While crafting the perfect cup of coffee might seem like a daunting feat, if you are equipped with the best coffee equipment then you are already one step closer.
Is there such thing as a perfect cup of coffee? Many will argue that reaching perfection in general is impossible, but there are methods you can employ to try to get there. In “How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee” we delve further into this topic.
So, According to Experts, What Makes a Perfect Coffee?
There is no single defining characteristic that will make up a perfect cup of coffee. At least, that’s what two coffee professionals, Dan Pabst from Melitta and Giorgio Milos, a master barista for Illy believe. According to Pabst and Milos, there are two components that make up your coffee: how it was grown and how it was roasted.
How and where coffee is grown indeed is a big factor, so, you may want to learn more about how your coffee beans were grown first – then find sellers who sell coffee beans that are grown in that region. You can find more information on this topic in one of our latest blog posts: “Where Can I Buy Coffee Beans? How and Where To Buy Quality Beans.”
According to Milos, roasting also plays a role but doesn’t necessarily have a right or wrong level. It really boils down to your personal tastes.
The brewing method itself also boils down to personal taste. If you like the taste of coffee coming from the Turkish method rather than the espresso machine, then simply stick to the Turkish style of brewing.
At the end of the day, it really depends on what you want and your flavor preferences. However, especially if you’re new to making coffee, it may take some time before you can perfect your coffee.
9 Ways to Make Coffee Using Different Equipment
1) Espresso
Espresso is made by, well, espresso machines. Pressurized water is pumped through a chamber in the espresso machine; this presses your coffee beans through a special filter. After that, the ground beans are “squeezed”, giving us the bold taste of an espresso shot.
Manually working on an espresso machine may take some time and skills, which is not bad but simply takes time to learn. If you are looking to go the traditional route, one of the best introductory machines on the market is the Infuser by Breville. You can find it here. If you want to make an espresso without troubling yourself with the process, you can also purchase an automatic espresso machine. Nespresso makes two models that are great for any level of coffee knowledge. Here you can find the Vertuo machine, and here is the original from Nespresso.
Video tutorial: How to make a shot of espresso
2) French Press
The process of using the classic French Press is actually pretty straightforward: heat your water at an optimal temperature, grind your coffee beans, and then place them in your French Press machine. Let the grounds sit and become more absorbed, then, simply press!
The process might sound simple, but it will actually take some time before you can learn how to work the French Press accurately. In fact, even a slight mistake can hurt your coffee’s quality, so if you want to brew your coffee in the French Press, it’s important you take the time in learning it.
Here is a basic, but beautifully designed French Press that you can purchase straight from Amazon.
Video tutorial: Making coffee with a French Press
3) AeroPress
The AeroPress is a simplified version of the French Press. It was made with on-the-go people and travelers in mind.
The process is pretty much the same as that of the French Press: heat water at an optimal temperature, grind the coffee beans and then place them all in your AeroPress machine, and press!
However, unlike the French Press, it does not require much skill to use, but don’t be fooled; it can still give you quality coffee, just in an easier way than most other coffee products.
You can purchase an affordable and beautifully designed AeroPress here.
Video tutorial: How to use an AeroPress 101
4) The Sowden Softbrew
The SoftBrew is a relatively new invention. It was just invented a few years ago and is a hybrid between the French Press and the AeroPress. It acts like a French Press, and at the same time, it is a simplified version of French Press, just like an AeroPress. Like an AeroPress, you don’t need much skill to brew with the SoftBrew as well.
But perhaps, what really separates the Softbrew among them is its special filter – it has plenty of holes with varying sizes that almost every ground size (big to superfine) will perfectly fit.
You can purchase a Softbrew machine here.
Video tutorial: How to make coffee using the SoftBrew Method
5) Cold Brew
Just like espresso, cold brew is an extremely popular method of making coffee as well. And let’s be honest – at first, we thought that cold brew was simply about making cold coffee. That’s not really the case, it’s a much more in-depth process to reach a higher point of boldness in the flavor.
Cold-brew is very simple to make. It can give you a very rewarding and flavorful coffee, so, don’t think that simple means less quality. However, cold brew has a catch for you – it will take around 10-24 hours to finish brewing your coffee – yes, it may take you literally a day to make your coffee via cold brew! In making cold brew, patience is the game.
However, if you are truly patient enough, not only will you get a smooth coffee, but the coffee can last refrigerated up to 2 weeks, without losing its quality! So, your patience will indeed pay off.
You can purchase a great cold brew machine here!
Video tutorial: Watch how to make Cold Brew here
6) Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is one of the best, and also, most well-known coffees in the world. One of the best things about Turkish coffee is that it comes loaded with a punch – in other words, you’re guaranteed to have a boost of energy along with a bold, strong flavor.
Brewing using the Turkish method may take some learned skills, though. If you want to brew the Turkish way, you have to take the time to learn it before you can perfectly work on it. You can find a traditional copper Turkish coffee pot here.
Video tutorial: How to make Turkish Coffee
7) Cowboy Coffee
Cowboy coffee is a very interesting way of making coffee. This is for the travelers and campers who do not or forgot to bring portable coffee equipment but somehow manage to bring some saucepan, water, and coffee beans. Needless to say, they must create their own heating system, too!
Cowboy coffee also works well for anyone who does not have a coffee machine or simply doesn’t want to work with one.
Here’s how to make cowboy coffee: simply pour water on a saucepan, heat it until it boils, and then pour your ground coffee onto the boiling water. Remove them from heat and wait for a few minutes until they settle down and brew.
Once the ground beans settle down, pour your coffee into your mug – slowly and gently. Then, you have the cowboy coffee!
Video tutorial: How to make Cowboy Coffee
8) Pour Over
What separates pour-over from other brewing methods is that, with a pour-over, you can explore the subtleties of your coffee beans. What this means is that you can work more on its aroma and flavor.
In order to make a successful pour over you need an actual pour-over coffee maker, as well as filters. Chemex makes an awesome glass pour-over, and they also make filters to go along with it. You can find the coffee maker here and the filters here.
Video tutorial: How to make a Pour Over coffee
9) Nitro Cold Brew (or Nitrous Coffee)
As the name suggests, nitro cold brew or nitrous coffee is simply cold brew with added nitrogen for a creamier taste!
It is possible to do this at home if you want, but if you don’t, it’s best you just leave it to your favorite local coffee shop. For those who want to try out making their own Nitrous Coffee, check out the video below. You will need a nitro brew maker, which will come with nitrogen.
Royal Brew makes a relatively priced nitro brew maker that you can find here!
Video tutorial: How to make Nitrous Cold Brew or Nitrous Coffee
How to Guarantee Amazing Coffee Every Time
It will take practice and experimentation before you can get really great at making your coffee. But once you’re at that level, how do you guarantee that you will consistently make an amazing coffee every time? Here are some tips:
1) Buy whole beans
Do not buy pre-ground beans because they will have already lost much of their flavor and other characteristics due to oxidation after breakage. Buy only the best whole beans and, of course, make sure that they are still fresh.
You can check out all of our coffee bean offerings here.
2) Check the roast date
The roast date is different from the “use by” date. The roast date indicates the time since it was roasted. If you want to get the best out of your coffee beans, be sure that your roast date is around 1-3 weeks ago before you brew it. But the standard time for roast dates before brewing is around 2 weeks after roasting.
3) Don’t buy in bulk
Unless you own a coffee shop or have a big family who happens to love coffee as much as you do, don’t buy in bulk because, eventually, the rest of your beans will lose their freshness. Better buy what you can consume within a shorter amount of time.
You can check out all of our coffee bean offerings here.
4) Measure right
Some just do guesswork when it comes to measuring their coffee-to-water ratio, and that will hurt your progress in the long run. Measure from the very beginning and, if you happen to like a certain measurement, stick to it, unless you want to experiment, of course.
The standard ratio is 1:20, or 7.5g of coffee to 150 mL of water. You can go high, such as 1:30, or even as low as 1:14. The most important thing is, once you got your preferred measurement, stick to it.
You can find a coffee weight scale to use during this process here.
5) Be consistent
This is actually the key to guaranteeing an amazing coffee every time you brew – be consistent! The reason it is important to keep track of your brewing method (such as sticking to a certain measurement) is so that you can repeat the process again and again.
Once you’ve got your perfect recipe, simply stick to it and be consistent.
Ready to test out some of the best coffee equipment? Now that you know how to brew a great cup of coffee, check out our easy and delicious homemade coffee recipes. Check out our different beans here to get started.
