I bring a thermos full of coffee to work but some days it doesn’t even make it past the car ride. Sometimes I can really use an extra cup or six to get me through a tough day. Sure, there are a few ways for me to get coffee at work, but they aren’t really the best choices. That is why I started looking for the best way to make coffee at work.
My Current Coffee Options
#1- The Lunch Cart
I have a lunch cart parked outside my building that serves up something that resembles a distant cousin of coffee. They put two scoops of instant coffee in 5 ounces of lukewarm water, add some powdered creamer, a sugar packet, charge you a buck fifty and send you on your way. I have purchased a few of these concoctions out of complete desperation, but it’s not something I’m proud of or something I can handle on regular basis.
#2- The Office Coffee Club
Yes, my office has a coffee club. You take turns bringing in supplies and you can have all the coffee you can drink – well, in theory. The first rule of Coffee Club is you don’t talk about Coffee Club. The first rule of Coffee Club should be if you make a pot of coffee you are guaranteed a cup. The problem is there’s never any coffee left. Even when I put on a fresh pot on, and came back a little bit later, it would almost always be empty. The station was also a giant health code violation. Coffee and creamer left out overnight, filters never tossed in the trash, spills never cleaned.
So began my quest to find an alternative to the lunch cart swill and coffee club vultures. I wanted something compact and relatively clean. Something that I could easily stow away, and not draw the attention of any prying eyes in management.
Making Coffee at My Desk
The first thing I needed was hot water. We only have a standard water fountain at my work. We don’t have one of those fancy water coolers with the hot and cold water taps. If you have one of those, you might be okay, but I am going to need an electric kettle.
There are plenty of options for electric kettles on Amazon. I knew I wanted one that was stainless steel. I don’t want a glass one to get knocked off my desk and break. If you can live without precision temp controls, or a gooseneck, you can pick one up a basic electric kettle without breaking the bank. Of course, there are models with more features though if that is what you are looking for. Many reviews do mention some rusting on the stainless steel models, but to combat that I will just make to empty it out and dry it after using. It’s probably a bad idea to leave a kettle full of standing water on your desk all day anyway. I found some great inexpensive electric kettles on Amazon.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
Electric Kettles (Boogie Woogie, Woogie!)
AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle
This is a basic electric kettle that still has some really cool features. It can quickly bring water to a boil in a matter of minutes, but it does lack the temperature control of some of the other kettles that are available, and no keep warm feature, but the water will stay hot on its own for a while. It does have auto shut off, and boil dry protection, and an easy view water window. The kettle automatically shuts off once the water boils. It has a base with a 30-inch power cord which can easily be concealed with the built-in cord wrap on the underside of the base. Holds 1 liter of water (around 4 cups).
Aicok Electric Kettle with Temperature Control
This 1.7-liter kettle turns it up a few degrees with a few additional features that I think will make it a great choice for a desktop kettle. It is a double wall kettle so the outside doesn’t get hot even when the water is boiling on the inside. I think this makes it a fantastic choice for work. Work is painful enough without a second-degree burn. No plastic comes in contact with the water. I know this is a big deal for a lot of people. The outside of the kettle is plastic and the inside is completely stainless steel. The only drawback is that you don’t have a clear window to check the water level. This is a small sacrifice for peace of mind.
Best Coffee Brewers to Make Coffee at Work
Of course, I could technically bring any old coffee brewer with me to work, but I am looking for the best coffee maker for my cubicle. One that is compact, easy to use, and easy to clean up. I considered bringing a French Press but decided it would just be too messy. If you are not familiar with the French Press, check out this post. After much consideration, I narrowed it down to these two coffee makers.
Koziol Unplugged Coffee Maker
Don’t ask me how to pronounce the name of this coffee maker because I’m not really sure. Koziol is a German company, and they have come up with a pretty sleek looking manual coffee maker. The Koziol Unplugged comes in a variety of colors that will look great on any desk. All you need is a filter, ground beans, and hot water. Makes 1 cup of deliciously brewed coffee at a time. Afterward, you just toss the used filter and grounds in the trash. Fertig (that’s German for “finished”). Check out these cool coffee makers by clicking the picture below.
Clever Dripper
In my opinion, this will be the perfect gadget to make coffee at work. It’s made of plastic, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking if you accidentally drop it or knock it off your desk. It can be used an immersion brewer or a pour over, so it’s like getting two brewers in one. Variety is always good. Check out the Clever Dripper brew guide here!
Immersion Brewing: A common example of an immersion brewing method is the French Press. With this brewing method, the coffee grounds are completely immersed in the water and allowed to steep before they are filtered out.
Pour Over Brewing: With pour over brewing the water is poured over the grounds and passes through the grounds to extract the flavor.
The Clever Dripper can be used for both methods. It is equipped with a stopping mechanism, so when it is filled with water it stays full until it is placed on top of your cup. Placing it on top of a cup releases the stopping mechanism and allows the liquid to flow into the cup.
To use it as an immersion brewer you add your water, allow it to steep for the desired amount of time, then place on your cup to drain. To use it as a pour over place it on your cup before adding the water. Then, slowly pour the water over your coffee grounds. Pretty amazing gadget.
The Clever Dripper also uses paper filters making clean up easy, and allowing for a sediment-free cup. It can be cleaned by tossing away the paper filter and rinsing clean. Check out current pricing by clicking the image below.
How to Keep Coffee Hot at Your Desk and Minimize Spills
KeepCup
These look pretty cool and have a lid to help minimize spills which is definitely a plus. They don’t do much to keep your coffee hot but they are microwavable. If you don’t get to your coffee right away, you can always reheat.
Mug Warmer
I’ve seen a few people complain that these could actually burn your coffee, but if you just want to keep it warm a little longer and aren’t going to leave it sit all day I think you will be fine.
So, the perfect setup for my office is the Aicok Kettle with a Clever Dripper. I would use the immersion brewing method for simplicity and drain it right into my sophisticated looking, 12 ounce KeepCup. Then I would sip some great tasting coffee, and watch while my coworkers drool. Thanks for Reading! If you enjoyed this post, you might like this one too: How to Get Stronger Coffee.
