What is the best way to brew coffee at home? Well, it depends on what you are looking for. Do you want convenience? Do you want the best tasting cup of coffee? Do you want to take up minimum counter space? Are you old fashioned in your tastes? Let’s review some of the best methods.
What is your favorite way to make coffee? Leave a comment below.
Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
This is the most popular and well-known method for home brewing. This is a very convenient way to make multiple cups of coffee, depending on your machine. It involves passing hot water over coffee grounds as the water passes through a filter and into a pot. There are a multitude of versions of this method, ranging is size, price and quality. How does this rate for taste? Overall, it’s a good cup of coffee. It won’t win any prizes for but meets the convenient test. Speaking of convenience, one great option is getting one that you can program ahead, so you wake up the the amazing smell of brewed coffee!
French Press
Talk about convenient and delish, full-bodied flavor!! This process involves pouring hot water on to the coffee grounds in a container designed for this. Then using a fine mesh filter to press the grounds to the bottom of the container, leaving the brewed liquid available to pour. It’s recommended to use course ground beans and let sit for 4-5 minutes before “pressing”. This results is a bold, smooth flavor. This is great if you don’t drink coffee regularly and don’t want to take up precious counter space.
Cold Brew
Even though this method takes a long time for the finished product, it is surprisingly convenient and talk about a smooth, delicious cup of coffee!! There are several methods of cold brewing. All involve soaking the grounds in cold water over a period of time and then filtering the grounds out. It could be as easy as letting the grounds and water sit in a jar then straining with a cheesecloth or fine-meshed filter. Or, getting a cold-brew set up that works as a very slow-dripping process process that takes hours to fully brew. Either way, the use of cold water of an extended period makes for one of the smoothest cups known! The bitterness that results from “cooking” the coffee with boiling water is completely avoided with this method!
Percolator
Whether it’s electric or stovetop, percolators will give you a bitter cup of coffee because of the high heat of the water that is constantly cooking the coffee. They used to be much more popular but have lost their luster. They do have some advantages like durability. These things last forever. They are also good for brewing lots of coffee at once. Some can brew up to 30 cups for large events. They are also simple to use.
This is just a small sampling of ways to brew coffee at home. You can get some expensive, coffee-espresso-cappuccino makers that are connected to your water supply…I guess…
I’ll stick to a “Mr. Coffee” for now.