So back when I was first living on my own. I of course had no money and I still needed coffee. So I just started doing what I would call cowboy coffee. Where the hot water and grounds are just combined. Then the grounds settle to the bottom. I have had a number of people find this quite uncouth and have tried to make me change. So I just got curious about what everyone here thought.
And just as a point of order. I like it and have no plans to change. Any attempt to sway me will fall on deaf ears. Though I am quite willing to accept the title of heathen if people decide so.
Americans call it cowboy coffee, but for a long time before coffee machines were a thing, pretty much everyone outside Turkey and Italy woud simply call it coffee. That has been the normal way of making coffee for ages.
If you like it who cares? It’s basically French press without the last filtering step. It’s also basically how professionals grade coffee in “cuppings”.
I have done this when our drip coffee maker broke. I liked it, but my wife didn’t. So we got a new coffee maker.
the “fancy” version of cowboy coffee is Turkish coffee with a LONG tradition – and, according to Wikipedia at least, boiled coffee was the primary method of preparation until the 1930s
Why be stubborn just for the sake of it? I’d make coffee like this if there was no other option. Other methods will maximize your beans and provide a more refreshing cup of joe. I won’t call you a heathen lol just confused, life’s too short for mediocre coffee
I feel like maybe you didn’t read my whole post. I like it better that way.
As for why I like that way. It is super easy, I literally pour hot water over the grounds in my cup. But more importantly it tastes different, more bold. I think this is because fines don’t settle. They are much too fine to notice when drinking but I think it adds to my experience.
Have you ever tried it? Maybe you should before calling it mediocre.
It’s “bold” because you’re extended steeping the grounds. I’ve had it like that camping but I’m not really into gritty textured beverages, thanks. I assumed you were just being contrarian to ‘coffee filters’ but if you actually legit enjoy it who cares. May it grow much hair on your chest
It’s disgusting to get grounds in your mouth, no? It’s not uncouth but it can be unpleasant if you ever get it wrong.
Just get a French press - it’s the same thing as you’re doing basically except you have a metal filter to push the grounds down in the jug so the grounds don’t pour in your cup with the coffee.
There is saving money and then there is extremes. A French press is a one time purchase that will last years, mostly just rinse clean but it’s easy to disassemble and clean more thoroughly as needed.
I personally like an aero-press which is basically the same but extremely easy to clean and gives a nice cup of coffee.
Edit: I note that you have no intention to change. You do you, but these tools exist to make it easier to make nice coffee. It’s not about being a heathen or sophisticated - it’s just about having a nice cup of coffee. I hate grounds in my mouth personally.
I’m a pretty big coffee nerd, and work as a barista. I have no patience for snobbery. If someone wants to learn more about coffee, the effects of roasting, immersion, percolation, espresso, I’ll gladly infodump to them and share the knowledge I’ve accrued over the years.
If someone is content with their venti soy mocha thing from Starbucks, or their double double from Timmies, or even store-brand instant coffee, and they don’t feel the need to jump into the coffee world, that’s fine by me. The idea that you must like a certain type of coffee to enjoy it “properly” is silly to me. I’m not yucking anyone’s yum.
I am not yucking at anyone’s yum
I am going to use that for the rest of my life.
If you’re bringing the water to a boil then taking it off the heat and mixing in the coffee grounds (like how you would do tea), then that’s just a French press. Letting the grounds settle out on their own is actually the preferred method. The press just has a wire mesh that prevents the grounds from coming out when you pour. This is a fantastic method for great coffee. On small change I’d make is don’t bring the water to a full boil. Coffee burns at over 185F (85C) so if you have a kitchen thermometer you can check the temp with that would be best.
If you’re bringing the water to a boil then adding the grounds and letting it keep boiling (similar to how you’d cook pasta), that’s closer to a percolator and will probably taste much more burned/bitter.
I actually have an electric kettle that has both temp and auto timer. So the temp is set to 175°(which is somewhere between 175° and 180° depending on how the kettle feels that day). Then I pour the water over the grounds that are in my cup. I am no coffee aficionado, but I know a little bit.
To spare others the same googling: 175f = 79.4c, 180f = 82.2c.
What you’re doing is called cupping! I’ve seen it used mostly to set up tastings of multiple different coffees at once. Generally it’s recommended to stir the crust at some point so that the grounds fall to the bottom of the cup. Also, you’re brewing at a pretty low temp though. Even for dark roasts, I would consider brewing a touch hotter and see what you think.
