Overview of Coffee Brewing Methods

Coffee comes in many different varieties from whole bean to ground to even instant. You can even choose which region to drink your coffee from. For as many choices there are for your favorite bean, there are only a few ways to enjoy this dark elixir of life. This article offers eight ways to brew your next cup of coffee. It should be noted, that for each method used, the same bean will produce different tastes and aromas, you should experiment with each to discover which one you prefer. All of these coffee makers can be purchased online at such places as Amazon.com, your local mega mart or even home specialty stores such as Crate and Barrel.

Percolator: Water from the pot bubbles (percolates) up through a funnel tube and falls to filter through your coffee grounds in order to drip back into the main pot, mixing with the water in the pot. The glass knob that is on the lid is not just for decoration, it allows the drinker to determine when the coffee has reached their desired color. This process takes about five to six minutes. The drinker must make sure that the water does not boil and the coffee can range from light with no flavor to tarry, bitter and muddy. (Source: www.kaffee.netfirms.com)

Auto Drip: Almost every house has an automatic drip coffee maker. Fill it with your favorite ground, pour the water in the reservoir and walk away. While it can make a decent cup of coffee, it does not give the drink any control of the brewing time. The automatic drip maker pulls a small amount of water from the reservoir at a time to heat before it drains it into the coffee and allows it the flow slowly into the waiting pot below. The pot itself sits on a heating plate to help keep the coffee warm. If the pot is left too long it can burn the coffee, thus it is a much better to place the coffee in a carafe to keep warm and keep the coffee from burning. (Source: www.kaffee.netfirms.com)

French Press (aka Cafetiere): This method is considered the best way to brew a cup of coffee. The drinker brings the water to just below the boiling point. The coffee is ground into a course grind and placed in the bottom of the carafe and the water is added. Tip: pour a bit of water into the grounds and allow it to sit for a moment to allow the aroma and oils to bloom before adding the rest of the water. Once the coffee has been extracted to the drinker's liking, the plunger is gently pressed down to hold the grounds. This process takes about five minutes. One of the drawbacks is that the coffee can be under brewed, leaving a weak taste or over brewed which will be muddy. (Source: www.ineedcoffee.com)

Moka Italian Stove Top: This method is considered the poor man's version of an espresso machine. Water steams and bubbles up through the grounds to be deposited into the upper pot so the coffee never touches the water and risks being diluted. To brew in this fashion only takes a few moments. One can tell that the coffee is ready when the pot starts to sputter through the pour spout. (Source: www.coffeeresearch.org)

Vacuum Coffee Pot: The joy of science, it can now be used to help make coffee. Water is placed into the lower bulb over medium heat and when the water starts to bubble into the upper bulb, coffee is then added. Cooking continues for up to three and a half minutes. It is then pulled off and placed on a hot pad. Within seconds, a vacuum is created and pulls the coffee back into the lower (now empty) bulb. The entire process takes about four to five minutes. This is good for coffee drinkers who do not like the taste of paper filters or sediment at the bottom of their coffee cup. (Source: www.coffeeresearch.org)

Turkish or Greek Coffee: Coffee is ground into a very fine grind almost a powder and is brewed (boiled) with or without sugar in water until a coffee foam or crème appears on top. It is enjoyed is very small amounts. This coffee is not filtered (coffee grounds removed), so the finished product will be thick and muddy but will have a pungent flavor and aroma. (Source: www.freshcoffeeshop.com)

Concentrate: This version is popular in Latin America. Coffee is brewed with very little water to form a concentrated coffee. To enjoy this coffee, one only needs to place desired amount into hot (or cold) water and mix. This process will produce a light bodied cup with muted flavor and very little in the way of aroma and acidity. (Source: www.freshcoffeeshop.com)

Pour Over Drip: This process is the manual version of the automatic drip and works along the same principal. The drinker heats the water and pours it over ground coffee. It will filter through and into the pot below. This method will have the same flavor and aroma as its a automatic counter part. (Source: www.getbestcoffeemakers.com)

It is always best to explore different ways of brewing your cup of coffee as from one bean many different flavors and aromas can be produced.