omg i can't wait to read the coffee responses over on FB. you're gonna end up even more confused than you started. it's gonna be a hoot. but my two cents: you can't cater to coffee snobs, and i say this as a former barista.
that said, as annie notes, you'll need two different grinds for the two makers you have. just keep 'em labeled in the freezer. THE END. (at home, we just have two pour-over contraptions, in which i do a mix of one part pre-ground cafe bustelo to two parts pre-ground medium-roast whatever's-on-sale-at-the-grocery-store because i'm fancy that way. al likes french roast, though, so we have a LOT of tubs of coffee around, haha.)
if ever in the future you wanna upgrade, my parents have a nespresso, and that shit is the bomb.
May 18, 2023·edited May 18, 2023Liked by Rick Webb
You don't need a filter for a french press, but you do need a kettle to boil the water. You could just go with French press to make things easier.
You do need a filter for the drip maker, unless it has a reusable stainless steel one, which you might want to look into if you're going that route, rather than disposable paper ones. But I'd just ditch the drip maker for the French Press. It makes better coffee than drip.
I think it's acceptable to not have a coffee grinder for a guest house. You can get ground coffee at the super market or Starbux or if you find a good local roaster place. OR, if you go to a supermarket like Whole Foods (or maybe your big places you go around you?) they'll have a grinder you can use. You literally choose a bag of coffee you want, open it and grind it back into the bag before you pay for it. I just had to teach Bill about this recently.
For the French Press, if you get a choice, you want coarse grind. For the drip, it's a sort of medium grind. If you go to a place that does it for you, they'll ask what kind of coffee maker you're using and do the correct grind. If you buy pre-ground in the supermarket, it will all be a generic medium which will work well enough in anything.
I buy from a local roaster up here that I like, but if I was forced to choose something in the supermarket, I'd go with Starbux Veranda roast or Pike roast. Not sure what else is reliably not regional...
In terms of storage, you can keep coffee in the freezer for some time and it keeps fairly well. And you can use it straight out of the freezer, so it's not really an issue. (I put about a week's worth in a smaller container in my coffee cabinet each week for easy access).
Now, of course, true coffee snobs will have their opinions and tastes, but I think some Starbux ground beans in a french press should be an ok middle ground for most people, despite the scorn many will heap upon the corporate coffee industry. You can make it stronger or weaker to taste, and it's a fairly neutral strongish coffee. There are certainly detractors, but, alas, there are with everything.
You could also get a few different kinds and keep them in the freezer... especially if someone finds you some interesting local stuff.
Then there's milk and sweeteners. I don't know a ton about the latter, but, you know, sugar, stevia... I don't think any people our age purposely eat aspartame or saccharin, but they might. Then there are people who like real milk (and its permutations) vs. fake milk. Personally, I think Oatley oat milk is the bomb for coffee (the full fat or barista blends). Califia farms oat milk is also good. Some people like Soy milk, but Oat is definitely the most popular now. Almond milk is generally frowned upon because of the almond industry. And it doesn't mix as reliably with coffee anyway.
You should ask Nick how non-vegan people like their coffee. He knows.
Let me know if you have more questions. I like coffee a lot.
Some airbnb's I have stayed at had little creamer cups like you find at diners. Most have nothing though. If you want to be extra nice have a few of those. I think people expect to have to buy their own perishables.
i’m a coffee lover and at home i use a french press and fancy coffee beans that i hand grind. this is perfect for me, but if there was a second coffee drinker in my household, i would probably use a different vessel, ie larger. so maybe the drip machine you already have would be good. i think some paper filters are compostable? maybe i’m making that up.
as for beans, i would just get a bag pre-ground before your guests arrive. of all the mega brands that you might find at the supermarket, peet’s and starbucks are fine. their dark roasts are too bitter and acidic for my taste, but their lighter roasts are fine.
as a totally alternate solution, i stayed at a hotel that had coffee “tea” bags and i have to say i was very impressed by not only the flavor but the ease of use. the packaging for each teabag and the teabag itself are fully compostable and you could keep a box in the cupboard for a good while. the company is Steeped Coffee. and the only tool/appliance you would need is a kettle 😁
100% compostable filters is a requirement yes. And I already have the French press and the drip maker, so I figure I'll just make them both usable with decent coffee. Probably beans for the French press and ground for the drip for larger groups who just want something quick
omg i can't wait to read the coffee responses over on FB. you're gonna end up even more confused than you started. it's gonna be a hoot. but my two cents: you can't cater to coffee snobs, and i say this as a former barista.
that said, as annie notes, you'll need two different grinds for the two makers you have. just keep 'em labeled in the freezer. THE END. (at home, we just have two pour-over contraptions, in which i do a mix of one part pre-ground cafe bustelo to two parts pre-ground medium-roast whatever's-on-sale-at-the-grocery-store because i'm fancy that way. al likes french roast, though, so we have a LOT of tubs of coffee around, haha.)
if ever in the future you wanna upgrade, my parents have a nespresso, and that shit is the bomb.
It's too much! I cannot talk about coffee this much! I don't even drink it!
You don't need a filter for a french press, but you do need a kettle to boil the water. You could just go with French press to make things easier.
You do need a filter for the drip maker, unless it has a reusable stainless steel one, which you might want to look into if you're going that route, rather than disposable paper ones. But I'd just ditch the drip maker for the French Press. It makes better coffee than drip.
I think it's acceptable to not have a coffee grinder for a guest house. You can get ground coffee at the super market or Starbux or if you find a good local roaster place. OR, if you go to a supermarket like Whole Foods (or maybe your big places you go around you?) they'll have a grinder you can use. You literally choose a bag of coffee you want, open it and grind it back into the bag before you pay for it. I just had to teach Bill about this recently.
For the French Press, if you get a choice, you want coarse grind. For the drip, it's a sort of medium grind. If you go to a place that does it for you, they'll ask what kind of coffee maker you're using and do the correct grind. If you buy pre-ground in the supermarket, it will all be a generic medium which will work well enough in anything.
I buy from a local roaster up here that I like, but if I was forced to choose something in the supermarket, I'd go with Starbux Veranda roast or Pike roast. Not sure what else is reliably not regional...
In terms of storage, you can keep coffee in the freezer for some time and it keeps fairly well. And you can use it straight out of the freezer, so it's not really an issue. (I put about a week's worth in a smaller container in my coffee cabinet each week for easy access).
Now, of course, true coffee snobs will have their opinions and tastes, but I think some Starbux ground beans in a french press should be an ok middle ground for most people, despite the scorn many will heap upon the corporate coffee industry. You can make it stronger or weaker to taste, and it's a fairly neutral strongish coffee. There are certainly detractors, but, alas, there are with everything.
You could also get a few different kinds and keep them in the freezer... especially if someone finds you some interesting local stuff.
Then there's milk and sweeteners. I don't know a ton about the latter, but, you know, sugar, stevia... I don't think any people our age purposely eat aspartame or saccharin, but they might. Then there are people who like real milk (and its permutations) vs. fake milk. Personally, I think Oatley oat milk is the bomb for coffee (the full fat or barista blends). Califia farms oat milk is also good. Some people like Soy milk, but Oat is definitely the most popular now. Almond milk is generally frowned upon because of the almond industry. And it doesn't mix as reliably with coffee anyway.
You should ask Nick how non-vegan people like their coffee. He knows.
Let me know if you have more questions. I like coffee a lot.
I really like KittyTown Coffee! Their Sumatra is my favorite. https://www.kittytowncoffee.com
Annie really gave you a deep dive so I won't say much else except for grinding. If you get whole bean, just get a cheap spice grinder like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Austria-HyperGrind-Precision-Electric/dp/B076FJ92M4
Some airbnb's I have stayed at had little creamer cups like you find at diners. Most have nothing though. If you want to be extra nice have a few of those. I think people expect to have to buy their own perishables.
I'm gonna get that grinder. And some creamer cups, definitely. Thanks!
i’m a coffee lover and at home i use a french press and fancy coffee beans that i hand grind. this is perfect for me, but if there was a second coffee drinker in my household, i would probably use a different vessel, ie larger. so maybe the drip machine you already have would be good. i think some paper filters are compostable? maybe i’m making that up.
as for beans, i would just get a bag pre-ground before your guests arrive. of all the mega brands that you might find at the supermarket, peet’s and starbucks are fine. their dark roasts are too bitter and acidic for my taste, but their lighter roasts are fine.
as a totally alternate solution, i stayed at a hotel that had coffee “tea” bags and i have to say i was very impressed by not only the flavor but the ease of use. the packaging for each teabag and the teabag itself are fully compostable and you could keep a box in the cupboard for a good while. the company is Steeped Coffee. and the only tool/appliance you would need is a kettle 😁
we compost our melitta unbleached no. 2s—after brewing, the whole thing goes right in! (can go in organic compost as long as unbleached, i believe.)
100% compostable filters is a requirement yes. And I already have the French press and the drip maker, so I figure I'll just make them both usable with decent coffee. Probably beans for the French press and ground for the drip for larger groups who just want something quick