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Are you tired of drip coffee? Most of us love our machines, but in the end, they don’t always scratch the caffeine-laden itch. There are so many ways to enjoy coffee, from the classic latte to the less well known lungo coffee. If like me you’ve never even heard of lungo coffee, you could start with a guide to lungo coffee to get your taste buds tingling.
Fortunately, you don’t need a thousand dollars and a full cafe in your kitchen to try some new ways out. Read on and we’ll explore some interesting alternatives to the aged Mr. Coffee sitting on your counter.
Try a Moka Pot
Moka pots are an easy way to change up your coffee. They push steam through tightly packed grounds, which condenses in the stem of the pot and runs over into the upper compartment.
What’s the end result? Something remarkably similar to espresso!
Moka pots are cheap, unlike espresso machines, and make a strong cup of coffee in minutes on the stove. Unlike espresso machines, you don’t need to go through a laborious cleaning process each time you use one as well.
If strong coffee on demand is your thing, you’ll be well served with one of these versatile pots.
Cold Brew Your Coffee
If you follow commercial cafes at all, you know one thing right now.
Cold-brew is in.
Cold-brewed coffee doesn’t require a genius to make. You can do it simply at home with just a mason jar, water, and your coffee. All you need to do is add 3/4ths of a cup of coarse ground coffee for every four cups of water that you’re planning on making.
Then, the hard part, you have to let it sit for at least 12 hours.
The slower steeping process and lack of heat create a strong, flavorful brew. The best part for those who are looking to experiment is that it doesn’t require any extra equipment!
Cold-brew is time-consuming, but there’s a reason that it’s become so popular over the last four or five years… it’s just plain better!
Pour-Over Coffee
Pour-over coffee is almost the same as drip coffee. The difference is a slower process, different grinds, and a better flavor in the end. It’s also extremely simple: all you need is something to hold a big filter and the carafe.
Pour-over coffee isn’t on the level of a French Press or Mokapot, but it’s quick and easy.
If you’re looking to improve the taste then remember to rinse the grounds with hot water to dispel the carbon dioxide contained in commercial coffee. It’ll help make the end result much stronger.
The best part about pour-over coffee is that you can easily experiment until you have things tuned exactly to your personal tastes.
Pour-over coffee isn’t a huge step up in quality. It’s still better. Where pour-over wins is presentation, try it out the next time you have guests over. See The Coffee Folk for a guide to the best pour over coffee makers.
Make Your Own Iced Coffee
With summer rolling in, iced coffee is just the right thing to keep your caffeine buzz going without overheating.
It’s not that hard, but many people find themselves with a watery concoction.
The best way to go about it is to use cold-brewed coffee in a 1:1 ratio volume ratio with ice. Add another 25% of volume to the mixture with coffee, and stick it in a powerful blender. From there, sweeten it to taste.
Like all coffee, a bit of personal experimentation will get you the perfect cup.
And, if you’re in a rush, don’t worry about requiring cold brew. Any coffee will do, but it needs to be strong to avoid a watered down taste. Instant coffee is a great contender, actually. So, if you can take off your coffee snob hat, instant may be the best way to do it.
So, keep your blender handy this summer. There’s no need to skip your caffeine fix just because it’s too hot for a normal cup outside.
The Venerable French Press
The French Press should never be left out. Most coffee fanatics already have one, but if you don’t then you’re missing out. They provide the best tasting coffee you’ll find anywhere, and they don’t require too much effort.
French Presses are a bit finicky, you’ll need to experiment to see how you can improve your coffee even further. It would seem that most bean-heads have their own special methods, and you need to find your own.
The truth is that it’s nearly impossible to find a better cup of coffee. A French Press is your ticket to true coffee fanaticism. Smooth, buttery, and simple. It’s impossible to beat.
Drop the Drip!
The above are just five of the dozens of ways that you can change up your coffee. Consider trying them out, most are cheap and easy. In the end, the quest for a perfect cup of coffee can change a person. But the most important thing is that you’re no longer wasting grounds in a drip coffee machine!