5 different coffee brewing methods: Which one is for you?
There are plenty of different coffee brewing methods that can give us many different flavors and tastes. Also some of them are more suitable for a certain moment in our lives than other ones.
In this article we are going to analyze the function and results of 5 different coffee brewing methods to help you choose the best one for you: Nespresso & Keurig, French Press, Chemex, Nel Drip and Aeropress.
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5 different coffee brewing methods
Nespresso & Keurig machine style
French press
Chemex
Nel Drip
Aeropress
Which one should I choose?
Final thoughts
5 different coffee brewing methods
Nespresso & Keurig machine style
Machines such as Nespresso or Keurig are an excellent ally to those who are just starting in the home coffee brewing. These methods are designed with the objective that you don't have almost any way to ruin your coffee.
Essentially you have to put some water in the container, wait for the machine to heat up, insert the capsule and press start. Warning! Remember to put your cup to store the coffee that will start to flow.
This automatic coffee machine saves you the job of thinking and understanding which type of roast you need in your beans or the size of the grind. There is someone who had already made that and put it in a capsule.
The pros about this coffee method is that you can not fail and you always get the same result. The main cons are that the result is not so good, you can not explore many coffee varieties (just the one that the brand offers you in capsules) and it generates much more waste than other methods.
With the Nespresso & Keurig machine style you lose some freedom to innovate in your coffee. You will never be able to try different beans, different harvests, different roasts of the same bean or any other variation you want to try.
This brewing method is recommended for people who are just starting in coffee making or when you are in a hurry and want a pretty decent coffee in 2 minutes.
French press
Probably one of the most famous coffee brewers. The French press is ideal for those who love a strong and full body coffee.
It is composed of a jar, usually glass, and a mesh metal filter that when you push it down it takes the coffee ground beans to the bottom. This machine is very popular because it is very easy to use, and offers you a high and constant quality coffee in a short period of time. Here you can try different roast beans and grinds. It is transportable and has no need of energy (you have to preheat the water) so it's perfect for travelers. It is low maintenance and easy to clean up.
There is another interesting pro in the French press that many people don´t know, but you can texturize your milk in it for making some latte art.
The big disadvantage of the French press coffee brewer is that the glass jar is quite fragile, so you have to be careful while manipulating it.
The recommendation for this brew method is to use a coarse grind and a 5 minutes extraction.
Chemex
Chemex brewing is robably one of the most lovely and charming processes in coffee making. It is made from a glass jar which needs a filter, where you put the grounded coffee and pour over water. As the french press, it is also a manual process.
The result of making your brew in a Chemex is a light coffee without much body, so you must love that kind of beverage or you will hate this brewing method.
In the Chemex, water and coffee are not in contact for so much time like in the French press, so you will need a medium coarse grind if you want to have a proper extraction. You have to preheat the water and pour it over the grounded coffee that you have collocated in the filter.
If you love light and flavorful, clean and balanced coffee the Chemex is a perfect choice for you.
Nel Drip
The Nel Drip brew method shares many similarities with the Chemex. They are so similar that physically they work the same way, but the interesting part is that the coffee you get is pretty different.
In Chemex we use a paper filter, but in the Nel Drip a cloth filter. Believe it or not, this subtle difference is responsible for having such a different coffee.
The process is very similar, you have to put the grounded coffee in the filter and pour over some hot water. Then you will have the already brewed coffee in the glass jar.
Nel Drip coffee is strong and with some sweet notes and a much more thick beverage. These differences are because the cloth filter does not retain more oils from the coffee bean, giving the final drink a unique texture.
The principal disadvantage of this method is that you will need to use more beans to prepare a cup of coffee, so at the end is a more expensive brew than others.
Aeropress
This brew method is meant to be for the travelers and camping fans. With its small size and light weight you can take your aeropress to anywhere you want.
With this machine you can make high quality coffee with no electricity at all, you will just need your strength and hot water.
You have to put the grounded coffee inside the aeropress, fill it up with hot water, and press the machine over your cup. The liquid will go through a mesh filter and you will be rewarded with a flavourful oils coffee without any sediments.
There is one disadvantage on this product, probably the only one, that is that you can only make one cup of coffee at the time. It is almost like an individual coffee machine, that if you have to make many cups of them the first one is going to be completely cold when you finish the last one.
Which one should I choose?
There are no correct or incorrect answers for this question. You have to choose your coffee brewing machine according to your necessities. If you travel a lot and like to take your machine it is pointless to buy a Nespresso or Keurig, you should probably get an Aeropress. If you like stronger brews you probably need a French Press, Aeropress or a Nel Drip, while if you like softer coffee a Chemex would be a good option.
Final thoughts
There is no one machine better than the other, but a machine more suitable than the other in a determinate situation. Now you know five different coffee brewing methods, the differences in the results and the perfect context to use it. Which one would you choose next?