5 different coffee brewing methods: Which one is for you? Part 2
There are plenty of different coffee brewing methods that can give us many different flavors and tastes, and we analyzed 5 of them in a previous occasion.
In this article we are going to analyze the function and results of other 5 different coffee brewing methods to help you choose the best one for you: Moka, Turkish, Vietnamese Phin, Siphon brewer and Espresso.
Jump to the section:
5 different coffee brewing methods
Moka
Turkish
Vietnamese Phin
Siphon brewer (Belgian coffee maker)
Espresso
Which one should I choose?
Final thoughts
5 different coffee brewing methods
Moka
One of the most popular coffee machines because you can imitate an espresso pretty good without spending much money.
The moka brewing method uses some physics to prepare coffee. There are two chambers, separated with a filter full of grounded coffee. When you fill the bottom one with water and heat it over the stove, the steamcondansates throw the filter and extract flavor from the coffee. In the upper chamber, your beverage will be ready.
With the Moka pot you will get a full body and strong cup of coffee. Its pros are that it's cheap, resistant and you can travel with it.
The main disadvantages of Moka is that you can not brew a big amount of coffee at once and that you have to be very careful when grinding your beans, so you don't over or under extract them. If you want to know more about extractions, read this article.
Turkish
An unusual way of brewing coffee: boiling method. Usually you make coffee by percolation or immersion, but boiling the grounded coffee with water is not so frequent and that is why Turkish coffee is unique.
For the preparation you need a special pot called cezve, which contains a long handled wire mesh. There, the grounded coffee beans are mixed with the water and boiled for 10 minutes.
The result is a sweeter, stronger and very high caffeine cup of coffee. The strong taste, which many people find to be near to burnt, is a particularity that makes people love or hate Turkish coffee.
For preparing a Turkish coffee you will need a very fine grind in your bean. That's why the finest coffee grind, which looks like flour, it's called Turkish.
Vietnamese Phin
In my opinion the strangest brew method I saw. It works similar to other filter methods but the result is way different. With the Vietnamese Phin you will brew a cold coffee. Believe it or not, there is no way with this machine to brew a hot cup of coffee.
The Vietnamese Phin looks like a metal cup with a filter inside. You put your coarse ground coffee inside with boiling water. In there the extraction occurs and after that little drops will come out from the bottom of the metal cup. Those drops are so small, like a broken faucet, that coffee ends up room temperature.
This method is good for cold drinks. A very popular one is made with this coffee and some condensate milk, so if you are a sweet lover you will like it.
The big disadvantage is the impossibility of making a hot coffee and the brewing time. It can take you 10 minutes to complete all the process.
Siphon balanced brewer (Belgian coffee maker)
A very elegant and fancy way of brewing your coffee. This machine works with two chambers and a siphon. In one of the chambers (kettle) you have to put hot water, and in the other one (glass jar) your grounded coffee. With a burner you will heat the water from the kettle, the steam will travel inside the siphon while condensation occurs so the glass jar will receive the water and infuse with the coffee beans. Then, the kettle will do a vacuum effect, and the water will go through a filter inside the siphon. Brewed coffee will make its way back to the kettle. If you want a more detailed explanation of how the siphon brewer works, I recommend you to read this article.
The pros of the siphon brewer is that you can make a delicious coffee and also provide a show to your guests. It's mesmerizing seeing the whole brewing process. The cons are that it is a very big machine, fragile and hard to clean, so probably is not an everyday coffee.
Espresso
The king of all brewing methods. A machine that every coffee lover wants to have in their kitchen.
An espresso machine forces boiling water to go through the grounded coffee, creating an unique texture in the beverage. This gives us a full bodied coffee with the famous crema on the top, a strong flavor and intense aroma.
Although the espresso machine makes one of the best coffees in the world that can be used in many recipes there are two big disadvantages. The first one is the price. These machines are quite expensive if you want to buy a good one. The other cons is that it is a very difficult brew method, you need a lot of technique starting from the process of roasting and grinding the bean and the time of extraction in the machine. There is not much error range while using an espresso machine if you want a high quality coffee.
Which one should I choose?
As you can see in this comparison, there are several brewing systems which can give you a very different cup of coffee.
The decision of which coffee machine is very personal and it would depend on the results you want and the experience you have. If you like strong coffee but you don't have the money or the ability to deal with an espresso machine the moka will be the best option. If you like high caffeine coffees you must buy the Turkish, or if you are a cold brew fan probably the Vietnamese Phin is the most suitable option for you. If you already have an everyday machine and want something fancier, you can try with the siphon brewer to surprise your friends and family.
Final thoughts
There are no better and worse machines, just different brewing systems. Your job is trying to understand them so you can figure out which one will be more suitable for you and your tastes. Which of these brewing methods is your favorite?