How to Make Filter Coffee Without a Filter

You can make filter coffee without a filter by steeping the powder in just-boiled water for 5 to 6 minutes and straining it, or by using a French press, a clean cotton cloth or a moka pot. Every method makes the same thing, a small amount of strong decoction that you mix with hot milk.

What you're trying to make

A filter coffee decoction is not a mug of black coffee. It's a short, concentrated brew. You use a few spoons of it per cup and top it up with plenty of hot milk and sugar.

A good starting ratio for any method below: 2 heaped tablespoons of filter coffee powder to 100 ml of water. That gives enough decoction for 2 cups. Adjust next time if it's too strong or too weak.

Which method should you use?

Method 1: Saucepan and tea strainer

1. Bring 100 ml of water to a boil and switch off the heat.
2. Wait about 30 seconds, then stir in the coffee powder.
3. Cover and leave for 5 to 6 minutes. The grounds will slowly sink.
4. Pour slowly through a fine tea strainer, leaving the sludge at the bottom of the pan behind.
5. If it's still gritty, strain it again through a paper towel or a clean thin cloth.

Method 2: French press

1. Put the coffee powder in the press.
2. Pour in water just off the boil and stir once.
3. Put the lid on and wait 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Press the plunger down slowly and gently.

Filter coffee powder is ground finer than French press coffee, so some sediment will get through. Don't pour out the last spoonful.

Method 3: Cotton cloth, the old way

1. Hold or tie a clean thin cotton cloth over a steel vessel so it forms a small pouch.
2. Put the powder in the pouch.
3. Pour the hot water over it slowly, a little at a time.
4. Let it drip through, then gently squeeze the cloth at the end.

Keep this cloth only for coffee, and wash and dry it well after each use.

Method 4: Moka pot

Fill the basket with powder without pressing it down, add water to the valve line, and heat on low until the coffee gurgles up. Fine filter powder can slow the flow, so keep the heat gentle. The brew is dark and strong, and it won't taste exactly like filter coffee. It still works fine as a decoction.

Turning decoction into filter coffee

1. Heat about 150 ml of milk per cup until it's steaming and frothy.
2. Put sugar in the cup, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of decoction.
3. Pour in the hot milk.
4. Pour back and forth between the cup and a davara (or a second cup) a few times to build foam.

Common mistakes

• Boiling the powder in the pan. It makes the coffee bitter. Always take the water off the heat first.
• Too much water. You end up with weak coffee that the milk drowns. Keep the decoction short.
• Stirring while straining. It pushes fine grounds through. Let the coffee settle and pour gently.
• Reheating decoction on high heat. Warm it gently, or add it to hot milk instead.

A note on the powder

The method matters less than the powder. Freshly ground coffee gives a thicker, sweeter decoction, and an opened pack goes stale faster than most people expect, so keep it tightly sealed. Our Naadan filter coffee is made with Robusta from Wayanad. You can read more about the region in our Wayanad spices and coffee guide.

If you drink this often, a small steel filter is worth buying eventually. And if you're more of a tea person, try our Kerala chayakada chai recipe.