If you’re starting to look to the new year, one of the best things to do is to review your finances for the year and see where you can save. Many people have an affinity for coffee and buy at least one if not several coffees each day from the starbucks menu (although a delicious guilty pleasure). Even a cheap coffee from a coffee shop can cost $3-$6 a day depending on where you live, meaning that if you spend say $5 on a coffee every day you’ll be spending $1850 on the good stuff every year. If you can make the transition to making coffee at home then it could be one of the most simple ways to reduce your spending next year. But, you may say, coffee machines are expensive as well! This is true, but there are many ways to make coffee without a machine to save even more!
The pretend French press
The French press is a classic way to make tea, used in Europe in particular. If you have some basic kitchen implements then this is a method to make coffee that you can use at home or even when you are out camping or at a festival. To get started get your ground coffee, a way to boil water, a spoon, bowl and mug ready.
Start by measuring out a tablespoon of water into your bowl for every cup of coffee you want to make. Then boil your water over the stove or campfire and add as many cups of water to the bowl as you wish. Let this steep for around four minutes to get the strength of coffee that you would like. When you’re ready, take the spoon and press the coffee grounds into the bottom of the bowl. Most of the ground coffee will have made its way to the bottom anyway, and pressing them will help them stay there. Then take your bowl and slowly pour into your mugs while keeping the coffee pressed down at the bottom of the bowl.
Cowboy Coffee
This is another way to make coffee almost anywhere, if you are on the road, hiking though the woods or just in a pinch at home. There may be a few grounds of coffee left in your mug when you’re finished but this is probably the most simple way to make a quick coffee on the move. All you will need is your coffee, a pot of hot water, something to stir it with and your mug ready to go.
Get your coffee boiling and add a tablespoon of ground coffee to it. You’ll want to add about a cup of water for each tablespoon of coffee to get the right strength. Bring the water to the boil and then remove for a couple of minutes to let the coffee diffuse, and then leave for another couple of minutes to allow for the ground coffee to make its way to the bottom of the mug. Then simply take your coffee and pour into your mug. Most of the grounds will stay in the pan but a few will probably make it into your mug, but if it was good enough for the cowboys then it’s good enough for us!
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