Coffee how to make coffee

9 Rules for How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee

A good cup of coffee in the morning can set the mood for your whole day. But when the coffee shops are closed, relying on a barista to serve your daily cup may not be an option for you. If that’s the case, you might be looking to brew a good cup yourself. And, depending on the amount of coffee you drink a day, it could also save you some cash. With these nine simple rules, you’ll be able to make your own perfect cup of coffee every morning, right in your own home.

It’s easier than you think—simple things like storing your beans correctly and using the best filters will prevent unwanted bitterness or off-flavors from your cup. Whether your morning coffee is made up of estate-grown beans and an elaborate brew process or you like a supermarket blend with a drip coffee maker, follow these basic rules for a delicious, satisfying cup of coffee—every single time.

How to Make Coffee

There are three common brewing methods for coffee at home. The long-standing favorite has been a classic drip coffee machine, but pour-over coffee at home is becoming increasingly more popular, and the French press is an easy favorite as well. Find out how to make coffee with all three methods with these easy steps.

Before you get started, you should know that weighing your ground coffee yields better results than using measuring cups, measuring spoons or coffee scoops to measure your coffee. A digital kitchen scale is very handy–we’ve provided the measurements by weight for accuracy, but we also provided the measuring-spoon equivalents. That said, as a general rule, we recommend about 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of ground coffee per 8-ounce cup of coffee. For 4 cups of coffee, that’s about 60 grams (4 tablespoons) of ground coffee.

How to Make Pour Over Coffee

Arguably the best method for a delicious, aromatic and complex cup of coffee, the pour-over coffee maker won’t disappoint.

How to Use a French Press

Caffeinate like a European and make your morning coffee with a French press.

How to Make Drip Coffee

On a hectic morning, nothing beats the simplicity of a drip coffee machine. Depending on your machine, you could make up to 12 cups at a time!

Tips for Making the Best Coffee

Rule 1: Buy Fresh Beans

Without question, coffee is best when used within days of being roasted. Buying from a local roaster (but you can roast coffee yourself) is the surest way to get the absolute freshest beans. Be wary of buying bulk coffee from supermarket display bins. Oxygen and bright light are the worst flavor busters for roasted beans, so unless the store is conscientious about selling fresh coffee, the storage tubes get coated with coffee oils, which turn rancid. Coffee beans packaged by quality-conscious roasters and sold in sturdy, vacuum-sealed bags are often a better bet.

Rule 2: Keep Coffee Beans Fresh

Always store opened coffee beans in an airtight container. Glass canning jars or ceramic storage crocks with rubber-gasket seals are good choices. Never refrigerate (roasted beans are porous and readily take up moisture and food odors). Flavor experts strongly advise against ever freezing coffee, especially dark roasts. Optimally, buy a five- to seven-day supply of fresh beans at a time and keep them at room temperature.

Rule 3: Choose Good Coffee If It’s Within Your Budget

Snobbism among coffee drinkers can rival that of wine drinkers, but the fact is that an astonishing world of coffee tastes awaits anyone willing to venture beyond mass-marketed commercial brands. Specialty coffees that clearly state the country, region or estate of origin can provide a lifetime of tasting experiences. There are two major beans on the market–Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are more widely produced, have a wider range of flavors and are generally considered the «better bean.» By all means, look for 100% pure Arabica beans. The cheap alternatives may contain Robusta beans, noted for their higher caffeine content but harsh flavors. «Nasty» is a term commonly linked to Robusta coffees by Arabica devotees. But these types of coffee can be expensive. If your barista budget has taken a hit, there are plenty of good grocery store brands that deliver your morning buzz at half the price of fancy beans.

Rule 4. Grind Your Own

Coffee starts losing quality almost immediately upon grinding. The best-tasting brews are made from beans ground just before brewing. Coffee connoisseurs prefer to grind in expensive burr mills, but affordable electric «whirly blade» grinders like Bodum will do a serviceable job, especially if the mill is rocked during grinding to get a fine, even particle size. (Scoop for scoop, finer grinds yield more flavor.)

How to Make Coffee: 6 Ways

Want to make the best coffee at home? Here’s how to make coffee 6 ways: pour over, French press, cold brew, espresso and more!

Over here at A Couple Cooks, we are unashamedly coffee obsessed. And it’s not about caffeine (really!). It’s that cozy feeling you get when you’re holding a warm, fragrant cup and embrace the promise of a new day. Since research seems to indicate that drinking coffee is A-OK (as long as you’re not overdosing), we are 100% passionate about sharing the love of a great cup of joe. Here’s how to make coffee at home: 6 different ways!

The journey toward great coffee

I first got into coffee while studying in Spain. In my university building in Madrid, there was a little cafe that served café con leche. The flavor was incredibly strong, perfect mixed with the creamy milk and sugar: and it was the best I’d ever tasted. Café con leche was my gateway to trying espresso: that astringent dark bitter liquid in a tiny cup. On our honeymoon to Rome and the Amalfi Coast in Italy, Alex and I drank espresso with breakfast in bed, and at a little Roman cafes with a pastry.

Alex and I brought back our new European coffee habit to the US, mainly drinking dark roast coffee like the Italian espresso that we loved. After a few years, our coffee tastes changed when we met our neighbors, Sarah and Andy of Blue Mind Roasting. They taught us about the nuanced flavor of craft medium roast and light roast coffee. At first, light roast tasted oddly floral and almost like tea! But after starting to drink their light roast and medium roast coffees, we began to appreciate the unique flavors of single origin beans. We’ve been making this coffee in our Chemex every morning ever since. Keep reading for how we learned to make the best cup of coffee.

And now…how to make coffee!

After years of cultivating a passionate love for brewing, we’ve perfected all our favorite methods. Here are our top 6 ways of how to make coffee: pour over, French press, cold brew, Moka pot, Aeropress, and espresso. Ready to get started?

How to Make Coffee: 17 Best Coffee Brewing Methods (Ultimate Recipe Guide)

Posted on Last updated: July 19, 2022

Most of us know at least one way to make coffee, right? But if you’re like me you want to know how to make coffee in lots of ways because each way brings out different flavor notes.

This post has you covered with 17 different ways to make coffee. Each is complete with recipes and how to videos. Which is the best way to make coffee? I’ll let you decide.

Table of Contents

How to Make Coffee: 17 Ways

People from every country in the world make coffee in a myriad of ways. Trying local coffee is one way to enjoy a unique cultural experience.

But don’t worry if you can’t travel, you can make coffee at home and bring some of that culture (and deliciousness) into your life.

So with that in mind, we’ve created this beginner’s guide of 17 coffee-making methods (with instructions!)

This post is focused on different ways to make coffee and some of the great coffee gear you’ll need to brew it.

To read about all the different types of coffee, drinks, beans, and roasts… check out this guide.

And when it comes to keeping your coffee tasting it’s best don’t forget about how important it is to clean your coffee gear including the maker/machine.

Following this set of 17 ways to brew coffee, you’ll learn 7 tips for making great coffee.

17 Coffee Brewing Methods

Let’s start with the most common way to make coffee, the drip coffee maker.

This may seem obvious to some, but if you’re just getting started in the coffee game and you’ve bought your first electric drip coffee maker you need to know how to use it.

1. Drip Coffee Maker

The automatic drip coffee maker is one of the easiest, fastest, and most common ways of making coffee in today’s culture.

Drip coffee recipe

Within just a few minutes (depending upon how many cups you’re making), the unit heats the water while it runs through the ground coffee and drips below into the carafe.

If your primary goal for coffee making is getting your daily dose of caffeine to carry you throughout the day, then the drip coffee maker is a great choice.

You can also set up your drip coffee maker the night before with grounds and water and then just push the button the next morning when you’re still half asleep or rushing around trying to get ready for work. This is also a good method for making a batch of coffee if you’re entertaining at home or making coffee for the office.

With a drip coffee maker, you’re not going to get the same full-flavored cup of coffee that you would from another method like the French press. Still, it’s inexpensive (depending), easy to use, and it delivers a quick caffeine fix.

If you’re looking for a new drip coffee maker you might be interested in this popular choice on Amazon.

How to use a drip coffee maker video:

The following video will show how to use a drip coffee maker.

2. French Press Coffee Maker

Of all the methods out there about how to make coffee, the French press is probably the most iconic of them all.

It has a French name but was patented in Italy nearly 100 years ago, yet it still remains the method of choice for many coffee lovers today.

The French press is a basic process that only involves hot water, a glass (or metal) beaker and a plunger. Because you don’t usually use a filter with the French press, you get the full flavor effect from the coffee beans.

The French press is not as effortless and fast as a drip coffee maker, but you can customize your brew to suit your taste. This is ideal for those whose aim is to savor the perfect cup of coffee.

French Press coffee recipe

In the mood to try out a french press? Here’s a great option on Amazon.

How to make coffee with a french press video:

The following video shows how to make coffee in a french press.

3. Pour Over Coffee Maker

A pour-over coffee maker is going to require a little more time and effort than the push of a button on the drip coffee maker, so it may not be for everyone.

But, what’s really great about this method is that it gives you total control over the brewing process so that you can customize your coffee to your own preference. Once you taste the smooth, clean, and light-bodied results, you’ll wonder why you never knew how to make coffee this way before.

When you make pour-over coffee you funnel it through the ground coffee in a cone-shaped filter where a hole (or series of small holes) slows the rate of the water as it brews the coffee.

You can choose pour-over coffee brewers in various styles, shapes, and sizes. Some are small devices that you place over a single mug or carafe. Others are built right onto the top of a carafe, but they all basically work the same way.

Pour over coffee maker recipe

To get your brew just right for you, you’ll need to experiment a few times with the water temperature, grind size, water/grind ratio, and pouring rate.

But, once you find your sweet spot, you’ll love your coffee.

If you’re looking for a quality pour over maker here’s a Hario V60 on Amazon.

How to make coffee with a pour over video:

Making pour over coffee is pretty easy. The following video will show the basics of brewing with a pour over.

4. Chemex Coffee Maker

One of the most popular of the pour-over brewers, the Chemex coffee maker looks more like a decorative, glass kitchen vase than a coffee-making gadget.

It uses thick, bonded filters that slow the rate of the coffee, providing you with a rich-tasting brew without any sediment. Another nice benefit of the Chemex is that you can make 3 to 4 cups of coffee at one time.

Like other pour over methods, you’ll need to play around a few times with the water/grind ratio and brewing time to find your perfect equation where the coffee is not over or under-extracted. This is where a timer and thermometer come in handy.

Otherwise, the Chemex is easy to use with these basic steps:

Chemex coffee maker recipe

Here’s a Chemex on Amazon if you want to pick one up and give it a try.

How to make pour over coffee video:

This video will show how to make pour over coffee with a Chemex which is my favorite way to make pour over.

In the video, they use 1 to 2 heaping teaspoons per cup but I use 2 tablespoons of coffee per cup of water, that may even out to be about the same amount, but just thought I would mention how I like mine.

5. Cold Brew Maker

If you’ve never tried making cold brew coffee, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s not the same thing as iced coffee, which is coffee that’s been brewed hot and then chilled.

Cold brew coffee is coffee that’s been steeped slowly with cold water for 12 to 24 hours. It results in a coffee concentrate that is usually diluted when you drink it.

Because cold brew coffee is made with cold water instead of hot, the coffee acids and oils are not a soluble as they are in hot water which results in a more smooth and mellow brew with no bitterness. It is also much less acidic, making it gentler for those with sensitive stomachs.

Making cold brew coffee is easy. You can even do it with a mason jar, but using a cold brew maker gives you the ability to make a large batch that can last you up to two weeks.

Cold brew coffee recipe

To enjoy drinking your cold brew, you can dilute it with water or milk. You can add spices, flavors and other ingredients to make a variety of coffee drinks. Or, you can simply heat it up and drink it hot if you wish.

Here’s a popular cold brew maker on Amazon.

How to make cold brew coffee video:

Next, you’ll see how to make cold brew coffee at home.

6. Iced Coffee

Iced Coffee Tips: Cold brew coffee makes the best-tasting iced coffee because of the flavor, but also because it is already cold.

When making iced coffee from hot coffee make it nice and strong (about 3 tbsp per cup) because it will be diluted by the ice cubes used to cool it, plus the additional ice to keep it cold.
Use a liquid sweetener (liquid sugar, maple syrup…) because it dissolves better in cold liquid than regular sugar does.

For many, iced coffee is a treat that they drink occasionally like at a cafe with friends or during the hot summer. But, if you know how to make iced coffee at home, you can enjoy it as often as you like.

Three iced coffee recipes

You can make iced coffee at home using either the cold or hot brew methods. You can also make it really quick and easy with instant coffee.

1. Making iced coffee with cold brew

If you already have cold-brewed coffee on hand, you can dilute it with a little water and some ice cubes, then add in any sugar, cream or flavorings you wish.

If you don’t already have a batch of cold brew coffee in the refrigerator, you’ll have to first make some (described above in our 5th brewing method on this list) and that may take you anywhere from 12 to 24 hours.

But, at least then you can make several cups or glasses of iced coffee at a time for use over a couple of weeks. Iced coffee made from cold-brewed coffee is ideal because it gives you a smooth, naturally sweet taste.

And because cold brew is a concentrate it lasts longer (remaining flavorful) in the fridge than hot brewed coffee.

2. Making iced coffee with hot brew

You can also make iced coffee from hot brewed coffee. However, the key to getting the best taste is to cool the coffee as quickly as you can because the longer hot brewed coffee sits and cools, the more bitter it may become.

This is why you’ll need to immediately pour your hot brewed coffee over ice cubes. The sudden mixture of hot and cold temperatures like this can shatter your cups, so to prevent this, make sure you use mugs or drinking glasses that are thermal shock resistant.

When making iced coffee from hot brewed coffee, you can use any of the methods on this list such as the French press, drip coffee maker, pour-over brewer, etc.

The only difference will be that you add ice cubes to the carafe, beaker or mug to quickly cool the hot water as it drips or pours down. You can also use an iced coffee maker if you like.

The Ninja Coffee Bar is a great option. We received one as a review copy and I love it. It has an “over ice” setting that brews up iced coffee quickly. It also accounts for the ice in your mug by brewing the coffee rich and slow so it isn’t too diluted and the ice doesn’t melt very much.

Add-ins for your iced coffee

If you like your iced coffee to be sweet, you can make a liquid sugar sweetener ahead of time by mixing boiling water and sugar with a 1:1 ratio until the sugar is dissolved.

This is a good idea since sugar doesn’t dissolve that well in cold drinks. If you want to spice up your iced coffee, you can add syrup flavors like vanilla or caramel. I love maple syrup in mine.

3. Making iced coffee with instant coffee

The fastest way to make iced coffee is with quality instant coffee. All you need to do is mix a packet of instant coffee with a couple of tablespoons of room-temperature water and stir until the coffee crystals are completely dissolved.

Add in the rest of the water and ice cubes and sweeten according to your preferences with a liquid sweetener, cream, and/or flavoring.

How to make iced coffee video

In the following video, you’ll see how iced coffee is made using the pour-over method. She uses around 3 tbsp of coffee to make a nice strong brew because it will be diluted with ice.

7. Coffee Percolator

You either hate them or love them. Percolators are an old-fashioned method for making coffee that has been around for a long time. You’ll find them in both stovetop and electric stand-alone units.

Many people love them because they produce a pleasant aroma and “percolating” sound that makes your morning routine more enjoyable. Plus, stovetop percolators are safe for the environment since they don’t require disposable paper filters or single-use cups like many other types of coffee makers today.

Some people hate percolators because they produce a bitter cup. The reason for this is that percolators boil the brew multiple times, causing over-extraction and a bitter taste.

However, percolator fans will assure you that if you watch the boiling time, you will be rewarded with a wonderful, rich-tasting cup.

Percolator coffee recipe

How to make coffee in a percolator video:

The following video will show how to make coffee in a coffee percolator.

It is percolated for 7 minutes but you can experiment and see how long to percolate yours for the flavor you like best.

8. Espresso Machine

Espresso drinks are favored by those who love a thick, strong brew that delivers a powerful jolt of caffeine.

It’s also the base that’s used for many popular coffee drinks such as a latte or cappuccino.

Espresso machines come in a variety of styles, shapes and sizes with lots of features that can appear intimidating if you’ve never used one. Some are automatic, and all you need to do is push a set of buttons.

They all work basically the same way. They force a small amount of hot water through finely-ground coffee at a fast speed. The end result is a sharp, rich brew that’s topped with a thick natural crema.

Espresso coffee recipe

Once your shot is completed, make sure to immediately discard the coffee grounds to prevent cooking leftover espresso into a grimy muck and damaging the machine.

How to make espresso with an espresso machine video:

The following video will show how to make espresso with an espresso machine.

9. Stovetop Espresso Maker / Moka Pot

Moka Pot Tips: Don’t fill the water chamber above the pressure valve.

Remove the Moka pot from the heat as soon as it’s finished brewing. You’ll know it’s done when you hear that last blast of steam.

If you can’t afford an espresso machine but want the creamy texture and caffeine kick of a pressurized espresso shot, you should give a Moka pot a try.

Also called a stovetop espresso maker, the Moka pot may not give you the exact results of an espresso machine, but it comes pretty close. Besides that, the Moka pot is portable, affordable and requires little effort and skill.

The Moka pot consists of a three-chambered device that you use on the stovetop. Water from the bottom chamber boils, causing steam to pressurize through the coffee grounds in the middle chamber. The coffee then flows up through an inner tube into the top chamber.

Moka pot coffee recipe

If you want to make a latte or some other fancy, espresso-type drink, steam some milk and froth it with a frothing wand or jug. Then, pour it over your coffee and enjoy.

How to make coffee with a Moka pot video:

10. Aeropress Coffee Maker

The Aeropress has a large fan base among coffee lovers. There are plenty of good reasons for this such as the clean, clear delicious cup of coffee it produces and the fact that it’s very affordable.

The Aeropress kit comes with several accessories, but don’t let that scare you. It’s one of the easiest and fastest methods of how to make coffee.

In fact, it’s pretty much just pour and push after heating your water.

Aeropress coffee recipe

How to use an Aeropress video:

The following video will show how to brew coffee in the Aeropress as described above.

That’s all there is to using the Aeropress!

11. Coffee Sock

It’s surprising that the coffee sock maker is not used by everyone. Not only is it the easiest method of how to make coffee, but it’s environment-friendly, super easy to use, and really low-priced. It’s also ideal for campers and travelers because it is small and lightweight.

Best of all, the coffee sock produces a great cup of coffee that’s rich and flavorful because it allows the oils from the coffee to seep through the brewing process.

All you need is coffee grounds, your mug, and a coffee sock which is a tightly-knitted, reusable cloth filter with an attached metal or wooden handle. Here’s how it works:

Coffee sock recipe

How easy is that?!

How to use a coffee sock video:

Now let’s watch how easy it is to use a coffee sock.

12. Vacuum Pot

Vacuum Pot Tips: Use pre-heated water to quicken the brewing process.

The coffee vacuum pot maker (also called the siphon coffee pot) is for coffee lovers who enjoy experimenting with different ways of how to make coffee.

In fact, just one look at its elaborate system of tubes and glass globes, and you will think it’s a science lab.

Using the vacuum pot does require practice and effort, but you’ll be rewarded with pure, flavorful coffee in the end.

Vacuum pots come in stovetop or tabletop styles, but all require a heating source whether it be a butane burner, halogen burner system, cloth-wick alcohol burner, or gas or electric stovetop.

Most vacuum pots consist of four elements:

Vacuum pot coffee recipe

How to use a vacuum pot coffee maker video:

The following video will show you how to make coffee in a vacuum pot.

It doesn’t show him putting the filter into the top chamber, but that’s an important step. So you might want to do that before you get started brewing the coffee, make sure the chain is dangling below the siphon tube.

13. Bripe Coffee Brew

Invented by two friends who love overnight treks and rafting in Costa Rica, the Bripe is an all-in-one system that makes great coffee possible anywhere you go, from camping trips to cafes.

How to Make Strong Coffee (Ultimate Guide to Better Coffee)

Posted on Last updated: July 20, 2022

Sooo, you want your coffee strong? You’re not alone, strong coffee is a beautiful thing – rich, bold, and oh-so-smooth. In this post you’ll learn all about how to make strong coffee.

We’ll talk a little about caffeine content but mostly about how to make your coffee taste stronger.

Table of Contents

How to Make Strong Coffee

When it comes to making strong coffee it’s either about flavor or caffeine content.

As you can see making coffee taste stronger is pretty easy, just do one (or both) of the following:

How do you make strong coffee?

There are three ways to make coffee taste stronger:

While it’s true that your coffee will taste stronger if you add more grounds, it may also begin to taste bitter.

So, the best way to get a good strong cup of coffee is to focus on a good dark roast. You’ll also want to use the right grind.

It’s also good to consider that a dirty coffee maker can add strange and unpleasant flavors to your coffee, so make sure to clean your coffee gear regularly.

So let’s talk about dark roasted coffee beans and what kind of a grind you’ll need to get some good strong coffee brewing.

How to Make Coffee Taste Stronger

To make coffee taste stronger you’ll want to choose the right roast and grind. Otherwise, your coffee will taste bitter and bitter isn’t better. Richer is, the richer the better.

What is a good strong coffee?

To get a good cup of strong flavored coffee you’ll need to order a dark roast at the cafe or buy dark roasted coffee beans and make your own.

You’ll be looking for those nice dark beans. The ones to the right in the following picture.

Even instant coffee comes in different roasts, so for a stronger cup look for a dark roast.

Grades of Coffee Roasting

When ordering coffee (or buying beans) you may wonder which coffee beans have the most caffeine.

There are basically two types of coffee beans: arabica and robusta.

Arabica has less caffeine than robusta, it’s more popular, and in my opinion – a better choice because of flavor. And because (as we all know) too much caffeine can lead to health problems.

What kind of coffee beans make the best strong coffee?

If you’re buying beans look for dark roasted arabica beans. The roast (light, medium, or dark) will be written on the bag somewhere (like the following photo of Reunion Island coffee beans) dark is best for a rich/bold flavor.

But keep an eye on the flavor notes, they are important as well.

(As a side point, I didn’t like the flavor of “Privateer” – the Reunion Island coffee pictured above, but their “Bullet” – which is an espresso medium roast was wonderful. The flavor notes made all the difference! I brewed it in a stove-top espresso maker (Moka Pot) so it was strong and delicious.)

If you’re getting beans from a roaster (or coffee shop) you can ask what types of dark roast they have. This can be an education in itself because they can help you choose according to the roast and flavor of the beans.

At a cafe, you could just ask for a cup of their dark roast coffee, but don’t be fooled. That won’t mean you’re making the best choice in terms of caffeine count.

If you want a strong cup of coffee with the least amount of caffeine you need to think of brewing time and serving size.

Does Strong Coffee Have More Caffeine?

A stronger-tasting cup of coffee does not necessarily have more caffeine.

You may have heard that espresso contains more caffeine than regular drip coffee but that’s not necessarily true. It may all come down to how you make your coffee. Among the top 17 best brewing methods are drip and expresso:

You may drink an espresso faster because of the small serving size, so keeping that in mind could help you avoid downing shot after shot and getting caffeine jitters.

You could also opt for an Americano, which is a shot of espresso with added water. Even with the extra water, it has a stronger flavor than regular drip coffee.

Many popular coffee drinks are made from espresso which leads to a stronger, more flavorful drink than one made from a regular cup of brewed coffee.

Need a gift for a coffee lover? Check out these gifts for coffee snobs – you’re sure to find something they’ll love.

Which brewing method has the most caffeine?

Drip coffee that comes from electric coffee makers (the kind most people have on their kitchen counter) usually brews longer than coffee made in a french press or an espresso maker.

Because of the brewing time and the serving size (12 ounces), this usually has the most caffeine.

Brewing times compared:

The biggest difference is seen in the espresso method, it’s faster and the serving size is smaller which results in less caffeine. The difference between the drip coffee and the french press would be minimal, because of the time and the serving size.

Which brewing method is best for strong coffee?

To get the best tasting strong coffee try an espresso or french press coffee maker. Both of these methods brew quicker than drip coffee and (when done properly) produce a richer flavor. In my opinion, espresso beats the french press.

To order a rich, bold-tasting coffee at a cafe you’ll need to know what it’s called.

What is strong coffee called?

There are a number of strong coffee drinks to try at a cafe. And if you have the equipment you can make them at home.

The following list will give you a rough guide of what to order at a cafe/restaurant and how to make strong coffee at home.

6 Types of Strong Coffee

Here are some strong coffee drinks that are all made with espresso:

How to Make Coffee Stronger

Now let’s look at how to make your coffee stronger at home. We’re going to talk about a stronger flavor, not more caffeine.

As already mentioned, you’ll want to get yourself a bag of dark roasted Arabica coffee beans. If you’re buying ground coffee look for the kind of grind that corresponds to the method you’ll be using to make your coffee.

What kind of grind to use for strong coffee

The same grind sizes shouldn’t be used for all coffee-making methods. The grind makes a difference.

All coffee lovers go through trying to figure out how to make strong coffee and wonder if finding a good coffee grinder would really make any difference.

Back when it was our turn, we had a blade grinder but were reading (and talking) about how awesome burr grinders are. So, as a surprise, our daughter bought us one (awesome gift, right!?).

Our burr grinder has specific settings for the different kinds of coffee machines/methods used to brew coffee. We just set it to what we’ll be using (everything from superfine espresso to coarse french press grind) and we get the perfect grind every time.

If you are buying your ground coffee at a market or grocery store, the type of grind should be written on the bag. If not, keep looking until you find a brand that has it. It’s worth it, your coffee will taste better.

If you’re getting your coffee from a roaster or coffee shop, tell them your brewing method and they’ll get you the proper size grind.

Here is a breakdown of basic grinds for a few different methods:

For the best tasting strong coffee, buy the beans and grind them yourself. To keep them fresh, grind them in small amounts and store them (no more than 5 or 6 days) in an opaque container (somewhere dark and dry).

Now let’s look at how to make strong coffee at home.

How to Make Strong Coffee at Home

It’s great to know how to make strong coffee at home because you can save yourself time and money. I like not having to leave the house to get me some strong coffee.

Making coffee at home can also help people (like me) who have food-related sensitivities.

If you like making your own coffee you might also enjoy learning about ways to sweeten your coffee without sugar.

So let’s learn how to make strong coffee at home sweet home.

How to Make Strong Coffee in a Coffee Maker: 3 Steps

A drip coffee maker is probably where most people (in North America) start out making coffee at home.

The following video will show you how to make coffee in a drip coffee maker: To make it stronger follow the above instructions.

How to Make Strong Coffee in a French Press (Plunger): 3 Steps

The following video will show you how to make coffee with a french press. To make it stronger just follow the above instructions.

How to Make Really Strong Coffee in an Espresso Maker (Moka Pot): 2 Steps

People can be pretty picky about their espresso method, but I’m not. I make espresso, and then turn that deliciousness into an Americano for my hubby, and the rest into a cappuccino-type treat for myself. We use a stove-top espresso maker called a Moka pot.

The following video will show you how to make coffee in a stove-top espresso maker.

How to Make Strong Coffee Without a Coffee Maker

You can make strong coffee without a coffee maker, french press, espresso maker, or any other special equipment.

To make strong coffee without a coffee maker just add 2 heaping tablespoons of dark, coarsely ground arabica coffee to each 8-ounce serving of water.

All you need is a way to boil water and something to strain out the grounds. The result is much the same as a french press.

The following video will show how to make coffee without a coffee maker. To make it stronger follow the above instructions.

How Will You Make Your Next Cup of Strong Coffee?

Now that we’ve talked all about how to make strong coffee, how will you make yours? We would love to know how your experiments in the world of strong coffee turn out, please share by commenting on this post.

However you go about making things stronger, dark roasted coffee beans are a game changer, and the right grind for your brewing method makes a difference.

There’s also a balance between making coffee stronger without making it bitter. If it starts tasting bitter try reducing the amount of grounds (as with drip coffee makers) or the brew time (as with the french press).

And don’t let your coffee burn (this can happen with the stove-top espresso maker) take it off the heat as soon as it’s finished brewing.

Another option would be to try making cold brew coffee, it brews up a strong concentrate that is usually diluted when served. Because it’s brewed cold it usually has sweeter flavor notes.

Grab a cup of java – and join us in the comments. 🙂

Dena Haines is a co-founder and blogger on EnjoyJava – and is working to make it the best coffee blog in the world.

How To Make Coffee Without a Coffee Maker (5 Ways to Brew a Tasty Cup of Joe)

As a coffee fanatic, what’s your biggest nightmare? Mine has to be the day where I wake up all groggy, eyes bleary, without a brewer, drip coffee maker or any of my usual ways to make my morning cup of coffee. Heaven forbid, I might have to turn to instant coffee.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to drink instant coffee. I prefer to leave that s**t to nightmares. Brace yourself – I’m about to open your eyes to a few simple ways (5, in fact) of coffee making without a coffee maker.

What about cold brew? Cold brew is a great way to make coffee without a coffee maker – as long as you can wait 12 to 24 hours. But if you wake up to the unthinkable horror of a dead coffee maker, these techniques will get you caffeinated right now.

Things to Keep in Mind When Brewing Coffee Without a Coffee Maker

You’ve found yourself without a coffee maker, so chances are that the brew that you are about to create won’t be one of your best – but there are a few simple and well-known steps you can take to make sure it’s almost as good:

1. The Cowboy Method (Cowboy Coffee)

The Cowboy Method brings you back to the old-fashioned ways of good coffee brewing – your best beans and nearly boiling (or just boiled) water. Read our full guide here: How to make cowboy coffee.

We’ll show you how to do it from your home – you don’t actually have to be around a campfire or be wearing a cowboy hat to make it. It’s simply a matter of making do with what you’ve got – a pot, a heat source, ground coffee, and some water. It’s perfect if you don’t have a coffee machine, and it brews an excellent cup of joe. But of course, it’s important to remember that the quality of coffee is essential (​1​​​).

If cowboy coffee is brewed right, it should be smooth and pleasantly drinkable.

What You Need

How To Do It

Next time you go camping, here’s another list that shows you how to brew coffee in the great outdoors.

2. A Makeshift Coffee Filter

No Hario, no Chemex, no Kalita Wave – how the hell do you create pour-over without one? Try this makeshift coffee filter, which lets you use this brewing method with materials you probably already have in your kitchen.

What You Need

PRO TIP: If you don’t have coffee filters, try one of the following: a handkerchief, a cotton kitchen towel, a paper towel (great absorbency which is perfect for filtering; however, make sure that it’s thick enough to avoid tearing) or cheesecloth (doubled or tripled to ensure no grounds find their way to your brew).

Ultimately, a handkerchief is best for this method as it is both easily available and durable enough to withstand the temperature and pressure of water being poured over. You might need to double paper towels to provide enough strength and for best extraction. In extreme situations, clean fabric of any kind can do the trick (3).

How To Do It