maybe a coffe maker with a thermal carafe? no heating plate - stainless steel interior on the carfae - better tasting coffee on the second cup.

or maybe an evea solo? -

http://www.evasolo.dk/dk/products-cafesolo.html

Or maybe you have to begin with tea ? I drink 1/2 liter green tea every morning, and the same at work, since last summer, my health is much better ... (your french press is italian for the frenchies ;-))

Or you can say to hell with health and brewing coffee and go to Dunkin' Donuts for coffee and a donut. Or you can be like me, skip the coffee and go right for the donut.

The Eva Solo reminds me of deviant behavior :) I was the one who showed that to you!!

The thermal carafe makes sense...hmm. I'll have to look around. Any hand-me-downs, father?

I've always found that green tea tastes like hay. I've tried so many different kinds to no avail. I am a coffee addict (though only 2-3 small cups a day) and MUST have at least one cup immediately after waking...so the Dunkin Donuts thing would have to be secondary. Plus, there are no Dunkin Donuts near my apt or office! If they made a caffeine-based donut, I might consider the donut replacement, though.

you should get something with a timer.

crack addicts.

I can't recommend a better coffee maker (though I do like the bodum french press), but will recommend getting the Italian Espresso beans from the Porto Rico coffee shop (St. Marks & 2nd Ave)...deliciously strong for caffeine junkies :)

Ah! But I have my own personal coffee roaster-- my father.

Tien, the wierd thing is that my coffee maker DOES have a timer-- it beeps when the coffee is done and shuts down the burner after a certain amount of time.

oh, i meant timer since you need coffee first thing in the morning. not because of the broken pot.

and shannan loves the french press. not that easy to clean though. not hard either.

did you see this on gothamist?
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2005/01/13/mmmcoffee.php

I agree with Ole.

Green tea is healthier and much more pleasant.

how do you keep your coffee station so spotless??? i try to cleanse the coffee maker with vinegar on a regular basis, wipe the grains, etc., but it's hard to keep up.
don't listen to those green tea people...
i've never had trouble with the carafe, but it's difficult to find a well-designed coffee maker: one that heats/times right, that pours without spilling (if you are an aggressive server,) that stops dripping as promised if you go in for the first cup before it's finished brewing...

Spotless?? I wiped it clean before photographing :P The coffee machine itself is quite grimy up close.

I'v ehad trouble finding the right kind of coffee maker, too. The problem with a french press is that the coffee continues to brew until you've drank the whole thing. I hate that. Plus, it gets cold. Bodum makes a metal carafe for the press, but it's expensive. Plus, if you have company, then you really do need a machine. I like the Cuisinart machine that I have...but I'd like it better with an unbreakable carafe.

Target carries:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-2776504-5011321?asin=B0000X7CMQ&AFID=Bizrate&ref=tgt_adv_XSB10001

Zojirushi has a good reputation for their thermoses.

but this one looks cool...

http://www.delonghi.it/delonghi/data/int/usa/Prodotti.nsf/b912ead30a9700cdc12569d000402e05/a52dd51b8ba771f585256ed70055b490?OpenDocument

what about a percolator?
my grandfather made coffee in an electric percolator, and i always thought it better than drip. they are metal, so no glass breakage issues, and the brewed coffee stays warm in the already hot carafe.

the delonghi looks like what C3PO would look like if he was a kangaroo.

i think i might do some research on a thermal carafe for the machine i have. i know that cuisinart makes a thermal version, but i'm not sure if the carafe would fit...

amy, i never really thought about a percolator. i don't think i've ever used one.

ACKKKK. That delonghi is $180!...then again it is on sale at Amazon for $120.

you can't put a thermal carafe on your coffee maker - it won't fit (they are a lot wider) and it can't be placed on a hotplate (they have plastic bottoms, usually)

percolators boil coffee, which is the worst thing that you can do. boiling makes it bitter and drives off all the aromatics that give subtle flavor. people who grew up drinking it may like it, but that's more a factor of what you are used to. to my mind, the best auto coffee is vacuum pot, followed by a good drip machine that gets hot enough - most don't.

The guy at my local coffee shop on Clinton Street recommended a Black & Decker french press for about $40 ... it's a french press but it brews in a metal thermos container rather than the breaky glass one. I was buying my first-ever french press (yay!) and opted for the glass, though, just because looking through the glass is part of the early joy. After I break a couple I'll probably go for the metal one.

I'm just buying that same grinder from a friend of mine, probably. He was $50 for it, which I think is a bit over the top, but, you know, whatever.

I should clear a few things up :)
I own the following:

- one cupper
- coffee maker
- french press small
- french press large (i think)

sadly, none of them are metal/thermal. and yes, i really am turning into my father.

that settles things. i need someone to buy me a $200 thermal coffee maker. And while we're at it, that person should buy me a new iPod and a digital SLR.

After extensive research, i think the bestest way to make coffee is with an aluminium stovetop expresso pot, like these: http://fantes.com/espresso_stovetop.htm

I drink my green tea with mint flavor, it tastes like an algerian hay ;-)
It's strange, you don't look like a "luxurious girl", but it seems you are one (it's not an insult).

You definitely need an iPod! And maybe an Italian stovetop espresso pot, and a Vietnamese coffee contraption, to round out the collection?

Re: bobtrancho's percolator/boiling coffee insight
I haven't had percolator coffee in years; I wonder if it's just some in-the-kitchen-with-my grandfather nostalgia that makes me remember the boiled coffee taste so fondly...