Coffee isn’t just black water with dissolved caffeine – there are a lot of good things that it has to offer. For one, it gives you that much-needed energy boost to stay awake. It’s also responsible for many health benefits that curb the risk of certain diseases as well as slow down cellular aging.
Another thing that makes coffee amazing is that you can prepare it in as many different ways as you want, and there are many different kinds of equipment that you can use to do so apart from your automated coffee maker. Here are a few for your consideration:
1. Coffee Filter
The coffee filter is a kind of strainer usually made from paper or fine wire mesh and is responsible for holding the coffee grounds while at the same time letting the water pass through.
While paper coffee filters are disposable, there are also ones made of fine wire mesh (usually made of stainless steel) that you can wash and use again. Depending on the type of coffee maker, the filter can either come in a basket or cone shape to fit the coffee maker.
2. Coffee Dripper
If you don’t have an automatic coffee maker at home, you will most likely encounter one of these, with your first impression of it being an odd-looking teacup.
Coffee drippers are typically made of ceramic, and are essentially what holds the coffee filter in place, which in turn holds the grounds in place. Ideally, the paper filter is fitted onto the dripper, which is made of ceramic, before the hot water is poured onto the coffee grounds.
3. Grinder
Roasted coffee beans are a wonderful sight to behold, but they need to be ground to a fine powder in order to get that sweet coffee drink going.
While many coffee grinders these days are electric (where electricity is used to spin the blades), you’re probably still familiar with a manual grinder, which requires you to turn a hand crank in order to turn the blades that will turn the coffee beans into powder.
4. Frother
Frothers are used primarily to make milk bubble and foam, which is what you will be needing if you want to make yourself a cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage, be it cappuccino, latte, Irish, or even Italian coffee.
There are several different types of milk frothers. Some are manual, which are designed with a hand pump on one end and a fine mesh screen on another. Other types are battery-operated, with small wire-whisks or battery-operated blades to make the milk foam and bubble.
(Disclaimer: This list is compiled in no particular order.)