rabbit holes from there. Maybe you’ll come join us someday…it’s a lot of fun and one of my favorite hobbies! Sounds like your brother-in-law is lost somewhere down here too. We all started asking the same questions as you!

Just pulled an espresso blend (Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras; washed and natural) on my Cafelat Robot.

Thanks for this! Will start slow feeding and see how it changes.

Based on the theory here, slow feeding doesn’t make the grounds finer, but actually overall coarser by reducing fines on the same grinder setting. So although you are adjusting to a lower number (finer setting) on your grinder, the actual particles are not finer, but more uniformly distributed. Bottom line: you should definitely try this for your pour overs!