Want coffee that's close to pour-over quality but find the process too troublesome? The American drip brewer is actually an underrated choice. This article starts with the working principle of the American drip machine, explains why it has long carried the misunderstanding of being "undrinkable," and offers the right approach to using it: choose freshly roasted beans, and control the coffee-to-water ratio and grind size. It also rounds up four coffee beans worth trying—Front Street Panama Butterfly, Yirgacheffe Red Cherry, Costa Rica Mozart, and Geisha Blend Strawberry Candy—and finishes with a complete operating procedure for a home American coffee machine, helping you easily brew a pot of well-balanced drip coffee.

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Think the pour-over process is too much hassle? Is there a less effortful way that still gets close to pour-over flavor? The answer is yes—Front Street suggests trying an American drip brewer.

Many people, at the mere mention of an American drip brewer, immediately picture something undrinkable. In reality, this is prejudice against it. The American drip machine was born in 1965 and was one of the most popular small household appliances in the 80s. Its structure isn't complicated: lay a paper filter on top, add coffee grounds, fill the water tank, press the switch, and the machine heats the water itself and pours it over the coffee grounds, filtering out the coffee liquid. Some models also have a warming or heating function.

In the past, the coffee beans people used were on the darker roast side and had been stored for a long time, so the drip coffee naturally came out thin and bland, with nothing left but a rigid bitterness; on top of that, Americans were used to repeatedly adding water and re-brewing, and after several rounds there was barely any coffee flavor left—this also became a long-standing reason American coffee got complained about.

However, as long as the method is right, an American drip machine can just as well make good coffee.

1. Choosing coffee beans. Front Street suggests prioritizing freshly roasted beans, because fresh coffee beans have full flavor, while after sitting for a long time the aroma dissipates, leaving only a dull bitterness. Usually, counting from the roast date, the coffee is better after resting for 4 to 7 days, and it's best to finish it within 2 months.

Some friends also ask which type of coffee beans pairs better with an American drip machine. Generally speaking, any beans suitable for pour-over can also be used in an American drip machine; which one to pick specifically depends on the flavor direction you personally like.

So when using it with a coffee machine, which beans are worth recommending:

1. Front Street Panama Butterfly. This washed-process coffee bean, containing 70% Geisha, offers outstanding value for money, and when used for cold brew it presents clean, fresh floral notes with citrus and oolong tea character.

2. Front Street Yirgacheffe Red Cherry. Yirgacheffe is the most representative African bean, and its rich floral and fruity character has attracted a large number of coffee lovers. The sun-dried Ethiopian beans produced by the Red Cherry project are of outstanding quality and are likewise very suitable for cold brew, with the finished cup showing obvious berry sweetness, layers, and honeyed notes.

3. Front Street Costa Rica Mozart. The Musician series has always been known for its highly recognizable flavors. Mozart uses anaerobic honey processing, with notes of osmanthus, grape, and fermented wine aroma. It performs especially brilliantly in iced coffee, balancing flavor and mouthfeel.

4. Front Street Geisha Blend Strawberry Candy coffee beans. Unlike the traditional impression of "coffee flavor," Geisha's aroma is sweet and complex, easily evoking fresh flowers, various fruits, and a tea-like mouthfeel, instantly breaking the stereotype that "coffee is only bitter." But Geisha prices have kept climbing, gradually turning it into an unaffordable "sky-high-priced coffee." To achieve Geisha freedom, the market saw the practice of blending Geisha with other high-quality varieties, forming a more cost-effective Geisha blend that lets you enjoy Geisha's floral honeyed charm while also staying within budget. Front Street Strawberry Candy coffee uses beans from two origins, Panama and Costa Rica, and after brewing it carries flavors of rose, grape, dried fruit, strawberry gummy, and almond.

A suitable coffee-to-water ratio. Front Street generally suggests 1:15 to 1:17; if calculating with 25g of coffee grounds, just add 375 to 425ml of water to the water tank. Coffee made at this ratio has a moderate strength and balanced taste, and is not easily scorched-bitter or astringent and thin.

3. A suitable grind size. The coarseness should be the same as for pour-over, using a medium-fine grind, with about an 80% pass rate through a No. 20 standard sieve.

Specific operating method

Place the carafe into the coffee machine, open the top lid, pour in 25g of coffee grounds, and add 400ml of hot water to the water tank. Close the lid, press the start button, and the American drip machine begins extracting.

Water flows down from the water tank into the U-shaped heating tube and is heated to 100°C, then by means of water pressure and thermal pressure, the leading hot water is pushed into the outflow pipe and sprayed out from the outlet; the hot water drips onto the coffee grounds in the filter, and after sufficient soaking and extraction flows into the carafe. In about 5 to 8 minutes, a pot of American drip coffee is ready.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.