IMO, the maker itself is less important than the coffee choice AND the Irish Cream that goes in it.
 
BTW, I'm in the middle of intense Irish Cream trials as we type.  So far, Kirkland Irish Cream Liqueur is spot on delicious at $15.99 per 1.5L bottle.  Perfect with DD Med roast 100% Arabica via drip brewer of your own choosing.
 
I don't make the news, I just report it ...
 
 

Hi,
 
Nahhh ... just track it, find the son of a gun, and turn him/her in to the FBI ... they love those goons!

sharke
 
I got into drinking instant for a while but after a while found that there was some dimension missing from the taste. I also don't want to have a big coffee machine making full pots because I would just drink way too much coffee. A happy medium I found was to buy a small French press. Makes one cup at a time, quick and easy, no filters to buy. The only problem as others have alluded to is in getting rid of the grounds - what to do with 'em? It's a myth that they help keep your drain clear - in actual fact many plumbers will tell you that they are a major cause of blocked pipes because unless you rinse them down with a ton of water then they get mixed up with the grease and thicken to an impenetrable sludge. So I try and throw them in the trash, but I can't get them all out of the press without a little water in there. Don't want to throw water in the trash can, so what to do with them? Down the toilet?
 
As far as coffees go I always buy Italian when I can. The Italians know a good cup of coffee. I hate anything with a bitter aftertaste. Lavazza is a great brand. 

I used to just use a spoon to get out the bulk of the grounds and toss them in the trash then rinse out the rest down the drain (or in the toilet). A bit of grounds isn't going to clog a sink unless you have bad plumbing. Grease will definitely capture crud but a) if you are using a French press or boiling a kettle for tea anyway just dumping the extra boiled water out down the drain helps loosen up grease buildup (or occasionally boiling a kettle full specifically to dump down greasy drain helps) and b) making sure LOTS of grease like from frying bacon or baking chicken goes straight in the garbage (or put in the fridge and used for other cooking) keeps grease clogs down.
 
I used to do maintenance in a building used by numskull hominid animals with no common sense AND had to live with an absolutely horrifically plumbed kitchen sink that needed constant care to avoid sludgorama (it was nasty).
 
I really want another French press again. I used to be a coffee FREAK (like multiple pots a day if I had access) but it started totally destroying my health to the point I had to quit and switch to tea (orange pekoe which made a huge difference). I still love coffee though and can handle a cup every now and then but keeping my drip coffee maker setup isn't worth it (not keeping an appliance setup on my limited counter space and brewing pots just to have ONE cup). With a press it's a lot less futzing about and less mess. I also think it tastes better than drip/element coffee (you can never get those drip machines totally clean and even fresh brewed the element burns the coffee slightly... and of course turns skanky almost immediately thereafter).
 
I recently bought some generic brand instant coffee to satisfy the craving but aside from Taster's Choice (which is way more expensive) I find instant generally has a "gritty/dirty" taste to it. It's alright as a substitute with enough milk but still kind of yuck (even the better instants just ain't quite right).

Compost ...

Beepster

sharke
 
I got into drinking instant for a while but after a while found that there was some dimension missing from the taste. I also don't want to have a big coffee machine making full pots because I would just drink way too much coffee. A happy medium I found was to buy a small French press. Makes one cup at a time, quick and easy, no filters to buy. The only problem as others have alluded to is in getting rid of the grounds - what to do with 'em? It's a myth that they help keep your drain clear - in actual fact many plumbers will tell you that they are a major cause of blocked pipes because unless you rinse them down with a ton of water then they get mixed up with the grease and thicken to an impenetrable sludge. So I try and throw them in the trash, but I can't get them all out of the press without a little water in there. Don't want to throw water in the trash can, so what to do with them? Down the toilet?
 
As far as coffees go I always buy Italian when I can. The Italians know a good cup of coffee. I hate anything with a bitter aftertaste. Lavazza is a great brand. 

I used to just use a spoon to get out the bulk of the grounds and toss them in the trash then rinse out the rest down the drain (or in the toilet). A bit of grounds isn't going to clog a sink unless you have bad plumbing. Grease will definitely capture crud but a) if you are using a French press or boiling a kettle for tea anyway just dumping the extra boiled water out down the drain helps loosen up grease buildup (or occasionally boiling a kettle full specifically to dump down greasy drain helps) and b) making sure LOTS of grease like from frying bacon or baking chicken goes straight in the garbage (or put in the fridge and used for other cooking) keeps grease clogs down.
 
I used to do maintenance in a building used by numskull hominid animals with no common sense AND had to live with an absolutely horrifically plumbed kitchen sink that needed constant care to avoid sludgorama (it was nasty).
 
I really want another French press again. I used to be a coffee FREAK (like multiple pots a day if I had access) but it started totally destroying my health to the point I had to quit and switch to tea (orange pekoe which made a huge difference). I still love coffee though and can handle a cup every now and then but keeping my drip coffee maker setup isn't worth it (not keeping an appliance setup on my limited counter space and brewing pots just to have ONE cup). With a press it's a lot less futzing about and less mess. I also think it tastes better than drip/element coffee (you can never get those drip machines totally clean and even fresh brewed the element burns the coffee slightly... and of course turns skanky almost immediately thereafter).
 
I recently bought some generic brand instant coffee to satisfy the craving but aside from Taster's Choice (which is way more expensive) I find instant generally has a "gritty/dirty" taste to it. It's alright as a substitute with enough milk but still kind of yuck (even the better instants just ain't quite right).

I guess I should just give the drain some drain unblocker now and then.

I'm like you, too much coffee makes me a wreck, however I can get by on one or two nice cups a day. It's made easier by the fact that I don't eat dairy so I can't buy cups when I'm out and about unless they have something like almond milk available (which is rare). I was also drinking lots of matcha tea until I read that is has a high lead content, so I limit that to one cup a day now.

BobF
IMO, the maker itself is less important than the coffee choice AND the Irish Cream that goes in it.
 
BTW, I'm in the middle of intense Irish Cream trials as we type.  So far, Kirkland Irish Cream Liqueur is spot on delicious at $15.99 per 1.5L bottle.  Perfect with DD Med roast 100% Arabica via drip brewer of your own choosing.
 
I don't make the news, I just report it ...
 
 

My current favorite for spiking coffee on cold days is French Vanilla Kahlua - yum! 
 
Of course, Baileys now has alternate flavors that are really good too!

I could probably walk to a CostCo, so maybe I'll have to stock up for the holidays!

Beepster
Those drain cleaners are extremely corrosive and can burn a hole through metal pipes (and also pit/marr the smooth surface on the inside of the pipes giving grease, hair and other crud something to hang on to thus causing clogs).
 
From the sounds of it you are in an older NYC building so you may want to check under your sink to see what's there. IIRC PVC piping resists that type of corrosion much better (I was just starting to really learn REAL plumbing when I had to quit my career in contracting due to a borked out body so don't quote me on that). Still there is likely older soild stacks/pipes and stuff that the drain cleaners can damage... and it ain't so great for the environment either (if that's something you worry about).
 
My meandering point is that just dumping some boiling water down there every now and again (especially after washing any greasy stuff) is easy regular drain maintenance and having a plunger and drain snake to break up any clogs that accumulate (like if you notice things not draining immediately get the snake in there to break things up then plunge it away THEN pour some boiling water down) keeps drains free flowing and happy.
 
That finicky, poorly installed kitchen drain I was referring to earlier was actually an old copper one that had been exposed to drain cleaner so often a hole busted open and we had nasty black sludge all over the place (which is what would back up into the sink all over the dishes too if we didn't maintain the drain regularly).
 
It was SICK and I'm not entirely unconvinced their wasn't human excrement involved.
 
Ugh... I'm on the verge of gagging just remembering it.
 
lulz

Yeah I hear ya about the drain cleaners. I have all plastic pipes but I still only use 'em about once a year (if that). 

You've been to a Brazilian restaurants?  Wow, that's a lot! 

Moshkito

craigb
You've been to a Brazilian restaurants?  Wow, that's a lot! 

There used to be one place by the Sellwood bridge ... can't even remember the name!

Is that the bridge where Jason Bourne's girlfriend was killed?  Man, that really pissed him off big time!
 
Wait, that might've been a different country ...

Beepster
I'd be more impressed if he'd eaten a zillian bras.

You must think that Brazilian women are "better" .... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!