How to brew coffee without special equipment

Most of you surely have at least one coffeemaker at home these days, like an espresso machine, or a filter coffee machine, or a french press, or maybe aeropress.

Though you may find yourself in a situation when you don’t have any coffee devices at hand, or just want to try making your own brew for the first time. Let’s try to get the best of these tough circumstances.

Brewing coffee in a cup is the simplest immersion method. Most likely, you will be able to do it without too many preparations as all you need is coffee, a cup, and some boiling water.

If you have stocked up on some coffee beans, they are always preferred over ground coffee from a package.

Once coffee beans are ground, they come into contact with oxygen in the air, leading to oxidation. For a moment, oxidation is good: in the result of it different molecules are created, releasing the nicest aroma and flavour compounds from your coffee beans.

By brewing immediately after grinding, you capture and preserve the maximum freshness and intensity of the coffee. More than a half of it will be gone in just 15 minutes, and in 30 minutes ground coffee loses most of its essential oils which create its taste and aroma.

Oxidation will degrade the quality and freshness of the coffee, resulting in a less flavourful and more dull, stale-tasting cup.

As a matter of fact, beans begin to go stale as soon as they are roasted, but this process is much slower. If you store freshly roasted beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place, they will stay relatively fresh for up to 2 months.

Although beans can last that long after being roasted, it is still recommended to use them within the first 2 weeks. Check the package: roast date is usually the same as packing date.

Ideally, you grind your beans with a manual coffee grinder. What if you only have a spice grinder?

Here comes a disappointment: it won’t work as coffee grinders and spice grinders are designed differently.

We are looking for burrs because we want a consistent grind.

You can always ask to grind your coffee at the place you get beans from (if it’s a coffee shop offering beans for sell). Anything between fine and medium grind would do.

In the worst case use an electric grinder, keeping in mind the following tip. When grinding, turn it off a few times to distribute the coffee inside evenly because the blades tend to make very fine grind around them, while leaving bigger particles scattered across the walls and the cover.

When coffee grounds are of uniform size, they extract at a similar rate during brewing. This consistency ensures that flavours are extracted evenly from all the grounds, resulting in a balanced and well-rounded cup of coffee.

If the grounds are uneven, some particles may be over-extracted, leading to bitterness, while others may be under-extracted, resulting in a weak and lacking flavour.

Grinding coffee beans evenly ensures that each particle has a consistent surface area exposed to water during brewing. This promotes consistent extraction and allows for the optimal release of flavours and aromas.

Water directly affects the taste, aroma, and overall quality of the brewed coffee. The taste profile of coffee can be greatly influenced by the minerals, chemicals, and impurities that may be present in tap water.

Chlorine, for example, is often added to tap water as a disinfectant, but its strong taste and smell can interfere with the delicate flavours and aromas of the coffee.

Water with the right mineral balance helps preserve the natural characteristics of the coffee and enhances its taste. Use filtered or bottled water to avoid any unwanted effects on your cup of coffee. Look for bottled water that has a balanced mineral content: it should be neither too high nor too low (75-150 mg/l, or 0.0026-0.0053 oz).

The right water temperature is crucial. The ideal temperature for water used to brew coffee is typically between 90°C and 96°C (195° and 205°F).

When water reaches the boiling point, it extracts bitter compounds and high levels of tannins from the coffee grounds, resulting in a harsh taste.

This can overpower the desired flavours and make the coffee less enjoyable. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer) anywhere around, just let your boiling water sit for about one minute.

Let’s find out what your preferred coffee-to-water ratio is. The good news is, there’s no absolute “best” proportion. Besides, different methods of brewing call for different ratios.

Say, a commonly recommended point for filtered methods is a ratio between 1:16 and 1:17, meaning that you take 16-17 grams of water for every gram of coffee. However, you will stick with 1:2-3 ratio when making espresso (because of the pressure involved).

Or take cold brew where the water is not heated and it takes longer for the solids to extract. You may use a 1:5 coffee to water ratio for an intense, full-flavoured cold brew, and 1:8 for a milder taste.

Start with a universal proportion (10 grams/0.35oz of ground coffee per 180ml/6oz of water) and then adjust it based on your taste preferences to find your preferred ratio.

If you prefer a stronger cup of coffee, increase the amount of coffee or decrease the amount of water slightly. Conversely, if you prefer a milder cup, you can decrease the amount of coffee or increase the amount of water.

If you’re a coffee with milk addict, it’s a good idea to to use a slightly stronger ratio to ensure the coffee flavour stands out when mixed with milk.

Generally, a cup of any size, shape and material is suitable for brewing. However, there are a few tips that will help make the taste of coffee more enjoyable.

Take a thick-walled high cup and fill it with boiling water for a few seconds to warm it up. This will ensure the temperature of the water will stay very hot for a longer time.

In a higher cup the coffee particles will go down to the bottom instead of ending up in your mouth with the first sip. Don’t forget to cover your cup for the time of brewing.

How long to brew your coffee? A general guideline for brewing coffee is 2.5-3.5 minutes. This timeframe allows the hot water to extract the desirable flavours and compounds from the coffee grounds, resulting in a well-balanced cup of coffee.

Of course, brewing time can be adjusted based on the desired characteristics of the coffee.

If you prefer it more bitter, extend the brewing time slightly. Keep in mind that over-extraction begins if the coffee grounds are left in contact with the water for too long, usually exceeding 4-5 minutes.

During the process of over-extraction, undesirable compounds, such as bitter and astringent flavours, are released from the coffee grounds, leading to a harsh and unpleasant taste. The finer your ground is, the faster over-extraction happens.

To achieve the best flavour, use the general guideline as a starting point to further experiment with the brewing time. You can also play with other variables, such as grind size, water temperature, and coffee-to-water ratio, to find your ideal balance in a final coffee cup.

It’s recommended to adjust one variable at a time, otherwise you won’t be able to determine how this or that factor influences the coffee taste.

A balanced extraction is rich with flavours, nicely aromatic, preserves certain acidity, and even has a touch of low-noted bitterness to round out the flavour profile.

Once your coffee has finished brewing, it’s necessary to separate the liquid from the grounds. Carefully pour the liquids through a little sieve, or, if there’s none around you, just pour the coffee to another mug, keeping the grounds at the bottom.

If you happen to find a filter for any kind of brewing, just pour the liquids through it.

Your drink is ready. If desired, add any additional ingredients or garnishes to enhance the flavour of your coffee. This could include milk, sugar, sweeteners, spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.