Front Street Coffee has recently seen many new faces in its stores. People no longer just drink coffee—they also want to learn different extraction methods. The simplest extraction method is none other than hand drip coffee. Compared to expensive, space-hogging espresso machines, just a few simple coffee tools can produce a cup of coffee comparable to a café. Why not? Front Street Coffee will introduce several commonly used coffee brewing methods today.
With the spread of coffee culture, many friends have tasted the deliciousness of freshly ground coffee. Along with the many coffee tools launched on the market, we can easily make good coffee and enjoy delicious coffee without leaving home.
Front Street Coffee believes that brewing coffee at home is actually not difficult at all. The equipment needed can be very simple, and the general tools are also easily affordable for most people. Of course, some methods require more equipment and a certain amount of practice, such as espresso—a simple Espresso may already require a great deal of practice to produce a good result.
Front Street Coffee will first list several commonly used brewing methods and equipment for home use. These generally include: Hand Drip, Syphon, Moka Pot, Press Pot, Aero Press, and Clever Coffee Dripper.
Of course, there are also commonly seen Belgian coffee makers, Turkish coffee pots, Vietnamese drip pots, cold brew drippers, etc. But due to the complexity of production or considerations of taste, these are not considered commonly used, and Front Street Coffee will not describe them here.
Espresso
Espresso is the fastest coffee extraction method, and the equipment is also the most expensive, ranging from just over ten thousand to several hundred thousand, equivalent to parking a car on the table.
It is made by forcing hot water at about 94 degrees Celsius through a compacted puck of coffee grounds at about 9 bars of pressure. Usually a single serving is only 30 milliliters, and it comes with a reddish-brown foam oil (Crema) floating on the surface. It has the characteristics of fast brewing and high concentration, and requires a dedicated machine to brew.
When coffee grounds come into contact with 94-degree hot water, they release carbon dioxide, as well as oils and aromatic essence substances from the coffee grounds. Since carbon dioxide has its own gas pressure and water also has its surface tension, the high-pressure water at 9 bars happens to possess gas pressure equal to that of carbon dioxide, so it can allow water to envelop the carbon dioxide—that is, the essence substances in the coffee beans—and form Crema.
[Espresso Equipment]
Espresso machine: divided into home and commercial.
Grinder: The choice of burr type is very important. The grinder is even more important than the coffee machine itself, as it affects the quality of the ground coffee.
Milk frothing pitcher: Essential for frothing milk and latte art. It is recommended to choose one twice the capacity of the coffee cup.
Thermometer, measuring cup, timer: Because the extraction speed is extremely fast, even slight differences in data can have a big impact on coffee flavor.
[Characteristics of Espresso]
Extremely fast extraction: An average speed of one cup of coffee in 30 seconds, simple steps, and easy to learn as a set of SOP (standard operating procedures). It has almost become the preferred brewing method for all chain coffee shops.
Wide variety: Drinking espresso directly is very common in Italy (according to statistics, Italians drink an average of 7 cups of different forms of coffee a day). In China, espresso is mostly made into lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and other fancy coffee drinks.
Expensive equipment: Compared to technique, espresso relies more on equipment. Unlike hand drip coffee, a coffee machine with poor components such as the boiler will find it hard to brew a good Espresso.
Unable to express the characteristics of coffee beans: Espresso emphasizes rapid extraction, so to some extent it destroys the original uniqueness of the coffee. Nowadays many shops choose to roast their own beans or make blends into comprehensive coffee beans to express the characteristics of their own espresso. Front Street Coffee currently has four espresso beans with different flavor profiles.
[Characteristics of Espresso]
1. [Front Street Specialty Blend], using a 3:7 ratio of Colombia and Brazil. The flavor characteristics are: a comfortable bittersweet taste, extremely smooth on the palate; with a faint grassy aroma, light and slightly bitter; sweet and smooth, with a pleasant aftertaste.
2. [Sunflower Warm Sun], using a 6:4 ratio of Honduras Sherry and Yirga Red Cherry. The flavor characteristics are: obvious fruity acidity, a faint berry aroma lingering, rich wine aroma and chocolate flavor, and a comfortable sweet aftertaste.
3. [Front Street Commercial Blend], using Colombia, Brazil, and Robusta, with a ratio of 3:6:1. The crema will be richer, the taste classic, with caramel sweetness, nutty and cocoa-like, dark chocolate flavors, balanced acidity and sweetness, slightly bittersweet, and a lasting finish.
4. [Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend], using a 3:7 ratio of Yunnan and Brazil. The flavor characteristics are: soft fruity acidity, caramel sweetness, nutty and dark chocolate flavors, smooth and viscous, but the taste is on the lighter side.
Hand Drip Single-Origin Coffee
In an era where all kinds of coffee machines are blooming everywhere, hand drip coffee—with its simple equipment and emphasis on feel and technique—is like a clear stream returning to simplicity. Expanding out from Japan's pursuit of refined culture, it has captivated many coffee experts and lifestyle enthusiasts.
As the name suggests, hand drip coffee is pouring hot water over coffee grounds and extracting coffee through a filter paper and dripper. The entire brewing process takes about 2 minutes. Since the flow rate, direction, and temperature of the hot water are all controlled by the brewer, the coffee flavor is almost different each time. Although the equipment is simple, it places great emphasis on technique and experience.
[Hand Drip Coffee Equipment]
Grinder: Freshly ground coffee is the freshest. The particle size and uniformity of the coffee grounds are also key to affecting the flavor of hand drip coffee. The powder particle size suitable for hand drip coffee is about the size of No. 2 granulated sugar. The more uniform the particles, the better the taste of the brewed coffee.
Filter paper: Different drippers have their own suitable filter papers. Filter paper can absorb some off-flavors and oils from the coffee. Unbleached filter paper may have some papery taste, so the filter paper needs to be rinsed before brewing. Front Street Coffee uses the vinegar-bleached filter paper produced by Kono shown below; whether or not the filter paper is rinsed makes little difference.
Hand brewing kettle: There are hand brewing kettles of various sizes and materials on the market, and you can choose according to your needs. What affects the brewing result more is the size of the spout, because it relates to the water output. Beginners are generally advised to use a fine-spout kettle (as shown below), which is easier to control. In addition, each hand brewing kettle is suitable for different heating methods (induction cooker or gas stove), so special attention should be paid when purchasing.
Dripper: The size and material of drippers also vary. They are mainly divided into three shapes: flat-bottom, cone-shaped, and wave drippers. The size of the opening at the bottom of the dripper affects the flow rate of the extracted coffee, which in turn affects the coffee's flavor.
The flat-bottom dripper has a small opening and slow flow rate, giving a fuller taste; the cone-shaped dripper has a large opening and fast flow rate, giving a lighter taste; the wave dripper has a flat bottom and is paired with special wave filter paper, producing the most even-tasting coffee.
Server and coffee cup: Used to hold the filtered coffee. It is best to warm them first to maintain the coffee temperature.
Auxiliary equipment: An electronic scale, thermometer, and timer can make the coffee brewing process more accurate.
[Characteristics of Hand Drip Coffee]
Fast and efficient extraction: Compared with other coffee brewing methods, hand drip coffee continuously has fresh hot water passing through the coffee grounds during extraction. The extraction speed is faster, and more substances can be extracted from the surface of the coffee. But because the speed is fast, poor control may lead to over-extraction. The principle is the same as frying fish over high heat in a flat pan: the fish has a large heated surface area, but poor control may burn it.
Many influencing factors: Although it is only a process of a few minutes, factors including water flow rate, water temperature, coffee particle size, dripper shape, etc., all affect the final flavor of the coffee. Sufficient research and preparation are needed before brewing.
Diverse coffee flavors: Coffee brewed under different conditions has different flavors, and different types of beans are suited to different conditions.
After reading this, you may feel that hand drip coffee is complex and particular about technique, and perhaps not so easy to get started with. That's right—hand drip coffee is certainly harder than brewing coffee with a machine, but Front Street Coffee believes that hand drip coffee is like buying flour and kneading dough yourself: every detail can be controlled by you, and the coffee you finally brew will naturally have a unique flavor. And by adjusting each variable, you can try all kinds of possible tastes of coffee. This is the charm of hand drip coffee!
Simple Hand Drip——Drip Bag Coffee
The mini version of the hand drip method: convenient, fast, and inexpensive. Although the aroma it can express is not as much as hand drip coffee, it can maintain a certain coffee flavor, making it an ideal choice when you want a single-origin coffee while busy.
[Drip Bag Coffee Brewing Method]
Taking Front Street Coffee's drip bag coffee as an example, the coffee powder weight is 10g.
Tear open the outer packaging bag, take out the drip bag inside, tear open the opening of the drip bag, and pull the two small ears on both sides open to rest it on the cup.
When choosing a cup, try to choose one with a rim that is not too wide, otherwise the two ears of the drip bag coffee may not hang properly. The cup used by Front Street Coffee has a rim diameter of about 8-9cm.
The brewing technique for drip bag coffee is actually the same as for hand drip coffee, only not as rigorous. But basically water temperature, blooming, and circular pouring are still necessary. For Front Street Coffee's drip bag coffee brewing parameters, you can refer to the following: water temperature 90℃, blooming for about 10s; the amount of water for blooming can equal the amount of coffee powder.
After blooming ends, directly pour water until finished. If you want to be more particular, you can also pour in two stages. The amount of water is determined by the cup you choose. Front Street Coffee chose a 300ml glass cup, pouring in a small circular stream, and stopping when the water reaches the 7/10 position of the cup.
After brewing is complete, remove the drip bag. It cannot be used again after one brewing, because the substances in the coffee powder have already been extracted; brewing again would leave nothing to extract, and the taste would be very watery. There's no need to feel that brewing only once is wasteful. The drip bags sold on the market now basically guarantee fresh grinding, and the price is also very nice.
If you like it iced, you can add some ice cubes, or milk!
Syphon Coffee
The Syphon originated in Germany and is a tool that uses the pressure generated when water boils to brew coffee. The structure of the syphon consists of upper and lower chambers connected by a tube in the middle. The lower chamber, filled with hot water, is first heated with an alcohol lamp or gas lamp; since under 1 atmosphere of pressure, the volume ratio of 1 gram of liquid water to 1 gram of water vapor is 1:100, when the volume of water vapor in the lower chamber increases with temperature, it can easily push liquid water through the tube into the upper chamber containing the filter cloth and coffee grounds, and the water will continue to be supported in the upper chamber by the endless supply of water vapor.
When heating stops, the air in the lower chamber gradually cools and contracts, and the coffee liquid that has already soaked in hot water in the upper chamber, having lost the support of the water vapor from the lower chamber, flows back down into the lower chamber. The coffee grounds are blocked by the filter cloth and remain in the upper chamber. Finally, remove the upper chamber and you can enjoy the coffee contained in the lower chamber.
[Syphon Equipment]
[Characteristics of Syphon Coffee]
Rich taste: Combining the richness of espresso and the layered clarity of hand drip coffee, it is suitable for brewing single-origin coffee.
Beautiful equipment: Brewing equipment like alchemy or a science experiment, it also serves as an alternative decoration and expression of taste indoors.
Difficult to operate: Because when the water temperature is too high it will scorch the coffee grounds and cause bitterness, long soaking will produce astringency, and excessive stirring will produce acidity, the syphon is a tool that requires considerable experience to use properly.
Moka Pot Coffee
The moka pot, also called a stovetop Italian coffee maker, uses basic physical principles to brew perfect coffee. The moka pot is divided into three compartments: one for water, one for coffee grounds, and one for the brewed coffee.
The moka pot is placed on the stove and heated, causing the water to produce steam, increasing the pressure in the bottom compartment, pushing the water upward through the fine coffee particles, and finally into the upper compartment. When the coffee fills the upper compartment, it can be poured out. The pressure in the compartments of the moka pot is relatively low, accumulating only to 1.5 bar, far lower than the 9 bar pressure reached by traditional Italian coffee machines. However, this coffee pot has a simple design and can brew good coffee, so it is widely popular among ordinary people.
Alfonso Bialetti invented the moka pot in the 1930s. It is said that he got the inspiration from watching his wife do laundry. The early washing machine had a bucket of soapy water that first had to be boiled over a fire. Then the water would be pushed out through a tube and sprinkled onto the dirty clothes. Bialetti's coffee pot used the same principle, and his design still has not changed much to this day. Since the moka pot was introduced in 1933, 300 million units have been sold worldwide, making it an essential piece of equipment for coffee lovers around the world.
[Moka Pot Equipment]
The lower chamber is used to hold water; the protrusion on the outer edge is the pressure relief valve. The filter basket is used to hold coffee grounds. The upper chamber is used to hold the brewed coffee.
[Characteristics of the Moka Pot]
Strength: Between espresso and syphon coffee.
Easy to carry: A must-have for people who love going up mountains and into the sea. It is durable and impact-resistant, and can brew decent coffee. Having a good cup of coffee accompanying you amid the beautiful mountain scenery is simply the best. The marks on it are the struggles it has been through together with you.
Safety: Because of the pressure, pay attention to controlling the alcohol lamp heat during brewing, and the water in the lower chamber must not cover the pressure relief valve.
Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee is a kind of coffee brewed with time. Coffee brewed with different water temperatures will have different tastes, and at low temperatures the astringent substances in coffee are even less likely to dissolve out. Extract with ice water for a long time; after extraction is complete, place it in the refrigerator for fermentation. The slightly fermented cold brew coffee has a faint fermentation aroma, and the mouthfeel also tends to become fuller.
[Cold Brew Coffee Preparation]
The top part of the cold brew dripper is where the ice cubes and water go. The ratio of ice cubes to water is 1:1.
The middle part is where the coffee grounds go. The ratio of coffee grounds to the ice-water mixture can be 1:10-1:12.
The bottom part is the pot that collects the coffee liquid.
① When pouring the grounds into the powder cup, remember to shake them level. You can also press the grounds appropriately, but remember not to use too much force! Because the weight of the tamper itself is already enough. Moreover, the purpose of tamping is only to level the grounds, not to compact them. If you do not tamp, water will easily soak the grounds up as soon as it goes in; but if you tamp too hard, the water will not go down, and channeling is also very likely to occur.
② Remember to place a piece of filter paper on the surface of the grounds. Because the tension of the filter paper can make the water distribute evenly. Without filter paper, the long-term dripping will make a pit in the coffee bed.
③ Remember to carry out "pre-infusion." Pre-infusion is similar to the blooming process in hand drip. This can improve extraction efficiency and consistency of the final product. If you cold brew directly, it may cause uneven extraction of the coffee bed, with part of the coffee grounds over-extracted while another part does not participate in extraction at all.
④ After making it, don't rush to enjoy it! You can pour the coffee into a sealed glass bottle and put it in the refrigerator to ferment for at least one night, allowing the coffee flavors to blend together. The taste will be better and easier to drink.
AeroPress
Chamber, filter cap, plunger, funnel, filter paper and filter paper storage holder, stirring stick.
[How to Use]
The AeroPress generally has two pressing methods: standard pressure and inverted pressure.
Standard pressure is placing the AeroPress chamber on the cup, adding coffee grounds and a certain proportion of hot water, stirring, inserting the plunger, and pressing down. In this brewing method, during the pouring process it filters while extracting, so the mouthfeel and flavor may seem slightly thin.
Inverted pressure is a relatively common brewing technique. First assemble the plunger and chamber, place it upside down, pour in the grounds and hot water, then stir. When the time is up, put on the filter cap, and carefully and quickly flip the AeroPress over and press down. Because inverted pressure involves a soaking process, extraction is more complete than with standard pressure. The flavor expression is also fuller.
Parameters: 15 grams of beans, grind size (70% passing rate on China standard No. 20 sieve), water temperature 88℃, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio.
Method: Pour in 15 grams of coffee grounds, add 40g of water and stir evenly (because the chamber is narrow, coffee grounds may remain at the edges, so add a bit more water so that the coffee grounds in the corners can absorb water fully). After 30 seconds, pour water until 227g, then stir again to help the coffee grounds continue degassing. At around 1 minute 30 seconds, flip it over and press. Pressing and extraction takes about 30 seconds. If you feel the taste is a bit strong, you can add water to dilute it.
The charm of the AeroPress lies in its simple preparation, clean taste, and the fact that it can be adjusted in many ways according to our preferences. It first extracts through water immersion. Then, relying on a certain amount of pressure, it forces the water mixed with coffee through the filter to extract. Because the filter paper has a certain density, those particles that do not dissolve in water are filtered out, leaving clean-tasting coffee. Moreover, because its extraction method is mainly immersion, the extraction is more balanced, and the sweetness is also more obvious.
French Press&Clever Cup
[Differences Between French Press and Clever Cup]
1. Material: [French Press] glass material; [Clever Cup] PCT material.
2. Shape: [French Press] cylindrical; [Clever Cup] trapezoidal.
3. Pouring method: [French Press] after pressing the coffee grounds down with the plunger, the coffee liquid is poured out from the top spout; [Clever Cup] when placed on the server, the valve opens and the coffee liquid flows out from the bottom.
Front Street Coffee selected a bean from Honduras Sweet Orange Estate for a display comparison.
[French Press] Method: Pour water directly to 229 grams, wait 3 minutes 30 seconds, then press out. Total time ended at 3 minutes 52 seconds.
Flavor: Brown rice, passion fruit, lime, berries, honey, nuts. The overall mouthfeel is round, with a rich mouthfeel like fruit juice, and balanced acidity and sweetness.
[Clever Cup] Method: Pour water directly to 225 grams, wait 3 minutes 30 seconds, then press out. Total time ended at 4 minutes 04 seconds.
Flavor: Brown rice, vanilla, lemon, nuts, orange, citrus, plum. The overall taste is clean, with obvious layering and a long finish.
The biggest difference between the [French Press] and the [Clever Cup] is the mouthfeel between them. After extraction with the [French Press], it looks a bit cloudy. Many friends think the coffee cup has been contaminated, but it is actually the oils of the coffee, which can enhance the fullness of the mouthfeel, so coffee extracted with the [French Press] is often smoother. The liquid extracted by the [Clever Cup], on the other hand, is relatively clean and transparent, and the flavor when drinking is also clean and clear, with more distinct layers.
So why does the [French Press] have oils while the [Clever Cup] does not? That is because their pouring methods are different. First, the [French Press] uses a metal filter plus filter paper, and the plunger presses the coffee grounds from top to bottom, which slightly increases its extraction rate. Then, the coffee liquid is poured out from the top spout; the oils originally floating on the coffee liquid also flow into the server along with the water. The plunger's stainless steel filter plus filter paper actually does not filter very tightly, so some coffee grounds also flow out along with the water. The coffee oils add fullness and smoothness to the mouthfeel and make the flavor softer and more balanced.
Other Brewing Methods
[American Coffee Machine & Fully Automatic Coffee Machine]
The most common coffee machines, simple to operate. Basically anyone can use them. Compared with other brewing methods, the coffee quality is poorer, and the taste is single and monotonous.
[Capsule Coffee Machine]
No matter how amazing formula milk is, it will never taste better than fresh milk. This is a matter of logic. Don't be brainwashed by that infamous Nest brand.
[3-in-1 Coffee, Instant Coffee]
In fact, for many instant coffees, whether the ingredients are "coffee" and what proportion is "coffee" may both need to be viewed with suspicion. Even if it is real coffee, the vast majority is made from low-quality coffee beans—a matter of cost-effectiveness. After low-quality coffee beans are branded and packaged, they are surprisingly sold at about the same price as fresh coffee beans?
Conclusion
The knowledge of coffee is broad and profound, even more complex than red wine. Different bean varieties, origins, estates, coffee bean processing, roasting methods, and brewing methods evolve into tens of thousands of different coffee flavor variations. But in fact, as long as you buy a cup of coffee you have never drunk every day and try repeatedly, gradually you too can become a little coffee expert. Never covet momentary convenience, losing the joy of exploration in life while also drinking bad coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
