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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

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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.

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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…
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