My blood type is coffee ☕️
Do you think I'm a coffee addict? You are probably right!
Most of us know at least one way to make coffee, right? But if you're like me you want to know how to make coffee in lots of ways. Not to hate on the 12-cup automatic drip coffee maker taking up approximately a quarter of the counter space in your kitchen, but there are far better ways to make coffee at home. When we want a superior cup of that good brown morning medicine—especially when we spent good money on quality coffee that we took the time to grind ourselves—we turn to a handful of low-tech brewing methods to get the most our of the beans. It's time to learn how to brew a proper cup.
These are my three favorite affordable, small-batch coffee brewing devices and what I like about them.
The French Press
No paper filter, no problem—and no waste! The French press brews by soaking ground coffee directly in hot water (also known as an "immersion" method) rather than letting water pass through the grounds and then a filter. For this reason, you always want to make sure to use a coarser grind than you would for drip coffee; since the grounds will be in constant contact with the water, a fine grind will leave you with a bitter, over-extracted brew. But when done right, coffee made in a French press is a dream—it tends to be more robust and richer than drip coffee because you don't lose any of the flavorful oils to a paper filter.
The Aeropress
Not quite as commonplace at a French press, the Aeropress is a favorite of coffee nerds on the go. This compact brewing device acts in the same way that a syringe does, with a plunger forcing hot water and grounds through a tiny replaceable filter and straight into your cup.
Coffee brewed in an Aeropress boasts a super-quick brew time and is generally a very smooth cup of joe with very low acidity. Some people claim that the Aeropress can brew coffee that’s as strong as espresso, since you are technically brewing it under pressure, but that’s not actually possible. No matter: It's compact and lightweight enough to bring just about anywhere you go, and is the ultimate hedge against arriving at your Airbnb to find out the coffee maker is broken.
The V60
The V60 is proof that you don’t need fancy gadgets or expensive equipment to brew a world class cup of coffee. This process is low tech and high return. A simple filter cone, be it a classy ceramic one or an indestructible plastic workhorse, is the best, cheapest, and easiest way to get a clean, coffeeshop-worthy brew in the comfort of your own home. It’s a simple process that requires just a bit of finesse, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to do it blindfolded (or at least half-awake).