surface bumps that create a sieve in the upper bowl’s glass tube, allowing liquid but not grinds to pass through. Most glass filters create an excellent pot of coffee, but they break easily.
Some antique vacuum coffee makers use cloth filters , which, in general, do an excellent filtering job. Also, modern, reusable cloths are an ecologically savvy choice. However, they are difficult to find and keep clean. Cloth tends to accumulate grounds and oils. When using cloth filters, discard if mold appears.
Some coffee buffs accuse paper filters of not letting all of the coffee’s flavors through. More accurately, paper holds back sediment and thus results in an ultra-clean brew. Some paper filters now intentionally have holes that resemble mesh filters’ holes, allowing comparable sediment amounts to pass. Paper does not prevent the passage of oils, the most important flavor component.
Some people claim that bleached paper filters gives the brew a bitter chlorine taste. Though most paper filters are bleached with hydrogen peroxide, this is flavorless and odorless. (When in doubt, rinse a paper filter in cold water before using it to remove any possible taste.) Unbleached paper filters do have a distinct taste and odor, which is difficult to avoid. For all-around flavor, use hydrogen peroxide bleached paper filters.
Each paper filter ends up in the trash after use, which raises some concern about their environmental impact. Weigh this against the impact of cleaning and caring for permanent filters. Paper filters break down in compost along with coffee grounds.
Illustrated Brewing Techniques
This section offers step-by-step instructions for several of the world’s most popular brewing methods, each of which has been thoroughly tested by coffee aficionados and should be a great starting point for the coffee newbie. Once you master the basics, feel free to improvise on your own.
A classic automatic drip brewer in action.
Manual Drip
To make manual drip coffee, tiny droplets of water flow over the coffee grounds and allow the coffee to drip through, extracting oils from the grounds as they pass. Gravity and the amount of grounds control the contact time between grounds and water. More grounds take more time through which to pass, increasing the brew’s strength.
Drip brewing requires a careful balance of variables. Grind fineness, batch size, and other factors must work together precisely to ensure that hot water drenches the grounds for an exact amount of time. This does not mean you can’t make great drip coffee; it just requires a more minute grind or formula changes.
Materials
Kettle
Stovetop
Fresh water, 6 ounces (180 ml) for every 2 tablespoons (10 g) whole bean coffee
Digital scale
Fresh coffee, 2 tablespoons (10 g) whole bean per 6 ounces (180 ml) water
Grinder set to medium-fine
Paper or mesh filter (see page 93 for recommendations)
Drip maker, one that makes the amount of coffee you like to drink
Thermometer, optional
< Manual drip brewing’s advantage is in the hands of the hot water pourer. You can literally steer the stream to ensure all the grounds are thoroughly submerged by piping hot water. The foaming on the fresh-soaked grounds is a sign of roasting freshness.
Expert Notes on Manual Brewing
Here are some tips for brewing manually:
• Time a batch. Pay attention to the moment the grounds get wet until the last drip of coffee enters the carafe. If the time exceeds seven minutes (including a one-minute break for initial grounds foaming and settling), coarsen your grind and repeat.
• Run water through bleached filters (which I recommend) before setting in the brewer to remove any possible chemicals used for whitening (usually hydrogen peroxide, not chlorine). This will prepare the filter for brewing and prevent even the slightest possibility that it will absorb your first coffee extracts.
• Watch the temperature. If you use a thermometer, pour water when it reads 200˚F (90˚C) instead of one
Some antique vacuum coffee makers use cloth filters , which, in general, do an excellent filtering job. Also, modern, reusable cloths are an ecologically savvy choice. However, they are difficult to find and keep clean. Cloth tends to accumulate grounds and oils. When using cloth filters, discard if mold appears.
Some coffee buffs accuse paper filters of not letting all of the coffee’s flavors through. More accurately, paper holds back sediment and thus results in an ultra-clean brew. Some paper filters now intentionally have holes that resemble mesh filters’ holes, allowing comparable sediment amounts to pass. Paper does not prevent the passage of oils, the most important flavor component.
Some people claim that bleached paper filters gives the brew a bitter chlorine taste. Though most paper filters are bleached with hydrogen peroxide, this is flavorless and odorless. (When in doubt, rinse a paper filter in cold water before using it to remove any possible taste.) Unbleached paper filters do have a distinct taste and odor, which is difficult to avoid. For all-around flavor, use hydrogen peroxide bleached paper filters.
Each paper filter ends up in the trash after use, which raises some concern about their environmental impact. Weigh this against the impact of cleaning and caring for permanent filters. Paper filters break down in compost along with coffee grounds.
Illustrated Brewing Techniques
This section offers step-by-step instructions for several of the world’s most popular brewing methods, each of which has been thoroughly tested by coffee aficionados and should be a great starting point for the coffee newbie. Once you master the basics, feel free to improvise on your own.
A classic automatic drip brewer in action.
Manual Drip
To make manual drip coffee, tiny droplets of water flow over the coffee grounds and allow the coffee to drip through, extracting oils from the grounds as they pass. Gravity and the amount of grounds control the contact time between grounds and water. More grounds take more time through which to pass, increasing the brew’s strength.
Drip brewing requires a careful balance of variables. Grind fineness, batch size, and other factors must work together precisely to ensure that hot water drenches the grounds for an exact amount of time. This does not mean you can’t make great drip coffee; it just requires a more minute grind or formula changes.
Materials
Kettle
Stovetop
Fresh water, 6 ounces (180 ml) for every 2 tablespoons (10 g) whole bean coffee
Digital scale
Fresh coffee, 2 tablespoons (10 g) whole bean per 6 ounces (180 ml) water
Grinder set to medium-fine
Paper or mesh filter (see page 93 for recommendations)
Drip maker, one that makes the amount of coffee you like to drink
Thermometer, optional
< Manual drip brewing’s advantage is in the hands of the hot water pourer. You can literally steer the stream to ensure all the grounds are thoroughly submerged by piping hot water. The foaming on the fresh-soaked grounds is a sign of roasting freshness.
Expert Notes on Manual Brewing
Here are some tips for brewing manually:
• Time a batch. Pay attention to the moment the grounds get wet until the last drip of coffee enters the carafe. If the time exceeds seven minutes (including a one-minute break for initial grounds foaming and settling), coarsen your grind and repeat.
• Run water through bleached filters (which I recommend) before setting in the brewer to remove any possible chemicals used for whitening (usually hydrogen peroxide, not chlorine). This will prepare the filter for brewing and prevent even the slightest possibility that it will absorb your first coffee extracts.
• Watch the temperature. If you use a thermometer, pour water when it reads 200˚F (90˚C) instead of one
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