If you’re a coffee beginner looking to learn more about brewing at home, we’ve got something for you. We’re breaking down some popular methods for brewing coffee at home. With the wide array of different coffee brewing methods, you’ll be sure to find the one that fits right for you, whether you become a pourover afficionado or an espresso all the way kind of coffee brewer. With all that said, let’s check out those popular methods for brewing coffee at home.
Coffee Cone
The coffee cone is the quintessential pourover brewer type. The V60, the 101/102, and the Wave all fall under the coffee cone. The coffee cone has become popular especially as the preferred coffee brewer type of choice among many specialty coffee enthusiasts, thanks in due part to the variety of options available in the market. Different cones can also brew coffees in different ways. A coffee brewed through a V60 may not necessarily have similar characteristics as one brewed with a Wave, since the way the water flows will also affect the extraction and the kind of body the coffee has.
Chemex
It’s not every day you have a coffee brewer that’s also a piece of art, but go figure right? The Chemex has been around for about 80 years already and has managed to make itself a staple of many American homes, including Monica and Rachel’s apartment. Made of glass and notable for its signature wooden band wrapped around it, the Chemex is notable for producing clean cups of coffee thanks to its unique folded paper filter. Be extra careful when handling though, as breaking your Chemex effectively is a wave goodbye to both your brewer and your server.
French Press
One of the more mainstream coffee brewers on this list, the French Press is quite easy to use. As an all-in-one, the French Press serves as both the brewer and the server. Even without some of the tools we’d recommend you’d have when brewing coffee (i.e. a scale, grinder, etc), the French Press will still manage to make you a fine cup of coffee. Simply place ground coffee into the French Press, add hot water, wait a couple of minutes, then cover it with the plunger/filter and serve. Expect more body from it compared to a pourover as the filter it uses is a steel mesh.
AeroPress
A favorite of many home brewers, the AeroPress is the brainchild of Alan Adler, inventor of the Aerobie flying discs. Born from a need to be able to brew a nice cup of coffee quickly, the AeroPress has managed to create a cult following for itself, thanks in part to the World AeroPress Championships that gather both baristas and home brewers alike into brewing the best cup of coffee with it. The AeroPress is also known for its versatility, thanks to the many different ways people can brew coffee with it, from espresso like extractions, to coffee concentrate, and of course, that nice cup of morning coffee.
Moka Pot
The Moka pot is steeped in its Italian heritage and is the brewer of choice for many homes in Europe and Australia. Its unique design has turned it into an artistic icon like the Chemex. As the only stove-top brewer on this list, it’s also become a popular brewer of choice to bring when camping outdoors. Although often called a stovetop espresso maker, the coffee it produces is not actually an espresso, but more of a stronger and richer cup of coffee. It’s often used to brew medium-darker roasted coffees to give you that classic Italian taste.
Siphon
If you’ve ever been to a Japanese coffee shop, chances are you’ve seen the siphon. This intricate coffee brewing method is arguably the most aesthetic way to make coffee on this list and is one of the older methods to make coffee. The siphon produces coffee through a combination of vapor pressure and vacuum through two chambers, one of them with the water and the other with the coffee. It uses a cloth filter, helping it make a cleaner cup of coffee, but the set-up and cleaning can be quite tasking. It does hold a reverence in certain countries and cafes where it is still used after almost 180 years since it was first invented.
Espresso
Definitely for a more prosumer type of home brewer, getting to brew espresso at home has been democratized as of late with manual espresso brewers becoming more prevalent. The standard setup of course would require an espresso machine, a grinder, tamper, and scale. Espresso is made by pressure pushing water through finely ground coffee. We have an espresso guide here (link the espresso article) to learn more about brewing espresso at home
Cold Brew
Last but not least, for that extra caffeine kick, cold brew has become very popular as of late. Thanks in due part to how easy it is and how it can be preferred over a hot coffee especially in the summer months, the cold brew method has been taken as is, mixed with milk, or used in some other creative form. Anyone can make cold brew at home with some ground coffee, a jar or pitcher that can be sealed, and of course water. Leave it to steep over at least 12 hours and you’ll find yourself with a beverage that’ll deliver a whole lot of caffeine into your system.
