I have the cheap Starbucks branded burr grinder. Maybe it's time to upgrade; there's some crazy coffee-snob web sites that really recommend $200-500 grinders. Thanks for the tips, I'll try to go coarse & just use more grounds and do some experiments.

I don't really think it tastes bitter, but I have often heard starbucks coffee is bitter, that espresso roast coffees (very dark roasts) are bitter, so I always figured it must be bitter and I must like that.

glad you agree about illy, other problem is tons of restaurants use them. I love an after dinner espresso but usually ask if it's an illy pod or the real deal.

fwiw, my inlaws give me a case of cafe dumond every year and I use it anytime I make french press coffee. the grind is really perfect for press, imo. I've tried other kinds of chicory/coffee and been underwhelmed.

Bitter is fine. The problem with Starbucks is that it tastes burned and doesn't really have any other flavor.

I don't really think it tastes burned ever. lots of roach coach/deli coffee tastes burned to me though. part of me thinking I must have weird tastes is a lot of coffee that is pretty universally hailed as good/decent (i.e. dunkin donuts) just tastes like hot water to me.

I use an Aerobie Aeropress "Espresso"/Coffee Maker. I greatly prefer espresso and the Aeropress makes a nice cup of faux espresso with not a lot of crema. It only costs $30 bucks or so and the coffee is much smoother and less acidic/bitter than coffee I make with a french press. I have only made espresso style coffee with it--the directions say you can add hot water post-pressing to get an american style cup.

I would like to know where I can find good beans. I often just use Starbucks beans--the [censored] they sell in supermarkets, etc is always stale.

www.wholelattelove.com

I'm a 4-8 cupper a day. Took a trip to amsterdam a couple years ago and among other things the coffee there was really good. It was served in what looked like espresso cups but was smooth and strong. My grandmother makes puerto rican coffee where she uses what looks like a sock filled with the grounds and puts it in a pan of boiling water I like that a lot too. I used to be a cream and sugar guy but I nixed the sugar at the beggining of the year to cut some calories. I had to get used to my coffee not tasting like liquid candy but now I think I appreciate the taste a lot more.

Since my burr grinder went kaput I've been hand grinding my beans in a mocajete. I use a press and drink black. For me it's the best way to experience everything a bean has to offer. I use water heated to ~190-200. Stir after about the first minute, then let it sit ~5-7 min., and stir again before pressing.
I prefer coffees with more floral accents. Kona is a particular favorite. I'm lucky to have a friend who lives on Kuai and occasionally sends me a # of some of the local crop. Guatamala also has surprisingly good coffee. If you get the chance, get some of these beans.

I've done business w/ wholelattelove and have always gotten good service.

For green beans you can try Sweet Maria's . These people love coffee and travel the world in search of the best of the best. They also have quite an assortment of home roasting paraphernalia and advice.

Any love for Peet's? Or is it just the Starbucks of the West Coast?

I had it on my first visit to CA and even though I live in CT, I order all my beans from them. Currently working on Arabian Mocha Java and Sulawesi-Kalosi.

I love my roasts dark and drink it black. Peet's has always been leaps and bounds above anything else local in terms of taste, body, and smell.

I have a nifty little device that is both a french press and a to-go mug. The biggest problem is that the filter is not as fine as a standard press, so it's difficult to strike the right balance between just fine enough and too fine.

Just got some Cafe Dumond in the mail, can't wait to make my first brew.

You know Starbucks has gotten big (as if you didn't already) when this type of statement is made. Starbucks is pretty solidly the Starbucks of the West Coast.

For chains I really like, in some vague order of preferences:
Espresso Roma (not sure all are called this, Zeno knows what I'm talking about as there is one in Eugene by the U of O on 13th. The cups say that they have locations along the West Coast mostly in California).
Coffee People

Also here in Pittsburgh, Kiva Han and Crazy Mocha are good. Caribou Coffee is ok. I'm not sure to what extent these exist outside the 'burgh, though I think Crazy Mocha is just a Pittsburgh chain and they said Caribou is based out of Minnesota so maybe it's just a midwest thing.

After all of the above, I do actually like Starbucks just fine. The nice thing about Starbucks is that, at least to me, it seems to be the same everywhere and you don't have a lot of variance. It's a solid bet when you are traveling. I really wish Coffee People had taken off instead of Starbucks though. I was pretty down when they closed the one on 13th during my freshman year of undergrad. It's one thing I like about going home and to the Portland airport in general.

Personally I prefer to use whatever the Italian contraption is that you put on the stove, pictured in an early reply. Obviously when I prefer regular coffee drip is good. At home though I tend to prefer either tea or the stronger stuff, although supposedly a cup of coffee has more caffeine than espresso.

I really like Christmas blends. When I go to the in-laws I buy a few bags of some sort of Kona coffee that is a Xmas blend. I also think the Trader Joes Winter Blend is decent. TJs in general have pretty good stuff for the price.

Some advice on buying a espresso machine. Spend the extra cash and make sure your machine has a power pump, in other words, make sure it's pushing the water through the filter with a great deal of pressure. If it's not, and it's a drip machine, you're not making espresso, you're making coffee.

I'm absolutely anti-Starbucks, these are people who brag about over roasting thier coffee beans, they burn their coffee beans intentionally. Then somehow managed to convince the average American that this is good.

Typically certain beans grown from certain countries or regions have characteristics which while aren't necessarily ideal in and of themselves for a great cup of coffee, work very well in blends. For example, I'm not a fan of Hawaiian Kona, in and of itself, but I consider it's smoothness a great asset to a blend.

I'm a bit biased, being that I'm an ex-owner, but for some great coffees and gift baskets, check out the succession of my old business.

http://hillofbeanscoffee.com/

Can anyone suggest a manually operated grinder? I hate the electric grinders (sound), and I'm wondering if there's a decent option.

I use the moka pot (stovetop Italian deal) that has been mentioned - how much coffee to you guys use in it? I use the "three cup" model and loosely fill it up to the top and tamp it down, so it's about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Wow, hard core. How long does that take? Sounds fun, I might have to try that.

Couple of our coffee favorites.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Caffe Ladro

For our everyday morning drinking, we use a couple of varieties from Costco. A challenge is the fact that I don't drink any caffeine outside of my morning cup - which is half-decaf.

On the weekends, I use a Bodum french press and lately usually coffee from Caffe Ladro.

Hoping Entity will post some thoughts in this thread, I think he knows a few things about coffee.

when i feel good in the morning i start making the best coffee evah, srsly.
my recipe is like this:
1(one) full teaspoon of black coffee for every cup of water

i pour the COLD water in the coffee pot and put it on the gas stove range with low fire...
put the coffee on top of the cold water and spread it around evenly (the water being cold, the coffee wont go in the water).
then i half a teaspoon of sugar for every cup of water, but i will put that on the side of the coffee pot so that the coffee wont blend in the water and it will still be on top of the water).
after this i will fire it up a bit and wait. soon enough there will be a even crust of coffee across the top of the water which will start boiling... as minutes pass by, from sides the coffee will blend in the water slowly and at the end there will be a foam rising until it will eventually go over the coffee pot. exactly before it goes over you take it out of the fire and pour that foam of coffee evenly in the cups, you can use the teaspoon also.. that will give the coffee a very nice flavor...
after you do that you put the coffeepot back on fire, and let it boil for like 3-4 minutes more, the foam being taken out will not go over again... when the time passes you take the coffee and pour it on the foam you put in the cups, it should be a very strong coffee with a nice taste the foam gives...
sorry for my stupid english, not a native speaker.
cheers

Yup. Major Dickason's Blend and Holiday Blend, when in season.

How does everyone drink their coffee? Just straight black coffee?

so many people drink coffee.. i just dont get it, is it something you have to drink a lot to get used to? i just really dont enjoy the taste.. but theres so many options out there it seems like a fun thing to enjoy. also, what nutritional info is in your standard cup of coffee?

I do. I used to use sugar, I never liked cream. It first became a convenience thing, a lot easier to just get it black and on the go, plus you are easy when other people buy you coffee...then I started liking it more and more black, and so now I just get it black. Not to mention that we have so much sugar in our diet we don't need to add more.

Yeah, you might have to drink it a bit before getting used to it, but if you dont like it dont drink it, it's as simple as that. I have friends who don't like it but feel obligated to drink it when they go out for coffee with friends/clients/etc...I can't imagine doing that, if I don't like something, I'm not going to drink it. If you don't like it don't sweat it...as far as health goes, straight up coffee is just beans and water so it's healthy. The double vanilla mocha latte with extra syrup you get at starbucks is not. Should be pretty obvious.

I like it with just the tiniest dash of cream & sugar. Not enough that you can really taste it, but it just balances the bitter and rounds out the flavor a bit.
Also a leaf of mint or skin of lemon on the side is the perfect accompaniment - you don't eat them, just the scent of them gives a very light note to your sips which makes the coffee taste better.

The majority of the time, I take it with vanilla Silk (or the Costco equivalent). If I get a coffee in a shop or the Starbucks urn coffee in the work cafeteria, I'll add a little bit of lowfat milk and a Sugar in the Raw or two.

If I'm having dessert, or am otherwise in the mood, I will take it black.

The clear solution to this is the Chai Tea Latte.

Dunkin Donuts is hands down the best coffee ever.