Hari Patel / Daily Nexus

This is certainly the easiest way to make coffee at home. I’ve been using the same single-cup Black & Decker model that was gifted to me as a graduation present for the past four years. Given this and my addiction to shows and documentaries about food, I feel I have perfected the drip coffee technique:

1. Measure out desired amount of filtered water
2. Using medium coarseness setting, grind up 1-2 (depends on how strong you like it, I do 2) tablespoons of coffee per cup of water and add to filter-lined compartment
3. Add a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt to grounds
4. Brew!

Tip: Do all this prep the night before so when you wake up, you just have to press the button, go back to sleep and wake up again to the smell of fresh coffee.

“What the heck is up with step three?” you may be asking. Well, I personally like a little cinnamon in my coffee to add a little flavor since I usually drink it black, not to mention it makes the kitchen smell amazing. The salt may seem a little stranger to some, but a pinch of it takes away the bitterness and mellows out the brew. Once I tried this technique, I never looked back.

Also note that upkeep of your machine is very important! Your coffee is only as good as the machine you use, so try to clean it every day. That’s right. Every. Day. At least rinse off the detachable parts and “brew” some clean water. I recommend you use filtered water to brew your coffee so that calcification in your machine is minimal. Also, water is arguably the most important ingredient in your coffee; if your water tastes weird, so will the end product.
Next time we will explore coffee and espresso made through stove-top percolation.

The Bean Queen also goes by Simone Dupuy, the Nexus’ copy chief and resident coffee conniseur.