If you start your day with a strong cup of joe for more than just the jolt of caffeine, you also care about the flavor that really drives the coffee experience. While I will admit that a Keurig adds simplicity to getting that morning cup of joe quickly, there’s something to be said for the more traditional methods, pour over and French press coffee.

Pour Over

Pour over coffee allows for more control over the quality of the cup of joe. To start, some fresh ground beans go along way to a quality cup of coffee. If not, already ground coffee works as well. The real magic happens with a slow pour of boiling water over the ground coffee, where the pourer can ensure an even pour over the grounds to maximize the flavor in the cup of morning joy. An additional benefit to this method is the filtering ensures the cafestol, an oil in coffee beans that affects how the body metabolizes and regulates cholesterol, is filtered out. This gem of a method also comes at the fraction of the cost of some new modern tools at less than $20 for a kit. I found my glass pour over at Tuesday Morning. Other place you can likely find them inexpensively include Big Lots and Amazon.

Pro Tip: If you are trying to cut back on the sugar, try adding half of what you would usually use to the grounds before pouring the water over. The sugar gets better incorporated into the dripped coffee and reduces the need for the lump sum of coffee that is typically used.

French Press

A French press involves steeping the grounds in boiling water for at least 20 minutes to create a rich and bold flavor in the cup of coffee. When using a high quality bean, this method maximizes the flavor of the cup of coffee and ensures your cup of joe will be satisfying and strong. Similar to pour over coffee, this method is great to include half the sugar in the steeping process for reduced sugar consumption. The French Press can also be inexpensive with traditional glass devices. Stainless steel options, though more expensive, could be preferred for retaining the heat of the coffee, if you prefer to slow sip throughout the morning.

Pro Tip: Be sure to find the appropriate filters as this method tends to retain coffee oils such as cafestol which can impact cholesterol regulation in the body.

While more flavorful than other methods, the richness of the French press is likely best as a treat and had in all its glory. For the everyday use, a nice pour over still delivers more flavor and a consistent cup of coffee than some of the quicker more modern methods. I for one am in favor of tradition.