Glossary of Coffee Terminology: Brewing Methods

Glossary of Coffee Terminology: Brewing Methods

Coffee Glossary Table of Contents

Learn about all of the different coffee brewing methods.

• Aeropress: In this immersion brew, coffee is steeped for 10-50 seconds and then pressured through a filter by pressing the plunger through the tube. You can use either the AeroPress paper filters or thin metal filters in the shape of a disc.

• Automatic Drip: Water is fed into the automatic drip machine which then heats the water in a boiler and drains it onto a bed of roasted, ground coffee.

• Chemex: The trick with this brew is the infusion method and it is similar to drip coffee regarding body and taste. Chemex filters are 20-30% thicker than those used in other pour-over methods, which results in a slower brew and an exuberant coffee taste.

• Clever Dripper: The Clever coffee dripper is actually an advanced method of full immersion brewing that has a couple perks above the average pour-over method. You add hot water into the brewing vessel for a couple of minutes without placing this over the top of a coffee mug. While it steeps, all you need to do is wait until the brewing time is complete.Then, place the vessel onto a readied mug and let it drain your brewed coffee, and then enjoy.

• Cold Brew: A mix of water and ground coffee should be steered and left to cool overnight. The day after, before serving your cup, strain the mixture to remove the excess coffee.

• Cupping: Cupping is a way to taste, evaluate, and compare the flavor, quality, and aroma of a particular coffee or roast profile.

• Espresso: is brewed by forcing pressurized water near boiling point through a "puck" of ground coffee and a filter in order to produce a thick, concentrated coffee called espresso. Fun fact, the first machine for making espresso was built and patented in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy.

• French Press: This immersion method is named after the plunger pot invented in France in the 19th century, also known as melior, plunger coffee, press pot, etc. A container with a plunger and filter screen that presses hot water through ground coffee creates a rich earthy taste in your cup.

• Kalita Wave: Just like any standard Melitta cone, this version will have three drainage holes instead of one. Because it’s designed in Japan, the way that filters are placed into this cone increases and controls water temperature while the coffee drains. The result is a cup of coffee that is unmistakable from other pour-over methods.

• Moka Pot: A Moka Pot is known around the world as a Billeti - the brand that has swept this traditional method of brewing. A Moka Pot consists of three chambers: one for water (on the bottom), one for grounds (in the middle), and one for the finished blend (the top). When the Moka Pot is placed on the stove, it generates steam, which increases the pressure in the bottom chamber and forces water up through the chamber that contains coffee grounds. The pressure that's built up in the pot's chamber only reaches 1.5 bars of pressure, nowhere near the 9 bars of pressure an espresso machine produces. But regardless, it still produces a strong, tasty cup of coffee.

• Pour-over / Manual Drip: Drip brewing is done during the process of pulling cold filtered water out of a reservoir and then warming up the water with heat and pressure so it can be siphoned up through the machine. The hot water is, then, filtered down through the grounds so the freshly brewed coffee can pass through the paper filter and into the carafe making a refined nuanced beverage.

• V60: The V60 is the rather steep inverted cone shape which is how the V-shape angle of 60-degrees gave this coffee dripper its name. There is a plastic version, a ceramic version, a glass version, and a metal version. This is another pour over method of coffee, filter paper is inserted into the V shape and coffee grounds placed within the filter paper. The brewed coffee then drips into your cup, delivering a great coffee.

• Vacuum Pot/Siphon: Coffee is brewed by two chambers where the vacuum and vapor pressure work together to create a perfect cup of coffee. The Siphon works by heating and cooling the water gasses from the carafe chamber to the infusion chamber and back again until we get finely brewed coffee.

• Walkure: The Walküre is a German invention that’s been around since 1899. It is another type of pour over method and it doesn’t require paper filters. In using them the brewer will learn how ceramic filters can create a cleaner cup of coffee that still allows flavorful oils to give every fresh cup you brew a distinct flavor.