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What is Red-Eye Coffee? And How Do You Make It?

A Red Eye is a drink made of brewed coffee and topped with a shot of espresso. In the past, red-eye often included only one shot, and only later did double shots become the standard espresso pull.

Red-eye coffee is called red-eye due to how much caffeine it contains. It’s an extremely strong cup of coffee that will keep you up at night no matter how macho you think you are. People say their eyes sometimes turn red due to the caffeine, thus the name, red-eye coffee. In the Philippines, they sometimes call it the Duterte coffee as well.

So, when is the best time to drink red-eye coffee? On days when I truly need a caffeine boost to get through the day. Here are simple instructions on how you can make it easily at home.

How to Make Red Eye Without any Machines

If you were wondering whether it is possible or not to make red-eye without any machines, then we have some good news for you. Yes, you can make red-eye without expensive coffee machines.

VERY Strong Drip brew

If you are a strong coffee lover, then with this simple method you can make it in less than five minutes. All you need to have is your favorite type of coffee and a paper filter.

Recommended Machines to Use for Making Red Eye Coffee

Above, we discussed how to make a red-eye coffee without a machine, but what if enjoy preparing coffee with machines? Getting the most out of your coffee might appear to be a difficult task. You could discover that sometimes you receive a great cup of coffee and other times you’re left wondering what went wrong. In order to avoid bad scenarios, we decided to share recommended machines to use for making red-eye coffee. You are free to choose the one that suits your needs and interests the best.

Espresso Machine – Duuh

In order to prepare your coffee with this method, you obviously need to have an espresso machine. Some consider that making coffee with an espresso machine is not an easy task, however, after a few try it is possible to get the taste that will blow your mind. Here’s what you need to do:

Check Out the Best Espresso Machines Here!

The Drip – Slow but Effective

Fortunately, the only equipment required for the drip coffee technique is an electric drip coffee machine. Because it handles all of the brewing for you, you only need the machine itself. Drip coffee is prepared by taking cold filtered water from a reservoir, heating it with a combination of heat and pressure, and then siphoning it through the machine. Following that, the hot water is passed through the coffee grinds. As you can see, the extraction procedure is rather simple. There, the newly brewed coffee passes through the paper filter and into the carafe, where it is stored.

List of Best Drip Machines on The Market

Percolator – As Close to an Espresso As Possible

Making your daily cup of coffee in the percolator may be an easy and cost-effective option. Assembled and used, percolators are easy to operate and maintain. In order to make a red-eye coffee with a percolator, follow these simple steps listed below:

Top Percolators to Choose From

What Beans are Recommended for Brewing Red Eye?

While it is true that you can use a lot of types of coffee beans for brewing red-eye, there are ones that can help your cup of coffee to taste better. Generally, a lot depends on which type of beans you use. Because it only contains one shot of espresso, red-eye coffee has a decently balanced body with less bitterness. Red-eye coffee should be black, delicious, rich, and thick. These taste characteristics may vary depending on the coffee beans used.

From my experience, I would only recommend 100% Arabica beans. Red Eye coffee gives off a colada vibe, but in a larger cup, so using beans from Cuba is recommended, as well as other countries as long as they’re super strong. Check the list below:

Tanzanian Coffee Beans Kenyan Coffee Beans Cuban Coffee Beans Nicaraguan Coffee Beans

Individual Bean Types I Recommend for Red Eye

As we already mentioned, a lot can depend on the type of beans you decide to use. For instance, when using a medium roast, your red-eye coffee will taste nutty and a little sweet, but bitter and peppery if you go for a dark roast.

With the right type of beans, your red-eye coffee will be more delicious and improved than drip coffee. Additionally, it is important to note that the crema’s acidity complements the flavor wonderfully.

We’ve already discussed beans from different countries, but what about individual bean species? Well here are the recommended ones.

Robusta Catuai SL-34 Bugisu

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Make Red Eye Coffee

What is in a Red Eye coffee?

Why is it called a Red Eye coffee?

Is Red Eye coffee the strongest coffee?

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