This is how I’ve been making my coffee lately.
So, before we sold off everything and moved into an RV, I had the traditional set-up: coffee bean grinder, coffee maker, coffee filter and an Italian espresso maker for special occasions.
I am the only one who drinks coffee in the house, so when we moved into the RV I decided to sell all the coffee paraphernalia and just use a French press with pre-ground coffee.
This worked fine.
Until we drove through Louisiana, which is notorious for bad roads. The French press fell off the shelf and shattered.
For a few days after the disaster I was conflicted; do I buy another French press or maybe a real coffee maker… or buy stock in Starbucks? My husband gave me no help insisting this was a sign that I should stop drinking coffee. (Yeah, thanks for all the help, dear.)
I didn’t want to buy another one and I can’t afford Starbucks everyday, so I looked around the RV and found some items that surprisingly work well. And I didn’t have to buy a thing!
Here’s how I do it:
The Desperate Dirt Cheap Minimalist’s Guide to Making Coffee:
Ingredients & tools: Pre-ground coffee, 1 microwave-safe glass measuring cup, and one fine mesh strainer.
Directions: Heat up water in measuring cup. Add desired amount of coffee. Stir. Get distracted by kids. Remember coffee a couple minutes later with glee. Pour into cup through fine-mesh strainer. Enjoy.
The lesson in this? There are many ways of doing things that don’t require specialty devices. Even making coffee.
Confession: I have been lusting after a Keurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single-Cup Home Brewing System
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Enjoyed the visit and the discussion about the Safety Hitch. If you need a cup of coffee, come on over to the little log cabin TT next to the office. It might need to be nuked or I might need to make a fresh pot but at least it will be out of a real coffee pot.
Nice meeting you today, Troy!
Thank you for the coffee invite, too. I’ll have to stop by and see the rolling cabin!
The first morning that we didn’t have enough gas to turn on the generator was eye opening. It’s really hard to get creative when you haven’t had your caffeine fix, but I realized that I could heat the water using the propane stove and pour it into the drip coffee maker. Desperate times, desperate measures.
I love getting creative and making use of what I have rather than having an appliance for every little thing I do. Someone recently pointed out that they went to buy a gift for a wedding and the couple had registered for every appliance they made, AND a set of pans. This person couldn’t figure out what they wanted the pans for, as they would have a specialty item for anything they wanted to cook! LOL Glad that’s not me.
The Keurig with additional water storage is better! Not only can you make coffee, you have instant hot water for oatmeal, hot chocolate, and soup. It is a multifunctional tool and you can even buy the reusable cup to add your own coffee. I can’t live without it now.
Kerry – Thanks for the comment, and I agree with you about finding some pleasure in making use of items we already have over buying something new. We tend to think we need things just because there’s a product available to us to “solve a problem.”
Jen – Seriously, the Keurig sounds like a dream to me. I think it’s just too big — do they come in super small sizes, I wonder?
Thanks for the comment!
Melanie, I am a budding coffee snob, and your question about the keurig touched me. 😛
At home I use a burr grinder and a french press to make my coffee. Always. I don’t even own a coffeemaker. I usually buy beans at least the quality of Starbucks or from our local roaster.
At work we have a keurig. You’re right, it’s handy (and doesn’t take up much space). But you will get much better coffee even using this “desperate dirt cheap” method than the keurig. Others will disagree, but I’d try a few cups first before making your decision. I really don’t like it, even when I grind my own beans from home and make them here. Better than the free work coffee, but I’d much rather just use my press.
Just my two cents. 😉 Maybe I’m more of a coffee snob than I thought…
-j
Jason recently posted..Cotton Candy and Funnel Cakes!
Jason, I gotta admit, the coffee is pretty darn good (with lots of that coffee foam at the top) when I use the strainer method. It’s just not as cool or convenient as having a fancy machine spit out of perfect little cup whenever the craving hits. Thanks for letting me know about the difference in quality!
I’m about to travel to coffee country (Panama) and plan to tour one of the coffee farms. I’ll post some video, too. That reminds me, have you ever roasted your own green coffee beans? That’s something I aspire to do one day… probably when we’re not in an RV though.
I do miss the French Press. It’s a pity is broke… and has scared me off from buying a new one.
No, I haven’t roasted my own, but I am trying to get some kona bushes going so I can try it.
I had a french press that I bought from Target that had a plastic base and lid…I bet it wouldn’t break very easily if it fell. It was a single serving, but you said you’re the only one who drinks it so that wouldn’t be a big problem. It was $7 or so.
Jason recently posted..Cotton Candy and Funnel Cakes!
Melanie, When traveling in the rv we use a French Press. My wife packs it in the original box; it always arrives safe and sound. Nothing beats a good cup of coffee in the morning.
I love this post…I too am the only coffee drinker in my house but it’s vital to my happiness! : )
(and therefore, everyone around me’s happiness). Last summer, I was in Africa with coffee, and hot water but no strainer or press. I took the tea out of tea bags and put my coffee in and then filtered the water through it pressed up to the side of my mug. Desperate measures but it worked!
Love reading about your life…we’re making our own escape plan these days. Keep the posts coming! Thanks!
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