The "Art" of Making Coffee

     Once upon a time coffee making was a simple task. Those who didn't make cowboy coffee (boiled coffee) used a percolator coffee pot on the stove top, at least until the electric percolator came to be. But now, good grief, so many choices!

     I use a Melitta pot most of the time. Someone told me coffee grounds weren't all that good for septic systems and the Melitta uses an easily removed filter and no electricity. When you have solar power you learn to consider electrical usage whenever you choose an appliance of any kind. Because of this I also tried a regular drip pot made for camp stoves, works just like an electric drip pot except for the heat source (camp stove, gas stove). Trouble with this one - took way to long. I have put it into storage along with my electric drip pot.

     The French press pot is popular now, pour boiling water over the grounds, let set a few minutes then push down a plunger with a filter, separating the grounds from the coffee. Tasty coffee but those grounds left over on the bottom are a pain to remove. Some are bound to go down the drain.

     I have a stove top espresso pot too, works sorta like an upside down perc pot. 

     Ah yes, there's also the Keurig. Our son and daughter-in-law got us one of those for Christmas a couple years ago. They have a tendency to keep us abreast of what's going on out there in the "real" world. This manufacturer has had a huge impact on the world of coffee making. Keurig pots are very common now. Seems we gravitate to anything easy and convenient. But it's electric, uses lots of power, makes good coffee but with expensive non-reusable pods. We do use it if we only want one cup, especially if the sun's shining bright or the generator is running. My environmental conscience rises up because of the pods though. I tried the pods you fill yourself but, even with top quality coffee in them, the taste just isn't there. Also, we have hard water which plagues everything water touches, especially when heated. These pots need that vinegar treatment just like the electric drip pots do. 

     I suspect there's many other coffee makers out there, especially in other countries, but for now I'll be sticking with my Melitta (as long as filters are available). What do you use?