| It's always nice to be able to make coffee for friends | | | | but in general, each uses a prepackaged container of |
| when they visit. To do this, you need a large coffee | | | | pre-ground coffee beans. They are usually vacuum |
| maker, lots of coffee cups and preferably, some fresh | | | | sealed and often, they are individually vacuum sealed |
| ground coffee. However, what do you do when you | | | | to help maintain freshness. Again, coffee purists will |
| just want to make coffee for yourself? It can be a | | | | wince at the thought of using beans that you didn't |
| hassle to set up a big coffee maker, not to mention | | | | grind yourself, but single serve coffee makers are a |
| the time it takes waiting for water to heat up. While | | | | step above instant coffee, since they aren't freeze |
| going to your local coffee shop and having them make | | | | dried. |
| you a cup is one answer, there are three ways you | | | | The third alternative is to use a small French press. |
| can make coffee for yourself without much trouble. | | | | Making java this way lets you use whole beans that |
| First of all, you can try instant coffee. While coffee | | | | you grind just before using. This makes for a fresher |
| purists are shuddering right now, the truth is that instant | | | | cup. However, unless you use a coarser grind, you |
| coffee has come a long way. While nothing can beat | | | | may get sediment in you coffee. This is because the |
| the taste of fresh ground coffee, the new instant | | | | screen filter in a French press coffee maker can't |
| coffees are a reasonable approximation. They are | | | | screen out the smallest particles of the ground coffee. |
| particularly good when you are in a hurry, especially if | | | | In fact, if you have a blade grinder, you probably won't |
| you have an electric kettle or hot water maker that | | | | be able to keep sediment out of your coffee |
| can quickly heat water. | | | | regardless of how coarse you make the grind, due to |
| Another alternative is single serve coffee makers. | | | | the uneven way the blades grind the coffee. To truly |
| There are a variety of brands on the market and while | | | | get an even grind, for a sediment free cup, you need |
| early models did have problems, newer models have | | | | to use a burr grinder. |
| definitely improved. Each brand works a little differently, | | | | |