How to Brew Coffee Like a Barista
Want to know how to perfect your brewed coffee? Maybe with a French Press? AeroPress? No, these aren't printing methods—they're coffee brewing methods!
Whether you like making your coffee in short, strong shots or you’re the type to enjoy having a dramatic process to prepare it, you can find out which brewing method is perfect for you in our list below!
Coffee Brewing Methods
- French Press
- AeroPress
- Cold Brew
- Moka Pot
- Hario V60 Pour Over
- Chemex
- Siphon Coffeemaker
- Ibrik
1. French Press
Most coffee enthusiasts begin their coffee journey with the classic French Press and we totally understand why! This classic plunger pot has been around for decades and includes a built-in filter, making the process simple and perfect for beginners.
How to brew coffee using a French Press:
- Put a tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee into the pot.
- Add hot water.
- Insert the plunger back in, making sure you press down slowly and steadily.
Some French Press loyalists say coffee brewed from this method is the best because it doesn’t need paper filters that absorb the oil (this is where the flavors are stored!) that comes from the coffee.
2. AeroPress
AeroPress is such a compact brewing device that it has become an essential for travelers who need to have good quality coffee wherever they go. The three most essential parts of an AeroPress are the plunger, chamber, and filter cap. An AeroPress also comes with a stirrer, scoop, funnel, filter holder, and filter papers.
How to brew coffee using an AeroPress:
- Place a filter paper on the filter cap and twist it onto the chamber.
- Place the chamber on top of a mug.
- Add one scoop of finely ground coffee beans.
- Pour water up to the “1” mark of the chamber.
- Stir for 10 seconds.
- Insert the plunger and press slowly.
- Remove the AeroPress from the mug as it has to be rinsed first.
3. Cold Brew
Making cold brew coffee is quick, easy, and beginner-friendly. Cold brew is coffee made by soaking coffee beans in cold water for hours. No heat is involved in extracting the oils from the beans, so the coffee produced becomes less bitter and acidic. Hario, a Japanese glassware company, sells quality cold brew pots in 600mL and 1L capacity so you can easily make your own.
How to brew Cold Brew coffee:
- Place coarsely ground beans in the strainer.
- Pour 500mL of water in the pot and secure it with the lid on top.
- Pop it in the fridge for at least 8 hours and remove the strainer before serving.
4. Moka Pot
Bialetti Moka Pot is of Italian origin. It’s a stove top coffee-maker which has three main parts when disassembled: the vessel, coffee collector, and the filter basket. It utilizes pressure to make water seep from the vessel upwards to the coffee collector.
Moka Pot is perfect if you want your coffee strong and espresso-like. Opting for Moka Pot rather than an espresso machine will also save you a lot of money!
How to brew coffee using Moka Pot:
- Pour hot water into the vessel.
- Place the filter basket on top and put in finely ground beans.
- Screw the coffee collector to the vessel.
- Place your Moka Pot on top of a stove, over medium heat. Pressure will build up which will cause water to rise and make coffee come out of the little hole in the coffee collector. When you hear “spurting” sounds, that means your brewing process is done!
- Remove the Moka Pot from the heat and pour coffee in your cup.
5. Hario V60 Pour Over
Ready to get geeky? Hario V60 is a pour over brewing device with a cone-shaped dripper at a 60º angle (hence the name). A complete set has the V60 cone, filter paper, a mug or serving vessel called a decanter, and kettle. Bring out your digital weighing scale, too, because brewing with this is all about precision, precision, precision!
How to brew coffee using Hario V60:
- Put a filter inside the cone and place it on the decanter.
- Pre-wet the filter paper first then discard the water to remove the paper taste in your coffee.
- Place the decanter on top of the weighing scale and add your medium or finely ground coffee beans (30g). There are several recommended coffee-to-water ratios for V60 but you can stick with James Hoffman’s “30g beans to 500mL water” ratio.
- Start the timer and add hot water about twice the weight of your beans (60mL). Add it in a circular motion, making sure all the beans are wet.
- Grab that decanter and give it a swirl!
- Rest for 45 seconds then add another 240mL of hot water.
- After 1 minute and 15 seconds, add the remaining water.
- Stir with a spoon to remove the beans on the sides of the paper.
- Give the decanter a final gentle swirl to even out the extraction.
- Wait for water to completely drain.
This may seem overwhelming but don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
Tip: A flat coffee bed at the end of brewing is an indication of a good extraction.
6. Chemex
We’re pretty sure you’ve seen a Chemex coffeemaker in one of your favorite artisanal coffee shops. It’s a stylish, hourglass-shaped vessel fastened with a wood or cork collar and leather tie. And because of its elegant design and architecture, it’s actually included in the collection of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art!
Chemex produces a cleaner-tasting cup of joe by filtering out a lot of oils to eliminate the bitterness of the coffee. Brewing with Chemex is quite similar to V60 since both are precise pour over methods; however, if you’re preparing for a larger number of guests, go for Chemex.
How to brew coffee using Chemex:
- Place your filter on the Chemex—3 layers should go on one side.
- Pre-wet the filter and discard the water.
- Put medium or coarsely ground coffee beans in the middle of the filter.
- Pour water twice the weight of your beans. Recommended coffee-to-water ratio is 1:10.
- Let it bloom—allow gas from the coffee to be released—for 30 seconds.
- Pour more water until it’s just a quarter of an inch below the brim of the Chemex.
- After 1 minute and 30 seconds, pour the remaining water in a circular motion to ensure the grounds are evenly soaked. Brewing should be done by 3 minutes.
- Remove the filter and pour coffee into your mug.
7. Siphon Coffemaker
Siphon/Syphon is also referred to as a vacuum pot. If pour over methods are not geeky enough, Siphon will make you feel like a scientist while brewing coffee because it has an upper and a lower chamber, a stand, and a burner. This gives the entire process an artistic and dramatic effect—like you’re back at the lab concocting something special!
How to brew coffee using Siphon:
- Secure the filter on the top chamber by latching the chain down the glass tube.
- Pour hot water in the lower chamber.
- Turn on the burner.
- Place the top chamber above the lower one.
- Once water starts to boil, lower the heat.
- Now for the fun part! Once you see the water rise to the upper chamber, add medium or finely ground coffee beans to the top chamber.
- Stir 10 times in a clockwise motion.
- After 1 minute and 45 seconds, turn off the heat, stir five more times, and watch the “draw down”. A “drawdown” is when coffee from the upper chamber trickles down to the lower chamber.
- Remove the top chamber and proudly serve that robust coffee born from a beautiful brewing process.
8. Ibrik
Ibrik is a pot with a handle that is used for making Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is not filtered, so this doubly roasts your coffee beans and brings out more of their intense flavors.
How to brew coffee using Ibrik:
- Use a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio. Put very fine ground coffee into the pot.
- Pour water slowly, ensuring the beans are soaked.
- Stir not more than 15 times so you don’t over extract.
- Heat a one-cup serving for about 2 minutes until foam has slowly reached the brim of the pot; lower the heat at this point.
- When the coffee foams up again to the brim, remove it from heat and pour coffee in your cup.
But first, coffee beans
Any of these good techniques will be no use if you don’t have good quality coffee beans. For delicious and quality local beans, check out these 12 brands for locally sourced coffee beans! Not only are you helping small businesses, but you're also supporting our local coffee bean farmers in the process. Trust us when we say you don't have to look far for good quality coffee beans - we've got a couple on Klook:
