The best ways to brew coffee at home are virtually endless. From simply pressing a button on a coffee machine to more hands-on techniques, there’s no one perfect way to make coffee that will suit everyone. Whether you’re a beginner, a home coffee aficionado, or a barista working in a coffee shop, the best ways to brew coffee depends on what works best for you.
Looking over the best ways to brew coffee is the best place to start your journey. Learning about the different ways to make coffee and understanding their differences, the expertise and techniques required, the final result each one produces, and considering each of these against your skill level and budget, you’re sure to know how to best make your perfect cup of coffee each time.
Using an Espresso Machine for Home Coffee Making
While it might not be flashy, the simple act of pressing a button on an automatic espresso machine is where most people begin their coffee brewing journeys, and where they should be starting too. Coffee at the push of a button might not seem like one of the best ways to brew coffee, but for simplicity and convenience this brewing process can’t be beat. It’s also a great place to first realise you love coffee enough to want to do better. Automatic coffee might not be much of a brewing technique, but it’s the perfect starting place for beginners who want to make espresso at home.
As a brewing device, the convenience can’t be beat as a means to make espresso. Whether it makes great coffee can be hit or miss and not something you have much control over, but for coffee on-the-go it truly is one of the best ways to brew coffee in a flash. If you can afford it, consider upgrading from an automatic espresso machine to an automatic drip coffee machine to transition to more complex techniques. The only caveats are cost, espresso machines can be cheap or good but not both, and the maintenance process. Properly cleaning your espresso machine regularly can be a pain and might be what inspires you to try new methods for brewing coffee.
Manual Espresso Makers
A step up from automatic espresso machines, manual espresso makers are among the next best ways to brew coffee at home. With no automation, it’s a great way to learn to brew a better cup yourself as you take control over every step of the process, from temperature control to to timing. It’s a perfect second step for beginners, or for artisans, aficionados, and coffee enthusiasts looking to understand ways of making coffee inside and out.
Learning to use a manual espresso maker takes dedication. If you’re a beginner, you’ll probably need a few weeks of practice to master the muscle memory needed for consistent espresso shots, applying steady pressure, judging extraction by sight and timing, and understanding how grind size affects the flow rate. The learning curve might seem steep, but the reward is exceptional control over every shot you pull.
Convenience Methods
While using espresso machines are the easiest way, there are other best ways to brew coffee that focus on convenience over quality. These methods prioritise simplicity and consistency, and are perfect for when you need reliable coffee without fuss.
Moka Pot
The moka pot, also known as a stovetop coffee maker, is basically a kettle designed to make specialty coffee. Water is heated in the bottom chamber, making steam that pushes water through the coffee grounds in the middle basket, and finally creating a ready to serve brew in the top chamber.
Pod Machines
Pod machines offer the ultimate in single-serve coffee convenience, but at several costs. They require pre-portioned coffee in sealed pods or capsules, eliminating measuring but requiring more trips to the store and leaving a massive environmental footprint. Not only do the pods themselves cost more than different coffee brewing methods, the coffee inside pods is often pre-ground weeks or months before brewing, resulting in less vibrant flavour than freshly ground beans. However, the consistency and speed make pod machines popular where convenience outweighs optimal coffee quality.
Pour Over Coffee Methods
The pour-over method, as its name suggests, involves placing your ground coffee beans into a filter, then pouring hot water over them to allow gravity to draw the water through the coffee at a controlled pace. Like using a manual coffee maker, it is one of the best ways to brew coffee requiring precise control over every aspect of brewing.
There are several different pour over coffee devices you can use, including the V60, Chemex, and Kalita Wave. Each has its own unique filter and slight variations in the cost and flavours, but the steps of using one remains the same for all. To make pour over coffee, place your filter in the device, and wet the paper with hot water to remove the papery taste. Then add your coffee grounds and shake them to level the bed. Next, pour an amount of water twice the weight of the coffee grounds in, and wait 30 seconds before pouring to serve.
Immersion Methods
Immersion brewing involves steeping coffee grounds in water, similar to making tea. Like pour over coffee this leads to a more full-bodied coffee with richer flavours, but with less precision needed it’s much more forgiving, making it one of the best ways to brew coffee for beginners taking their next steps. These methods are also more easily customisable, giving you greater control to change the dose size and steep time to suit your tastes.
Brewing with a French Press Coffee Maker
The French press, also called a plunger pot or cafetière, is one of the most popular coffee brewing methods worldwide. It consists of a cylindrical glass or stainless steel pot, and a lid attached to a plunger rod with a fine metal mesh filter at its base. The mesh allows oils and fine particles through during plunging, resulting in a richer mouthfeel.
AeroPress
An AeroPress is similar to a French press, but with two key differences. The first is that an AeroPress uses air pressure to push water through the coffee grounds rather than a mesh, which results in a quicker brewing time. Second is that its inverted design means the coffee grounds and water soak together for longer without dripping, resulting in even more control over the stepping time, and thus, the flavour profile.
Cold Brew Methods
Cold brew coffee is perfect for those who prefer an iced coffee or who like to prepare ahead of time. It’s also convenient for batch preparation and keeps for longer than hot coffees. Coffee grounds are steeped in cold water in a fridge, typically for 12–24 hours, but easily adjustable to your tastes. When finished, strain the coffee through a fine mesh or paper filter to remove the leftover grounds. The final product is often too strong coffee for most people on its own, and is best diluted with equal parts water or milk.
Japanese Iced Coffee
Japanese iced coffee, also called flash brewing, involves brewing hot coffee using a pour over method before pouring it directly onto ice. This method preserves the complex flavours that cold brewing can mute, but it doesn’t keep as long as other cold brews. It is best drunk right away.
Make Coffee at Home Like A Pro
At the end of the day, the best ways to brew coffee at home depends on you. There’s no one best way to brew coffee for anyone, and what’s best for you is going to come down to your tastes, priorities, and how much time you have.
Whichever method is the best way to brew coffee for you, it’s also going to come down to your skill level and technique. A barista course isn’t just for people looking to work in a café, it’s also for anyone who just wants to learn to make a better cup of coffee at home. You can also impress your friends and workmates. So to learn the best ways to brew coffee for yourself, enrol in coffee training today to enjoy the perfect cup every time!
FAQs
What is the Best Way to Brew Coffee at Home as a Beginner?
For absolute beginners who want quality coffee without any learning curve, automatic drip makers or pod machines provide reliable results with just the push of a button. The AeroPress offers the most forgiving introduction to manual brewing.
How Does Water Quality Affect Different Brewing Methods?
“Hard water” has a high mineral content which can slow extraction in espresso machines and leave scale deposits, while soft water (low mineral content) may under-extract coffee and taste flat. Water hardness test strips or digital tests can help you determine your water hardness.
What’s the Best Coffee-to-Water Ratio for Home Brewing?
A general rule of thumb is a ratio of 1:15 to 1:17 (1 gram of coffee for every 15–17 grams of water). Espresso recipes are stronger, typically around 1:2, while immersion and pour-over methods often fall closer to 1:16.
