How can I enjoy hot coffee that isn't burnt?

[Ziggy]

I'm sick of burnt coffee.

I use to drink a lot more coffee in past years. These days, I really only drink coffee on my days off. That said, I'm really sick of burnt tasting coffee and I'm trying to figure out the best solution for myself.

I've used a few different brewing methods in the past, but I went back to using a standard Mr. Coffee drip pot. In my late teens and early twenties, I always used an electric percolator. And I bought a small electric perc pot for myself at my first office job. I like how piping hot it makes the coffee, but it always results in burnt coffee in later cups. And I got sick of how much time it takes to clean all of the parts. And if you don't regularly clean all of the parts, it'll foul up the taste.

Then for a while, like most people, I used a Keurig. This has the benefit of every cup being hot and fresh brewed. So it would seem like the logical answer, but there's some downsides to them that I don't like. My biggest gripe is that the K-cups are expensive. Much more expensive compared to buying ground coffee. For that reason alone, I got rid of my Keurig. But I'm also not keen on brewing through plastic. And it never made a really hot cup of coffee. Also, the internals of the machine cannot really be cleaned. I'm sure they get absolutely nasty inside. I'd occasionally run vinegar through it, then water to rinse the vinegar out. But that's a pain in the ass, and I'd prefer to clean my coffee maker after every use. And if I want to really be a stickler, K-cups are mixed materials (plastic and foil) which makes them not recyclable.

So I switched back to a no-frills drip pot coffee maker. I think I paid like $20 for this Mr. Coffee that I have now, and I'm mostly happy with it. It's very easy to set up, and it brews quickly enough for me. The only downside is the warming plate will burn the coffee. The first cup is perfect. If I top it off quickly enough, my second cup is fine too. But if I wait too long, or by my third cup, it starts to taste really burnt. And I'm sick of burnt coffee.

So what are my options?

I should say that I'm not really a coffee snob. I just want it to be hot and not burnt.

1 - Brew the pot coffee, but do not keep it heated.

But then my second and third cup will not be hot. So what do I do? Microwave it? Is that OK? Should I get a different coffee maker? I've seen drip pot makers that have a vacuum chamber decanter, so that it keeps the coffee hotter for longer. Should I get one of those, and then I wouldn't have to microwave it as much to heat up future cups? Or should I get a pour over coffee maker, and again microwave the second and third cups?

2 - Brew only one cup at a time.

But this seems like it can be a pain in the ass. I kinda want to brew coffee, and then come back to top my cup off without having to brew more coffee. The drip pot coffee maker would be too much of a pain in the ass for me to brew just one cup at a time. So what are some other options? Are there coffee makers that make it easier to brew just one cup, that aren't K-cups or similar?

Or again with the pour over, would that be easier to make single cups at a time? I was thinking, I could boil water and keep it at boiling temp (which doesn't burn) and then use a pour over to make a single cup at a time. Is that something that's easy enough to do? I've never owned a pour over before. I'm leaning toward trying this option.

Other suggestions welcomed!

[marurun]

Get an insulated carafe to dump the rest of the pot of coffee into so it doesn't just sit on the heating element. A good carafe will keep that coffee piping hot long enough no problem.

The approach my wife is taking is to use a French press with additional paper filters so she gets the health benefit of the filtering (French press without paper filters can let through some harmful stuff that counteracts the otherwise healthy effects of coffee). She's annoyed at the cleaning, but honestly, it's only like a few minutes of washing and there are only so many parts.

For you, though, I think I recommend the carafe.

[MrPopo]

The guys at my last job got majorly into coffee. They had a rotating duty every morning where someone would grind using a burr grinder and make coffee using a French press, then put it in an insulated carafe for everyone else to enjoy. If it worked for them it'll definitely work for you.

[Ziggy]

Any suggestions for a good insulated carafe? I've had a few in the past, and I've been so annoyed with them. The way they pour through the screw on lid is so annoying, because the coffee just trickles out and spatters a lot. And then cleaning the lid isn't easy, since the coffee goes inside of it but you cannot take it apart.

edit: I have this one somewhere: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Therma ... 01F8P78IS/

[Limewater]

For your use case, you might just use a thermos. It doesn't have to be carafe. Back when I carried coffee, I would brew it in then-40-year-old electric percolator and then pour it into a thermos. The thermos would then pour fine into a cup later.

We use a drip coffee maker with a stainless steel vacuum carafe. It's good for a few hours after brewing. It's a cheap Black & Decker and I'm not in love with it, but we actually got it because we kept breaking the glass carafes.

Another option to consider would be to just get a big Yeti or Ozark trail vacuum tumbler with a lid. They are very effective at maintaining temperature over hours.

[SamuraiMegas]

I don't drink caffeine/coffee but my roommate used to always use a French press, and it looked pretty easy. Maybe try that?

[o.pwuaioc]

I'll echo Limewater. You don't really need an insulated carafe for yourself. Just get a thermos (Thermos brand or otherwise). My Thermos definitely kept my coffee hot throughout the whole day.

I'd be interested in the "harmful stuff" that French presses can let through, but I've been otherwise thrilled with my Espro P3 French press. I switched to it from a Bodum, which was a bigger pain to clean.

[RCBH928]

i don't know much but you don't get burnt coffee using the filtered method where you pour hot water over coffee but I think you already know this method. I use cup heater pad like this to keep the cup hot

[Anapan]

I stirred coffee grounds in milk for breakfast through my senior years in high-school. It worked. Wouldn't recommend it.

[Ziggy]

It isn't so much how to brew it (french press, pour over) but how to keep it hot after it's brewed without it getting burnt.

Thanks, o.p. I'll check out some thermoses too. They would be easier to clean than the lid of a carafe (which must get nasty over time).

Anapan, I was actually thinking about instant coffee. I've haven't had it in such a long time. That sure would fix the burning problem, since it's easy to keep a pot of hot water going and then just have to stir up additional cups. But people tend to look down their nose at instant coffee. Thing is, I'm actually not too fussy with the way my coffee tastes. I just don't want it to be bitter or burnt.