In a microwave I heated a cup of water to a rolling boil. After I
carried the cup eight feet to the counter, my probe measured 217,
the same as in a pan of boiling water on a burner. It surprised me
that it hadn't cooled a couple of degrees, but it was still boiling.

That would have been 211 F. I put in a tablespoon of coffee,
stirred, and measured. 204 F. I let it steep four minutes with a
plastic cover to conserve heat. By then the temperature was 189 F.
Hmmmm... maybe a foil cover...

A day or two ago, when I steeped coffee in a pan on a warm burner,
I probably kept the temperature above 205. I didn't taste bitter
oils, but I might have called it underdeveloped. I haven't figured
it out unless that metal served as a catalyst.

When I was five or so, I liked to carry fresh coffee grounds in a
pouch so I could smell them. I've never drunk coffee that tasted
that good, but if I brew it in pyrex and use a plastic filter, the
coffee will leave a nice aftertaste for more than an hour.

BiffNightly wrote:

In my 22 plus years in the business of selling gourmet coffee's, I have
always been taught to brew coffee at a tempurature of 200º F (+ or Minus
5º). If the tempurature falls below 195º, you will not extract all of the
desirable oils from the grounds and end up with a very underdeveloped cup of
coffee. If the temp is too high, it will start to extract the undesireable
& bitter oils from the beans. (hence the lousy flavor of perked coffee).

Doug
"PanHandler" wrote in message
.. .

"Sawney Beane" wrote in message
...

I heated two cups to a boil, stirred in case there were cold spots,
and brought it to a boil again. I poured it into my French press,
which is thin glass, from about four inches higher. In the stream,
my probe read 206, which would be 201 F. Pouring took three or
four seconds. Immediately, the water in the press read 197, which
would be 192 F.

Why the 5º discrepancy? Also, your elevation above sea level determines
the boiling point. It's 212º at sea level, and becomes lower with
elevation.

I figured the best way to keep brewing water near boiling was to
boil it in a pan on medium heat, turn off the electric burner, stir
in the grounds, and cover. I tried it this morning. I found the
flavor similar to that from my aunt's stainless percolator.

Percolated coffee ain't the best by any means.

Later I tried my usual method with pyrex, a plastic filter, and a
ceramic cup. The coffee had the delicious nutty flavor I'm used
to. Somewhere I've read that if you've been cutting onions,
rubbing your hands on stainless steel will deodorize them because
the nickel is a catalyst. I think contact with stainless steel
makes coffee less tasty to me. That may include the screen in my
French press.

I've never looked into that concerning coffee, but I do know plastic
louses it up.