Try Out These Coffee Brewing Methods for a Change!
From percolators to vacuum coffee makers – there are a ton of different brewing styles and methods! The pros and cons to each are pretty much dependent on personal preferences: some methods take longer but give great results while others create coffee quickly but the quality isn’t that great. There are always trade-offs to coffee brewing methods!
We LOVE coffee – and although Lisa also loves a flavorful cup of tea sometimes during her morning routine, coffee is a staple in our household. Bruce needs a cup to start the day basically each day!
So, to help you out with understanding coffee brewing methods, we decided to dive into the 5 that we know and love the best. We’ll make a comparison of the different ways to brew that delicious coffee. We definitely use more of a manual coffee brewing method – and we’ll tell you all about it below!
French Press
French press is one of those coffee brewing methods that is slightly more complex/fancy than just a straight electric coffee maker but not as crazy fancy as some of the best drippers (see below) on the market.
French press is just grounds and hot water. You mix them, let them infuse, and then push the handle down to catch the floating grounds under the mesh on the bottom. You are then left with drinkable coffee with limited sediment (hopefully)!
The trick to French press is the coffee type and grind size. You can let the boiling water steep for more or less a few minutes to change the strength of the coffee. A good French Press is essential – and we loved having one in an Airbnb we stayed at in Europe. Our morning coffee for a whole month was French Press style! Just make sure to wash it thoroughly after use!
Turkish/Bosnian
Bosnian coffee is prepared much the same way except that the sugar is added into the mug and you pour the hot coffee over top of it! We traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina and fell in love with this style of coffee.
Turkish coffee doesn’t take a ton of time to prepare, but you need the right hand coffee grinder and beautiful proper copper pot (called a cezve). Also, like we said, drinking technique is pretty important or else you will get a mouth full of coffee sediment!
Cold Brew
Cold brew coffee is one of those styles that always gets confused with another. In this case, most people think that an “iced coffee” is cold brew. This is incorrect – but it’s easy to see why the two get mixed up.
Basically, cold brew coffee is where you let the coffee steep into cold water over a very long period of time. This could be from 6 to 10 hours overnight to as much as 24 hours. The time depends on the coffee you are using and the size of the grind, among other factors. We actually had a nice cold brew at a coffee shop in Edinburgh, Scotland.
For the record, iced coffee is when either an espresso shot is added to cold water OR an Americano is made hot and then cooled off with iced cubes and/or colder water. If you want to try your hand at an authentic cold brew, you should definitely consider the perfect cold brew brewer to get you started.
The Kalita Wave Dripper
If you want to get fancy, the Kalita Wave dripper is arguably the best dripper on the market. This is because the wave design allows for a more even saturation and drip (and therefore results in better coffee) compared to other styles of drip/pour over coffee.
In short, it takes less fancy technique to produce the same great end result as with another fancy brewing technique. The Wave dripper makes it easy and accessible for anyone to do it. Makes sense?
We’ve had this style of drip coffee in a coffee shop in Budapest and while it was good, we prefer a thicker, heavier brew.. hence why we like a Turkish coffee!
To try it yourself, you’ll need all the right gear. This includes a Kalita drip kettle, the official Kalita server, and the Kalita Wave Dripper (this is pretty darn important!).
The Moka Pot
You might have seen one of these lying around an old kitchen but didn’t know what to do with it. We know we had! Turns out, the Moka pot is a great way to create an espresso-like shot of caffeine in no time at all. If you are a coffee drinker who likes it strong an sharp, this style is for you. All you need it water, grounds, and a heat source to make steam/pressure!
One thing to know about using a Moka pot is that the grind needs to be the right size or else you will have coffee that is too thick or too watery. Often, this takes a bit of testing for the coffee beans you have at home as well as your grinder.
If you want to try making stovetop espresso, you should get the original. A Bialetti Moka Express is the perfect tool for the job – and it makes a great gift for a coffee lover, too!
And there you have it – 5 ways to brew coffee that you may not have heard of or tried before. We did our best to highlight different methods that produce different coffee style but in the end, there are so many more ways to make coffee out there! What is your favorite method to brew coffee? Did we list it or did we miss it? Let us know!
As always, Stay Curious,
-L&E