How to brew the best keto coffee (3 ways)

Black or plain Coffee is probably one of the best hot drinks you can have on keto. It contains virtually no carbs and tastes great. You can even add some cream, butter and coffee syrups to add some fat & flavour. However, there are so many ways you can brew coffee, that it can all be a bit confusing.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top 3 best methods to brew the perfect coffee at home (or work). For the sake of simplicity and cost, we’re going to ignore coffee machines as not everyone has the space or budget to splash out on a dedicated appliance.

Related – Want to find out how to make butter coffee? Check out our article on how to make the perfect butter coffee (bulletproof).

AeroPress

Available at: Amazon – Black / With Tote Bag / Replacement Filters

A little device designed back in 2004 by Alan Adler that makes a quick delicious cup of coffee with minimal cleanup. It’s a super-simple device that just works. I’ve used mine nearly every day for the past couple of years, both at work and home.

Suited for – a quick cup of coffee for one or two people.

Brew type – Pressure (coffee that is extracted via pressure, resulting in a more intense brew)

Result – smooth, clean and rich coffee.

Type of grind – any, though the grind size tends to affect the brewing time to get the same level of flavour.

• Medium – 3+ minutes
• Medium-fine – 2-3 minutes
• Fine – 1 minute

Time – quick, can be done in as little as 60 seconds.

Difficulty – easy. Just add a filter, coffee, hot water and then push the plunger down.

Cleanup – easy. Firstly unscrew the filter, hover over a bin and push the rest of the plunger all the way down. The used coffee puck and filter will be ejected into the bin. Lastly, just wash AeroPress under a tap and dry.

Benefits

• Very portable – take with you anywhere.
• Fast brewing – perfect coffee in about a minute.
• Cleanup – straight forward and can be completed in 30 seconds.

Downsides

• It uses paper coffee filters, so is a bit wasteful. However, you can purchase a third party metal filter that is reusable. You will want one with a very fine mesh. A good recommendation is the 3 Pro Reusable Filters for AeroPress Coffee Maker – FINE, ULTRA-FINE and MESH.
• Only brews one to two cups (three at a push) of coffee at a time.

Cafetiere (French Press)

Available at: Most UK stores and Amazon – Bodum 8 Cup / Secura Metal / Cafe Du Chateau

One of the most popular ways to make coffee. It goes by a few names including French Press, Cafetiere, Cafetière à piston, Plunger and Press pot. Whatever you call it, you’ve probably used it before. It comes in a variety of sizes allowing you to make many cups of coffee in one go.

Suited for – making multiple cups of coffee, easily and quickly.

Brew type – Steeping (also called immersion, simply mixing coffee grinds with water and allow them to brew)

Result – aromatic coffee with a smooth mellow taste. However, there will be some sediment in the bottom of the cup.

Type of grind – coarse provides the best flavour and means less particles going into the cup. Finer grounds can be used but may make a gritty coffee and get stuck in the filter.

Time – medium, it can take at least 5 minutes to make a reasonable coffee.

Difficulty – easy, but perfecting the best brew can be a little difficult. Illy has a good guide to get started with (available here).

Cleanup – medium. Everything needs to be taken apart and cleaned separately after each use. Used grounds can also be a bit of pain to get in the bin.

Benefits

• Size – can brew multiple cups of coffee depending on size.
• Easy to learn – not too many steps to remember to make a good cup of coffee.
• Cheap – you can buy a french press for as little as £5 in most UK supermarkets.

Downsides

• Fragile – most are usually made of glass so don’t transport well.
• Cleanup – everything needs to be taken apart and cleaned after each use.
• Practice – it can take a few attempts to discover how to perfect steeping.
• Taste – not everyone likes the distinct taste of french press coffee.

Chemex

Available at: Amazon – 3-Cup / 6-Cup / 8-Cup / 10-Cup / Replacement Filters

It may look more like a vase but it actually makes some pretty amazing coffee. There are many types of drippers but the benefit of Chemex is its capacity. You can make multiple cups of coffee with ease (3+ depending on size). There is a method to it and does require some practice to perfect but it’s well worth the time.

Filters for Chemex are much thicker (roughly 30%) than filters used by other drippers. This results in a richer cup with no sediment (or very little).

Suited for – making multiple cups of intense rich coffee with an amazing taste.

Brew type – Dripping (also known as filtration – pour water over ground coffee and allow gravity to aid the water to pass through the grounds and through the filter into a pot below).

Result – very rich flavourful tasting coffee with no sediment.

Type of grind – medium to course depending on flavour preference. Try it out and find your favourite grind.

Time – medium, it can take around 4 minutes after the water has boiled.

Difficulty – medium, requires some practice to get the method right.

Cleanup – easy, just remove the filter and wash out the Chemex.

Benefits

• Size – can brew multiple cups of coffee at a time.
• Flavour – make very rich-tasting coffee.
• Stylish – looks great while you’re making it (if that’s important to you).

Downsides

• Fragile – most are usually made of glass so don’t transport well.
• Size – can’t really be used to make just 1-2 cups.
• Practice – it can take a few attempts to figure out the right method.
• Cost – prices start at £30 for a 3-cup and you will need to buy special filters.

Summary

Now that you’ve seen the best 3 methods to brew coffee, you can go one step further and turn it into keto butter coffee! Check out our article on what you’ll need and how to do it (recipe included) here.