Can You Steep Coffee Like Tea Without Expensive Equipment?

The other morning, I found myself standing barefoot in the kitchen, eyeing the stovetop kettle and wondering why I hadn’t just tidied up the French press last night.

But you know how it goes, sometimes even boiling water feels like a whole event. The espresso machine was off-duty.

The drip coffee maker? Tucked away in a cabinet I didn’t feel like opening.

So, I tried something a little unconventional: I steeped my coffee like tea.

Yup, just like a tea bag, but with freshly ground beans. I grabbed my little mesh infuser, scooped in some medium-grind coffee, and poured hot water straight from the kettle into my favorite glass mug.

It wasn’t exactly a latte or cold brew, and definitely not black tea or green tea, but it was soft, smooth, and oddly calming.

And here’s the wild part, it actually tasted good.

There’s something lovely about brewing coffee this way. No filters, no machines. Just the basics: heat, a good ratio, and a little curiosity.

It reminded me a bit of how we steep herbal tea or loose leaf oolong: simple, slow, and kind of poetic in a way.

I have found that steeping tea may be simple. Yet it’s easy to oversteep tea causing it to be bitter or turn the wrong color, like how green tea can turn brown.

If you’ve ever wondered “Can you steep coffee like tea?”, this is your little nudge to try it. No pressure. No perfection. Just a cozy ritual waiting to happen.

How to Steep Coffee Like Tea (A Slow Morning Ritual I Actually Love)

Okay, so here’s how I did it—nothing fancy, nothing fussy. Just one of those “use what you’ve got” moments that turned out to be surprisingly delightful.

Start with fresh coffee grounds. I used a medium grind—similar to what you’d use in a French press. Too fine, and it gets sludgy. Too coarse, and you’ll end up with brown-tinted water that tastes like regret. Somewhere in the middle is your sweet spot.

Scoop 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground coffee into a tea infuser or a paper filter bag—whatever you have on hand. I’ve even used a small tea strainer and a bit of folded cheesecloth in a pinch. Then set it gently into your favorite mug or small teapot.

Boil your water (I use a steel kettle on the stove, but electric works too). Let it rest just off the boiling point for a few seconds—it helps keep the flavor balanced and not too bitter.

Pour the hot water over the infuser and let it steep for 4 to 6 minutes. I usually clean up the counter or water my camellia plant while I wait. It’s that kind of slow moment.

When the time’s up, take out the infuser, stir in a bit of cream, sugar, or even a dash of cinnamon if you’re feeling whimsical. That’s it.

It tastes different than a pour-over or drip coffee—a little lighter, a bit more mellow, like the cozy cousin of your usual caffeine fix. Not as bold as an espresso, not as chill as cold brew, but a happy in-between.

Bonus tip? Let it cool, add ice, and it makes a beautiful iced coffee too. I tossed a leftover batch in the refrigerator and poured it over a big cube the next afternoon. Instant mood boost.

Cozy Add-Ins & Flavor Twists (Because Why Not Make It Fun?)

Once you’ve got the basics down, this is where things get playful. Steeping coffee like tea is already a little outside-the-box, so why not lean in and have fun with it?

Here are a few little extras I’ve tried—and loved:

• A dash of cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg stirred in after steeping. It warms everything up, especially on cold mornings when your slippers barely help.
• A splash of cream and a drizzle of maple syrup (or sugar, if that’s more your style) turns it into a soft, cozy cup that sits somewhere between a café latte and breakfast dessert.
• A scoop of frothed oat milk on top? Yes, please. Bonus points if you dust it with a little cocoa powder like you’re starring in your own home barista moment.
• A drop of vanilla or almond extract. Just one. It’s the smallest detail but makes the whole drink smell like a hug.
• Feeling bold? Add a spoonful of instant coffee to your steeped cup if you want a caffeine boost without starting over.

And if you’re an iced drink person all year long (hi, me too), this works beautifully chilled. Steep your coffee, let it cool on the counter, then pour it over ice with a little splash of milk. It reminds me of iced tea, but with more depth—and fewer weird looks when you call it your “tea-coffee hybrid.”

For an herbal twist, I’ve even tried steeping a decaf coffee blend with a white tea bag in the same mug. It sounds odd, I know—but it’s surprisingly smooth. Almost floral. Kind of like what I imagine camellia sinensis would brew if it had a rebellious streak.

The best part? There are no rules here. No one’s judging. Just try what sounds good, sip slowly, and adjust as you go.

A Little Sip of Something New

So… can you steep coffee like tea? Absolutely. And not just in an emergency when the espresso machine’s on strike. It’s genuinely lovely—especially when you’re craving something warm and slow without all the usual steps.

Sure, it’s not the boldest drink on the shelf, and it won’t replace your go-to coffee brand or morning latte routine. But there’s something about that quiet moment of steeping—watching the liquid deepen in color, feeling the warmth rise from your favorite mug—that just makes the world feel a little softer.

It’s not about doing it “right.” It’s about finding little rituals that work for you. Maybe it’s a new weekend habit. Maybe it’s your solution when the coffee filters run out again (how do they disappear so fast?). Maybe it’s just a new way to enjoy the comfort of a familiar bean, without all the pressure.

And who knows, on days when you want less caffeine or something closer to herbal tea, this could be your new go-to. Especially with a cozy playlist, a candle lit before noon, and a cat snoring in the corner.

If you try this at home, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear what combinations you come up with. Or better yet, share it with someone who could use a softer start to their day.

And if you want more little home rituals and cozy kitchen moments like this, I send out a weekly note filled with seasonal favorites, simple recipes, and charming ideas worth trying.

We don’t need a perfect setup to feel at home, just a warm cup, a little curiosity, and the permission to make it up as we go.

Here are some examples of coffee grounds in sealed coffee bags that are not instant coffee and not filter-dripped coffee pads or pods, yet you can drink in an instant:

Presto Coffee Bags

Now that you’ve read this guide this far, I would like to give you a reward! If you are looking for a barista-quality brew without the bells and whistles to make that kind of coffee, you can now get £5 off your subscription coupon with Presto Coffee. Your purchase also gives me £5 off coupon, but it will be from Presto Coffee, nothing extra from you.

Apart from highly recommending Presto Coffee single-serve coffee bags, I also love that they are Rainforest Alliance Certified. They don’t just make delicious coffee, but they also do that while taking care of the planet. So, if you enjoy strong, dark, and smoky coffee packed in compostable bags, Presto Coffee is what you should get.

Chamberlain Coffee Single Serve Blends

Perfect for the on-the-go, especially when you need an extra shot of energy and time, these single-serve coffee steep bags are USDA-certified organic. Choose from 7 different flavors, caffeine strengths, and coffee blends. Enjoy your day using this sustainably packaged coffee.

Steeped Coffee Single-Serve Packs

These packs are from direct trade, hand-roasted, and freshly ground. Choose from a variety of blends like dark, medium, light roast, decaf with Swiss Water Process, or French roast.

Wildland Coffee Single-Serve Packs

Each Wildland single-serve bag contains 3 tablespoons of real ground coffee. They only use coffee beans that are rated in the top 5% of coffee beans in the entire world. You don’t have to worry about your coffee going stale if you are not using them, because each bag is nitro-flushed. This means all oxygen is removed and that helps to keep your coffee fresh for 12 months.

You can purchase empty filter bags. They typically include a drawstring for you to close each bag. Make sure the holes in your coffee tea bags are not too big so that the coffee cannot seep into the water. They are supposed to work as a coffee filter to stop the grounds from going through. As you pour the water into your cup with the filter of coffee grounds, the water gets trapped in the coffee grounds allowing the coffee to infuse into the water.

You can also create your own homemade coffee bags and drink coffee on the go like how you do so with tea in tea bags.

If you can only get hold of coffee beans rather than coffee grounds, you will need to have a coffee grinder to grind them or break them down. There are many types of coffee grinders. Using a burr grinder can help you to grind coffee beans faster to more even grounds than other grinders. For those on the go, this manual burr grinder is great for traveling.