Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks, so it makes sense that there are a multitude of ways to make it. And each method results in a unique cup of coffee with different flavors, bolder brews and, in some cases, different levels of caffeine. Switch up your morning coffee routine with these different ways to brew coffee at home.
Drip coffee
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If brewing a pot of coffee at home is part of your daily routine, you’re most likely partaking in the drip coffee method. Drip coffee is when hot water slowly drips onto coffee grounds and trickles into a coffee pot below. This is how most conventional at-home coffee makers work.
The perks to making drip coffee with your coffee maker is that you can just hit a button and walk away, allowing the machine to do the rest of the work. Some coffee makers also allow you to set a timer so that there’s a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you in the morning.
One of the big drawbacks to drip coffee machines is that the water drips in the same spot on the coffee grounds, oftentimes over-steeping and sometimes burning only one area of the coffee grounds. This can lead to coffee that can taste a little bitter.
You can jazz things up with different coffee blends or grinding your own beans, but once you learn more about these other coffee making methods, you might not want to use the good beans in your coffee maker.
Pour over coffee
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Pour over coffees are similar to your home drip coffee maker, but without the machine. With drip coffees, a machine controls the hot water, but with the pour over technique, you control the distribution of hot water over the coffee grounds.
Steadily pouring water over the grounds allows you to evenly steep them, which will give you a smoother, more flavorful brew. It may be a subtle diversion from your daily coffee routine, but you will certainly taste the difference.
Cold brew coffee
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You don’t need any fancy devices to make cold brew coffee. All you’ll need are coarsely ground coffee beans, a container, water, your refrigerator and time. To make cold brew coffee, just add your coffee grounds into a container, add water, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
This allows the coffee to be immersed in water overnight resulting in a smooth, less acidic coffee in the morning. Another perk to cold brew is that the process actually extracts more caffeine than brewing your coffee with hot water. So, if you’re looking for a little extra pep in your step, try the cold brew method.
Kyoto slow drip coffee
The Kyoto slow drip looks like a complex Rube Goldberg-esque contraption, but it makes a coffee that’s a cross between a cold brew and a slow drip coffee.
The device is made from three separate sections. Water is poured into the top where it slowly drips into the middle section that holds the coffee beans, allowing them to become steeped in the water. And then the coffee moves through a tube into a container at the bottom where the coffee is collected.
The whole process can take 12 to 24 hours, resulting in a coffee that has very pronounced flavors. If you’re really passionate about your coffee, maybe you’ll have a Kyoto slow drip at home, but chances are you’ll likely have to try this style of coffee at a specialty coffee shop.
Vietnamese coffee
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The Vietnamese coffee maker, also known as a phin, is the perfect size for a single serving of coffee. To make Vietnamese coffee, you pour hot water over coarse ground dark roast coffee which is then filtered through a small metal sieve. This allows for the grounds to steep, fully immersed in hot water for a bit before slowly dripping through the metal filter and into your single serving cup.
When Vietnam was colonized by the French, the French realized that coffee beans grow really well in Vietnamese soil. But because enjoying straight coffee was an expensive delight, Vietnamese coffee is traditionally made with chicory coffee, a blend of coffee beans and chicory root which was used to extend the life of one’s coffee rations.
To sweeten the coffee, they used condensed milk because regular milk was another luxury that wasn’t readily affordable to much of the population. Vietnamese coffee is a story of French colonization, but it has resulted in a unique style of coffee that is a strong, sweet and delightful brew.
French press coffee
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The French press is as much of a coffee-brewing method as it is an elegant device you’ll want to put out on display. Coffee grounds are put directly into the glass container and hot water is poured over top. Be sure to stir the coffee grounds a bit, immersing them fully in the hot water, before securing the lid on top with the plunger up.
After a few minutes slowly push down the plunger which will filter the coffee while pushing the coffee grounds to the bottom of the French press. This is a perfect way to brew coffee for a small group, or brew coffee on a camping trip.
AeroPress coffee
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The AeroPress might look confusing, but it’s very similar to the French press style of coffee. It has a similar steeping and plunger system, but instead uses a paper filter which helps filter out all of the coffee grounds and sediment, leaving behind a clean cup of coffee. This is another handy contraption to brew coffee on the go.
Moka pot coffee
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Moka pots work in reverse from other coffee brewing methods. Water is put in the bottom of the device, coffee is put in a device in the middle, and as the water heats up, it moves through the coffee beans to the top section of the pot which is the coffee’s container.
It’s similar to a percolator coffee pot but not exactly the same. The coffee brewed in moka pots can be more concentrated and stronger, whereas percolators make somewhat weaker pots of coffee.
Moka pots are another portable coffee brewing system that even allow you to brew a cup of coffee right over a campfire.
Vacuum coffee (siphon)
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The vacuum coffee maker is another confounding contraption that will make your coffee nook look like a laboratory. There’s a lot of theatrics when it comes to brewing coffee with a vacuum coffee maker. The device looks like an hourglass where water is placed in the bottom chamber and, as it is heated, the water moves up the siphon and into the top chamber where coffee grounds are added and fully immersed in the hot water.
Once the heat is turned off, the bottom bulb cools, creating a vacuum which pulls the coffee from the top chamber through a filter and into the bottom bulb. Similar to other methods where coffee grounds are fully immersed in the water, this results in a brew that’s stronger and has smoother flavors and textures.
Espresso
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Espressos are perfect for full-flavored pick-me-ups that can be enjoyed any time of the day. Pressurized water is poured quickly over finely ground coffee beans resulting in a highly concentrated shot of coffee. Because it’s brewed quickly and is more concentrated, it’s a bit more bitter and acidic but can also be sweet and mildly toasty. This makes espresso the perfect kind of coffee to make cappuccinos and Americanos.
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