Six Coffee Brewing Techniques
There are primarily six popular ways of brewing coffee (excluding
espresso),
each a permutation of the brewing variables - brewing temperature,
introduction of the water to coffee, and separating the brewed liquor from
the coffee grounds. These methods are Turkish brewing, concentrate
brewing,
percolating, vacuum brewing, drip brewing, and French Press brewing.
Middle Eastern, "Turkish" or "Greek"
Middle Eastern, "Turkish" or "Greek" brewing involves boiling in water
coffee that was ground into a very fine dust. Traditionally the coffee is
often brewed (boiled) with large amounts of sugar, but it may be brewed
without the sugar. Middle Easterners seem to like to add spice to their
coffee, and their spice of choice is often cardamom. The coffee is not
filtered from the liquor and one is left with a pungent, thick, and muddy
brew. In the western world this method is more of an occasional indulgence
as opposed to an everyday brew.
Concentrate Brewing
The next method, concentrate brewing, is very popular in Latin America and
some other parts of the world, and is starting to make a commercial
appearance in the US. In concentrate brewing, large amounts of coffee are
brewed with little water to brew a concentrate, when one desires a cup of
coffee, some of the concentrate is mixed with some hot water. The
concentrate can either be brewed hot or cold. When brewing cold one must
let
the coffee sit for at least a day. This method results in a mild,
light-bodied cup with little aroma, and often little acidity and a muted
flavor. Some do prefer this type of brew, a good example locally of this
type of brew is the coffee at Peter Shear's.
Percolating
Percolating, the procedure that involves continuous brewing of coffee
grounds using boiling water which then turns to boiling coffee liquor
brewing overextracted grounds. This method, while practical, is a
disparaging disgrace to the coffee bean. Even brewing with boiling water
is
bad enough (coffee should be extracted at 195 - 205 degrees F), then
actually boiling the liquor is asking for a thin, bitter, tarry cup. To
add
insult to a sufficient mangling, the grounds are continuously being
overextracted. However, to show the variance of personal preference, I
know
of people that prefer this method. I can only imagine the preference can
only stem from either positive memories associated with it, an acclimation
to it over years of knowing no other, or the same phenomena that makes
people stop to stare at a car wreck.
Vacuum Brewing
Vacuum brewing uses an elegant looking device that consists of two glass
globes that fit together with an air-tight seal. Either in one of the
globes, or between the globes, is a filter to separate the grounds from
the
liquor. Ground coffee is placed in the upper globe, often on top of the
filter, and enough water to brew the grounds is placed in the lower globe.
The globes are then fitted together and the lower globe with the water is
heated. The water in the lower globe begins to heat to a boil and as this
causes the pressure in the lower globe to increase it forces the water up
a
tube connecting the globes and into the upper globe containing the
grounds.
Once all the water has made this air pressure induced trip, the apparatus
is
taken off the heat source. This allows the lower globe to cool down back
to
room temperature, decreasing the pressure in the lower globe and thus
sucking the brewed coffee back down (through the filter) into the lower
globe. The coffee is then poured out of the lower container and enjoyed.
Well, perhaps not always enjoyed. Because while the vacuum brewer is a
great
visual, scientific, and romantic experience, it does not always produce
the
best cup. A great cup of coffee can be achieved with the vacuum brewer,
but
it has its downfalls. Firstly, the coffee is being extracted by water
around
212F, while it should be extracted between 195F-205F. Secondly, their is
very limited control over the extraction time (the time grounds are in
contact with water). Some swear by this method and it is growing in
popularity. Perhaps I need more training in the technique, but I've never
had very much luck with vacuum brewing. If you want to try vacuum brewed
coffee, I think you can find the brewers at more up-to-date houseware
stores, and I think they might sell the Bodum version at Starbucks, or if
you ask nicely I'll loan you one of mine for a test run.
Autodrip
Autodrip! This is the most popular way to brew in the US. Drip brewing is
simply pouring hot water over grounds in a filter and letting the brew
drip
out the bottom. Drip brewing is a very good way to brew and can give an
excellent cup if the correct equipment is used. A primary issue with
autodrip machines is that they don't brew at the right temperature! I have
read that Bunn is one of the few companies who's machines are calibrated
to
extract at the right temperature. If one has a good autodrip machine or
one
decides to heat and pour the water themselves, the next issue to surmount
is
the filter. Paper filters can impart a taste on the coffee and also do not
allow many of the coffee oils and organic compounds through. A good
gold-plated reusable filter (we do carry some) is a great option for drip
brewing. Provided you clean and rinse it well after each use, it will not
impart a taste on the coffee, and they don't trap as much of the coffee's
essence as a paper filter. Another slight drawback is that drip brewing,
in
general, does not give the operator much control over extraction time.
French Press or Press Pot
French-press brewing gives the operator complete control. While it may be
more labor-intensive then autodrip, the brewing variables can be easily
and
directly controlled. Coarsely ground coffee is placed in the glass carafe,
then water at the desired temperature is poured over the grounds and the
top
is placed on. When brewing is complete, the plunger (a mesh filter on a
stick) is pressed down, pressing the grounds to the bottom and leaving the
coffee liquor on top to be poured off. The filter is not as tight as a
paper
filter and because of the larger ****es, a coarser grind is required so the
grounds are filtered out, and the plunger does not become almost
impossible
to press down. The mesh of the filter allows the coffee oils and all those
delicious dissolved and undissolved solids through without a problem.
Also,
because a coarser grind is required, a longer steep time is required
(because of the decreased surface area to volume ratio). A brew time
between
3 to 6 minutes is common for French-pressing. This prolonged, direct
contact
of the grounds with the water allows for a more complete, more
controllable,
and even extraction. Unfortunately, even with the highest quality burr
coffee grinder or mill, a coarse grind will still result in some very
small
coffee grounds. These grounds are not filtered by the French-press filter
and thus end up in the cup. A cup of French-pressed coffee with be
noticeably fuller, with much more body, and often with more flavor, it
will
often also have the tell-tale sediment at the bottom of the cup.
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