After much trying and sampling of alternatives I’m down to a simple conclusion. I want my damn coffee.
However, I happen to know for a fact that if I make a pot of coffee Ill DRINK a pot of coffee, so…
How would you go about making a single cup of real (as opposed to instant) coffee in a simple and efficient manner?
The regular coffee machines are out, too big, not to mention highly inefficient for single cups. Dont like those single serving machines either (Pods I think they’re called? Too expensive for the most part, and I’ve heard a lot of negative reviews about em).
So basically it would be down to some form of simple filter and a kettle or else some other technique I haven’t heard of.
Suggestions?
I don’t really see the problem - coffee filters and funnels come in different sizes, so just choose the smallest one.
I always brew my coffee “by hand” by pouring hot water into a small filter/funnel. There should be small ones for 1-2 or 2-3 cups to buy.
How about a French Press?
Basically, you put your ground coffee in a pitcher, pour in some boiling water and let it sit for about five minutes. After that, you push the plunger down slowly to press all the grounds to the bottom while allowing the coffee to flow through the filter. You can make as much as you need.
Great idea, they also make killer tea=)
I made a house guest coffee via my usual filter (Melitta, and filter, and quality espresso) and he pronounced it undrinkable, and promptly bought me a french press… I can’t taste the difference.
To me, it’s just a drug-delivery system, I wouldn’t noticed if it was brewed through an old sock, but my houseguest claimed that with the filter, coffee just passes through and doesn’t soak up all the essential oils and nectars of the precious bean yyybbb
I’d also say a french press should do the job. I know there are one-cup jobbies out there, but heck if I remember where I saw them-- Williams-Sonoma maybe?
Maybe the difference between a good brewed coffee and a french press isn’t as dramatic as the difference between a press and instant coffee, pseudotriton. Now go back to your sock soup you crazy.
I have a one cup french press. I think I got it at World Market. I think I may have seen one or two at Trader Joe’s as well, but I’m not sure.
A French press is nice, but if you want REAL coffee, get a six-cup* stovetop espresso pot. Put in the water and the espresso-ground French Roast and put it on the stove. When it’s done, pour it into a cup and enjoy. (You may want to add a little sugar.)
[sub]*A six-cup espresso pot just fills my 16oz. coffee cup.[/sub]
I dunno. I really can’t stand those stove-top espresso pots. They don’t make espresso, and they don’t quite make good coffee, either (they overheat the water and extract a lot of bitterness out of the grounds.) I really can’t recommend them.
A French press, though, is quite brilliant, especially once you get the grind of the coffee down. (Use a burr grinder, grind it fairly coarse.) My method is: bring water to a boil. Grind coffee. Place coffee grounds in press. Give the water a minute or two to come down in temperature after taking it off the boil. Pour in press and stir. Cover press. Wait three minutes. Uncover and stir again. Wait one minute. Press the plunger down slowly. Pour your perfect cup of coffee.
Folgers and Maxwell House (and probably others) make single serving coffee bags just like a tea bag. Whether using a teapot or a microwave, these do an amazingly good job of giving you a basic, generic cup of average coffee.
Be sure to let 'em steep long enough.
I’ll add to the chorus of voices for the French Press. I have an espresso machine which gets used almost daily. But when I want regular coffee instead of espresso, it’s a French Press for me. I gave away my electric drip machine the first time I used a French Press.
I do not like the French Press. For one cup I use a plastic or earthenware coffee filter like this. Inside that a paper filter.
Put it on your cup, fill with coffee, ad boiling water. Voilà. Gooood coffee.
French Press
(I saw one at Tully’s the other day that was a commuter mug/french press combined. It had a commuter mug shape and lid and non-skid bottom so you could drink out of it, but it was a french press. Brilliance, pure brilliance.)
Also, I’ve heard really good things about the coffee pod thingies. And the one I tried was pretty good. Not perfect, but better than a lot of coffee I’ve suffered through.
Sort of like gum’s, this will sit on top of any coffee mug, and you brew a drip coffee right into the mug you’re drinking from. Less cleanup, and easy to use. I think these sorts of things are available at any supermarket.
I’m not the biggest fan of French Press, I find the coffee gets a bit too cool for my taste after letting it steep. You can also go with a small “4 cup” drip machine, they aren’t huge, and usually 2 cups is the equal to one decent sized mug of java.
I have a habit of making twelve cups of coffee, drinking ten, and then leaving the rest in the coffeepot to grow mold. I feel your pain. 
I’ve got one of those one-cup drippers, and I never liked it. I recently bought a one-cup French press at Target for ten bucks, and I adore it, both for coffee and do-it-yourself herbal teas. The coffee will cool if you leave it too long, but if you go with the one-cup and just drink it immediately, you’re fine. It’s not too hot to drink, but still hot enough to dissolve the sugar perfectly. French Press is totally the way to go.
I could no longer live without this little gem.
I use it for espresso, but it supplies hot water to add if you want your coffee “longer”.
Expensive? Kind of. Mine was about 160 euro after some shopping around. E-bay would possible yield cheaper. You use finely ground quality coffee but you don’t have to fork out for those “pod” thingies all the time. A suitable grinder would make your coffee sublime, but would about double the price as well as the fuss factor. However, I’m already extremely happy with ready ground, as long as it’s good stuff and properly stored.
Easy? The machine needs to heat up a little while, but it doesn’t take longer than boiling water for a French press. Clean-up factor after is about the same. It does take some practice to get the “tamp” (how much you compress your coffee) right, but “crema” (that lightbrown layer on the top) will be your reward.
Worth it? Definetely.
Word of warning 1. Though this is great for single cups, it only can make two at the same time. Since the coffee is delicious I do often find myself running back and forth for a good while if I have more than one guest.
Word of warning 2. If you go down this route, beware of “steam toy” espresso machines. DeLonghi is the worst offender here. Without a proper pump, good espresso (and any other coffee-drink you use your espresso for) is almost impossible.
Oh, and a nit pick about the French press method, which is my second choice after the espresso machine. Don’t poor boiling water on your coffee - wait till it’s just off the boil.
And of course, rinse the press with hot water before putting in the coffee. Yes, you all knew that, but as rabbit hadn’t thought of the French press s/he might not have know that.
If you have preheated the press and have the water at the proper temperature, it’s not going to be too cool in the four mintues it takes to brew. In fact it will likely still be over the 180-degree threshold of the perfect serving temperature. After brewing you pour it into an insulated thermos if you’re not going to drink it all right away. At least that’s what I do. Or you could get one of these insulated presses.
I’m not just trying to be difficult; but the French Press is the best way to make coffee. The only thing that can even compete is the Ibrik, but that’s a whole different style. A drip coffee maker just doesn’t come close to extracting the subtle flavors and full body of the coffee. The less said about those filter lids contraptions the better.
Just to clarify my last post, when I said the French Press is the best way to make coffee, I’m excluding espresso because that’s a whole other beast, a very addictive and daily indulgence of mine. I drink far more espresso than brewed coffee at home; but when I brew, it’s a French Press every time.
The French Press is the way to go. Bodum makes a 4-cup (2 US cup) model, as well as travel mugs with presses inside (I can’t vouch for these, but they seem neat!).
Target, Linen and Things, and Bed, Bath and Beyond have carried them in the past.