Coffee aficionados: What brand of coffee do you buy for brewing at home? Do you have a grinder? And what...?

I buy store roasted beans and grind at home. Then I use fresh, filtered water and a coffee machine for a regular brew or an espresso machine for espresso drinks.

However, usually the beans are only the beginning. You can add a little of a number of spices - individually or a blend - to give your coffee a delicious and unique flavor. Try green cardamom, coriander seed, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, anise, chili powder (?!?!?!). Put a bit of these in with the beans when you grind and fall in love with coffee all over again!

I tend to buy Starbuck's, given their variety and consistency. I like multiple geographic coffee's, like Kona (hard to find), Kenya AA, Sulawesi, New Guinea Peabody, Guatemala and Ethiopia has had some good stuff. I'll take it dark roasted most consistently.

Seattle's Best sells good beans too.

I'll brew it in a standard drip pot, or espresso, most often. The French Press is a good method, but the stuff cools off quicker than I'd like, so not as often. The stove top can produce good 'espresso', though it is likely double strength, and not truly capturing the nectar's gold, but is a good way to go too.

If you don't have good beans, no method will make a good cup - you just have to add lots of 1/2 and 1/2.

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High 5

It depends entirely on where you live. I used to own a coffee shop and worked for a roastery. Get the freshest beans you can, see if you can find a local roastery. I live in Chicago right now and I like Intellegentsia for a fairly well known brand I think they do a pretty good job. Equal Exchange distributes nationwide and Ive had both go,od and bad coffees from them. For budget coffee, I say trader joes has some pretty good deals. Its definately better to grind at home before every batch. I also suggest if you need quantity use a percolator instead of a basket, you will retain the oils that make your coffee richer and more flavorful. You can also buy reusable filters for your basket that are a good option

Stove top coffee maker :: Perculator

I dig La Colombe. I usually go for the Monte Carlo beans & grind at home. If they have something new, I get it ground and in a small package, in case I don't like it. I won't waste alot or get the flavor in my grinder. I also use a drip maker but was recently given a french press and I'm still trying to master using it.

I have a regular coffee maker, but only use 100% Arabica beans, preferably Columbian and grind them myself. If those aren't available, then I buy imported brands like Jacobs. A coffee distributor told me once that the taste if affected by the kind of water one uses, but I haven't been able to test whether that's true.

If you're an aficionado, consider reading the book "Uncommon Grounds."

I like to buy fresh roasted coffee beans online from Willoughby's Coffee or from Terroir Coffee and grind them at home in a coffee grinder (burr grinder not a blade grinder)

I use a Technivorm drip brewer that brews coffee at the proper temperature of 200 degrees.

If you are looking for good coffee here is a good place for info:

http://www.coffeereview.com/

I often wonder why coffee tastes so good when you drink it at someone elses house. But...I had a 12-cup. I'd try different brands and flavors all the time. I was one in Orlando once and went to a coffee place called BadAss liked the flavor, but thought the name was pretty cool. I like a strong coffee with good flavor and the buzz is nice too!!!

I can't stand to drink instant coffee and have to have fresh. I like Lavazza, it's a good strong coffee with taste. A friend recently brought me some coffee beans back from Cuba, they were so much better than any coffee you can buy in the supermarket.

I use to spend lots of money on coffee and one day I was drinking a cup of Surefine Coffee ( Cheap Grocery store brand) It was the best cup I have ever had. I searched for why it was so good. My aunt who served it, has the best tasing well water.

It doesn't matter what coffee you buy, if you make it with crappy water you are wasting your money. My wife is from Costa Rica, and I think the have some of the best coffee - Cafe Britt and Cafe American. Now mix it with my Aunts water and you have the best coffee in the world.

So what ever you drink try it with good water and you will be amazed.

I buy whole bean coffee from Kaldi's coffee (http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/) but of course they don't have those everywhere. I think whole bean or fresh ground is best, and we have a coffee maker that has a timer, and you can set it to grind and brew the coffee all in the same sitting.

http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?produ...