Actually there are a number of ways to make strong black coffee, but not all of them are good for you. One of the ways to make strong black coffee is to us a French press coffee maker. A second way is to use a percolator, third is a cold water method and fourth is an espresso maker. For all these ways, use the freshest roasted beans possible.

French press coffee makers allow you let your coffee steep as long as you want. The longer the coffee steeps the stronger the coffee gets. These presses also use a grind that is slightly larger and chunkier than the regular grind you use with your drip coffee maker. To see the difference, you can grind a small amount at a local store. Better still, grind your coffee beans for the amount you need as the beans, once ground, start to deteriorate. Use a Turkish grind in a press pot as it offers a larger absorption area, if you use a regular grind it will make the coffee taste bitter, not stronger. Whether steeping for a short time or long time always pour the water over the beans when it is 190 to 195 degrees.

Percolators can also be used to make strong coffee. Percolators perk water then hot coffee water up over the grounds in a basket at the top. If the coffee is not strong enough you can perk it a little longer to get the coffee stronger. Running the percolator through an entire cycle again will create a bitter take taste. As with the French press or press pot use freshly ground coffee if at all possible and always use the best water possible.

The cold water method is not easy as you need to do it in specific steps. Start with a container that has a drain that can be opened on the bottom. Add 9 cups of cold water to one pound of coarsely ground beans and let them steep for 12 hours. This extracts the flavor of the coffee beans, but not the oils or compounds. This creates a brew with a lot less acid. When you open the drain, the thick coffee syrup needs go through a filter; a good regular coffee filter will do, into a glass container that has a lid. Store the coffee “syrup” in the refrigerator. When you want to make regular coffee in an 8 ounce cup add three-fourths cup of hot water to a quarter cup of syrup, the more syrup the stronger the coffee. With all the coffee having about two-thirds of the acid gone, strong coffee will be better tasting and better for you. To make it easier, cold water systems and glass carafes are available at coffee shops and online.

Making coffee in an espresso machine of any kind will make strong coffee. However, use a semi-automatic espresso machine or better to make a better cup of strong coffee. The semi-automatic espresso machines run between $200 and $500.