Why can't i make good coffee?

Why can't i make good coffee? it's only freakin' water and coffee grounds.
I'm using a paper filter, automatic drip, and folgers classic roast. my mom suggests folgers special roast or something. my water seems fine enough.
or is this just one of those simple but perplexing things in life? like making pizza, there's dough, chees, and tomato sauce.. but they're soooo different. prob true for granola mixes etc..

 

I can't make coffee either...

I love my mom's coffee and even when I try to use her instructions...I just can't. >_<

some people are born with a magic touch...

I used to work at a pizza place...making a pizza is not nearly as hard as making good coffee!

 

Is your coffee too strong or too weak? Do you drink your coffee black or do you add sugar and/or cream?

Each coffee maker is a bit different, so you'll have to learn how much coffee to add. Also each coffee is different, If the gounds are chunkier it will take more coffee, if they are finer it will take less.

Is it a new coffee maker? You might need to get a good cleaner to run through it. That helps clean out the oils in a new one and clean out deposits in a old one. After using the cleaner, run water through the maker until it comes out without any odor or reisdue.

One last thing, when adding water to the maker, don't use the caraffe. Use a clean pitcher or big glass.

I'm sure others, aren't near as picky as me about coffee. But coffee is my vice. Getting good coffee to me is like getting a great bud to others.

 

For one thing folgrs is not good coffee. Also you coffee maker could need a cleaning. You could try running some vinigar through it.

I would buy some good beans, a grinder and a mellita or french press. Grind the beans fresh and use some bottled water for the process.

 

i can make a great coffe..at least other's say that..

 

save yourself the trouble of making it and go to starbucks

 

I hate Folgers coffee...one of the worst in my opinion...but that's just me... :ack:

For me, it just took some practice...I use a Melitta coffee system with just a caraffe and filter (you have to heat the water on the stove and pour it in; there is not "coffee maker" per se), and it makes really good coffee. At first, some of the brews I made were horrendous, but now they taste pretty fine. You may just want to experiment a little with different amounts of water, more or less coffee, or perhaps a different brand of coffee (not trying to get you off of Folgers necessarily, but it just doesn't work for me). Good luck!!

 

There are so many ways to enjoy coffee.!

I have been drinking coffee for 30 years by putting 2 tablespoons of medium roasted fresh ground coffee beans (bulk at grocery stores) in a metal cup, and pouring boiling water in , stir, wait 4 minutes, stir, and pour through mesh strainer. It is always full bodied and strong and tasty. Of course , it needs cream and sugar to make it extremely yummy !!!!!

This is make-it-anywhere coffee, the technique originated when living in woods for many years, and cooking over a campfire. We called it "campfire coffee", and still do it the same way today.

 

I'm glad I still live with my mom...she makes me a cup or two each morning ^_^

 

Do you have a particular place that makes a good cup of coffee? If so, then ask thier brand.
I aways find coffee in the Diner or Restaurant tastes great, so I finally asked. It was a distributor in my area and now get my coffee from there.

 

i made coffee for a living for 5 1/2 years.. dunkin donuts girl. fun times that was. just make sure you aren't overloading more water than beans and vice versa.

 

thanks for the helpful hints, suggestions, and comments! I like mcdonald's coffee, sometimes it turns out perfect to me... i imagine it has something to do with our mouths too, but i'll leave that up to university studies funded by grants from folgers
i drink the large mcdonald's (all sizes $.69 in NJ right now) with three creamers. (stopped using sugar back in '81... dont know why. but if anyone wants to cut down their sugar in coffee i dont think you can, you just STOP and quickly develop a passion for unsweetened.. then sugared will make you almost spit it out! prior to '81 i used like 4-5 teaspoons in a regular cup)... i think ill try folgers special roast and NOT use the caraffe for pouring as suggested thx... then i'll work on the amount.. i'm sure i'll be happier with the results, thx...

 

Say no to coffee makers, go buy some Guatemalan or Columbian coffee and brew it yourself.

That will be some good coffee.

 

im guessing that you are not useing enough coffee. also you probably have very hard water. fodgers isnt a good choice either. plus it is possible that the water is not getting hot enough. paper filters take alot of the oils out of coffee too. im not saying your a bad person, just a bad coffee maker. but you said it first.

 

Kenco Gold ''Really Rich'' does me fine

 

Haha.. Hand me about a $2o in cash, and sure! As clear as heck |'ll go! >.<

 

there are a lot of things that go into making a good cup of coffee. i work in a coffee shop, and i have learned some tricks of the trade. if you can, buy beans whole, and then decide what grind you want them on. for basic drip coffees/paper cone filter, you would typically want a #5, 6, or 7 grind. Also, i believe it depends on what kind of coffees you like. single origins like Columbian and other Latin American coffees have a more acidic flavor, while the African coffees like Ethiopian and Kenyan are still bittersweet, but have a nutty flavor. I personally like the dark roasts like French, Italian and Viennese because they have a darker flavor, low acidity and have a mellow aftertaste and full body. Maybe you are buying a coffee that isn't satisfying to your coffee pallate.

Like others have said, it also depends on your water to grounds ratio that you use. Just try different things out with kinds of grinds, different origins and ratios. You'll get it!

Good luck!

 

I really love McDonald's coffee when they 'get it right'. Its the only think they have no quality control over as i see it. since i'm truckin' my own goods as i move from jersey to indiana i have their coffee in jersey, pennsy, ohio, and indy. ever around nj their coffee is different. but when it's on i wouldn't change a thing about it.. i'm guessing it's ethiopian.. i hear a lot about the poor ethiopian's being exploited to grow it and starbucks buys it and reap all the $.. wow, imagine that by a US started multinational.. anyway, i'm just looking for a good home brew. i detest flavoured coffees, i don't like the dark roasts personally. i think i'll cut back my grinds and see.. i'm using 2 level and 1 slightly heaping scoops of the measuring thingy that comes in the folgers can to 8 coffee glasses mark on my caraffe.

 

i dont have a coffee maker, i just use a big pot and boil water. put the grounds on top, and wait for it to drop. takes forever though, i really need to get a strainer.

 

double brew it. it only works if you have a coffee maker that doesn't hold the water in a little tank like Bunns do though. But seriously, a Bunn is the best investment I've ever made. can't beat a good pot of coffee in like 30 seconds.

Brew it, then pour the coffee back in, put in a fresh filter/coffee grounds and let it run through a second time. mmmmmm. Good 'n strong 'n taaaaasty.

Also play around with brands. Folgers sucks ass. Starbucks is expensive but yummy...Cain's is aight. Eight o' clock is supposed to be the poor man's starbucks, but I've never tasted it. I really like Marques de Paiva. I buy it in bulk from Sam's Club...it's yummy and cheap. Also, half & half is better than milk, and International Delights kicks butt. mmmm.

Dammit. All tihs coffee talk...I just made a pot of coffee. Maxwell House (we have like 25 different brands of coffee in the pantry. We're fanatics.)...it smells putrid but tastes deliciouso. I like bitter coffee though.