Brewing Coffee (without a coffee maker)

One of my first jobs was at a small coffee shop. I worked there for a few years and met some of my best friends through that little place. This time of year I really miss it. I used to curl up next to the espresso machine on cold mornings, and drink pumpkin spice coffee all day. It definitely ruined me to Starbucks coffee. I can take a latte from there every once and a while, but I can’t drink any of their regular coffee.

These days I’m more of a tea drinker, but every once and a while I have a big craving for a big cup of coffee! A long time ago I used to have a French Press I loved, but one of my room mates broke it back when I lived in Philly, and I never got around to replacing it. Last week I found myself with an intense coffee craving. I had grounds, but nothing to actually make it in, so I thought I’d just experiment with making it without one, and actually found it’s pretty easy!

Supplies.

Good coffee grounds // regular coffee filter // a small strainer or colander (I believe mine is from the dollar store) // a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl that the strainer can comfortably fit on top of

Fit your filter into your strainer or colander and add your coffee grounds (this can vary from usually 1-2 Tbsp per cup of coffee, depending on how you like it). Set this overtop of your measuring cup or bowl. Being careful, pour very hot water over your coffee grounds, making sure you don’t overfill (I like to put my hot water in another measuring cup beforehand so I know I’m using the right amount of water). Allow to drip for two minutes. Remove your strainer and enjoy!

It’s really easy, and maybe some of you have already done this before. It’s a lot like those fancy pour over contraptions they sell, except without the fancy. It’s also a great thing to keep in mind if you don’t drink coffee but you have friends and guests who come frequently who do.

On a side note, I used to drink my coffee black everyday when I worked at the coffee shop. Now? I love me some cream and sugar. Maybe some of you think that’s awful, but hey! It’s all about enjoying it to me:)