Have you ever wondered how to make ground coffee?
Making delicious beverages with coffee grounds doesn’t have to mean using a coffee maker. While these machines can make life simpler, there are a number of different ways to brew coffee. In fact, you might discover a new method of preparing freshly roasted coffee, which you may find better than using a standard device.
Today, we’re going to be looking at how to make ground coffee without a coffee maker. These are the strategies you can use when the traditional coffee maker isn’t available, but you still want to enjoy a delicious brew every morning. These methods are excellent for when a drip coffee maker or a whole-bean coffee machine isn’t an option.
The Best Ways to Brew Coffee
Using a coffee maker is obviously the easiest way to brew coffee every morning. You can get coffee makers that transform coffee beans into coffee grounds for you and machines capable of converting coarsely ground coffee into delicious drinks.
However, if you can’t rely on amazing coffee from a coffee machine and you hate the taste of instant coffee, there are alternative options. Resourceful coffee lovers have found a range of ways to enjoy their morning cup of coffee when machines aren’t available. Here are just some of our favourite options.
Making Coffee With a Stove Top
This is a great option if you’re making coffee with your stove at home or a camp stove in some cases. Using basics from your kitchen, you can brew stovetop coffee pretty quickly. All you need to get started is some water, ground coffee, and a small saucepan. Get a small spoon, a ladle, and a mug ready too.
To make your coffee, boil water in your pan, placing the coffee grounds directly into the water. You’ll need to add slightly more cold water than you’d like, as the water will evaporate and boil off over time. Leave the water to heat up and occasionally stir to ensure you don’t burn the grounds onto the bottom of the pan. Your coffee should boil uncovered for about two minutes, but you can adjust your brew time to suit your personal preferences.
Remove your pot from the stove and let it sit for about four minutes, allowing the grounds to settle on the bottom. You can then use the ladle to scoop coffee into your mug. Try to avoid pouring any grounds into your cup too.
The Coffee Bag Brewing Method
If the stovetop method doesn’t appeal to you, you might prefer to make coffee without the risk of getting grounds into your drink too. One option could be to steep your coffee, similar to when you brew a cup of tea. You can make yourself a bag for brewing your coffee at home using a coffee filter.
To use this method, you’ll need your coffee grounds, some string (don’t use wax-coated string), a coffee filter, a mug, and hot water. To make your drink, measure a serving of coffee grounds and pour them into your filter. Close the filter, making a pouch for your grounds using the string.
You can then place the bag in a cup. So you can avoid trying to get the bag out of the boiled water with a spoon, leave enough string outside of the cup to remove it that way.
You can then boil water however you choose, using a pan, kettle, or another heat source, like a microwave, and pour it over the bag. The steeping time you choose will depend on how strong you want the coffee to be. Usually, it’s best to leave the makeshift filter bag brewing for around four minutes.
The Strainer Method
If you’re not blown away by the saucepan method or the tea bag style option, you could consider the strainer method instead. This is a good option for making coffee without a machine if your coffee maker isn’t working.
You should have a strainer handy somewhere in your home. Like the stovetop method mentioned above, you can use boiled water and strained grounds to make a good cup of coffee. The strainer needs to have very small holes for this method to work.
Measure the right amount of water for a cup of coffee into your pan and add the right amount of coarse-grind coffee into the water in the pan. As you did above, bring the water to a boil, and keep it boiling for a couple of minutes before removing it from the heat. Hold the strainer above your cup as you pour the coffee mixture out. This will stop grounds from falling into your drink.
You might want to pour your coffee mixture into a bowl or jug to make it easier to pour if your cup is quite small. Add more of the remaining water to reduce the flavour.
Faux French Press Method
A faux French press method for making the freshest coffee is one of the best ways to make great coffee from coarse grind beans without a coffee maker. You’ll need:
- deep bowl
- coffee grounds
- hot water
- a cup
- tablespoon
Start by placing one tablespoon of your coffee grounds into your bowl – not the coffee mug yet. Pour a small amount of hot water into the bowl, allowing the freshly ground beans to saturate in the water. Add the appropriate amount of hot water to the grounds in your bowl for the number of cups of coffee you want, and let it stand for about four minutes.
When the grounds have settled, use the spoon to press the grounds down, similar to how a French press coffee pot would push the grounds down. As you pour your coffee into your coffee mug, be careful not to splash yourself with the boiling water. Try to keep the grounds on the bottom of the bowl with your spoons.
The Cowboy Coffee Method
Cowboy coffee is a term you might have heard before you ever had a French press or coffee pot. A few decades ago, before coffee filters and French press machines were commonplace items, you would usually use the cowboy method to brew your coffee.
This method involves placing a tablespoon or so of coffee grounds into your kettle or coffee pot. Place the kettle on a source of heat to make boiling water, and after the water has boiled for around 2 minutes, remove it from the heat. Wait for around four minutes to allow the grounds to sink to the bottom of the pot, then pour the coffee slowly into your cup.
Try to avoid getting any of the coffee grounds into your mug for the freshest coffee experience. You can get filters from the grocery store to avoid eating the grounds.
Microwave Coffee
This is one of the easier and faster methods of filling your coffee cup when you don’t have a coffee mag option or a coffee maker available. Microwave coffee is probably the most common way to make coffee without a coffee maker – although it may not brew amazing coffee every time.
For this method, all you need is a coffee cup, your microwave, coffee grounds, and some water. Fill the mug with water, and pop it in the microwave to get the cold water as hot as possible. The microwave can be a good place to heat water when you don’t want it to be boiling.
When the water is hot, stir in a tablespoon of coffee grounds, and let them sit for a few minutes so that the grounds will settle to the bottom of the mug. You can then drink the cup as it is or use paper filters to strain the drink into another mug.
The Cold Brew Method
If you don’t want to mess around with hot water, you can always consider a cold brew method instead. To use this strategy, you’ll need some paper filters or cheesecloth, two mason jars, some coarse coffee grounds, water, and a refrigerator.
To make cold brew coffee without a machine, add a tablespoon or so of coffee to water in a mason jar and stir everything together. You may have to experiment with the amount of coffee to add based on how large your jars are (Some are about six ounces).
Put everything in your fridge and wait for it to brew for around 14-24 hours. You can pour water into the mix to dilute it if it seems too strong. You won’t need a heat source for the above strategy, but your coffee will still be “brewed” enough to create a unique taste. Add sugar and sea salt for flavour.
Brewing Coffee the Easy Way
A cup of coffee can seem impossible to make when you don’t have your favourite coffee machine to help you or an instant coffee bag. The good news is that anyone can make a cup of coffee with the remaining boiled water in their kettle and a few simple steps. Using the tips above, you’ll be able to make a great cup of brewed coffee from the grounds in no time.
As you use the above steps, remember that it can take a while to find the perfect method for brewing your coffee. If you think the drink tastes under-extracted or too weak, you might need to add coffee to the mixture. If you add coffee, you can also add sea salt and other substances to add extra flavour.
It might also be worth it to pour half of your water into your coffee grounds and then test the flavour, and you can always add coffee, more sea salt, or more water to your coffee pot as you go.
Whether you choose a coffee bag or a cowboy method to make coffee without a coffee maker, you’ll never have to go a day without a fresh cup of coffee.
