Coffee Brewing Methods - What is the Best Way?

Last Update: March 26, 2021
When we talk about coffee brewing methods, you have many choices. But we will need to determine the top brewing method to achieve your coffee's best taste.

Coffee Brewing Methods

There is a growing trend of manual coffee brewing methods that pave the way for better quality control and a superb coffee experience. It is more fun and amazing for a lot of coffee lovers to have a very ‘hands-on approach with the coffee brewing methods instead of simply pushing the brew button on the machine.

This fast-growing trend of gourmet brewing coffee has resulted in a wide array of gadgets and various opinions. Although we support all sorts of brewing coffee, our main focus is to make coffee lovers pleased with the manual coffee brewing options that can complement the best organic coffee beans.

Most Popular Coffee Brewing Methods

In the past, when someone asks you how to make a coffee, your answer would either be Americano or Espresso. Nowadays, with the new technology and innovative coffee-making methods available, you can have a hard time deciding whether what method would be your go-to. AeroPress? Cold Brew? Or Pour Over? The list can actually go on and on.

In this guide, we will walk you through the best coffee brewing techniques you can follow. Get ready, and we will help you in your pursuit of finding that perfect cup o’ joe.

How to Make Coffee

A good cup of coffee in the morning can automatically set the mood for the rest of your day. Some of you might be tempted to depend on a barrister on how to make coffee, and it can get very expensive. 

There are easy ways you can make coffee right in the comforts of your home. The most favorite way is the classic drip coffee machine and Aeropress. However, pour-over coffee at home has become very popular these days, and a French Press coffee is a crowd favorite. Know how you can make coffee with the methods provided below.

Best Coffee Brewing and Techniques

Coffee is a great ‘perk me up’ beverage anyone can prepare in the mornings, perfect for sleepy middays, and an ideal partner with sweet dessert to cap the night off. The right cup is sure to set the mood for your rest of the day.

If you want to find out more about the easy and best coffee brewing and methods such as AeroPress, stay tuned. But, if you are out in the great outdoors and you want to have a warm cup o’ joe, be sure to have your camping coffee maker with you.

Here are some of the best and most popular coffee brew methods you can follow.

Espresso Machine

To make a regular coffee off your espresso, you can simply take about 2 oz of your double espresso, add approximately 4 oz hot water, and top it off with a 6 oz beverage. Be careful about the espresso to the water ratio when making a cup of Americano.

When you add hot water to fill up your mug, you may have added 10 oz to your 2 oz double espresso, which makes 12 oz of diluted coffee. Make sure you keep it to 6oz overall, and you will definitely love it.

To make it easy for you, you can create your drink on your cappuccino cup, so it will enable you to come up with the right proportions.

Drip Coffee

The oldest and by far the fastest and cheapest way you can brew coffee is the drip method that uses coffee cones and paper filters. The hot water is poured over the coffee grounds in a paper filter. With the help of gravity, the brewed coffee will slowly drip and go directly to your pot or cup.

The coffee cones are usually made out of glass, plastic, ceramic, and or stainless steel. The shape of the cone and its filters are sure to influence your coffee’s flavor. You can rely on top brands such as Kalita Wave, Bee House, Hario V60, and or Melitta for this brewing method.

French Press

One of the most common brands for French Press coffee is the Bodum. This method is known to have started and was invented way back in 1929. It is treated as the best and easiest way to brew your cup of coffee and create a good cup o’ joe.

It extracts the most superior flavors than any other means. In a pot, the group coffee is soaked, strained, and steeped with hot water. So, the coffee’s flavourful essential oils, antioxidants, and caffeine are best diffused and preserved, leaving the purest flavors in your cup of coffee. This is ideal for coffee lovers who love the intricate and complex taste of coffee.

Aeropress

The Aeropress coffee maker was said to have been launched in 2006 by the same manufacturer of Aerobie Frisbee, Alan Adler. It is made of plastic and has 3 vital components. A filter is found in the coffee basket sitting at the bottom of the brew chamber.

The coffee grounds rest in the brew chamber where there is hot water. Later on, steeps the coffee. To be able to extract your cup of coffee, you have to press down your plunger to create air pressure to force the brewed coffee right into the filter and straight to your favorite cup.

Moka Pot

The Moka Pot is a coffee brewing pot that requires a gas stove to brew coffee in. Alfonso Bialetti initially patented it in the year 1933. It is a kind of stovetop-style coffee-maker that uses steam pressure from boiled water on the bottom that passes through the coffee ground in the mid chamber of your Moka pot.

The brewed coffee sits on its highest chamber. The best Moka pot is sure to create great pressure. The most popular brands are Pedrini, Kabalo, and Bialetti.

Siphon Coffee

The siphon is a straightforward, flashy, and classy coffee maker type. It is a fun way to make your Turkish coffee and impress your coffee-loving friends at the same time. However, it can be a complex process too. Siphon coffee and the siphon were created in Germany around the 1840s.

The coffee grounds are placed on the upper vessel, and the vapor pressure enables hot water up to immerse your coffee. The moment the hot temperature is removed, gravity will push your brewed coffee to the filter and into the bottom of the pot.

The most popular brands of Siphon consist of Bodum, Yama, and Hario. The Siphon requires a candle or butane burner to create coffee and some cloth or metal filter.

How to Make Filtered Coffee

Many of us do not give much thought to how we prepare our pot coffee. We all want it hot! But for some, it is a rather personalized experience that they want to do by themselves. Using the best home coffee maker, you can create your own filtered coffee.

Here are the steps:

  • Place water in your coffee-maker – Many coffee makers like Aeropress will have water that anyone will need each time they brew. Next, pour in as much water as you would like to brew, as the machine will continue to brew until such time that your reservoir is all used up. Make sure to clean filtered water for the best results. Filtered water is essential to prevent any mineral deposit buildup on your coffee maker’s tubes.
  • Insert your filter – Use the clean filter that comes with your coffee-maker. The machine may have a flat bottom plastic reservoir for you to place the paper filter. Or the machine can have a metal mesh filter that is cone-shaped. When you use the paper filter, make sure it is big enough to fit in your pot. When you use reusable filters, make sure to clean them after each brewing.
  • Measure your ground coffee – If possible, make sure you use medium-fine ground coffee. Grind coffee beans soon before you add more flavor to your coffee. Use one tablespoon of coffee ground for each 5 oz of water. Add the grounds to your filter. You may adjust the coffee grind ratio, use more or less coffee ground or water to obtain your desired coffee strength and flavor. Store all of your unused grounds in an airtight canister away from moisture, light, or heat. Make sure to use it within a week or so before the ground loses its quality.
  • Prepare the machine – Your coffee-maker or AeroPress must be clean and all set to go. You have to make sure it is plugged in, and the empty carafe is placed on its burner plate. There are coffee makers that come with an auto start feature that you can easily set. When you have one, you can program the coffee-maker and begin brewing your coffee. 
  • Brew your coffee ground now – Turn your Aeropress or coffee-maker on. For a more simple coffee-maker, it is as easy as pressing that one button. But, for the more complex coffee makers, you can set how much water you wish to brew, how strong you want your coffee, or how long you wish it brewed. Be sure to check on your machine’s manual to learn more about its brewing features and presets. 
  • Clean your coffee-maker – Never leave your old coffee inside the pot or leave the grounds inside the filter. If you grind coffee left for long, they can catch molds and make your coffee machine emit a bad smell. Instead, clean your coffee pot and toss your used coffee grounds in the trash. Wash your coffee pot thoroughly, and do not forget to rinse the filter or replace it whenever possible.

The Best Coffee: How to Make Espresso

So, you want to learn how to make an easy espresso. Do not worry, and we have you covered. We have here outlined easy-to-follow steps in quickly brewing your coffee.

Hook up the espresso machine’s waterline, make sure your water is in the right measurement.

  • Switch on your espresso machine and allow it some time to heat up. This can practically take anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. So, do not hurry, relax, and allow the machine to get fully amped. Once the temperature is displayed on the machine, as soon as the water reaches brewing temperature, you can continue heating until the rest of the machine is at a steady temperature. The moment it is fully heated, allow the group to run for a couple of seconds to purge out any water stale from the machine.
  • Check how fine your coffee grounds are by checking a few beans and running them through your grind machine. Take note that you will need very finely grounded coffee here, which is much finer than your table salt.
  • You can now fine grind coffee on your portafilter basket. You may use about 18 to 21 grams of a coffee grind as noted in the dose of your basket, so make sure you check on this. Target to settle and distribute your grounds evenly throughout the basket before you start tamping. You can use the manual shaking, tapping, or settling method. Or you can always use the distribution tool for this purpose.
  • Tamp the coffee grind very firmly; make sure you aim it to be as even as possible with the aid of your trusted tamper. When you are using the traditional tamp, make sure you make an effort to keep your arm, wrist, and elbow all aligned to the center of the basket as you tamp. This way, you will do away with the unneeded strain and ensure your tamp's force is properly distributed all across the entire basket.
  • Lock the portafilter into the group head. Make sure not to knock your portafilter to prevent cracking or dislodging your coffee and keep it intact. Set the vessel and scale below the portafilter and then begin the brewing. You can engage your pre-infusion settings or engage the pump to start the brewing methods.
  • Put the pump to a stop when your extraction reaches the desired yield and allow the last few drips off of the portafilter to complete the brewing.
  • Stir, sip and enjoy your shot! Or you can mix the espresso with your other ingredients like flavored syrups for a more flavorful coffee experience.

Take the used espresso puck off of the portafilter. Flush out the group head to rinse out any debris and coffee oils off the screen and wipe your basket clean and free from grime and debris.

Espresso Troubleshooting and Some Tips

Even if you do everything step by step and correctly, creating an espresso cup through AeroPress can remain a very challenging brewing activity for anyone. If the brew is not everything you have ever expected it to be, or when your brew does not come out as it is supposed to be, do not worry. We have here gathered all the basic fixes to your most pressing espresso problems.

Shot is Very Bitter

This is very much due to the over-extraction of the coffee grind. You can:

  • Minimize your brew ratio; try 35 grams instead of 40 grams.
  • Fine grind very coarsely to cut down the brewing time.

Shot is Sour

When your espresso shot becomes sour, it can be due to the under extraction of the coffee grind. You can:

  • Increase the brewing ratio; for instance, from 35g, and you can increase it to 40g.
  • Grind finer to ensure you have a longer brewing time.

Shot is Very Watery

Espresso needs the right coffee grind and water ratio, temperature, and time for you to have its perfect luscious and creamy texture. To make a thin espresso, you can:

  • Reduce your brew ratio.
  • Try finer coffee grinds.
  • Check any uneven tamping.
  • Check for fissures or pinholes in the coffee puck right after extracting it.
  • Make sure your water quality is at the right level and that you have the right temperature.

Shot Took Very Long or there is no Coffee coming out of the Portafilter

  • Try making your coffee grind a bit coarser than usual.
  • Make sure your dose is not too big for the basket. If you see any impression on the screen on your puck, you must decrease the dose.

Shot Ran Very Quickly

  • Try making your coffee grind a bit finer than usual.
  • Make sure your dose is not too small for the basket. When the dry tamped coffee puck fills very little than half of your basket’s required volume, you can always increase the dose.

Shot Steam is Very Uneven

Bear in mind that water will always go where there is less resistance. If the puck is not level or placed improperly, the water will flow very unevenly. To handle the issue, you can:

  • Check and make sure that there is even distribution.
  • Check and ensure whether or not your tamp is leveled and correct.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. The best methods for brewing coffee you can follow to create that perfect cup o’ joe! These are fundamental guidelines and instructions. However, you must never overlook the core foundations for good coffee making. 

Coffee brewing can appear very complex to many of us. If you pay close attention, follow these basic guidelines and work hard towards your barista skills, you will surely make it in this industry. Over time, and with the right skills, experience, and mastery, not to mention the best coffee brewing methods and tools at your disposal, you can surely make that perfect cup of coffee.

There is always more to learn and discover in this industry, making it a bit more fun and challenging. But, if you start with the right footing process, you are definitely off to an excellent start.

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