How to Get the Most Bang From Your Bean When Brewing Coffee
Coffee brewing methods are like egg poaching methods; they all require different types of equipment, have their various pros and cons, and yield similar if markedly different results. Each method has its proponents and detractors and, some definitely work better in certain circumstances.
When it comes to brewing coffee, finding the ideal method that’s right for you may require some testing, a little trial and error, and a little education. We offer this quick guide to five brewing methods and their various pros and cons to help get you on your way.
1 – Pour Over Method and Chemex for Brewing Coffee
The pour over method requires minimal equipment—a holder and filter for the ground coffee, something to boil the water in, and a receptacle for the finished product. A pour over set up can be as simple as a paper filter and a plastic one-cup pour-over setup that sits directly on top of a mug, or as fancy as a glass all in one device with specially designed filters, called a Chemex.
Regardless of your investment in equipment, pour-over methods yield a consistently strong, robust brew with minimal expense and effort.
Pros: inexpensive equipment, consistently good coffee, minimal learning curve.
Cons: requires additional equipment to boil water, less safe than other methods.
2 – French Press Coffee Brewing Style
The French press requires a slightly higher investment in equipment than most pour over setups, but is still relatively inexpensive when compared to some espresso makers and self-contained drip coffeemakers.
The French press is basically a carafe you brew the coffee in directly, with a plunger filter that pushes the spent grounds to the bottom of the carafe, leaving the brewed coffee behind to pour off.
Pros: inexpensive equipment, consistently good coffee, minimal learning curve.
Cons: requires additional equipment to boil water, less safe than other methods, lack of experience or attentiveness can lead to over-extraction of the grounds and a dishwater-like flavor.
3 – Cold Brewing Your Coffee
This is the most foolproof, and least expensive method of all. It requires no special equipment and no specialized knowledge. You simply put cold water and ground coffee together in a container, and wait a little time for the rest to happen.
The method of brewing coffee results in a mellow, robust brew with almost no bitterness.
Pros: no special equipment needed, consistently excellent coffee, no learning curve.
Cons: makes cold coffee (you can reheat it, though), takes the better part of a day, or overnight.
4 – Brewing Espresso
Espresso: because Italians looked at coffee and figured that there had to be a much more expensive way to make a slightly better brew than a French press does. Espresso machines utilize high pressure and steam to extract a rich brew from fine grounds without extracting the bitterness that goes along with it.
Pros: with the best equipment, a well-trained barista can make incredibly good coffee. You may not have quite as much luck at home, but you can learn.
Cons: good equipment can be almost ridiculously expensive, and there is a very steep learning curved involved in making espresso worth drinking over the previously listed methods.
5 – Drip Method of Brewing Coffee
The medium path of drip coffee makers, like your Grandma’s Mr. Coffee, sit there all day waiting for you to dump in the water, put in a fresh filter and fill it with the best coffee you can afford.
Pros: Set it and forget it, makes reasonably good coffee for a modicum of investment.
Cons: no matter how much you spend on specialty coffee your drip coffee maker can only do so much with it.
Coffee: You’re Soaking in Your New Brewing Knowledge!
While expensive espresso machines are capable of making the best coffee the world has ever seen when used properly, they don’t typically make economic sense for home use. If you’re going to invest in another style of coffee brewing technology, it’s best to remember that with coffee, simplest is often best (and cheapest).
