Coffee is not just about some hot beverage with caffeine. It requires a symphony of different procedures performed in ultimate delicacy and proportions. Brewing coffee is nothing less than an art depending upon a lot on the quality of coffee beans, roasting process, the method itself and equipment or accessories you utilize. If you are all maiden in this, here are a glimpse of these different coffee-making methods that you can learn.
Pour Over
A perfect pour coffee is not something that can be always achieved by a moustachioed barista at your favorite coffee shop. It can be made in the simplest form as well. You just have to place a filter over a mug or carafe. Add some ground coffee into the filter and then, pour a little hot water in a circular path. The process here with Pour over might be slow and low tech but surely comes with high return.
The French Press
French Press method is also called the immersion method. It is about soaking ground coffee that directly falls into the hot water rather than passing through grounds following with filter. So no paper filter is required and hence, is no waste as well. But here you always need to make sure that you use a coarser grind as compared to what you use in drip coffee. Also, the coffee ground will be into consistently into the water so, with a fine grind, it leaves a bitter over-extracted brew at the climax. So it might be a bit tricky to get it right but when you do, it is the richer and stronger than drip coffee. It is because you are not losing any flavour to the paper filter.
The procedure for it is easy to remember. Pour grounds into the carafe and then, fill it up with boiling water. Now, stir it to make sure the coffee is saturated in the water. Wait for four minutes and put lid on the carafe. Now the gradually depress the plunger to press coffee grounds through the water reaching the bottom of the carafe. Now there you have your French press coffee.
The Aeropress
Aeropress is not as common as the French Press method. However, it surely is the favourite method of coffee nerds. It involves a compact brewing device with a plunger forcing hot water and floors through a replaceable filter directly into your coffee cup. Coffee brewed in an Aeropress takes less time where it is a smooth cup with less acidity. Some people also claim it to be strong coffee as espresso.
Some tips for making coffee at home
- Always remember to rinse your filters with the hot water before using it to remove the chemicals on the paper.
- Hot water you use for the coffee brewing method should be just boiled under 205F or 96C.
- While using the pour-over methods, go slow and steady pouring of hot water in spiral motion towards the centre saturating all the coffee grounds evenly.
- Always use the fresh-roasted coffee beans and grind at the moment before the brewing process.
- Expect a lot of trial and error while experimenting. It depends upon the taste preferences so do not hesitate to customize the process in terms of adjusting the grid or amount of coffee and even filters.