This post will explain the benefits of each popular method of brewing, and give you simple directions to follow to appropriately brew with each method. We'll be going over the French Press, Drip Pot, Auto Drip (Automatic Drip Coffee Makers), and Moka Pot Methods of Coffee Brewing.
French Press
The french press is a manual method of coffee brewing that allows the hot water to extract the comparably more oil from coffee grinds than other methods.To brew with the French Press, you measure out the appropriate amount of grinds and pour them in the bottom of your clean and empty press, without the press in the container. You then add your hot water (about 200 degrees F). After the water is added, you put on the top of the press, which is attached to the press. Let the coffee sit for about 4 minutes before pressing down on the top to gather and compress the grinds to the bottom, separating them from the coffee. Now it's time to drink!
This method is best for those coffee drinkers who prefer a fuller bodied coffee. As a result, it works better with darker roasts that offer more of a sweet flavor than a bitter flavor.
Brewers Beware: You should use a coarser grind, because the coffee grinds may escape through the filter separating the grinds from the coffee.
Drip Pot
The Drip Pot is a manual drip coffee brewer. They may come as only the cone shaped filter container that you see as part of an automatic coffee brewer or may have an attached container to catch the brewed coffee.
This method has less of a brewing time, and due to the paper filter, leads to less coffee bean oil in the coffee. This leads less body in your cup of coffee, and as a result should be used in conjunction with a lighter roast.To use a drip pot, place an appropriately shaped filter in the filter container. Place the appropriate amount of coffee grinds (approximately 1.5 tablespoons/cup) in the filter. Pour the water over the grinds and once it has all reached the coffee pot/mug, you've brewed your coffee!
This method is great because you can control the optimal temperature of your coffee water (200 degrees F) and the
Tips:
- If you use a paper filter, wet it before use to avoid a paper flavor in your coffee.
- Evenly distribute your water over the grounds to ensure maximum extraction
- Drink as soon as you brew, reheating burns the coffee and destroys the taste
The Automatic Coffee Drip brewing method is the most commonly found, and easiest method to use to brew coffee. All you need to do is add the grinds, the filter, and the water, push a button, and boom! Within a few minutes, you have a cup of coffee. The same suggestions apply from the drip pot method (light roast and tips).
The problem with automatic drip coffee makers is, however, that you have a lot less control over water temperature and you can easily burn the coffee if you leave it on the warmer that most automatic coffee makers have after the coffee finishes brewing. Some brewers also dispense the water only over one spot in the filter area, making the brewing unevenly distributed over the grinds.
This method is the easiest, but it also offers the least control. When you're shopping for an automatic coffee maker, find one that offers control over water temperature and one that offers a more even distribution over the coffee grinds.
Moka Pot
The moka pot brewing method may be compared to the french press in terms of the brewing process, and the coffee resulting from this method is best described as espresso. This method extracts the oil and caffeine from the coffee grinds extremely efficiently, and thus produces a very strong, concentrated coffee. As a result, it is suggested to use darker roasts with more oil and sweeter tones.
It should be noted that while moka pots does produce coffee similar to espresso, it does not produce true espresso.
To use a moka pot, screw apart the top and bottom. Fill the bottom of the moka pot with water and the filter basket with grinds until it is topped off but level. Use a fine coffee grind, but make sure it is coarse enough as to not slip through the filter holes. Put all parts in place and screw the pot back together. Heat the moka pot on the stove until it gurgles, then remove it from the stove immediately. The coffee is now ready. Pour into a cup (espresso or larger based on your own preferences) and enjoy!
Tip:
- Use hot water to fill the bottom chamber of the moka pot. This reduces the amount of time the grinds are exposed to heat, thus reducing any additional bitterness that may result from overexposure to heat.
There are of course other methods of brewing coffee. These methods may sometimes be compared to science experiments or may closely resemble the process and result of the methods we've described in this post.
So, we've gone through the evolution of a cup of coffee from root to cup! If I had a diploma to give readers, I would. In future posts, we'll be exploring the roasters of Maryland to find you the perfect Chesapeake-roasted bean to fuel your morning!
Thanks for reading!
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