---
title: "Yerba Mate Without a Gourd: Free Coffee Gear Field Guide (PDF)"
description: "A free printable guide to brewing yerba mate with an AeroPress, French press, mug, drip machine, Keurig or cold brew: amounts, temperatures and gear."
image: https://res.cloudinary.com/cekiuehr/image/fetch/c_fill,ar_16:9,g_auto,w_1200/f_auto,q_auto/https://51357734.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/51357734/IMG_5465.jpeg
---
[Josh Caliguire](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/?hsLang=en)
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Free printable guide
# The Yerba Mate Field Guide: Coffee Gear Edition
How to make great yerba mate with the mug, AeroPress, French press, drip machine and Keurig already in your kitchen. No gourd needed.
- Eight methods, compared in one chart
- The three rules that fix bad mate
- Amounts, temperatures and steep times
- Cold brew and tereré
- The gear I would buy for each method
- Cut-out quick card
[Get the free PDF](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/guides/yerba-mate-coffee-gear-guide#download) [Read the preview](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/guides/yerba-mate-coffee-gear-guide#guide)
*I research and test everything I recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission on purchases through my links. Your price stays the same, and I get to keep buying good yerba mate. Win-win.*
## What's in the Field Guide
This guide is for the person who wants to try yerba mate this week, with the gear already on the counter. No gourd, no bombilla, no curing. It's five printable pages:
- **A method chart** comparing eight ways to brew, from a plain mug to a moka pot.
- **The three rules** that fix most bad mate: never boiling, a cool splash first, and minding the dust.
- **Eight recipes** with amounts, temperatures and times: mug, AeroPress, French press, gravity brewer, cold brew and tereré, drip machine, Keurig and moka pot.
- **The gear I'd buy** for each method, if you don't own it yet.
- **Troubleshooting and a cut-out quick card** for the kitchen.
Every product in the PDF has a short link you can type into your phone, so the printed copy works too. Here's a preview of what's inside.
## The Three Rules
1. **Never boiling.** Use 160 to 175°F water. Boiling water is the number one reason mate tastes harsh.
2. **A cool splash first.** Wet the leaves with a little cool water before the hot. It protects them from scorching.
3. **Mind the dust.** Yerba has fine powder. Paper filters and fine mesh catch it. Wide mesh sends it into your cup.
## Pick Your Method
Easiest
### In a Mug
1 to 2 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Use [filter bags](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QHXXLNV?tag=joshcaliguire-20) for zero cleanup, or a FORLIFE extra-fine infuser that lasts for years.
[Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TYF8SI?tag=joshcaliguire-20)
My favorite
### AeroPress
The cleanest cup, no grit, and you can re-press the same leaves 3 or 4 times. The [AeroPress Go](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YVL8SF3?tag=joshcaliguire-20) travels well.
[Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3KDC3FJ?tag=joshcaliguire-20)
For a crowd
### French Press
4 to 5 minutes, then pour it all off. A little cloudy, and the easiest way to make mate for two or three.
[Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008XEWG?tag=joshcaliguire-20)
Least bitter
### Cold Brew and Tereré
2 tablespoons per cup of cold water, 8 to 12 hours in the fridge. Add mint or citrus for tereré. A [Takeya](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C36HVWK?tag=joshcaliguire-20) handles bigger batches.
[Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VPXEBU?tag=joshcaliguire-20)
Works, with caveats
### Drip Coffee Maker
Start with about 5 tablespoons for a pot. Paper filters clog on the fine powder, so use a reusable mesh basket.
[Check price on Amazon](https://amzn.to/45k7oxs)
Keurig and moka pot
### The Machines
A Keurig works with a refillable pod and a [paper liner](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AVZQ1U?tag=joshcaliguire-20) on the smallest cup. A moka pot makes a strong, fast cup if you keep the heat low.
[Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0737B6HGR?tag=joshcaliguire-20)
**Which yerba?** Start with [Playadito](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006JY59TI?tag=joshcaliguire-20). It's smooth and low in dust, which matters even more in coffee gear. For an organic option, try [Yerba Madre](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F55QZZFC?tag=joshcaliguire-20).
## Want the Traditional Way Too?
Once you love the taste, the gourd is worth a try. It's slower, more social and made for sharing. The companion guide covers the starter kit, curing a gourd, the "mountain" of leaves and how to share a ronda: [The Yerba Mate Field Guide: Traditional Mate](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/guides/traditional-yerba-mate-guide?hsLang=en).
## Keep Exploring
- [Blog: Yerba Mate AeroPress: The Cleanest Brew You're Not Making Yet](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/yerba-mate-aeropress-the-cleanest-brew-youre-not-making-yet?hsLang=en)
- [Blog: 4 Ways to Brew Yerba Mate with the Coffee Gear You Already Own (Ranked)](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/4-ways-to-brew-yerba-mate-with-the-coffee-gear-you-already-own-ranked?hsLang=en)
- [Blog: Cold Brew Yerba Mate: Ratio, Steep Time and Gear That Works](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/how-to-cold-brew-yerba-mate-ratio-time-and-the-gear-that-works?hsLang=en)
- [Blog: Can You Put Yerba Mate in a Keurig?](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/can-you-put-yerba-mate-in-a-keurig?hsLang=en)
- [Blog: How to Drink Yerba Mate Without a Gourd](https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/how-to-drink-yerba-mate-without-a-gourd?hsLang=en)
## Print it. Stick it on the fridge.
Five printable pages, free. Tell me where to send it and the download link shows up right here. I'll also send my best notes on tea and yerba mate now and then.
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Josh Caliguire
Writer, tea lover, and community builder. Exploring friendship, intentional living, and the best cup of the day.
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