The response to my previous post about doing good pourover coffee received pretty good attention, but I’ve still heard people say that it’s too tedious, and all of the equipment is expensive. I might be inclined to agree, especially the budget aspect. You’re going to run around $200 for all the gear to really make a good cup. So now I present you with the minimalist’s home or office coffee brewing.

All you need are three things (well, five, if you count the coffee beans and the mug). A Clever Coffee Brewer ($15) from Sweet Maria’s, a Hario Mini hand grinder ($35), and standard-issue #4 cone filters that you can get pretty much anywhere. You don’t even really need a scale, as the Hario Mini features a handy measurement. You can totally measure to your taste, or just go by my recommendation.

Basically, fill the bottom part of the grinder halfway between 1 and 2 cups, then grind to a sand-like texture. Wash through the filter with hot water, grind coffee, place coffee in filter, fill up slightly to pre-wet coffee grinds, then after 30 seconds, fill up about 3/4 the way up. Time the brew for 2 minutes before placing over a mug to let the coffee run through (the Clever brewer is quite clever!). Et voila! You have a good cup of coffee in almost any context – on an airplane, in a hotel room, out camping in the woods, in a dorm room, in an office cubicle.

Just make sure you have the most important ingredient – fresh roasted beans from a reputable roaster! Don’t use beans more than 2 weeks old.