Whether you’re on a camping trip without cooking gear, you’re renting a vacation rental and there’s no proper coffee maker, or you just don’t want to spend money on expensive brewing equipment – we have good news. There are several ways to take the DIY approach to whip up a fresh batch of joe. With a little effort and ingenuity, you can easily make coffee without a coffee maker – let’s take a look at a few foolproof ways to do so.
Before You Start Making Coffee
There are a few things to do before making your own coffee. This includes the following:
- Pick up fresh coffee, ideally beans. If they’re stored in an air-tight container, beans should last for several months. If they’re too old, they might be stale and have a much too bitter taste.
- Grind your beans right before making coffee. The sooner you can start making coffee after the grinding process, the better. Grounds are freshest immediately after grinding.
- Layout your supplies, including a mug, cream, sugar, and spoon so you can enjoy your coffee right away.
- Get your water to the right temperature of about 200°F.
How To Brew Coffee Without A Coffee Maker
1) The Easy Way With Stovetop Coffee
This is the way that people made coffee before fancy drip machines, K-Cups, and espresso makers; by heating up water and adding coffee grounds. The most reliable method is to use the stovetop, but you could also use the microwave, open campfire or any other capable heat source. Follow the steps below to make one cup of coffee on the stove:
- Add 12 ounces of cold water to a saucepan, place on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add two tablespoons of coffee to the saucepan and a pinch of sugar if you enjoy a sweeter taste.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally for two to four minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand for about five minutes, or until it’s sippable.
- Pour the coffee from the saucepan through a mesh strainer into your mug to prevent grounds from getting into your beverage. Repeat this step as many times as needed to remove the grounds.
2) Do-It-Yourself Coffee Pod
This DIY coffee pod is simple to make as long as you have some extra filters and enough coffee to make sure the final result is flavorful. This approach also involves boiling coffee on the stovetop and allows you to control how bitter your coffee is. Follow the instructions to make a DIY coffee pod at home:
- Lay down a filter on a flat surface and add four tablespoons of coffee (the more you add the less the flavor can dissipate during the brewing process).
- Fold the filter over and tie the ends with twine or other safe fastener to create the “pod”.
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Place the pod into your mug, pour in enough water to cover the bag, and leave to soak for half a minute.
- Pour more boiling water into your coffee cup to the desired level and steep for four minutes.
- Remove the bag and enjoy!
3) Simple At-Home Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is known for its strong taste and higher caffeine content than most other regular coffees. This is due to the type of beans used and the brewing method. While this may not give you the same java you’d find at a Turkish coffeehouse, it can get you close to the real thing. In the end, you’ll have a full-bodied, frothy beverage that you’ll be able to sip down easily. Just follow the steps outlined below to craft this delicious brew:
- Over low heat, add 12 ounces of cold water to a small saucepan.
- Add two tablespoons of coffee and a pinch of sugar to reduce bitterness.
- Remove the water from heat after it starts simmering and skim off foam into a mug.
- Return the pan to low heat and let it reach a simmering temperature again.
- Remove from heat and pour half the coffee into your mug.
- Return the pan to low heat a final time for another 15 to 30 seconds and pour the rest into your mug.
- Allow the coffee to cool and for the grounds to sink to the bottom. After a few minutes, enjoy!
4) Concoct Cold Brew Without A Coffee Maker
Cold-brew is quite simple to make on your own, even without proper equipment. As a great alternative to hot coffee, cold brew is smooth, sweet, and delicious on hot days. The brewing process differs, however, in that you immerse the grounds in cold water and let them sit for an extended period of time. With hot coffee, you would pour hot water over the grounds to extract its oils, acids, and sugars. Take this longer approach to develop a coffee that’s deliciously refreshing and surprisingly strong:
- Mix 16 ounces of water and about five tablespoons of freshly ground coffee in a container and stir to saturate the grounds.
- Cover the container and leave it to sit at room temperature for about 20 hours.
- After 20 hours, pour the coffee through a mesh strainer to remove grounds from the final brew. Repeat this step as many times as needed to remove the grounds.
- Dilute with water to taste, and serve over ice or place your concoction in the refrigerator where it will stay fresh-tasting for up to two weeks.
5) Bring The Taste Of France To Your Home
A French press is a unique-looking device you’ve probably seen around people’s kitchens or at coffeehouses. It looks like a glass pitcher with a plunger device affixed to the top, but it’s not essential to make a delightful French press coffee. Like the Turkish and cold brew methods, this type of brewing process keeps grounds steeped in water for an extended period of time and then separates the grounds by pressing down the plunger. A DIY approach to this is actually easier than it may seem:
- Gather a mug, deep bowl, and spoon.
- Boil water in a saucepan.
- Add two tablespoons of coffee to your bowl.
- Saturate the grounds with a few drops of boiling water and let sit for up to 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining water to your bowl.
- Take your spoon and press the coffee grounds to the bottom of the bowl.
- After the grounds appear to have soaked into the water, hold the grounds at the bottom of the bowl and pour the coffee into your mug.
Now You Can Make Coffee When The Moment Strikes You
Now that you have a few easy-to-follow methods of making coffee without a coffee maker, you can enjoy your favorite cup of java whenever you want! Just give any of the above DIY strategies using things around your home and you’ll never be left without a quick caffeinated pick me up, regardless of where life takes you.
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