Coffee for people who don't like coffee

I finally realised that black coffee isn't for me (i.e just coffee and water; not even if it has chicory).

I just can't have coffee without milk. So for it's the filter coffee (kaapi), or the instant coffee with milk, and cappuccino et al. I prefer well made instant milk coffee. Second comes the filter coffee and then everything else. Usually more coffee and really heated and stirred milk otherwise the typical fresh milk sort of taste remains and that's not nice. So I have to tell "swalpa strong, sugar beda" (little strong, no sugar).

I have tried for years and I could never make even instant coffee at home that I could like (while I make decent milk tea/chai). So I gave up again and I mostly have coffee outside. At home I keep a bit just for emergencies when I must fight the sleep and I don't have time to step out. Also, because even though I live in the coffee/kaapi heaven Bangalore I am on the outskirts so things are far.

The cheapest delonghi will produce decent espresso with a good mill.

So, the way I make coffee, and as far as I'm concerned the easiest and most versatile way to make it:

Needed:

1. One small to medium aluminum or steel pot (any will do, just hopefully narrow enough for an easy boil)

2. Obviously, coffee, preferably freshly ground by you or some seller, but bagged, ground coffee is just fine if it's a good brand.

3. Distilled water. You could use tap water, but damn do I hope you live in one of those few places where the stuff from the tap is great stuff, because it often isn't and tastes like lead-lined ass. Otherwise, any distilled, filtered water will make a huge difference on final coffee quality.

4. Heat Source of some kind. It could be a gas stove, electric stove, induction stove, campfire or even a nuclear reactor core, as long as it can boil your pot water.

5. Your favorite cup, or any cup really, preferably one thick enough to trap heat for at least a bit.

6. Something for filtering prepared coffee. Could be a tiny kitchen sieve, a spare coffee filter, or even a (preferably very clean) sock. I've used them all.

7. Spoon.

Process:

1. Pour water into your (preferably clean) little metal pot, measure out how many cups worth you want.

2. Heat said water until it boils.

3. Take water down from boil and just as it stops bubbling, toss in tablespoons of coffee. I prefer one tablespoon per cup's worth of water, but you can play with this based on strength preference.

4. Let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Serve yourself some fine damn coffee by pouring it into your cup through the little filtering screen of choice (see above), whether you're at home, on some mountains, or inside a nuclear reactor..

There are certainly better options if you're at home but brewing coffee like this has worked for me before. You don't even have to filter it. You can just put ground coffee in a cup, add hot water, stir it to make the bites go to the bottom and drink it very carefully to avoid churning up the sediment. It's worked for me before when travelling.

If you plan to make coffee while camping you might as well bring a Moka pot, though. But do learn how to use it first.

I've been using my aeropress a lot lately after having it mostly collect dust for the better part of a decade. What I've found, as I've hopefully matured a bit since I got it, is that my problem with it was always more of a problem with myself; being a bit of a contrarian. The thing is just too revered, and for really no good reason. People are so damn pretentious about it with their recipes and championships.

James Hoffman, mentioned in the OP, has an excellent method of using it though. Removing all the bullshit and serving a slap in the face to the culture around it, I've actually come to enjoy this device using his no-nonsense "recipe".

I still prefer a good pour over but sometimes a quick plunge with the aeropress hits the spot.