Foolproof safe coffee maker?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I would really like to hear your experiences and opinions about what type of coffee maker would you recommend for a whole house unit.

First we had some kind of Keuring-type maker but it is to complicate to use +  k-cup pods are to expensive in our area for our accomodation price + it is not enviromentaly friendly at all. So we removed it .

Then we bought Filter coffee maker and paper filters. But, one of the guests left plastic lid on the hot  plate and bend it. Then another guest left the maker turned on with the empty glass pot in it and the pot bursted. So we removed it too.

We also bought moka coffee pot but we are affraid to give it to our non-Italian guests bc it is not safe to use if you are not familiar with it.  

We allready have a simple inox kettle and I am thinking to buy a simple filter holder and paper filters, like this:

For now we offer instant coffee and milk only . It is not fancy but at least it is foolproof and simple to use 🙂

There are also 2 caffes near by , we are in the city center, coffee shops are literary on every corner and our guests average stay is just 2-3 days. We are hosting guests from all over the world 

 What do you think? What is your experience with coffee makers? Does your guests know how to use it or they often break them? Did you have any safety issues?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 - We use a French Press and I make the coffee every morning because Jeff and I drink coffee every morning.  We pour any extra into a carafe for the guests and make more if needed.

However, I think providing one to guests if I were an off-site host would still be a good idea.  It makes great coffee, but for someone who doesn't know how, it needs an instruction sheet - 6 steps (heat water, measure coffee into pot, pour hot water over coffee, set timer, plunge coffee, pour brewed coffee).  Water can be heated in a kettle or in the microwave (if you get a plastic press).   And if the glass breaks, you can replace just the glass carafe.   You can purchase a small one or a large one - we have a 12 cup ourselves, but if you only want to make enough coffee for 2 people, buy a 4 or 6 cup maker.   All of the videos insist that you grind just before brewing - sure ideally, but you can grind a bunch and put it in a nice air-tight container near the pot if using as a guest option.    

 https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-BRAZIL-Coffee-Maker-French/dp/B008F3Y42O/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_79_tr_t_2?_enc...

 Easy instructions with video: https://counterculturecoffee.com/learn/brewing-guides/quick-easy-french-press

Plus, they are very environmentally friendly and if you provide a compost bucket,  they can pour spent grounds right into the bucket and you can take the grounds to your garden.  The grounds can go down the sink or be dumped into the garbage too without any issue - so it's hard for a guest to mess anything up.  

The only thing to warn them of is to not put the glass carafe directly on the stove! 

Good luck!  

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Alice-and-Jeff0 Thank you for the idea. I was thinking about french press too, but I am affraid guests will throw coffee grounds in the sink  afterwards and clog the drain 😞

Pipes and sink drains in Europe are different then in USA and are prone to clogging . It is forbidden to throw anything in the sink except the water. 

[Willow3]

I host just a room, but I also have chosen a French Press.  I have two sets of FP/mugs and I swap them out daily for guests so they don't have to deal with the spent grounds.  

The reasons I went with FP - eliminate another electric appliance - a kettle will be on for a much shorter time than a coffee pot keeping the pot warm. 

Less space (my room is spacious, but I didn't want to fill it with stuff).

French Press is a leisurely way to make and enjoy coffee.  Most American's won't do this at home, so it feels like a treat to luxoriate over their coffee whilst enjoying a slow weekend.  

Low cost - I got my makers at IKEA for just a few dollars and no additional filter costs etc.  

I've been using this system since January, and it is working well.  If one hosts business travelers who might be pressed for time in the mornings, it may not be the best choice.  For me and my guests - it's working. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

For most coffee snobs (who enjoy *good* coffee), I agree with @Alice-and-Jeff0 and @Willow3 that if you also provide *okay* quality coffee beans with a proper grind size, a french press is a great option. BUT, if the coffee beans/grinds are old or grind is too fine then using the FP will make the coffee undrinkable. (When I use a FP, I tend to get very picky about the beans I use.)

If you yourself also use a FP then you will know what to do and this won't be a problem. But if not and it's just for guests, then I would not reccommend going with the french press. (Too much of a hassle.) Also, I agree that people dumping used coffee grinds in the sink could cause problems in the long run because yes, plumbing is different around the world and many countries (including Korea) do not allow anything other than water down the sink. Even with reminders, it's something people do out of habit, without thinking - not because they don't care about clogging someone else's sink.

If there are good cafes nearby, I'd suggest you continue to go with the instant coffee option. It is the easiest and most fool-proof. I think I said this before in different post, but Starbucks VIA instant is actually not that bad!!! I'd prefer via instant over a pot of blah~ drip coffee anyday!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jessica-and-Henry0

yes, we also came to the same conclusion 🙂

[Ria16]

@Branka-and-Silvia0Fair trade make individual coffee bags for French presses or single use cups. I put the used bags around plants;) i didn’t want grounds down the bathroom sink either.  I  noted also you can buy empty teabags on Amazon and fill with your own brand of tea, I wouldn’t mind trying these if they did coffee ones 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ria16 thank you for this info, I never heard for individual coffee bags, but I am not sure we can buy them here.  In Croatia people mostly drink esspresso and instant coffee and older generation still drink turkish coffee. Filter , moka and french press are not common

[Marit-Anne0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

I have a Nespresso as the main coffee making option in my place in Bergen where I, like you welcome guests from all over the world.  I chose that type of machine because it is known to most, the coffee supply does not go stale and there are different coffees for different tastes.  It is also possible in our area to find non-Nespresso capsules at a more reasonable price + the Nespresso store is just minutes away.   It seems you have such a store in Zagreb too - but maybe not close enough to be convenient.  

https://www.facebook.com/Nespresso-kapsule-Hrvatska-1067869159924989/

The machine is also considered upmarket in some areas of the world, which "add value". Downside is that I have experienced that the machines tend to fail even with correct use - twice I have experienced that the pump stop functioning, once my own machine and once in an airbnb.  Good thing is that the machine comes with a 5 year warranty in Norway, but that may not be the case elsewhere.  My Barcelona host kind of despaired when I told about the machine as it was quite new.  

I have the French Press option too, but it is very rarely used other than by myself. 

A Bialetti "moka" you can safely offer to the French and Spanish in addition to the Italians.  In my experience no other nationalities touch this coffee maker when there are other options available.  

In Germany and the Netherlands, the Senseo with coffee pads are very popular.  I have this in my holiday home in France because the guests are mostly German. Downside is that the pads go stale.  

Some good drip coffee makers will offer replacement parts.

Nothing is 100% foolproof though - I have had guests put my electric kettle on the hob 🙂

I keep a filter holder & jug as a backup as it is a way to make fairly decent coffee should the machine fail.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Marit-Anne0 thank you for your thorough report 🙂 

I looked at the link you shared and they deliver on order only. Here It costs 4 kn (0,60 €) per pod + shipping and it is to expensive. For example if you sit in a cafe you will get a coffee + a glass of water for 1 € 🙂 I have some nesspresso  maker and don't use it.

Thank you for info about Spanish and French people drinking moka , I didn't know it.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

Far too expensive the Nespresso capsules.  There is a limit to adding value !

I would choose according to what kind of coffee is available locally.  Filter coffee is acceptable to most and you do not really need to supply coffee, only a way of making coffee.

[Beth-and-Steve0]

Foolproof? Here's what we do - we ran into the same problems you mention, so now we serve coffee to our guests in our main house. They come from the cottage to just inside the door, on a table I have a pot of coffee and some breakfast items - fruit, yogurt, pastries, etc. When they check in I ask if they want coffee in the morning and if they do, I tell them it will be on the table at 7:30 am. If they are late risers, I leave it there for several hours, until I am sure they've had an opportunity to get their morning java. No more problems with the coffeemaker. If they ask to have it in their room, I give it to them, but make sure they know how to use it. Since we've been doing this, about a year, only once did a guest want it in their room. This is a nice way to do it because I get to socialize with them a little bit each day and ask if they need anything.

[Farah1]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 for the entire unit that I have, I provide a filter coffee maker and fortunately, it is working well!

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0

I'm not sure if you can get this in Croatia, but in Korea (and Japan) these pour over single use drippers are also very popular. You can get just the filters and use your own ground coffee or there are also packets with ground coffee in them. I used to keep my own manual coffee grinder, 2 pour over drippers (I took a basic barista course to learn how to do a proper hand drip and toyed with both hario and melitta type drips, and also had a clever dripper), a french press and an aeropress in the office. I have been buying beans from several local cafes that roast their own beans.

Ever since I started using these single use drippers, I've taken everything else home. When I'm in a hurry, I just drink Starbucks Via or an equivalent instant coffee stick (no cream or sugar). I've also tried making my own coffee tea bags and decided against it. (You can also buy coffee tea bags but I never found one that I liked.)

Based on my experience, these single use drippers are the easiest to use and provide consistently *okay* coffee. Next is stick-type instant. (instant coffee in a jar is okay at first, but the taste changes a lot as time passes.)

https://www.amazon.com/Teeccino-Coffee-Alternative-Variety-Pack/dp/B00TZ5UV28/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=groc...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073RRL6HK?th=1

https://www.amazon.com/TrulyAll-Disposable-Single-Pour-Over-Coffee/dp/B01IBXADOK/ref=pd_sim_79_1?_en...

https://www.amazon.com/Nubia-Coffees-Premium-Colombian-Coffee/dp/B01MXJ4KGV/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&...

I personally did not like spending $3~5 every day on coffee (it really adds up) on my way to work, and did not like the stuff in the break room so I did a lot of experimenting in the office. (trying to find a simple, easy, consistant way to get good coffee)

FYI - Henry and I splurged on a great machine earlier this year (which is close to 2x more expensive in Korea compared to Europe)with the extra income we got from hosting which is now in our shared kitchen. Every single coffee drinker (guests and friends and family) that has been to our home rave about how good our coffee is 🙂 Best investment we made!!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melitta-F57-0-102-Varianza-Automatic/dp/B00NXVCCSG

But like I said before, instant is a perfectly fine, no frills option! Instant coffee has really improved a lot recently~

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jessica-and-Henry0

this is interesting, I never heard for disposable Single Serve Pour-Over Coffee Drip Filters before 🙂 I am not sure we can buy it here, maybe in some specialized shops. 

Your Melita is good because you can use your own coffee and there is no need to buy coffee pods. But  700€ ? OMG :)))