Brewing Methods

This brings us to the differences in makers themselves. Just walk through the coffee maker aisle of a department store and you may instantly be overwhelmed with the choices available. Here we will discuss the most popular styles of coffee makers and the pros and cons of each, as well as addressing some of the lesser-known ways of brewing coffee.

• Automatic drip – this is by far the most common type of coffee maker on the market, possibly due to the fact that it is the easiest method for brewing coffee. In this type of machine, the coffee is placed in a filter and the water is poured into a separate compartment. An automatic heating element heats the coffee and sends the water through a hose into an area directly above the filter, where the water drips through the filter and into an awaiting carafe. There are several important variables between these styles:
  
  
  • Filter shape – there are two main shapes of filters: basket and cone. Cone filters are generally accepted to extract the coffee more effectively and drain more easily, since they are angled toward the hole that leads to the carafe. Basket filters operate on the same principle of brewing the coffee through a single hole, but lay flat on the bottom, which tends to be less efficient.
  • Carafe – most carafe’s used to be made simple of glass, but a new style of “thermal” carafes is emerging. The thermal carafes do have an advantage over glass carafes – they keep the coffee warm without the risk of burning the coffee. The recommended temperature for serving coffee is 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which most glass carafe makers attempt to maintain by having a hot plate installed directly under the carafe. This technique only keeps the coffee at the bottom of the pot warm, though, and prone to burn it, leaving a less-than-desirable taste in your freshly brewed coffee. The thermal carafe eliminates this risk by having a layer of insulation that allows the coffee to stay hot for longer. It is not recommended, however, that you transfer coffee from a glass carafe into an awaiting thermos – it would be better to simply remove your glass carafe from the hot plate and serve it immediately. (This is recommended anyway, since coffee begins to lose its flavors within 15 minutes of brewing.) To ensure that your thermal carafe maintains your coffee's temperature for the maximum amount of time it is recommended that you preheat it with hot tap water for up to five minutes before use.
  • Time and temperature – these are two of the main complaints about automatic drip coffee makers. They often don't reach optimal brewing temperature and brew the coffee for too long or too quickly to get your quality cup. Some make a half-pot of coffee that tastes great, but when you make a whole pot, the coffee is weak and lacks taste. Since this is not information you will often find on the box the product comes in, it is beneficial to do some preliminary research before taking the trip to the store. Websites such as coffeegeek.com offer product reviews and user comments so that you can make your own comparisons based on your tastes, uses, and yes, wallet size.
• Plunger pot – Also known as a “French press” or a “press-pot,” this maker makes a flavor-rich, full-bodied cup of coffee. The maker consists of a porcelain or glass cylinder as the pot, and a snug-fitting plunger which consists of a stainless, mesh screen. Making coffee using a plunger pot requires close attention to detail, but subsequently offers the most control. The process of brewing coffee in a plunger pot is as follows:
  
  
  1. Boil the correct amount of water, then pour it into the pot over freshly ground, slightly coarse coffee grounds.
  2. Shake the container and replace the plunger to the top of the pot.
  3. Allow the water to brew for at least 4 minutes.
  4. Slowly push the plunger down the length of the pot, filtering the grounds out by pushing them to the bottom.
  While this method allows for the greatest amount of control from the user, there are several drawbacks. One is that most can only make one or two cups of coffee at a time. Another is that the pot loses heat very quickly, so the coffee must be served immediately for best results. A third drawback is that it requires quite a bit of cleanup. While this method is highly recommended by experts for its superior results, it is up to the user to decide if it is worth the effort.
• Espresso machines – In the past, espresso machines were reserved for coffee shops and specialty stores. Recent developments, however, have created smaller, in-home espresso machines so that you can make coffee-house style coffee in the convenience of your own home. The at-home varieties operate on the same principle as their specialty-shop peers. Finely-ground coffee is placed in a “portafilter,” which is a small metal filter with a handle. The grounds must then be firmly packed, or “tamped,” using a tamper that is shaped to fit the size of the filter. The portafilter is then inserted into the “group head,” which is a hollow metal ring attached to the machine itself. With the portafilter firmly in place, a switch is then pressed that begins the magical and speedy process of brewing the espresso. While it appears simple on the outside, inside the machine water is forced through the machine with approximately 9 atmospheres of pressure (130 psi), extracting maximum flavor in minimal time. Good quality beans and proper brewing will top the espresso with crema, which is a light brown foam that rests on top of the coffee. While the flavor is quite strong due to its small volume, espresso actually contains less caffeine than brewed coffee, due to the fact that the water passes over the water so quickly, and caffeine is one of the last things to be extracted from the grounds.
• Pods – A relatively new development in coffee makers are pod coffee machines. Boasting quality plus simplicity, the “pod” is actually a pre-measure serving of ground coffee wrapped in a filter material and sealed around the edges. The entire pod is simply placed into the machine and water is filled in a separate compartment. With the flip of a switch, the water is heated and shot through the pod, out a spout, and into a cup. In addition to not having to measure your grounds, there is also no carafe to worry about – just the mug of your choice. This is a costly method – most pods are propriety and can only be used in the machine that shares its name – for example, a Melitta pod can only be used in a Melitta machine and must sometimes be ordered directly from the manufacturer. Though more recently preium coffee makers are making pods for different machines, while some aficionados make their own. The machines can only brew a maximum of two cups of coffee at a time due to a limited water reservoir, which is another drawback for some, and those who prefer coffee to be stronger or weaker than the average consumer do not have the option of measuring the grounds to their taste. Nevertheless, the ease and convenience, as well as the novelty of these machines have made them a growing trend throughout America.
• Vacuum pot – The original vacuum pot dates back to 1840 and is credited to the Scottish marine engineer Robert Napier. Using principles of science, the vacuum coffee maker consists of two glass bulbs, one balanced on top of the other, and a filter device separating the two. Water is poured into and heated in the bottom bulb, and is then forced up into the top bulb, where the grounds are added. The water continues to heat for about 4 minutes, and then removed from the heating element. At this time, the lower pot cools and pulls the coffee from the upper bulb to the bottom bulb, with the grounds being extracted by the filter. The result is a superior cup of coffee and a great aroma, as well as being entertaining to watch. Since the vacuum pot is only recently making a comeback, the technology is still quite expensive and has yet to be perfected.
• Turkish coffee – This method has several other names, including “ibrik” and “cevze,” which are Turkish terms, and “briki” and “mbriki,” which are Greek names. The brewing method is basically the same – a specialized container, often called an ibrik, is filled about two-thirds of the way full with cool water. If you desire sweetened coffee, sugar is added at this point. The water is heated on a stove and sprinkled with very finely powdered coffee (it is usually necessary to use a special “Turkish coffee grinder” to get the grounds fine enough). The coffee will float on top of the water, thus creating a seal that blocks the opening of the ibrik. The water continues to heat until it begins to foam up through the coffee. Once a thick foam has developed, the coffee is poured into a cup and the grounds allowed to settle.