# So, your at a friends house and have a bag of 'nice' coffee but no brew equipment...



## autopilot (Apr 4, 2013)

...what do you do?

All you have is a decent bag of fresh ground coffee ("suitable for all coffee makers" as they say), but have no French press, drip machine... anything. But you have all the usual pots, pans, etc, found in your average kitchen. Could you make a drinkable cup of coffee? If so, how?


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Is a tea strainer something found in the "average" kitchen? if no tea strainer available then a sieve could be used

If so then you just make the coffee in a total immersion style in whatever suitable vessel comes to hand and then strain it through the tea strainer lined with a thin dampened tea towel or in an emergency a section from a clean pair of tights or stockings !!!!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Easily.

Pan or jug with good heat retention/lid. Add coarse grinds, water a little off the boil (40sec to a minute), fully wet, fill to 55-57g/l, stir down the crust, cover & wait. Check at half an hour (maybe less for a medium grind), grounds should have sunk by now, stir gently if necessary to bring into desired extraction zone, taste, pour off gently, or better still strain through muslin.


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## autopilot (Apr 4, 2013)

Unfortunately, I don't think tea strainers or muslin cloths are common place these days. Tea towls maybe, but I was hoping for a less messy solution


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

At times like that I would probably shoot for a good ole cup of English tea.


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## bronc (Dec 10, 2012)

This is what I would try:


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

If it can't be made properly, put coffee back in cupboard and nip down off licence for a bottle of red or 2


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

I 2nd the Norwegian egg coffee. It's actually very nice and you don't half get some funny looks of disbelief


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

autopilot said:


> Unfortunately, I don't think tea strainers or muslin cloths are common place these days. Tea towls maybe, but I was hoping for a less messy solution


Strainer/sieve lined with stout kitchen roll, works for clarifying butter etc.?

Or ladle the coffee out of the pot/pan.

Many households with young children have muslins...or tights (if they're not already employed as a makeshift fan belt, or microphone pop filter)?


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

you must be yolking


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

glevum said:


> If it can't be made properly, put coffee back in cupboard and nip down off licence for a bottle of red or 2


Eh? You just need grounds, hot water & a receptacle to make coffee properly...I have even heard of people making it in funny little bowls and slurping it with a soupspoon! :-o


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## Steve_S_T (Dec 7, 2012)

MWJB said:


> Easily.
> 
> Pan or jug with good heat retention/lid. Add coarse grinds, water a little off the boil (40sec to a minute), fully wet, fill to 55-57g/l, stir down the crust, cover & wait. *Check at half an hour* (maybe less for a medium grind), grounds should have sunk by now, stir gently if necessary to bring into desired extraction zone, taste, pour off gently, or better still strain through muslin.


Are you simmering this brew, or should that read half a minute?

Steve.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

No simmering, after the water comes off the boil a while, assume we're off the heat.

You won't get much out of a coarse grind in half a minute, even using the power shower on hottest setting...has anyone suggested using the power shower & a sieve yet? ;-)


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## Steve_S_T (Dec 7, 2012)

I know you won't get much in half a minute, but equally half an hour seems a lot of extraction time and also a long time to keep liquid warm in a standard kitchen pan, albeit one with good heat retaining properties. That said I've never tried it, so my expression of surprise is not in any way an enlightened one.

Steve.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Sure, unless the pan/jug has particularly good heat retention your coffee is unlikely to be piping hot, but certainly warm enough to be palatable. If it's just sitting there, there's not a lot of extracting going on. A porcelain teapot may fare well, just difficult to watch the pour/hold back the grinds? My Sowden brews are just cool enough to drink after 35-40 minutes steeping.


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## Chris_on_caffeine (Jul 21, 2012)

If I absolutely HAD to, I'd probably go through the underwear draw :good:and find something that could work as a cloth filter. Doubt it would work well though, prob taste of fabric conditioner!


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## autopilot (Apr 4, 2013)

smokeybarn said:


> If I absolutely HAD to, I'd probably go through the underwear draw


Lol, that could end in tears "Honestly, it's not what it looks, I just wanted to make some coffee..."


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## uma_bica (Mar 28, 2012)

autopilot said:


> ...what do you do?
> 
> All you have is a decent bag of fresh ground coffee ("suitable for all coffee makers" as they say), but have no French press, drip machine... anything. But you have all the usual pots, pans, etc, found in your average kitchen. Could you make a drinkable cup of coffee? If so, how?


This reminds of a "similar" story: a friend of mine went to Indonesia, bought 250g of Kopi Luwak, kept in a (not even properly sealed) bag for at least a month until he tole me he had it and was trying to figure out a way to use it. I told him we could try to make some espresso at mine. Never happened. I'm almost sure it went down the drain...

(sorry for the unrelated topic - this just reminded me of that







)


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

uma_bica said:


> This reminds of a "similar" story: a friend of mine went to Indonesia, bought 250g of Kopi Luwak, kept in a (not even properly sealed) bag for at least a month until he tole me he had it and was trying to figure out a way to use it. I told him we could try to make some espresso at mine. Never happened. *I'm almost sure it went down the drain*...
> 
> (sorry for the unrelated topic - this just reminded me of that
> 
> ...


Best place for it


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## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

Yes it would have been total crap


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

MWJB said:


> Eh? You just need grounds, hot water & a receptacle to make coffee properly...I have even heard of people making it in funny little bowls and slurping it with a soupspoon! :-o


that sounds great !


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## autopilot (Apr 4, 2013)

bronc said:


> This is what I would try:


Thats just wrong on so many levels.

Plus, check out all the Norwegians in the comments who have never heard of this!


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## stinkypete (May 1, 2013)

Before any haters start boarding this train, think about how so many of our wines are clarified.

Something to think about.

And if no one had this thought or is wondering "what is he on about" feel free to comment


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## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

Beer is clarified with a product made from fish swim bladder and I love the taste of it

So coffee and egg, not that strange.

Joking aside, comsomme (clear soup) is clarified with egg in a similar way. However the yolk is not used


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Yes Row said:


> *Beer is clarified with a product made from fish swim bladder *and I love the taste of it
> 
> So coffee and egg, not that strange.
> 
> Joking aside, comsomme (clear soup) is clarified with egg in a similar way. However the yolk is not used


Ill stick to my irish moss thanks


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## FDC (Jan 7, 2012)

So, your at a friends house and have a bag of 'nice' coffee but no brew equipment... what do you do?

Leave and find new friends!!


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## FDC (Jan 7, 2012)

So, your at a friends house and have a bag of 'nice' coffee but no brew equipment... what do you do?

Leave and find new friends!!


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

I agree with sentiments only modification would be Ribera DEL Duero or Rioja.

How do you find the Bez/Mitica ,Is this the model that is said to be a copy of the ECM Technica, I have read on one forum that the ECM is know made at the Bezzera factory.


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