There are a million ways to brew a cup of coffee. K-Cups and French presses are just the beginning; once you enter the weeds of the specialty coffee world, you will find an ongoing debate about using coffee for fuel as to which method can actually create the best coffee .

Some people believe in the Japanese drip method, some people prefer espresso (although they come from a moka pot or a hydraulic press, but they often can’t agree), some even resort to the alchemy of a complicated siphon arrangement. Dramatic, it looks more like it belongs to A mad scientist’s laboratory, not a cafe. Some people swear this is not coffee but water, or not water but milk, or no, etc., not milk but a filter, and whether it is better to stir, shake or press.

But rushing around to produce the best coffee is not limited to trendy cafes in coastal cities. Perhaps the last place you want to find a silky cup is the humble basement of a community church. However, this brewing is usually provided in an industrial glass bottle of the kind you associate with sad office activities, and enthusiasts say it is comparable to all those more advanced brewing methods without the need for any coffee beans or expensive equipment .

This concept originated from the Lutheran church of Scandinavian immigrants in the Midwest, where it was called "Swedish Egg Coffee" or "Church Basement Coffee", although some people think it is from Scandinavian mothers Brought there, but no one seems to have conclusive evidence that it is not a local creation. The result is an ultra-mild form of campfire coffee, which is intended to be brewed in large quantities to feed people, and because this method is said to extract more caffeine than other brewing methods, it can be used no matter what activity you are doing. An ordinary Lutheran basement to keep the crowd awake.

Family recipes abound, and the ratio of coffee to water varies. I tried three different versions, and my favorite one is as follows: To make about 3 cups of this coffee, first grind the coffee (finally use about 1.5 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup, so about 4 tablespoons of coffee). I found some suggestions for grinding, but I recommend medium to coarse, because you will want to tighten it later.

At the same time, beat an egg in a small bowl. If you want, you can also add a shell, the followers insist. Beat the eggs, then add coffee grounds, use a spoon or whisk to break up everything around, and smash the egg shell into pieces (if used). At this point, you might feel like a kid playing with food, or a DIY beauty making an all-natural mask on Pinterest. This is disgusting and weird. Just continue.

Boil 5 cups of water in a small saucepan. After boiling, add the coffee-egg mixture, stir and boil for 3-5 minutes. At this point you will think, "Tantri, why are you letting me waste a perfect egg?" The mud looks disgusting, like what you find in a clogged sewer. It smells a bit like sulfur-not very IKEA. smell. Nonetheless, even the most beautiful among us emerge from the original slime, so don't judge. However.

At this point, prepare a glass of cold water (if possible, prepare ice water). get ready. After 3-5 minutes, stop boiling and pour in the cup of cold water. All these dirty things should sink to the bottom of the pot. At this point, you can simply pour the coffee out of the top, or, if you really don't want any of these pieces (you don't want them), pour it into a glass bottle through a fine mesh filter. The coffee will look very light and light, and it will be much clearer than a regular cup.

The theory behind this method is that the albumin in the eggs extracts the bitter tannins in the coffee, which will produce smooth, soft coffee regardless of the quality of the coffee beans, because the community church is unlikely to spend 20 on the third type. Dollar-a-pound-wave bird-safe Panama Arabica coffee beans provide them with huge free coffee barrels. I did use high-end coffee (because I had already drunk it). However, it is fully disclosed that despite repeated adjustments to the ratio and method, I still cannot make a cup of coffee that I like.

I admit it is very smooth, without the spicy bitterness or any sourness of burnt coffee. But to me, it doesn’t taste like coffee anymore. It is more like a mixture of coffee and tea, lacking in body and robustness. It's like the ghost of coffee in the past. However, your mileage may vary-a glance on the Internet will tell you that people swear by these things, and it certainly doesn't require milk. However, Midwesterners are also fans of cross-country skiing and so-called "hot dishes," so maybe church basement coffee is something you can only appreciate when you grow up. If you like it, whether you are in the basement or not, it is perfect for holiday parties of any size.

The views expressed in the reader's comments only represent the views of the author and do not reflect the views of the Seattle Times.