Do you like the fastest grab and go or do you like to spend time making your coffee in the morning (and afternoon)? Hannah walks you through her simple at-home coffee set up, while Lisa gives an in-depth look at her fancy home coffee situation.
Buy our best buy burr grinder:
Buy our winning coffee maker:
Buy our winning semi-automatic espresso machine:
Buy our best buy French press:
Follow Hannah on Instagram:
Follow Lisa on Instagram:
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
Lisa’s Twitter:
Lisa’s Instagram:
49 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This video affirmed that I've gone way too far off the deep end with coffee. My geekiness makes the maximalist setup seem rudimentary. haha I will say though that if you have good coffee, good water, and a scale… then the grinder is the most important part of the equation because you can brew a phenomenal cup of coffee affordably with a brewer like the Clever Brewer… it's about the particle distribution and grind of the coffee itself that will make the difference between a coffee that is great, and one that will be full of nuance and complexity. Spend most of your money on the grinder, not the coffee maker if you have to choose between the two. So yeah, I've gone off the deep end.
I make my coffee with the Technivorm but found the stock showerhead did not evenly wet the grounds. So I got an aftermarket showerhead, from Australia, which (after bit of fiddling to get it to fit the machine) does much better at evenly wetting the grounds. Now I have maybe $450 in the setup.
I make about 20 ounces directly into a 20 ounce Zojirushi mug. And I love the results. Grind the beans, rinse the filter by passing maybe 5 ounces of water through the machine into the closed brew basket, and drain. Bloom a few seconds by closing the brew basket the open the brew basket to let the coffee go right into the Zo. Since the Zo won't brew unless the little button is pushed in ( which the carafe is perfectly sized for) I use a 4 inch PVC end cap (which also serves as an overflow spill catcher) to activate the machine. Hannah you should probably rinse your filter…
With the Zojirushi coffee is HOT for many hours. So the further complicate the minimalist setup I usually pour a few ounces into an Ember Mug set at 140 degrees…
I also have two other brewing methods I like (but haven't been using much). The Espropress is a cleaner French press which is both easier to clean and produces a less gritty coffee. And the clever dripper is a really neat little rig. Very minimalist that one is. Check out James Hoffman for his methods with the clever dripper.
Still looking at espresso machines. Want simple, no built-in grinder or hopper, thinking of the Delonghi Dedica with a couple of extras..
Thanks to you both for your fun and informative reviews.
Its sooooo hard to watch so called coffee people try and do espresso….OMG im dying ova heeeaaaaaa!
I use a percolator from the 1960’s it still makes the best coffee I’ve had.I don’t like Starbucks coffee is shite.A local small coffee shop has the second best coffee I’ve had and it’s made in a chemex ,but it’s still $3 for a 20 oz coffee.
Great team for Gear Heads! Continued success!
Interesting, now I would like to see you do a video on coffee filters please.
What about a stainless steel French press for under $50-$75? They are double insulated and no need for filters. Can’t get more minimalist than that. Tastes better than any drip maker
All that gear and no scale to weigh grounds and water
Thanks 👍
Just curious if you tried any coffee makers from Jura, and your thoughts on their coffee makers?
As a previous owner of the Breville, imho it’s a POS. Breville puts a lot of neat technology into their devices but they are not made to last. Plastic parts and cheap rubber tubing. Mine started leaking all over right after the warranty ended. They can’t be serviced by third part vendors.
13:51 just watched this and love this episode. I also have so many different coffee makers. Turkish, French Press and two favorites but I really love my Nespresso. Great easy cup of coffee every time
I prefer my slightly lighter brewed so i can taste the subtle differences between various coffee beans and their specific complex notes of flavors. Most people make their coffee so dark and with chlorinated water so like drinking Army coffee and very bitter.
I’m even more minimalist. I use instant coffee. Lol
Please test the Tokit vs the thermomix tm6
I'm also curious about the longevity of the plastic gear housing on the blade assembly on the tm6 vs the metal gear housing on the tokit.
The problem with the minimalist coffee machine, It's ugly and I don't want that big thing in my kitchen.
Yes, The expresso maker is also large but it's beautiful in the kitchen.
I had Moccamaster but I ditched it in favor of the french press, I think it makes a tad better coffee but of course it's more hands-on, but for me it's worth it. I drink 2-3 liters a day.
Lance Hedrick is an amazing channel for milk steaming and latte art. Learning from him I always pull my shot before steaming milk and I've been able to start pouring art! The breville I've had for almost a year and I use it every sing day.
Lisa, my go to is the exact same French press. With the beans and grind I use, I wait 3 minutes for the perfect color of coffee. Yup, I go by color. Slightly see through, and a golden dark yellow. Dark amberish. I Also check temp with my Mk4 thermapen, and use a bamboo chopstick to stir and bloom the grounds!
I also crush in some Maldens seasalt onto the grounds. It mellows some of the bitterness. I did this, with tablesalt when I made percolator coffee for my parents as a young boy. I have no idea why I did that, just a hunch I guess. But mom and dad said it was very good. I think maybe I got the idea from my grandma. The best cook ever. She was born in 1887, and had 12 kids, herself, and one husband to cook for. I have hundreds of cousins. All across America.
OK. Life long drip coffee machine user. Quit that years ago. Now mill grind coffee beans and into a French press, or Chemex, or aeropress.
I also use an old battered aluminum percolator pot, whilst at elk camp, because, tradition. And also make cowboy coffee. My favorite bean is Kona, but so expensive, only once or twice a year.
My go to is Kaladi brothers Red Goat, from Anchorage Alaska, or Sagebrush. Sagebrush waits until they get enough orders to ship, before they roast that bean. So when your order arrives, it will have the date it was roasted. About two weeks before you got it.
I'm in the process of building my own squirrel cage type roaster, capable of doing 2 lbs. of raw beans.
Hannah, you have a $300 coffee maker and you just poured water into the reservoir from the carafe itself. The reason you shouldn't do that is, no matter how much you clean the thermal carafe, there will be residual oils that, if you use the carafe to fill your reservoir, will make their way into the heating element. This will affect the taste of your coffee over time. Someone who is serious about their coffee would NEVER fill the reservoir with water from the carafe (or the pot, for that matter). Use a different pitcher for the water. There's a reason the reservoir is marked with fill lines.
As someone who has owned a Moccamaster for years, I gasped when I saw you doing that in this video. If you're going to do it, do it RIGHT.
When I factor in, on one hand, cost, and on the other the pure enjoyment of quality coffee, I'd say the French press is my sweet spot.
Is Coffee Good For You?
Does it have cord storage built-in ?
I’ve been drinking coffee for many years, have tried many methods and love French press coffee best. Have not tried aeropress yet. Would like to.
no aeropress??
I enjoyed the video. But that cappuccino looked awful 😂
I've had so many coffeemakers . I'm down to -3- methods 1 sur le tab pour over 2 French press and 3 the The Ninja programmable .
no siphon pot. mmmm
If minimalist ain't a coffee percolator…..
I really appreciate the straightforward presentation of the different approaches to 'your daily coffee'. T=As always, the analytical approach is appreciated and both Lisa, and Hanna are great presenters.
"Minimalist coffee setup" = $300+ coffee brewer plus coffee grinder? Aeropress is $30. Put in coffee grounds, pour hot water, screw on cap with paper filter, gently press –> nice coffee. Can't get more minimalist than aeropress!
This is minimalist??? I was expecting pour over or Aeropress, either which costs up to $40, not $400 setup as so called minimalist!!!
12:40 Love is the answer! You do it cause you love coffee in different forms. 🙂
Biggest item to make sure coffee tastes its best and machines stay in good shape, filtered water!!!
It's official, Hannah is still hot AF.
I have a Moccamaster, which is awesome, but my personal favorite is the Aero-press.
I have Hanna’s Moccamaster pot and a Baratza Sette Grinder. It’s heaven in the morning.
About 6 years ago, I splurged on a Technivorm Moccamaster. I literally use it every day and it consistently makes the best coffee I’ve been able to find. When my 1 year-old Baratza Vario-W coffee grinder died and the company basically told me “too bad, so sad” – I’ve switched to just buying 1 pound bags of high-end ground beans (which last about a week), and haven’t looked back. I do store them in a special sealed canister. My morning coffee preparation ritual takes about 5 minutes and rewards me with outstanding coffee. Clean-up is minimal and takes about 2-3 minutes (just a quick rinse then air-dry). I don’t baby the coffeemaker, and it just keeps running and is one of my favorite purchases ever. If the Moccamaster died, I’d go buy another one immediately.
As a Turkish viewer who has been watching ATK for a very long time, listening to Lisa talk about my culture and seeing how she appreciates it is such a wonderful warm feeling. Thank you so much. She is right though, learning how to make good Turkish coffee is a skill you need to learn and it takes time. Even then it comes to preference. Some people like a lot of coffee grounds, light vs dark roast, some boil it 3 times, or very low flame slow brew thing, some like it with no sugar, etc so all the recipes is basically a suggestion, a starting point, a guide to base your preference from. Also, I would like to suggest to Lisa that she should take a look at automatic Turkish coffee machines, they make very good coffee and very good foam (and consistent) that is hard to replicate at every brew when you do it traditionally and they are convenient when you have guests over. I recommend you to prefer the ones with the "Közde kahve" (coffee brewed on hot coals) option, they taste better because it heats the cezve all around not just the coils under it so it brews more evenly, has a more durable even foam. Here are links from amazon of the machines I've tried and liked, but I don't know how you will be able to ship them to USA so maybe try contacting the brand? Hope this helps! Love from Istanbul!
https://www.amazon.com.tr/Arzum-OK004-Kahvesi-Makinesi-Bakır/dp/B01MZ74PGL
https://www.amazon.com.tr/Arzum-OK0010-K-Minio-Kahvesi-Makinesi/dp/B0844VD21Q
https://www.amazon.com.tr/ARÇELİK-TKM-9961-KAHVESİ-MAKİNESİ/dp/B07SHF9TJB
https://www.amazon.com.tr/OK007-OKKA-Grandio-Kahvesi-Makinesi/dp/B08DV39VRY
https://www.amazon.com.tr/ARZUM-OK001-KAHVE-MAKİNESİ-SİYAH/dp/B00NHG5IBA
lol
Im sorry, but a $300 plus coffee maker is not “minimalist”. Minimalist is a French press…simple and delicious.
While enjoyable, you folks missed the boat. As far a minimalist machines go, you completely overlooked Mr. Coffee, Keurig, French press and many others. To be truthful, I have enjoyed certain instant coffees better than specific fresh brewed machines at almost any price. This show was an excuse to make a video with no purchases made and to make do with what was on hand at the time. I expect better from ATK.
Aero press is minimalist and makes a great Americano….
Minimalist coffee, aeropress. Fast, portable, hand power, small, easy, yummy.
I LOVE my Technivorm Moccamaster and I’m on my 2nd capresso grinder! The most amazing coffee ever ❤️❤️❤️☕️☕️☕️
Nespresso does all the heavy lifting without much work and produces an amazing espresso and half the cost!
Great post. I think I fall somewhere in between! Have the OXO burr grinder; Have a Bodum French press, a Bialetti Brikka and a traditional Bialetti moka pot. All work great depending on what mood I'm in for coffee and taste fantastic. Having a strainer makes cleaning a French press easy and fast without getting the grinds down the sink. I had a Cuisinart drip machine lasting me 8 years before it died on me. Since my other makers do the job well, that I can make Americanos with the moka pots if I don't want full strength – I'll use these as my daily drivers until the day comes I can get the Bonavita or a Mochamaster. Most cheaper drip machines don't get hot enough to drink unless making a lot of cups at once. The other devices can make hot coffee and will last for many years with care, just replacing a steel filter or ring every few years or so. Thanks guys!
I have a load of coffe making methods, Moka pot, aeropress, v60, Flair espresso machine. And yet I find myself using my French the majority of the time. Easy and makes coffee so well, and I can use coarser grinds which is helpful because I have a Hario hand grinder. My next coffee acquisition will be a good grinder.