I cannot recommend The Don Rockwell Idiot Kit enough for people who know absolutely nothing about coffee, but wish to become experts with a minimal amount of work. Read that entire thread, especially the first post, and get on the phone to Qualia Coffee – by the end of the week, you’ll have everything you need to brew the best coffee in your neighborhood.
I knew nothing, zero, zilch, nada, about how to brew good coffee, and I can now comfortably say that I drink coffee that’s as good as anyone, and it’s *waaaay* less expensive than going to Starbucks – it’s a night-and-day difference.
Purchasing this kit from Qualia Coffee will not only enable you to go from “nothing” to “everything,” literally overnight, but it will also be supporting one of Washington, DC’s most valuable small businesses. I’ve never met Joel, don’t even know what he looks like, and have absolutely no financial interest in this kit – I just thought it was a good idea for him, and I care about supporting small businesses who in turn care about quality.
Here’s a recent thread about coffee makers – towards the bottom, I refer to “The Don Rockwell Idiot Kit” with its Baratza grinder (I bought the more-expensive “Virtuoso” model, and I can never go back)Â – I cannot emphasize enough how much I love it.
Make the call – if you aren’t absolutely thrilled with everything you buy, write me … I’m almost positive I won’t be getting very many letters, other than letters of thanks. And if I were buying someone a gift who loved coffee, but was just starting out? A no-brainer.