how to make coffee without a coffee maker

Imagine trying to start your day with a cup of coffee but your coffee maker is broken or not working. 

What would you do if you went camping with your friends or family and wanted to sip your coffee while enjoying a beautiful sunrise? You can’t take your coffee maker camping, obviously.  

Coffee makers are an invention of the 20th century. Today almost everyone has a coffee maker in their kitchen. But how do people brew Coffee before the invention of the Coffee maker? Because Coffee had been a favorite drink of humans for centuries.

So, in this article, we will share 5 different methods of how to make coffee without a coffee maker. Of course, coffee makers make your work easier, but there are some classic manual methods available if you don’t have a coffee maker.

how to brew coffee without a coffee maker

Brewing coffee without a coffee machine is not very difficult. There are plenty of ways you can prepare a cup of joe manually. The first one is cowboy coffee; one of the oldest and classic method.

1)Cowboy Coffee

Cowboys used this method to brew Coffee on trails, so it is named after that. It is one of the best methods of brewing Coffee while camping. You can also try this method in your home’s kitchen, and it will taste equally great.

Many people make mistakes while brewing Coffee by this method, and they get an awful cup of Coffee. That’s why Cowboy Coffee is not well known for its taste. But if you follow the following steps, you will surely get a fantastic cup of Coffee.

Things you need

• Fresh ground Coffee beans – Finely ground Coffee beans will be the best option
• Heating Source – That could be a stove in your kitchen or burning wood in case of camping.
• A pan or a pot of brewing

How to brew 

• Add water to the pot and put it on the heat source. Boiling will cause some water to be lost, so add more water than you need.
• Wait till the water in the pot starts boiling.
• After the water starts boiling, remove it from the heat source and allow it to cool for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Now add the ground coffee beans to the water. It is up to you what amount of coffee beans you add to your cup, depending on how strong you like it or how light. However, according to Cowboy tradition, 4 tablespoons of coffee will be suitable for half a liter of water.
• Now stir the coffee beans and wait for 2 minutes.
• After two minutes, stir again and wait for the coffee beans to settle down.
• You can also add a small amount of cold water to help the coffee beans settle down easily.
• Now pour the brewed Coffee into your mug slowly so that the coffee beans remain in the bottom.
• Enjoy the cup of Cowboy Coffee.
• Add sugar, milk, or cream if desired.

Also Read: How to use an Espresso Machine?

2)Turkish Coffee

Traditionally, Turkish coffee is prepared in a cezve using finely ground coffee beans without filtering. Turkish Coffee had been enjoyed in the Middle East and Balkans for centuries.

It is a simple method of brewing rich and strong Coffee without a coffee maker.

Things you need

• Coffee grounds – Use Extra fine Coffee grounds
• Water
• A pot

How to brew 

• Pour 5 to 6 ounces of water into the pot per serving.
• Add 1 tablespoon of finely ground coffee into it.
• If you like sugar in your Coffee, then also add it now.
• Stir it till the coffee grounds and the sugar get entirely dissolved.
• Set the pot to medium heat and allow it to heat till the water starts boiling.
• After a few minutes, the Coffee will rise and makes the foam at the top.
• It is customary o serve each cup with foam. So skim off the foam and add it equally to each serving cup.
• Again, put the pot on the stove and remove it just before the water starts boiling.
• Now add it to the cups slowly so that the foam rises to the top.
• Enjoy your fresh Turkish Coffee

If you like sugar, cream, or milk in your Coffee. Always remember to add them to the brewing pot rather than adding them into the cups after brewing.

You can brew Turkish coffee in a regular saucepan. But traditionally copper stovetop called Ibrik is used to brew Turkish Coffee. If you want to enjoy the real taste of Turkish coffee you should invest in Ibrik

KeurigTurkish Greek Arabic Coffee Pot Stovetop Coffee Maker Cezve Ibrik

• Hand Engraved Turkish Coffee Pot
• Wooden Handle
• Perfect for brewing Turkish Coffee

View on Amazon

Also read: How to make coffee with beans

3)Stovetop Method

It is an old-school and traditional way of brewing a cup of Coffee without a machine.

You will just need basic items for this method which will surely be present in your kitchen.

Things you need

• A pot or a saucepan
• Filtered water
• Ground Coffee Beans

How to brew 

• Add water to the saucepan. Add more water than you need because some water will evaporate while boiling.
• Add Coffee grounds to the water. Use the same amount of Coffee that you will use in the case of the Coffee Maker.
• Put the saucepan on the stove on medium heat level and keep stirring so that the coffee grounds don’t settle at the bottom.
• Boil the Coffee for two to three minutes
• Now turn off the stove and allow the coffee grounds to settle for three to four minutes.
• Pour the Coffee slowly into the mug so that the coffee grounds will not run into your cup. It is best to use the ladle for this purpose to keep settled coffee grounds out of your cup.
• That’s it! Enjoy your cup of freshly brewed Coffee.
• Add sugar, milk, or cream if desired.

Also Read: How to make Coffee less Bitter?

4)The Tea Bag Method

The taste of the Coffee you get by the Stovetop method will be slightly bitter. But if you don’t like bitterness and are a fan of smooth Coffee, then this method is for you. You just have to create a bag of Coffee grounds just like a tea bag.

Things you need

• Coffee grounds
• Filter
• Water
• String
• A pot or kettle

How to brew

• Fill the filter with the coffee grounds. Two tablespoons of coffee grounds for one cup of Coffee are recommended.
• Close the filter tightly and carefully. Make sure there will be no open spaces for the grounds to escape.
• Tie the top of the filter with the string and make a bag just like a teabag
• Heat the water in the kettle.
• Put that filter into an empty mug and slowly pour the hot water into the mug.
• Allow the Coffee to steep for three to six minutes; the time you give is according to your taste, whether you like it strong or light.
• Remove the filter from the cup before you start enjoying your drink.
• Add sugar, milk, or cream if desired.

Also read: How to make strong coffee

5) Chemex method

This method is similar to the filtration experiments we perform in chemistry labs at our schools. You can easily brew coffee with this method without a coffee maker.

You don’t really need a Chemex jar for brewing coffee by this method. It would be best if you simply had a glass and a rubber band, and you could make a Chemex jar of your own.

Things you need

• Coffee grounds – Coarse grounds will be the best option.
• Water
• Filter
• Glass

How to brew

• Put the filter over the glass and wrap the filter’s edges around the glass. Now take the rubber band and put it on the border of the glass so that filter doesn’t move from its place.
• Now put the coarse grounds of coffee onto the filter. Two tablespoons of coffee are recommended for five to six ounces of water, but you can vary it according to your taste.
• Now add boiling water over the filter slowly.
• Remove the filter when all the water gets seeped through the filter.
• Enjoy the cup of your freshly brewed Chemex Coffee.
• Add sugar, milk, or cream if desired.

If you want to invest in buying a Chemex. So you can save yourself from many hassles and brew your coffee easily. Then check out this Chemex jar.

Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker – Classic Series

• Non-porous Borosilicate glass
• Brew 8 cups at a time
• Simple and easy to use and clean

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Final Thoughts

We know that there can’t be a more horrible thing for a Coffee lover than not having a cup of coffee in the morning. I hope you loved this step by step guide of five different methods to brew Coffee without a Coffee Maker.

So whether you are camping or you came to know in the morning that your Coffee Maker is broken, you can still enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

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