Hacks for getting better coffee out of the in room brewer?

I'd buy Starbuck's instant and just run hot water through the coffee maker to add to the cup.
 
Fellow coffee lovers, please share your tips and hacks to make better coffee!?
I buy the empty pods and then fill them with my favorite coffee. Takes a little time but is worth it for this coffee lover.
 
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I've been told that the problem with hotel coffee makers usually isn't the quality of the coffee, it's the heat of the water. For what it's worth, I heard that from a barista from an independent coffee place that roasts their own coffee. The place wins awards and serves really good coffee, so it's probably a true statement.

Supposedly, there's a narrow range of temperatures to produce an ideal cup of coffee. Too hot or too cold equals bad coffee.

In-room coffee makers are super cheap. I'd bet that the temperature varies greatly between different units.
 


I've been told that the problem with hotel coffee makers usually isn't the quality of the coffee, it's the heat of the water. For what it's worth, I heard that from a barista from an independent coffee place that roasts their own coffee. The place wins awards and serves really good coffee, so it's probably a true statement.
Absolutely true! And those Cuisinart's do not get the water hot enough no matter what tip or trick you try.
 
At the risk of sounding like a ridiculous coffee snob, I don't think there is a way to make those machines produce better coffee. I pack my electric tea kettle and my French press and it's much better and just as quick and easy.
 
I use bottled water but other than that, it's drinkable. I drink mine black and strong but I guess I'm not all that picky about coffee. Worked out in my favor I suppose. I just use less water than you expect and it tastes fine. Well enough to get me going in the morning.
 


We bring a French press and use our coffee from home and either buy half and half from the resort gift shop or on a grocery stop but stay in a villa. Bottled water really helps. Also if you use the Joffrey pods, make sure they are lying flat.
Sorry but I never use the coffee maker in the resort. Awful. I'd rather go without coffee. I agree with @snappy about bringing your french press. I looooove my french press! It really does make the best coffee.
 
We bring our French press when we stay on the Florida panhandle beach units as well as on our BWV stays. In fact, it’s time to buy a new one and leave the old one in our Owners locker so we don’t have to pack it in our luggage any more.
 
I agree with @snappy about bringing your french press. I looooove my french press! It really does make the best coffee.
It really does taste better than drip coffee. I am always amazed that more people haven't caught on because it's incredibly quick and easy to make coffee this way. It's just as easy as a pod and a lot less expensive.
 
It really does taste better than drip coffee. I am always amazed that more people haven't caught on because it's incredibly quick and easy to make coffee this way. It's just as easy as a pod and a lot less expensive.
its super easy to make. No filters! Just your french press, coffee, and water. French press is perfect for the office too. You can have your own on your desk. I have a little one for my office.
 
I bring my own portable coffee maker (Black & Decker got from Amazon for like $15; it's a travel coffee maker that makes one cup at a time), use bottled water, and bring my filters and either Cafe Bustelo espresso ground coffee or Starbuck's Sumatra ground coffee.

If staying where they have a Mr. Coffee (DVC) I bring my own coffee still, but use bottled water.

Disney coffee sucks, but not as bad as the time we did the Disney cruise. That sucked worse, but we drank it solely for the caffeine.
 
All coffee makers have water that is the same temperature- boiling. It can't get any hotter unless it's steam (like an espresso maker) and it can't be colder or the coffee maker won't work. The water may cool off too quickly but it's at 212 degrees F. when it hits the ground coffee.

My hack is to let the coffee "bloom". That means letting it soak in hot water to get the full flavor out, otherwise there's just a drip of coffee straight through the middle of the pod. Even at home I don't put the carafe under the drip right away, I usually let it perk about a minute so all the coffee is soaked. So at a hotel, I usually figure out how to plug the drip for awhile. You could try that if you don't want to bring a bunch of extra stuff.

A bit of modeling clay would probably do the trick. But keep an eye on it, you don't want it to overflow (I speak from experience). :o
 
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All coffee makers have water that is the same temperature- boiling. It can't get any hotter unless it's steam (like an espresso maker) and it can't be colder or the coffee maker won't work. The water may cool off too quickly but it's at 212 degrees F. when it hits the ground coffee.

That's not correct. Coffee isn't supposed to be brewed using boiling water.

"Your brewer should maintain a water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. Colder water will result in flat, under-extracted coffee, while water that is too hot will also cause a loss of quality in the taste of the coffee."
That quote is from the National Coffee Association, here: https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee
 
That's not correct. Coffee isn't supposed to be brewed using boiling water.

"Your brewer should maintain a water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. Colder water will result in flat, under-extracted coffee, while water that is too hot will also cause a loss of quality in the taste of the coffee."
That quote is from the National Coffee Association, here: https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee
Well sure, that's what it should be, but when water comes up from the heat source, it's boiling. That's how a regular coffee maker works- the water rises on the bubbles from the boiling water. Perhaps I should have specified boiling water is how cheap coffee makers work. :snooty: :)

There are various methods to cool it down, but a cheap in-room coffee maker doesn't have that. So it's going to be at boiling temperature, or very close. My coffee maker at home sprays or dribbles it to reduce the temperature, but less expensive ones just dump boiling water on the grounds.

If you use a coffee press you're also supposed to let the water cool off a little. And I don't know how a Keurig works, but I assume they have much better control over the temperature, too.

My comment was more for people who wonder if the water is hot enough- but it's as hot as it can be, typically. If there's a problem, as you say, it's because the water is still too hot.

And I also think it runs through too fast, and doesn't get the "bloom". That's why French presses make such tasty coffee, they definitely take advantage of the bloom.
 
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I don’t know about coffee but with the tea there are different temps for ideal brew depending on the tea. I can’t remember the various temps but luckily my tea brewer remembers.
 
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