Reviews of the Best Coffee Gear

by Bryan Albuquerque

One thing's for sure about the process of making coffee at home - the possibilities are practically endless! As you may or may not know, there is literally so much gear out there for making home brew coffee in so many different ways it would make the average person's head spin.

However, once you begin your journey down the path of finding the perfect cup of coffee and/or espresso, there's really no turning back.

Although the market is flooded with different coffee gear, some of it is actually worth a look, because it can help you make your coffee in ways you never dreamed possible. That, friends, is why we are here - because we've done all the research for you already and we can tell you what's worth it and what's not.

Reviews of the Best Coffee Gear
Reviews of the Best Coffee Gear

As much as we believe that great tasting coffee really does start with having the right burr coffee grinder, there are so many other elements to consider, from the water you use, all the way up to the cup you drink out of. Its really just a great big cycle, and we figure, if you're going to take the time to brew your own coffee at home, you should have all the right gear at your disposal to do the job right!

In this section we are happy to share with you some of the best coffee gear on the market today, from French Presses, to espresso machines, to kettles, water filters, to utensils, gadgets, and much more!

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The Fine Art Of Making French Press Coffee At Home

Who says you need to go to the coffee shop and spend several dollars to have premium french press coffee?

The great thing about having your own French Press at home is that the process is, overall, relatively simple, and its also an inexpensive method of making home-brewed coffee that can turn out wonderfully. But if you're new to the French Press, be prepared to learn its subtle ways.

The Path To Becoming A Coffee Guru

When making French Press coffee, we think you will need to possess two traits above all else: sensitivity and patience.

Sensitivity because you'll need to be be aware of doing things at precisely the right time in order to have the best tasting french press coffee you can get. If you go about your French Press coffee brewing in a willy nilly fashion, your results will definitely suffer in some way, because there is a style to it. Ultimately, you will have to develop your own system here, which is all part of the fun!

Ideally, you would also own a coffee grinder that lends itself to grinding for the French Press. Here is a good article that we wrote on that very topic called, " The Best Coffee Grinder For French Press ". Check it out!

In your own zen-master/mistress way, you'll need to become aware of things like grinding for a specific amount of coffee, grind coarseness, water quality, water temperature, pour control, immersion time, off-gassing, extraction time, among other factors.

This is also where the patience comes into play, because although the entire French Press process can be relatively quick, you still have to manually go through the process yourself, even if it does end up being a 5 or 10 minute process. Its not so much "automated" like a machine is automated. Here its all you and the brew!

Here is a quick video from our friends over at Buddy Brew Coffee as demonstrated by master barista Ty Beddingfield showing the whole French Press process in action.

While we did initially say that the French Press was simple, its more simple in that there aren't a lot of moving parts to the apparatus itself (compared to, say, an espresso machine). That doesn't mean the overall process doesn't have a lot of things you'll need to consider. Of course, it is totally up to you how much you want to get into the whole French Press process.

Like anything else, if you're in a pinch, you can always do it quick and dirty and ignore all of the subtleties, but we always recommend taking the time to actually learn how to use it properly for the best results possible.

The good news is that people who are into French Press coffee usually tend to savor the entire process, and the tiny details that go along with it. That's how we feel, and we know many French Press buffs who feel that way as well.

Making coffee with a French Press is a chance to slow things down and pay attention to nuances that you wouldn't normally think about when making coffee with your typical coffee maker. Oh, and it makes great tea as well!

Best French Press Reviews

If you're looking for the best French Press to make hot and french coffee without the need for a complicated machine, in this section we have a number of reviews you can take a look at.

Espresso Machines - Be Your Own Barista

If you want to take a big step towards being able to say "Yeah, I'm a barista" and meaning it, then an espresso machine for your home is something you will want to get at some point in time. Espresso machines have been around since they originated out of Italy in the 1880s , and using the power of pressurized boiling water to produce the miraculous drink we call espresso today.

Choosing the right grinder for making espresso is, as they say, "key". (Who uses the word key these days? Apparently we do) Well, anyway, so it is. To get that especially fine (but not too fine) grind you need for making great espresso there are a few grinders which come readily to mind that you should keep in mind if you want to give your espresso that one-two punch it deserves. In this article, called " What's The Best Espresso Grinder ", we get into the nitty gritty of some of the grinders that actually grind perfectly for espresso. These grinders are a little bit more upscale than your average grinder, but not through the roof, but this shouldn't come as a huge shock since the world of espresso is rather specialized. That said, there's obviously no rule saying you need to get the best grinder, but in an ideal world, it would just be nice to have all the right tools.

Have a look at our 2016 Buyer's Chart for the best espresso machines on Amazon right now!

Tamp Your Way To Great Espresso

One of the oft-overlooked tools that goes along with pulling an amazing shot is a wicked espresso tamper. Espresso tampers are used to used to make your "puck", which is the ground espresso that goes in your porta-filter and through which your pressurized water will flow through to give you that sweet, sweet elixir known as espresso.

Also Read: Coffee Arabica
No one said making amazing espresso was going to be the easiest thing in the world, which is why having a great grinder, a great tamper, and of course a great espresso machine are all crucial pieces of the puzzle. We have a great article here on the site which is called " How To Use An Espresso Tamper Like A Boss ", which talks about some of the best tampers you can get right now, and how you can use them to make yourself some killer espresso.

Here is a listing of our favorite espresso tampers available right now.

Click on the name of the espresso tamper below you wish to know more about to read a more detailed review. All Amazon.com stats we like to keep as current as possible, but prices are subject to change by the manufacturer and are bound to fluctuate slightly. This table is arranged by price, but don't forget to look at the average star rating and the number of buyer reviews, which are both equally as important.

Here's a quick video by Joey Papa from over at eHow to tell us about how to go about pulling an espresso shot if you haven't done it before.

Best Coffee Mug & Tumbler Reviews

If you're a person on the go, you're going to need a high quality travel coffee mug or tumbler to keep your beverage hot and fresh. Of course, travel mugs are designed these days not just to keep things piping hot, but to keep the cold drinks ice cold as well. Its all about keeping the desired temperature of your liquid for as long as possible, whether it be hot coffee or cold water.

Of course, there are other elements that go into a great travel mug as well. For instance, you're going to want a travel mug that doesn't slip out of your hand, and some of the travel mugs today provide no-slip surfaces and ergonomic handles so you are less likely to drop your drink. Also, tumblers these days are designed not to spill at all with seals which are designed to keep everything inside the tumbler if you're not drinking from it. In the table below we look at some of the highest quality tumblers / travel mugs for hitting the road.

Click on the name of the mug or tumbler below you wish to know more about to read a more detailed review. All Amazon.com stats we like to keep as current as possible, but prices are subject to change by the manufacturer and are bound to fluctuate slightly. This table is arranged by price, but don't forget to look at the average star rating and the number of buyer reviews, which are both equally as important.

Best Coffee Kettle Reviews

Preparing coffee at home has a few different stages, with each stage of the process being important in its own way. If you are preparing coffee, tea, or espresso by way of a pour over, having the right coffee kettle is critical. Here is one of our best articles on the topic, " What Is the Best Electric Coffee Kettle? ", which features 3 great choices if you are getting into home brewing or simply want a nice kettle for home use.

Here below is our new 2016 Buyer's Chart for the top coffee kettles on Amazon.com right now

All of the information in the above chart is up to date. Vendors have the option of changing prices at their discretion. Click the "buy" link to be taken to the product page and to check the availability of any product shown.

Best Water Filtration System Reviews

Often overlooked when it comes to coffee is the water. Although 97% of your coffee or espresso is made up of water, many of us still refuse to believe that using something like ordinary tap water is sufficient for our coffee. Well, unless you happen to have delicious tap water flowing through your pipes, then there's basically no chance you're going to be able to get a great-tasting cup of coffee using that water, because so much of that flavor gets into your coffee.

Be that as it may, for most people, they aren't necessarily going to install a water filtration system into their home just so their coffee can taste better, although, if coffee is a big part of your life, it might be worth considering.

At the very least, you should be using a Brita filter. At the most, you can overhaul your kitchen tap and get yourself some super pure reverse osmosis water, which will bring down the amount of TDS (that's total dissolved solids), and make your water a lot better tasting. You're looking for around 150 parts per million as a benchmark for what tastes good with coffee. You still need some solids in your water, because if your water had no solids in it at all, there would be no alchemy with the water and your coffee would be bland.

The bottom line here is that investigating different kinds of water filters can be a worthwhile pursuit, not just for coffee you brew at home, but for overall health reasons. Take a look at our listing for the best water filtration systems on Amazon.com today

About Bryan Albuquerque

Bryan Albuquerque is a coffee lover and vaping advocate who writes reviews and information about coffee accessories and KYG. A former coffee addict, Bryan traded his morning fix for an electronic cigarette in an effort to quit smoking, and has never looked back. He's dedicated to helping others make the switch to vaping, and believes that it's one of the best decisions anyone can make for their health.

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