the most eco and last coffee maker - cowgirl coffee

It has been almost ten years.  

Still use this technique every day.  Quick.  Simple.  And quick cleanup.  Zero paper.  Zero plastic.  Zero cloth-like stuff to be cleaned.  

And throughout the day the measuring cup and the strainer get used for other stuff.  It's as if there is no "coffee maker" - there's just this MacGuyvered thing that works far better than any "coffee maker".  

Frankly, I am a bit surprised that people still make coffee any other way.  


Also, have verified over and over:

  - use the "anchor" measuring cup because it pours cleanly

  - use the forlife filter because it can sit inside the measuring cup (no need to dirty the little dish).  Also, the mesh is "just right" - it doesn't let the coffee through and it doesn't get plugged up.


For over ten years I have used the exact same measuring cup and the exact same filter.  My guess is that they both have at least a hundred years of life ahead.

I also have been using this all this time.  I also buy bulk roasted coffee  and grind it fresh with stevia leaves I grow myself  with cacao beans. Figure I am to old to start on underground tropical zone greenhouse for the coffee and cacao.

We make our coffee by bring 8 cups of water to boil- add 6 heaping teaspoons of ground coffee , lower flame. Definitely cowboy coffee. I play with bringing out different flavors in the coffee by playing with the temperature and the time that the coffee is left at that temperature. We are living in an 18 ft trailer after CA fire in 2020 so stove is crappy. One of these days I will take notes on my experiments. We use so much less coffee doing it this way and the coffee tastes better than Melina drip

I've used my glass French Press since about 1996. It's traveled with me back and forth as l lived in the US and Japan.  But just one day after reading this post and the glass broke in the sink.  Coincidence? I think not.

At least I've found a temporary use for the handle part of the press.  I dug out my cloth coffee strainer (1 cup size) and now I can hang it over the press handle to drip without getting coffee all over the counter.

The best coffee I ever had was prepared by my sister's mother-in-law. She had an ancient aluminum perk pot that had lost its "innards" long ago. Undeterred, she filled it with 6 to 8 cups of water, boiled the water, turned off the heat, and added plain old store-bought ground coffee -- probably Hill's Brothers -- then gave it a stir.  It'd foam up a bit, but eventually the grounds would get fully soaked and sink to the bottom.  She waited until it was cool enough to pour. It was great tasting and the grounds stayed in the bottom of the pot.

It looks like Amazon and Stash Tea Company are engaging in a price war over the ForLife Tea Infuser. I picked up one from Stash Tea for $22.50 after shipping. Amazon has it for sale, but it is charging $26 after shipping. Either way, now is a great time to simplify your coffee making routine. I replaced my wife's failing five year old AeroPress, and she is very happy with it.

https://www.stashtea.com/collections/brewing/products/extra-fine-tea-infuser-with-porcelain-caddy

Rather than a measuring cup, I use a thermal mug for the initial extraction... coffee stays hotter while it's steeping! Then pour through a fine mesh filter basket (MSR, bought for camping aeons ago) into my coffee mug. Upthread, someone suggested just using the filter in the coffee mug (like a tea-infusion basket) and strangely, I get a better flavour with the extra step. https://www.msrgear.com/ca/cookware/camp-kitchen-and-utensils/mugmate-coffeetea-filter/321003.html

My preferred method is the Hario V60 (a conical holder for paper filters) which is beautifully low tech for me and makes my favourite cup of coffee. Lately I've been getting annoyed with having to buy packs of paper filters so I've been trying different solutions. The metal V60 didn't work well for me, it always gets clogged up and ruins the brew process. I'm really interested in trying the Cerapotta, which is just porous ceramic (https://cerapotta.jp/en/https://cerapotta.jp/en/)

I also use an AeroPress with a metal filter instead of paper. That works well but the brew is not as nice.

We use an old filter basket from a coffe maker and just pour over into a carafe.

Mauro Gestoso wrote:My preferred method is the Hario V60 (a conical holder for paper filters) which is beautifully low tech for me and makes my favourite cup of coffee. Lately I've been getting annoyed with having to buy packs of paper filters so I've been trying different solutions. The metal V60 didn't work well for me, it always gets clogged up and ruins the brew process. I'm really interested in trying the Cerapotta, which is just porous ceramic (https://cerapotta.jp/en/https://cerapotta.jp/en/)

I also use an AeroPress with a metal filter instead of paper. That works well but the brew is not as nice.

A foodie / engineer friend recommended experimenting with old t shirts, cheesecloths, etc to find something that could be washed and reused...

According to my sources, the Bedouins in Yemen first introduced coffee to the world. For many years I have made my coffee in what I believe is their way (with one "modern" adaption, a thermometer). I call it "Bedouin coffee." I put heated water in a stainless carafe (or sometimes in a cup) and measure the temp to arrive at a maximum temp of160°F. Then I add finely ground coffee. Powdered is best. I wait a minute for the coffee to become thoroughly soaked, then swirl the mixture to develop the "crema" on top, which then settles to the bottom. If the coffee is finely ground it will form a (more or less) stable sediment layer which remains on the bottom as I drink. When I get to the bottom near the sludge I know it is time to rinse.

The reason for the precise 160° temp is so that fewer of the bitter acids are extracted. I can drink this coffee after it gets cold without experiencing the "acid bite" of coffee made in other brewing methods.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:

Tom Haile wrote:paul wheaton here's a pic

Here's a pic of coffee grounds in a Ball jar filled with water. It's that simple then it sits in the frig. After a day I use a fine metal strainer to strain off a cup. I make sure to start another batch before I run out. Since I already use my frig there's no extra energy costs and it takes 1.5 minutes to make.

I was inspired to do a simple blog post on it. Cheap Simple Coffee Brewing.

Excellent pic, Tom!

We had a permies thread on cold brew mason jar coffee back in 2011. Has other links to posts about cold brew coffee and discussion of the toddy as well.

This is an incredible time and money saver. I'm very grateful that you shared this idea with us.