This topic has been brewing for a long time.
We love a good coffee pun.
There are so many creative ways to brew coffee. Where to start?
How about we start with our parents’ way of brewing coffee – the good old percolator.
Percolator: Ideal for Tar and Paint Stripper
Put some ground coffee in the basket. Put some water in the base. Put the basket in the base and pop on the lid with the glass knob that is a viewing port. Put the coffee on the stove and let the brewing begin! After an hour or more on the stove, you got a beverage that you could either (A) drink or (B) use for a sealant for your drive way. I like a strong cuppa joe so I am ok with this brew method.
Drip/Pour Over Filter Coffee: - Ideal for Light and Medium Roasts
This method gained popularity in North America with the Melita pour over filter method. But other countries have been brewing coffee this way for much longer. This is where the famous Hario V60 and the Kalita Wave shine. The Chemex is essentially the same thing but fancier. These are an upgrade over the Melita system. They require a goose neck kettle, a paper or other filter, the brewer (Hario or Kalita) and a specific amount of coffee to water ratio known as a “dose”.
The standard dose is 1g of coffee for every 15g of water. Water is to be boiled to “off boil” which is 195F to 205F. Add 75g of water at the start then add 10g of water each time after it filters through. Delicious! You can experiment and find a specific dose you like. These are just recommendations so have some fun exploring the great tastes of coffee.
French Press: Ideal for Dark Roasts
A French press will use the same dose as the drip/pour recipe but people who like French press coffee like a strong cup of coffee so a ratio of 1g of coffee to 10g of water is usually used. Use the same water temperature.
Drop the ground coffee in the bottom of the French press and pour about ¼ of the hot water in. Watch the coffee bloom – so beautiful! Let is sit for 30 to 45 seconds and give it a soft stir. Now pour the rest of the hot water in and put the lid on. Don’t take the plunge yet! Wait about three to four minutes and slowly press the plunger down. Enjoy! Pro Tip: Transfer the rest of the coffee to an insulated carafe because it is going to keep extracting in the French press. If you don’t, the second cup will definitely taste worse that the first.
Moka Pot: Ideal for a Medium Dark to Dark Roast
Mmmmmmm – moka pot! Now this is coffee. You’ll need to grind your coffee to a fine grind similar to what you would do for espresso. You’re going to get a full, thick, rich cup of coffee with this baby.
You’ll need about 20 to 25 grams of coffee here and about 300 to 350ml of hot water.
Pour the hot water into the bottom chamber of the Moka Pot. Put your coffee in the basket and put it on top of the bottom part and tighten. It’s going to be hot so be careful. Put it on medium heat on the stove and wait for it to boil. The internal pressure will build up and force the water through the coffee and into the bottom part. When you hear the bubbling and maybe even a little hissing from the pressure, let it go for a few moments and then take it off the heat and enjoy.
AeroPress: Ideal for all Coffee
When you’re pressed for time but want an excellent cup of coffee, you whip out the Aeropress. Invented by Alan Adler nearly 40 years ago, a retired engineer looking to build a better mousetrap. And he did! It is a superior brewing method that has won world championships. Most say it is an equivalent to pour over brew method.
This recipe will need 200 ml of hot water and 17 grams of coffee ground fine.
Put a paper filter in the cap of the aeropress and pre-wet it and put aside. Invert the Aeropress so that numbers are upside down and plunger is on the other side. Add your coffee. Add 35 mL of heated water and watch the blooming miracle. Stare as long as you want but snap out of it after 30 seconds and then pour the rest of the water in. Let it sit for a brief minute then give it a stir, lock the cap in place, get your mug out and flip it over and take the plunge. Sounds complicated but once you get the hang of it you can do it when you’re half asleep like when you wake up.
Coming Soon!
Siphon - Espresso Machine - Turkish Ibrik
