Getting tired of instant coffee but know nothing about the machines that you add beans to and it grinds them. Doesn’t really have to do latte, cappuccino, etc. If it’s tasty I like it plain black.

 

Can the TV coffee connoisseurs advise?

You're standing in the public square daring them to throw knives in your direction.  Sundew asks how much money you are willing to spend for a good espresso maker. 

 

Sundew has a 15-year-old espresso machine exactly as you described.  She bought it from Bon Cafe.  Go to Bon Cafe and someone very qualified will discuss your needs and find you a good fit.  Don't ask here hon, the fangs come out when they smell prey.

You can get these machines, but so far as i know, they are quite pricey.

Have you thought about buying a separate been grinder.That way it it would work out a lot cheaper.

Just now, KC 71 said:

You can get these machines, but so far as i know, they are quite pricey.

Have you thought about buying a separate been grinder.That way it it would work out a lot cheaper.

Bean sorry

This guy has all you need to know...and he's quite entertaining too.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMb0O2CdPBNi-QqPk5T3gsQ

 

 

Plenty of reasonably priced machines out there.

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=cuisinart+automatic+coffee&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.search.go.4a734d9aDID938

Just buy a coffee dripper, filter papers and either a manual or electric grinder. All for a few hundred baht. Beans you can either find in stores like Tops, or order online from Boncafe.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/dripper-suzuki-coffee-i1805892173-s5378972994.html?
https://www.lazada.co.th/products/100-1-2-2-4-drip-coffee-paper-filter-suzaku-i1393088863-s3557488387.html?
https://www.lazada.co.th/products/etzel-sn7810-coffee-grinder-i304394301-s526482978.html?

I wish I could say K.I.S.S., but when it comes to coffee you really can't.  This is a long read but hopefully packed with easy to understand good information.

 

Percolators burn coffee and ruin the taste of it so avoid them. 

 

Never leave coffee on the heat because that causes it to oxidize and take on a harsh burnt flavor.

 

Espresso machines are great, but expensive and a pain in the backside to use and keep properly cleaned. 

 

A filter coffee maker that uses ground coffee is cheap, SIMPLE to use, and the coffee will be a major improvement over instant.

 

A French Press is inexpensive, great for making one or two cups of coffee, and easy to clean but it will leave fine grinds in your coffee.

A medium priced SMALL automatic filter coffee maker is my recommendation for the combination of low cost, simplicity, and high quality results.  Go to any Tesco/Lotus or BigC and buy one.    Don't buy a a large coffee maker that makes 8-12 cups unless you drink that much coffee in a short time.

 

Regardless of what you hear, if you make more than one cup of coffee but want to drink more than one cup in a short while then take the pot off the heat immediately and let it cool to room temperature.  You can reheat the coffee in a microwave without causing nearly as much oxidation and degradation of the flavor is leaving it on the heat.  If you don't want to drink the extra coffee in a short while then chill the extra in a refrigerator to use for iced coffee.

 

Coffee can range from smooth and flavorful to harsh and bitter.  In general Robusta based coffees are stronger and less smooth than Arabaca coffees.  There are also Liberica and Excelsa bean based coffees but it is unlikely you will find them outside of very specialized coffee shops.

 

The only way to find the coffees that you like best is to try different ones out.  Start by buying a pack of each of three different medium priced ground coffee types and try them.  Keep trying until you find the ones that suits you best.  It is nice to have different types of coffee for different moods.  You can keep ground coffee in a sealed container at room temp for a couple of weeks without too much degradation but it is better to keep ground coffee in the freezer once you open the package.

 

You can of course use coffee beans and grind them for your coffee but frankly that is rarely worth the effort.  The ground coffee you buy today is in nitrogen filled sealed pouches that prevent the ground coffee from degrading. 

 

If you do use beans be sure to keep them in the freezer.  I recommend buying a separate coffee bean grinder so you can grind different types of coffee beans.  Get a cheap paint brush that you can use to brush out the inside and blades of the grinder to reduce the amount of powdered coffee that remains - it will quickly oxidize/spoil and can cause the next coffee to taste less appitizing.  Wiping out the grinder with a damp cloth to remove even more coffee dust is also a good idea but be careful - the blades are sharp and can cut.

Personally, I have them grind the coffee in the store... [simple and less clean-up]

 

I make one good sized mug using a dripper and filter... 

 

And I buy good coffee... 

 

If you are in CM there is a store near the Amway on Mahidol that has everything you will need - big coffee specialty store, with many choices... 

 

And the name of the store is.... ok, PM me and I will get the name for you... it is 

If you drink black coffee and just want to give it a try I'd suggest buying a clever dripper for about 350 baht and some filter papers. Buy some beans online, ground for French press, and give it a go. If you like it you can consider buying a burr grinder ( I have a hand grinder, jx pro, which keeps the cost down) which will give you fresher coffee from freshly ground beans. Coffee machines and good quality electric grinders are expensive. Pour overs can also get expensive as you buy the scales with timer and the gooseneck temperature controlled kettle (for different roasting profiles). Like anything though they are a good investment if you plan to use them often. 

 

 

47 minutes ago, HarrySeaman said:

A French Press is inexpensive, great for making one or two cups of coffee, and easy to clean but it will leave fine grinds in your coffee.

Have you tried the clever dripper? Similar idea to the French press but filters out the fines. My local coffee shop recommended to me for camping and its great. 

Most shops that sell Coffee beans will grind it for you to the size you want....

 

Mostly use Dutch Coffee beans [for something like 40+ years], sometimes German, French is OK, and some of the local Coffee from the North is OK

I am on my 2nd  Moulinex Coffee Machine, still works every day. last one suddenly stopped working after 17 years, so maybe this one is on its last legs ?

 

Notice Coffee Machines are 450 - 3,000+ baht at many places.....  1 kg of Dutch coffee beans around 500 baht.

 

As a PS..... my Moulinex hand mixer bought in 1988 and still works perfectly , so maybe Moulinex items last a long time ?

Keep it simple and buy a Nespresso machine. Cups are widely available in Thailand now. Try the Lungo variant if you prefer a normal cup of coffee. 

49 minutes ago, JahLion said:

Keep it simple and buy a Nespresso machine. Cups are widely available in Thailand now. Try the Lungo variant if you prefer a normal cup of coffee. 

Most expensive and unfriendly to environment way to drink a coffee. More expensive as starbucks, not to mention that real coffee taster have their own opinion about Nespresso machines to say it politely.

I use a Saeco espresso machine for many years, this models is marketed by several manufactures.

Also i grinding the coffee by myself because you can adjust the coarseness according to your need.

But the biggest problem for me is to find the good taste coffee, hard to find in Thailand.

I mixed it now by myself with a dutch brand coffee and a brand I buy at Lazada.

Also unlike the professional machines, the pressure is a bit too low, about 15 Bar, i prefer 20.

Whole beans + coffee grinder for freshly ground coffee and simple dripper filter gives you the best coffee taste.

Ground beans loose their flavor quite quickly, even vacuum packed.

 

All together maybe less than 2,000 baht, easy to clean, not much space in the kitchen and theoretically you could take it on your travels.

12 minutes ago, CLW said:

Most expensive and unfriendly to environment way to drink a coffee. More expensive as starbucks, not to mention that real coffee taster have their own opinion about Nespresso machines to say it politely.

If you're coming from instant coffee, Nespresso will be a step forward. The capsules are made from aluminum and can be recycled. The capsules are sold by several manufacturers and are way cheaper than a cup of Starbucks coffee. 

2 hours ago, alien365 said:

Have you tried the clever dripper? Similar idea to the French press but filters out the fines. My local coffee shop recommended to me for camping and its great. 

Actually I meant to mention one of these and forgot.  I used one of these for years when I lived on my sailboat.  I would make a thermos of coffee in the morning and it would last me all day at work.

 

A cheap plastic one is all that is needed.  I have seen them in grocery stores for very reasonable prices and Lazada sells one with the SUZUKI brand name for 169 Bt.

 

Lazada - Dripper SUZUKI COFFEE SUZUKI COFFEE filter cup 1 piece, cone shape, 1-2 cups cut, cone dripper, BPA free coffee drip, safe, safe plastic, high heat resistant 120 degrees

I have a 8 year old expresso machine bought via Lazada  that came with a coffee grinder for 1980 Bht.

Similar machines are still listed for similar price but without grinder. A coffee/spice grinder is from about 250 Bht and upwards.

The machine is only 15Bar but produces as good as the quality of beans allows. Higher pressure requires best  quality beans to avoid bitterness.

Cheapest and the best (without using paper filter) is a "French press". Small size is ฿110 from Lazada. You just need a water heater (or a kettle).

1 hour ago, HarrySeaman said:

Actually I meant to mention one of these and forgot.  I used one of these for years when I lived on my sailboat.  I would make a thermos of coffee in the morning and it would last me all day at work.

 

A cheap plastic one is all that is needed.  I have seen them in grocery stores for very reasonable prices and Lazada sells one with the SUZUKI brand name for 169 Bt.

 

Lazada - Dripper SUZUKI COFFEE SUZUKI COFFEE filter cup 1 piece, cone shape, 1-2 cups cut, cone dripper, BPA free coffee drip, safe, safe plastic, high heat resistant 120 degrees

I'd just go for this one, which I have. The difference being the release valve, allowing a more complete immersion brew. I personally v60 most days but this one still provides a good quality black coffee, assuming good beans and consistent grind. 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.3pW3G

 

Not sure if you can buy here. Full auto.

If you're in Bangkok, in JJ Mall lower level right next to the supermarket, there are coffeeshop equipment suppliers, a shop with many beans to try and buy, and lots of gadgets all geared for making coffee.

I have this (pic below) its awesome... 

 

But its seems the Op wants to enjoy a long black and is just stepping up from instant... 

 

The earlier recommendation for a French Press is the most logical step.... Cheap and he get purchase ‘pre-ground’ coffee. A lot of supermarkets have a choice of bean and they then grind the beans for you. 

 

 

The cheap route to great coffee........buy a decent grinder and a french press pitcher.  The expensive route........buy a Saeco or Jura machine, has a built in grinder, milk steamer, basically one touch great coffee, anyway you like it.

If you're stepping up from instant coffee, I can recommend the Aeropress. 

 

Available on Lazada but better details here:

https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker-Tote/dp/B0018RY8H0/ref=sr_1_2?crid=KR63KQ91PI0B&dchild=1&keywords=aeropress+coffee+maker&qid=1624258622&sprefix=aer%2Caps%2C416&sr=8-2

The aforementioned James Hoffman made some videos about it recently. I tried both a drip filter coffee maker and a french press for travel . I gave them away after getting this a few years back.

 

These beans are my current favourites:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/500g-ama-coffee-pangkhon-i1233176487-s2953820710.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.2.5ad079594GG1OG&search=1

 

All you need to know in Thailand

On 6/20/2021 at 1:12 PM, JahLion said:

Nespresso

 

Really try to not buy anything Nestle

3 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

 

Really try to not buy anything Nestle

Well I do use coffee pods no hassle can make cappuccino flat white or just plain coffee