Topic: Re-heating coffee

[Peripatetic Phil]

Re-heating coffee, as most know, is fraught with dangers, and unless the temperature is very carefully controlled the results normally taste bitter and stewed.  Well, over the past few weeks, I have been successfully re-heating coffee with no adverse side-effects at all, and I though the idea might be worth sharing.  I make my coffee in a Tchibo ceramic filter cone with single-use unbleached filter papers, using freshly ground Monsooned Malabar beans.  And when the cup is adequately full, I remove the filter and leave it to drip into a small ceramic ramekin.  Now I frequently over-estimate the amount of water required, as a result of which the ramekin ends up with otherwise-would-be-wasted coffee.  But what I have found is that if I re-heat the contents of the ramekin for one minute in the microwave oven, and then (and this is MOST IMPORTANT) pour those same contents back through the filter paper for a second time, all traces of bitterness and all signs of being stewed disappear, and the second cup of coffee is as good as the first.  Try it -- you may be surprised !

** Phil.

[George]

Re-heating coffee, as most know, is fraught with dangers

I assume you mean it's fraught with disadvantages, rather than dangers, as in some kind of health risk. If so, I must try this. It could be useful when storing coffee at a social gathering or similar.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Re-heating coffee, as most know, is fraught with dangers

I assume you mean it's fraught with disadvantages, rather than dangers, as in some kind of health risk. If so, I must try this. It could be useful when storing coffee at a social gathering or similar.

Not "danger" as in "health risk", George (we don't all try to cook KFC-style chicken in a domestic pressure cooker !); "danger" as in "the danger that the results would be virtually undrinkable unless the temperature was very carefully controlled and monitored".

** Phil.

[littlechilie]

Well I'm confused  I can't understand why anyone would want to re-heat coffee, unless I was in a real hurry I would make it fresh You can't compeat with fresh coffee ground and brewed coffee! Or if I did find myself in a rush I would ding it but that's just me.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Well I'm confused  I can't understand why anyone would want to re-heat coffee, unless I was in a real hurry I would make it fresh You can't compeat with fresh coffee ground and brewed coffee! Or if I did find myself in a rush I would ding it but that's just me.

Well, it seems such a waste to throw away the coffee that has dripped into the ramekin; I normally get two cups of coffee from a single grind/filter paper anyway (because I make it really strong : three scoops at a time for 1 or 2 cups), but I find that heating for one minute in the microwave oven and then re-filtering is better than microwaving for less time but then drinking it un-re-filtered.

** Phil.

[littlechilie]

Yep I see what your saying Phil, but strength of coffee is all about water ratio to amount of ground coffee, I'm saying you may have a measure that will give you say the amount of ground beans you need for expresso! Failing this if your filter should has a marking for one cup or recommended amount, then you would reduce the amount of water and also the drinking vessel size. This would achieve your desired strength without waste.
You could as you say filter again the coffee, but it's counter productive if you want great coffee, better to reduce water content and cup size for perfect strong coffee without waste.
LC