You’re Brewing Coffee Wrong: 10 Experts Rank the Best (and Worst) Ways to Make Coffee


coffee It’s personal, and rarely two people do or handle it the same way. You may want a dark roast flavor or lean toward something delicate and complex. Some take it iced espresso-style with a drop of foam or lukewarm with skim milk (please, no).

Ultimately, the best cup of coffee is the one you enjoy, but making coffee is a matter of chemistry, and some brewing methods objectively extract more subtle, rounded flavors than others.

Someone pours coffee into a cup

Almost all the coffee professionals I consulted were in agreement.

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So, what is the best brewing device or method? According to the cadre of coffee professionals I spoke with, there is a definite answer. In total, I asked 10 coffee experts, including roasters, café owners, educators, coffee industry champions and a former president of the Specialty Coffee Association, to rank seven popular methods for brewing coffee.

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Competitors (listed alphabetically): AeroPress, automatic drip machine, espresso, French press, K-Cup, moka pot, and pour-over.

The best way to prepare coffee, according to experts

Press down by hand to release the coffee and pour it onto the machine

Pour over took first place by a healthy margin.

Harry

Although it was not completely unanimous, To pour It was the clear winner in the average overall standings. The good news is that pour-over is among the least expensive coffee brewing methods available, requiring nothing more than a manual kettle or other pour-over device and a funnel dripper with a cone filter that sits on top of the cup or carafe to catch the coffee. (You can definitely spend more money for a pour-over coffee kit.) On the other hand, well-brewed coffee can be a hassle and is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of approach.

Of course, pouring is the kind of thing that true coffee lovers will happily engage in, requiring precise timing and temperature, not to mention the patience required to supervise the progress of the drink. However, this may be complicated for those who need to take caffeine first to pay attention to these details.

Ranked grades:

(1 = best and 7 = worst)

  • To pour: 1.625
  • Aeropress: 2.375
  • Espresso: 3.5
  • French press: 3.75
  • Moka pot: 4.625
  • drip: 4.75
  • K cup: 6.625

Another method highly appreciated by coffee professionals

A person stirs coffee in a plastic immersion coffee maker

The AeroPress received high marks from the coffee experts I spoke with.

Aeropress

Although streaming had the highest overall rating, it wasn’t the only way the pro earned the top spot. Aeropress – An analog method that combines stirring, pouring and immersion French press The espresso press – had two helpers and came safely in second place overall.

Marwin Garcia, Owner Headcount coffeerated it as number one among the available options (though noted that other, less popular methods, such as an immersion brewer or coffee siphon, are also worthy contenders). The AeroPress’s brewing time is an adjustable variable that allows for personal preference in the brew, and it also emphasized the quality of the beans, noting the importance of any particular method.

“The overall flavor depends more on how fresh your coffee is,” he says. “As well as the level of roasting, as it may require longer brewing or steeping time to get the desired result.”

Among those who put it second to pour-over, Howard also points out that the AeroPress has a clear upside: “It has great clarity and versatility,” he says, “especially for travel or a quick cup.”

Espresso and French press methods have an advantage

Espresso shot on a small stainless steel espresso machine in the kitchen

Espresso and French Press were tied in a virtual tie for third place.

Corinne Cesarek/CNET

Espresso and French Press also received first place ratings from some coffee pros, and actually tied for third place in terms of trust among c.

Heather Perry, CEO Clutch coffeea two-time U.S. Barista Champion and former president of the Specialty Coffee Association, points out that espresso is what is used to measure a barista’s performance.

“It’s true that you need some specialized equipment and time to get the best results with espresso, but once you dial in your machine, the great espresso characteristics really shine,” she says. “Great, intense flavour, lovely creaminess and a great aroma too. Sweetness, acidity and bitterness all balanced in harmony.”

Those who preferred the French press pointed to its ritualistic nature and ability to easily make more than one cup.

says Bernadette Gerety, Vice President at the company The smell of coffee. “I’ve always preferred old-school brewing methods over new equipment because you can control everything, from ratios to flavor, without any waste,” she says. “It’s really easy to make your perfect cup with a French press. Plus, it’s fast, simple and satisfying – just coffee and water, no special buttons or chambers needed.”

Shot espresso in a cup with a white crema top.

“It’s true that you need some specialized equipment and time to get the best results with espresso, but once you dial in your machine, the characteristics of great espresso really shine,” said Heather Perry.

Pamela Vachon/CNET

“The French press hits all the boxes, allowing multiple cups of coffee to be brewed at a time, allowing others to enjoy the pot,” says Dave Linari, a former professional coffee roaster. New Silom Brewing. ““I find that the coarse grind of the bean and the coarse filter allow all the flavors and aromas to come through as the bean intended,” he says. “The filter allows the coffee’s natural oils and fine particles to remain in the cup, creating a richer texture and taste, and the whole system is a very simple and affordable piece of equipment, which you can use to froth milk too.”

Why coffee professionals love pour over

Consistency

kalitapourovercoffee-4.jpg

Pour-over brewing encourages control over precise variables, including temperature, flow rate, and stirring.

Chris Monroe/CNET

“With pour-over, a slow, deliberate pour allows for control over precise variables including temperature, flow rate and stirring,” says Theo Chan, coffee reviewer and editorial director of the magazine. Coffee roasting“To ensure even extraction and reveal the sweetness, acidity and flavors of the coffee.” (Agitation refers to the ability of water to circulate between the ground coffee during the brewing process.)

“Maximum control over variables equals consistency,” says James McCarthy, coffee roaster and head of education at Colombian coffee brand Devoción, who specifically recommends it. Origami pour over dripper. “Since you are using your own boiler, you can choose the water temperature and change the flow rate to your preference.”

“For a cup of black coffee, I would say pour-over is my favorite,” says Joe Howard, co-founder of the company. Yawn drink. “With pour-over, you can really highlight the unique characteristics of the coffee in terms of its origins. It’s a clean brewing method that gives you good precision in brewing the coffee.”

Suitable for grilling preference

Coffee beans are widely used

I spoke with one coffee expert who praised it for its ability to extract the delicate flavor of some roasts.

Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images

Michael Kramer, founder Lardera coffeeHe notes that the level of roasting is also an important factor in determining the preferred method. “I prefer my beans lightly roasted, and pouring the water by hand results in a more consistent extraction, bringing out their complex flavors and delicate aroma,” he says. “This requires more time and attention than other methods, but if you care about coffee, it’s a worthwhile investment. You’re giving up ease for consistency and flavor, which seems like a trade-off worth making.”

Liquidation considerations

The type of filter that the different methods rely on was also taken into account in the classification. Pour-over uses paper filters that remove oils, resulting in a cleaner, more nuanced flavour, highlighting the complexities of the coffee while being able to represent any roast level well,” says Megan Piolsi, director of coffee education and training at Pour-Over. Basra coffee. “It typically requires a little fine-tuning to get a great cup, but allows for complex adjustments for those who want to experiment and perfect their morning brew.”

Least preferred methods: Moka pot, drip machine, and K-cup

Moka pot on top of the stove, open but empty

Moka pots have a certain charm, but coffee experts rank this brewing method lower on the list.

Brian Bennett/CNET

While the Moka Pot — the stovetop method of brewing espresso — and the automatic drip machine received some middle-of-the-pack votes, the K-Cup was unanimously voted as the least favorite method by coffee pros. While Howard generously noted that it was “quick and tidy,” the consensus was that it “sacrifices flavor and texture,” allows for no modification, and produces unnecessary waste with every cup.



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