How to Brew Coffee Without a Coffee Maker: 5 Easy Methods

You can do both of those jobs with things you already own. Below are five methods, from the simplest saucepan steep to an overnight cold brew. Each one comes with amounts, water temperature and times based on National Coffee Association brewing guidance, so you aren't guessing.

If you'd like a refresher on the basics that apply to every method, such as freshness, grind and water, our beginner home brewing lesson covers them.

What is the easiest way to make coffee without a coffee maker?

The easiest way is to steep ground coffee in hot water, then separate it. Stir the coffee into water just off the boil in a saucepan or mug, wait 4 minutes, let the grounds sink, and pour slowly. That is how a French press works, minus the plunger. Straining through a paper filter makes it cleaner.

Grind and timing ranges follow National Coffee Association guidance for immersion, pour-over and cold brew.

Whichever method you pick, the water temperature matters most. Aim for 195 to 205°F (90 to 96°C). Water boils at 212°F (100°C) at sea level, so bring it to a boil and let it rest about 30 seconds before it touches the coffee.

How do you make coffee in a saucepan on the stove?

Heat water in a saucepan until it boils, take it off the heat, and wait about 30 seconds. Stir in your ground coffee, steep for 4 minutes, then add a small splash of cold water to help the grounds sink. Pour slowly into mugs, or ladle from the top, and leave the sludge behind.

1. Measure the water with a mug or measuring cup. For two 8-ounce mugs, use 16 ounces (about 475 grams).
2. Bring it to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and rest it about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in about 32 grams of ground coffee, roughly 8 level tablespoons. That is close to a 1:15 ratio.
4. Let it steep for 4 minutes. Stir once halfway through.
5. Add a tablespoon or two of cold water over the surface. Wait another minute while the grounds settle to the bottom.
6. Pour slowly from the pan into mugs, or ladle from the top. Stop before the grounds at the bottom.

Campers often make "cowboy coffee" by boiling the grounds in the water for a couple of minutes. Atlas Coffee Club's version boils them for 2 minutes and then steeps for about 3 more. Boiling extracts hard and fast, so expect a stronger, more bitter cup than the off-heat steep above.

How do you make coffee in a mug or jar and strain it?

Treat a heatproof mug, jar or bowl like a French press. Add ground coffee, pour in water just off the boil, steep for 4 minutes, then pour the coffee through a fine-mesh sieve or a paper filter into a second mug. It takes two containers and gives the cleanest steeped cup without any brewer.

For one 12-ounce mug, use about 24 grams of coffee, around 6 level tablespoons, and 12 ounces (355 grams) of water. Stir once after the first minute so floating grounds get wet.

A fine-mesh kitchen sieve catches most grounds but lets some silt through. A paper coffee filter set inside the sieve catches nearly everything, including the coffee oils that paper is known to trap. The National Coffee Association recommends a coarse grind for French press brewing. A coarse or medium grind also makes straining easier.

Unfiltered and boiled coffee carry more of the natural oils, called diterpenes, that can raise cholesterol. Harvard Health reports about 30 times more in unfiltered coffee than in filtered. If that matters for your health, finish with a paper filter.

How do you make a pour-over without a pour-over brewer?

Set a paper coffee filter in a fine-mesh strainer or a kitchen funnel over your mug. Add medium-ground coffee, pour a little hot water to wet it, wait 30 to 45 seconds, then pour the rest slowly in circles. The National Coffee Association suggests 1:13 to 1:16 and 2 to 4 minutes of total contact.

1. Rest the strainer or funnel on a mug or jar so it won't tip. Line it with a paper filter and rinse the filter with hot water. Pour that water out.
2. Add about 20 grams of medium-ground coffee for 10 ounces (300 grams) of water.
3. Pour about 40 grams of water, twice the coffee's weight, to wet all the grounds. This is the bloom. Wait 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Pour the rest slowly in small circles, keeping the water level steady. Finish in about 3 minutes.

A paper towel can work in an emergency, but it tears easily when wet and tends to drain slowly. A paper coffee filter is the better choice if you have one.

How do you make a coffee "tea bag"?

Spoon ground coffee into the middle of a paper coffee filter, gather the edges, and tie it shut with string or a twist tie. Drop it in a mug, pour hot water over it, and steep for about 4 minutes. Lift it out and squeeze gently. You get a mild cup with no grounds to strain.

Atlas Coffee Club suggests about 2.5 tablespoons of coffee for a single cup and about 4 minutes of steeping, or longer for a stronger cup. Because the water can't move freely through the bag, this method tends to brew lighter than the others. Use a little more coffee than you would in a saucepan, and dunk the bag a few times while it steeps.

This is the best method for an office or hotel room, since all you need is hot water from a kettle or a hot water tap.

Can you make cold brew without any equipment?

Yes. Stir coarse ground coffee into cold or room-temperature water in a jar, cover it, and leave it for about 12 hours. Then strain it through a paper filter or a sieve lined with cloth. The National Coffee Association suggests 1 part coffee to 4 to 5 parts water for a concentrate.

For a quart jar, try 150 grams of coarse coffee to 700 grams (about 24 ounces) of water. That is close to 1:4.7. Steep at room temperature or in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours.

The result is a concentrate. Dilute it with water, milk or ice to taste, starting around equal parts. It keeps in the fridge, so one jar can cover several mornings while you wait for a new machine. If you'd rather skip grinding, the Hula Daddy Kona Cold Brew comes coarse ground for cold brew. The roaster describes it as smooth, sweet and mellow.

How much coffee should you use without a machine?

Use about 1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water for hot methods. Without a scale, that is about 3 level tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water. The National Coffee Association's rule of thumb is 1 to 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces, which brews a lighter cup.

Tablespoon figures assume about 4 grams per level tablespoon of ground medium roast, as measured by Trade Coffee. Dark roasts weigh less per spoon.

The gap between 2 and 3 tablespoons comes from weight. A level tablespoon of ground coffee weighs only about 4 grams, so 2 tablespoons in 6 ounces lands near 1:22. That suits people who like a light cup. If yours tastes weak, add a spoonful before you change anything else.

Which coffees are most forgiving for makeshift brewing?

Medium roasts with chocolate, caramel and nut notes are the most forgiving when your timing and temperature are rough. They taste sweet across a wide range of brew times and handle a little sediment well. Bright, delicate light roasts reward precise pour-over gear more than a saucepan.

Larry's Coffee Larry's House Blend is a medium roast from Guatemala and Nicaragua, and the roaster lists milk chocolate, orange and cashew. Highwire Coffee Roasters Carrier Wave is a washed medium roast from El Salvador with roaster notes of milk chocolate, caramel and stone fruit. For a little more fruit, Coffee Bros. Medium Roast blends natural coffees from Ethiopia and Brazil, with brown sugar, red fruit and hazelnut on the roaster's list.

You can browse more medium roasts on our coffee explorer.

Frequently asked questions