Brewing Coffee When the Power Goes Out

How to brew coffee when the grid goes down. Sensational, right? You may be thinking, why would I brew coffee during a disaster? If this is you, then this article won’t be of interest to you. However, if you’re like me, you already know why. The day must start with a cup of coffee, regardless of the doom around the corner. Kind of dramatic, right? How about this.

We’ve all been there: you wake up in a warm bed feeling unusually refreshed, the birds aren’t chirping, and the room is little brighter than normal. That’s about the time when you get that feeling in your stomach. Check the time. You’ve over slept. In your dazed panic, pick up your phone to call work and notice your battery is near dead. “But it was plugged in. Oh crap! No power. How am I going to make my morning coffee?!”

No power means no grinder and no coffee maker. No big deal, you can just stop by the nearest Starbucks and be on your way. Easy fix, if that’s an option. But what if the power outage wasn’t just a local event? What if it was county, state, or worst case scenario – nation wide? Dare I say EMP attack?

While an EMP attack or even a state-wide power outage is unlikely, nobody can say with certainty that it will never happen. However, what I can say with 100% accuracy is that regardless of why the power is out, I’m still going to need my morning coffee.

Brewing coffee during a power outage - you could just use preground coffee, but why when you can have fresh ground. — Things are already sucking. Treat yourself to fresh ground coffee.

Things you will need to brew coffee in a disaster.

Here’s is everything you will need to ensure you will have your morning coffee, even if we get thrown back into the stone ages.

a french press – personal choice for brewing coffee.
manual coffee grinder – turning beans into usable grinds without power.
a camp stove – a must if you have an electric stove, or the “big one” has hit California and all utilities are down.
water – just have plenty of it.
pot for boiling water – all stainless pots are my personal favorite for their durability.
coffee beans – because they are better than pre-ground.
a mug – two if you’re the sharing type

Keep in mind that there are different levels of power outages and the list above represents a complete list of items to get your coffee regardless of what’s happening in the world.

A close look inside the manual coffee grinder. — Grinding mech. Manual. Simple and will work every time.

I like my coffee fresh, strong and hot. All three conditions must be met in order to have a decent cup of coffee. Fresh ground beans are best along with boiling water that is not from the tap. I don’t like my coffee tasting like a swimming pool and my water company uses just a bit to much chlorine (and fluoride) for my taste. I prefer the water out of my Berkey water filter for my drinking needs. Anyway, moving along… here are the steps for brewing coffee without power.

Step 1: Get the water on the stove.

Step 2: Place coffee beans into the grinder and get to work. This may take awhile.

Pouring coffee beans into the manual grinder. — No power, no problem with a manual grinder.

Emergency coffee brewing - manual grinding takes some time so be ready for a workout. — Start grinding. This will take some time, but you’re worth it.

Here’s what you can expect. Better grinders will give you a more even grind.

Step 3: Dump the fresh grounds into the french press.

Dumping fresh coffee grounds into the french press. — For two cups, I generally grind until I fill the coffee tray about halfway.

Step 4: slowly power boiling water over the grounds.

Making coffee the old school way, with a pot of hot water. — Once you’ve poured the water, some people recommend giving it a good stir. I normally do not.

Step 5: Let it steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on your preference of robustoness.

Brewing coffee during a power outage - the french press is my preferred method for brewing coffee. — Basically, the longer you wait, the more robusto the flavor. I wouldn’t go past 5 minutes as it can start to flatten the flavor.

Step 6: Press the filter all the way down and serve.

Brewing coffee during a power outage - pouring two hot cups of coffee after a power outage. — Like food, coffee, when shared is twice as good.

While the above seems a bit much, the point is you’ve made a fantastic bit of coffee with no power from the grid. All hand ground and filtered through a unpowered system. Natural. You’ve also made the freshest coffee possible. By just owning a coffee press and manual grinder, your day is saved. Making the perfect cup of coffee using a manual grinder is something you’re going to have to experiment with. In the end it is better to make a stronger brew of coffee as you can just add more hot water or milk to thin it out. You can buy manual grinders on ebay for about 20 bucks and the same for french presses. Cheaper than a brewer/grinder combo that is powered by electricity. Plus, you never have to worry about the power.

In any case, being able to make a cup of coffee in any situation is a huge moral booster and a great start to the day. If you really want to earn some hero points, brew an additional batch of coffee, dump it in a thermos and take it with you. Some stranger out there is literally dying due to coffee withdrawals. Help them out. They may return the favor some day. Now that’s prepping.