HACKER Q&A
📣 wombatmobile

How do you make/get your coffee whilst WFH?


How do you make/get your coffee whilst WFH?


  👤 mindcrime Accepted Answer ✓
With the same Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker I've used for the past 15 years or so. I primarily use Lavazza Classico[1] or Lavazza Perfetto[2] coffee. The interesting thing about this coffee though, is that it's so non-bitter that it actually seems a little weird after so many years of drinking Starbucks coffee, and other really bitter brands. I find that I need to mix in just a little bit of something like the Starbucks brand Sumatra, to bring back just a touch of bitterness. If I don't, my cup of coffee feels like it's missing something.

[1]: https://italybestcoffee.com/products/lavazza-classico-ground...

[2]: https://italybestcoffee.com/products/lavazza-perfetto-ground...


👤 ksaj
I mix hand-ground premium beans with a commercial ground coffee that I already like. It makes it taste and feel expensive, but not really all that much more expensive. It's also half the exercise than grinding the whole thing every morning.

As for prep, I have a lot of different coffee making gizmos. Regular drip, French press, stove top espresso maker, Vietnamese coffee maker. I also have a cloth filter, but I don't use it so often that it would wear down quickly. It does make amazingly smooth brew, though. Each of them has their own pros and cons, but they all make good coffee which result in subtle variations in the final experience.

In the summer, I French Press a pot and put it in the fridge with milk and sugar already added (and far less sugar than commercial ice coffees). The press allows you to make super potent coffee, so you can add lots of ice and it won't ever taste too watery.


👤 ecesena
Breville BES870XL Barista [1].

Hands down the best purchase of 2020. It feels a bit expensive, but I bought it via Amazon paying in installments. I configured it for 1x = espresso, 2x = larger like almost a small americano. My wife & I have been making 4-6 coffees/day for the past months, flawlessly.

Nest on the list: roast my own beans.

Edit: another relevant note, how did I choose it? I've asked 2 Italian+foody+nerd friends independently, nerd as it typically they compare 100 products before choosing. They both had this machine. The machine is French and they both are Italians... that's a lot of trust :)

[1] https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html


👤 cdaringe
At the start of the pandemic,

Moka pot. Loved it. A bit slow, not that delicious for making espresso. Not bad! Could be better.

A few months in,

Over priced fancy Italian espresso machine. Love it. Beans from local roasters, steamed creamy oat milk for a smooth, large volume, morning caffeinated beverage.


👤 PaulHoule
I heat water in a kettle and pour it into a pour-over filter. I have also used a french press, Italian 'Moka' pot and other 'just add hot water' systems.

I have a spot where I'd like to plug in a drip coffee maker with a smart plug before going to bed. At sunrise - 5 min or so it would turn on the coffee maker and be ready when I wake up. The key though is the machine has to turn on as soon as the power turns on, which most coffee makers won't do.

(I use the outlet for other cooking devices during the day so the last thing I want is another timer to set)

Probably I should go to the salvation army and get an old one and hack the control circuit so it turns on when the power turns on ('push' the button with a 555?) but I haven't heard of anyone doing that as simple as it sounds.


👤 chunkles
I've got a few methods. (1) Cold brew, requires prep the night before. (2) French press. (3) Espresso machine.

Which method I use depends on my mood that day and how much time I want to sink into making the coffee.


👤 westcort
I have an aeropress, but just make instant. After I was sick, I need 12 cups of coffee daily just to stay awake. I wonder if I will ever feel the same again.

👤 Jtsummers
Burr grinder to make grounds for either the moka pot or the French press. Sometimes cold brew from the French press.

👤 bradknowles
Grady’s Cold Brew Pitcher Packs: https://www.amazon.com/Gradys-Cold-Brew-Iced-Coffee/dp/B016X...

I buy them by the 48-count box.


👤 kevinherron
V60 pour over, a nice conical burr grinder, and a Fellow Stagg EKG pour over kettle.

👤 ryanchants
Whole beans local here in Chicago, normally Metropolis or Dark Matter.

Grind in burr grinder.

Heat water to 175 in an electric kettle.

Brew in Aeropress. Pour enough water to cover grounds, stir for 30 seconds. Trickle water in for 30 seconds to fill. Plunge and serve.


👤 _throwawayaway
I use moka pot, love the design and simplicity. Currently have one from Ikea.

👤 mytailorisrich
Sage espresso machine with coffee beans from Costco.

I was lucky enough that I bought the coffee machine off Amazon last year right before lockdown (here in UK), since then the price has gone up £100-£150 when in stock.


👤 Finnucane
Kettle plus pour-over for me. This is what I did in the office too, but then it was a single-cup, now I make a half-pot for self and spouse. Why make things complicated before coffee is made?

👤 Minor49er
I put some ice in a glass, put in about 1/4 cold brew, then top the rest off with water. It's refreshing and only costs $5 a week for the brew (LaCombe light roast is the best!)

👤 alexmingoia
I pour coffee beans into a manual bur grinder, then into a French press.

I buy medium-roast washed beans grown locally by organic farmers, from a local roaster who delivers them once a month.


👤 runjake
A normal coffee machine or an espresso from my Gaggia.

It just depends on how lazy I am that day. Most work days, it's just drip coffee. I try to limit myself to 1-2 cups a day.


👤 punchclockhero
I like Moka pot coffee, but cleaning it sucks, so I got myself an Ikea French press. Still keep a jar of instant just in case.

👤 sandruso
Cheap hand grinder + Aeropress + coffee guru app.

Aeropress is complicated at first, but it is worth trying. Acidic flavors works great with aeropress.


👤 frompdx
Bunn VP17. I bought it after I got tired of how long it took to make coffee with a chemex.

👤 rozenmd
Rancilio Silvia V6, and I get fresh coffee beans via subscription (easy to find good beans here in Australia).

👤 mondoshawan
1) Get up 2) Go to kitchen 3) Make coffee

👤 approxim8ion
I'm not picky. I have a drip coffee machine, but cheap instant coffee is fine too.

👤 seattle_spring
Chemex twice a day, 45g coffee to 720g water. This is for 2 people, not just myself.

👤 yokoprime
V60 pour over set. Takes less space than a coffee maker and is cheap.

👤 elmerfud
Freeze dried coffee. It quick, fast, and quite tasty.

👤 InitEnabler
I use "Coffee, Instant, Type II"

👤 richardknop
I buy it during my daily walk to groceries shop.