Buyers guide for budget-friendly filter coffee brewing.
If you bought everything coffee people on the internet told you to buy, you’d have no money and your setup would be “outdated and sub-optimal” by the time your artisan-crafted cnc’d aluminum planetary geared WDT tool arrived from it’s small design firm in Sweden.
I’m a coffee person on the internet and this is what I think you should buy.
Brewer -
Hario V60
It’s the gold standard for a reason. Buy this one first because you’ll come back to it when you’re sick of the other cool new brewers you bought. The original plastic one might be the best because it heats up super quick, holds temp pretty well, is indestructible, and $12, but it comes in every material you can think of if you’re not a fan of microplastics.
Pictured is the Hario drip decanter which looks sick and comes with built in carafe.
Grinder -
Turin H40
Okay I gotta be honest this is the only item on this list that I don’t have any actual experience with, but Turin puts out some quality stuff and looking at the spec sheet on this thing I probably wouldn’t spend my 50 bucks on any of the grinders that I have tried in this class. All-metal construction, really quality looking burr set, EXTERNAL GRIND ADJUSTMENT (if you’ve ever used a hand grinder you know how huge this is).
If you buy one please let me use it.
Filters -
Cafec Abaca
Filters make a bigger difference than you think!!! Don’t throw out the Hario ones; those’ll do just fine, but these guys are barely more expensive, they flow faster so you get a bit more control over your brew, they won’t impart any papery flavors, and they’re made way more sustainably than traditional wood pulp filters.
Kettle -
Intasting Gooseneck
I’ve now purchased two of these things, and I gotta say they make a pretty great kettle. Temperature adjustment is huge, its got a hold function, pours nicely I guess. I’ve run out of interesting things to say about this kettle.
Water -
Third Wave Water light roast profile
This is where normal people start looking at you funny. Now hear me out. You know how tap water tastes a little funny? Can we really expect our coffee to not taste a little funny if it is comprised of 98% funny tasting liquid? No, thats silly. You’re making a fool of yourself.
This stuff’s cool. They’re pre-measured packets of minerals that you dissolve in a gallon of distilled water to make up the “ideal” water for coffee brewing. You get some really great cups from it, it’s way easier on your equipment, its one less variable that changes at random, and you get to support an Ohio based company.
This is far from the only way to improve your brewing water, a basic carbon filter will get you quite a ways in the right direction, but I think its a really good sweet spot between quality and convenience.
All Lunaire coffee is cupped and tasted using third wave water, so if you want to get as close as possible to what it says on the box, this’ll help.
Scale -
Timemore Black Mirror basic 3
The Timemore Black Mirror basic 2 has followed me to every corner of my life. There is at least one in every building that I might brew coffee in. I’ve witnessed them withstand quite a bit of abuse and they just keep going. I love the flowrate display, and the battery lasts forever. This is the new model. It’s thinner, more sensitive, and has a new coffee to water ratio display. Seems nice.
If I’m being honest you really don’t need to spend this much on a scale. The cheap ones on amazon tend to do just fine, but I really like this one, and i’ve purchased it too many times to sit here and recommend anything else.
Coffee - Haha
Bet you didn’t see this one coming. I’m told you’re supposed to advertise your product with these blog posts. Purchase my coffee now please. Thank you for reading, goodbye.