Yes, you can brew mate in a coffee maker. Simply add one tablespoon per cup of water into a coffee filter and brew as you would a normal pot of coffee. Be careful not to overfill the filter, as mate expands when wet.
Pros and Cons of Using a Coffee Maker for Mate
Using a coffee maker to prepare mate tea has both pros and cons compared to the traditional method with a gourd and metal straw.
Pros:
- A coffee maker lets you conveniently make mate tea in bulk.
Cons:
- The traditional method better preserves the herbs’ flavors.
Enhancing Mate’s Effects
To enhance mate’s effects, some recommend drinking it on an empty stomach. You can also add citrus fruits, lemongrass, chamomile or mint to complement mate’s flavor.
Safety Concerns
While safe in moderation, drinking large amounts of mate tea for long periods may be unsafe. Mate contains caffeine, although less than coffee.
The mate plant has a long history of traditional use in South America. Indigenous groups like the Guarani first popularized mate tea. Today, millions drink mate tea daily across countries like Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Enjoying Mate Traditionally
Enjoying mate the traditional way, in a gourd with a metal straw, provides the full experience. The gourd and straw help filter the mate herbs. You can also "cure" gourds to make them more durable.
Here’s a guide on how to prepare mate and everything you need to start drinking mate including: What type of mate cup, what to look for in a bombilla, and types of mate.
Chimarrão
Chimarrão is a type of mate drunk in the southern regions of Brazil. It’s a caffeinated drink with hot water. It is drunk in a mate gourd, with a bombilla and hot water. It is also a highly social drink, drank among big groups of friends and/or family.
Using a Gourd and Bombilla
Drinking mate with an actual mate (cup) and bombilla (metal straw) brings drinking mate to a whole new level. Traditionally, mate tea is enjoyed out of a gourd, called a mate, in which it is prepared by scooping the dried mate leaves into the mate.
Water Temperature
Generally, mate is steeped in hot water, not boiling, at a temperature similar to a green tea.
Before diving into the main content, mate is a traditional South American drink that’s made by steeping dried leaves and twigs of holly tree-like plant (ilex paraguariensis) in hot water. This beverage has been enjoyed for centuries and it’s known for its unique earthy flavor that comes with a range of health benefits.
Adding Flavors
Adding different herbs to mate can enhance its flavor and provide additional health benefits.
Cleaning Your Keurig
To ensure the best taste and quality, it is important to clean your Keurig after brewing mate by running a cycle with water only, without any coffee or tea pods.
Adjusting Keurig Settings
For the perfect cup of mate from your Keurig, adjust the brew settings according to your preferences. Pour 1 tablespoon of mate in the filter for every 8 ounces (1 cup).
Yerba mate is traditionally consumed in central and southern regions of South America. It is also popular in the Druze community in Syria and Lebanon, where it is imported from Argentina.
Tereré
When served cold, the drink is called tereré in Guaraní. Tereré is very refreshing on a hot day. The most notable difference between tereré and hot mate tea is that tereré is prepared using cold water, which is sometimes mixed with fruit juice.
Using a French Press
With a French press, you can easily adjust the strength of mate tea by choosing how much loose leaf tea you use and how long you let it steep.
There are various techniques for enhancing the mate experience by experimenting with different flavors to complement its natural taste. Adding a sweetener like honey balances bitterness. Citrus fruits like lemon not only add refreshing taste but help cut bitterness. Herbs like mint, cinnamon, ginger add depth and complexity. Some people blend mate with teas or herbs to create unique combinations.
Health Benefits
Grown in South America, mate is known for energy-boosting properties. Each cup has about 70 mg caffeine, providing coffee’s effect without the jittery crash. Mate has other health benefits too. The caffeine in mate comes from a balanced mix of the caffeines in coffee, green tea, and chocolate. Yerba mate aids digestion with laxative properties that reduce bloating. It’s highly nutritious, loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Mate can suppress appetite like coffee. It provides sustainable energy due to key differences in caffeine. This caffeine increases concentration without coffee’s jitteriness. Mate stims mind and focus, energizing up to three times longer than coffee caffeine.
The Traditional Ritual
The traditional ritual is described in the name maté, meaning “gourd herb”. It requires a mate (dried gourd), bombilla (special drinking straw), and thermos. Individuals sit sharing one gourd filled with leaves and hot water.
Making mate traditionally requires only a gourd, loose leaves, hot water, and bombilla. Things to consider: gourd material; bombilla type; water temperature; brew time.
Antioxidant Benefits
Mate and coffee both contain antioxidant chlorogenic acid. This protects the liver but too much increases inflammatory homocysteine. In South America, people walk around sipping mate from hollow gourds like Americans with coffee. Sold in bags, make it using a french press or coffee maker with hot, not boiling water.