Different Types of Coffee You Can Brew at Home

There's a long list of coffee types you can brew in the privacy of your own home. They do, however, require various pieces of equipment and ingredients. Your options range from simple to complex. Here are a few and how to go about making them:

Instant coffee: If convenience is what matters most to you when making coffee, then perhaps instant coffee is worth some consideration. Instant coffee is made from brewed coffee beans, but it is not identical to actual coffee. It tastes similar to, although not exactly like, real coffee. Needless to say, it's not the drink of choice for coffee connoisseurs. But it does live up to its name. All that you have to do in order to make instant coffee is heat up water, and add a spoon full of the instant coffee mix. A couple stirs and you're done. Coffee doesn't get quicker or easier.

Single-serve coffee: Single-serve coffee, which often comes in the form of coffee pods, aims to be the best of both worlds: convenient and delicious. Single-serve coffee pods are extremely easy to make-in fact, you just need to press one button, and the cleanup is pretty much nonexistent. Also, unlike instant coffee, coffee pods produce real coffee. The only downfall: You need to purchase a coffee pod machine. However, some of these machines are extremely affordable, and they're a good investment for regular coffee drinkers.

Typical coffee: Most coffee is brewed in a coffee pot. Coffeemakers are easy to find and can be cheap to purchase. You can put on a small pot if you're drinking alone or a large pot if you want to make coffee for friends or family. There's only one drawback: the work involved. Now, it's not a ton of work, but it does take longer to make and the cleanup is messier; it doesn't have the convenience of instant or single-serve coffee. Filters need to be used and tossed out and the coffee pot should be cleaned after each use.

You can also brew typical coffee with a French press, which doesn't require any disposable filters. However, a French press won't make as many cups of coffee, which is worth considering if you're making for multiples. Also, you will need to use a coarser grind to avoid small grinds from slipping through the filter.

And for those of you who don't mind putting in a little extra work, you can also grind and roast your own beans, too. Make coffee exactly the way you like it.

Iced coffee: Iced coffee is a great, easy summer alternative. It's as easy as it sounds: Make a cup of coffee using one of the above methods, and then add a lot of ice. Stir the ice around and give it adequate time to cool down the coffee. If you want more, make an entire pot of coffee and pour it in a jug with a substantial amount of ice. Iced coffee goes down good with a straw. And, like with hot coffee, you can also add sugar and/or ice to dampen the intensity of the coffee taste, if that's your preference.

So, there you have it, folk: four different types of good ol' fashioned coffee. But this is just a list of basic coffees. There's also the option of purchasing an espresso machine. They tend to be expensive, but they open up a whole lot of possibilities: from latte, to Americano, to macchiato. You can make pretty much any coffee beverage with an espresso machine. But if you want more variety without having to buy an espresso machine, flavored coffee is cheap and easy. There are hundreds of different types of flavored coffees, especially in coffee pod form. Figure out what's best for you, and purchase accordingly. Enjoy your coffee!