Last Updated on November 25, 2021 by John Moretti
Making coffee is an important part of the morning routine of many people. There is nothing like starting your day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. However, if, for whatever reason, you happen to lack the standard equipment for making coffee, such as a kettle or a coffee maker, is it possible to brew coffee using a microwave?
Making coffee with a microwave is similar to standard immersion or percolation coffee brewing. The only difference is using a microwave to heat water. Place water in the microwave, set the timer for the appropriately to heat the water above 90°C (194°F), use it to brew your coffee as normal.
Making coffee with a microwave is very simple, and there are multiple ways to heat water in a microwave to brew coffee. This method is not standard practice for most coffee lovers, but it is a viable option if there is no other way to make coffee. Let’s discuss how to make coffee with a microwave.
Can You Use A Microwave To Make Coffee?
How coffee is made is one of the most important aspects of a good cup of coffee. With good beans, the correct techniques, and the right equipment, anyone can brew an excellent cup of coffee.
However, what if you do not have the typical coffee brewing equipment available? What if you want to brew a good cup of coffee, but you do not have access to all the usual pieces of equipment that you are used to using?
After scrounging around for a filter, some sort of pitcher to brew the coffee into, a cup, and the water and beans required, all that’s left is to find a way of heating water.
One of the best options for heating water without access to a kettle is to use a microwave. If you do not have a kettle or a stove to heat water but have access to a microwave, you can use the microwave to heat water to the ideal brewing temperature for making coffee.
Hot water is a vital element of brewing coffee. Without water at the correct temperature, it is very challenging to extract coffee from coffee beans. This means that hot was is essential for a good cup, and without a way of heating water, there is no point in trying to brew coffee with regular techniques.
Using a microwave is an ideal method for heating water for coffee. It is a controllable and repeatable way of heating water, which is an advantage when brewing a good cup of coffee.
Since we have established that coffee can be brewed by using a microwave, let’s look at how to do it.
How To Make Coffee With A Microwave
The method for making coffee with a microwave is quite simple. The microwave’s role in the process is to heat the water for brewing. All other elements of the brewing process are the same as what you would normally use.
The first step is to place your desired amount of water in a microwave-safe receptacle. Thick glass is usually the best container for this heating water in a microwave, especially water that will be used for brewing coffee.
Next, set the microwave to an appropriate time for heating the water. The ideal temperature for brewing coffee is above, but not too far above, 90°C (194°F).
To reach this temperature, most microwaves will require around 1 ½ – 2 minutes per cup of water used. This will vary depending on the effectiveness of your particular microwave oven.
If the water is too cool after the allotted time in the microwave, put it back in for a short while. If the water is too warm, simply allow it to cool a bit before brewing with it.
Once you have appropriately heated the water, use this water for any percolation or immersion brewing methods such as pour-over or French-press.
There are other uses of a microwave for coffee too. For example, you come home or to the office with a coffee from your favorite coffee shop. Then something urgent comes, and your coffee is cold when you come back. The best option on how to deal with it is to reheat your coffee is with a microwave.
Things To Look Out For When Brewing With A Microwave
When using a microwave as a tool in the process of brewing coffee, there are a few things to look out for to create the best possible cup for drinking.
Water for brewing coffee must not be too hot or too cold. However, for this reason, it is convenient to have a kitchen thermometer available to check the temperature of the water before brewing.
The amount of time required for heating the coffee will vary depending on the strength of the microwave, but more importantly, on the amount of water you are heating up.
This means that the time required will vary depending on how much coffee you are making. This is why it is important to measure the temperature of the water, as it will not always be the same when heating it in a microwave.
Be careful when removing the heated water from the microwave; this appliance tends to head the vessel that the water is in as much as the water itself, making it easy to burn yourself when removing the hot water from the appliance.
Be sure to not use a plastic vessel for heating water in the microwave, as this may alter the taste of the water as it heats up.
Lastly, it is best to use water that has been heated in a microwave for manual brewing methods. Do not place hot water into any standard coffee machine, as the machine is designed to use room-temperature water to heat itself, and using hot water from a microwave may cause damage to the machine.
The Bottom Line
Using a microwave for making coffee is as simple as using the microwave to heat the water for brewing.
If you take your time to find the ideal heating time for your microwave and the amount of water you prefer to use in order to find the ideal temperature for brewing with your preferred method, then you will always have the perfect water for making coffee.
A microwave is a good alternative for heating water if you do not have access to a kettle, and if you use it well, you can brew perfect and delicious coffee using this appliance as part f the brewing process.
