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My 5 Best Ways To Brew Coffee

I L.O.V.E me some coffee! It has become a kind of ritual you may say ( not sure if it is good or bad) and if I don't do it I feel crummy all day (which is definitely not good). Nothing like enjoying that fresh cup of coffee to give you that swift kick in the bum in the morning. I tend to go back and forth on brew methods to keep it fresh however, these are my 5 best and my most used ways to brew coffee:

1. Pour-over

2. French Press

3. Drip Coffee Makers

4. Percolator

5. Aeropress

The Pour-Over Method (Chemex)

The Pour-Over method has been my go-to way of brewing coffee for a while now, even though it is the most manual and technical method on this list. I however have found a good method for me that makes my coffee come out tasting amazing. If you want to read a more in-depth directions on how to brew with this method Click Here for my review of the Agogo Pour Over Coffee maker! To start the brew method you need to have Chemex filters, a gooseneck kettle (preferably the kind with a thermometer), and a medium coarse ground coffee.

Brew Method Steps:

1. Prepare Filter

2. Heat-up clean crips water

3. Grind your coffee & prewet filter with hot water from the kettle with a gooseneck spout (pour the water out before brewing)

4. Set the timer for 4 mins then pour hot water on the grounds for 30 seconds then let it bloom for 30 seconds

5. Pour 3 times to the lip of the carafe paying attention to the clumped-up coffee (this process should take about 3 minutes all together)

6. Pull the filter out and throw it away

7. Enjoy Your Coffee!

This method I find always makes a crisp and smooth-tasting coffee, if not a little on the light side. This brewing method has a lot of little tweaks and ratios that you can change to make your cup exactly how you like it. It is by far the most customizable and intricate way of brewing coffee on this list.

The French Press Method

The humble French Press is a great method of brewing! This brew style is very easy to use but a bit of a pain to clean if you don't want all your coffee grinds to go down your drain. however, I found a trick to that and if you want to see it Click Here to read my article about how to use a French Press! All You need for this brew style is any kettle and your coffee ground to Coarse (about the size of coarse sea salt).

Brew Method Steps:

1. Boil water

2. Preheat the French press by pouring hot water inside (then pour out the preheating water)

3. Grind Coffee to coarse and pour it into a pre-warmed French press

4. Wait for boiling water to rest for 1 min then pour in French Press

5. Let bloom for 30-45 seconds and stir and scrape

6. Let it steep for 4 minutes or so with the cap on the plunger up

7. Press down the plunger slowly

8. Drink UP and ENJOY!!

The French Press method of brewing gives me more of a full-body and denser cup of Joe, because it is immersed (sitting in the coffee) with no filter you get all the oils and full flavor of the coffee to drink and enjoy. Be careful not to grind your coffee too fine or you might end up having to pick coffee grinds out of your teeth!

Drip Coffee Makers

Drip Coffee Makers is how the majority of Americans prefer their coffee brewed at home. It's very easy to use and most coffee machines have a timer so you can set it to brew your coffee so that when you wake it's already waiting for you. Unfortunately with that convenience, you don't really have any control over how your coffee comes out the only way you can really make a difference is by changing how much coffee or water you put into the machine. However, so coffee machines do have different strength brewing options, it just matters which machine you’re using. To read more about the coffee machine I use Click Here for the article on The Ninja XL 14 Cup Coffee Maker. Though each coffee machine is different and you should really read your manual to see how to use your specific one, most follow the same system!

Brew Method Step:

1. Place the right coffee filter inside the coffee basket

2. fill the reservoir to the amount of coffee needed

3. fill the coffee basket with medium-grind coffee to the desired ratio

4. Choose which kind of brew Classic or Rich (some machines have this option)

5. Press Start on the brew

6. Wait till done then enjoy!

Please make sure to READ YOUR MANUAL for the specifics of your machine!

The coffee that comes outta my drip coffee machine is very strong and robust with a bit of bitterness to it. That's not even using the rich option that's on my machine! Each machine is different and the brew can taste different from machine to machine however, the convenience of it is usually why this one wins out in most kitchens!

The Percolator

You may know the percolator from camping trips growing up that was put right over the fire and that amazing smell that came from it! Percolators come in two different flavors and those are electric and stovetop they both can make awesome coffee, though the electric one is kind of like the drip coffee machine where you do not have any control over the brewing process, and the stovetop you do because you can brew it till you feel it is done on top of any heat source from fire to a stove. If you want more information on the brew process Click Here for the article on The West Bend Percolator Review. In this brew method you can use a filter or not it's up to your preference and you need your coffee ground up to coarse.

Brew Method Steps:

1. Take everything out of the percolator

2. Use clean crisp clean water and fill to the desired level

3. Use whichever coffee filter that fits or none is up to you but they do say that filters help keep oils and grinds at bay

4. According to your water level put the ratio of coffee you desire ( A Coarser Grind is recommended)

5. Cover the basket with the spreader top

6. Put the circular end of the stem into the circular groove at the bottom of the pitcher. If it is not placed right the water may not percolate

7. Put the coffee basket on to the stem then put the cover on top of the percolator (you can watch the percolating process through the little plastic top)

8. turn on the stove and wait till it starts to percolate or plug it in (no matter what kind of percolator you have)

9. After 5 minutes of percolation take it off of the heat source (if it is electric just wait till it tells you it's done)

10. Enjoy and don't forget to unplug or take it off the heat source when you're done!

The coffee that comes outta of the percolator is normally a lot stronger and bolder than perhaps any other brew method on this list because of how the percolator works by saturating the grounds repeatedly. You can also get a little more bitterness with the style of brew however you can control that by shortening the brew time. I do have a fondness for this brew style because of my childhood and will always enjoy making coffee with this method!

The AeroPress

The Aeropress is probably one of the easiest ways of brewing coffee other than the drip coffee machine of course. The only things you need is a kettle, AeroPress filters, and the AeroPress itself (maybe a coffee grinder). The coffee is preferred to be a medium-fine grind. It's a brewing method that is awesome to take on adventures with you because the Aeropress is such a small package and they even make a specific one for on the go. If you want to read the article I wrote about the AeroPress Go Click Here.

Brew Method Steps:

1. Put the filter inside the filter cap then put it back on the bottom of the immersion chamber

2. Add medium-fine grind coffee

3. Add hot water (preferably at around 185F) and stir for about 5-10 seconds

4. Put the plunger in the immersion chamber about 1/2" in

5. Wait 60 seconds then press the plunger all the way down slowly until you hear a hissing

6. Then throw the coffee puck away and enjoy your coffee!

The coffee that comes out of the Aeropress is a cleaner and full-bodied brew, because the filter catches all the oils and sediment. It's definitely one of the fastest ways to brew coffee and I quite enjoy the coffee that is produced from it. I normally like to use a light roasted coffee when I brew with this method so you can get all the flavor!

Conclusion

These are my favorite styles of brewing with a brief and generic guide on the steps of brewing with these methods. There may be some differences with your specific brewing equipment so please read your manual before brewing with it! After that being said I really love coffee and I hope these descriptions and steps help you along your path of finding the best cup of coffee for yourself. If you have a different style of brewing that I did not cover and want to share please leave a comment below. I will more than likely give it a try cause there's nothing I love more than trying new methods of brewing my favorite morning beverage!

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