How To Make Black Coffee: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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How to Make Black Coffee Download Article 11 Recipe Ratings | Success Stories Co-authored by Robert McKeon Aloe

Last Updated: May 13, 2025 Approved

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• Making Pour-Over Black Coffee
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• Making Black Coffee in a Machine
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips
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• Things You'll Need

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This article was co-authored by Robert McKeon Aloe. Robert McKeon Aloe is a Data Scientist based in San Jose, CA. With a background in computer science and data analytics, Robert set out to apply data science techniques to create the best coffee, with a special focus on espresso and coffee roasting. Robert started writing a blog about coffee and later expanded into YouTube, sharing everything from tools, tips, best practices, and more. He has also written two books on the topic, Engineering Better Espresso: Data Drive Coffee and Advanced Espresso: Elements of Coffee. Robert has a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame and has worked for Apple for over 10 years, specializing in computer vision and machine learning. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 93% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 630,874 times.

Brewing a perfect cup of black coffee is an art. Although drinking it without sugar, milk or cream can be an acquired taste; it allows the brewer to focus on the full-bodied flavor of freshly roasted coffee beans. Black coffee is generally made in a pot, although modern coffee connoisseurs may insist on mastering the pour-over method for the best possible flavor.

How do I start making black coffee?

1. Use high-quality, specialty-grade beans, says coffee scientist Robert McKeon Aloe.
2. Grind the beans right before you brew a cup of coffee.
3. Fill a coffee filter with about 3 tbsp of ground coffee and place it in your mug.
4. Heat water to just under boiling (around 200°F or 93°C).
5. Pour the hot water into the filter and let it brew for 4 minutes.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Making Pour-Over Black Coffee

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1. 1 Purchase freshly roasted, whole bean coffee. If you can’t purchase it directly from the roaster within a week or so of it being roasted, opt for a vacuum-sealed bag from a reputable national coffee-bean roaster.
2. 2 Purchase your own coffee grinder, or grind it in the store. If possible, choose a burr grinder in place of a normal blade grinder. For best results, grind the coffee fresh right before brewing each day.
   • Experiment with different ground size. Although finer grounds are generally preferred, they can result in a bitterer brew than coarse grounds.
   • Many people recommend that you aim for grounds the size of coarse sugar.
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3. 3 Use good water. If you like the water taste of the water that comes out of your tap, it’s likely to make good coffee. Softened or distilled water should never be used, but carbon-filtered water can reduce the chemical taste of some tap water.
   • Minerals in water are important for the brewing process.
4. 4 Buy a kettle, a funnel and unbleached filters for your pour-over brew. Most coffee aficionados believe that the pour-over, single-cup method provides the best, richest black coffee.
5. 5 Place the funnel on a cup that is big enough to hold your entire brew. Put approximately three tbsp. of ground coffee in the filter right before you’re ready to brew.
   • Serious coffee brewers focus on the weight of the beans, rather than the volume. If you prefer this method, aim for 60 to 70g (two to two and a half oz.) per liter (4.22 cups) of water. Adjust based on the size of your coffee cup.[1]
6. 6 Boil your kettle. Wait for it to cool down for 30 seconds to one minute or stop it just before it reaches a boil. The ideal temperature for brewing coffee is 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
   • Generally, the darker the roast, the less hot your water should be. For light roasts, use a temperature up to 207 degrees Fahrenheit (97 degrees Celsius). For darker roasts, use a temperature closer to 195 degrees Fahrenheit (90.5 degrees Celsius).
7. 7 Set your timer for four minutes. Wet the coffee with the first pour over, using a couple of oz. of water. Wait 30 seconds and pour again, repeating until the four minutes and the water are gone.
   • Consider experimenting with a three-minute extraction time. Be careful not to overfill the filter. You may find you like the results better with a shorter brewing period.
   • Use a longer brew time for lighter roasts and a shorter brew time for darker roasts.[2]
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Making Black Coffee in a Machine

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1. 1 Buy your freshly roasted whole coffee beans in small batches. Beans that are exposed to the air or sunlight will go rancid.
2. 2 Purchase unbleached coffee filters that fit in your coffee maker. If you doubt whether your coffee maker has been cleaned in a while, take some time to clean it for the best possible taste. Run it on the cleaning mode (or a simple brewing mode) with a mixture of half distilled white vinegar and half water.[3]
   • Follow up with two additional brews with water to ensure that the vinegar residue has been completely removed.
   • For areas with very hard water, include a larger ratio of vinegar to water. Repeat the cleaning every month.
3. 3 Grind your beans daily in a burr or blade grinder right before brewing. Burr mills provide the most even grinding; however, they are much more expensive than small blade grinders. If you use a blade grinder, rock it several times during grinding to produce more even grounds.
   • Try out different sized coffee grounds. The finer the grounds, the more flavor you will get from them; however, they can also result in a more bitter brew.
4. 4 Use approximately two and three-fourths tbsp. of coffee per eight oz. cup. With time, you will see how many scoops of coffee beans will produce this amount of grounds. Adjust the amount to your taste.
5. 5 Opt to turn off the automatic warming feature on your pot. Most coffee makers are programmed to brew at a perfect 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius), but the warming feature can boil the brew, making it taste bitter. For best results, drink the freshly brewed black coffee right away.
6. 6 Finished.
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Community Q&A

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• Question How do I make black coffee with just milk and water? Is it OK if I just add a little bit of coffee to water and drink it? Michele Top Answerer Black coffee, by its nature, contains no milk or sugar. If you're not sure you like coffee, you can add a little milk to coffee or vice versa until you find the balance of coffee to milk you enjoy most. Like wine or beer, coffee (especially black coffee) is an acquired taste, and not everyone acquires a taste for it. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 32
• Question Does sugar have to be added in black coffee? Stephen Top Answerer No. It all depends on how you like your coffee. Technically, black coffee is coffee without any milk or cream. If you like sugar, toss some in. If not, you can drink it plain as well. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 47
• Question Can I take black coffee on an empty stomach? Community Answer If you have a sensitive stomach, it may not be a good idea. But other than that, it should be fine. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 20

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Tips

• Purchase five to seven days worth of beans at a time. Store it at room temperature in an airtight container out of direct sunlight. Do not store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Things You'll Need

• Freshly roasted whole-bean coffee
• Airtight storage container
• Burr or blade grinder
• Unbleached filters
• Pour-over dripper/coffee machine
• Scale (optional)
• Measuring spoons
• Tap or carbon-filtered water
• Vinegar (for cleaning)
• Timer

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References

1. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/make-better-pourover-coffee-how-pourover-works-temperature-timing
2. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/make-better-pourover-coffee-how-pourover-works-temperature-timing
3. ↑ http://www.somedayilllearn.com/how-to-make-black-coffee/

About This Article

Co-authored by: Robert McKeon Aloe Coffee Scientist This article was co-authored by Robert McKeon Aloe. Robert McKeon Aloe is a Data Scientist based in San Jose, CA. With a background in computer science and data analytics, Robert set out to apply data science techniques to create the best coffee, with a special focus on espresso and coffee roasting. Robert started writing a blog about coffee and later expanded into YouTube, sharing everything from tools, tips, best practices, and more. He has also written two books on the topic, Engineering Better Espresso: Data Drive Coffee and Advanced Espresso: Elements of Coffee. Robert has a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame and has worked for Apple for over 10 years, specializing in computer vision and machine learning. This article has been viewed 630,874 times. 11 votes - 93% Co-authors: 9 Updated: May 13, 2025 Views: 630,874 Categories: Coffee Article SummaryX

To make pour-over black coffee, start by placing a funnel on a cup that is large enough to hold the entire brew. Next, put a filter in the funnel, then place about 3 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee into the filter. Once the coffee grounds are prepped, boil water, allow it to cool for 30 seconds, and wet the coffee with a few ounces of the hot water. Wait 30 seconds and pour again, repeating until 4 minutes have passed and the water is gone. To learn how to make black coffee in a machine, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

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  Anonymous

  Aug 22, 2016

  "Thanks, and I am enjoying my black coffee."

More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Robert McKeon Aloe Coffee Scientist Co-authors: 9 Updated: May 13, 2025 Views: 630,874 93% of readers found this article helpful. 11 votes - 93% Click a star to add your vote

Anonymous

Aug 22, 2016

"Thanks, and I am enjoying my black coffee."

Anonymous

Mar 13, 2018

"The perfect article I was looking for."

John Hurley

Dec 13, 2016

"I learned how to grind coffee beans. "

Piper Sargent

Jun 6, 2016

"I love that it was step by step."

Anonymous

Nov 14, 2018

"My coffee was a success!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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