5 different coffee brewing methods: Which one is for you? Part 3
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. That's why in Coffee Devotion we make this series of articles: 5 different coffee brewing methods. Which one is for you? Check out part 1 and part 2 also.
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: drip coffee maker, electric percolator, coffee bags, cowboy coffee and Espro bloom,
Article index:
5 different coffee brewing methods
Drip coffee maker
Electric percolators
Coffee bags
Cowboy coffee
Espro bloom
Which one should I choose?
5 different coffee brewing methods
Drip coffee maker
Probably one of the most popular methods, and the one we imagine in a typical American diner. Cheap and easy, drip coffee makers have their lovers around the world.
The main advantages we can point to this coffee maker is that you need almost no barista abilities to prepare a decent coffee. Just add water to the tank, a filter and grounded coffee and the drip coffee maker will do the rest of the job. Also, they are pretty cheap and durable so many people choose them.
Although those advantages, drip coffee makers have some negative aspects that make me avoid them. All of them are related to the final product. We can not deny that these machines are one of the most practical brewing systems, but if you are a coffee lover such as I am, probably you are not so happy with the cup of coffee you can get.
Drip coffee makers can hardly give us a memorable experience. Coffee tends to be pretty dull and with no personality at all. One of the worst aspects in my opinion is that this machine's warming plate heats coffee for long periods of time, so you certainly lose a big amount of flavors and aromas that a great coffee should have.
All in all, I think that drip coffee makers can be a good option to people that are not so exigent with coffee but want a decent cup of coffee with an easy process.
Electric percolators
Nice and not that popular brewing systems. Electric percolators are from the family of moka pot. Although the physics involved in this machine are pretty similar, the final result is different.
Electric percolators work by adding water inside the machine that works just like an electric kettle. You have a funnel with a filter, just like in a moka pot, where you put your grounded coffee. Steam goes through the funnel, condensates, and extracts coffee beans.
The main difference between a moka pot and electric percolator is that in the second one you need a coarser grind. This results in a different taste cup of coffee, mainly with less body. In this article you can learn about different coffee grinds and how they affect your cup of coffee.
Electric percolators are simple to use, and in 5 minutes can give you a nice and constant coffee cup without any effort. Maybe the worst part came with the cleaning process, where you will have to clean several pieces.
Coffee bags
Are they a machine? Probably not, but such a popular way of making coffee has to be in this series about 5 different brewing methods: which one is for you? (check part 1 and part 2).
For me, as a coffee enthusiast, coffee bags are a big no but we have to admit they have some good aspects.
If you don't know what I am talking about, this brewing system is literally that: a coffee in a bag.
Small porous paper bags filled with grounded coffee that works just like when you are using a tea bag. Grab a cup of hot water, put the bag in, and let it brew for a few minutes.
The big advantage is that you have to do absolutely nothing, you can take it in your pocket, you just need hot water, they are cheap and you will not have to clean anything.
Probably those pros can make you think that we are talking about the best brewing system in the complete world, but no. Real coffee lovers can't stand coffee bags. The idea of coffee being grounded several days (or even months) before brewing makes me sad. That's the main reason why it is quite impossible to make a decent coffee with coffee bags.
Cowboy coffee
Cowboy coffee is a nice, old and rudimentary way of brewing coffee. Certainly, this will remind you of Turkish coffee, but there are some differences in the final result.
For making Cowboy coffee you just need 4 elements: coffee, water, a pot and fire. Process is very simple, you put your grounded coffee with the water in the pot and boil it for about 2 minutes.
If you read the previous articles in this coffee machine series in Coffee Devotion you will think that it is almost the same as Turkish coffee, but the big differences are in two pints: grind size and extraction time.
While in Turkish coffee we use an extra fine grind and we have a long extraction, with the Cowboy brewing system we use an extra coarse grind and brew for just two minutes. This will give us a lighter coffee, with more acidity and way less caffeine. If you are interested in why this things change, here are some articles you should read:
Espro bloom
Espro bloom is an interesting and not so popular brewing system, which personally I love.
It is a pour over method where you put the coffee beans in a filter and pour some water over it, but there is one difference with other similar methods: the versatility.
Esrpo bloom lets you decide if you want to use a paper filter or avoid it. This decision will give you a very different final result. If you add a paper filter, oils will be retained there and you will have a lighter coffee. If you don't use it, oils will end up in the coffee cup, resulting in a much more dense drink. Personally I love the possibility of deciding which kind of coffee to brew every time you use the Espro bloom.
For this you need a fine grind and the time of brewing is around 2 minutes, in which you will get 1 or 2 cups of coffee.
Which one should I choose?
As we always say in this point, no correct or incorrect answers here. It is important to know how each brewing method works so you can use the one that is more adequate for you at a certain moment. It is very probable that you use more than one brewing method in your daily life, but just at different moments.