How to make good coffee without a machine

You do not need an expensive machine to make good coffee. What matters more is fresh coffee, the right grind, the right amount and water that is hot but not boiling. With only a kettle, a mug and a few simple tools, you can make a very good cup at home, at work or on a trip, and even a beginner can get excellent results.

The easiest is a drip bag. Tear it open, hang it on your mug and pour hot water over it in two or three stages. No grinder or scale is needed. KAIVO makes drip bags in The Daily Swing, The Roar and The Leap.

Next is the cowboy or mug method. Put a spoonful of medium ground coffee in a mug, pour in hot water, wait four minutes, skim off the floating grounds, and let the rest settle before you drink. It tastes like a French press, with a little more sediment.

A stovetop pan works for traditional coffee. Heat water with a spoon of fine ground coffee, let it come to the edge of a boil, then take it off the heat and let it settle. For South Indian style coffee, you can use a simple steel filter with a few spoons of coffee and hot water.

You can also make cold brew without a machine. Mix coarse ground coffee and cold water in a jar, leave it in the fridge overnight, and strain it in the morning through a clean cloth or a paper filter. Cold brew keeps for about a week in the fridge, so one jar can cover several mornings.