Well, it can be very good but there are a few rules. It has to be
freshly roasted, within about 5 days or so. It has to be not
over-roasted, and at the same time if it's under-roasted, it
will be sour, so it's hard to get the balance just right.
The second thing is that it has to be ground right before
brewing, and preferably in a burr-type of grinder, not the
blade type, because the one with blades will leave some
large pieces and pulverize the rest, which will make the
coffee bitter.
Finally, the best way to brew is to use a
vacuum maker, and second best is with a cone filter over
a mug or a carafe. Coffee makers usually (always?) do not do
a good job. Percolators are supposed to be really bad, the
worst in coffee making. There is a type of faux-espresso
brewer that's usually made of aluminum, with a handle, with
a swinging closing top, where coffee is pressed in the
middle and then is boiled over from bottom to the top
through that pressed coffee, this maker goes directly on the
gas range, and it doesn't make very good coffee, although it
will be very strong. French presses are supposed to be very
good, but I haven't been able to make nearly as good a brew
as with simple cone filter. Water temp has to be just about
under 200 degrees, never boiling.
I haven't tried real
espresso but it's supposed to be really truly good when done
right, but the absolutely cheapest good machines are at
least $200. Espresso can be compared to gong-fu tea making.
The most practical way to make good coffee is to buy green
beans at
sweetmarias.com, use a popcorn popper to roast them
(but it has to be the right kind of popper), use a
zassenhaus or a similar grinder, and use a cone filter
holder with an unbleached filter. The most expensive part
here is the grinder, I think they're at least around
$50-$80.
Teas are still better for health and for taste as well, but
coffee can be actually quite good with some luck and when
prepared right.
The biggest difference, coming from tea, is that it goes
stale much faster, within a few hours after grinding and
within 5-6 days after roasting, while with tea obviously you
have many months of storage time.
