Last week, Lynn Hasselberger wrote this article about the ways K-Cups wreak havoc on our environment and I wanted to send her a big hug because I hate those things!

A couple of years ago, I started to notice that every time I went to someone’s house, they had a Keurig.

The machines were deemed simple, quick, convenient and everything else retailers say to convince us that we absolutely have to have a big, expensive, complicated and totally unnecessary piece of equipment in our kitchens right this very second.

To me, Keurig coffee makers looked like a pain in the butt, especially because you must have special (and costly) K-cups to make the coffee. I asked one of my friends if she liked her Keurig and she said that she did not because “once you get one, you’re a slave to the K-cups.”

Lynn’s article explains how truly horrific these things are for our planet and this article in Mother Jones really details the devastation K-cups cause. Keurigs seem to have no redeeming qualities. If their environmental impact isn’t enough, they clutter counter tops, grow mildew inside (yes, I’ve seen it myself), they’re hard to clean properly and most importantly, the coffee doesn’t even taste that good!

Besides that, I have no interest in filling my body with the plastic and chemicals that result from boiling water passing through the polystyrene that may be included in the K-Cups’ makeup.

Fortunately, there is an easy and inexpensive solution.

No one needs a Keurig.

All that’s necessary to brew a perfect, single cup of coffee is a porcelain or glass pour-over coffee brewer, also known as a drip-cone.

Keurig coffee makers sell for around 100 dollars for the least expensive model. A box of K-cups, containing 18 cups, costs approximately 10 dollars for the cheapest brands and flavors. Most actually cost more.

In comparison, the most expensive porcelain drip cone I’ve ever seen was $25. That’s my model, as seen in the photo above, which comes with its own adorable, little coffee pot. I bought mine almost 10 years ago. I ordered it online from a Japanese manufacturer and I confess, I chose that one because I was in love with the little coffee pot, which is completely unnecessary, but wonderful anyway.

Single porcelain drip cones without adorable coffee pots run anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars on average. Of course, like everything, there are fancier ones that cost more, but they all do the same thing. Drip cones also come in plastic, but I try to avoid plastic whenever I can, especially in situations where it’s heated.

Trust me, stick with the porcelain or glass ones. They’re much better for our bodies and the earth in general.

How to Make Coffee in a Drip Cone

Boil some filtered water

Set the drip cone on top of  a coffee mug.

Place one, unbleached, paper cone filter (usually #2 size) into your drip cone.

Add two tablespoons of your favorite ground coffee to the drip cone.

(Sometimes I get crazy and add a few shakes of ground cinnamon to my coffee grounds just for fun.)

Pour boiling water into your drip cone over the ground coffee and let it drain out the bottom and into your cup until filled to the desired volume.

Remove the drip cone from your cup, dump the used coffee grounds into your compost bucket (you better have one!), recycle the paper filter if that’s an option where you live, wash out the drip cone for next time.

Enjoy your coffee!

That’s it!! No bulky machine taking up space in your kitchen, nothing to plug in, no buttons and no complicated technology. Just a simple, exquisite cup of coffee with no guilt.

~

Relephant:

And to make it a complete experience: Roast your own coffee

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Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photos: Author’s Own