A less-is-more approach to everyday living is now a part of our modern culture. However, if you’re not part of the minimalist movement but you travel a lot, camp regularly, wake up to a broken coffee maker, or want to know how to make coffee without a filter, you should read on. Perhaps you’re sick of a coffee maker taking up space on your counter, but you still need a strong caffeine boost in the morning. Whatever your situation, this article will cover the easiest way to brew coffee without a coffee maker.
How to Brew Coffee on Your Stovetop
The most basic way to brew your coffee without a coffee maker involves boiling coffee grounds in water. This method is often referred to as cowboy coffee and requires a campfire. This technique doesn’t require a campfire, but you will need a stovetop.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Coursely ground coffee (1-2 tablespoons per cup)
- Water (8+ ounces per cup)
- A pinch of salt
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Pot or saucepan
- Ladle or strainer (totally optional)
Note: For each 8-ounce cup, you will need 1 to 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee. If you want ot make more coffee, stick to this ratio. Remeber, that water will evaporate due to boiling, so use a little more water than the amount of coffee you want.
1.) Boil the Water
Heat the water over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the edges. This is when you’ll want to add a pinch of salt.
2.) Add the Coffee to the Water
Make sure to give the mixture a nice stir and make sure that your grounds aren’t clumped together.
3.) Boil the Coffee
Boil the mixture for roughly 2-3 minutes without covering your pot. You’ll want to stir the mixture occasionally so the grounds don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
4.) Allow the Coffee to Steep
Once your coffee has boiled for a few minutes, remove the pot from the heat source and allow the mixture to steep for roughly five minutes. Doing so gives the grounds a chance to settle to the bottom of the pot.
5.) Serve & Enjoy
Once you’ve let your stovetop coffee steep and the grounds have settled to the bottom of the pot, it’s time to serve your coffee with a ladle. You can also opt to gently pour it into a cup while preventing the grounds from coming out. You’ll likely end up with some grounds in your cup, so you may not want to drink the final sip of your coffee. Since you’re making your cowboy coffee in your kitchen, you can always use a strainer to reduce the number of grounds that end up in your cup.
Other Methods to Brew Coffee Without a Coffee Maker
The cowboy method of brewing coffee without a coffee maker is without question the easiest and doesn’t require any special equipment. However, if you prefer a cleaner cup of coffee with less silt, you can try one of the following methods, both of which do not require a coffee maker.
The Mason Jar Method
If you prefer to avoid using a campfire or stovetop, you can always resort to the mason jar approach. This method requires hot water, coffee, and a mason jar (or another heat-proof container).
To brew your coffee via the mason jar method, you’ll need to combine coarsely ground coffee with boiling water. Make sure your container is made of tempered glass or another material that will not crack due to a sudden change in temperature. Next, you need to let your coffee steep for about 5 minutes and then carefully pour it into a mug. You can use a strainer at this point if you wish to do so.
The Coffee Bag Method
If you’ve ever brewed a cup of tea, then you’re familiar with this method since you’ll essentially steep coffee-filled teabags in hot water.
You can purchase soft coffee pods online, which will also work with some single-serve coffee machines. You can also opt to make your own soft coffee pods. An easy way to make your own soft coffee pods is to place your coffee grounds in a coffee filter and securely close it with a string or twist tie. Next, you need to steep your coffee bag in boiling water for 5 minutes, and voila – you have a great cup of coffee!
Closing Thoughts
The key to brewing coffee without a coffee maker is boiling water. If you are without electricity or don’t have a gas stove and are struggling to get your caffeine fix, you can heat water on a grill or an outdoor fire. Heck, there are even coffee pots that you can plug into your car! These and the other options above require only the essentials and don’t take up any counter space.
While there are numerous different and creative ways to brew coffee without a coffee maker, does anyone seriously want to use a sock to brew their coffee? If you want to be prepared in the event of a power outage or an unexpected breakdown of your Keurig, do yourself a huge favor – get some coffee filters the next time you go to the store and stash them in your pantry for emergencies. For the minimalists out there, make sure you can part ways with your coffee maker before you decide that you no longer require its service.
