HOW TO: Make A Decent Cup of Coffee With Cheap Coffee Grounds
Posted by By Justin at 15 November, at 10 : 17 AM Print
So you’re in a bind. You stayed the night at a friends house, and they only have that awful Maxwell House or Folgers stuff from Costco or Walmart, and you’re used to those freshly roasted, burr ground beans from your favorite coffee roasting country. You like your coffee black and hot, but it’s clear they do not. Or maybe, you stayed at a hotel and the nearest café is miles out of the way and there’s no way you can make it there. What’s a coffee fan to do? Well, bring your own coffee next time.
But… for this time let’s see what we can come up with. First, what kind of coffee brewer do you have available? See if you can get your hands on a french press. Bonus props if you were smart enough to bring one in your luggage. I’m sure you will next time, if you didn’t!
A good french press can make the difference between undrinkable sludge and a fairly awesome cup of hot goodness in a pinch. I’ve witnessed its power firsthand while working as a counsellor at a teen camp with some of the most awful coffee I’ve ever tasted. A friend had brought a french press in his luggage, and together we were able to save the day and come up with some fairly great coffee using his french press. (Try to bring your own coffee next time too, by the way!)
If you can’t get your hands on a french press, the first thing you’ll want to do is clean the brewer as well as you possibly can. Most people who don’t care about coffee never clean their brewers, and as a result they are downright disgusting, with months worth of residue and old grounds caked on and filling every nook and cranny imaginable. You may even want to do a “dry run” by just running some hot water through the brewer with no grounds just to clean it.
Then, you’ll want to find the magic ingredient — Cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon can turn even fairly terrible coffee into something downright drinkable in a pinch (literally). Just add a pinch (a bit less than a teaspoon) to the grounds before you make your coffee. That way, when the coffee brews, the Cinnamon will get brewed right into the coffee as an ingredient. If you forgot, don’t worry. You can still stir it in afterwords, but obviously you will have some visible Cinnamon in your coffee.
If you are using a french press, heat some water to just below boiling point, or when you first notice steam coming out of the spout. You don’t want to scorch the coffee. Then, pour it over your grounds and let it brew for 4 minutes before pouring it into your mug.
With the coffee poured, you may want to taste-test it to see if you like the taste as-is, or if it needs anything. If the coffee is still bitter (and hey, we’re talking about using crappy grounds here) you may try adding about a teaspoon of sugar. Raw sugar is ideal if you can get it, but refined sugar will work too if it’s all you can find. In a pinch, you can also use honey or even Agave Nectar (it’s like honey but from a plant, and very sweet) to substitute.
Then, taste-test again. If your coffee is still to bitter, try adding a splash of half-and-half and re-tasting. If you can’t get half-and-half, try using whole milk or even 2% instead. The lower the percentage, the more milk you will need to achieve the same effect.
Enjoy! And remember to bring your own coffee and french press or Aeropress next time!
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Canada Goose Parkas, 4 months ago
your way sounds great. it is easy and favorable to make.
Kurt, 3 months ago
Even worse is when the hotel only has non-dairy creamer instead of those little half-and-half thingees. Ugh. I take emergency powdered milk with me. Also, emergency instant coffee to strengthen weak hotel coffee.
zrzzz, 3 months ago
I once knew a guy once who was only turned on by perfect-10 super-models, and later found out he was gay. His pickiness was a manifestation of the fact that he wasn’t really into women to begin with. I think there’s something similar going on for people who can’t enjoy an ordinary cup of coffee. I’m thinking they’re probably not that into coffee in the first place.
Hey, 3 months ago
Oh… I thought you going to say we were gay too.
Jan, 3 months ago
I like to add a little bit of salt to the grounds.
It wont taste salty but will enhance the overall taste of the coffee.
RaulJones, 3 months ago
I have a French press. Sad to say, but my Braun KF-12 4 cup makes a superior cup of coffee. Fact. And zrzzz has obviously *never* roasted his own. Typical.
Hey, 3 months ago
You’re all noobs. I snort grinds and sit around the house hooked up to the coffee pot intravenously.