Brewing great coffee at work can prove to be a challenge if your breakroom is lacking. Having worked in a coffee shop for years, I took making coffee at work for granted. Once I no longer had the professional level equipment available, I had to get creative. So, the best way to make coffee at work is to come prepared.
The main equipment needed for this would be:
Heating water can be tricky if your breakroom does not have a microwave at the very least. An electric kettle would be the way to go.
For the days that I’m running late, I like to use a kettle that I can plug into my car and heat water while I drive to work. Since the kettle only takes around 15 minutes to heat up, it’s great for any commute. This has been a lifesaver for sure. I got mine for around fifty bucks.
The only downside to this kettle that I have noticed is its small volume. It holds about 10 ounces. That’s pretty much a small coffee at any cafe, but somedays I need more than a small.
That is why I suggest keeping a larger kettle at one, on your desk. The one I have holds 7 cups, which is plenty to keep me going. All in all, you do not really need the one for the car if you aren’t always running late like me.
Both of these kettles have temperature settings. I find that 200 degrees fahrenheit provides the best flavor and caffeine extraction.
If push comes to shove, water can also be heated in a microwave if there is already one in the breakroom.
Grinding the beans can be the hardest to do at work. Most often grinders are on the loud side. Some workplaces might not enjoy that. But it all depends on where you’re grinding the beans.
My suggestion is to grind the beans at home, if you can, and bring them in an airtight container. Just note that the longer ground coffee goes unused to more flavor it will start to lose.
If you need to pick up a grinder at home, I recommend getting a burr grinder. The burr grinder shaves the beans instead of crushing them. This provides more surface area for extraction. Also, you can control how fine or coarse the grind should be. This will affect flavor so take grind size into consideration as well as brewing method. More on that soon.
There are some handheld manual ones that might be perfect for office coffee brewing. However, I have not picked one of those up yet. There are plenty of reviews though.
Here is where it gets fun. There are many ways to make coffee at work. The simplest way would be a single cup pour over. Basically, you just use the hot water and slowly pour through the cone into your coffee cup. The whole process takes about 3 to 4 minutes. This is the closest to regular machine drip coffee.
Alternatively, You can use a french press(Click here for french press tips). Again this takes about 4 minutes. The french press would require a courser grind. This has the benefit of brewing a stronger cup of coffee. And that is a good thing, I think.
If espresso is more your speed then I cannot recommend the Aeropress enough. This requires a much shorter brew time, about a minute. The coffee is bold and flavorful for sure. A word of warning though, you’ll want to use a wider cup. The downward pressure and finer coffee grind can cause the cup to launch out from under the Aeropress. You’ll want to use a slow push. But once you get the hang of it. This is a strong cup of quick coffee. You can even add milk and or chocolate to it for a latte or mocha. These are good iced too.
To recap, here is a list of coffee makers and their speed/ease:
| Name | Time | Grind of Coffee | Ease of Use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour Over Cone | 2-3 Minutes | Fine Medium | Super easy | $ |
| French Press | 4 Minutes | Medium to Course | Easy | $ |
| AeroPress | 1 Minute | Fine to Medium | Easy | $ |