How To Make Coffee Without A Coffee Maker
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Like most people, you probably rely on your drip coffee maker to provide you with fresh, hot coffee every morning. While some of you may have time to brew coffee in a Chemex with freshly ground, home-roasted beans every day, the rest of us wake up, stumble to our coffee machines, push the button, and silently beg it to brew faster.
But what happens when that button does nothing? When the water doesnt heat up? When you have a power outage? Or worse, someone has forced you to stay in a hotel or at a campsite with no coffee maker in sight?
Lets find a way to get some coffee in you. Depending on what you have on hand, we can teach you how to make coffee without a coffee maker.
While none of them will compare to coffee brewed using fresh grounds and piping hot, filtered water, at least youll be able to get your java fix before you try to order a replacement drip coffee maker or work on making alternative travel accommodations.
Best Grind Size Drip Coffee Makers
Drip coffee makers are some of the most popular ways to brew. There is a great variety of different types, sizes, models, and shapes for drip coffee brewing, but they all need a simple grind.
Drip brew coffee needs a medium grind, although there is some difference depending on your filter shape For a flat-based filter, youll need a medium-fine grind. For a cone-shaped, a medium grind is going to give you the best cup of coffee.
Drip brew coffee is made similarly to pour over, but with a few differences. A drip coffee machine uses the steam of boiling water to propel a constant stream of drips onto grinds in a filter. The coffee filters through these grounds and into the pot.
Brewing by dripping water that is constantly pouring makes the grind needed a bit different. There is less contact time between the grinds and the cup, and a lot less water in the filter at once.
Because of this, a finer grind is going to be needed to make sure you still get a rich flavor from your coffee. A medium or medium-fine grind is the best choice here, but you can make some small adjustments depending on your machine.
If your coffee doesnt seem to be tasting of very much beyond cloudy water, then your grind is too coarse and you need to make it finer. Equally, a very bitter and overpowering cup will be too fine. Youll need to make it coarser.
Make Cold Brew Coffee At Home It’s So Easy And Your Iced Coffee Will Never Taste Watery Or Bitter Again
If you crave a good iced coffee in the summer, but loathe the way so many end up tasting watery or overly bitter, then there’s only one solution: cold brew coffee. This method guarantees a smooth and icy cup, every time.
Making cold brew coffee is no great secret, nor does it require the ninja-level skills of a trained barista in order to master. You don’t even need much special equipment beyond a large container for making the coffee and a strainer.
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Make A Diy Coffee Bag
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This method is very similar to the one above regarding the brewing process, with a DIY twist. What do you do when you realize you have no coffee bags left? No, you dont cry or drink instant coffeejust make a damn coffee bag yourself!
If you have any type of coffee filter lying around you easily can make a decent coffee.
You can even use a tea bag and carefully replace the tea with coffee grinds. I prefer this method to the store-bought coffee bag since you have the option to grind your beans fresh.
Its simple, really: youre making a tea bag and replacing the tea with medium-coarse coffee grounds.
The Faux French Press
One of the most popular brewing methods among coffee lovers can be duplicated with minimal tools. Its easy enough to do in your kitchen or even over a campfire. If your French press coffee maker is out of commission, give this method a shot.
YOULL NEED:
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Where Do You Find Good Coffee
I have traveled the world enjoying different types of coffee everywhere I go. Just as I sample local craft beers during my travels I also look for local coffee roasters. But to be able to taste and understand the differences in coffee, you need to start with a good baseline. A quality cup of coffee on which to judge all others by. And this is why I drink Peets coffee in my home.
Peets Coffee is obsessed with freshness. Fresher coffee makes a more flavorful cup. Thats why they roast to order and deliver directly to your grocery shelves, ensuring their coffee gets to you faster and fresher than anyone else. Youll never have to worry about old flavorless coffee when you buy Peets brand.
Peets has been roasting coffee for more than 50 years and understands good coffee and its importance. It all started on Vine and Walnut Streets in Berkeley, CA where Alfred Peet opened his first shop in 1966 with one goal, to make coffee, unlike anything America had tasted before. Today, they abide by his exacting standards to deliver the richest, most flavorful cup, using only the worlds finest beans, hand roasting in small batches, and never compromising on freshness.
Put The Lid And Press The Plunger
Now put the press lid on the container for insulation, and keep the heat intact. Get your smartphone handy, and set the timer for 4 minutes. You can adjust the time to your brewing preference later.
Slowly press the plunger for even extraction. If you get too much resistance from the piston, the beans are coarse. However, if you are using pre-ground coffee, there will be less or no resistance at all.
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Why Should You Cold Brew Your Coffee
This coffee-making method has a few things going for it:
- The slow infusion pulls all the great coffee flavor from the beans .
- But it also leaves behind most of the compounds that can make coffee taste bitter and sour.
- This means that cold brewed coffee is incredibly smooth and almost sweet-tasting. Perfect for iced coffee.
You can also adjust the concentration of your cold brew coffee, making it stronger or less strong to suit your taste. Start with one cup of beans steeped in four cups of water. This will make a fairly concentrated coffee on its own, but it’s perfect for pouring over ice or mixing with milk – or both. If that ratio of beans to water isn’t quite to your taste, adjust it up or down until you hit the perfect balance for you.
I also really love that this method for making coffee actually saves me time in the morning. I make a big batch over the weekend, starting it on Saturday or Sunday night and straining it the next morning, and then stash it in the fridge for an easy coffee fix all week long.
- Ready to up your coffee game? Check out our list of The Best Coffee Makers.
So What Is Ground Coffee
Ground coffee is what brewed coffee is made of. Its made up of ground coffee beans, much like flour is made of wheat and maize is made of corn.
You use ground coffee like you would use a tea bag: add hot water to it, let it steep for a few minutes, then strain and drink. The resulting brew is what we all know as coffee.
Ground coffee comes in several sizes, depending on what kind of coffee youre planning to make. Well get tot hat in a bit.
Until then though, we need to stress that ground coffee is not instant coffee. It looks very similar, and they might even smell the same. But there is a big difference, and trying to make an espresso with instant coffee instead of ground coffee will be a failure.
If you want to make the best coffee at home, you absolutely need to check my article on the best coffee gear.
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Best Coffee Grinder For All Sizes
If youre still wondering which grinder would be best for your needs, then take a look at this burr grinder by OXO.
Its an automated coffee grinder, so this means youll be able to let it do its thing while you brush your thing or do something else in the morning.
Theres 15 settings to choose from, so I think you will find the right one for you and your coffee needs.
A burr grinder, meaning your ground coffee will end up all the same, and it wont trap any coffee in odd places either, since its easy to open and clean.
The hopper holds up to 0.75 pounds of coffee beans, which means you can grind for the entire week ! I dont know about you but that sounds convenient to me, especially with a small container to keep the ground coffee in.
Its a heavier grinder, which is reasonable given that its got to keep in place when its working. So you can be sure your grinder wont waddle off the counter at some point.
You can , and read the reviews as well.
Using A Mug And Coffee Dripper
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Ensuring The Best Taste
Does Finer Grind Make Stronger Coffee
QUESTION: Does finer grind make stronger coffee? I like my coffee very strong. Vivian A
ANSWER: Do more finely ground coffee beans will make you a stronger cup of coffee? Not exactly, although your brewed coffee will taste stronger when you grind the coffee more finely. This may seem to be a bit of a contradictory statement, so let us explain what we mean a bit.
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How To Brew Coffee With A French Press
Even if you have the best pre-ground coffee for French Press, not brewing it right will keep you from experiencing its real taste. Using a press requires the right technique, and fortunately, you can master it with ease.
Heres how I brew my French Press coffee:
Ingredients You Need
Get all the ingredients ready, so you dont have to rush open the drawers to find anything in-between the process.
- Best pre-ground coffee for French Press
- Pre-ground coffee
Steps to Brew Press Coffee
Best Grind Size For Espresso Machines
Espresso is one of the most unique ways of brewing up a good cup of coffee. To get that great taste, youve got to master a complicated method. Everything needs to be perfect if youre going to pull the perfect shots. This starts with your grind.
Espresso ground coffee needs to be really quite fine. It should be very fine, almost powder. To make it easy, espresso has a simple way of letting you know the grind is wrong or right.
It should take 20-30 seconds to pull a shot of espresso with a properly functioning machine. If your grind is too coarse, then it will pass through the coffee too quickly and come out watery. If it is too fine, itll take too long and be bitter by the time it fills your shot glasses.
If youre struggling to find the exact right grind, time your shots and adjust the grind until it hits that sweet spot of taking 20-30 seconds.
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What Should I Do With Used Coffee Grinds
Since you cant re-use coffee grinds, you might be wondering what you can do with them? After youve spent time measuring your grind size to make sure everything is just right, it might feel like a waste to chuck them straight out.
Ground coffee tends to form into clumps in filters or espresso machines. These clumps are perfect for composting and easy to move. In a different form of brewing, the coffee is just as good but youll have to scrape it out a bit. You can put them in your soil.
They give your plants plenty of nutrients. If you dont have any plants to feed them too, sticking your grinds in a compostable waste bin lets them go back to the ground that they came from.
While you cant reuse coffee grinds, soil and plants can definitely get some great food out of them.
The Stylish Coffee Lover Who Wants A Handsome All
The background: The Chemex is essentially a one-piece brewer and coffee server with some quirks. The design, which was introduced in 1941 by chemist Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, makes it the most beautiful device out there, with thick glass in a conical shape hemmed in by a wooden collar and leather laces. Early versions used hand-blown glass and a more perfectly symmetrical shape, though newer ones have a rounder bulb and even glass handles for easier cleaning.
It looks great on the counter, kitchen table, or anywhere really, and the way the laboratory-like glass refracts and plays with the light when the coffee is in there makes the drink look alluring. Take it from renowned coffee expert and co-founder of Londons Square Mile Coffee James Hoffmann, who seems particularly smitten by the way coffee looks when brewed into a Chemex. And the standard 6-cup size makes more than enough coffee for two people, which makes the Chemex a great weekend brewing method for the family.
How it works: Grounds go into a filter on the top of the flask-shaped device, then you pour water over the top as the coffee drips into the compartment below. Hoffmann asserts that the Chemex isnt a perfect brewer, as the filters can sometimes lock in air and prevent a smooth flow of water, which is why the pouring spout has a divet to allow air to escape. The paper filters are thick, allowing for even extraction, but Chemex alone sells the filters you need .
Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker
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