Non plastic coffee makers

(Richard M) #1

Do any coffee drinkers out there have or know of a coffee maker where the coffee being made does not come in contact with any plastic?

(Robin) #2

Are you talking about the containers? I was recently given a gift of some coffee from New Orleans that was in metal cans, like we used to get. So, I know it’s still being done.
Funny, I hadn’t given any thought to all the containers being plastic these days. Just got used to it.

(Richard M) #3

I’m referring to the actually coffee making machine.

(Joey) #4

The Mr. Coffee-style/Keurig makers all have plastic to my knowledge. I think your choice would be a glass/metal European style stove-top or press-style maker … you know, old school but makes phenomenal coffee.

(KM) #5

It’s called a percolator in the US. I’m thinking of a traditional drip one, not necessarily any electric or special features.

(Robin) #6

Oh, haha. I guess the word “maker” didn’t register.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #7

There are two options that I know of: (1) stove-top or electric percolators and (2) coffee presses. The former are metal, and the latter are glass (and you can find them with metal tops, if you want to avoid plastic altogether).

Using a stove-top percolator is a bit of a lost art. You want to probably grind the beans a bit more coarsely than you’d want for a coffee maker or espresso maker, and if you are fussy about the taste, you would want to keep a close eye on the colour of the coffee as it bubbles into the glass knob on the lid. An electric percolator senses the temperature and stops perking automatically, but many people feel that the coffee still comes out tasting overcooked. Which is, of course, why coffee machines were invented in the first place.

I like the results from a coffee press (also called café filtré). There’s no risk of overcooking the coffee, and you can easily control the strength of the brew.

(Richard M) #8

The percolator might by the winner. My parents used one most of their life until Mr. Coffee came around. Thanks everyone.

(Joey) #9

Reminds me… My mother used to perc up a whole pot of coffee for the week. She kept it cold in a plastic tupperware jug nearby the stove on the counter… and warmed up a cup in a sauce pan each morning.

Not surprisingly, none of us drank coffee until we left home and discovered what fresh brewed coffee could actually taste like - when it hadn’t been sitting around for a week and re-fry’ed. Glass, metal, plastic, yeah… whatever.

(ps - When my sister came back to visit during her college years, she brought her Mr Coffee along for the visit.)

(Jamey) #10

I tried to find a coffee maker without plastic with no luck. Switched to a French press and have been really happy with it.

(KCKO, KCFO) #11

I know a few chefs that always use old school percolators, wouldn’t touch any other coffee marker.

I use the metal replacement basket that comes with drip machines. The water itself is in a plastic reservoir, but the coffee itself is only touching metal except for the secs. it passes through the device that can stop the coffee if you remove the carafe.

#12

No such thing as far as auto drip, no good one uses BPA plastic anymore, whether they have BPS in them or not I don’t know.

Percolators are a good way around it, and they make good coffee but problem is you gotta get a good feel for them as you’re controlling the brew by how long you let it run.

Single cups (or multiple) French Press’ are also really good, same deal as Percolators though, you gotta get the timing right for just how you like it, but I’m a coffee snob so I’m all about that stuff.

(Doug) #13

Just my experience, but yes - you need the right feel, and French presses make GREAT coffee. :slightly_smiling_face:

(Joey) #14

I thought (electric) percolators were mostly automatic these days … they stop when the coffee’s “done” and then go into auto-warm mode. The variables to mess with are how much coffee vs water to set up. Farberware and others make all stainless steel models for those fearful of plastic.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #15

The strain of thinking that led to the development of the Mr. Coffee-type coffee maker was that the boiling-hot water during the percolation process was bad for the taste of the coffee. So to people who believe that, no amount of precision in the perking process will make up for the too-hot water.

I have to take people’s word for that sort of stuff, because I really can’t tell the difference. Unless the coffee is too weak, I can drink it, no matter what.

garfield-coffee-comic002

(The only coffee-like substance I can’t stand is Sanka. Why is that still even on the market? :scream:)

#16

I use a pan, add the coffee (I use French Blend, a delicious roast and ground coffee) to the pan, add some water, bring it to the boil. Then pour it into a cafetiere, or French press (much easier to clean than a coffee machine), and voila, your coffee is ready to be enjoyed however you wish. I use cream in mine.:blush:

Oh, and if you wish to make whipped cream, but don’t have a blender or a whisk, you can use a jar and shake it instead, works everytime, but does take a while.

(Richard M) #17

Do you filter out the coffee grounds?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #18

The French press Veronica mentions comes with a filter that you leave at the top of the cylinder while the grounds are steeping, then push down to the bottom, so that the grounds do not end up your cup.

Here is a picture, showing the filter:

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#19

Thanks Paul, for clarifying that and supplying a picture, I forgot to mention about the filter. Boiling the ground coffee in the pan really does the job, and I think it must improve the taste too, I would certainly never bother with a coffee machine.

#20

Hi Richard, yes I do. Sorry I didn’t see your reply, but Paul has explained how the French press works really well, I am good at leaving out details, rubbish memory for one.