The AeroPress is without a
doubt one of the cleverest coffee-related creations in recent history. It
utilizes pressure to brew delicious coffee but it is also relatively small and
easy to use.
Before we go any further let’s answer the easy questions about the AeroPress and AeroPress espresso first. Can you actually make an espresso with an AeroPress?
Well, yes but also no…
maybe somewhere in the middle.
Okay, well perhaps that
wasn’t such an easy question to answer. An AeroPress espresso may be a tasty
drink but it is also an enigmatic one as well. Let me explain why.
What Is an
Espresso?
Let’s say that you asked a
dozen coffee aficionados to go into detail about how they make their espressos.
It actually wouldn’t be surprising if you ended up with a dozen similar, yet
slightly different answers.
“a 47-62.5 mL (1.5-2 ounce) extract that is prepared from 14-17 grams of
coffee through which purified water of 88-95°C has been forced at 9-10
atmospheres of pressure for a brew time of 22-28 seconds.”
“a 25–35ml (.85–1.2 ounce [×2 for double]) beverage prepared from 7–9
grams (14–18 grams for a double) of coffee through which clean water of
195°–205°F (90.5°–96.1°C) has been forced at 9–10 atmospheres of pressure, and
where the grind of the coffee is such that the brew time is 20–30 seconds.”
The Main
Takeaway
Even these two reputed
sources have slight variations in several of their figures. However, there is
one factor that both of them mention which is identical: “9–10 atmospheres of pressure”.
Coincidentally, this is
exactly where the AeroPress espresso method falls short.
How the AeroPress
Espresso Method Buckles Under the Pressure
As we highlighted in the
beginning, the AeroPress utilizes pressure to brew coffee. Also, we’ve come the
conclusion that an espresso machine uses 9-10 atmospheres of pressure to create
an espresso.
The official AeroPress website states that their device is only capable of generating between 25 lbs./4.9 sq. in and 50 lbs./4.9 sq. in of pressure. That roughly equates to between 0.35 and 0.70 atmospheres of pressure. Nowhere close to the amount of pressure that an espresso machine would use to create an espresso.
Don’t Throw in
The Towel Just Yet!
Were you wrong to think that AeroPress espresso was an attainable goal? Should you just pony up for an (more expensive) espresso machine and call it a day?
If you don’t want to
splurge on an espresso machine then don’t worry, you can make a convincing faux
espresso at home with your affordable AeroPress.
Place
the filter in the filter cap and give it a light rinse with some hot water.
Grind
your beans until they are fine (similarly to how you would for an espresso).
However, keep in mind that (especially since you’re using an AeroPress) if your
grind is too fine then blockages may occur. On the other hand, if your grind is
too coarse then you won’t be able to fully extract the flavor.
Method
1
Put
the grounds into your AeroPress and then slowly pour in hot water (between 195
ºF and 205 ºF) to level 2 (or your desired amount)
Shake
your AeroPress in a circular motion (or stir the contents) for 12 to 15 seconds.
Place
the filter cap onto the AeroPress and position it onto your mug. Now just pump
the plunger steadily until you have push out all of the liquid.
Method
2
Screw
the filter cap onto the bottom of your AeroPress, tamp your coffee grounds and
then place them in your AeroPress.
Place
another filter on top of the grounds (wet it lightly with hot water) and then pour
in hot water (between 195 ºF and 205 ºF) to level 2 (or your desired amount).
Insert
the plunger and press your espresso into your mug. It should take a
considerable amount of force – depending on the fineness of your grind and how
much you’ve tamped – but it’s worth it.
The End Result
Regardless of which of the
above methods you’ve used, the end result should be a faux espresso that still
delivers an intense flavor.
So, how will your AeroPress
Espresso measure up against a real espresso? Well, first and foremost, it’s not
going to be as strong or as concentrated as a real espresso.
In addition to this, the
iconic creama layer that is present in a real espresso can be found in an
AeroPress Espresso. However, the bubbles won’t be as fine and they dissipate
quickly. Lastly, real espresso’s usually have a syrupy, heavy body but on the
other hand, an AeroPress espresso will have a body that is only marginally
heavier than normal.
Jacqueline S.
Author at Caffeinefiend.co
Jacqueline is a trained teacher with almost two decades of teaching experience under her belt. However, her friends and family would tell you that her true passions are writing, DIY projects, eating good food, and of course, listening to “Weird Al” Yankovic.
When you hear
the words “nitro cold brew coffee”, what’s the first thing that comes to your
mind?
Well, The Fast
and the Furious movies are a guilty pleasure of mine (don’t judge me), so when
I first heard about nitro cold brew coffee back in 2015, my first though was
that the caffeine must hit you faster than regular coffee.
However, I soon
learned that there was much more to it than that. Here’s everything that you need
to know.
Why is the Brew called “Nitro Cold”?
Well, it’s not because it gets into your cup faster, and the jury’s still out on whether or not it will increase your running speed. It’s simply called nitro cold brew because it’s cold brewed coffee that has been infused/charged with nitrogen.
If you go to your favorite coffee shop and order a NCB (as it’s sometimes abbreviated), you’ll no doubt see your barista serving it from a tap like a bartender would serve beer. This isn’t a coincidence.
Some draught
beers (like Guinness) use a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide to give the
drink a rich and creamy head. If you’ve ever had a nitro cold brew coffee then
this should sound familiar, since it also features a thick and creamy head
thanks to the nitrogen.
What Can I Expect from A Good Cup of NCB Coffee?
On the surface, NCB and regular coffee do seem to have a lot of the same benefits.
They both increase metabolism
and aid in weight loss.
They both significantly lower
the risk of type 2 diabetes.
They both decrease the risk of
depression.
They both show promising
results towards lowering the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
So, what sets it apart from regular coffee?
Sweeter Taste Without the Sweetener
Virtually everyone that’s had a cup of NCB coffee will tell you that is noticeably sweeter than the average cup of coffee. This isn’t because there is more sugar or creamer, it is the nitrogen that adds the sweet taste.
You can’t tell
me that this doesn’t sound like something from a fantasy world. A super sweet
cup of coffee that doesn’t contain conventional sweeteners.
I’m not the only
one that’s amazed by this fact. This is the primary selling point for a lot of
people and its why they are considering (or have already) switching from
regular coffee to nitro cold brew.
We all know the
dangers that excess sugar consumption can potential lead to: type 2 diabetes,
obesity, and heart disease are just a few of them.
More Caffeine for Your Cup
A cup of nitro cold brew would have a significantly higher amount of coffee grounds than a regular cup of coffee, leading to a higher coffee-to-water ratio.
One example of this is the Starbucks Reserve Nitro Cold Brew, which has 280 mg of caffeine, almost 20% more than their Caffè Americano. There are even reports of some companies that produce nitro cold brew coffee with over 30% more caffeine content than a regular cup of coffee.
There have been
several studies that show that caffeine has several benefits; like lowering the
risk of type 2 diabetes. So getting a more concentrated does of caffeine could
potentially be a good thing.
Still, if one
cup has so much caffeine it could make it easier for people to overdo it. Too
much caffeine can potentially lead to headaches, increased anxiety, and high
blood pressure.
A Different Mouthfeel
The term
“mouthfeel” is pretty straightforward; it refers to how something feels in your
mouth. Texture, smoothness, and density are all factors that contribute to
mouthfeel.
When compared to regular coffee, one of the things that stands out about nitro cold brew is its texture; it’s distinct thick, rich and creamy.
This is particularly evident in the layer of frothy foam that lies at the top. Most people that drink NCB for the first time often compare its mouthfeel to beer.
Can You Make Your Own Nitro Cold Brew Coffee at Home?
If you’ve fallen in love with NCB coffee, it may have saddened you to realize two things; it’s somewhat pricey and it isn’t available everywhere. Prices for a cup can range from $3 to $5 (and sometimes even more).
You bought an espresso machine when you wanted espressos at home, right? So why can’t you do the same for nitro cold brew?
All you need to do is make the cold brew iced coffee of your choice and then put it into a whipped cream dispenser that has a nitro charger. There are affordable options out there; like the Animato and the ICO.
Then, grab your glass and dispense the coffee (just like you would if it was whipped cream) and enjoy!
Jacqueline S.
Author at Caffeinefiend.co
Jacqueline is a trained teacher with almost two decades of teaching experience under her belt. However, her friends and family would tell you that her true passions are writing, DIY projects, eating good food, and of course, listening to “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Americano is a lighter coffee drink, and many prefer something that packs a bit more kick. However, I’ve found that by learning how to make an Americano, I’ve added some well needed diversity to my coffee menu.
In short, an Americano is hot water added to Espresso of a caramel-like texture.
What
You Need to Know
The Tools and
Ingredients
Coffee Beans – If you’re going to make
an Americano, then the first thing that you’re going to need is some good
espresso coffee beans. Sure, you can use regular coffee beans but for that true
Americano experience you’re going to want to use espresso beans.
Espresso Tamper – You’re going to need to
tamp if you’re making an espresso, so naturally you’re going to need an
espresso tamper.
Espresso Machine – How else are you going to
make an espresso?
Hot Water – Remember, to make an
Americano you’re going to need to add hot water to the espresso.
Coffee Grinder – Any coffee aficionado
will tell you that a quality grind is needed for a quality brew.
Coffee Scale – You don’t want to add too
much or too little.
The Instructions
Here are the basic instructions for how to make an Americano.
Carefully measure out enough beans to make a double shot.
Grind your beans until they are very fine.
Tamp the ground beans by hand or using your espresso machine.
Create your espresso.
Heat your water to around 160 °F
Add your espresso to the hot water at a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part espresso.
How to Make an Americano: An in-depth look
Buy the Best
Beans
Remember, espresso comes
before Americano. So, you’re going to need to pick up some espresso beans that
you love if you want to love your Americano. Even though you’re going to be
diluting the espresso the taste will still matter.
I’m not here to tell you
which beans should be your favorite, that decision is wholly up to you.
However, you can check out a few of our favorite espresso beans here, if you’re in need of some
ideas.
Measure
Meticulously
Unless you’re some kind of
savant that can forgo measuring tools and eyeball an exact gram, you’re going
to need to measure those beans. I recommend that you measure out enough beans
for a double if you’re planning to make an Americano. In my experience, a
single is never strong enough.
14 – 18 grams is usually
enough for a double shot.
Get Your Grind On
If you’ve already had
experience making your own espressos, then you should already know just how
important grinding truly is. If you’re truly an Americano amateur, then put an
asterisk next to this step – because this is one vital but often overlooked
step that you don’t want to skimp on.
You’re going to need to grind those beans really fine if you want to make the perfect Americano. My personal rule: “If you think your grind is fine enough, make sure to grind some more.”
Tamp it Up
When you’ve got your grind
perfect, the next step is to tamp. Tamping is essential because it is the step
that stands between either getting a rich flavor or having a bitter taste left
in your mouth.
Tamping compacts the coffee
that you’ve already ground so that the water has to fight to get through it –
this is what creates that rich espresso flavor.
Nowadays, there are
countless espresso machines for sale that will automatically do your tamping.
However, if you have an old school machine then you’re going to have to give
your hands a light workout.
Espresso Away!
Pop that portafilter in and
brew up that espresso.
I won’t get into the details about how to make the perfect shot right now but you can check out our beginner’s guide on the topic.
Is it Getting Hot
in Here?
This is another step in the
how to make an Americano guidebook that is also completely up to personal preference.
You’re going to need to add
hot water to the espresso to turn it into an Americano but just how hot that
water is depends on you. Make it too cold and the espresso’s quality will be
negatively affected. Make it too hot and the taste will be affected while you
wait for it to cool down.
I recommend that you heat
your water to around 160 °F.
Espresso + Water
= Americano
The recommended ratio for
an Americano is 2:1, that is 2 parts water to 1 part espresso. Again, you can
deviate from this measurement based on your personal preferences.
One thing that is however
not up for debate is the fact that its espresso into water and not the other
way around. Water into espresso screws up that charming crema and also undermines
the overall taste.
How to Make an
Americano – The Finale
You’ve ground, tamped,
heated, and mixed, what else could there possibly be left to do?
Drink up and enjoy your
homemade Americano!
If you’re in the mood for
something frosty you could always sway the hot water for some cold water and
ice. Just make sure that you tweak that water to espresso ratio to 1.5 to 1.
Jacqueline S.
Author at Caffeinefiend.co
Jacqueline is a trained teacher with almost two decades of teaching experience under her belt. However, her friends and family would tell you that her true passions are writing, DIY projects, eating good food, and of course, listening to “Weird Al” Yankovic.
If you’re someone who enjoys making coffee at home, then at some point or another you’re going to want to take your coffee game to the next level. Thanks in large part to modern logistics and the proliferation of specialty coffee, that’s not too difficult to achieve. Two methods – the French press and the pour over – stand head and shoulders above the rest as affordable, accessible means of brewing delicious coffee.
Below we’re going to compare both methods to
determine which produces the best coffee, is better suited to your lifestyle,
and is overall easier to use.
So heat your water and grind up your beans, in the following paragraphs we’re going to get go deep and we gear up for the ultimate showdown of caffeine melodrama. French press or pour over – which one is the go-to?
French
Press: How it Works
But before we start burying bodies, let’s
start with some definitions. Namely, what is French press coffee, and how does this brewing technique work? We’ve
touched on it in previous articles where we compared the French press to the Aeropress as well as drip coffee methods, but a quick recap is in
order just to set the stage.
The French press is a coffee-brewing device
consisting of a glass carafe and a fine-mesh steel filter attached to a plunger
and lid. While its name is Franco-inspired, the modern French press was developed
in Italy in 1929. Since its inception, it’s been an extremely
popular method of brewing coffee in Europe, and in recent years has spread to
the rest of the world.
The reason that this
method is so revered by coffee aficionados has to do with the control it allows
the maker during brewing. Few other methods allow the brewer to control all of
the crucial variables such as steeping time, water volume, and water
temperature, resulting in a complete manipulation of flavor.
The French press is
also ready to brew from initial purchase; there is no additional paraphernalia
needed to get started. This is great for the environmentally conscious out
there, as the French press does away with the need for disposable paper
filters. Instead, it can simply be washed and reused again and again.
Unlike other filter
methods, the French press also relies on steeping as the primary brewing
method. Because of this, many of the delicate oils which would otherwise be
lost are retained and make their way into the final brew. The result is a cup
of coffee that is intense, aromatic and complex.
Pour-Over:
How it Works
Pour-over coffee has become synonymous with
the third-wave coffee movement which has swept the globe in the last decade. At
its core, it’s a method of producing filter-style coffee using a few
specialized but easy-to-use pieces of equipment.
There are several different ways of producing
pour-over, but all of them utilize the same conical-shaped filter which then
gets placed into a vessel, holder or container. The containers themselves can
range from a cheap plastic filter holder, all the way to the beautiful svelte
Chemex carafe. Regardless of the type of kit you opt for, the resultant brew is
still complex and delicious.
The pour-over technique relies on allowing hot
water to pass through the coffee grounds and filter before accumulating in the
bottom container. It allows for a fair amount of control and manipulation of
the final flavor of the coffee but, unlike the French press, doesn’t give the
brewer the option of deciding how long the coffee should steep for.
That being said some people prefer the more
straightforward nature of the pour-over. The filtering process also removes a
lot of the bitterness that many aren’t a fan of. The resultant brew is smooth,
easy to make, and, according to a vocal section of the internet, the best
coffee around.
French
Press Coffee
So you’re thinking of taking the plunge (get it? get it?) and investing in a French press coffee maker. But before you shell out of that hard-earned cash, you’re curious about exactly what you’re getting into. No one wants to pay for something only to find out it’s too complicated to use or takes too long to finish the job.
Luckily for you, a French press is exceedingly
simple to use. Thanks in large part to its uncomplicated design and have
exactly only one moving part, the French press is something that even the least
technical person in the world can use. After ground coffee and hot water, all
it requires is time.
How much time exactly? That all depends on
your tastes and preferences (and that’s why the French press is such a
beautifully precise piece of kit, to begin with), but generally you’re going to
wait between four and five minutes for your coffee to finish brewing. This
makes it an ideal choice for someone who wants a good, quality cup of coffee in
the morning before work.
Investing in one also won’t break the bank. A standard glass French press will cost around $24.99 depending on the size and the materials it’s constructed from. You can also find differently priced and differently constructed French presses such as stainless steel and ceramic models.
As we mentioned above the coffee itself is
going to come out strong, rich and dark. If you’re scared of caffeine or just
prefer your coffee on the weaker side, then the French press might not be your
answer. If, however, you’re someone who likes your coffee like you like your
grizzly bears (strong and dark), then
Pros
A modest investment – buying a
standard French press is cheap enough so that even if you find you’re not
completely into it, you haven’t wasted too much money.
Offers complete control – the
French press allows you to control all brewing variables so that you can create
the perfect cup of coffee just the way you want it.
Easy to use – brewing coffee with
the French press is a simple affair.
Won’t keep you waiting – making
coffee takes just a few minutes, so you can definitely get a delicious cup of
coffee every morning before work.
Cons
It’s kind of gritty – due to the
brewing method and the coarse steel filter used, some finer particles almost
always make their way into the final cup of coffee.
A pain to clean – the French press
is a little bit finicky to clean, especially the lid and plunger which can’t be
disassembled.
Over extraction – more of a risk
than a con, but leaving your coffee to brew for too long can cause
over-extraction, resulting in an extremely bitter final brew.
How to Make French press coffee
If you’ve read this
far then I’m sure you’re curious about the best way of brewing coffee using the
French press. Keep reading – below we’ll take you through the process step by
step.
Start with the coffee beans. The exact brand of beans doesn’t
matter; as long as you love them and they’re fresh. Stay away from
pre-ground coffee as it loses its freshness very quickly.
Next, grind the beans up. You’ll want a medium to coarse grind;
any smaller and you risk clogging up the filter and ending up with a
sludgy mess. Check out our article on recommended grinders for French press
coffee if you don’t have one yet.
Once you have your grinds you’ll want to add them to your French
press. Add anywhere between 18 – 20 grams of coffee per eight ounces of
water. If that’s too strong you can also dilute it with a little more
water.
Boil your water to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t
have a thermometer, just use an ordinary kettle and then let the water sit
for 30 seconds before you use it.
Splash some hot water into your French press, being sure to fully
wet the grinds without filling the carafe significantly. This process is called
blooming, and it allows trapped carbon dioxide within the coffee to
escape.
Next, fill the entire French press up. Stir the contents with a
spoon to ensure that the coffee is completely saturated then let it rest
for about four minutes. If you want your coffee stronger, let it rest
until six; any longer and you risk over-extraction.
After four minutes begin the extraction. Apply slow, steady
pressure to the plunger until reaches the bottom of the carafe. Take care
that you don’t do this too quickly and spill hot coffee everywhere.
Serve, and enjoy!
Pro Cleaning Tip
Cleaning a French press can be difficult and
is one of the factors that may dissuade a person from buying one. An easy way
to clean it is to rinse out all the grinds and then fill the container with
soapy water.
Insert the plunger and plunge it up and down
several times until all the grinds have been washed out. Then simply rinse the
carafe and the plunger and your French press is ready to go again.
Pour-Over
Coffee
The pour-over is simple; it’s exactly what it
sounds like. You take your coffee and you pour water over it. The result –
delicious, fragrant, coffee that you’d be overjoyed to drink at a cafe.
While simple, pour-over offers a lot of
control over how you would like to brew your coffee that many other methods
don’t. For starters, you can determine how fast you would like to pour your
water, and that in turn determines how quickly the coffee gets extracted.
Whether or not this is a superior brewing
technique to say the French press or an espresso machine is debatable. On the
one hand, its simplicity and the fact that it uses a filter means you’re able
to make an easy, exceedingly smooth cup of coffee every time. On the other
hand, you risk losing those precious oils that give other cups of coffee such a
rich and intense flavor due to the pour-over extraction method.
That being said if you’re thinking of
investing in a pour-over, we definitely encourage it. It’s a cheap enough
investment that even if you decide that this method isn’t for you, you haven’t
wasted that much money. There are also levels to this game, and the same goes
for the amount of money you can spend on a pour-over.
At its most basic, you can make pour-over with nothing more than the filters it requires.
If you’re looking for quantity without
breaking the bank, the pour-over from Bodum is the best bang for your
buck.
And if you’ve got a little extra money laying around and want a pour-over maker that is as beautiful as it is functional, then the Chemex is the way to go.
Pros
High-quality coffee – pour-over is going to create some of the smoothest and most delicious coffee you’ve ever tasted (provided you use the right beans and filter).
Easy to use and set-up – With only a dripper, carafe or even just a paper filter, you’re already able to make delicious coffee.
Quantity – Unlike other methods, pour-over coffee allows you to brew large quantities of coffee at once (unless you’re using a single-cup dripper)
Pure – the fine paper filter means that, unlike the French press method, there’s going to be absolutely no grit or sediment in your final cup of coffee.
Cons
Requires patience – unlike the
French press which you can just fill with water and leave, brewing coffee with
a pour-over requires constant supervision and attention. This can easily take
up five minutes in your morning routine.
Difficult to clean – if you’re
using a Chemex or a similarly deep carafe, you may need a long-handled brush or
other implements to clean it sufficiently.
Can be wasteful – Having to
constantly use disposable paper filters might not be the best or most
sustainable option, especially for the environmentally conscious out there.
How to Make Pour-Over Coffee
First
thing’s first, before you even start unfolding filters or grinding beans, you
need to get yourself a gooseneck pour-over kettle. This is a
specialized piece of equipment that gives you control and exactitude over
exactly how much water you want to add to your coffee and at what speed you
want to pour it. It’s the difference between a carefully-made, considerate
pour-over and a flooded mess.
Kettle
acquired, let’s get into the final details of how to make pour-over coffee.
Heat your water to between 195 – 205 Fahrenheit. It’s always
advisable to use a thermometer when doing this, but, as we said for the
French press, if you don’t just let your boiling water rest for 30 seconds
before you add it.
Weigh your coffee. You want anywhere between 16 and 19 grams of
coffee for every one gram of water. Of course, this largely depends on
your taste, but the more coffee the stronger the final brew will be.
Rinse your filters before you add your coffee. This is hugely
important as it will remove the papery taste that filters impart. Simply
place your filter on your carafe, pour hot water through it and let it
rest for a few minutes.
Discard the filtered water while still keeping the filter in place
by simply pouring it out of the carafe.
Next, grind the coffee beans that you measured earlier and pour
them into your filter. A medium to fine grind is optimal for pour-over.
Because the filter is much finer than a French press, you can afford to
grind the beans into a much smaller size.
Now, using your gooseneck kettle, saturate the coffee grinds and
allow them to bloom for 30 seconds. This will allow all of the trapped
carbon dioxide to escape and not make its way into your final brew.
Add the rest of your water. Using the gooseneck, start in the
middle and pour outward in a widening circle in order to fully saturate
all of your grinds evenly. Pour at a measured pace so as not to flood your
filter.
Once you’ve poured out your desired quantity of water, let the wet
coffee grinds rest for a few minutes to ensure you catch all of the liquid.
Then, remove the filter and your pour-over is ready to serve.
French Press vs Pour-Over: The Final Showdown
Who comes out on top – the French press or the pour-over?
It’s not exactly definitive.
If you’re someone who prefers strong coffee with intense flavor, fragrant aromas, and a dark consistency, then the French press is undoubtedly the right coffee choice for you.
If, however, you prefer your coffee to be lighter, smoother and free from any coffee grinds, then pour-over has your name written all over it.
At the end of the day, it’s about personal
preference, especially when it comes to two insanely popular methods of brewing
coffee revered all over the world. That being said, if you’re still unsure, why
not try both? It’s unlikely to break the bank, and you might just find that you
love them both but for different reasons.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
Coffee trends come and coffee trends go but in recent years there’s one in particular that seems to have firmly cemented itself in the caffeine zeitgeist – butter in coffee.
What is butter coffee? There’s no mystification here – it’s exactly what it sounds like. Butter, added to your coffee (as well as some coconut oil).
I can hear the uninitiated shouting at their screens as they read this. Why would someone defile their precious black gold with a lump of animal fat? Are they nuts?!
Slow those accusations. There’s actually a few very good reasons why butter coffee, also known as Bulletproof coffee, rose to prominence, and it’s those reasons that we’re going to examine in detail below.
Butter in Coffee: The Origin Story
Butter coffee can generally trace its roots to Dave Asprey, who discovered the reinvigorating powers of the drink when he first consumed tea containing animal fat in Tibet. Recalling it, he said, “I staggered into a guest house from the -10 degree weather and was literally rejuvenated by a creamy cup of yak butter tea.”
That’s story most westerners know about butter coffee, but its origins are actually way older. The credit for its inception also lies with Ethiopia rather than America.
Ethiopia, one of the oldest coffee producing countries in the world, has been producing and consuming coffee since the 9th century. During this time, people would grind roasted beans and mix it with ghee, a type of clarified butter. This made the beans easy to carry, and could be easily consumed for a quick pick-me-up while on the go.
The Ethopians would then go on to add this ghee to their coffee drinks, as well as spices and salt to enhance the flavor. It’s this drink that would eventually evolve into the butter coffee people know and love today.
The Science on Butter in Coffee
So why exactly do people want to put butter in their coffee? Well, as we mentioned above, the current craze of butter coffee came into being because of Dave Asprey. Asprey, entrepreneur and biohacker, founded Bulletproof Nutrition Inc which promotes, among other things, the myriad health benefits of butter coffee.
Asprey’s Bulletproof coffee consists of coffee, two-tablespoons of grassfed butter and two tablespoons of medium-chain triglyceride oil or coconut oil. The result is a cup of coffee bursting with 450 calories and 50 grams of fat that Asprey claims promotes weight loss, curbs the tendency to overeat, and enhances cognitive functions.
Big claims – but what does the science say?
The Good
Butter coffee’s praise centers around its ability to do three things. Curb hunger, enhance cognitive performance, and provide a steady, low-burning source of energy. Let’s examine these claims a bit further.
Hunger
The large amount of fat present in butter coffee means has the duel effect of slowing digestion as well as stimulating a feeling of fullness that curbs a person’s appetite. This effect is more pronounced if you’re on a keto diet and consuming butter coffee in place of breakfast.
The multi-chain-triglycerides (MCTs) contained in coconut oil are actually more adept at promoting these feelings of fullness than long-chain-triglycerides found in foods like nuts and oils. MCT oil, coupled with butter, means that you’ll feel fuller for longer. Studies have also found that consuming MCTs in the morning is correlated with a reduced consumption of calories and accelerated fat loss.
Cognitive Focus
The coconut oil used in butter coffee gets broken down by the liver. During this process MCTs are broken down into a fuel source called ketones. These ketones are a significant source of energy for your brain cells, and so can help your brain function more efficiently.
There’s also evidence to suggest that ketones can be effective in reducing the potency of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. However, MCTs haven’t been shown to be effective when it comes to increasing mental clarity – although that’s not to say that butter coffee doesn’t stimulate the mental faculties. One study showed that the increased mental clarity was caused by the caffeine in the coffee rather than the MCTs in coconut oil.
Energy
Anyone who drinks coffee is familiar with the rapid peak of energy that comes with consuming an espresso or strong americano. It’s a strong yet unfocused energy spike, and when it dissipates you’re often left feeling drained and eager for the next cup of coffee.
Butter coffee eliminates that blood sugar crash by providing a steady, longer-lasting release of energy than a traditional cup of coffee. The fats in the drink take longer to be broken down in the stomach, slowing the absorption and prolonging the effects of the caffeine.
The MCTs also play a role. They get broken down rapidly and absorbed quickly by your body, resulting in a much more sustained and steadily-released form of energy.
The Bad
It’s not all good fats and roses when it comes, like most things in life there are also potential downsides to consuming butter coffee first thing in the morning.
Lack of nutritional value
Many people like to use butter coffee as a meal replacement for breakfast due to its high caloric nature and energy boosting properties. However, this comes at a cost as a lot of the highly nutritious foods consumed during more traditional breakfasts are not being consumed. Since you’re mostly consuming only fat, you’re missing out on other vital nutrients such as protein, fiber and certain vitamins and minerals.
Possible stomach pains (if you’re not used to it)
On top nutrition, if you’re not used to consuming large amounts of fat (especially in the morning), you may experience some uncomfortable stomach pains. This can also lead to certain intestinal issues such as diarrhea and bloating.
Butter in Coffee isn’t for those with high cholesterol
Lastly, if you’re someone who suffers from high cholesterol, then it’s probably a good idea to steer clear of the butter coffee for the time being. Due to the large quantities of butter in each cup, butter coffee, unsurprisingly, contains significant amounts of cholesterol. And high cholesterol can increase a person’s risk of both strokes and heart disease.
So, Is Butter in Coffee Good or Bad?
It depends. There’s no black or white answer here, rather, the answer is dependent on the type of lifestyle you enjoy, as well as how much coffee you consume.
There’s undoubtedly benefits to the slow, sustained energy release of caffeine and MCT oil, and the propensity for weight loss that many butter coffee drinkers have enjoyed.
However, just like most things in life, the key is moderation. Substituting a nutritious breakfast for a cup of Bulletproof coffee won’t hurt if you follow a strict diet and regimen to ensure you remain healthy, but consuming multiple times a day for a sustained period of time probably isn’t too good for your heart.
Still curious? Well if you want to try…
Here’s How to Make the Perfect Bulletproof Coffee
Making butter or Bulletproof coffee is a very simple process – on top of that, it’s also creamy and delicious. Here’s what the average cup of butter coffee should contain: 30g of MCT oil, 30g of grass fed butter and around 300ml coffee. And here’s how to make it:
How to make bulletproof coffee (butter in coffee): CaffeineFiend’s Recipe
Brew either a batch of cold brew or French press coffee
You’ll need this in order to preserve the beneficial coffee oils that both drinks contain. You’ll want a medium to dark roast with an intense aromatic flavor in order to compliment the creamy nature of the following ingredients.
Pour it into a blender and add one to two tablespoons of MCT oil.
You can also use coconut oil if you can’t get your hands on MCT oil – they’re both very similar compounds.
Add one or two tablespoons of grass-fed butter.
If you’re lactose intolerant you can also use grass-fed ghee. Just ensure that neither option is salted – butter is going to make your coffee creamy and delicious; salt is just going to ruin it.
Mix together in the blender for around 30 seconds
Do this until the mixture takes on the consistency of a creamy latte. Your butter coffee is ready to be served!
Things to Note:
The great thing about butter coffee is that it’s pretty straightforward to make. Other than any normal equipment you would use to make your preferred style of coffee, the only other gadget you will need is a blender.
You don’t even need a specific style of coffee either. Just ensure that you’re choosing a roast with a strong flavor and that you’re grinding your own beans for optimal freshness. Other than than just make sure you’re brewing with a coffee that you absolute love.
When it comes to butter make sure that you’re using high-quality grass-fed butter. The reason for this is that butter made from the milk of grass-fed cattle contains way more nutrients than grain- or corn-fed.
Do not, under any circumstances, use margarine. Margarine is a highly-processed substitute that was designed to look and taste like butter. It’s made using vegetable oils and contains high amounts of polyunsaturated and trans fats – two ingredients that are certainly not conducive to a healthy heart.
If you’re wondering how often to consume butter coffee, the answer is that it depends on how you drink it. If you’re using it as a meal substitute then drinking it every morning as a meal substitute, you’ll be just fine. But if you’re pounding three or more a day, your heart and liver are probably going to want to have a word with you.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
Everyone who comes to develop a love of coffee eventually arrives at a crossroads. On their current path lies the lazy man’s way of making coffee – drip coffee machine, automated coffee pods and K cups. On the other are more sophisticated, artisan methods of brewing such as the Chemex and French press.
It’s a choice between sticking to standard, easy and convenient methods of brewing, or delving deep into the science and art of coffee brewing. Luckily the learning curve isn’t so steep, especially when it comes to devices such as the Chemex and the French press.
On paper both devices are pretty similar. They’re both glass vessels designed for holding hot liquids producing delicious coffee; they even use the same sized coffee grind. However, what sets them apart is not so much their function as the way they go about it.
The main difference lies in the extraction process, or how each piece of kit infuses the flavor of the coffee beans into hot water. But which is better? It’s a truly artisan question that requires some unpacking, and one that might get you into trouble at a dinner party should you ever devoutly defend one side.
With that in mind let’s explore both the Chemex and the French press, and find out which one is better for you.
Why People Love Chemex and French Press Coffee
Compared to other brewing methods, Chemex and the French press offer a relatively simple way to brew quality coffee in a relatively short amount of time. The apparatus of each is exceedingly simple to both set up and clean. They’re also both pretty cheap, meaning amateur coffee enthusiasts can make the leap from amateur to intermediate coffee guru without breaking the bank.
Compared to say, espresso, which requires a large initial injection of capital in order to purchase an espresso machine, the Chemex and French press can be acquired for $43 and $35 respectively.
For such a cheap and simple way of brewing, both methods also offer the brewer amazing control over the final flavor of the coffee. Expensive coffee machines offer different degrees of variation, whereas the Chemex and French press allow for a much more intuitive brewing experience.
Advantages
Disadvantages
A relatively inexpensive investment compared with other coffee brewing methods such as espresso and cappuccino.
Set up and brewing times tend to be quite a bit longer than other brewing methods such as the use of an espresso or filter coffee machine.
Offers the brewer complete control over brewing variables such as brewing time, steeping time, coffee volume and water volume.
The glass that both the Chemex and French press is made from tends to be quite fragile. This might result in breakage if either piece is put through a dishwasher.
Both pieces of equipment are visually appealing and work seamlessly with any current kitchen decor.
Because of the coarse mesh filter used on a French press, small coffee particles tend to pass through during the plunging process, ending up in the final cup of coffee.
Extremely simple to set up as well as clean.
With regards to the Chemex, it tends to be pretty expensive, especially when compared to other similar brewing methods such as a simple, paper-filtered pour over.
Chemex Coffee – Everything You Need to Know
How it works
The Chemex is a manual, pour over style glass device for making coffee. It’s all the rage nowadays and you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s a brand new coffeemaker. Quite the contrary; the Chemex was developed in 1941 by German inventor Peter Schlumbohm, although it’s enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity among the coffee community.
It’s no wonder, either – the Chemex is absolutely beautiful to look at. Its simple yet tasteful hourglass design makes it a wonderful asset to any decorated kitchen worth its salt, and that’s before even a drop of coffee has been brewed.
The wooden collar also deserves a mention. As the third and final piece in the Chemex setup (after the vase and the disposable filters), it’s the most visually-distinctive feature. Fitting around the neck, the collar is heatproof and allows the Chemex to be handled safely even when full of hot coffee.
How to pour out some of the best pour over
Brewing Chemex coffee is a pretty simple affair. All you’re going to need is the Chemex itself, your coffee of choice, a grinder (check out our grinder guide here) and some Chemex filters.
To start, measure out 38g of your favorite coffee beans. The Chemex works well with all roasts, but a medium roast is recommended if you want to pack the most flavor into your drink.
Next, grind the beans until you achieve a medium coarseness. Because the filters used in a Chemex are thicker than average, you want a medium coarse grind in order to filter out all of the oils and bitterness while still retaining a clean flavor.
Insert the filter into the Chemex with the 3 section placed just over the lip for pouring.
Boil some water to about 200 degrees fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, just boil water in an ordinary kettle and let it stand for 30 seconds.
Wet the paper filter with the hot water. This will prevent the taste of the paper from seeping into your final product.
Pour the water you used for rinsing out, then add your grounds to the filter.
Saturate the grounds with hot water and let it rest for 30 seconds. This process is called blooming and it allows carbon dioxide trapped within the grounds to escape before brewing.
After blooming, gradually add around 600 grams of hot water to the coffee, pouring in a circular pattern starting at the center. Make sure you do this slowly and leave about an inch of space from the top of the flask.
Allow all of the water to pass through the filter. Wait about four minutes to make sure you have every single drop.
Remove the filter, and serve.
Things to note
Unlike other brewing methods, like the Aeropress or French press, making coffee using a Chemex isn’t going to result in a cup of coffee more bitter than Cersei Lannister. Quite the contrary, due to the thick filters used and the fact that the extraction process occurs as water passes through the grounds, the coffee made by the Chemex is smooth, light and easy to drink.
It’s important not to rush the process. Pour gradually and deliberately, taking care to let the water drain through the grounds before adding more. Your patience will be well-rewarded a large amount of nuanced coffee that’s great for sharing with friends.
French Press Coffee – Simple, Effective, Superb
How it works
The French press is one of the simple coffee extraction systems out there, but surprisingly, one of the most effective. Unlike other similar devices, the French press provides an extremely thorough extraction processes by fulling immerging the coffee grounds in hot water.
Consisting of a glass beaker, lid, and a plunger and coarse steel mesh filter attached, the French press offers complete control of the brewing process. It puts specificity back into the brewer’s hands, allowing manipulation of crucial variables such as water temperature, water volume, coffee volume and brewing time.
This means that, with some thoughtful tinkering, you have the ability to make your coffee as strong or as weak as you’d like. There’s also no reusable filter to deal with, meaning that once you have your French press, you’re ready to brew straightaway without any added extras.
The secret of the French press lies in the fact that the grounds are allowed to fully saturate in the water before they’re filtered. Other methods, such as the Chemex or pour over, rely on extraction to occur as hot water is passing through the grounds. By allowing the grounds to steep fully, broader, more intense and more complex flavors are allowed to develop.
Many of the oils that give coffee such a beautifully strong flavor are removed during filtered extraction, so using the French press means that none of these get lost.
It’s important to note that you need a medium to coarse grind of coffee when using a French press. Because the filter is made of steel and not as fine as a paper filter, using a finer coffee grain will simply flow straight through, rendering it ineffective. If your coffee is too coarse, however, you risk adequate extraction not being able to take place.
And speaking of filters – the French press doesn’t have one. This makes it an environmentally superior option to methods such as the Chemex or pour over, as you don’t have to purchase disposable filters which are ultimately destined for the trash.
How to make delicious French press coffee every time
Place your French press on a dry surface and remove the lid and plunger.
Add your coffee; add 8 grams of coffee for every 200mls of water.
Boil your water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, simply boil water in a kettle and let it stand for 30 seconds.
Add the appropriate amount of water to your coffee grounds.
Stir thoroughly, place the lid and plunger on the top of the pot and then let the mixture sit for four minutes. If you like your coffee stronger, allow it to steep for longer (with some experimentation you can figure out your desired strength).
Apply steady and firm pressure to the plunger and press it all the way to the bottom. Take your time here; if you’re too brisk and your hand is too heavy then hot coffee is apt to go spilling all over your counter.
Once you’ve pressed the plunger all the way to the bottom, your coffee is ready to go. Pour and enjoy!
Notable French presses
If the French press has got you excited but you’re unsure about which one to go for, stop sweating – we’ve got you covered. Below are some of our favorite tried and tested French presses which almost always guarantee an incredible cup of coffee.
Veken French press – Available in both 34oz and 12oz options, the Veken French press is an affordable and effective press that is perfect for a first-timer looking to upgrade their coffee game.
Bodum Chambord French press – the Bodum Chambord is one of the most classic names among coffee equipment and French presses in particular. It’s a trusted brand that will get a nod of approval from coffee enthusiasts everywhere.
Espro Press P7 – For those uncomfortable with the fragile nature of glass French presses, the Espro Press P7 offers a more sturdy, premium alternative. Made from stainless steel, purchasing an Espro means you’ll never have to worry about accidentally breaking a French press in the pursuit of fine coffee ever again.
Chemex vs French Press – Which Should I Buy?
At the end of the day, the decision to purchase either a French press or a Chemex is a personal choice and comes down to the buyer. Consider your expectations, your budget and the type of coffee you’d like to drink.
If you’re looking for a full-bodied, aromatic and intensely flavored cup of coffee, the French press is the way to go. As discussed above, the steeping technique allows for the retention of all of the oils and aromas which are lost in other brewing methods.
That being said, if you’re someone who prefers a lighter, less bitter and all round smoother cup of coffee, then you can hardly go wrong with the Chemex. The heavy filter used means most of the bitter oils and particulates that end up in a final cup of French press coffee are removed. This leaves you with a truly refined, and some would say superior, cup of coffee.
Like most things within the coffee world it’s difficult to give an absolute answer. Different brewing methods allow for so much flavor variation of the final product that definitively stating that one technique trumps another is almost impossible. But if you’re a true coffee enthusiast, all the different methods of brewing coffee should be exciting to one degree or another.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
Anyone who has visited Starbucks or their local coffee shop in the summer has heard of cold brew coffee. It’s smooth, delicious and the perfect thing to cool you down on a hot day. It’s also really simple to make at home, and so in this article we’re going to demonstrate how to make cold brew coffee.
While most people are familiar with iced coffee, cold brew couldn’t be more different both in terms of brewing methods and tastes. To start with, iced coffee relies on hot coffee poured over ice, whereas when learning how to make cold brew coffee you’ll see that it relies on steeping in tepid water as its primary extraction method.
Cold Brew Coffee
Iced Coffee
Using hot water in iced coffee causes the final product to be bitter and acidic. The colder water used in cold brew, however, gives the drink a much smoother, less acidic flavor profile, with the natural flavor of the beans more pronounced in every sip.
You’ve probably tried cold brew coffee at Starbucks and thought about making your own at home. Well it couldn’t be more simple. Read on, follow our advice, and we’ll teach you how to make quality cold brew coffee at home in no time.
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
But we’re jumping the gun here; let’s start by defining what it is before we demonstrate how to make cold brew coffee at home.
Put simply, cold brew coffee is a method of coffee extraction that relies on soaking coffee grounds in tepid to cold water for an extended period of time. Unlike traditional coffee brewing methods which use hot water or pressure to produce your espresso or cappuccino in a matter of minutes, cold brew coffee is an exercise in patience.
There’s no skirting around this – cold brew coffee relies on time in order to draw out all the delicate flavors and oils from the coffee grounds. The entire process will take between 16 hours and a full day to achieve completion.
It’s also important to note that the resultant brew is more of a concentrate more than a straight cup of coffee. It generally has higher caffeine content that other methods of brewing, and needs to be diluted in water before you can drink it. That is, if you don’t want to be bouncing off the walls first thing in the morning.
Needless to say, cold brew coffee is a labour of love. But it’s definitely worth it.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee – A Quick Overview
There are a number of items which are essential to making a delicious batch of cold brew coffee. First and foremost, you’re going to need a batch of quality beans. You’ll also need a grinder, a large container (a mason jar works great for this), fine mesh sieve, paper coffee filters, and room temperature water.
When choosing your beans it’s important that you opt for a medium roast. Medium roast beans have been roasted to a lower temperature than dark roast beans, and that means they retain a smoother, less bitter flavor. This is extremely important as one of the hallmarks of cold brew coffee is its mellowness, and lack of bitterness within the flavor profile.
Time needed: 16 hours.
Once you’ve gathered all of your equipment and ingredients, it’s fairly straightforward to make cold brew coffee:
Measure your beans and water so that they’re sitting at a ratio of about 1:5.
Grind your beans until they’re coarse, NOT medium or fine.
This will give them a greater surface area and allow the water to extract the oils and flavors more efficiently.
Next, add water to your grounds.
Make sure you stir the mixture so that the coffee grounds are thoroughly saturated.
Place the mixture in the fridge and leave it to steep for around 15 hours.
Depending on how strong you like your coffee, as well as the ratio of grounds to water, you may want to let it steep for longer.
Take the readied mixture out of the fridge and strain it through a paper filter placed within the wire mesh sieve into a bowl or container.
Let it rest in the sieve to ensure you draw out as much liquid as possible.
To serve, mix the concentrate with water at a ratio of 1:1, pour over ice, add some milk and enjoy.
All in all you’re looking at a full day’s worth of brewing time in order to get this right. Don’t be alarmed when you strain your mixture and end up with less concentrate when you thought. Once you dilute it with water you’ll see that this drink goes a long way.
If you’re not using all of your cold brew coffee at once, simply pour it into a sealable container and place it in the fridge. It should keep for up to 10 days, meaning you can produce batch brews in advance in you like.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee – The Full Guide
Now that we’ve outlined the process we’re going to take a look at it in more detail. When it comes to learning how to make cold brew coffee, even the smallest details can have a profound impact on the final flavor, so it’s important to get them right.
1- Beans and Grinder
Coffee, no matter what style, is nothing without good quality beans and a grinder that can produce consistent grounds.
As we mentioned above, it’s important that you choose a medium roast in order to avoid bitterness and ensure the cold brew is as smooth as possible.
Because many of the sweeter flavor compounds of coffee grounds are soluble in cold water, whereas many of the acidic oils are not, using a medium roast always lends your cold brew a sweeter taste. Because of this, you want a bean that has an inherent sweetness as this will really show in the final product.
Once you’ve decided on the type of bean you want to use, you’ll need a way to grind them coarsely. We’ve waxed lyrical on this topic in our articles concerning the best coffee grinders for French press coffee as well as the best manual coffee grinders, but it bears repeating. Beans aside, a grinder is probably the most important tool for producing consistently delicious, smooth and robust coffee.
For cold brew coffee a coarse grind works best. This exposes more surface area of the bean and means that it’ll be able to get extracted more fully. If you grind your beans too finely you’ll end up with a sludgy mess on your hands; too chunky and the oils and flavors won’t be able to be extracted efficiently.
With a consistent grind in mind, we’ve listed a few of our favorites below:
The next step in the process is adding water to your grounds. You’ll want a ratio of five parts water for every one part coffee. The final concentrate is going to have less yield than the amount of water that you put in, because some of that water is going to be absorbed by the grinds.
That’s nothing to worry about though. As mentioned above, you’re going to dilute the final product with water before you drink it anyway.
While the words used to describe cold brew coffee give the impression that it’s going to be freezing, the actual water used should be room temperature. Hot water will cause the extraction to take place much too quickly, leaving you with bitter coffee, and defeating the entire point of cold brew coffee in the first place.
Once you’ve added the water it’s important that you stir the grinds thoroughly and ensure that they’re fully saturated. If you’ve got an Aeropress starter kit, the stirrer that comes with it is a great tool for mixing your cold brew mixture thoroughly.
There are some rumors that the type of water you use will also affect the flavor. Using mineral water, for example, supposedly results in a much smoother finish. If you’re not willing to run out and buy five liters of Perrier, however, don’t worry – tap water works just fine.
3- Steeping
Steeping is the step that sets cold brew coffee apart from other, similar iced coffee methods. Whereas traditional Vietnamese iced coffee, for example, produces a delicious and chilled drink, it does this by adding hot coffee to ice. Cold brew coffee relies entirely on steeping as the primary extraction method.
There are two factors which are going to ultimately affect the flavor of the coffee here – the volume of water used in relation to the amount of coffee grinds, and the amount of time that the mixture is left to steep for.
It goes without saying that the longer you leave your cold brew to steep, the more intense the final flavors will be. However, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. Leaving your coffee to steep for too long is an easy way to end up with enough caffeine to send you to the moon.
The optimal time for steeping is around 15 – 18 hours (Starbucks steep theirs for 20). However, some people have found that steeping up to 24 hours is the way to go. At the end of the day, it all depends on your palate and how strong you like your coffee.
That being said, there’s such a thing as overkill. So it’s recommended that you try it a few times in order to find your sweet spot.
4- Straining
Once your coffee has finished steeping, you’ll need to strain it to get rid of all the leftover coffee particulates. Using only a fine mesh sieve or French press plunger won’t be enough here, and using either method will likely leave you with a sludgy, undrinkable mess – you need something finer.
We found that using paper coffee filters or cheesecloth is the way to go. Using either, line a fine mesh sieve and place it over a container. Then simply pour your cold brew mixture into the sieve and give it about 15 minutes to drain, stirring it with a wooden spoon in order to get out every last drop.
If you decide to use a paper filter then it would be good to wet it beforehand. This will ensure that the filter absorbs as little of the precious coffee concentrate as possible. It will also prevent the concentrate from acquiring a papery taste that sometimes gets passed on from dry filters.
5- Ready to Drink!
Once you’ve strained your coffee through the fine mesh filter and the paper coffee filters, you’re good to go. You’ve successfully produced cold brew coffee concentrate and learned how to make cold brew coffee at home – congratulations!
However, drinking it in this form might cause your heart to explode, so we recommend diluting it first. A 1:1 ratio of cold brew concentrate to water is usually sufficient for a smooth, sweet and velvety drink, but some people prefer it slightly to either side of the strength spectrum.
Pour the concentrate into a glass of ice, add your water and then top it off with some milk for enhanced smoothness.
If you find that the coffee is too strong, simply dilute it more until it’s more palatable. Likewise, if the coffee is too weak, just add more concentrate until you reach your desired strength.
Some people like to add sugar, but we find it isn’t necessary. As we mentioned earlier, the unique nature of the cold brew extraction process means many of the sweeter notes of the coffee bean are brought to the front. This should be ample sweetness for anyone who’s used to drinking espresso or pour over.
The Paradox: HOT Cold Brew Coffee
What many people don’t know is that you can actually use cold brew concentrate to make… hot coffee! It may seem a little counterintuitive at first (after all, cold brew suggests a drink you’re unlikely to consume in winter), but it’s actually a delicious and time-saving alternative to other styles of coffee.
It’s also really easy to make. Simply pour your concentrate into a glass or mug, then add hot or boiling water, the same amount as the cold water you would normally add when making regular cold brew. The result – a hot, less acidic and extremely smooth variation of an Americano.
This method is great for people who want to enjoy quality coffee in the morning, but don’t want to spend fifteen minutes grinding beans and waiting for their drinks to settle. Using previously made cold brew coffee takes as long as adding hot water and maybe some milk into a jar, and you’re ready to go.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
Espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, AeroPress and French press – these are just some of the more popular styles of coffee on offer when visiting your average coffee shop. They’re designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes, and this often leads to a lot of amicable disagreement about which style is the best.
The answer, as you might imagine, isn’t so straightforward and requires quite a bit of unpacking.
While it does depend in part on your taste and preferred style, many coffee experts across the board all agree on one thing: when it comes to brewing coffee at home, it’s hard to beat press style coffee. And at the forefront of the press movement are the two firm favorites: the French press and the Aeropress.
But what sets these apart from other brewing methods, and what makes them so superior? At first glance it might not even seem obvious, especially since both contraptions look quite similar in style and produce a similarly high quality cup of coffee. The details are in the process, however, and it’s this that has placed them firmly in the good graces of coffee afficandios across the world.
The secret? Hot water and pressure – and lots of it. Utilizing these two factors in both the Aeropress and the French press provides the means to expertly manipulate and extract delicate flavors where other methods fall short.
What do French Press and AeroPress have in common?
As we mentioned briefly above, to the layman who doesn’t know too much about coffee production, the AeroPress and French press might look similarly strange. Both feature a plunger mechanism and a large chamber for storing liquid, and they also rely on the same mechanism for actually brewing the coffee – steadily applied pressure.
Unlike other methods which rely on complicated coffee machinery, these two tools are remarkably simple. Both use very few moving parts and rely on first steeping the coffee grinds before filtering them out and extracting the final product. It’s this steeping technique – all called immersion – that is unique from other coffee production methods.
The process of steeping coffee grounds allows for a lot of control over brewing variables which ultimately affect the final flavor. These variables include the steeping time, the temperature of the water, the amount of coffee grinds used and the volume of hot water added.
But for all their similarities, they’re still very distinct pieces of equipment.
AeroPress vs French Press – The Big Difference:
Mechanically, the major differences between the French press and the AeroPress have to do with the way in which the coffee grinds are filtered. While both methods rely on steeping the coffee grinds in order to extract the flavor, the filters they employ to the job are quite different.
The AeroPress relies on a very fine, disposable paper filter in order to filter out the coffee grinds, while the French press utilizes a much more coarse steel filter which is attached to the plunger. The AeroPress also uses air pressure in order to force water through the filter and separate the grinds, while with the French Press the grinds are separated by being forced to the bottom of the chamber.
The use of a paper filter in the AeroPress means that a lot of the essential oils and aromatic essences of the coffee are going to be filtered out, while the coarser filter used in the French press allows them through. The trade-off for losing some of this intensity is that an AeroPress is going to deliver a much more balanced and consistent cup of coffee.
That being said, if you want don’t want to settle for your standard AeroPress kit, you can always invest in a set of reusable stainless steel filters of varying finenesses to take it to the next level. This will give you greater control of your coffee’s flavor, acidity and intensity.
AeroPress Coffee
What is it?
But for all of its hype and praise, what exactly is an AeroPress? Invented in 2005 by Alan Adler, the AeroPress is probably the youngest and one of the most recent coffee inventions to change the coffee industry entirely.
Its build consists of two cylinders made from high quality plastic. The smaller cylinder has a flexible airtight seal and rests inside the larger cylinder, similar to that of a syringe. The larger cylinder has space for either a disposable paper filter, or reusable steel filters, which the coffee grinds and hot water are then placed on top of.
The AeroPress is famous for using pressure in order to extract flavor from coffee beans and produce an espresso-style drink. While it will never be able to match the 9 bars of pressure produced by an espresso machine, the pressure it can produce by hand is quite impressive. Keen baristas can also invest in filters such as those by Fellow Prismo in order to achieve even greater levels of pressure for a more fully-extracted final product.
Unlike the French press, which has been around for quite some time and exists in many different variations, the AeroPress is unique in that it is not only a device, but a brand name, too. This means that there is only one variation of this particular device which is used across the coffee industry.
AeroPress’ hidden Superpowers
From the outside looking in, it may seem as though you need a plethora of intricate equipment in order to produce coffee even marginally better than a mug of freeze-dried instant. The AeroPress, with its simple design and affordable price tag, dispels those myths instantly upon use.
These aren’t the AeroPress’ only positive attributes, however. In fact, the device is so popular among coffee fans because of everything else it delivers.
To start with, the AeroPress is extremely durable and light. This makes it the ideal travel companion, and perfect for someone who is always on the go but wants to enjoy a proper cup of coffee in their hotel room or AirBnb.
It’s also extremely affordable compared to other brewing methods of comparable quality. An AeroPress starter kit with a year’s worth of filters will only set you back about $30 depending on where you buy it from.
Brewing coffee in an AeroPress results in a much smoother brew over other conventional brewing methods. This has to do with the fact that grinds are being steeped in hot water before being filtered, and that nothing is left out during the extraction process. This also results in a much shorter brewing time than something like drip coffee.
The shorter brewing time is also a key factor in the final taste of the coffee, which by and large is much less acidic than even French press brew. All of these factors result in a smooth, easy to drink and consistently great cup of coffee.
How to make AeroPress Coffee
So after reading the above guide, we assume by this point you’re hooked. You’ve got your AeroPress and now you’re wondering exactly how to use this contraption and create the wonderful coffee we’ve waxed lyrical about. It’s pretty simple:
Boil some water, let it rest then set it aside while you prepare the other components of your coffee.
Grind your beans. The AeroPress usually requires a finer grind that even espresso, so make sure you have a grinder that can handle this. You want to use about four tablespoons of coffee grinds.
Assemble the AeroPress by placing your filter in the bottom of the larger cylinder, then placing it on top of a mug or other container. Splash a little hot water onto the filter before you start to avoid having the papery taste of it affect the coffee.
Add the coffee grinds. If you’re unsure about your aim use the funnel provided.
Once your water has rested add it into the coffee grinds until it’s near the top line.
Stir the mixture briefly and then allow it to steep for 20 – 30 seconds.
Insert the plunger on top of the AeroPress. Apply steady pressure to the plunger until you begin to hear a long hiss and the coffee accumulates in the mug below.
Enjoy your creation. The AeroPress is known for quite strong espresso-style coffee, so if you find that it’s a little bit too intense try splitting it between two or more cups.
An Alternative Way to Make AeroPress Coffee
Introduced in 2005, the AeroPress is definitely one of, if not the, youngest brewing methods to hit the coffee market. Bluntly put, it took the world by storm, and baristas have been figuring out creative ways of using this device other than its intended purpose ever since. And while numerous methods have made the cut, perhaps the most popular is the Upside-Down AeroPress Brewing Technique.
Upside-down AeroPress Brewing!
To make it you’re going to need all of the same ingredients used to make normal AeroPress coffee. The main difference is the setup of the AeroPress itself.
You’ll want to start by placing the plunger on the counter facing upwards. Then, turn the brewing chamber upside down and place it securely on the plunger, resting the stopper around the #4 marking on the chamber. Now add your coffee and hot water just as you normally would.
Secure the filter to the top of the AeroPress and let the coffee brew for around 90 seconds. Unlike a normal AeroPress setup, this method allows the coffee to become fully immersed in a process actually quite similar to the French press.
When you’re ready, flip the AeroPress and place it on your mug or desired container. Apply pressure as you normally would and in 20 seconds or so your Upside Down AeroPress coffee is ready to go.
Since making coffee this way can occasionally get a little bit messy, it helps to have something like the AeroPress organizer just to ensure all of your AeroPress parts are properly stored and ordered.
French Press
What is it?
Now that we’ve spoken at length about the AeroPress, it’s time to address the other device in the room.
The French press is a staple piece of kit for anyone looking to make premium, delicious coffee at home. It consists of a glass cylinder and a plunger with a fine wire mesh attached to it. Some variations of the French press are also made from steel or ceramic.
We went into detail about the history of the French press in a previous article, but some pertinent facts are worth repeating. Patented by Milanese designer Attilio Calimani in 1929, the French press is actually an Italian design, although it may have been first created in France.
It saw a rise of popularity across Europe in the 60s and eventually became a common household device for making coffee. Its ability to make copious and consistently delicious cups of coffee, as well as draw out the best quality of the coffee being used, also makes it a firm favorite among baristas.
The Myriad Advantages of using a French Press
To start with, the French Press is a very simple device. Consisting of only two separate parts, it makes producing a surprisingly good cup of coffee a very easy affair.
Unlike other methods of producing coffee – looking at you, espresso – the French press is also able to produce relatively large amounts of coffee per brew. Whereas the AeroPress, for example, will only produce enough coffee for one or two people, the French press makes enough for six. This means you don’t have to brew multiple times when having guests over.
The French press is also renowned for allowing maximum control when it comes to manipulating the flavor profile of the coffee. From the amount of coffee used, the water temperature and volume, and steeping time of the coffee, the French press lets you fully determine how long you would like to extract the coffee for.
And because the grinds are steeped before it is filtered, the French press retains many of the oils and aromas that other methods lose. The resultant brew is more textured, intense and contains a more complex flavor profile that other filtered coffee.
How To Make a Perfect Cup of French Press Coffee
Making the perfect cup of French press isn’t rocket science. In fact, it couldn’t be simpler.
Grind up the bean of your choice – about 8 grams of coffee to 200ml of water. The type of bean and roast you choose are the main determinants when it comes to your coffee flavor. The grinder you use, and the way you grind it, also play a role, so ensure you pick the correct fineness.
Add the ground up coffee to the cylinder.
Boil some water. Let it rest for about 30 seconds and add it to the cylinder.
Place the plunger on top of the cylinder but don’t push it just yet. Allow the French press to sit like this for around 3 to 4 minutes. If you like your coffee extra strong, let it steep for longer.
Once it has rested, push the plunger down slowly, applying steady, even pressure.
Enjoy! Some sediment may find its way into the final brew. This is normal and shouldn’t affect the final flavor.
AeroPress vs French Press – Which is Best?
The showdown between the AeroPress and French press is one of the most heated in the coffee world. While both devices require manual use, and utilize steeping as the brewing technique – admittedly very similar functionalities – the distinct difference between them lies in the way in which the coffee is filtered.
And because so many coffee aficionados want to have ultimate control of the exact flavor of their coffee, this is oftentimes the deciding factor on which device they opt to buy.
While both brewing methods offer control over most of the crucial variables that determine coffee flavor, each method possesses a quality that sets it apart from the other.
With the AeroPress, it’s pressure. While you won’t achieve anything close to the massive amounts of pressure generated by an espresso machine, you can produce a not insignificant amount of force with this trusty little hand brewer. It’s this pressure which allows for a faster and (some would say) more complete extraction.
The French press, on the other hand, allows for more complex flavors and aromas. Because the filter used is a more coarse and made of steel, many of the oils found within the coffee are retained. The resultant brew is generally tastier, more intense and more aromatic.
So if you’re after a cup of coffee with a stronger flavor profile, then the French press is your friend. If, however, you prefer a more rounded cup of coffee, then you can’t go wrong with the AeroPress.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
Learning how to make a good espresso can take you to heaven, even if the process to make one looks like rocket science. Watching a barista expertly grind beans, pack multiple porta-filters simultaneously, twist countless nozzles and coax steam, hot liquids and frothed milk from the hundred alien spouts of the massive machine in the coffee shop is an impressive spectacle, to say the least.
But we’re going to let you in on a secret – learning how to make an espresso isn’t the Herculean task that many consider it to be.
The truth is that in order to make a perfectly fine espresso, you don’t necessarily need the barista or the expensive machinery. Of course that’s one way to make it, but if you’re just looking to learn how to make espresso at home, there are way more cheaper and less cumbersome ways to go about it. We’ll get into the different methods below – but first let’s start with an explanation.
Regular Coffee vs Espresso: What’s the Difference?
To the untrained observer coffee and espresso look pretty much like the same thing. After all, they’re both dark, bitter, intense and beautifully-smelling liquids, and espresso, after all, is a form of coffee. But the main difference between your everyday cup of coffee and learning how to make espresso comes down to the way in which it is prepared.
Many other methods of coffee production rely on steeping coffee grounds in water and so take a lot of time to prepare, while espressos are made relatively quickly using a specialized espresso machine.
The fineness of the grinds is also a distinction which sets espresso apart from other styles of coffee. Espresso grinds need to be extremely fine in order to restrict the flow of water and build up pressure which is used to produce the final product.
Which leads to the question, what exactly is the production process behind a great espresso?
Learning How to Make Espresso Starts with Espresso Beans
Like most styles of coffee, one of the most critical variables for obtaining a great final brew is the type of beans used. When it comes to creating an espresso this rule is doubly true. In fact, the type of beans used for espresso actually taste entirely distinct from those used in ordinary coffee.
It all has to do with the way in which the beans have been roasted. Coffee beans come in a varied of different roasts from light-roasted to medium-roasted to dark-roasted. These roasts will yield different colored coffee beans, with each distinct roast being more suited to a specific style of coffee.
Espresso beans will almost always be dark-roasted (you can tell by the sheen on the beans before they are ground). The reason for this has to do with the fact that dark roasted beans contain the lowest acidity and have the fullest body. Dark roasts help the beans to retain most of their natural oils, meaning their flavor profiles are much stronger and more robust.
The emulsification of these and other oils in the coffee is what produces the crema on top of the espresso. Crema, for the uninitiated, is the white and creamy head on top of the final shot, which is a hallmark of a fantastic espresso.
You can find espresso beans just about anywhere, but below we’ve included a list of some of our favourites:
Now that you’ve selected the exact type of bean you want to use, it’s time to get down to the business of creating an espresso. And like any act of creation, it’s going to require some tools in order to pull it off successfully.
The first step in learning how to make espresso is to transform those beans in grinds. And for that you will need a grinder. Now the exact type of grinder depends on your needs, proclivities and budget, but since we’re assuming you’re not going to have an entire warehouse to dedicate to cumbersome, specialized coffee equipment, we’re going to discuss fairly compact grinders.
Grinders by and large are distinguished in two main categories – blade and burr. Blade grinders, as the name suggests, use blades to finely chop the beans into ever smaller pieces, while burr grinders utilize conical burrs and a static plate in order to crush beans into the desired grind. In terms of consistency and functionality, burr grinders almost always outperform blade grinders and so should be prioritized if you have the budget for them.
Again, the exact grinder you choose depends on your own needs, but here are some that we’ve found to be functional and effective:
While these grinders may seem like an unnecessary expense at first, they’re absolutely vital to achieving a fine enough grind for quality espresso.View them as an investment, especially if you’re serious about making coffee for years to come.
How to Make Espresso at Home: 4 Different Methods
You have your beans and you have your grinder, so how do you turn those into espresso? Luckily you have a number of different methods at your disposal when learning how to make espresso at home.
1- Espresso machine
If you want a method of producing consistently good espresso shots in large numbers, then it’s hard to go wrong with an espresso machine. Designed specifically for creating espresso, these machines are the ideal companion for any coffee lover. Choosing the right one, however, depends on a number of different variables.
Espresso machines work using extremely high pressure (between 7 and 10 bars) to rapidly push hot water through a tightly-packed “puck” of coffee. The flavor of the coffee is extracted swiftly and you’re able to enjoy the finished product in a matter of seconds.
Espresso machines tend to be a bit bigger and more expensive than other methods on this list; the reason being that they contain a lot more specialized parts than say, a moka pot or French press. That being said, you don’t have to blow your child’s entire college savings in order to purchase something halfway decent.
The Mr Coffee Automatic, for example, retails at $79 on Amazon, and is capable of producing hard-hitting espresso shots that hit lightly on the wallet.
For something a bit more upmarket, the DeLonghi Magnifica is a more complex machine capable of making multiple espressos at once, frothing milk, and also customizing precisely how you would like your espresso to be produced.
2- Moka Pot
If you don’t have the space or the money to invest in an espresso machine, then a moka pot is an innovative solution that produces strong, delicious and overall superb espresso. Invented by Italian engineer Alfonso Bialletti in 1933, the moka pot works by using heat generated by a stove to force hot, pressurized water through coffee grounds, resulting in delicious espresso every time.
The moka pot consists of a bottom chamber, a funnel and filter for holding coffee grinds, and the upper collection chamber where the finish coffee ends up. To make espresso using a moka pot, simply:
Fill the bottom chamber with water.
Pack the funnel and filter tightly with coffee then place over the water-filled chamber.
Tamp the grinds down with a spoon or other blunt object.
Screw the collection chamber on top of the filter, thus completing the moka pot.
Place over a stove or flame and wait until you hear the coffee liquid begin to bubble up through the spout in the collection chamber.
Once the chamber is filled, turn off the heat and allow the coffee to settle for a minute.
You now have around six to eight shots of hot, delicious espresso.
The benefit of a moka pot is that they’re inexpensive, easy to clean as well as store when not in use, and they’re extremely durable. Investing in a decent model means you won’t have to buy another one for years to come. On top of that, the act of packing the moka pot and waiting for the coffee to brew is a very satisfying ritual that also fills the entire house with the smell of freshly-made coffee.
As far as making an espresso goes, utilizing a French press is not going to give you the most optimal results. That being said, it can still be used successfully to make some delicious tasting coffee, and if you’re a serious coffee drinker you should definitely have one in your coffee arsenal anyway.
Because the French press is usually used to make larger quantities of coffee, you’re going to have to tweak the usual process in order to adapt it to espresso production. The main difference in this regard is that you will be using roughly double the amount of coffee grinds that you normally would use with a French press. This will ensure that your coffee has the strong flavor and dark finish that espresso is renowned for.
Once you’ve got everything ready, simply follow these steps to make Espresso with a French Press:
Ensure that your coffee is ground very finely.
A good rule of thumb is that you’ll need about two tablespoons of beans for every one cup of water that you use.
Boil some water using a kettle and set it aside.
Remember that you want to use about double the amount that you normally would when making ordinary coffee.
Add the coffee grounds into the French Press.
Remember that you want to use about double the amount that you normally would when making ordinary coffee.
Add a couple of splashes of hot water to the grounds.
This will allow them to bloom and start the release of the coffee’s natural oils and aromas.
Add the rest of your water to the French press and let it rest.
Place the lid on top of the French press, but don’t put pressure on the plunger.
Simply let it rest there for about four minutes. The longer you leave it, the stronger the coffee will be, but it’s important not to leave it for too long or else you risk over-extracting it.
Press the plunger down slowly and consistently all the way to the bottom of the glass.
Don’t rush this step; slow, even pressure is the name of the game here.
In order to halt the extraction process, pour the coffee into a separate container.
From here your French press-made espresso is ready to serve.
Enjoy!
If you’re not sure what French press to buy, check out some of the best on the market below:
It’s worth stating upfront that an AeroPress is never going to yield true espresso. While both espresso machines and AeroPresses utilize pressure in order to make coffee, the amount of pressure generated by an AeroPress is a fraction of that generated by a machine. For reference, a machine uses around 9 bars of pressure (640 pounds of force) and an AeroPress can generate a maximum of .75 bars of pressure (about 50 pounds or so).
That being said, it’s not a lost cause. With some finely ground coffee, an AeroPress and some decent muscle power, you’ll still be able to produce a satisfactory and delicious shot of coffee at home. It won’t be true espresso, but it’ll be close, and still worth it if you can’t get your hands on an espresso machine.
In order to make a quality AeroPress espresso, grind your beans extremely finely, add them to the AeroPress and add some hot water. The next step is the crucial one – in an attempt to mimic the workings of an espresso machine you’ll want to plunge the coffee as hard as possible to generate as much pressure as possible.
The result should be a shot of strong, dark and intense coffee – not 100% espresso, but not a bad alternative either. If you’re too strong for your own good, you’ll probably also have a little bit of mess on your hands.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
Coffee has undoubtedly experienced a certain renaissance worldwide, and especially within the United States. It has occurred steadily over the last two decades and has brought us to the caffeinated frontier on which we now find ourselves. As the interest in coffee has waxed, the methods used to produce a good cup of coffee have themselves become more refined and complex.
Cue: The French Press.
While many caffeine addicts remain attached to their drip coffee machines, another type of café has made headway among the enlightened crowd.
It used to be that in order to produce a truly exception cup of coffee, you had to know a barista who had been in the industry for several years. But boutique coffee production has since shifted to the home. It’s more common than ever to find an espresso machine, mocha, french press or drip coffee maker alongside other high quality kitchen products, as coffee aficionados search for more ingenious ways to manipulate the flavour profile of different roasts.
This leads to a often-asked question within the coffee community: which method is the best for brewing coffee?
It’s a big question, and we’re going to try unpack it below by comparing two of the most popular home-brewing methods – the French press and drip coffee. We’ll be looking at exactly what constitutes each method, the history of their development, the differences in flavor and texture of the resultant brew, and some good tips on how to make some of the most fragrant, delicious and eye-opening coffee variants of each.
French Press Coffee: What is It?
If you’ve never heard of it, it’s understandable that the French press may sound like a complicated martial arts move, capable of rendering a person immobile and tearing the breath from their body. That’s only half true. The French press is neither a martial arts move, nor is it complicated – but it’ll still take your breath away every time.
The modern French press as we know it today is a simple construction consisting of a large glass, steel or plastic cylindrical beaker with a plastic or steel lid and plunger which fits snugly into the cylinder. The plunger is equipped with a fine mesh filter to capture all of the coffee particulates, but not liquids, as it moves downwards.
It might be worth mentioning the French press actually doesn’t even deserve to be called French. The machine itself was designed by a man called Paolini Ugo and patented by Milanese designer Attilio Calimani in 1929 – a group of Italians.
A French Press with the Plunger down – The Coffee is ready to serve
It underwent several design modifications by another Italian called Faliero Bondanini, who developed his own patent for the machine in 1958, after which its popularity spread across Europe.
And this popularity has continued to spread, with French press makers becoming a commonplace item in kitchens all over the world. This has resulted in a number of different names for the machine, depending on where you purchase it. In Germany, for example, they call it a Stempelkanne, or stamp pot. In South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, it’s known as a plunger, and the coffee it produces as plunger coffee. In France it is called a cafetière à piston, but often shortened to cafetière, which is what coffee drinkers in the UK and the Netherlands call it too.
Drip Coffee: What is It?
Unlike it’s francophile cousin, drip coffee is a little more straightforward to understand as a brewing method for coffee. Drip coffee involves placing a filter over a container, filling the filter with roasted, ground coffee beans and then pouring hot water through the mixture. The resultant concentrate at the bottom is what we know as drip coffee.
An Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
While many people will be more familiar with the drip coffee brewing process through the use of an automatic drip coffee machine, the more minimal, hands-on, pour-over method has become a vogue process in recent years.
Manual, “pour over” Drip Coffee brewing
Manual Drip Coffee brewing in process
Unlike the French press, making drip coffee gives you slightly less control of the brewing process, especially with regards to brewing time. The resultant flavor is also difference since the water passes through the grounds rather than mixing with it for an extended period of time. However, it’s also very easy to do, which is perhaps what has led to its rise in popularity.
French Press vs Drip Coffee: What Makes Them Different?
There are a couple of main differences between French press and drip coffee. The two big ones are the type of grind used, and the amount of control of the brewing variables each method affords you.
The French press requires a coarse grind since the grounds need to steep, whereas drip coffee requires a medium grind in order to let the water pass through it. Because both devices rely on filters in order to get an even and consistent cup of coffee each time, the grind of the beans needs to be just right.
Coarse Ground Coffee for French Press
Medium Ground Coffee for Drip Coffee
Then there’s the amount of control of the brewing variables which each method allows for. Since the French press gives you the freedom to add as much or as little coffee as you’d like, and steep it for ten minutes or ten weeks, it gives you way more control over the final flavor of the coffee. Drip coffee, on the other hand, is going to give you a fairly consistent brew every time.
The natural oils within the coffee bean is the factor most responsible for the particular flavor of the coffee, and it’s these oils which get filtered out when coffee is prepared using a drip filter. Drip coffee uses osmotic pressure to drive the coffee concentrate out of the beans, which can result in an over-extraction when robs the coffee of its essential oils. The French press does away with over-extraction by using a much slower brewing process. Here, the grounds and the oils within them, are not merely saturated and then discarded. Rather, they’re allowed to steep, and the water as well as the heat draws out the oils and retains them in the final brew. It’s this extraction which captures the richness and depth of flavor for which the French press has become renowned.
All of the above variables affect the taste to a greater or lesser degree. While drip coffee, especially machines, can produce full-bodied brews depending on the exact model you use, more often than not it’s going to be the French Press which produces a stronger, fuller-bodied cup of joe.
The Science Behind the French Press: Here’s Why It’s Not the Same as Drip Coffee
With many other coffee-brewing methods, hot water is poured through your ground coffee beans, and how finely you’ve ground your beans is going to determine how quickly this water passes through. This ultimately has an effect on the flavor, strength, and bitterness of the end result.
A French press works slightly differently in that the brew yield, grind size and brew time are not married to how much water passes through them. With a French press, you’re much better able to control all of these variables, which in turn will give you a lot more control with regard to the final brew.
Unlike the pour-over method, which using hot water to extract flavor from the grind pretty aggressively, a french press is all about going low and slow. It allows for an even saturation of the grounds rather than an uneven stream of water passing through them, which in turn makes for a more balanced flavor.
Is French Press Worth the Extra Effort?
It all depends on how pedantic you are about the flavor of your first cup of coffee.
For many people the ease and convenience of drip coffee is one of the main reasons that they invest in either a drip coffee machine or a set of pour-over filters. There’s something to be said about simply pushing a button, waiting for a couple of minutes and receiving a decent cup of coffee in the morning.
In the same breath, if you’re a coffee aficionado who understands the difference between dark roasts and light, prefers single origin compared to multiple, and knows how to coaxe the best and most delicate flavors from your grind, then going the full mile with the French press is going to undoubtedly appeal to you.
Fifteen minutes waiting time is a small price to pay for a full-bodied, velvety-textured cup of the dark stuff.
Making Coffee with a French Press
To make a cup of coffee using a French press, use the following steps:
Start by heaping as much ground coffee into the bottom of the beaker as you would like. It’s important that the coffee is fairly coarse; if the beans are ground too finely they’ll simply slip through the mesh filter and into the liquid.
Next, add enough hot water to the coffee and fill most of the beaker, but not all the way to the top.
Allow the coffee to brew for as long as you would like, and when it’s at a satisfactory strength, place the lid and plunger on the top of the beaker.
Push the plunger all the way down to the bottom of the beaker. Do this slowly; too fast and you’ll displace the coffee and it’ll spill everywhere.
Pour out a cup and enjoy your handiwork.
I’m a French Press Noob – What Gear Should I Buy?
If you’re new to the French press and unsure what to buy, then we’ve got you covered.
Perhaps the best overall French Press is the Chambord by Bodum. It’s a classic French press that can trace its design all the way back to the fifties, but that still uses the same manufacturing processes today. It’s of the glass and stainless steel variety and is perfect for one or two servings with a 12oz capacity.
For a more premium model and one less prone to breakage, the Freiling double-walled stainless steel French press is the one to buy. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but with a capacity of 36oz, you’ll be able to brew enough coffee for a party of five or six.
How to Make the Best Drip Coffee
In order to make a perfect pour-over drip coffee, we’ve put together a number of steps for you to follow below:
Start with a good grind. You’ll want to ensure that the grind is not too coarse or too fine, but somewhere in the middle.
For a single cup of pour-over coffee you’ll want somewhere around 23g of ground coffee.
Place the filter over your beaker or mug and prewet it with some hot water. This will allow the water to filter through a little easier while also removing a lot of the paper taste that filters can sometimes have.
Remove the water you used to prewet the filter, then place the filter back on top of your container.
Add the coffee grounds to the filter, then shake it around gently to even it out.
Boil 400ml of water, take it off the heat, then let it rest for around 30 seconds.
Pour just enough water to wet the grounds, then let the brew sit for 30 or 40 seconds. This process is called blooming, and it releases some of the gases trapped within the grounds. This allows for a smoother extraction, and will prevent the coffee having a sour taste.
Pour the rest of the hot water through slowly, starting in the center then working outwards and then inwards in concentric circles. If you find that water runs too fast, try using a finer grind, and if it’s too slow, try a coarser one.
Use a wooden spoon to gently stir the grinds and drain the last of the water.
Remove the filter, let the coffee sit for a moment, and then it’s ready to drink.
I’m Looking to up my Drip Coffee Game – What Gear Should I Buy?
With regards to drip coffee machines, the Bella 12 Cup Coffee Maker comes out on top. Not only is it affordable and stylish enough to fit in any kitchen, but it can brew consistently great cups of coffee in only nine minutes.
Can’t spring for French press? Here’s How to Make the Most of Your Average, Everyday Cup of Joe
If you’re not in a position to grab the latest and greatest French press just yet, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some steps you can take in order to up your coffee game to the next level. Coffee, after all, is about more than just the device used to brew it.
There are two important things that will change your morning coffee routine for the better: your bean and your grinder. Choosing a well-roasted coffee bean is the basis for getting the most delicious-tasting coffee possible. Of course, this is a matter of taste, so you’ll have to switch it up until you find one that you really like.
Now that you have the beans you’ll want to get a grinder. It doesn’t have to be an expensive electronic one with different gauges and measuring tools; a hand grinder will work fine. The important thing is that you have a tool that can produce consistent grinds that range from fine to coarse depending on your needs. Check out our favorites below for all budgets:
Hero Manual Coffee Grinder – For a no-frills grinding experience that won’t break the bank but will still produce a consistent grind, Hero’s manual coffee grinder is hard to beat.
KRUPS GX5000 Burr Coffee Grinder – This affordable electric grinder by KRUPS will let you get the precise grounds you need while still leaving some cash in your pocket for another bag of beans.
The Smart Grinder Pro by Breville – If you’ve got the money to spend and want the absolute best when it comes to grinding beans, the Smart Grinder Pro by Breville is hard to pass up. With over 60 grind functions and a design geared towards preserving the essential oils within the coffee bean, this machine is worth the price.
Martin Stokes hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys writing about all manner of things and can quote lines from films like nobody’s business. He moved to Berlin in 2015 and is working tirelessly at broadening his repertoire of bad jokes.
If you want a method of producing consistently good espresso shots in large numbers, then it’s hard to go wrong with an espresso machine. Designed specifically for creating espresso, these machines are the ideal companion for any coffee lover. Choosing the right one, however, depends on a number of different variables.
If you don’t have the space or the money to invest in an espresso machine, then a moka pot is an innovative solution that produces strong, delicious and overall superb espresso. Invented by Italian engineer 
As far as making an espresso goes, utilizing a French press is not going to give you the most optimal results. That being said, it can still be used successfully to make some delicious tasting coffee, and if you’re a serious coffee drinker you should definitely have one in your coffee arsenal anyway. 
It’s worth stating upfront that an AeroPress is never going to yield true espresso. While both espresso machines and AeroPresses utilize pressure in order to make coffee, the amount of pressure generated by an AeroPress is a fraction of that generated by a machine. For reference, a machine uses around 9 bars of pressure (640 pounds of force) and an AeroPress can generate a maximum of .75 bars of pressure (about 50 pounds or so).
In order to make a perfect pour-over drip coffee, we’ve put together a number of steps for you to follow below: