The Best Way to Make Coffee
How hard can making coffee be? But, the effort will be worth it when you feel the heavenly taste of a fresh aromatic cup of coffee made on your own. If you are just worried about whether you could do it right, just follow the right instructions. There are a staggering number of pleasing coffee making methods out there. So, there is no doubt that you can make the perfect cup of coffee out of it. If you are an ardent coffee lover who wishes to dip yourself in a divine coffee experience, it is a must that you read about these exciting coffee brewing methods.
Coffee Brewing Methods
With an astounding number of ways to brew a cup of coffee, it can be a tough task to decide which coffee brewing method to give a shot. Here are a few of the basic and the most commonly used coffee brewing methods that will help you make the most out of the scrumptious coffee beans.
Espresso
Espresso is a very strong type of coffee with a very high concentration of coffee and less water. So, it might contain a lot of solids and coffee oils. Some people love this for the strong flavor and aroma.
How to Brew Espresso:
Espresso is prepared in a simple method where you run over hot water on a firmly packed set of ground coffee contained in a port-filter. Remember to add a very little volume of water than when you prepare a normal cup of coffee. Once you are done with it, you will get a foamy coffee layer on top giving your coffee a sense of luxury and perfection.
Drip Coffee
Drip coffee, which is also known as filter coffee, is one of the most popular methods of brewing coffee. This type of coffee brewing will give you a very clean and clear cup of coffee with a truly genuine caffeine taste.
How to Brew Drip Coffee:
The process of brewing drip coffee is really simple. You just need to pour hot water over ground coffee beans. Remember to pour it evenly if you want to taste a scrumptious coffee. The brew is then strained with a paper filter or a mesh. But make sure that you use a good coffee machine. If you use a low-quality drip coffee maker, chances are that you will end up getting a bitter taste.
French Press
The French press is one of the simplest and cheapest coffee brewing devices out there that would give you an effortless coffee experience. The device features a simple mechanism with a plunger and a beaker. The French press is popular among many coffee lovers who love an intense coffee flavor without the taste of bitterness. The coffee that you get from any other method cannot beat the complex and the superior flavors you extract from the French press.
How to Brew French Press:
The first thing you have to do is to soak the coffee grounds in hot water. Steeping it for a few minutes will help soften the grounds while extracting the purest flavors. Once the steeping process is over, you have to press down the plunger to separate the grounds. The output you get is often milder than espresso but thicker than the drip coffee method.
Turkish Coffee
When compared to traditional coffee brewing methods, Turkish coffee brewing takes a different fashion. This method does not involve any sort of filtering. So, you have to use finely grounded coffee, and the smaller the grind size the better.
How to Brew Turkish Coffee:
Here you have to add water, sugar, and coffee powder to a vessel and put it on heat. You can remove it from heat when it reaches the boiling point. To get the perfect Turkish coffee, your coffee grounds have to be in a powdered format. This method of brewing coffee will generally give you a strong flavor. Having said that, if you want your coffee to be clear, this is not the best brewing method.
Moka Pot
Also known as Stovetop, the technique used in Moka pot is unique when compared to other brewing methods. Rather than hot water, here the method involves brewing using steam pressure.
The device is designed in such a way with three chambers. The steam from boiled water passes through the lower chamber while the upper chamber is allocated to store the brewed coffee. The middle chamber is where you put the coffee grounds. Many people agree that the coffee you get from a Moka pot has a very close resemblance to what you get from an espresso.
How to Brew Stovetop Coffee:
Heat the water in a separate kettle while you get a fine grind of your coffee beans. Pour the water to the bottom chamber and the grounds to the middle chamber. Now, it’s time to keep your coffee maker on the stove. But, make sure to keep the heat moderate. Your coffee will be ready in 4 to 5 minutes.
Cold Brew
If you are someone struggling with constant stomach issues after drinking hot coffee, then cold brew is the ideal method to get yourself a different kind of coffee. What is special about this method is, brewing does not involve hot water.
How to Brew Cold Brew Coffee:
You just have to steep coffee grounds in water at room temperature for around 1 to 24 hours and then strain it. If you want, you can add more water to dilute it. You can choose to serve it either hot or cold. Through cold brewing, you can get a smooth, less acidic cup of coffee to treat yourself with. But, because the process takes a long time, what people generally do is prepare in large volumes and keep it stored in a refrigerator. If you are the type of person who needs a coffee at hand that moment you demand, cold brewing is not for you.
Single Serve Brewing
Single-serve brewing is very popular among people who live alone and does not like to put much effort into brewing coffee. As the name suggests, the serving is one cup per brew. The best example of this is the Keurig brewing system.
How to Brew Single Serve Coffee:
This involves an effortless process of brewing with just a click of a button. The only thing you need to do is to add water and coffee capsules. Press the button and it will be ready in a minute. The output you get is clean with a decent flavor and aroma. But if your ultimate goal is to enjoy an excellent coffee, better to go ahead with a method like a drip, or espresso.
Aeropress
Aeropress is a method that uses pressure to brew. Compared to other methods, the Aeropress uses a fine paper filter to keep away the sediments out of your cup. You might feel that this tastes more like an espresso. But, it is not incorrect to say that Aeropress is more versatile. Whatever your taste sounds like, whether it is a hot cup of mild coffee or an intense cup with a bite, you can get it with Aeropress.
How to Brew Aeropress Coffee:
The method is simple with only two steps, steeping and pressing. To begin with, boil water and grind your favorite coffee beans. Insert both into the machine. Wiggle it slightly and let it rest. You have to steep the coffee grounds in hot water for a few minutes. Next, you have to push the brew through the coffee grounds with thrust. This will help to extract the caffeine and solids.
Siphon
Just like the name sounds, the siphon is a fancy coffee maker that brews coffee using high-pressure water vapor. It can be fun and impressive. Yet the process can be complicated especially if you are not a fan of Physics. This has two vessels. You use the upper vessel to add the coffee grounds. The vapor passes through the vessel up to the upper vessel. Once the heat is removed, the vapor condenses, converts itself to water, and mingles with the coffee grounds. The liquid coffee will then be forced down to the bottom vessel under gravity.
How to brew Siphon Coffee:
Add water to the bottom chamber and put it on heat. Till then get the coffee beans ground to medium size and add them to the top chamber. Remember it is only the bottom chamber that you keep on a heat source. Once the water is bubbling and close to the boiling point, connect the top chamber. When enough water for your cup of coffee has bubbled into the top chamber, stir it a bit and remove it from heat. Let it cool for a few minutes before you enjoy a unique Siphon coffee.
Percolators
Percolators have a very similar resemblance to stovetop coffee makers. Here the hot water rains down through a bed of coffee grounds. The coffee extracts are then collected at the bottom. The specialty here is that the brewed coffee is recycled again and again to make it rich in taste and texture. You can continually drip the brewed coffee down the bed of coffee grounds until you get the strength you like. If you crave that strong coffee texture, you can increase the cycles.
How To Brew Percolator Coffee:
The process of brewing here is not as complicated as a Siphon coffee. Grind your beans and add them to the top chamber and pour water into the lower chamber. Now, it’s time to put the percolator on the stove at moderate to high heat. Let it boil for around 5 minutes. Turn off the stove and your coffee is ready.
Immersion Brewed Coffee
Immersion is a really simple technique that has been practiced over the years. But, if you keep it for longer than required, you might end up ruining your coffee. So, while there is a risk, this is a true method to get an enchanting flavor.
How to Make Immersion Hot Brew Coffee:
As you can guess from the name, this is where the coffee grounds are directly dipped in hot water. You have to allow it to sit for a few minutes for the flavors to get extracted. When you think that you have soaked it long enough, you can then filter it and get an aromatic black coffee.
Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is not the most attractive yet it is becoming more popular with the busy lifestyles of people. However, with instant coffee, you can never get that genuine coffee aroma and taste. This is because most of the coffee powder that you get out there is dehydrated to make it easier to make.
How to Brew Instant Coffee:
This method can either include coffee bags or instant coffee powder. If you are using a powder, the only thing you have to do is mix with hot water and strain the solids away. If you are using coffee bags, you have to dip them in hot water just like teabags. Most often, you have to use boiling water. This will help dissolve the granules and extract the flavors.
Coffee brewing methods keep on evolving. If you think about it, you can make coffee in any way that you can ever imagine. Whether you are looking for a fast method or an effortless technique, there are an incredible amount of options for every lifestyle. It is up to you to decide what is the best one for you.
Pro Tips to Improve Coffee Brewing
While the list of coffee brewing methods would be exhaustive, the best process of brewing will depend based on your tastes and preferences. So, you need to choose your method with care. But, here are a few common tips that will be useful for you.
- It is a good practice to rinse the filters with hot water because they can contain some chemicals or residues.
- In brewing methods where you have to pour water, make sure to run water evenly on the coffee grounds. It is good if you can do it in a spiral motion.
- To get the purest and authentic flavors, it is recommended to get freshly roasted beans and grind them at home rather than buying a convenient packet of grounds over the counter.
- If you want to preserve the warmth of your coffee for a long time, rinse your cup with hot water beforehand.
Brewing coffee can be frustrating when you are not quite sure about how to do it the right way. But, when you have the right guidance, brewing coffee can be as fun as any other hobby. With the facts and tips shared in this article, you will get the confidence to embark on a journey of crafting a perfectly soothing cup of coffee. More practice and experimenting with new brewing styles and methods will make you a coffee brewing expert. So, why not give it a shot.