The Simple Tip That Gets You Your Morning Joe As Quick As Possible

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who's nearly useless without a cup of morning coffee. That's why I practice a simple nighttime shortcut that helps me get my cup of joe as soon as I wake up. I simply fill my coffeemaker with enough grounds for a pot (to be shared with my wife) along with the proper amount of water and, when I get up, I turn the thing on. In just a few minutes, the coffee's dripping away, the kitchen smells nice, and I'm ready to begin the day with a steaming hot mug.

My coffeemaker is so old that the timer function doesn't actually work (it's got to be at least 15 years old now), but this little routine suits me just fine. These days, most devices have a timer that you can program to go off on a regular schedule, so you probably have that option if your coffeemaker isn't from ancient times. However, even with an old-style coffeemaker, it only takes a minute to get set up the night before. There's barely any work involved, even if you're rushing to get to bed.

As convenient as this setup is, it's not necessarily for coffee connoisseurs who prefer their beans freshly ground. Whole bean coffee loses a lot of its delicious aroma if it's ground the night before, and those who seek the maximum amount of flavor from their cup aren't going to want to risk this. The same thing goes for espresso — again, you're going to lose a lot of flavor if you grind and tamp the beans in advance. If you're going for max speed, you can pre-grind your beans and store the grinds in an airtight container for the next day but don't expect the best espresso of your life.

You can find super-automatic espresso machines that grind enough beans for each individual cup at the time, but the tradeoff is that they are wildly expensive. Devices like this can cost anywhere between $400 to more than $1,000, and they also require some pretty dedicated maintenance. There are also drip devices that grind beans and brew individual cups though, and these aren't nearly as painful on your wallet. But, if you have others in your household who don't wake up at the same time as you, the racket from the built-in grinder could potentially be an issue.

As for me, I'm pretty impatient when it comes to my daily caffeine. I'll just daydream about a super-automatic machine for now and keep filling the coffee maker the night before.