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Once you know how to make coffee in the microwave, it’s quite easy to make your favorite brew. Sure, it may not have the gourmet appeal that comes with coffee made in an espresso machine. But, when all else fails, the microwave can be your answer.
A microwave is a handy appliance to have in any kitchen. Most of us use them to defrost frozen meals or warm up left-overs. Some cooks have mastered the art of making a meal from scratch using a microwave. But, who would have thought of using a microwave to make a cup of coffee?
Before you scorn the idea any further, hear me out.
Let’s talk about what goes into making a brew of coffee. Well, if you one of those serious coffee aficionados like me, your first step is grinding your own coffee blend. Every morning you decide which blend you’re in the mood for and toss the beans into the burr grinder. The aromas get your coffee taste buds flowing!
You’ve added water to the coffee machine and pressed the button. On most mornings, all goes according to plan and you brew your coffee. But, I’m talking about the morning when your coffee maker stopped working. You’re sitting with a handful of coffee grounds waiting to be brewed.
You actually have a few options for making coffee in the microwave. So, hold onto those coffee grounds and read on. I’m going to share with you a few methods and take you through each method, step by step.
Create your own filter coffee brew by using the following steps:
If you don’t have coffee filters on hand, cheesecloth will work just as well. Cut out a small square, place two tablespoons or more of ground coffee beans in the middle, and pull up the corners of the cheesecloth to form a ball. Tie a piece of string to keep the corners tightly closed. Attach the string to the fork and steep as you would with a filter bag.
A binder clip can be used in place of the fork. Simply attach it to the top of the coffee filter or cheesecloth.
If you don’t have a tea strainer in your kitchen, then buy one as soon as you can (you can get it from Amazon here). It’s one of the most useful tools to have in the kitchen. It’s not only used for straining tea leaves. You can use it to make your coffee brew too. It can be used for many other things too but as I’m talking about brewing coffee today, I won’t get sidetracked!
You’ve run out of coffee filters, the cheesecloth has been used up for making cheese and you haven’t got round to buying the tea strainer. This doesn’t mean you can’t make your coffee in the microwave. While this method is not going to give you your absolutely perfect coffee brew, it’ll fulfill your need for coffee when the coffee maker can’t do it anymore.
Now, the reason you and I grind our own coffee every morning is because we don’t enjoy the taste of instant coffee. But, if you’ve run out of coffee grounds or your whole bean supply has come to an end instant coffee will satisfy the caffeine craving. Simply add a teaspoon to the water when it has been microwaved.
if you love the taste of frothy milk in your coffee, you can make it easy enough with a microwave.
In minutes, you’ve created your own latte or cappuccino with no fuss at all!
When using the microwave to brew your coffee, always make sure you’re using a microwave-safe coffee mug or cup. Leave enough space at the top of the mug or cup so you don’t have water overfilling into the microwave. Or risk spilling boiling water onto your arm or hand when removing the water from the microwave.
Water that has been microwaved can heat up in different areas which means you could have scattered heat spots. It’s important to stir the coffee well before drinking to minimize these hot spots which could scald your lips or mouth when you sip your coffee.
Coffee can be reheated in the microwave. Coffee connoisseurs will raise their eyebrows in horror and suggest you rather drink your coffee cold then ruin it in the microwave. Coffee reacts to the different temperatures and both the cooling down and reheating of coffee will change the flavor and taste of your coffee. But if you’re aware of this and still need a warm cup of coffee, there’s no harm in reheating your coffee.
While a coffee maker is designed to give you gourmet-style coffee, days will happen when you don’t have a coffee maker on hand or it won’t work. You could use the saucepan on the stovetop to heat up water or even the kettle for boiling water. But what’s wrong with coffee making in the microwave when it’s convenient and quick?
Microwave coffee can be enjoyed if you follow some of my methods mentioned in this article. So, get out your coffee mug, make the coffee, and enjoy it!