So I have drank coffee on and off since I was a teenager, and I recently took probably a 2 year break from it. When I was drinking coffee, it was usually because they had a pod system at work, and it was an excuse to get up from my desk and take a break. With that said, I have been watching this Netflix show Resident Alien recently, and there is a lot of coffee drinking in it, and I started craving a hot cup. On my way home from dropping my daughter off at daycare, I stopped at the local gas station\market and got a cup and was like "Man, I miss coffee, and this coffee is pretty terrible."
So this got me thinking that I want to get back into morning coffee tradition, but I no longer work in an office, I work from home. I don't want to go pod system because they are wasteful, weak, and a pain in the but to clean\maintain. My wife doesn't drink coffee, so I don't need to make a whole pot. So I was thinking of going French press, as that seems to be suggested in a lot of places for single-serve.
Do you folks have a suggestion on French press brands? I know it's a pretty simple mechanism, but I'm not against spending a couple extra bucks to get something that will enhance my coffee making\drinking experience. Additionally, I am looking for something that will filter out as many grounds as possible. Are you guys for\against paper filters? Should I get a metal one? Do I need one of those things that goes on top of my mug to hold the filter? Where do I start?
I know coffee can get really mad scientist really quick, and I'm not trying to go that route (yet). My brother-in-law has one of those electric kettles that gets to an exact temperature, and he grinds his own beans and weights them, and does the whole swirly pour to get "the perfect cup" and while that seems cool, I am not ready to take it to that level.
So what is your suggestion on "starter builds"?
Also, what about beans? Do I grind my own? Do I start with store bought stuff (I always liked Cafe Bustelo)?
Any and all advice is welcome.
Edit: I also forgot to add - I have read about cold brewing being really smooth. How do I cold brew and heat it back up? Do people do that? Would love to hear more about it.
Edit2: Oh man, this community is awesome! I didn't expect so many great responses. Pulling the trigger on an Aeropress after reading all the comments here and watching some James Hoffman videos about it. It definitely looks like the right fit for me. I'm not going to get a grinder quite yet, as I feel like I am just beginning my journey and I don't want to go balls to the wall right out the gate. There is a coffee shop right down the street from me that sells\grinds beans, so that sounds like the best bet for trying different things.
Sxan mentioned the Toddy's kit, and that also has my interest. Maybe that's next after a grinder. I have a feeling I am about to go down an expensive caffeine fueled rabbit hole. Wish me luck. I will report back.
French press is always going to have some "mouth feel" because of the mesh filters.
I can highly, highly recommend the "Clever" dripper which James Hoffmann reviewed here. It's very similar to French press in method, great for single serve, almost totally foolproof, and uses paper filters for a very clean cup. I use Hoffmann's recipe and basically always have a good cup. There's a similar device called the Hario Switch which some people like more but I haven't tried it; the Clever has been great.
As for grinding your own, do it. Pre-ground coffee starts to go bad after a day, and just isn't as good. Start with an inexpensive burr grinder if you don't want to invest hundreds of dollars right away, but be aware that price/performance increases roughly linearly up to like $250, so spending more gets you a better result. Hand grinders like 1ZPresso can be even better for the price but are a little more work. The nice thing about immersion methods like the Clever though is that they're more forgiving of bad grinds, so you won't need to spend too much unless you want to use a drip method like V60.
You'll also need a cheap scale for weighing beans if you want consistent results. I recommend getting one that goes to 0.1 grams for single serve, with a large enough surface to hold your cup. It shouldn't cost more than about $20. I use this one.
You'll also want to experiment with beans. Modern coffee enthusiasts drift towards light to medium roasts instead of dark roasts, because you can extract more subtle interesting flavors and less bitterness. I have a penchant for very light, "natural" processed African coffees for their tart berry flavors. But it's all personal preference. There's way too much to get into in terms of processing, country of origin, blend vs single origin, etc. Try everything and see what you like. Coffee subscription services like Trade and Mistobox can be a convenient way to try a lot of things, or you can do what I do and just find a great local roaster to order from.
Btw, welcome! Check out James Hoffmann's channel on YouTube, it's my favorite coffee resource on the Internet. He has a ton of great advice in general. If you like print, he also has a small book called "How To Make The Best Coffee At Home" which is excellent and really all you need.