Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Evergreens

How to make coffee without a coffee maker (for when you’re really desperate)

That time may come, and you need to know what to do

By
Coffee beans close-up
Couleur / Pixabay

There’s really no bad time for coffee and most diehard coffee lovers will agree. While coffee comes in many forms, nothing hits like a classic cup of freshly brewed drip coffee from a standard coffee maker. The tried and true never disappoints, which has remained a classic since its origins in 1908.

Yet, as great as coffee from a coffee maker is, there are quite a few other ways to brew a delicious cup that do not require a coffee maker at all. Perhaps you don’t have access to a coffee maker and are getting desperate to get your hands on some caffeine. Or, maybe you don’t have the counter space available for a coffee maker or just want to try something new. Whatever your reason for exploring new ways to make coffee, consider these ideas on how to make coffee without a coffee maker.

Recommended Videos

How to make coffee without a coffee maker

Black cup of coffee next to a pastry
Brigitte Tohm / Pexels

Making a coffee without a coffee maker might take a bit of trial and error, but once you’ve got it down, these methods produce a pretty solid cup of joe. Let’s start with the classic saucepan method.

Making coffee in a saucepan

At first glance, the concept of making coffee in a saucepan seems like a stretch. However, this method is an awesome option when you don’t have many kitchen gadgets and utensils on hand. Requiring only a few basics you’re likely to find in an Airbnb, this method is also a solid one to make delicious coffee while traveling. Here’s how to make coffee in a saucepan:

  1. Start by adding water and coffee grounds into a medium saucepan. You can use the same ratio of water to coffee grounds as you would normally make when using a standard coffee maker. If you’re not sure, you can use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee beans for every six ounces of water you pour into your pan. This can be adjusted to be stronger or weaker depending on your taste preferences.
  2. Bring the coffee to a boil by setting the burner to medium-high heat. Stir every so often and allow the mixture to boil for about two minutes.
  3. Once you remove the saucepan from the heat, allow it to cool and sit for about 4 minutes. If you happen to have a ladle, use this to scoop the finished coffee right into your mug. If you don’t have a ladle on hand — don’t fret. Just slowly pour the mixture from the pan into a mug so that the grounds stay behind in the pan. If you’ve got a coffee filter on hand, you can also use this to strain out any grounds remaining in the mixture.

The Mason jar method

mason jar empty
Brett Sayles / Pexels

This method of making coffee without a coffee maker seems like it wouldn’t work, but we guarantee it will. All you’ll need for this is a clean cotton cloth, a mason jar, coffee grounds, and clips or a rubber band. Chances are you can already dig up these items in your kitchen! Here’s how you can make coffee in a mason jar:

  1. Secure a clean cotton cloth over a mason jar and secure it with either a rubberband or clips. Scoop a single-helping coffee grounds into the mason jar pouch and pour a small amount of water over the grounds to allow them to soak in.
  2. Slowly pour more boiling water (can be boiled on the stove or even in the microwave) over the mason jar.
  3. Remove the cloth and your coffee is ready to go! Pour into a mug and prepare your coffee as desired. Enjoy!

Making French press coffee without a French press

French press coffee made using a manual French press creates a delicious, full-bodied cup of coffee without the use of a paper filter. However, if you don’t have a French press device on hand, you can still recreate your favorite cup of coffee with a measuring spoon, bowl, and mug. Here’s how:

  1. Add 1 tablespoon of coffee grounds for every cup of coffee desired to a large bowl.
  2. Pour over boiling water to saturate the coffee grounds (which can be boiled either on the stovetop or in the microwave). Add additional water needed depending on how many cups of coffee you’re making.
  3. Using a tablespoon, press the settled coffee grounds to the bottom of the bowl, holding the spoon in place and pouring the brew into a mug. You can repeat this process into different mugs to make several cups of coffee. This can also be done by straining the mixture through a coffee filter, if you have one on hand.
Emily Caldwell
Emily Caldwell
Contributor
Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving… Read Full Bio
Topics
Food & Drink
I declare this the summer of rum: Drinking rum the right way with an expert
Alcohol, Beverage, Liquor

Look, I am a movie buff. Everything I ever learned about life I learned from or sparked an interest in a movie. So, when it comes to rum, my first impression of the drink came from watching Jack Sparrow drink it on a beach. Now, as I travel all over the Carribean, I have discovered that there is, in fact, an entire culture surrounding the consumption of this versatile liquor. Of course, I don’t just take movies at their word, and I dive deep into a subject to find out more about it once my interest is piqued. When it came to rum, I reached out to my friends over at Blue Chair Bay Rum and asked why I am seeing rum everywhere in the summer of 2026. So, why is rum the liquor of the summer?

Rum has an authentic connection to summer because it reflects the easygoing spirit of warm weather entertaining. Inspired by the relaxed spirit of the Caribbean, Blue Chair Bay Rum was co-founded by award-winning singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney, whose deep connection to the islands comes from years spent traveling, performing, and unwinding along their shores. He wanted to capture that feeling with a premium rum that is approachable and full of flavor while embodying effortless joy amongst friends. – Anthony Moniello, Chief Executive Officer of Next Century Spirits

Read more
Food & Drink
Stranahan’s is set to release its first ever nationally available bottled-in-bond whiskey
Stranahan's

American single malt whiskey has only recently become an officially recognized category, but Stranahan’s has been crafting it for two decades. Now, the iconic, award-winning brand has announced the oldest Colorado bottled-in-bond whiskey ever made. And yes, it’s single malt whiskey.

Stranahan’s American Single Malt Whiskey: Bottled-in-Bond

Read more
Food & Drink
Dining With the Ghosts of The Church of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Food, Food Presentation, Meal

If I could travel back in time to see any concert, I would probably catch a show at the Fillmore East. An intimate venue with superb sound, the Church of Rock ’n’ Roll saw legendary performances from a pantheon of rock gods. Hendrix, Janis, Lennon, the Doors—the roster reads like a Who’s Who of classic rock. The Allman Brothers recorded their finest live album, At Fillmore East, at the East Village venue.

Alas, I am not Doc Brown from Back to the Future. I was born a generation too late for the golden age of rock, and the Fillmore East closed its doors in 1971. My rock ’n’ roll heroes may have shed their mortal coils, but I can toast their ghosts at Cathédrale, a restaurant just a few blocks from where the hallowed stage once stood.

Read more