257182 Thu Sep 21 13:12:02 -0700 2000 51 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1360780 The best board has been lagging lately so maybe I can get something rolling here. I'd love to know 'hounds fave methods for making coffee: electric coffee maker, silver espresso stove-top, Bodum (french press), Melitta drip, or what ever. Also, do you think grinding your own beans REALLY makes a difference? I mean if I get ground beans from a good place and keep 'em in the fridge, and use 'em often how much is really comprimised?? I used an electric Krups coffee maker and grinder for years (2 separate things). After a while I felt like the hot plate that the coffee pot sits on was burning the coffee or *something* it just wasn't tasting so good... I didn't want anything between me the water and the grounds so I got a Bodum. It's great... but of course it cools off kinda quickly. One friend of mine immediatly pours it into a thermal carafe... but then there's one more dish to wash... in a Martha Stewart catalog I saw a 'cozy' designed for the Bodum! It looked perfect. I plan to see if they carry this at the Porto Rico store on Bleecker, which has many accessories. Then there is the milk... I like whole milk the best, half and half is too heavy, and I am usually too lazy to heat it up... my sister just got the milk steamer that looks like a mini tall, skinny bodum. She pours milk in the glass carafe, puts it in the microwave, then takes it out and pumps up foam with the screen by moving it up and down. Also, I always use Brita filtered water, as coffee is an infusion, after all, so I think the water should be good. OK--what does everybody else do/love/think is the *only* way to get a decent cuppa joe??? (And yes, I know, I could just walk to Once Upon a Tart and get a latte for $3 which I do a few times a week). Thu Sep 21 13:12:02 -0700 2000 0 Jessica Shatan 1 1360781 We buy whole beans (Irish Cream caf and decaf), grind them ourselves and use a Bodum press for one or two cups. For more cups we use a Melitta drip. I keep the pot hot by setting it on top of a small frying pan that I have inverted over a low gas flame. Both methods make delicious coffee. I sometimes use filtered water but can't taste the difference. Thu Sep 21 13:46:25 -0700 2000 1360780 0 efdee 2 1360783 Last week I saw in a mail-order catalog, I think it was Chef's Catalog, a French-press that was built into a thermos. I thought it sounded like a clever idea, and have been toying with the idea of buying it. I have a Krups coffee maker too and have long been dissatisfied. I agree that the hotplate burns the coffee if left on too long, but also I never feel that the water temperature gets high enough for a great infusion. Thu Sep 21 14:11:22 -0700 2000 1360781 0 Leslie Brenner 3 1360785 My Bodum press (which I got as a gift) came with a little plug in hot pad that keeps my coffee toasty without burning it. It seems not quite as hot as a standard coffee maker hot pad, so maybe that's why it doesn't taste burned. Then again my coffee doesn't really last very long in the morning... Thu Sep 21 14:37:32 -0700 2000 1360783 0 Beth 3 1360787 That one sounds like the best of both worlds. Since a recent joining of households, my Bodum has been on the shelf, displaced by an electric Krups (I think) that drips the coffee directly into a thermal carafe. Works great, but I don't enjoy the coffee as much. Think I'll pull out the French press this weekend. (I always put it on a cork pad and cover it with a tea cozy, which helps a bit.) Thu Sep 21 16:38:43 -0700 2000 1360783 0 Helen 2 1360793 Efdee--would you describe the way you keep the pot hot in more detail? Doesn't it potentially ruin the small frying pan? And do you rest the glass base of the bodum on it, or does your bodum have the little metal feet??? Thanks! Thu Sep 21 22:09:42 -0700 2000 1360781 0 Jessica Shatan 3 1360800 I guess my post wasn't clear because it's the Melitta pot that I keep hot on top of the frying pan, not the Bodum. I use an old, small, expendable frying pan but it isn't affected by the very low flame at all. Fri Sep 22 16:50:46 -0700 2000 1360793 0 efdee 1 1360782 The french press gets my vote, as it always comes out rich and strong without being bitter. As you said, the fact that it cools so quickly is a bit of a problem, but as a complete coffee addict I tend to drink it pretty fast. I don't grind my own beans, but I have complete faith in the source - my (long-suffering) parents ship me batches from Coffee Adagio, a "micro-roaster" in Cleveland that's fantastic. I don't store the coffee in the fridge, though. I've heard that it's drying, so I keep mine in an airtight container. And as for milk, I like to put a bit of half-and-half in the cup first with a tiny bit of sugar, stir furiously for a minute or two, and then pour in the coffee. If I'm feeling lazy, I head over to Roberto Cappucino on Court St. (go there if you're in the area!) for a large cup of Illy...and maybe a crepe with chestnut puree! Mmm. Thu Sep 21 13:52:04 -0700 2000 1360780 0 Lauren 2 1360784 If you buy expensive stuff like we do (100 percent Kona Peaberry is the favorite of the house at the moment) then you want to use a french press. It preserves all the essential oils that you would otherwise miss in a coffee filter or percolator. Boil the water, Steep the pot for like 3-5 minutes depending on your strength preference and then pour away. It makes for a strong, european-type pot of coffee but if you have decent coffee its the only way to go. You might get some grains in there but hey, they wont kill ya. Jason Thu Sep 21 14:12:05 -0700 2000 1360782 0 Jason "100 Percent Kona" Perlow 3 1360836 Boil the water? I use a french press but I've understood that the best coffee is made with water that's not quite boiling (200 degrees or so). I heat my water on the stove and check the temp with an instant-read thermometer. The whistle hole on my teakettle is just the right size to hold the thermometer. I guess this method requires a little more attention than just letting it boil, but I think you extract more of the acids with boiling water, and you remove some of the dissolved oxygen in the water when you boil it. I'm not sure that it makes a huge difference. Possibly a more important contribution to taste than the use of filtered water, but nowhere near the importance of good coffee beans and a method of brewing that doesn't keep cooking the coffee after it's brewed. Am I obsessive? Do other people worry about water temp for your french presses? How about you Chemex and Melitta fans? Mon Oct 02 16:16:02 -0700 2000 1360784 0 Nils (but not the exploding french press guy) 4 1360837 Have been a fan of my French press for years and have a standard routine. Found my coffee better (okay maybe it is my imagination!) when I fully boil the water, remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 seconds. Then I pour in enough to cover the grounds and let that sit for 30 seconds. Then fill 'er up and sit for 5 minutes before pressing. As you said of course coffee quality and the right grind for the method is of prime importance. I notice no difference with filtered water, as I think it boils out. It is an important part of the day---obsession is optional. Cheers! Tue Oct 03 10:37:12 -0700 2000 1360836 0 bellrock 1 1360786 Yep, and covered me in miniscule (and some not so miniscule) shards of glass. I suppose I shouldn't have been pushing so hard once I met with resistance, but who'd have thought it would EXPLODE?! So be warned. I never got another, and am still uncomfortable around them, but I agree it makes the best pot of coffee. As for grinding your own beans, it's a give & take ... do you want the freshness of fresh-ground, or do you want to be guaranteed of a uniform grind, and that it's the proper coarseness for your coffeemaker? I always ground my own (don't drink coffee anymore) but wondered if it was negated by the guesswork of my $20 manual grinder.... I once had a glass blender explode on me as I was recreating Slurpess at home at age 8 ... maybe it's ME ... Nils Thu Sep 21 16:24:14 -0700 2000 1360780 0 Nils 2 1360788 It's definitely not just you! My neighbor's burst on her recently, cutting her fairly badly in the process, and they do warn you about the possibility in the instructions. I met with some serious resistance once and continued to plunge, only to be greeted with a really ominous gurgle. Mission aborted. I love my coffee, but I also value sight in both eyes... Thu Sep 21 17:04:47 -0700 2000 1360786 0 Lauren 2 1360789 That happened to my brother, too, and he wound up in a burn center. That's why I thought the thermos (which they say is unbreakable) version was a good idea. Thu Sep 21 18:07:44 -0700 2000 1360786 0 Leslie Brenner 2 1360807 Yikes! That's about all I can say re: explosion. Burr grinders give a much more even grind than blade grinders. They're also more expensive--typically $50 or more. For me, it's worth it; ground coffee goes stale so quickly that fresh ground is a must. Mon Sep 25 17:22:20 -0700 2000 1360786 0 Tom Hilton 1 1360790 I worked at Diedrich Coffee in Southern California when Martin Diedrich was still giving barristas 16 hours of coffee/family business seminar in addition to on the job training. This family had a plantation, manufactured roasters and imported, roasted and served coffee for many years before going public. I was told that in order to make the best coffee, start with great beans roasted appropriately and freshly. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and grind immediately before use. For brewing I prefer a Chemex pot. Drink immediately, or put in a thermos to keep warm. The richest cup of coffee I ever had? Kopi Bali. They would pour boiling water over finely ground kopi Bali in a coffee pot, no straining mechanism, just serve carefully to avoid the grounds. Thu Sep 21 18:19:25 -0700 2000 1360780 0 Heather 2 1360791 Heather, I agree. I always used a Chemex and bottled water, boiled separately, when I made coffee. I found it best for small quantities (up to 6-8 c.) I have a friend who worked for a coffee company and he always said that Columbian coffee is the best. I've tried many different blends and agree that it is the best. Unfortunately I drink very little coffee anymore. The caffeine got to me. Thu Sep 21 21:24:44 -0700 2000 1360790 0 Kit 3 1360792 Never heard of Chemex--please describe :-) Thu Sep 21 22:07:18 -0700 2000 1360791 0 Jessica Shatan 4 1360794 Chemex; think of an hour glass (and the Chemex IS made of glass) with a smaller top. Into the top you insert a paper filter (they used to be large circles that you had to fold; now they come folded in fourths), then add the coffee and finally pour in the boiling water. I set mine over a wire rack (for an elec. stove top) & turned the heat on "low" to keep the coffee hot. It takes just a fairly short time for the water to filter thru the grounds and the coffee is quite delicious. Fri Sep 22 00:16:15 -0700 2000 1360792 0 Kit 5 1360795 C'mon, you remember Chemex! Your aunt probably had one (mine did, and now it's mine!) In addition to the hourglass shape, another identifying feature is the wooden piece that you tie with thongs around the pot's midsection, to give you a place to grip the pot when it's full. I've always liked coffee dripped that way, but with the Chemex filters I found the process to be so long that the coffee would be cooling down before all the water had passed through the grounds. Wonder if I had too fine a grind, or what? Anyone? Fri Sep 22 12:15:00 -0700 2000 1360794 0 Helen 6 1360796 Well, I don't know where you're from, but I am NYer and never saw a Chemex pot or heard the word. I still can't figure out how this is diff't from a Melitta drip... Fri Sep 22 13:07:30 -0700 2000 1360795 0 Jessica Shatan 7 1360797 Try it, you'll taste the difference. I think there are two primary differences: The Chemex filters are made with different, thicker paper to the Melitas; and the hot water all goes onto the grounds at once rather dripping slowly -- so there is more time for the grounds to steep. Chemex pots and filters are available at Zabars, I don't know where else but I haven't looked around for them either. Fri Sep 22 13:14:28 -0700 2000 1360796 0 Jeremy Osner 8 1360798 Jessica, I never saw a Chemex UNTIL I came to NY! I think of the Chemex as a holdover from the beatnik days or even earlier - that thong! that serious lab glass! Honestly, as somebody already said, they are large, hour-glassed shaped glass objects with a wooden collar around their middles - keep an eye out in Zabars or any other store selling serious coffee equipment and you will spot them. Fri Sep 22 13:33:22 -0700 2000 1360797 0 jen kalb 9 1360799 Yes, another advantage of Chemex over Melita is the beauty of the pots themselves; they are a visual treat as well as tastual. My mom's Chemex has a large copper stand that holds a bath of hot water to keep the coffee hot -- sadly Chemex got rid of this some years ago in favor of a wire grid. Fri Sep 22 13:39:09 -0700 2000 1360798 0 Jeremy 7 1360801 Well, Jessica, you're just too young to remember the Chemex. I grew up on L.I. and my mother had one. I live in Calif. now and they sell them at Cost Plus, also the filters (which are hard to find otherwise). Another good thing about the filters is that you can buy them unbleached, which is much better for your health. People in Europe can't understand why we bleach our coffee papers. Neither can I. They're white when bleached (duh) and tan when not. Fri Sep 22 18:18:42 -0700 2000 1360796 0 Kit 8 1361056 I am of your mother's generation and have 3 sizes of Chemex coffee makers that I have had for many years. I stopped using them, when I could no longer find the filter papers. The filters are exceptional and filter out all of the bitter oil in the coffee. I have just discovered a site called sweetmarias.com where they sell the coffeemakers in the original hand-blown version and the machine made, but more importantly they have the unbleached Chemex filters. I am ecstatic and will order some, because I have never had coffee to match this method. Wed Jan 03 23:30:18 -0800 2001 1360801 0 Jo 9 1361414 Try emailing Chemex at Chemexcof@aol.com. They sell their products directly to you via the mail. I have purchased filters and new gear from them for years. Happy brewing. Sun Jun 10 09:22:18 -0700 2001 1361056 0 Mark 9 1362551 YOU CAN ORDER DIRECT FROM CHEMEX 1-800-243-6399 Tue May 21 17:32:05 -0700 2002 1361056 0 SHIRLGIRL 7 1360805 Born in Manhattan, bred in Bayside, Queens. That's where I'm from. My aunt - born in a shtetl in Poland, lived her adult life on Long and Manhattan Islands. A lovely woman, may she rest in peace. Made great coffee. BTW, it's not really different from the Melitta method, so far as I can tell. Put the grounds into a paper filter, pour the water through. But I remember the fad for Chemex (among my mom's and aunt's crowd, at least) somewhat predating the proliferation of Melitta. I'm thinking early 70's maybe. Hard for me to place it exactly - I didn't appreciate coffee until the late 70's. Mon Sep 25 11:28:11 -0700 2000 1360796 0 Helen 7 1361033 Where can we order Chemex filters. We used the pot for nearly forty years but switched when we we were working in Europe. We want to switch back!! Thanks, Dale and Eun Sat Dec 23 08:33:07 -0800 2000 1360796 0 Eunice 8 1361034 I don't know where you live, but in So. Calif. I found that Cost Plus was the only place I could find the filters. Sat Dec 23 21:16:59 -0800 2000 1361033 0 Kit 8 1361036 I've also seen filters and chemex pots at Porto Rico on Bleecker Street. Ours chemex broke years back. Loved it. However, a friend gifted us with a thermos pot and now I'm partial to the melita filtered into the thermos, for obvious reasons. Tue Dec 26 10:16:26 -0800 2000 1361033 0 karen 6 1360804 Forget about chemex filters. I use 2 bounty paper towels folded twice, diagonaly and its fast and cheap. Mon Sep 25 01:36:21 -0700 2000 1360795 0 Ron 7 1360808 Thanks for the tip, Ron. Although after reading the copy for the filters, in the Tavolo catalog (link below,) I'm thinking I may just pick up some of those babies. Unbleached, plus the coffee drips not too fast, not too slow - just right! (Or are they just telling fairy tales?) Link: http://www.tavolo.com/docs/shop/catalog/product.jhtml?PRODID=139658&CATID=101278&SH=false Mon Sep 25 18:16:00 -0700 2000 1360804 0 Helen 4 1360803 The link below will show you a picture of a Chemex. Tavolo, the web site, sells various sizes. Link: http://www.tavolo.com/docs/shop/catalog/product.jhtml?PRODID=139652&CATID=101278&SH=false Sat Sep 23 15:26:23 -0700 2000 1360792 0 Caitlin 5 1360806 30 bucks? Yikes! I say: keep your eyes peeled at tag sales, flea markets and bazaars. That's how I amassed my collection of forbidden Pyrex percolators. (Some stubborn souls just wouldn't comply with the mandate to trade theirs in for Corning Ware - separating handles be damned! And from a design point of view, who can blame them?) The popular drift to electric brew provides buying ops for the rest of us. Mon Sep 25 12:07:03 -0700 2000 1360803 0 Helen 5 1361945 Does anyone know about a stove top trivet like object for keeping you Chemex coffee warm after brewing is complete? Sun Nov 25 13:02:48 -0800 2001 1360803 0 Susan Kaplan 6 1361946 On this page you will find Chemex accessories, including a wire trivet so you can heat it on an electric stove, and a small electric coffee-warmer plate. Link: http://www.fantes.com/chemex.htm Image: http://www.fantes.com/images/Chemex.jpg Sun Nov 25 13:58:29 -0800 2001 1361945 0 ironmom 1 1360815 I wouldn't call this my favorite method of brewing coffee, but it's the most interesting one I've come across. A company in Texas called Toddy Products (toddyproducts.com) sells something called the Toddy Cold-Brew. It's basically a fat funnel suspended over carafe and in the neck of the funnel is a 1/2-inch thick filter (looks like a big eye-makeup remover pad). What you do is dump 1 pound of ground coffee into the funnel, cover it with cold water, then put it in the fridge for the night. YOu wind up with a quart (I think) of "coffee concentrate" that can either be diluted with hot water to make "fresh" coffee or poured directly over ice for spectacular iced coffee. What's special about Toddy is that because the brewing is cold, many of the more bitter elements of coffee don't come through, and there's less acid and caffeine as well. I happen to like the bitter notes in a good cup of coffee, but here's what I like about Toddy: 1. As I said above, it makes an awesome cup of iced coffee. It's so concentrated--but not bitter--you can cut it with sugar and milk and still have a coffee drink. 2. It's great for serving hot coffee to a crowd. Last time I had 20 people over, I resorted to the new Dunkin Donuts "Box of Joe" (a wonderful product for those who haven't tried it) because who wants to either a) brew 4 batches of coffee in the Braun, or b) borrow/rent one of those huge tubular coffee makers. With Toddy, you can put a little concentrate in a cup, fill with boiling water, and have a very respectable cup. Tue Sep 26 18:16:14 -0700 2000 1360780 0 Erica 2 1360818 Toddy is especially good for making iced coffee drinks. The coffeehouse I worked at during college was famous for their iced mochas, lattes, etc., and the use of toddy was the main reason. As Erica mentioned, you don't get as much bitterness. Plus the base is already cold, so you don't need to use as much flavor-diluting ice. I'd also like to point out that you don't need a toddy kit to make this stuff. I was the sole person responsible for toddy-brewing (I did something really, really vile in past life, I'm sure of it...) at the cafe, and I never used one. The procedure was to take Turkish ground espresso roast, stuff it into industrial-sized filters which were then tied up to make pouches, and suspend them in vats of ice water in the walk-ins. No special filter necessary - kinda like how you don't need a printed jar to make Sun Tea. However, brewing your toddy in something that is easy to pour out of is of the utmost importance (especially when dealing with about five sloshy gallons of it at a time...). Wed Sep 27 10:21:07 -0700 2000 1360815 0 Lauren 3 1360820 So Lauren, did you ever try it at home? I mean, I know you don't need to go out and buy a special jar to make sun tea, but the 5-gallon vat in the walk-in is a daunting alternative for the would-be home toddy brewer - buying the kit seems a lot easier, except for the small problem that I just can't imagine myself actually buying such a thing, much as I love gadgets. I took a look at the website Erica listed - from the photo I couldn't really see what the kit looked like in action, but the part I surmised to be the funnel she described reminded me a bit of a Brita. So I was thinking - I have that extra Brita lying around the house, taking up precious space - how about stuffing some coffee filters into the place where the Brita filter usually goes, sticking some coffee and water in there, and seeing what happens? Like a science experiment! (Or will it just be a waste of good coffee?) Wed Sep 27 15:03:50 -0700 2000 1360818 0 Helen 4 1360821 I never tried making toddy at home, as I had quite enough of wrestling with it day in and day out at work! Since we used it in so many drinks, it was the base that was made in the largest quantities and most often. I don't even think it took a full week for it to become the bane of my existance! Since I didn't experiment with home production, I can't give you exact proportions. But I would think that the basic method that I used could be adapted for your purposes: securely tie up the coffee in a filter and soak in ice cold water for at least 12 hours. At this point in time I've forgotten/repressed the coffee-to-water ratio, so all I can say is to let the fact that you want a concentrate guide you. I hope this is of some help. Wed Sep 27 15:49:38 -0700 2000 1360820 0 Lauren 5 1360822 Couldn't you just put the finely ground coffee straight into the cold water and strain it out at the end with whatever sort of filter you wanted? Wed Sep 27 16:37:54 -0700 2000 1360821 0 jen kalb 6 1360823 I had saved an article on Toddy making from the Cleveland Plain Dealer Sunday June 25 Magazine Supplement.To make Toddy at home: 1 lb. finely ground coffee Cheesecloth, string 1 gal cold (preferably filtered)water Wrap coffee in dbl. layer of cheesecloth. Tie tightly with string and submerge in water. Cover and refrigerate 24 hrs. Keeps 3-4 days refrigerated. An alternative method is suggested for a large French press. You need to remove the plunger and COARSELY grind 1/2 lb. coffee. Add 1/2 gal cold water,stir. Cover and refrigerate 24 hrs. Remove, stir and plunge to the bottom. Wed Sep 27 18:52:37 -0700 2000 1360822 0 Heidi 7 1360824 Heidi, now I know why I hang onto all those newspaper clippings -- they're bound to come in handy some day! One thing - can you imagine a French press big enough to hold a half pound of coffee plus 2 quarts of water? That's a serious piece of equipment. But in the final analysis, it's really just what Jen suggested - soak the grounds in the water for a while, then strain them out. I'm going to try to devise something in the next few weeks, and will report back. I took another look at the Toddy Products web site - I've placed a link below. This page has a very nice picture of their kit in action - don't know how I missed it before. Their formula calls for a pound of coffee to 9 cups of water - that's almost twice as strong as your recipe from the Plain Dealer. Link: http://www.toddyproducts.com/coldbrew.html Thu Sep 28 11:39:15 -0700 2000 1360823 0 Helen 8 1360825 I should have mentioned that I saw a couple of Toddys at Two for the Pot in Brooklyn (Clinton at Court Street). I should also say that I was turned on to the product by the fellow who buys all the coffee beans for Whole Foods/Fresh Fields. Hey, isn't it interesting that Toddy seems to appeal only to women? Thu Sep 28 13:07:16 -0700 2000 1360824 0 Erica 9 1360826 "Hey, isn't it interesting that Toddy seems to appeal only to women?" Au contraire... a sun-tea lover from way back, I've been following the discussion with much interest and look forward to trying it out myself. Thu Sep 28 14:09:21 -0700 2000 1360825 0 Jeremy Osner 10 1360830 You said it girlfriend. Sat Sep 30 05:48:30 -0700 2000 1360826 0 bryan 7 1361128 Here's another method of making toddy: Get one pound of coffe grinds, perferably fresh, premium coffe (Sumatra works best), and put it in a five gallon bucket with a gallon of cold, filtered water. Stir it in and let it sit for 24 hours. Filter three times through pillow cases and cut the toddy with another gallon as it will be too strong. Serve with ice. You don't have to refrigerate. Thu Jan 25 18:42:15 -0800 2001 1360823 0 Cole Rudy 1 1360873 I'm wondering why the Cona pot hasn't been mentioned? Is the resulting drink truly deplorable? So who has experience with coffee from a Cona brewer? I've been using a French press with my morning Celebes, but I like the idea of only inert glass being in touch with the coffee and water. Link: http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.brewers.vacuum.shtml#cona Thu Oct 12 12:08:34 -0700 2000 1360780 0 Christopher Oliver 1 1360956 I don't know if you can help me or not, but I am looking for a steamer similar to what you described your sister having. I am wondering if you can help me if finding where you can purchase one, or just simply the brand name. I would appreciate any of your help! Thanks! Thu Nov 09 15:41:06 -0800 2000 1360780 0 SaraJane 1 4545782 Combine Auto Drip Cone Basket (the kind that stops dripping when you pull out the carafe) and French Press. Rinse your filter with hot water first. Boil your own water, since it is said that coffee makers aren't hot enough. Place desired amount of coffee into the Basket. Pour your 200 degree water directly into your Basket. Make sure you do not go above any openings that will allow water to leak out of the side. Stir. Keep the basket swung out. Let it steep for 5 minutes. Push the Basket back into place and let your coffee drip into your carafe. Add any remaining water directly to your carafe. You can also split it up, in the event that the first pouring of water doesn't stay hot enough for a long enough period of time. Let it steep for 2-2 1/2 minutes and drain, then add more water for another 2-2 1/2. Pretty simple. I have done this entirely with the use of the Coffee maker too. Just allow your water to automatically drip into your basket while the carafe is removed. Be aware of just how much water you can allow to drip into your basket, based on the water meter on the side, if there is one. OR>.........You can swing your basket out slightly, and peak in as it fills. Then TURN OFF THE coffee maker when the desired amount is in your basket. Swing out the basket and stir. Push the Basket back into place. Let it steep for 5-7 minutes and then put your carafe back into position and your coffee will drip into the carafe. Now, once drained, swing out your basket, remove your filter and coffee grounds, and dispose. Swing the basket back into place and turn on your coffee maker and let the remaining hot water (depending on just how much water you use for your desired taste.) fill into your carafe without any filter or coffee grounds, at this point. Your cone basket may allow you to use approx. 16 oz. of water. So, if you were making 8 cups of coffee, at 6 oz. each (48 oz.) and 8 Tablespoons of Coffee. You would use possibly 16 oz. for brewing, and the remaining 32 oz directly into the carafe. Try it. Experiment a little. You can also, use a Melita Portable Drip Coffee Maker. Just find a way to plug the bottom of your Cone Basket while the Coffee is steeping. Then, use a utensil to quickly release the plug so that your coffee can drain. Add any remaining water directly into the carafe. I've done this easily enough at my job at my desk. The Melita Portable Cone Drip is larger than many Baskets used in Auto-Drip 8-12 oz coffee makers, allowing more water for your coffee to STEEP with........Won't cool down as fast. Give it a shot. Sat Mar 28 01:21:06 -0700 2009 1360780 170909 katzparov