Brad Enslen - Slow Coffee - Single Serve Coffee Making without the Keurig

I used Keurig single serve coffee machines for many years. I went through a lot of machines, some made by Keurig and some by others. I liked my Keurig machines. Then I lost two machines just a couple of months apart. It wasn’t the Keurigs’ fault, I had two weird electric power company outages that must have had a power spike. Both machines bricked themselves and no amount of unplugging or cures found online would bring them back to working order.

I decided to try a simpler way to make coffee. Something low tech. Something less expensive.

I still liked the single serve aspect for making coffee. I’d used pod coffeemakers and then Keurig machines for a long time and didn’t want to give that up. I also wanted low maintenance and easy cleanup plus durability. I wanted good coffee.

One thing the Keurig was - it was fast, but I was willing to sacrifice some speed for all of the above.

My Slow Coffee Solution

Kettle: I found these goose-necked electric hot water kettles. They heat up your water to the correct temperature for brewing coffee. The best part is they turn themselves off when the water reaches that proper temperature, so I don’t have to worry about forgetting and leaving one plugged in. They are relatively fast a full pot heats up from cold to hot in about 5 minutes. These also work great for tea and hot chocolate.

Pour Over Cone Filter: next was a stainless steel pour over cone filter. I looked at other systems like French Press but the glass is breakable and I didn’t know how easy cleaning the parts would be. With this I just stick it in the dishwasher every night and it comes out fine. I also liked that it was eco-friendly and didn’t require paper filters.

Coffee Storage: I use pre ground coffee. It’s just easier and faster for me. I store it in this stainless steel canister.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Equipment costs less.
Simple, less to go wrong.
No plastic contact with water or coffee.
Coffee is less expensive.
Modular, if one piece breaks the others are still usable.
Easier to regulate amount of water and coffee to taste.

Cons

Slower
More work per cup. (This is pretty minor.)

You can just use a regular coffee mug. I like a double cup in the morning on the porch and I don’t want it to get cold too quick. So I use this 20 oz. tumbler. With this removable handle.

Coffees I Like

I like dark roasted coffees.

Favorite: Seattle’s Best Post Alley

Cheap Everyday Good: Aldi Dark French Roast

What happens when you have company? I bought the Melitta 10 cup coffee maker. I have not used it, but I got it just in case.