Becoming a Coffee Expert Chapter 2: The Scoop

Hamilton Beach makes a neat coffee maker called The Scoop. It makes a single cup, and is easy to use and convenient to clean.

In the first part of this series, I explored making coffee in a French Press, so I will do a bit of comparison of the two methods in this article, as well as provide instructions for making coffee with The Scoop. Let's make coffee!

What You Need for Coffee in The Scoop

• The Scoop Machine (can make 8-14oz)

• Mug and creamer of choice (totally okay to skip the creamer)

• Water

• Ground coffee

• Container for disposing the grounds (optional, but a jar or old yogurt container can be nice for containing the used grounds so they don't make your trashcan wet; if you compost, you could dump the grounda straight into the compost and give yourself a high five for being awesome)

Instructions

1. Fill your mug with the amount of water you'd like to be transformed into coffee, leaving a bit of room for creamer if you plan to use it.

2. Pour the water into the basin of The Scoop, not exceeding the 14oz maximum fill, and pouring in at least the 8oz minimum fill. I made a bit of a mess doing it this way, so what might work better is using a kettle or narror rim measuring cup to pour the water. My mug with room for creamer hit about 12oz, but there was still lots of room, so next time I plan to fill the basin to 14oz.

3. Measure your coffee grounds into the coffee filter. There are min and max guidelines, so you don't necessarily need to use a measuring spoon. I hit max at about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee, but I was able to sneak in a 3rd tablespoon, and I liked the taste. I might experiment with 2tbs next time though.

4. Add creamer to your mug if you are using it, and set the mug on the platform of The Scoop. There is a foldable piece where you could set a shorter mug, or you can fold that away and set your mug on the bottom if it is taller.

5. Close the lids to the basin and coffee filter of The Scoop, plug it in, and hit the Brew Button. It brews super fast!! When it's done, the Brew light turns off.

6. Enjoy your coffee!

7. To clean up, remove the filters, dump the grounds into a container or trash can, and rinse the filter. Cleaning the basin every once in a while with gentle soap and paper towels or reusable towels is also not a bad idea.

The Scoop vs. French Press

The Scoop is easier to use and clean than the French Press, but the French Press makes a little more coffee, and I slightly prefer the taste. Because I can be a little lazy, I will probably opt for The Scoop over the French Press because it is so much easier to use and clean, and I also don't need to set a timer. For investment purposes, a French Press is cheaper and will likely last longer. The Scoop was a wedding present, but I would still invest in one if you like an easy single cup of coffee.

Cheers to you on your coffee-making journey, and happy caffeinating! 😊 ☕️