Coffee Brewing Methods: Is Your Coffee Brewer Just a Drip?

Each night, millions of us coffee lovers pile heaping tablespoons of our favorite gourmet coffees into those paper filters, fill the tank of our coffee makers with water and set the timer so that our coffee is ready and waiting first thing in the morning. For most of us, brewing up our morning cup of coffee is more than just a necessity, it is a matter of convenience.

But why would anyone spend good money on the finest gourmet coffee beans or fresh ground gourmet coffees and use just any home coffee maker.

So if you are like me and you enjoy the finest gourmet and specialty coffees available, then you must also believe that they deserve the best and most reliable coffee brewing equipment available.

Here is a quick list of the most popular coffee brewing methods & equipment starting from the best:

French Press The French press coffee maker (or press pot) is universally recognized as the best brewing method, allowing for the truest coffee taste and aroma. This method actually brews the coffee in the hot water (as opposed to drip machines which only pass the water through the coffee and a filter). After a few minutes of brewing, a metal filter is pressed through the brew catching the coffee grinds and then trapping them at the bottom of the carafe. What is left over is full-bodied coffee with all its aroma and essences.

French Press

One of the main advantages to using a French press, other than great coffee taste, is the amount of control you have. You can control the water temperature (which incidentally should be around 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that drip makers do not achieve), you can control the amount of coffee you want to add, and you can control the brew time. Four minutes of brew time and 30 seconds of "plunging" time is considered best.

Another great feature about the French press is that it is extremely portable and only requires hot water. You can take it camping or use it in places with limited kitchen space, like a boat or an RV. Some press pots can also be used to brew loose leaf teas in the same manner.

As an aside, you shouldn't leave your brewed coffee in the press-pot with the grounds after you brew it! Either consume it or transfer it to a carafe, preferably a thermal carafe.

Vacuum Brewer Vacuum brewers aren't very common, but they make coffee just about as well as a French press since the coffee and water are brewing together. A vacuum brewer has an upper and a lower chamber connected by a tube with a small filter inside. Coffee grounds are placed in the upper chamber, and water is placed in the lower chamber. As the lower chamber is heated, the water rises up to meet the coffee in the upper chamber where the brewing begins. After brewing, the water (now coffee) cools and seeps back down into the lower chamber leaving the used coffee grinds behind in the upper chamber. Ideally, the upper chamber is removed and the lower chamber is used as a decanter for the finished coffee.

Vacuum Brewer

Vacuum brewers can be electric, stovetop, or even used over a sterno can for dramatic tabletop brewing!

The Toddy Maker The toddy maker or Cold-Brew Coffee Maker uses an unusual cold-brewing method that creates a coffee concentrate. This concentrate is then mixed with hot water to make coffee. The concentrate can be stored in a refrigerator and used to make one cup at a time if you so desire. This method produces a low-acid coffee, which is doctor recommended for coffee drinkers with stomach conditions.

The Toddy Maker

Although this method of coffee brewing is sounds a bit odd, the result in taste is pleasantly surprising. One drawback is the amount of time it takes to brew. A good idea is to brew the coffee overnight. Once brewed, the concentrate can produce more than just one pot of coffee, so it's not a nightly event for a great cup of morning coffee!

Drip Grind Coffee Makers Drip Grind coffee makers are the most common and usual coffee brewing method that we are familiar with.

Drip Grind Coffee Makers

In this method, water is dripped over and passes through the coffee grinds and a filter and is caught by the coffee pot below. Despite being the most common brew method it also happens to be the one which produces a coffee brew with the least amount of flavor and aroma.

There are generally 2 filter options for the drip grind coffee makers.

Permanent filters : are just what they say, permanent. They are usually gold-plated so they don't add any unwanted metallic taste to your coffee, resistant to corrosion so they are dishwasher safe and economical because they don‘t need replacing. Permanent filters are preferred because they allow for better coffee taste as opposed to the second filter option, paper filters.

Permanent filters Permanent filters

Paper filters are the most common filter choice for the drip grind coffee makers. Unfortunately, paper filters can filter out more than just coffee grinds. Flavorful oils can be left behind in the filter and not make it to the finished coffee brew resulting in less coffee flavor and aroma. Since permanent filters allow for more liquid to pass through, the end result is a more flavorful cup.

Paper filters Paper filters

If you are one of these people, don‘t just splurge on gourmet coffee's, get a small French press maker, start experimenting and experience the truest coffee flavor & aroma in each cup. Since, mornings usually need to be made quick and simple, most people have never had their coffee brewed any other way. As you can see, the most common brew method happens to be the one which produces the least amount of coffee flavor and aroma.

Coffee Bean Roaster

The flavor and freshness of coffee is at its best when it is roasted in small batches at home. The coffee bean roaster is fast becoming a "must have" in today's kitchens.

It spells disaster for specialty coffee beans creating stale, flavorless coffee. Roasted coffee is very susceptible to oxygen damage when it sits on store shelves and in café bins for days or weeks at a time.

It is the beginning of a new era in coffee history and a major step in the return of great tasting coffee. Today, the coffee bean roaster is a coffee enthusiasts dream, bringing the freshness and quality of roasting fresh gourmet coffee at home.

Once you experience the flavor of fresh gourmet coffee like this you'll want to share it with everyone you know. You'll be surprised to learn how easy and fast it is to roast your own specialty coffee beans at home.

There are basically two types of home coffee bean roasters: fluid bed roasters and electric, radiant heat drum roasters.

Fluid bed roasters work like hot air popcorn poppers. They have a glass-roasting chamber so you can watch as the coffee beans are roasted and stop at the desired roast. These are good for beginners and a great way to get started in home roasting.

The radiant heat drum roaster is more like the professional coffee roasters use. These do not allow you to watch as the beans are roasted so you have to roast by smell or sound.

How about having a roasting party with friends or the family? Home roasting is a lot of fun. You can try some of the best coffees in the world and roast them just the way you like them. What's even more fun and tasty is creating your own custom blends.

So if you haven't tried home roasting, get ready for an amazing treat. Your coffee drinking experience will never be the same once you taste the fresh gourmet coffee you made with your home coffee bean roaster. "Enjoy"

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The Joys of Home Coffee

For those who have not jumped onto the home coffee brewing and roasting phenomena, what are you waiting for! There is no simpler joy in life than being able to control and enjoy the quality of your coffee and sharing it with friends and family.

One thing you will quickly realize is simply how much fun you will have by the simplicity of roasting coffee at home. And the rewards are just the tip of the iceberg. When you have all the processes at your fingertips, you can witness with your very own eyes the crackling of the coffee beans as well as it roasting.

You think you will only have fun once you can take your first sip? Not at all! During the roasting process you will be entranced by a rich and splendid fragrance that will fill your house! It's advisable to be near an open window or have a stove hood and oven fan for darker roasting methods. Also the darker the roast, the more fragrant and swelling the aroma will be so be prepared for that!

Conversely with lighter roasts you will still experience a great aroma filling the air, but not quite laid on as thick as with the darker roasts.

Commercial espresso machine analogous offerings and services are found at the author's site.

Commercial espresso machine analogous offerings and services

Folgers Coffee Pods: Great Way To Get Your Coffee Fix

What a better way to start the day than with a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. Want a quick, no-mess way to enjoy your favorite coffee before you have to rush out the door?

Folgers coffee pods bring the taste of classic coffeehouse coffee and a very easy way to brew java to the comfort of your own home. Coffee pods are quickly becoming the hottest new method for home coffee brewing, and Folgers coffee pods are leading the way.

It's also no coincidence that this system makes consistently a top-notch, single serving of coffee in under a minute. It's also no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. It's also no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. It's also no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. It's also no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. It's also no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. It's no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. This technology is an exclusive system that forces hot water through the ground beans at an extremely high pressure. It is an amazing technology that allows you to take the self-contained, individual Folgers coffee pods and turn them into a delicious pot of coffee that you'll be proud to share with your houseguests.

Choose a light breakfast blend, an afternoon pick me up strength, or the toe clenching, rocket fuel variety of brew. Pick from a cup size, for instance, of seven ounces, nine ounces, or 14 ounces. The Folgers coffee pods system also allows you the chance to customize the size of your cup of joe, as well as the strength of your brew.

Plus, a single cup of coffee means you won't have the face the problem of wasting an entire pot of coffee. The coffee pods are easy to clean up after, leaving no messy coffee grounds, soggy filters, or dirty baskets. It gives you a freshness every time you make java, which would only be attainable normally if you opened a can of coffee each time you brewed. What's more, the Folgers coffee pods system makes it easy to brew a precisely measured portion of coffee.

You can buy Folgers coffee pods in a variety of flavors, such as mild, medium, and dark, along with regular and decaffeinated varieties. Folgers also has its most popular roast blends, like Classic Roast, Classic Decaf, 100% Columbian, and French Vanilla. In the future, you may also be able to purchase pods that make cappuccinos, lattes, and many other hot beverages. Forget about the future for now, though. Jump on this delicious opportunity now, in the present.

A simple search on the web or in your favorite grocery or specialty shop will bring up plenty of great options to choose from, with more new ones coming all the time. Of course, Folgers isnt the only company producing coffee pods now.