Weird Ways People Prepare Coffee

Sure, we all like to customize how we drink our coffee, but what about some of the weird ways people brew or prepare their morning cup of joe? Let's take a look at some of the more unique versions.

Cracked Egg

Let's start with the most unique brewing method - brewing coffee with an egg. The entire egg, that is. Here in the US, this method is used more often in the Midwest, primarily in Minnesota. Also known as the Swedish Egg Coffee, brewing coffee using this method is said to remove all bitterness from the coffee and leaves an extremely smooth cup of coffee. Essentially "egg washing," adding an egg to the brewing process allows the proteins in the egg to bind with any impurities including elements that can make coffee taste bitter or too acidic.

To make Swedish Egg Coffee, begin by putting 9 cups of fresh water on to boil. In a separate bowl, add 3/4 of a cup of coffee grounds, pour in 1/4 cup of water, crack an egg on top of the grounds, then toss in the shell. Use a whisk to mix the grounds, water, egg, and shell together making sure all the grounds are moistened by the egg. Once the water comes to a boil, pour in all the contents of the bowl. Lower the temperature of the water and allow it to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat once the egg and coffee grounds bind together and float on the surface. Add a cup of cold water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove the egg and coffee grounds. Serve hot and prepare as desired.

It has been reported that this produces an immensely smooth cup of coffee that is completely free from bitterness. When you start with delicious gourmet beans, it's hard to see a difference with egg washing. But you can always improve, right? Try the Swedish egg method with our Costa Rica Reserve and enjoy an even smoother cup of coffee.

Sand Coffee

We've spoken about Turkish coffee before and the unique long-handled coffee pot that is used to brew the coffee. Another unique aspect of brewing coffee in Turkey is the use of large pans, similar to woks or paella pans, filled with sand. These pans are heated over an open flame to around 100 degrees Celsius. Then, coffee is prepared by adding extremely finely ground coffee beans to the coffee pot along with hot water. The pot is placed on the sand to heat up. The barista then moves the pot deeper into the sand to bring the coffee to a foaming boil. They remove the coffee from the heat and repeat the process twice more. Once the coffee has foamed three times, it is taken off the heat. The coffee, grounds and all, is then poured directly into a lidded cup. The lid is replaced to keep the coffee hot while the grounds collect and fall to the bottom of the cup. In some instances, the coffee will be poured through a filter to remove the grounds instead of waiting for them to separate. Talk about an interesting way to brew your coffee! If you decide to be adventurous and try this method, use our Sumatra Mandheling coffee for a rich cup you're going to love.

Mud Coffee

One of the easiest ways to make coffee comes from Bali. Mud coffee is made by simply adding coffee and boiling water together in a cup and serving. The difference comes from the texture of the coffee grounds. To make mud coffee, the coffee beans must be ground almost to a powder. A heaping spoonful of the powdered coffee is added directly to the cup along with sugar. Water just off the boil is poured over the grounds and sugar, then the mixture is stirred. After sitting for 4 to 5 minutes, the coffee is ready for drinking.

Be sure to drink this coffee slowly so as not to disturb the grounds at the bottom of the cup. Leave the last sip to avoid drinking the mud or coffee grounds left behind. When you clean your mug, be sure to either recycle your grounds into your garden or compost and not down the drain to avoid clogging your pipes! Our Yemen 'Arabian Mocca' will make a delicious cup of mud coffee. Remember to grind it super fine!

Sock Coffee

Brewing sock coffee isn't really that unique once you know what it is. In reality, many eco-conscious folks might prefer this style of brewing once they learn about it. In this method, coffee grounds are added to a reusable cloth sock (no, not the type of sock you put on your feet) that is held suspended over a mug or carafe by a wooden hoop or stand. Boiled water is poured over the top of the grounds and the resulting coffee drips into the cup or carafe below. Prepare your coffee the way you like and enjoy. Empty the grounds from the sock into your composting or trash, then rinse well with cool water. Allow to dry and reuse. Use our Organic Timor Fair-Trade when using this method for an ideal cup of coffee.

Milk Pour Over

If you like milk in your coffee, try this version of the pour-over. It's just like the original pour-over that uses water the difference is it replaces the water with milk. You can use whatever type of milk you prefer - soy, almond, cashew, coconut, etc. Simply heat your milk to ALMOST boiling (you don't want to scald it), then use a pour-over filter or a Chemex and slowly pour the milk over the grounds until it drips through into your mug or carafe. Sweeten your milk pour-over to your taste, and enjoy. Try this method with one of our stronger coffees like our Sumatra Black Satin.

South Indian Filter

The South Indian coffee brewing system uses a special filtering system with four parts--a top chamber with small holes to filter the coffee; a bottom chamber to capture the brewed coffee; a top filter to hold the coffee grounds down and slow the water from pouring through the grounds too quickly; and a lid. To make South Indian coffee, you will need your coffee ground semi-fine (somewhere between French press and espresso). Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of coffee grounds to the bottom of the perforated chamber and place the top filter on the grounds. Fit the top chamber into the bottom chamber. Boil your water and pour in enough to fill the bottom chamber about halfway. Place the lid on top and allow the water to drip through. You might need quite some time for this process depending on how small the perforations are. In some cases, the coffee can take over an hour to filter through. The coffee decoction is going to be quite concentrated and thick.

To prepare the coffee, heat whole milk until it just boils. Don't let it scald, though. Remove your milk from the heat and strain it to remove any solids. Using a couple of metal pitchers, add milk and coffee to taste, roughly half and half. Add your sugar to taste as well, then start pouring the mixture back and forth from pitcher to pitcher. Give the pour some height to make the mixture frothy. Once the mixture is to your satisfaction, pour it into mugs to enjoy. If you decide to try this method, our India Malabar would be ideal. Grind it yourself to get the texture right.

Which of these "weird" brewing methods would you try?