Early morning starts on campus are such a drag for those of us who just aren’t morning people and funding our caffeine cravings can get expensive. Here are five cheaper and easier ways to make coffee in your dorm room. For these recipes, all you’ll need is access to an electric hot-water kettle and an undying love for all things coffee.
1. French Press
Assuming you have access to a garbage and a sink, the french press is a low maintenance and simple way to brew a fresh cup of coffee in your dorm without having to clean an entire coffee maker machine. All you need is a hot water kettle which as a bonus, heats up your instant ramen. Just throw some of your favourite coffee grounds into the french press, add hot water, and after a couple of minutes, press the lid down to strain your coffee when it’s done brewing. Once you’ve finished drinking the entire pot, which you will, let’s be real here, you’re nothing without coffee. You then must dump your grounds into a garbage or compost bin, and give your pot and strainer a light scrub in a sink. Just be sure that all of the old coffee grounds aren’t lying around in your pot to ruin your next batch and you’re good to go for round two. The french press may be a little hard to clean at times but if you’re a good little environmentalist, it beats having to use paper coffee filters.
2. Pour Over
Now the french press must brew in its own separate contraption, however the pour-over coffee maker can fit over just about any mug lying around your room. It brews directly into your cup! A pour-over coffee maker is also easier to clean than a french press, however you must buy pour-over coffee filters to use. A necessary evil for those precious extra five minutes of sleep? To make coffee with a pour-over, place the pour-over mug on top of your favourite mug and add a filter to the top. Scoop in some coffee, make sure your water is boiled right before you start pouring it, then pour the water over the top of the coffee grounds in a light stream of water and in a circular fashion. To give your coffee a cleaner taste, be sure to allow your coffee grounds to bloom. Blooming coffee is when you just soak the grounds with hot water and let air bubbles escape for thirty seconds before continuing to pour more water. The brew time lasts for about three to five minutes at most. Once you’ve finished pouring and all the coffee has drained into your mug, the clean-up is easy! Just toss your coffee grounds and filter into the bin and then give your pour-over coffee maker a wash and rinse. Such an easy and low-maintenance way to enjoy coffee in your dorm.
3. Instant Coffee
This just goes without saying. Instant coffee is just that; instant. You only need a hot water kettle and a packet or jar of instant coffee. The packets are a better option for when you’re on the go, and there are many places where you can ask for some hot water. This allows for an instant cup of coffee anywhere. If you’re hoping to avoid excessive packaging, a container of instant coffee is a better choice. Not only do you get more coffee for a cheaper price, the container is often recyclable or a useful storage item once you’re done with it. The only drawback to instant coffee is typically the taste. Finding a good-tasting instant coffee is a difficult task, but if you like flavoured coffee, we got your back. Instant coffee packets come in all sorts of flavours and varieties. Do you love a pumpkin spiced latte? Starbucks has it in their instant coffee line. How about a mocha? No problem! Have fun with all the different options and try to find the best instant coffee for you. When you’re trying to save money and get caffeinated with the least amount of clean-up, this is the smartest way to make coffee in your dorm.
4. Cold Brew
Are you sick of getting up early to make yourself some coffee? What if you could make coffee in your dorm the night before and save those precious five to fifteen minutes for you to slap the snooze button on your phone one more time? To make cold brew the improper way, just make a cup of coffee for yourself the night before and place your mug or jar of coffee in your mini-fridge or communal fridge in your dorm, and just like that, you can enjoy a cold cup of coffee in the morning. For the traditionalist, cold-brew is made with one part coarsely ground coffee to four parts water. If you have a french press, cold brew is a lot easier to make in your dorm this way. Place your coffee and grounds into a jar with a lid to keep it sealed. Place the coffee and water mixture into a fridge and allow the coffee grounds to steep for twelve hours before you drink it. In the morning you can just strain the coffee mix in your french press and enjoy! Cold brew made the usual way is much stronger in taste and caffeine concentration and lacks many of the typical bitter or sour notes in fresh-brewed coffee. Cold brew is also an incredible way to enjoy coffee during hot weather.
5. Coffee Tea Bags
Now perhaps this is genius. Are you a fan of instant coffee packets and also have enough patience to make yourself a cup of tea? Are you craving better coffee? Well I have news for you. Why not pick out your favourite coffee, have it ground at the coffee shop you buy your beans from, or purchase it pre-ground, then fill some tea bags with it. Making coffee in your dorm was never this easy, and delicious, if you’ve already pre-filled the coffee bags you’ll enjoy that week. Just make your coffee like your tea, drama and hassle-free, I promise. All you need is a packet of empty tea bags, which you can find in the tea section of your local grocery store or asian grocery store. Fill each bag with about two tablespoons of coffee that is pre-ground for a drip-coffee machine or french press. Seal the tea bags and voila! You now have your own better-tasting instant coffee.
With these coffee-making methods, hopefully you can now save more money and time while getting ready for class.
What’s your favourite way to make coffee in your dorm? Let us know in the comments below!
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