Test Kitchen: Coffee, Part 1

My Labor Day weekend: Brewing the best coffee beans in LA (Intelligentsia, LA Mill) in the wrong coffeemaker. Conclusion: Trader Joe's has a great racket going on.

I've heard the arguments. TJ's, like Starbucks and other outlets, over-roast or burn the beans, killing all subtleties of flavor, etc. Maybe. But if you have an ordinary drip cofeemaker, you're probably better off buying TJ's (less expensive) coffee. Unsubtle beans for an unsubtle coffeemaker are a good match; the dark roast bludgeons its way to the front. Subtle beans in said maker get lost, producing a coffee that's thin, sweetish and otherwise meh.

The right maker for rareified beans is a French press. Or a glass Chemex. Or a Clover. Something that requires more temperature control, careful grinding, forethought and energy.

And that's the genius part. If you don't want to deal with that, if you want a coffeemaker that you can operate blindfolded with one hand thank you very much, you'll drink TJ's for life. You'll think Intelligentsia is an oxymoron.

Or -- you become a convert and coffee becomes a slippery slope. It's a short step from unearthing a French press from the back of the storage closet to "needing" a burr grinder. And from there, God knows. Craig Min at LA Mill uses reverse-osmosis water; he made the best cappucino I've ever had.

Tomorrow, Part 2: Intelligentsia vs. LA Mill.

[French press instructions with thanks to coffeegeek.com; click through for full size]

Comments

[howie]

Have you tried the Aeropress coffee maker? It looks like a huge syringe with a coffee filter at the end. It's sort of like a French press in that you mix the grounds with hot water, mix it, and press it. But it's actually an espresso maker in that you use less water and push it through under pressure. I just dilute the resulting espresso with hot water to make an American cup.

I've traded in my French press and manual drip for the Aeropress and never looked back. It produces a smoother, cleaner cup of coffee, and it's much easier to clean than the French press. They cost less than $30 too.