Welcome to our Brew Guide. The Brew Guide is part four of our myroast™ guides developed to help you gain an understanding of everything coffee!
Whether you're a seasoned coffee drinker or just starting to explore the world of coffee, our guides are here to help you understand everything from the basics to the nuances of coffee brewing.
Got a brew method in mind? Skip ahead and discover the range of coffee on offer now!
There are a number of brewing methods used across the world. Some brewing methods are more convenient than others, but convenience may mean a sacrifice in taste and flavour. These are typically divided into three sub-groups and include brewing with pressure, brewing via steeping and brewing with filtration or dripping.
In this guide we explore some the most commonly used brewing methods within each of these and provide a series of quick reference guides to help you decide what works best for you.
The most common pressurised brewing method is the espresso machine. In order to make pressure-brewed coffee, hot water is pushed under intense pressure through finely ground coffee in a small brewing chamber.
Grinding whole beans before feeding them through a brewing cylinder is necessary for pressure brewing (chamber). A piston then compacts the grinds into a tight puck. Hot water is pushed under strong pressure through this puck. The extraction time is the length of time the puck is in contact with the water.
Optimal extraction time produced by pressurised brewing methods means that pressure brewing yields a superior tasting cup of coffee. But, its signature component is the ‘crema’. Crema is the lovely golden layer of foam that forms when hot water is forced through ground coffee beans under 7-9 bars of pressure. The fats and oils in the coffee form crema, and while its presence may be an indicator of a good espresso or coffee, the quality of the bean is truly what matters.
If you an espresso machine isn’t to your fancy, consider using something more skill free or portable such as a Moka pot or Aeropress.
The simplest (and oldest) way to make coffee is through steeping, which is simply another word for immersion. In a nutshell, you just combine hot water and coffee grinds, let them combine, and then separate them, reserving the coffee and discarding the wet grinds.
However, there is a narrow line between over- and under-steeping your brew; if you do either too soon or too long, you will end up with a weak coffee.
On the plus side, learning how to steep properly isn't difficult, and when done properly, you're left with a distinctively flavoured brew as you discover nuances of the coffee bean you didn't know existed. The French press is the most popular method for steeping coffee, but we'll also talk about the vacuum or siphon pot.
The coffee community is currently obsessed with drip or filter coffee, and it seems like a new, innovative dripper is created every other month. Brewing is a rather simple process: Pour water over freshly ground coffee beans that are placed in a filter of some kind.
The water is helped by gravity as it moves through the grounds (and into your vessel below), producing a clean, clear, and light-bodied brew. To regulate your pouring rate, you should utilise a gooseneck kettle. With drip style coffee brewing, less is more because most drippers are compact, portable, cheap, and just a damn good way to brew small amounts of delicious coffee.
The drippers you should become familiar with are the electric percolator, Chemex, Hario V60, Kalita Wave, Melitta Ready Set Joe, Vietnamese, Beehouse, and cold-drip brewing methods.
In this next section, we provide a series of quick reference guides designed to help you explore some of the more popular brewing methods, understand their pro's and con's and help you decide which method is best for you!
And remember, the type of brewing method will dictate the optimal grind for your coffee beans to extract maximum flavour and taste.
Espresso machines are familiar to everybody who knows anything about coffee.
They now come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, with a tonne of features and gimmicks. But don't be misled by fancy equipment; the fundamentals are still the same: pressurised water is forced through a chamber of finely crushed coffee beans through a filter to produce an espresso shot.
Espresso machines can be pricey, but options are available at different price points. Making a decision might be daunting, but we recommend you spend some time researching machines available on the market which best suit your needs. Home espresso makers, fully automatic coffee makers, manual lever machines, smaller, portable espresso makers, or commercial machines are all options.
A lever espresso machine, which is pulled with your hand, is a terrific technique to brew excellent coffee for those who are more artisanal or traditional inclined. Automatic espresso machines are an excellent alternative for people who want high-quality coffee with little effort.
You want that espresso-shot-like zing from a pressured brew but don't have a few hundred dollars to invest on an espresso machine.
The Moka pot, a stovetop espresso maker, is the next best thing. Unfortunately, the resulting shot is not quite like that from an espresso machine.
The Moka pot's three chambered brew method is what gives it its enchantment. When the water in the bottom chamber boils, pressure is created by the steam, which forces the water to rise through the coffee grounds and into the top chamber.
If you make it well (it takes a little talent), you'll end up with a bittersweet and extremely potent coffee that will help you get through the day, with the advantage of its various sizes being that you can brew four to 16 cups of coffee at once. It's a fantastic method to get a crowd more alert.
The AeroPress has a cult following among the traveling coffee community, but regardless of travel is a preferred brewing method by many for its ability to maximise the flavour and taste of coffee with little effort.
With the proper water temperature, air pressure, and grind size, you can quickly make a delicious coffee. One of the quickest coffee makers you can find, in all seriousness.
When you purchase an AeroPress, you are purchasing a straightforward, three-piece gadget that will enable you to make amazing coffee with little effort. The best feature of this appliance is that it can prepare espresso-like drinks as well as ordinary coffee and cold press coffee.
The simplest (and oldest) way to make coffee is through steeping, which is simply another word for immersion. In a nutshell, you just combine hot water and coffee grinds, let them combine, and then separate them, reserving the coffee and discarding the wet grinds.
The French Press has been steeping coffee in homes since before your grandparents were born, and it has a devoted, cult-like following among the home barista community.
It produces a brew with a unique taste and feel unmatched by any other method, is quite simple to use, and costs pennies. Make sure you use the proper coffee grind if you enjoy making French Press coffee because this little-known but incredibly frequent error taints French Press coffee all over the world.
This method of brewing coffee, commonly known as the siphon pot, is distinctive in that it combines two different brewing techniques to produce a delicious cup of coffee. The coffee is immersed completely in the water during the brewing process.
You won't want to use this method every day (unless you have nothing else to do) because it takes a lot of work and time to make coffee this way.
Some swear by the delicious cup it produces, but we think it's more of a novelty or show-off brew type. Pull it out when your friends are around to wow them with how skilled you are at brewing. Otherwise, best to keep it in the cupboard if you don’t have sufficient time.
In the world of coffee, the percolator is neither innovative nor novel. You've probably had percolated coffee if you've visited a plain-looking diner in the northern hemisphere.
In a percolator, the coffee is repeatedly boiled, which causes over-extraction and results in a bitter, brown mess. Not ideal for those chasing quality flavour and taste.
You might be able to turn that brown sludge into a decent brew if you subscribe to the belief that poor coffee is preferable to no coffee. Nothing is off limits.
We have covered the electric percolator, and without attempting to cover all the available drippers and pour over style devices on the market, we think the Chemex, the Hario V60, the Kalita Wave are worth a mention.
Chemex
The main advantage of a Chemex over other drippers is capacity; you can easily prepare three or four cups at once as opposed to one or two, making it a hit when the posse is present. In fact, a 10-cup Chemex that holds 50 ounces of water is available for purchase. It is the best friend of the performer.
Like other drippers, this one requires some effort to get the hang of the finer points related to grind size, water temperature, and coffee volume. But once you do, get ready to fall in love.
The Hario V60
The Hario v60 is a compact, portable coffee maker that delivers a fantastic cup of joe. It is a straightforward yet excellent way to brew coffee. What more could you want? It's lightweight, portable, and functional.
Yes, it appears to be straightforward, but this small dripper's uniqueness lies in the way its cone-shaped dripping system is created; it has a sizable hole at the bottom that is channeled by spiral ribs on the side.
Add your grounds and paper filter, then go for it. Like with other pour over techniques, getting the ideal brew requires some technique, but after a few attempts, you'll get it down pat.
The Kalita Wave
The Hario V60's nemesis, the Kalita Wave Dripper, is now giving the V60 a run for its money. The Kalita Wave also uses a straightforward cone-shaped dripping system, but because of its flat bed, dwell times are greater and there is less opportunity for error.
Consistency is important when choosing a daily brew method, and generating an excellent-tasting brew is easy with the Wave, time after time.
It is as the name suggests – antiquated but effective. It is the first known way of making coffee, and it doesn't require much. All you need is a heat and a saucepan for this method, which is frequently utilised around campgrounds when no one thought to pack any coffee-making equipment.
In a nutshell, add your coffee grounds, bring the water to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, and let the coffee brew for a few minutes. You can carefully and slowly pour your coffee into your mug once the grounds have settled to the bottom of the pot. Nothing special is necessary.
Turkish coffee is a well-liked traditional Turkish libation in Turkey as well as other regions of Europe and Asia. The grind of the beans, the cezve used to brew the coffee, and the froth produced while brewing are the three main characteristics that distinguish Turkish coffee from other types. It packs a punch.
Spices and sugar can be used to create the coffee, and each cup can be customized to the individual's tastes.
The most typical method calls for water, very finely ground coffee beans, and a Turkish coffee pot.
After simmering the mixture two to three times, you'll have a strong, exceptional-tasting beverage with thick foam on top that you'll either love or despise.
Want to learn more? Explore the guides and get the insights to make an informed decision.
