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Originally posted by QuirtEvans:

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Originally posted by RealPlayer:
K-cups are the spawn of the devil.

I recently read an article that suggested that K-cups, because they don't use as much coffee as filter brewing, might be more environmentally friendly than you think.

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Originally posted by piqué:

quote:

Originally posted by QuirtEvans:

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Originally posted by RealPlayer:
K-cups are the spawn of the devil.

I recently read an article that suggested that K-cups, because they don't use as much coffee as filter brewing, might be more environmentally friendly than you think.

what's environmentally unfriendly about coffee? i pour tons of it on my garden and it makes everything grow better.

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The researchers also discovered that it's the way the coffee is manufactured — not the packaging itself — that causes the most harmful environmental impact.

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Researchers at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) looked at the carbon footprint of several techniques used to prepare coffee at home, including:

Pods
Instant coffee (soluble)
Brewed (French press)
Traditional filter

Their analysis showed that traditional filtered coffee is the worst for the environment. The process requires more coffee than the other three brewing methods and uses more water and electricity to keep the water warm during the making process. This leads to filtered coffee using 1 ½ times more energy than pods alone.

Instant coffee is actually the cleanest form of coffee preparation due to the small amount of coffee and electricity required. However, coffee-making isn't a scientific process. Studies have shown that many of us use 20% more coffee than what's required, boil too much water, and therefore use too much electricity.

Enter the pods.

According to the study, coffee pods, long maligned for clogging up landfills, may actually take home the prize for being the most environmentally friendly. Why?

The pod process is designed to use the exact amount of water, coffee, and electricity to make the perfect cup. Its foolproof system minimizes waste, saving between 11-13 grams of coffee compared to filtered coffee.

Using recyclable pods, switching to a greener source of electricity, and taking your pods to collection points for recycling the aluminum case and coffee waste could be a better way to further reduce your carbon footprint when you have your next cup of coffee.

* * * *

o matter how you brew your coffee, the real waste occurs before you purchase it. Researchers in Quebec found that the harvesting of coffee makes up most of the carbon emissions — not the packaging.

"Regardless of the type of coffee preparation, coffee production is the most GHG-emitting phase," researcher Rodrigues Viana told the Washington Post. "It contributed to around 40 percent to 80 percent of the total emissions."

Researchers point to the "mechanization, irrigation, and use of nitrous oxide-emitting fertilizers — the production of which requires large quantities of natural gas" as the greatest culprit contributing to coffee's carbon footprint.

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the study found that traditional filtered coffee produced the most amount of carbon dioxide. This is because of the amount of ground coffee that is needed to make a cup of coffee is higher, as is the energy that is needed to heat up the water and keep the coffee warm.

On average, the method that produces the second-most emissions is brewed coffee using a French press, also because of the amount of coffee that is needed to make a single cup.

Coffee capsules are third on the list. The amount of coffee inside each capsule is controlled, which prevents overconsumption - a capsule saves between 11 to 13 grams of coffee, the study found.

Instant coffee is the most environmentally-friendly way to make a brew, the study found, because it uses less coffee, and water kettles use less energy than the traditional coffee maker.

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Originally posted by CHAS:
Have a De Longhi espresso machine model with thermocouplers which heats the water very quickly.
Use a cheap grinder with the spinning blade and shake it while the blade spins to get the grind I want. It will grind too fine if I shake it more than a little. Would like the grinder Realplayer has.
A Russian couple settled in Denver years ago and started the Doz Bog coffee company. I used their KGB blend before I got the espresso machine. Now I buy their White Nights Espresso.
Maybe you saw the movie White Nights. DAZ BOG Their coffee shop and stands are very popular.
Use an Aeropress when in Tucson at Bob's. Maybe I need a Flair there.

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Originally posted by QuirtEvans:

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Originally posted by RealPlayer:
K-cups are the spawn of the devil.

I recently read an article that suggested that K-cups, because they don't use as much coffee as filter brewing, might be more environmentally friendly than you think.

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Originally posted by markj:

quote:

Originally posted by CHAS:
Have a De Longhi espresso machine model with thermocouplers which heats the water very quickly.
Use a cheap grinder with the spinning blade and shake it while the blade spins to get the grind I want. It will grind too fine if I shake it more than a little. Would like the grinder Realplayer has.
A Russian couple settled in Denver years ago and started the Doz Bog coffee company. I used their KGB blend before I got the espresso machine. Now I buy their White Nights Espresso.
Maybe you saw the movie White Nights. DAZ BOG Their coffee shop and stands are very popular.
Use an Aeropress when in Tucson at Bob's. Maybe I need a Flair there.

Biggest upgrade to your coffee would be a good grinder. F The new Baratza Encore ESP https://baratza.com/grinder/encore-esp/ has filter to espresso grind capabilities now. I went with the Turin DF64 https://www.espressooutlet.net...dose-coffee-grinder/ as it has flat burrs that can also be changed out for different profiles. The DF64 is very very good for espresso. It costs $400. The Baratza Encore ESP is $200.

As pricey as they may sound, they are almost free compared to the Option-O Lagom P64 (uses the same burr size as the Turin but it costs $1,500. Then there is the Weber EG-1 at $3,895 and of course even more expensive grinders are out there.

There are also manual grinders but a really good one will cost you more than the Barazta Encore.