Brewing coffee at home is much different from ordering a fancy beverage in a café, mostly in terms of the overall experience. However, it still has many pros. For starters, it’s much cheaper and more eco-friendly to brew your own coffee. On top of that, you don’t have to go anywhere or order a takeaway, which takes time to get to you. Last but not least, you can find the brewing method that works best for you and your taste buds.
There are many ways to brew excellent coffee in the comfort of your own home, and it’s up to you to learn and experiment until you find what you really enjoy. There are four main brewing methods – dripping, boiling, pressure, and stepping.
It might sound quite overwhelming at first, but truth be told, brewing coffee is far from rocket science, and there are no magical secrets that only professionals know. Below, you will find more detailed information about the basics of brewing amazing coffee by yourself. Who knows, maybe soon you’ll turn into a pro, open your own coffee shop, start researching coffee sleeves for B2B clients, and build your own brewing brand?
Dripping Method
The dripping method is also known as filtration or the pour-over. Some people regard it as one of the best ways to brew coffee at home, but, of course, everything depends on individual preferences. To brew coffee this way, you will need a piece of equipment called a dripper – small in size, inexpensive, and portable funnel-like apparatus.
Once you have the dripper, you also need ground coffee, a filter, and a kettle. Then, you’ll have to pour hot water over the freshly ground beans, which should be placed in a filter. To help control the rate of the pour, it’s best to use a gooseneck kettle, but any other one should work well, too; just make sure that your hand is steady. Pour the water slowly in a spiral motion to saturate the grounds evenly. This method will produce an exquisite cup of coffee that will be more vibrant and intense due to longer brewing time.
Drip coffee is also an excellent option for people struggling with balancing their cholesterol levels, as unfiltered coffee can actually raise it. However, unfiltered coffee is also richer in natural oils and minerals.
Boiling Method
The boiling method is simple and affordable. The traditional method of boiling coffee is to pour some water into the saucepan, bring it to a boil, and then add some coffee. Some people prefer adding milk to it, but there are also plenty of connoisseurs who like it black, without any milk or even sugar.
The opponents of this method claim that it can ruin the coffee flavour. The truth is that it can only do so if you do the boiling process wrong. When done right and with care, the coffee flavour comes out entirely so that the usual drip method brewing simply can’t compare to. The taste will surely differ from a drip brew, but that doesn’t equal a bad flavour. Boiled coffee has lower caffeine content than filtered one, so if you are sensitive to it, you may be better off switching to this method.
Pressure Method
This method involves the use of intense pressure that extracts coffee. Most commonly, it’s used in three ways: AeroPress, Moka pot, and the traditional espresso method. It’s perfect for people who enjoy an intense brew and fast extraction time.
AeroPress Coffee
The AeroPress is an inexpensive 3 piece tool that allows the brewer to make coffee with minimal time and effort. All you have to pay attention to is getting the right temperature, nailing the grind size, and the level of air pressure. If you don’t miss anything, the AeroPress will help you brew amazingly tasting coffee. It will be a smooth brew, rich in taste and color.
Moka Pot
Moka pot takes your coffee brewing process through 3 chambers where water boils at the bottom, and the steam generates pressure that pushes the water up through the coffee grounds. A quality Moka pot can give you a super-strong brew that can wake you up in an instant. The final brew will look close to an espresso shot.
Espresso Machine
For this, an espresso machine is needed. One of the best things is that they’re widely available, and you can snatch a quality machine for cheap if you do your research. They work with pressurized water that is pushed through a tightly packed basket of fine ground coffee beans. The result is a perfect shot of espresso.
Steeping Method
Steeping is another word for immersion, which in terms of coffee brewing can be further simplified to mixing coffee grounds with hot water. The two most popular ways to go about this method include:
French Press
Using a French press with the stepping method is one of the easiest ways to brew magnificently tasting coffee at home. French Press consists of a tall and narrow cylinder with a plunger, which comes with a mesh filter attached to its end. It’s small, portable, and incredibly easy to use. You only need to immerse the ground coffee in hot water and then use the plunger to press the grounds out. Your brew should be smooth, full of flavour, and highly aromatic.
Softbrew
Softbrews are a relatively new invention because they’ve been around since 2010, and they’re similar to the French Press. To make coffee using Softbrew, you need to fill its filter with ground coffee and hot water and wait for around 8 minutes to let it steep. Then you can pour out the coffee and enjoy its rich taste – just be careful to avoid pouring out the grounds as well.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s entirely possible to brew a tasty cup of coffee at home. Now you know that you can try a few different techniques, from dripping to boiling, pressure, or stepping method. The aim is to find one that will meet your personal preferences and allow you to prepare the perfect cup of coffee on your terms and at any time you want.
By learning how to brew your coffee, you will save money and likely find a new hobby. Depending on the method you choose, you might need to invest in some equipment, but it will pay off in the long run. Enjoy your coffee!
This is a collaborative post. Image via unsplash.