How to make a single cup of coffee with a one-cup filter cone.

Using a filter cone is certainly the least expensive way to make coffee, but it makes a brew of a quality which is just as good as you’ll get from an expensive, automated drip brewer. That’s the thing about making good coffee – when you buy an expensive coffee maker you are paying for convenience, not better coffee.

Filter cones are becoming more popular now and coffee lovers get into "pour-over" brewing methods.

The pour-over approach includes both filter cones and brewers like the Chemex.

The great thing about these methods is that you have total, hands-on control of the brew. You can weigh the coffee to the nearest gram, get the temperature of the water exactly right, and then pour the hot water over the ground coffee for the exact right period of time so you optimize the extraction of the flavor.

The pour-over approach is increasingly popular in high-end coffee shops. You can stand there and watch your coffee being made by hand, in front of your eyes.

The funny thing is...using a lowly filter cone at home used to be viewed simply as the cheapo way to make coffee. But now it's all the rage among third-wave coffee enthusiasts.

You can buy a filter cone locally, or at Amazon.com.

More videos about coffee and coffee makers...

About the author: Nick Usborne, aka Coffee Detective, is a writer and long-time coffee enthusiast. Read more…