Best Coffee Travel Mug

Finding the Best Coffee Travel Mug

My old coffee mug was leaking so much I had to throw it away.  I was driving to a business meeting, and the mug was leaking as usual and dripped on my pants as usual.  I decided that a new travel mug was worth buying.  But which one to buy?  Here are my most important features for the best travel coffee mug:

List of Travel Mug Features

1. Must keep coffee hot.  This means good insulation.  Foam or vacuum insulated are fine as long as they keep coffee hot for my 30 minute drive plus a few minutes drinking from it after I arrive at my office.
2. Must not leak.  This is not only a convenience, but a safety issue while driving.  I would sometimes try to wipe up drips while driving.  I would prefer to concentrate on my driving and listening to NPR.
3. Must fit in car cup holder.  A travel mug is not very useful to me if it doesn't fit securely in my car cup holder.  I drive a Honda Civic, so this may be a challenge for wider mugs.
4. Must hold at least 16 oz of coffee.  I need at least this much coffee to get going.
5. Must last a long time.  I am willing to spend a bit of money to get a high quality coffee mug that will last a long time.
6. Appearance.  I spend a lot of time drinking from my travel mug each day, and often carry it into the office with me.  If I'm willing to pay a bit of money, I want a travel mug that looks expensive.
7. Handle.  I have used travel mugs with a handle and without a handle.  The handle makes a coffee mug easier to deal with while driving, so I would prefer a travel mug with a handle.

The Best Travel Coffee Mug

After searching on amazon.com and checking out travel mugs at department stores, coffee shops, and gourmet cooking stores, I found the best travel coffee mug and ordered it.  My selection:
Contigo Autoseal Randolph Stainless Steel Travel Mug Vacuum Insulated, 16-Ounce, Silver




This travel mug has excellent reviews for keeping coffee hot and for not leaking.  Check off #1 and #2 on the list.  Looking at it, you can also check off #6- appearance and #7- handle from the list of of desired features.  The Contigo holds 16 ounces, so we'll check off #4 since it holds enough coffee to be useful.  I tried it out in my car cup holder and  it fits securely.  The handle does not block its fit into the cup holder, so check off #3.  I don't know yet if the Contigo mug will last a long time, but it certainly appears to be solidly constructed with high quality steel body and durable plastic lid.  Hopefully I can check off #5 after a few years of testing.

Contigo stainless steel travel coffee mug with vacuum insulation
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Underside of Contigo travel mug lid- spring mechanism stops coffee flow unless the trigger on the handle is pressed
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Contigo uses a trigger to control the flow of coffee.  You press the trigger on the handle- it works either left-handed or right-handed, and this allows coffee to flow when you tip the cup.  If you don't push the trigger, no coffee will flow.  You can even hold the travel mug upside down and it doesn't leak at all!

Coffee mug turned upside down- and it doesn't leak at all!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The thermal insulation is accomplished using a vacuum- this is a layer inside the stainless steel body that contains no air and therefore resists the flow of heat since there is nothing in the empty space to transfer heat from the inside of the cup to the outside.  This is the same method used in a thermos to keep liquids hot for a long time.  It seems to work well in the Contigo and will keep my coffee hot and me happy.  There are other color schemes available, but the stainless steel body with black and blue lid work for me.

Contigo Travel Mug Stainless Steel Body and Plastic Lid
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I am looking forward to the drive to work with me and my Contigo for many years!  It was nice to find such a well-designed thermal coffee mug, especially after suffering with a coffee mug that leaked and did not keep coffee very warm.

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Coffee Filter Types: Cone vs Basket Coffee Filters

Cone Coffee Filters vs Basket Coffee Filters

One of the main distinctions between auto drip coffee makers is the filter type used. The main choices are cone filters or basket filters. The shape is the difference between filter types. The cone filter is shaped like a cone with the bottom of the filter narrower than the top.

Basket coffee filters vs Cone coffee filters: which is better?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Problem with Basket Coffee Filters

A basket filter is flat on the bottom. The shape of the coffee filter makes a big difference in the coffee flavor. Since the basket filter spreads grounds out over a wider area, uneven brewing can occur. For example, if the hot water from the coffee maker drips in the center of the filter basket, only part of the grounds are fully utilized for brewing coffee, resulting in less coffee flavor. Even with the shower head style auto drip brewer water distribution, the areas directly under the several points where water comes out get more exposure to hot water and other areas of coffee grounds may get damp, but are not fully brewed.

Basket coffee filter options
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Basket Coffee Filter Sizes

Basket coffee filters are sold by the coffee maker capacity. Some common basket coffee filter sizes:

• 4 to 6 cup basket filters
• 10 cup basket filters
• 8 to 12 cup filters

Paper Coffee Filter Cost and Paper Types

The cost of coffee filters depends on the brand, quantity, and where you buy. Cone filters cost about 5 cents each, basket filters cost about 4 cents each. As with most products, you can choose different filter quality and paper type. You can get paper coffee filters made with white bleached paper, or with brown unbleached paper. I prefer to use unbleached cone filters. One of the great things about coffee is that it is 100% natural. I like to use unbleached filters to reduce the amount of chemicals involved with making coffee and keep my coffee as natural as possible.

Make Better Coffee with Cone Filters

The cone filter funnels hot water through the grounds more effectively, extracting more flavor from the coffee grounds. Water that is applied at the top of the cone travels through more coffee grounds, extracting more flavor when brewing coffee. Cone filters are a bit more expensive than basket filters and are commonly available at grocery stores.

Cone Coffee Filter Sizes

The standard cone filter sizes are:

• #1: Fits 1 cup electric cone coffee makers
• #2: Fits 2-6 cup electric coffee makers and 1 cup non-electric cone coffee makers
• #4: fits all 8-12 cup cone coffee makers
• #6: Fits 10 cup non-electric cone coffee makers

For example, my 10 cup thermal cone coffee maker uses #4 cone filters.

Cone coffee filter options
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Using a Cone Filter to Make Coffee

The cone filters come flat in a box or a bag. When making coffee with a cone filter, take the cone filter out, fold the filter along the crimp on the side- this will make it stay in a cone shape. Place the filter in your cone filter basket of you coffee maker, and add coffee grounds. If you have switched to a cone filer from a basket filter, you may need to adjust the amount of coffee grounds you use. You may need less coffee grounds with a cone filer.

Cone Filters are Packaged Flat

Cone coffee is flat when it comes out of the package
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Fold Cone Filter and Place in Coffee Maker

Fold cone filter along the seam and place in your coffee maker
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Best Cone Filter Coffee Maker

My coffee maker is a Melitta 10 cup with thermal carafe. It uses a #4 cone filter for the best tasting coffee. The thermal carafe is also a great feature. If you have a coffee maker with a glass pot that sits on a burner, you are not getting the best tasting coffee. It gets stale quickly, and sitting on the burner changes the flavor of the coffee- and not for the better. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot and fresh. The combination of a cone filter and thermal carafe is how to make great tasting coffee at home.



Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Keurig K-Cups Cheap

How to get Keurig K-cups Cheap

While checking out the latest Keurig brewers that use expensive Vue packs instead of K-cups, I noticed something interesting about K-cups:  You can now get K-cups cheap.  There are three ways to get Keurig K-cups cheap:

1. Generic or less expensive brands of cheap K-cups are now available

The premium brands K-cups are fairly expensive.  These brands include Coffee People, Donut House, Green Mountain, Gloria Jean's, Timothy's, Celestial Seasonings, Emeril's.  Green Mountain is also the maker of Keurig Brewing Machines.  These brands typically cost about $10.99 for an 18 pack of K-cups, or 60 cents per K-cup.

Starbucks brand K-cups are sometimes even more expensive than the premium brands above.  Starbucks K-cups typically cost $11.99 for 16 K-cups or 75 cents per K-cup.

The good news is that lower cost brands are becoming easy to find on store shelves and on the internet.  Examples of these brands include Eight O’Clock and Folgers and San Francisco Bay coffee from Rogers.  These companies  are offering lower cost K-cups cheaper that premium brands.  I would expect more lower cost brands to emerge soon at 50 cents or less per K-cup.  You'll want to try a small quantity when first trying a new, inexpensive brand of K-cups- the coffee quality could vary from your favorite brands.

Keurig K-cup- Emeril's is a premium K-cup brand
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

2.  Refillable K-cups are now common- make your own K-cups cheap!

If you look at what is inside a K-cup, you can easily see how you could make a refillable K-cup.  At the local store, there were 3 different options for refillable K-cups available.  These are washable plastic cups that you fill with your own coffee grounds and use in a Keurig K-cup brewer.  It costs about 30 cents for coffee grounds to fill a refillable K-cup.  Some use disposable paper filters, and some use reusable filters.  The paper filters cost a few cents each.

Get a refillable K-cup and make your own cheap K-cups!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

You can refill a K-cup for about 30 cents using high quality ground coffee such as Starbucks.  The main drawback is loss on convenience- you will need to do some work to refill and clean the reusable K-cups.  A benefit of refillable K-cups in addition to lower cost is that you can reduce the amount of disposable material that you throw away.

3.  Big discounts: Get K-cups cheap on-line

You can get big discounts on K-cups on internet sites such as amazon.com and eBay.  If you drink a lot of coffee or order coffee for a group of people, getting a good price on K-cups can make a big difference.  For me, 50 cents is a psychological barrier.  If I can make coffee with cheap K-cups for 50 cents or less per cup, I’ll drink a lot more!

Typical cost for K-cups in stores is about 60 cents per cup for 18 packs.  It pays to seek better deals on –line.  Check out bargain on large packs of 54 or even 80 K-cups.  Divide the price by the number of K-cups to check the cost per K-cup to see how much of a bargain you are getting.  You can find 80 packs of K-cups cheap!  I found a pack of 80 K-cups for under $30 which works out to less than 38 cents per K-cup.

The Future of Keurig K-cup Cheap Prices

I wonder if increasing competition in the form of lower cost K-cups was a factor in the introduction of the new Keurig Vue brewers.  The Keurig Vue single serve brewers use a new type of coffee pack that is about twice the size of a K-cup.  Keurig Vue brewers offer the ability to brew stronger since more coffee grounds are available and have more control over the brew strength and temperature.

I did not see any low cost alternatives to Vue Packs, and only noticed one type of refillable Vue Pack for sale.  I would expect competition to emerge quickly, probably from the same companies that are producing low cost K-cups and refillable K-cups.  It would not be difficult for these companies to expand their product line to include Vue Packs if the market develops.  The Vue is a new product, so we’ll have to wait and see how popular this will become compared to K-cups.

The established market for K-cups is large, and this ensures that K-cups and refillable cups compatible with K-cup brewers will be available on the market for many years even if the market for Vue Packs grows.  I would expect more generic brewers as well as K-cups to appear over time, bringing down the cost of both K-cups and K-cup brewers over the next few years.

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Keurig Vue vs Keurig K-cup Comparison: Which Single Serve Coffee Brewer is Best?

Keurig Vue Pack vs Keurig K-cup

Keurig K-cups are the well-established single serve coffee pod that work with Keurig K-cup brewing systems, the current market leader.  Keurig Vue Packs are a new coffee container format for the new Keurig Vue brewing systems.  Since K-cups and Vue cups are not interchangeable, it is important to make an informed decision when buying a single serve coffee maker: Is Vue better or is K-cup better?

Keurig Vue Pack (left) is larger and has a semi-transparent container compared with K-cup (right)
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is Keurig Vue Machine?

Keurig Vue is a new type of single serve coffee brewer from Keurig.  It is similar to the previous Keurig models, except it uses different coffee pack.  The older Keurig machines use K-cups, the newer Vue machines use Vue packs.  Keurig Vue machines claim to "brew stronger, brew bigger, and brew hotter".  K-cups will not work in Vue brewers, and Vue Packs will not work in K-cup brewers, so choose carefully!

Keurig Vue Single Serve Brewer
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

One of the issues with Keurig K-cup machines is that some people do not think the coffee is brewed strong enough.  I like the brew strength of K-cup coffee, and you can adjust the strength by selecting less water to make a smaller cup of stronger coffee.  Some people even pause the brewing in the middle of the cycle to allow the coffee in the K-cup to brew longer to increase the strength of the coffee.  Vue seems to address this concern by providing more coffee grounds to allow stronger coffee brews, and provides temperature and brew strength control.

Another issue with K-cup brewers is the small amount of coffee that is brewed with each K-cup.  You can select 4 ounces, 6 ounces, 8 ounces, or 10 ounces of brewed coffee per K-cup.  Many people want a 16 oz or even a 20 ounce cup of coffee.  Of course you can brew 10 ounces from one K-cup, put in a second K-cup and brew again to fill a 20 ounce cup.  But since it takes about 30 to 45 seconds to brew each K-cup, this can be a bit inconvenient.  Since single cup brewing is all about convenience, that is not good.  Vue can brew up to 18 ounce cups of coffee from a single Vue pack.

Keurig Vue Pack mechanism is not compatible with K-cups
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is a Keurig Vue Pack?

Vue packs are about twice the size as K-cups and contain about twice as much ground coffee.  Vue packs use the same brewing principle as K-cups- coffee grounds and a small coffee filter are contained inside the sealed Vue.  The Keurig Vue machine punctures the top and bottom of the Vue pack and injects hot water into the top.  Brewed coffee emerges from the bottom.  Since the Vue pack contains more coffee grounds, it can produce stronger coffee and can brew larger amounts of coffee from a single Vue pack.

Keurig Vue Pack (left) and Keurig K-cup (right).  The Vue Pack is about twice the size of a K-cup.
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Vue Pack Prices

Typical price for Vue packs is 32 for about $30.  This works out to 93 cents per Vue pack.

Keurig Vue Packs in display- you can see the paper filter thought the semi-transparent container
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is a Keurig K-cup brewer?

Keurig K-cup brewers are the original style of Keurig single server coffee brewer.  These machines use K-cups, small plastic cups that contain coffee grounds and a coffee filter.  The cup is sealed with a foil lid.  During brewing, the lid is punctured by the Keurig maching at the top and bottom.  Hot water is injected into the top of the K-cup, and brewed coffee emerges from the bottom.

K-cup machines cannot use Vue Packs!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

K-cup Prices

Typical prices for K-cups that brew 10 ounces of coffee:

• Many coffee varieties: $10.99 for 18 K-cups.  This works out to 61 cents per K-cup.
• Starbucks coffee: $11.99 for 16 K-cups
• You can also buy packs of 3 K-cups for $1.99.  This can be a good way to try new coffee varieties without buying a lot before you know you like it.

This article shows what in inside a K-cup and how to refill your own K-cups to save money.

Keurig Vue and Keurig K-cup Comparison

Keurig K-cup Advantages over Keurig Vue brewer:

• K-cup brewer is less expensive
• Easier to find K-cups in stores than Vue Packs
• More choices for refillable K-cups- use your own coffee grounds and save money
• K-cup is well established with large base of customers, less risk of obsolescence than Vue at this point

Keurig Vue advantages over Keurig K-cup brewer:

• Vue brews stronger coffee
• Vue has temperature and brew stength control
• Vue is latest model Keurig machine, people who buy a K-cup brewer and are not aware of Vue may have buyer's remorse
• Vue brew bigger cups of coffee (K-cups limited to 10oz cups or less).  Many people like larger cups of coffee- Vue brews up to 18 oz cups of coffee

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Coffee Maker Not Working

What to Do if your Coffee Maker is Not Working

There are some coffee maker problems you can fix yourself for only a few dollars and get your coffee maker back to normal quickly. If your coffee maker needs repair, you’ll need to decide whether to send it in for repair or replace it instead. Even simple repairs require replacement parts and expensive labor from a repair technician.

The first step is to check for human error:

Get your coffee maker working again!

Coffee machine not working!

Source: Image courtesy of ParentingPatch CC-SA-30

Is the coffee maker plugged in?

Perhaps your spouse or a co-worker unplugged it to move or clean the coffee maker.

Is there water in the reservoir?

If you haven't had your coffee yet, perhaps you simply forgot to fill the reservoir with water.

Are all of the doors on the coffee maker closed tightly?

Some coffee makers have sensors and will not operate if the doors and compartments are not tightly closed. Check all of them and try to make coffee again.

Make sure lid and compartments are tightly closed- some coffee makers will not run if doors are open
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Coffee Maker Not Working due to Mineral Deposits or Obstructions

You may be able to easily get your coffee maker working again if it stopped working due to mineral deposits in the coffee maker. This problem is most likely to occur if you have hard water. The symptoms of a coffee maker with water blockage due to mineral deposits include:

• Slow coffee brewing
• No coffee brewing- steam comes out the top, but little or no coffee is brewed

These symptoms can occur for both auto drip coffee makers and single serve coffee makers like Keurig.

The solution to these symptoms is to clean your coffee maker with vinegar of coffee cleaning solution. It is surprising how much effect mineral deposits can have on the performance of a coffee maker. I once had a coffee maker completely stop working. The coffee maker produced steam, but no coffee. I was certain that there was an issue with the pump or water flow that would require expensive repair. I filled the reservoir with vinegar and let it run. It slowly began to flow faster and after about an hour, all of the vinegar was in the pot. I ran it again with vinegar, and after the 3rd run with vinegar it was back to normal!

How to clear mineral deposits from your coffee maker:

1. Empty any water from your reservoir (tip the coffee maker into a sink to empty if it has water in the reservoir)
2. Empty the coffee pot
3. Fill the reservoir with vinegar. You can use a coffee maker solution instead of vinegar.
4. Run the coffee maker until the vinegar or cleaning solution has run through the coffee maker and is in the coffee pot
5. Empty the coffee pot and rinse
6. Run two reservoir tanks full of clean water through the coffee maker to rinse away the vinegar or coffee cleaning solution

You should clean your coffee maker to keep it running at full flow- once per month may be required, depending on the mineral level in your water.

Another troubleshooting tip:

If you have an autodrip coffee maker, is the filter basket free of obstruction? Check to see if the filter basket is draining properly and is not caked up with dried coffee grounds. Remove your paper coffee filter and grounds (you can set it aside carefully so you can use it later). Hold the filter basket over a sink, fill it with water, and press in the spring-loaded mechanism on the bottom. Water should flow through the filter basket. If not, use bamboo skewer or other small tool to clear the filter basket to restore flow.

Coffee Maker Not Working- Does Not Power Up

Another type of issue you can resolve yourself is if the coffee maker does not power up. Symptoms include:

• Display and lights are off
• No coffee brewing

These symptoms can occur for both auto drip coffee makers and single serve coffee makers like Keurig.

Check the outlet where your coffee maker is plugged in. If it is a GFCI outlet, try resetting it. The GFCI outlet will have a test and reset button- press the reset button. Try your coffee maker again. If it still does not work, try plugging another powered item into the same outlet to see if the outlet is working. If you are not getting power at the outlet, check the circuit breaker in your circuit panel box. If the breaker is tripped to the off position, try switching it back to on and try your coffee maker again. Note: circuit breakers should rarely trip- if a breaker is tripping, have an electrician check it out to make sure there is not faulty wiring or a faulty electrical connection that could be dangerous.

If your power outlet is working, but your coffee maker is not powering up, try unplugging the coffee maker for a few hours. This will allow voltage in the control circuit to discharge, providing a full reset of the control logic. Plug it in and try it again after a few hours.

Coffee Maker Not Working- Water or Coffee is Leaking

One cause of leaking from coffee makers is that the parts are not firmly in place. Check the filter basket is firmly engaged, and the pot is firmly in place under the filter basket.

Check that the filter basket is not blocked by caked up coffee grounds or a folded over paper filter, causing it to overflow.

Check the coffeepot and reservoir for cracks. Try to identify the source of the leak.

You can get a replacement coffee pot for less than $10 if it is cracked.

If a plastic part of your coffee maker is cracked and leaking, you can seal it with epoxy to stop the leaking.

How much does it cost to repair a coffee maker?

The cost to repair a coffee maker includes shipping, labor, and parts if you send your unit to a service center for repair. If you can find a local repair shop, you can avoid shipping costs. A rough estimate to repair a coffee maker these days is at least $30 to $50 if your coffee maker is not under warranty. For this price, you can buy a brand new coffee maker. If you have eliminated the easy problems that you can fix yourself, your best option may be to buy a new coffee maker instead of repairing the broken coffee maker.

How to Get Coffee when your Coffee Maker is Broken

If your coffee maker is not working, you’ll need a plan for how to get coffee for a few days until you can repair or replace your coffee maker. Even if your coffee maker is under warranty, you will be without it for a few days at least while it is out for repair.

There are several ways to make coffee without a coffee maker that can get you by for a few days. You can also use your broken coffee maker by pouring hot water from a tea kettle through the filter basket.

Instant coffee might be the simplest way to make coffee without a coffee maker- just add hot water. You can also buy coffee at a coffee shop or convenience store, but this expense will add up quickly if you drink very much coffee.

Instant coffee- cheap source of coffee while you repair or replace your coffee maker
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Replacement Coffee Maker

If you are looking for a replacement coffee maker, the Melitta 10-cup Thermal is recommended- this is a simple coffee maker that makes great coffee and has a thermal carafe- available for about $50.

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Make Coffee Without a Coffee Maker

Make Coffee Without a Coffee Maker

If you don’t have a coffee maker available and want hot coffee, here are seven ways to make coffee without a coffee maker:

1. Buy coffee at a coffee shop, restaurant, or convenience store

This is a way to get coffee without using a coffee maker.  If you drink coffee a lot, you will save money by making your own coffee at home.  Coffee at a convenience store costs about $1.50 per 20 oz cup.  Coffee at a coffee shop costs about $2.00 per 20 oz cup.  If you make your own coffee at home, it costs about 50 cents per 20 oz cup to make your own coffee using quality coffee beans or ground coffee.

2. Instant coffee

People sometimes overlook instant coffee and focus instead of brewing coffee using coffee grounds.  Instant coffee is cheap and all you need is hot water and the instant coffee crystals.  Instant coffee is dehydrated coffee that dissolves easily in hot water.  To make one cup of instant coffee you can microwave a coffee cup of water for about 2 minutes, 30 seconds and then stir in instant coffee powder.  To make more than one serving of instant coffee, you can heat a tea kettle of water and make multiple cups of instant coffee at once.

Instant Coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Instant coffee does not taste like brewed coffee to me.  It tastes a bit like coffee, but I think it is really a different drink than brewed coffee.  I suppose this is like the difference between fresh milk and powdered milk.  Both are milk, but powdered milk does not quite taste like fresh milk.  However instant coffee does have some caffeine, although not as much as brewed coffee, and can get you through a situation where you need to make coffee without a coffee maker.

Close-up of Instant Coffee Powder
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

3. Cowboy coffee

You can brew coffee using coffee grounds without a coffee maker.  The process involves letting coffee grounds steep in a pan hot water for a few minutes.  The coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the pan and you can carefully pour off the coffee, leaving the grounds at the bottom of the pan.    This article has more detailed instructions on making cowboy coffee without a coffee maker.

4. Pour Over coffee dripper

This is a method of making pour over coffee without a coffee maker.  You place a cone filter in a plastic dripper on top of a coffee cup and pour hot water over the coffee grounds- hence “pour over”.  This article has details of how to make pour over coffee without a coffee maker.

Coffee Dipper to make Pour Over Coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

5. Put grounds in a paper coffee filter and steep

This is for people who want hot coffee but do not want cowboy coffee.  Cowboy coffee and French press coffee actually contain fatty substances that increase cholesterol.  If you use a paper filter, you nearly eliminate this harmful compound from your cup.  You can place coffee grounds in a cone filter, filling it about 1/3 of the way.  You can also do this with a basket filter if you do not have cone filters.  Then cinch the top with your fingers or use  a rubber band.   Place this “coffee bag” in a cup of hot water and let it steep for about 3 minutes.  This way you can make a cup of filtered brewed coffee without a coffee maker.

Steep coffee grounds using a coffee filter without a coffee machine
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

6. French press coffee

OK, a French press is actually a coffee maker, sort of.  You place coffee grounds in the bottom of a glass pot and add hot water.  A French press has a plunger that you press to screen the grounds and hold them at the bottom of the pot.  You can get a French press really cheap and you do not need power to use a French press pot- only hot water and coffee grounds.  This article describes French press coffee and how to make it.

7.  Coffee tea bags

Folgers and other companies make coffee in tea bags that you steep in hot water.  I have used these on camping trips to make coffee without a coffee maker.  I think this coffee is a bit better tasting than instant coffee and is nearly as convenient.  Here is a discount on a quantity buy from amazon.com:  Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Singles, 19-Count Single Servings (Pack of 6).  You can find these coffee tea bags in grocery stores as well.

Coffee Maker Options

If you drink a lot of coffee, it is hard to beat the convenience of a coffee maker.  You can get a basic automatic drip coffee maker for under $30.  You can get a nice auto drip coffee maker with a thermal carafe for about $50.  A thermal carafe keeps the coffee warm without heating in on a burner- resulting in much better tasting coffee.

If you want coffee fast, consider single serve coffee makers like Keurig, Verisimo, and Senseo.  These machines make a great cup of coffee very fast using small sealed cups of coffee grounds.  These machines are more expensive than auto drip coffee makers.  This article describes single serve coffee brewing systems including Keurig and how much they cost.

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Best Coffee Grinders

Why you need a coffee grinder

After coffee is ground, it starts losing compounds that contribute flavor within a few minutes.  Making the best-tasting, freshest coffee requires grinding the beans just before brewing.  You can get a coffee grinder at home for under $50 and use your current coffee maker to get better coffee.  Read on for information about the best coffee grinders for home use.

Shown below: Mr. Coffee Automatic Burr Mill Grinder

Mr. Coffee Disc Burr Coffee Grinder
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Best Coffee Grinders

Types of coffee grinders can be categorized in terms of the grinding mechanism.  The primary types are blade grinders, disc burr grinders, and conical burr grinders.

Blade Grinders

Blade grinders use a thin steel blade to grind coffee beans.  This is considered the lowest quality of coffee grinder for a few reasons.  One is that the small surface of the blade can heat up, causing scorching of the coffee grounds.  This results in an undesirable burned flavor.  Another issue with blade grinders is that they slice the beans rather than crushing them, resulting in a range of fine and course grounds.  It is harder to control the coarseness of the grounds using a blade grinder.

Blade coffee grinder
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Disc Burr Grinders

Disc burr grinders are the most affordable of the burr grinders and produce good results.  The disc burr grinder mechanism uses a disc with raised surfaces that are used to slice the beans.  The pitch of the raised surfaces can be used to control the coarseness of the grounds.

Disc Burr Coffee Grinder
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Conical Burr Grinders

The most expensive type of coffee bean grinder is a conical burr grinder.  High quality conical burr grinders cost several hundred dollars.  This grinding mechanism uses a cone shaped burr for the surface to crush the coffee beans into grounds.  Conical burr grinders produce consistent grind coarseness without scorching.

Conical Burr Grinder
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Electric vs. Hand Crank Coffee Grinders

Most coffee grinders are electric, which is more convenient than turning a crank.  Hand grinders are powered by manually turning a crank to grind the beans and usually have a burr grinding mechanism.  Hand grinders have one major advantage over electric grinders- they are very quiet.  If you make coffee early in the morning while others in your house are asleep, a hand grinder is quiet enough not to wake anyone up.

Some electric grinders are automatic- you press the button once and the grinder runs for a set amount of time.  Other electric grinders run only while the button is held down.  I prefer the automatic variety so I can walk away while the grinder runs.

Hand coffee grinder with crank
Image courtesy of Poulpy CC-SA-30

Troubleshooting Coffee Grinders

Sometimes a coffee grinder will get jammed.  Here are some steps to troubleshot a coffee grinder:

• Unplug the coffee grinder
• Pour the beans from the hopper into a bowl
• Clear any beans or bean fragments from around the grinding blade or burr
• Manually turn the blade or burr to make sure it is free of obstructions

How to grind your own beans at the grocery store

Most coffee shops and grocery stores offer coffee grinders for you to use for free.  These grinders are quick and easy to use.  Here are the steps to grind your own coffee beans at the store:

• Fill the hopper with selected coffee beans
• Set the desired coarseness for the ground coffee using the knob (select medium for most coffee makers)
• Place a bag under the chute, 
• Press and hold the grind button.  
• In about 30 seconds you’ll have about 12 ounces of ground coffee ready to take home

Note: Don’t over-fill the bag or it will be difficult to close

Coffee Grinder at the Grocery Store
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The main issue with grinding the beans at the store is that coffee beans start to lose flavor almost immediately after grinding.  You will get much better tasting coffee with more rich and complex flavor if you grind the coffee beans immediately before brewing.  The only practical way to do this is to have your own coffee grinder at home.

Grind Adjustment- Selecting coarse to fine grind

Automatic drip coffee makers produce the best coffee using medium coarseness.  If you use grounds that are too fine, the grounds will get packed together in the coffee filter and will not allow enough water to pass through efficiently.  Espresso makers use a finer grind since the high temperature and pressure in the small brewing chamber produces the maximum flavor with fine grounds.

Coffee grinder adjustment knob: coarse, medium, or fine grind
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Best Coffee Grinder Recommendations

• Get a coffee grinder at home and grind whole coffee beans just before brewing- you’ll great fresh, flavorful coffee
• A disc burr grinder produces excellent coffee and is an affordable option
• Consider a hand grinder if grinding without making a lot of noise would be beneficial
• Select a single touch electric grinder that runs for a preset time with a single touch of the grind button
• I have had success with this Mr. Coffee Automatic Burr Mill GrinderThis model has built-in coffee bean storage and an automatic grind feature that I like.  Just touch the button once- no need to hold it down.  Also, this model does a great job of grinding!
• If you want a simple, inexpensive coffee grinder to try grinding your own beans at home, start with a cheap blade grinder

Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal