How to Make Black Coffee: 4 Easy Methods
Black coffee at home takes one piece of kit and five minutes. Here's how to make it with a steel filter, French press, pour over or a simple saucepan.
Black coffee is just coffee and hot water - no milk, no sugar. Any of these four methods makes a good cup in about five minutes. The constants: fresh coffee, water at 90-96 C (just off the boil), and roughly a 1:15 to 1:16 ratio (about 15 g coffee to 240 ml water).
1. South Indian Steel Filter
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of fine coffee to the top chamber, press level with the tamper.
- Pour in water just off the boil, cover.
- Wait 15-20 minutes for the decoction to drip through.
- Dilute the decoction with hot water to taste - roughly 1:2 for black.
2. French Press
- 15 g coarse coffee per cup into the pot.
- Add 240 ml water at ~94 C, stir, put the lid on.
- At 4 minutes, press slowly and pour it all out.
3. Pour Over
- Rinse a paper filter, add 15 g medium-ground coffee.
- Bloom with 30 g water, wait 40 seconds.
- Pour slowly to 240 g total; aim to finish around 3 minutes.
4. Saucepan (No Equipment)
- Bring 250 ml water almost to a boil, take it off the heat.
- Stir in 1.5 tablespoons of coffee.
- Wait 4 minutes, then pour through a fine strainer.
Coffee to Use
Basic Black Coffee
A smooth, forgiving everyday blend - works with all four methods.
From ₹350
Halflong Assam Coffee
Gentle and mild - a good black coffee if you're just starting out.
From ₹550
Karadykan Estate Coffee
A balanced single estate for when you want more character in the cup.
From ₹440
Fixing a Bad Cup
Bitter? Grind coarser or use cooler water. Sour or weak? Grind finer or brew a little longer. Flat and papery? The coffee is stale - buy fresher and grind just before brewing.
Related Reading
Best Coffee for Drinking Black, Coffee Grind Size Guide, and Best Black Coffee Without Sugar.
Fresh coffee, water just off the boil, 1:15 ratio, and one of four simple methods. That's all black coffee needs.