I'm not exactly obsessive when it comes to coffee. I mean, I didn't rush out and buy the $2,000 Capresso Impressa S9 Espresso Machine. But I do like coffee and drink a fair bit of it, and know that you need a combination of good beans, good water, and good equipment to really enjoy it.
On the subject of equipment, I've been using the Capresso CoffeeTEC Coffeemaker for the past few years and have nothing but good things to say about it. The carafe is insulated (and thus doesn't use a hotplate, which ruins coffee), and the water gets hot (almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit), which is essential for a good brew. Plus the CoffeeTEC is easy to clean and has a milk steamer if you want it, which partly makes up for the ridiculous name. (I'm serious though, it's a good coffee maker, and I recommend it if you are looking for one.)
So what inspired this pointless post? Well, a new coffee grinder did.
As everyone that loves coffee knows, the beans need to a) be ground fresh, at home, immediately prior to brewing, and b) be crushed, rather than sliced. In other words, owning a burr grinder is a necessity for flavorful coffee. Pre-ground beans lose a lot of their flavor as they are exposed to the air, and blade grinders heat/burn the beans as they slice them, and the scorching the grinds and altering the taste. Burr grinders crush (and tear) the beans apart, which, whatever the physics, really does make for a better cup of coffee.
I had been using the same Capresso Burr Grinder (mine was in black, of course) for years, and it worked, but it had a relatively small capacity, and sounded like food processor on full blast. Quite a bit louder than one really wants at 7:00 AM. A tedious whine, really. And one that lasts. And lasts. And...
Thus it was time for an upgrade. So I went and got the best freaking burr coffee grinder I could find (er, and could afford). The Capresso 565.04 Infinity Burr Grinder. In Brushed Chrome.
I don't care if you don't even drink coffee. Grind walnuts in it or something. Just get one. It grinds enough for two people in 30 seconds. It is spotless and doesn't make a mess. But really, it just makes the most melodious throaty growl. A real Tom Waits of a coffee grinder. It's like having Barry White in bunny slippers in your kitchen every morning. It's the 17" PowerBook of coffee accessories.
No joke.