Coffee is a magical brew. It can wake you up, make that meeting at work more bearable, or brighten your day. Making coffee is a long-lost art, and now it is easier than ever to prepare artisan coffee without paying $7 per cup at the nearest specialty café. Some choose to buy whole bean coffee and grind them by hand; typically, this releases more of the flavor and makes a much tastier cup o' joe. Once you find the grounds you like, there are several ways to brew them.
1. French Press
A French press is one of the easiest ways to brew coffee by hand. Some say it is the best way to brew coffee because it doesn’t use a filter. You can control how long the grounds are steeped in the water, about 90 seconds for a mild cup and up to four minutes for a full-bodied cup. The lack of a filter means all of the oil in the grounds can mix with the water for a more flavorful cup of coffee.
2. Aeropress
I didn’t learn about the Aeropress until about a year ago. A small filter keeps the grounds contained as hot water is pushed through the grounds, out of the press and into your mug. It only takes about 30 seconds to use, which means the coffee tastes lighter and is less acidic. Aeropresses are fairly cheap and great for travel.
3. The Classic Coffee Drip
Automated coffee drips are still a great way to make large amounts of excellent coffee. Pick your favorite beans, pour them in the filter, and enjoy several mugs of coffee before having to make a new pot. Some say automatic coffee drips don’t capture the full flavor because the water pulls from the center of the grounds, instead of soaking through all of the grounds like a French press or Aeropress. However, they are still cheap and easy, whether you grind your own artisan coffee blends or choose bulk blends from the store.
4. V60
The V60 method is basically the same as an automatic drip, but it uses a smaller amount of grounds, like a hand press, and the grounds are pre-wetted before starting the drip. This “bloom” allows the grounds to release excess gases, so their full flavor can be absorbed into the rest of the water when it is poured in. The narrow filter and grooved cup filters the water gently downward, picking up all the flavor it can along the way. The V60 requires more technique because the temperature of the water, the texture and size of the grounds, and the speed of the flowing water can all affect how the coffee tastes. But it is still easy to use and utilizes all of the grounds, rather than pressurizing a small amount for less full flavor.
There are many ways to brew your coffee. No matter how you take your brew, the end result is the same—a steaming hot mug of joe, full of flavor and just enough joy to start your day.
