I love Dunkin’ as much as the next person. My go-to is a medium cold brew with mocha and cream, and if I had an unlimited amount of cash I would make a stop every day. But that three bucks a day adds up, and you can make an awesome cup of coffee at home for way less cash. I have three different ways of getting my best cup of coffee in the morning using a Mr. Coffee maker, a French Press, and a Chemex (although not all at the same time). Here’s how to make the perfect cup of coffee three different ways.
Mr. Coffee
You’ll need: Coffee Filter
Mr. Coffee is the easiest, just add water and press “on.” My problem was always getting the coffee to water ratio just right. After researching and many failed pots, I found the best ratio to be two heaping tablespoons of coffee per cup (usually about 8 oz.) Fill your favorite coffee mug with water and pour it into the coffee maker. For two cups of coffee, fill the mug up twice and then fill the filter with four tablespoons of grounds. Press on and you’re good to go.
French Press
You’ll need: French press and a kettle
Using the same ratio of two heaping tablespoons per 8 oz. coffee mug, begin boiling water in the kettle. Scoop coffee into the French press and add the hot water. Use the coffee mug to determine how much water to pour in. Place the lid on top and make sure the plunger is pulled up. Wait for the coffee to brew for 3-4 minutes and then plunge down slowly. Pour the coffee immediately into your mug or into a carafe (if you leave it in the French press it’ll get bitter).
Chemex
You’ll need: Chemex brewer, Chemex filters, a scale, a kettle, and a timer (you can use your phone)
I reserve the Chemex brewer for mornings when I don’t have anywhere to be immediately. The process takes a little longer and gets a little fancier. Fill the kettle with water, and while you wait for it to boil, place the filter on top of the Chemex. When the water is ready, pour a little over the filter to saturate it and heat the brewer.
Pour out the water and place it on the scale, then zero it out. Pour six tablespoons of coffee onto the filter (the scale should read 42 g). Zero it out again, start the timer, and pour hot water on the grounds until they’re soaked (150 g). Stir them and wait 45 seconds and then continue to pour the kettle over the coffee in a back and forth motion until it reaches about 450 g.
When the timer reaches 1:45, pour more hot water over the grounds until it reaches 700 g. When the timer reads 4 minutes, remove the filter and enjoy about two 10 oz. cups of coffee.
Of the three, my personal favorite is the Mr. Coffee maker. I can always rely on it to be quick and to give me my much needed caffeine fix before I have to sit through hours of lectures. The flavor I get with it is always mild and smooth, my favorite.
On mornings when I have time to kill, my second best is the Chemex. It also gives me a smooth and mild cup that’s perfect for waking up slowly with a coffee flavor. While I do enjoy the French Press, it’s my least favorite, because when using pre-ground coffee it tends to be a little muddier than it would be if you used fresh course ground coffee (which I don’t always have time for).
All three make excellent cups with a little bit of tweaking and experimenting based on your tastes. Have fun playing barista and finding your best cup of coffee.