What I Use For Making Coffee

Here is the gear I use on a regular basis to brew and enjoy my daily cup(s) of delicious coffee. Some of the items in my kitchen aren't available to buy any longer, so the exact product I use isn't listed here but rather the item I plan to get once mine finally bites the dust.

Bodum Bistro Electric Conical Burr Grinder

To grind coffee beans, I use and highly recommend a conical burr grinder. With conical burr grinders the burrs are shaped like a cone. This means there is a larger grinding area for the same diameter, allowing the conical burrs to spin at a slower speed. And you want your coffee to be ground slowly. Grinding at high speeds (as most regular, flat burr grinders do) heats up the burrs and results in burnt coffee beans and damaged grounds.

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

Bodum Double Wall French Press

I currently have a classic Bodum french press, but if/when the time comes to replace it, this double-walled press will be the new classic.

Breville Electric Kettle

We boil water at least 3 or 4 times a day. Anna for her tea in the morning, me for my coffee, me again perhaps for my afternoon tea, and then the two of once more in the evening for our after-dinner tea or decaf coffee. In our kitchen have a similar version of this Breville that is made by Hamilton Beach, but I like the Breville better because of the way its lid and filter work. The point is, electric kettles are the quickest way I know of to boil water.

If you’re persnickety about your coffee and brew some every day then the AeroPress may be your cup of tea. I own a drip coffee maker, a Turkish coffee maker, two french presses, a stove-top espresso maker, a siphon, and an AeroPress. The latter makes a cup of coffee as delicious as you'll get from a french press or siphon, yet with the easiest clean up of all.

Bodum Pavina Double Wall Glass Mugs

These delicate mugs work wonders to keep your coffee or tea hotter for longer. Which has been known to make your morning better and your day a little bit brighter. And between you and me, that's something we could all use more of.

Bamboo Stir Sticks

Regardless of whether you make coffee in a french press, an AeroPress, or a Siphon Vacuum Pot, you're going to need to stir those grounds. Those who know better will tell you that a metal spoon or knife is rubbish for such a task — it steals heat from the brewing liquid and it's just not wise to go around banging a metal object against the walls of a glass container. These bamboo stir sticks are super cheap and make for the ideal companion for stirring your coffee. I own three myself.

Digital Kitchen Scale

Using a scale to measure out the amount of coffee and water made a huge difference in consistently getting a great cup of coffee. A digital scale for coffee brewing may seem intimidating or over the top, but it's not. Moreover, you'd be surprised how many times a digital scale comes in handy.

Airscape Coffee Vault Canister

The way you keep your roasted coffee beans fresh is by storing them in a dry, airtight container that doesn't see any sunlight. Most coffee aficionados simply use a jar with an airtight lid. But after you've closed that jar what about all the air that is still inside it? That's where these Airscape canisters come in to play. They have an adjustable plug that fits inside and which you press all the way down to the coffee level, forcing out any excess air.

More Items

Check out all the items posted to the Tools & Toys coffee category.

And to see more of the items I use, click here.