In a survey that examined what makes people happy, it was found that one of the top things that make people happy is the smell of coffee. A fresh cup of the fragrant beverage, a just opened jar of coffee beans, walking into a Starbucks – these are the things that trigger the happy feeling amongst so many of us!
Sure the best coffee probably means great beans, a quality coffee maker and some patience. But how about those of us who don’t have a coffee maker or the time to use one all the time? We look at how to make great coffee without using a coffee maker.
Coffee using instant coffee powder
For best results, you need to use sugar here. Take a spoonful of high quality instant coffee powder in a mug – the classic versions of Nescafe work quite well because they are more fragrant. Add a spoonful of sugar – it is best not to used powdered sugar but to use granules instead. Into this pour just a level teaspoon of water, no more, you want to get a pasty consistency when you mix the sugar and the coffee powder.
Now stir vigorously for a couple of minutes. The sugar should dissolve and you should get a light brown, creamy mixture. At the same time that heavenly fragrance of fresh coffee will waft up into your nostrils. Into this you can add water and milk to taste. Since the decoction is fully dissolved iced coffee or a frappe as well from it. What you can do is increase the portions several times to get more than one cup, or you can store the unused decoction in the fridge for several days and use it as required.
Drip or filter coffee
Filter coffee is made using a metal device consisting of two nesting cups, one that filters and one that collects the filtered coffee. The upper container is filled with a coffee-chicory mixture and boiling water is poured inside which then trickles out and into the receptacle. This method of making coffee without a coffee maker is also known as South Indian coffee since it is very popular in the Southern states of India.
In the west a similar method is used to make what is known as drip coffee – this however is lighter and is made without using pressure the way filter coffee is. The water is passed through the coffee grounds using nothing but gravity.
