Is there anything better than the aroma of a freshly brewed pot of coffee? We don’t think so! There are so many ways to make a great pot of coffee – a drip maker with a cone filter, a French press, or a cold brew maker – and one of them is sure to brew coffee precisely to your taste.
Coffee is the world’s most popular drink. Some people are the one-cup-per-morning type, while others are true fans who drink it all day. Whether you’re a once-a-day coffee drinker or a true brew lover who sips it throughout your day, coffee is – we can all agree – a delicious liquid that is good at almost any moment. Whether you’re getting ready to head to the office or you’re topping off a fabulous meal with friends and family, coffee no doubt has a place in your daily routine.
In this article, we take a deep dive into manual coffee tools that all coffee aficionados should add to their brewing arsenal. These manual items enhance your coffee-drinking experience, whether you’re a coffee barista or just a fan who’s game to try new things on your coffee-loving journey.
Explore The World of Non-Electric Coffee Tools
Devices that don’t require electricity work in different stages of the brewing process. The coffee tools we describe below offer you greater control over the brew you make, elevating the flavor and richness of every cup.
Here are the primary benefits of these manual coffee tools:
- They are easy to transport. Because they’re operated manually, you can take these gizmos everywhere, even on a camping trip.
- They don’t use power. That contributes to sustainability by reducing your carbon footprint.
- They give you control. Manual coffee tools let you have total control over your pot of coffee. And more control means a more precise cup of coffee that meets your exacting standards.
The Top 20 Non-Electric Coffee Tools: 20-11
20. Travel Coffee Mug
Insulated travel coffee mugs allow you to safely travel with a cup of coffee. They’re made with tight-fitting lids to prevent spillage, and the insulation keeps the liquid inside at a steady temperature. They come in a variety of sizes that fit into the cup holders of most vehicles, meaning you can head out on your commute to work without stopping to buy coffee. That saves money and helps you avoid the lure of coffee shops that serve takeout brew in disposable cups. It’s a win/win, for your budget and the environment. Invest in a quality travel mug and you’ll soon start saving on morning runs to the nearest takeout place.
19. Hand-held Coffee Roasters
Hand coffee roasters are manual devices that let you have more control over the roasting process. Often they’re equipped with hand-operated cranks that let you customize the level and temperature of the roast. They are portable and small, allowing you to truly curate your roast, meaning every pot you brew will be unique and tailored to your taste preferences.
18. Manual Drip Stand
These are sometimes called pour-over stands. A manual drip stand lends support to the brewing process. It keeps the carafe anchored while you pour water over the grounds. This means an increased level of precision when brewing coffee in a drip-model coffee maker.
17. Moka Pot
Not everyone is familiar with this manual coffee tool, as it brews an intense, concentrated cup of coffee that isn’t to everyone’s taste. But for devotees of this kind of coffee, there’s nothing better than a quality moka pot! It uses steam pressure, forced through coffee grounds, to produce a strong cup of coffee that strikes a balance between espresso and a traditional cup. This type of coffee is strong, delicious, and bold, and the stove-top units are easy to use and affordable.
16. Manual Milk Frother
This coffee tool lets you whip up some delicious, frothy milk to top off a cup of cappuccino, a late, or other Italian-style coffee. It doesn’t use electricity or batteries, just good, old-fashioned arm power. It comes with a plunger and a mesh screen so that when you pump the plunger you create frothy milk. Pour it over your latte and voila! Barista-style coffee at home for a fraction of the price.
15. Coffee Siphon
The siphon is designed in a somewhat unusual way. It consists of two glass chambers; when the bottom one is heated up, the pressure it creates forces the water into the upper chamber, where the grounds are. Once brewed, the heat is taken away and a vacuum effect pulls the coffee back down, making a strong, delicious cup of coffee. The process sounds more complex than it actually is, and siphons are very popular at specialty shops and with folks who love presenting coffee that looks as beautiful as it tastes.
14. AeroPress
This coffee tool is quite small and designed to make a single cup of coffee. It is similar in the way it functions to a French press; grounds go in the bottom, then you add boiling water and push down on the plunger. Doing that presses the coffee through a filter. Travelers love the aero press because of its size and easy-to-carry design. And since it doesn’t need electricity, you can use it virtually anywhere.
13. Cold Brew Coffee Maker
If you’re a fan of cold coffee, particularly when the weather is hot, this device is for you. It usually comes with a carafe of some type, in which you put ground coffee. Then you pour cold water over the grounds and allow the mixture to sit for quite a while. These are popular with coffee lovers because you can tote them anywhere, and make a batch of delicious coffee that’s a little less strong and acidic than “regular” coffee.
12. Coffee Stirrer
This coffee tool is a small utensil usually made of wood, plastic, or stainless steel. It’s used to smoothly blend in additives to coffee, such as cream or special flavorings, like vanilla or cinnamon. Coffee stirrers are offered at diners and other places where coffee is served, often in place of regular teaspoons. Some are designed as simple sticks, while others have a curve at the end to aid in the stirring. Buying this coffee tool may seem a little indulgent, but having your own coffee stirrer made of silver, for example, lends a bit of elegance to your coffee-drinking experience.
11. Manual Timer
Using this coffee tool to time your coffee brewing allows you to control the process down to the minute. Having a timer is particularly handy if you own a coffee maker like a French press. You need to know precisely how much time the coffee needs to sit in order to make the most delicious cup possible. A manual timer helps you do that.
The Top 20 Non-Electric Coffee Tools: 10-1
10. Quality Coffee Storage Containers
These don’t technically have anything to do with the brewing process, of course, but the right coffee bean storage container impacts the taste and freshness of your morning Joe! Making sure you keep your beans and/or ground coffee in a glass or ceramic jar with an airtight lid is crucial. Coffee lovers who want to keep their beans as fresh as possible always invest in a high-quality container with a tight-fitting lid. Never leave beans in the bag they came in – as soon as you get home, transfer them into whatever jar you’ve purchased just for this purpose. Doing so ensures that every time you grind beans they’ll be as fresh and flavourful as they were on the grocery store shelf.
Buy an attractive one, in glass, stainless steel, or another material, depending on your taste. Just make sure the lid fits really well, and store it away from light and heat.
9. Coffee Scoop
This coffee tool is also called a measuring spoon, but that’s not entirely descriptive of its function. A coffee scoop lets you measure the exact amount of coffee grounds you need for the size of pot you’re making. It’s far more accurate than a regular spoon and therefore contributes to a better cup of coffee. Scoops are made from a variety of materials – stainless steel, ceramic, plastic, etc. Getting the precise amount of grounds into your machine is how you’ll ensure you make a perfect pot of coffee each and every time.
8. Coffee Kettle
This coffee tool is occasionally called a gooseneck kettle, as it has a long, curved neck that’s designed for pour-over coffee methods, like Melita. Coffee lovers choose these kettles because they pour the boiling water evenly over the filter. That precision contributes to making the pot of coffee delicious.
7. Digital Scale
The advantage of this particular coffee tool is that it lets you precisely measure the amount of beans you need for the pot you’re making. For true coffee aficionados, weighing the beans is a key step in brewing great coffee, and is worth the extra few moments it takes before you pour the first fabulous cup.
6. Coffee Thermometer
This item is truly a necessity for coffee purists and professionals, who insist coffee should be served at a precise temperature. It tells you exactly how hot your coffee is, which is vital for serving the best coffee you possibly can. Do you have to own one of these coffee tools? Strictly speaking, no. But do you want to own one in order to serve fabulous coffee? Oh yeah!
5. Coffee Cleaning Supplies
Keeping your grinder and brew machine in good working order is important. Cleaning them thoroughly with a conical brush is the key to making great coffee. Coffee cleaning brushes, which are made with soft fibers, are the best way to eliminate residue and bits of coffee grounds and oils that cling to filters, pots, and grinders. Regular cleaning of your coffee equipment ensures it makes a great pot of coffee every time.
4. Coffee Cups and Mugs
If you love coffee, you no doubt have a favorite mug you use each day for your brew – we all do! A solid handle that lets you get a firm grip on the mug or cup is important, so you can pick it up and set it down easily. Some have your name on them; others say “world’s best dad.” How your mug is decorated contributes to the overall pleasure of your morning Joe. It might be ceramic or other materials – no matter what your individual coffee vessel is made from, it’s bound to make the coffee taste better.
3. Reusable Coffee Filters
These are environmentally friendly alternatives to paper filters, and if you use a drip system, chances are you’ve switched to this coffee tool. They’re made of metal mesh, and that makes them reusable for an indefinite period. The coffee tastes just as good as it did when you used paper filters, but you’re making a contribution to sustainability and saving money at the same time. It’s a win-win.
2. French Press
This brewing method is popular the world over, not just in Europe. It’s so simple to use, yet many say it makes the finest coffee of all the brewing systems. You simply pour water over the grounds, fill the tall glass or stainless steel container, place the plunger just atop it, and wait. In five or so minutes, you’ll have a pot of coffee that some say is unbeatable by other machines.
The French Press is available in different sizes, so there is no doubt one on the market that suits your needs. It makes strong, rich coffee that coffee lovers adore. It’s simple to use and requires nothing other than fresh grounds and boiling water. Even famous coffee consultant James Hoffmann has said that he loves French Press for “being a really simple, effortless, and a wonderful way to brew almost any coffee really well”.
1. Manual Coffee Grinders
These are also called hand coffee grinders. A manual coffee grinder is easy to use, and you can take it with you anywhere. They have several benefits that electric coffee grinders don’t, the most obvious one being that they don’t require power to operate. Also, however, they often last longer than electric coffee grinders; they are quieter than electric models, and using your own power to grind beans has a certain appeal. It’s one of the most important coffee tools that really engages you in the entire brewing process because you use your own effort to grind the beans.
Bottom Line
While there is no such thing as one approach to brewing coffee, everyone agrees that certain coffee tools heighten the pleasure of brewing a pot. These coffee gizmos and gadgets let you customize your coffee so that every cup you pour is a reflection of you – a coffee lover and expert who enjoys a cup of fine coffee until the last drop.
If you don’t own any of these manual coffee tools, consider treating yourself to one. If you have them all lining your pantry shelf, we say bravo! No doubt you already make an excellent cup of coffee.
