Sometimes, people are in a rush and have no time to fill the coffee maker with water and ground to brew the perfect coffee. So, it is one of their questions – can you use ground coffee with hot water? The answer is yes.
It is one of the simplest ways of brewing regular coffee, though instant coffee is widely available. If you are in a hurry, boil water and add some ground coffee to it to enjoy a cup of joe instantly. Using ground coffee with hot water like this is also an ancient brewing method when no coffee machine was invented. However, you need to have good knowledge about brewing time and the temperature of the water.
The Taste Will Depend on Your Mastery
Adding ground coffee to hot water directly is an irregular brewing technique. So, the question is – will it taste good? This question is a big point to discuss, and the taste of the coffee will mostly depend on your brewing skill.
Though the method saves time, you need to be extra careful about a better coffee taste. You might have heard that the ideal temperature for brewing coffee is 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Professionals manage the temperature to achieve an excellent aroma of brewed coffee.
This timing can be a big challenge during brewing coffee directly in hot water. You cannot control the temperature accurately when brewing following this method. It will often cause overheating and ruin the flavor of the coffee.
You also have to count the acidity because such a brewing technique will make your coffee sour and harsh. When you put ground coffee in hot water, it will start dissolving within 30 seconds, and compounds of coffee will get mixed into the water. The dissolution process will happen faster in the case of finer grinds like Turkish coffee grinds. As a result, you will risk over-extraction, a common reason for bitter-tasting coffee.
Now, let’s talk about caffeine because it mainly depends on beans and brewing methods. If you add hot water to ground coffee directly, it will extract more caffeine than regular brewing. Many people do it intentionally to make their coffee more caffeinated.
Though this brewing method is fast and easy, the ground coffee will completely dissolve into the water, including unwanted particles. However, you can add less ground to avoid the final beverage’s bitter taste and excessive caffeine.
Never Try It on a Coffee Maker Unless You Want to Damage It
You may think using hot water in a coffee maker will speed up the brewing process. But, it is a bad idea because the trick goes against the mechanism of a coffee maker.
Each coffee machine has a boiler, and it is designed to heat water. So, you don’t need to add hot water to a coffee maker. If you go through an experiment, you will get extremely bitter coffee due to over-extraction.
In some cases, your coffee machine can become damaged. Modern coffee makers come with sensors that stop heating water when the ideal temperature of the water is achieved. That’s why you get tasty coffee constantly.
In contrast, when you add hot water directly to a coffee machine, you have no control over the temperature. Finally, you will get a cup of bad-tasting coffee.
A Metal Filter Can Fix the Taste
If you add ground coffee to water and stir, the coffee will surely be bitter. So, you have to be tricky to avoid the muddier taste of coffee.
Check the following steps for a better cup of coffee.
1. Put 5 to 12g [2.5 to 3 tbsp] of medium-grind ground coffee in a mug.
2. Pour 200 ml of hot water on the ground slowly and wait 4 minutes.
3. You will notice a layer of golden color foam, similar to crèma on espresso, on the coffee caused by coffee oil. Use a teaspoon to remove the layer.
4. Remember that the ground coffee is still extracting the flavor at the bottom of the mug. The longer you take, the bitter the coffee will be.
5. Take a metal strainer and pour the coffee into another cup through the filter. It will separate unwanted particles from the drink. Finally, you will get fresh coffee without a bitter taste.
Final thought
Adding regular ground coffee to hot water will not provide a similar drink that you get in the case of instant coffee. But brewing like this is possible, and many people find the technique more accessible.
You can experience over-extraction and bitter coffee unless you have a good sense of temperature. Additionally, the coffee will be more caffeinated than other brewed coffee. The best way to avoid over-extraction and bitterness is to minimize the brewing time and use a metal filter to separate debris from coffee.
