How many coffee brewing methods do you know? Espresso, stove top, cezve? Years ago – maybe only these three. Today though there are more than 9 methods to brew coffee and if you think that espresso machine makes the best beverage of all without ever trying the coffee that you can have through others methods – you don’t know what you are missing…
This article will give you a detailed overview of 9 coffee brewing methods and the pots that come with them, starting from the oldest and finishing with the newest ones. Get ready because we will help you find the perfect cup of coffee!
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IMPORTANT: When we say coffee, we mean real coffee, not instant coffee.
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Using pressure:
Immersion:
Filtration:
Boiling:
There are, of course, other methods but as we said, we have cut the list short. This way it will be easier for you to find your perfect cup of coffee.
It is only natural to think of espresso machine when somebody mentions ‘coffee brewing’ and ‘pressure’. There are though several other methods for brewing coffee using pressure.
So, brewing coffee using pressure, as you may guess, uses… pressure for extraction and requires short period of time and intense extraction.
Our favorite coffee brewing methods using pressure are: espresso machine, stove top and aeropress. Let us go through them one by one.
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Espresso machines are our caffeine supplier ever since 1902 and we believe there isn’t anybody that hasn’t heard of them.
Today they come in different shapes and sizes and with many and varied functionalities. Don’t get carried away by them, because the basic work function is the same: high-pressurized water passes through coffee, and then through a filter and a voila – we have an espresso shot.
Are they expensive? Yes and no – it all depends on your budget. We must warn you though, the choice is not easy! There are several types of espresso machines – automatic, semi-automatic, manual, portable and if you are a real coffee buff, or you have a restaurant – professional.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you want to drink strong coffee or a coffee beverage with milk, espresso machine is your best choice.
Skills:
The espresso machine determines the required skill level – if it is a professional one, you need to know a lot about how it functions and how to get the best of it. However, if it is not a professional one – with one or two presses of the buttons your espresso shot will be ready.
Time:
Professional machines require up to 15 minutes to warm up; others just a few minutes, but then the preparation of espresso shot itself takes 15-40 seconds.
Grind:
You need a fine ground coffee.
Result:
A skillfully prepared espresso shot is strong and full of aroma and flavors. You can also use it as a base for many beverages with milk.
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The pot that will bring almost the same taste to your cup as espresso is the stove top. Of course, it is also much less expensive, easy to maintain and does not require special knowledge and skills to obtain a good extract.
This is how the stove top works: water is poured into the lower chamber and when it starts to boil, the steam pushes it through the coffee and the filter basket and it reaches the upper part.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you do not like to waste time cleaning and you want a simple, inexpensive and good method of making coffee.
Skills:
You don’t need some special skills – you only need a hot plate and good coffee.
Time:
It usually doesn’t take more than 5 minutes.
Grind:
The speciallists suggest a medium/fine grind.
Result:
The coffee extract from the stove top is similar to espresso, but not exactly the same. The coffee is moderately strong.
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You love coffee? – Yes. You love traveling? – Yes. Then your method for brewng coffee is Aeropress. It may look like something from a chemistry laboratory but it goes hand in hand with tasty coffee.
And there are many people already that claim that the Aeropress makes the best coffee extract. You need water with the right temperature, coffee and a few minutes.
Aeropress consists of chamber, plunger, filter holder and funnel.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
True coffee lovers who are often on the go. The device is portable and delivers the perfect dose of coffee everywhere.
Skills:
If you can heat the required amount of water, then you can work with Aeropress.
TIme:
It usually doesn’t take more than 5 minutes.
Grind:
It doesn’t matter so much – no matter how you grind the coffee, the result is always amazing. Still, professionals advise between medium and fine ground.
Result:
Very colorful, fragrant extract that will delight your senses.
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One of the oldest coffee brewing methods. When you brew coffee by immersion, hot water is mixed with coffee, then the coffee particles are separated from the extract through a filter.
It sounds very simple, but there is one small detail – if you leave the coffee for too little time, you will get a weak extract; if you leave it longer than it requires – the result will be bitter.
There is nothing difficult in obtaining an excellent extract, but it requires a desire to do so and a timer to be precise with the minutes.
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This is probably one of the first pots that were created especially for brewing coffee. It has proven itself over time and coffee lovers like it a lot.
The appliance is moderately easy to use due to the need for a timer to measure the time in which the coffee is brewed.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you want to make coffee with different taste or if you need to prepare more than one or two cups. Of course, it depends on the size of the French press.
Skills:
You don’t really need skills, just a timer.
Time:
It usually takes 10 minutes.
Gring:
Professionals advise coarse grind!
Result:
The result is interesting, but we must say that it brings a slightly sediment taste.
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Syphon looks like a device you would use in a lab for some kind of strange experiment and is definitely the coffee brewing pot with the weirdest look. In fact, it is a combination of several coffee brewing methods.
It is definitely not easy to use and requires a lot of preparation. You will hardly want to use it in everyday life.
One thing is for sure – if you want to prove to your friends that you are not only passionate about coffee, but also know a lot about the different methods of preparation, Syphon will definitely impress them!
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you believe that brewing coffee is in fact an art and you wish to demostrate your passion for it, this is your method.
Skills:
Expert skills or ability to follow instructions. If you are a scientist or work with a team of scientists, this is an advantage. ; )
Time:
It usually takes at least 10 minutes.
Grind:
SImilar for the grind for Chemex – medium grind.
Result:
Clean, fragrant extract – that is, if your laboratory experient is successful.
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At the moment, filtration is on fashion in the coffee world and it has a lot of fans.
In general what happens is that, you take your favorite coffee, pour it into a filter placed on top of a jug and fill it with water. Gravity will do the rest.
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Don’t be surprised when you see Chemex for the first time – we also believe that it would be great if you use it as a vase. However, it is a stylish method to prepare coffee with unique taste.
Chemex’ main advantage is the fact that you can make quite a lot of coffee, but you will need at first to acquire a little knowledge how to prepare the perfect drink. How much water, what coffee grind, how much time and last but not least – what filters to use.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you want not only to drink good coffee at home but also to do it with style and wish to add one more object to enrich the art mileu at home.
Skills:
Some skills are required – it is advisable to follow the instruction for use at least in the beginning.
Time:
It usually takes at least 3-4 minutes.
Grind:
You can experiement but still professionals advise medium grind.
Result:
Clean cup with only pleasant aromas and tasty coffee. What you do not need remains in the filter!
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V60 is extremely useful because it is portable and can be placed on top of almost any pot. That means that with it in combination with almost any other pot at home you can create your coffee bar.
As with some other methods, with V60 you will need to try several times in order to produce the perfect cup but after mastering this, everything will be great!
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you travel a lot, V60 is great solution – it is extremely light. You only need filters.
Skills:
Some skills are required – it is advisable to follow the instructions for use at least in the beginning.
Time:
It usually takes 4-5 minutes
Grind:
Medium to fine grind.
Result:
Rich aromatic extract without bitterness in the taste.
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If you still haven’t heard of Cold Brew, you are novice in the specialty coffee world. Cold brew is one of the latest innovations and we must note that we don’t mean iced coffee here.
In short this is how it functions: you must pour cold filtered water over coffee and leave it for at least 10 hours.
The result is not just cold coffee but a beverage with extremely balanced taste. You won’t need to put sugar in your coffee and you will enjoy the real flavor of the beans.
You can preserve your Cold Brew coffee for up to 2 weeks.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you live in a tropical country or if you want your favorite drink, but cold, in the summer.
Skills:
No special skills. You just need to follow several simple steps.
Time:
It takes from 10 to 24 hours but the result is unique.
Grind:
It is good to experiment but professionals suggest coarse grind.
Result:
There is no trace of bitterness in coffee. You can enjoy all flavors.
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If you ever run out of absolutely no specialized coffee maker in your life, don’t worry – you don’t always need one.
You can always take a simple pot, whichever you have in hand, in which to pour coffee + water and put it on a heat source until it boils.
Then take it off from the fire/from the hot plate, pour it in a cup, leave it for a few minutes and it is ready to drink.
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When we talk about making coffee, Cezve is definitely the first device that comes to mind and this is no accident. Cezve has been around for a long time and delivers a good dose of caffeine.
You need finely ground coffee and a little patience until you learn to prepare it right.
What do we need to know?
Who is it for:
If you love strong coffee, Cezve is your method.
Skills:
You dont need any special skills; we believe you can turn the stove on ; – )
Time:
It usually takes 3-4 minutes.
Grind:
Fine grind, perhaps the finest one.
Result:
The result will not provide you with a super clean cup like some of the other methods, but the coffee is quite strong and dense.
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We hope we have lifted the mystery surrounding the many methods to make coffee. Now all you have to do is choose which one to start your experiments with in order to find the better cup of coffee.
If you want to receive an e-book with recipes for each of the methods, you can subscribe to our e-newsletter in Bulgarian (in which you will also receive quite interesting things related to coffee).
Also, you can find the devices mentioned in the article in our online store. Our professional baristas are here to assist you throughout the process – you can write to us on social networks and we will be happy to discuss the results you obtained! You can also find a cupping or a course in our DABOV Academy and obtain more knowledge about coffee and how to prepare it like a professional barista.
