Brewing coffee is an art and a science, with many different methods and techniques to produce the perfect cup. Here are the most common ways to brew coffee:
- Drip brewing: Remeber your Mr. Coffee? This is the most common method of brewing coffee and involves beans contained in a filter, such as a paper filter or a metal mesh filter. Your coffee machine steams up the water and then passes it through your grounds and into a carafe or mug. At the moment, this is the way I brew all of our coffee for runners. I really want an Aeropress next!
- French press: A simple brewing method that uses a cylindrical glass or stainless steel pot with a plunger and a metal or nylon mesh filter. To brew coffee with a French press, your coarsely ground coffee is placed in the pot, and hot water is added. The coffee and water are allowed to steep for several minutes, and then the plunger is pressed down to push the grounds to the bottom of the pot, leaving the brewed coffee on top.
- Pour-over: Pour-over brewing is a manual involves pouring hot water over ground coffee beans contained in a filter, such as a paper cone or a metal mesh filter. The water passes through the grounds and into a carafe or mug, producing a clear cup of coffee.
- Aeropress: Aeropress is a handheld brewing device that uses air pressure to extract the flavor from ground coffee beans. To brew coffee with an Aeropress, ground coffee is placed in the brewing chamber, and hot water is added. The coffee and water are allowed to steep for a few seconds, and then the plunger is pressed down to push the coffee through a fine mesh filter and into a mug or cup.|
- Moka pot: A stovetop brewing device that uses steam pressure to extract the flavor from ground coffee beans. To brew coffee with a Moka pot, ground coffee is placed in the lower chamber, and water is added to the bottom chamber. The pot is placed on the stove, and the steam pressure forces the hot water through the grounds and into the top compartment, producing a robust and flavorful cup of coffee.
These are just a few of the many ways to brew coffee. Experiment with different brewing methods and find the one that produces the perfect cup of coffee.
If you are just learning about coffee, you may like our item on the what are the different roast levels of coffee.
Photos by Taryn Elliot and Di Bella Coffee.
