When you’re the only one in your household who drinks coffee, there’s pretty much no point in buying a drip coffee maker, especially when there are plenty of single serve coffee makers that will suit your needs perfectly. If you’re interested in buying one, you should check out this single serve coffee maker reviews.
Same goes for those of you that don’t drink coffee at all but still want to be able to brew a cup for an occasional guest or two.
You’re at the right place – today I’m going to answer one of the most common questions among coffee drinkers:
How do you make coffee for one person?
Let’s take a look at your options!
The Most Obvious Answer: Using A Single Serve Coffee Maker
I thought it would be best to get this one out of the way before I move to the less obvious choices for making a single cup of coffee (continue reading to see what your alternatives are).
While the detailed instructions may differ depending on the model you’re using, the principle stays the same. First, you need to add water to the unit’s reservoir and place the coffee pod (or ground coffee) into the brewing basket, make the necessary adjustments (brew strength and the like) and start the brewing process with nothing more than a push of a button. In a minute or so, you’ll have a desired cup of coffee waiting for you.
Hands-On Approach To Brewing
If you don’t own a single serve coffee maker, you might be worried about your ability to make a good cup of coffee the good, old-fashioned way. But let me tell you something: there’s no reason to be – I’ll guide you through every method.
Take a look at some of the favorite ways of making coffee for one person:
Pour-Over Coffee Maker
I’m going to put it like this:
You’ll be doing the same thing every coffee machine essentially does – pour hot water over coffee grounds. That’s probably the simplest way to describe this method of brewing a cup of coffee. Now, I did promise you a detailed guide, so let’s get to it.
First off, measure out a bit over a cup of water (using filtered water isn’t crucial, but I do recommend it), pour it into a kettle and let it get to a boiling point. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, use that time to prepare everything else – three tablespoons of ground coffee, a cup, your single-cup drip coffee cone, and a filter to match.
The drip coffee cone goes on top of your mug, while the coffee goes inside the paper filter. Once the water starts to boil, it’s time to make coffee. Now, here’s a secret to making a good cup of coffee excellent: don’t pour all the water at once – do it slowly. Start with just enough water to cover the grounds and let it sit for a moment, enough for the coffee grounds to swell up – it would be best to wait around 30 seconds. Repeat the process one more time before you pour in the rest of the water from the kettle.
Aero Press
Here’s where it gets purely manual; this relatively new way to make coffee is famous for being both inexpensive, as well as fast. If you don’t have the time to wait around for a pour over method (which does take up to 5 minutes), and you don’t own a single-serve coffee maker (yet), maybe you should consider getting an aero press.
The process is relatively simple:
Start by heating up the desired amount of water and bringing it to a boil. While you’re waiting, place your aero press (with the filter already inside) on top of your cup; you can add a tiny amount of warm water, enough to make the filter wet. After that, you can add finely ground coffee. Once everything’s in place, pour the water in, stir it a couple of times, and let it sit for about 30 seconds before you press the plunger – the hissing sound will notify you when the brewing process is over.
And that’s pretty much it; you’ve made a cup of coffee using an aero press.
French Press
The French press is a much older brewing method than the one I mentioned previously, but you’ll see there are a lot of similarities between the two.
However, what sets them apart would, in my opinion, be the resulting flavor: if you’re using some high-quality coffee beans, I recommend using a French press, because no method out there can give you the same richness and fullness of flavor as this one. Trust me on this; I know my coffee.
The process is pretty much the same: add coffee in the press pot, pour hot water in and stir a bit, then re-insert the plunger, and let everything sit for about 4 to 5 minutes. After that, start applying steady pressure and slowly press the plunger all the way down.
The difference is in small details, like the materials used – French presses are usually made of glass, and they use a metal filter, as opposed to a paper one, which means a lot of the oils naturally found in coffee find their way into your mug. As far as quality goes, nothing beats a French press.
Turkish Coffee
Before we begin, let me ask you something:
Are you familiar with the cezve – or ibrik, which is what it’s called in Eastern Europe?
If you’ve ever visited this part of Europe, then you probably know what I’m talking about; if not, the best way to explain what a cezve is would be: a long-handled pot, usually made from brass or copper. Now that we’ve got the basics covered let’s see how it’s made.
Start by measuring out the amount of water you’ll need, then pour it into the pot and place it on the stove top, setting the heat to medium or high. If you want to add sugar, now’s the time to do it – the sugar will dissolve as the water heats up, so there’s no need for stirring. Wait for the water to warm up a bit, then add about two full teaspoons of coffee and mix it; make sure there are no clumps. Remember to turn the heat down to low, and keep stirring from time to time; you’ll notice that your brew is starting to foam, and soon enough, it’ll start to rise, so pay attention. When you see a dark ring forming on the surface, you should remove the pot from the heat source or lower the temperature, and continue stirring. Put it back on the stove again for another round; you don’t want to bring Turkish coffee to a complete boil, though.
Oh, and one more thing:
Turkish coffee is meant to be savored, so don’t rush it – drink it sip by sip, and remember to enjoy every single one.
Final Thoughts
I think we can all agree that no matter which method you choose, you’ll end up with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and that’s the most important thing here. Of course, I’m not saying the flavor will be the same – you’ve seen that the brewing method plays a vital role in the quality of your coffee – so choose the one that appeals to you the most.
The beauty of it is that you can base your decision on convenience, affordability or any other factor you seem to find important. After all, you are making a cup for just one person – it might as well be just the way you like it.
How do you make coffee for one person? Let me know about your favorite brewing method below!
