When it becomes a habit to have a cup of coffee every morning, open your eyes and prepare to make a cup of coffee, as usual, only to find that the coffee machine is not working, experience has taught me not to panic first! Think about how they made coffee before the 15th century! They didn't have coffee machines back then either, so look at what other kitchen utensils are available and let my experience tell you how we make coffee without a coffee maker.
Relax, I would not recommend making cold brew coffee. Wouldn't it be such a terrible thing to have to wait for ten hours or so? And of course, instant coffee is not something I will share with you. The next thing to share must be the easy way to make fresh coffee, the second of which is my personal preference, especially when camping out and having a picnic.
Things to Keep in Mind When Brewing Coffee Without A Coffee Maker
Before preparing to make a cup of coffee without a coffee maker, let's see what the things that must be prepared are. Of course, we can be flexible.
Using freshly ground coffee powder - fresh coffee powder is our basic attitude. No grinder is not afraid, consider a hand-ground coffee maker (rechargeable and hand-cranked models), small and portable, whether outdoors or at home. It takes about 1-2 minutes for the fresh coffee powder to be made, which is very convenient.
Use fresh coffee beans - Whether the coffee is good and the flavor suits you is closely related to the coffee beans, so I recommend using coffee beans that are within two weeks of each other.
The right water - If you remember what I shared earlier about making coffee, you will understand why water is so important. Preferred water here is mineral water or at least necessarily soft water. How does filtered water affect coffee versus tap water? You can try it once and it will stick in your mind.
The right temperature - this depends on our brewing method. But it's okay if we don't have a thermometer, the easiest way is to just let the boiling water essence stand for 1-2 minutes and then brew.
Well, with this general premise in mind, let me share three ways I find it easy to make coffee for you.
Method #1: COWBOY COFFEE
Cowboy Coffee, the principle is to cook coffee powder with water directly in the pot.
In the early days, this was one of the more crude coffee brewing methods, probably a soldier taking an empty can directly over a campfire to heat it up, and the burnt bitterness of the brewed coffee was extremely strong, and sugar or spices had to be added to cover up its heavy negative taste.
However, if you can master the characteristics of this boiling method, can also make a good coffee.
This is also a good way to enhance the campfire experience when camping or barbecuing, so let's find out!
Step 1: When the water is heated to boiling, remove the fire and let it sit for two to three minutes to lower the water temperature to a suitable brewing temperature
Step 2: If you can know the capacity of the pot and spoon beforehand the best because in the field you can only use spoons and pots and pans, and you cannot weigh the amount of water and coffee, we can use 8.45 fl oz of water to 2 tablespoons of coffee powder.
A. Stir the coffee powder with hot water
B. Let stand for two minutes and stir again
C. Stir and let stand for two minutes
D. Add some cold water and let the coffee powder settle to the bottom
E. Pour the coffee as slowly as possible to avoid the coffee grounds from flowing into the cup
If you want to have another cup, try not to take any more coffee left in the pot to drink. Instead, when the coffee is brewed, pour it into a thermos first and then pour it out when you want to drink it so that the over-extraction does not cause the coffee to become bitter.
Although cowboy coffee does not have a very good reputation, it does not mean that cowboy coffee is a bad way to drink. All brewing conditions are in our hands, as long as the steps are correct, it will not make the coffee hard to swallow. Here are a few points that need extra attention.
1. not brewing according to the ratio, randomly adding coffee powder and water, resulting in an imbalance of concentration.
2. Placing the pot on the fire all the time, results in overheating the pot and making the coffee bitter
3. After heating, for fear of being scalded, let the coffee sit in the pot first and wait for it to cool, thus leading to the extraction of more negative flavors
4. When pouring coffee, not allowing the coffee grounds to settle, resulting in a large number of coffee grounds in the cup, affecting the drinking experience
Method #2: USE A COFFEE BAG
The principle is simple, use filter paper or professional coffee filter bags to fill the coffee, and then extract it like filter drip coffee.
Although using filter paper can be used, it is more troublesome and needs to be tied well. Now there is a professional filter bag for a coffee powder that fits most cups and is the way I use it more outdoors, and also for coffee at home, when I don't want to wash the coffee equipment, coffee filter bags are my first choice.
How to use it?
1. Tear open the coffee filter bag along the line, and fill it with the right amount of coffee powder, most of the market is 0.35 oz of powder
2. Slowly fill with hot water and leave for about 30 seconds
3. Fill again with hot water until the cup is full
4. 0.35 oz of coffee powder, we need about 5-6 fl oz of water, when the first filled water drips down to the cup, inject hot water again, about 2-3 times
5. After the water is completely dripping, remove the coffee powder packet, you can taste it!
The whole process is very simple, and there is no need to worry about the coffee grounds falling out of the cup to affect the taste. No need to clean the coffee appliance again, just clean the mug.
You only need to buy a box of coffee filter bags to meet the needs of about a month but also can be carried for outdoor use at any time.
Method #3: FRENCH PRESS COFFEE
It's okay if you don't want to buy filter paper, we can still use a French press!
The French press pot is also a well-known method of making coffee, and the production method is particularly simple. All you need is a French press pot (a small one, easy to store) and hot water, coffee powder to complete a cup of rich coffee, the taste is stronger than drip coffee, so how to use it?
1. Preheat the French press pot: fill the pot with boiling water, shake it slightly, let the hot water cover the pot, and then pour the water out
2. According to the ratio of coffee powder and water, pour in the right amount of coffee powder (nowadays, French press pots have a scale, which is very convenient)
3. Pour in about 194°F boiling water to wet all the coffee powder (the first time you add the water, you only need to wet the coffee powder), then wait for a minute, in order to let the coffee powder bloom, and then fill the rest of the water
4. Cover the lid, do not press the lever down first, and wait for the coffee powder to soak for 3-5 minutes
5. After 3-5 minutes, open the lid, stir the coffee liquid, then cover the lid, slowly and evenly down the lever, the coffee powder will be sunk in the bottom to pour out the coffee.
Note: The water-to-powder ratio can be 1 gram of powder, 0.5 fl oz of water
Conclusion
In addition to the above three ways, you may say "I have other ways", yes, there are other ways to make coffee, just three are the methods I recommend.
No matter which method you choose, please remember, please use fresh coffee powder, use soft water, and the right water-to-powder ratio. Otherwise, no matter how good the coffee machine is, no matter how good the method is, you will not be able to make a qualified cup of coffee.
