Campus Coffee Isn’t Good
We have had so many years of high school students come through our doors at Tala, and watching them go off to college is always so bittersweet. It is such a treat to see them come back during breaks and talk about their experience in a whole new world. We often see students coming back for visits and making a Tala cafe their first stop before even getting home—they’ve clearly been starved for good coffee! That isn’t surprising, since campus coffee is—as a general rule—not good. It feels like one of the cruel jokes of college life is that you often survive on a lot of caffeine but only have access to the worst kinds, like sugary energy drinks and weak cafeteria coffee.
While we can’t pop up a Tala cafe at every college campus, we can still get college students some great coffee!
Making dorm coffee
I have many fond memories of making dorm coffee. I almost exclusively used a Chemex during my college years, and I would sometimes make enough for my roommates to indulge as well. We would sit around our little dorm living room and sip the coffee while we discussed our next midterm, upcoming game, or big papers due. I think the terrible overhead lighting, cheap, worn-down couches, and wonky wall posters actually made the coffee taste that much better.
If you want to make coffee at college, you’ll basically need good coffee and good gear. That’s it! Let’s break that down.
Finding the Right gear
There’s no magic gear for dorm rooms, but there are some things to consider when looking at what’s the best fit. Firstly, check to see if you are allowed to have a kettle in your dorm room. This will change what options are available to you. Some dorms don’t allow you to have any appliances that heat up—although hypothetically a kettle should be safer than a hair dryer, but I digress. If a kettle is an option, you can pretty much just choose any brewing method you’d like to bring to college. If the kettle is a no-go, your options are limited, but the good news it my top recommendation (the Aeropress) is still available to you. There are some pros and cons for each brewing method, so let’s dive into my top three recommendations and associated gear specifically for the college experience.
Aeropress
The Aeropress is probably our most recommended brewer (we’re kind of obsessed). It’s great for camping and traveling, but also for everyday use. Interestingly, this brew method was invented by a guy at Aerobie—yes, the Frisbee company. There are so many methods to brewing with the Aeropress, making it a fun and versatile way to brew coffee.
Pro: The Aeropress is virtually indestructible and super compact, making it perfect for the dorm room. As an immersion method, this brewer does not require precision pouring, which cuts out the need for a fancy kettle and makes it super easy for all circumstances, from campfires to cafeteria brewing.
Con: This method can only make a small cup at a time unless you use a concentrate recipe.
Required Equipment:
Chemex brewer
The Chemex was my brewer of choice at school, and it might be a great option for you depending on what you want to do.
Pro: The Chemex can make more coffee at a time than other methods, so if you’re filling a big thermos or sharing with friends, it can be a great option.
Con: It is breakable, although it is pretty sturdy for being completely made of glass.
Required Equipment:
Kalita Wave Brewer
The Kalita Wave is an excellent brewing method that yields a dynamic cup of coffee without much hassle. This is our primary pour over method we use in our cafes.
Pro: The Kalita is easy to use and forgiving compared to some other manual brewing methods, like the v60. It can easily make a single cup or enough for two.
Con: Brewing with the Kalita requires a range server, or you can brew directly into a mug or thermos if it has the correct size mouth.
Required Equipment:
What gear is right for you?
The most minimal setup is usually the best place to start. I’d recommend getting an Aeropress, a hand-grinder, and a scale as you head off to college. From there, you can always make the jump to a gooseneck kettle, and then open your options up to different brewing methods like the Chemex or Kalita. If you want to cut down on time and have some extra room in your budget, you can skip the hand-grinder and go straight to an electric grinder. However, having a hand-grinder for travel or camping is super helpful, so don’t discount it as a good way to start—it won’t be too redundant even if you later upgrade!
Coffee Subscriptions
In college, Stefan and I went in on our first coffee subscription together (I know, how romantic). We loved having something mailed straight to school at a time when transportation to the closest specialty shop wasn’t easy. We also loved having a rotation of coffee that we were guaranteed to like. In fact, that coffee subscription later informed the way we designed our own coffee subscription: Tala Coffee Club. We took what we loved about our college subscription and refined it. The Tala Coffee Club has several options to suit your needs.
Start with a monthly 12-oz Roaster’s Choice subscription to enjoy rotating single-origin coffees and see how much coffee you go through at school.
Once you start slamming more coffee and convert all your friends to specialty coffee, upgrade to a bi-weekly 2Ib Roaster’s Choice subscription, or even a weekly 5Ib subscription (or anything in-between).
Split the beans up with all your friends for maximum savings, plus enjoy nerding out together.
Coffee Club always ships free, and is always the cheapest way to enjoy our coffee.
Coffee Club members also enjoy monthly perks, discounts, or goodies sent to their email inbox, so you can benefit beyond just seamlessly delivered coffee. Keep a connection to home with every cup and beyond.
P.S. We‘re having a back-to-school sale on our Coffee Club memberships; 50% off the first bag of coffee from August 10-22, 2025. Use code DORMCOFFEE for ongoing subscriptions or DORMGIFT for 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscriptions.
How to brew
If your transition to college is also your transition to brewing, don’t worry! It won’t take long before you are making coffee every bit as delicious as your Tala baristas. The only secret is good coffee and practice. We have some brew guides available to help you get set up with the right recipes and walk you step-by-step through the brewing process which whichever method you choose!
Joanna Tong
Joanna is one of the owners here at Tala, heading up Operations and Strategy. Born and raised in Minnesota, she moved to Illinois in 2014 with no intention of staying long-term until the idea of Tala came to light. When not in the office or the cafe, you can find her in a forest preserve enjoying the outdoors or at home hanging out with her cat.
