Seven Ways The World Has

Brewed Coffee

Through The Ages For That Perfect Sip

It is right to say that coffee isn't just a drink; it's a craft, one that has been perfected over centuries. Whether considering age-old methods carried through time to contemporary techniques made for speed and accuracy, ways to brew coffee have been ever-changing, but the aim has always remained the same: achieving the perfect cup. The style you incorporate to brew your coffee decides its overall aroma, flavour, strength and body. If you are a connoisseur constantly on the hunt for the perfect brewed coffee, then read on; you will surely find the right technique among these time-tested and contemporary styles.

Pour-over is a manual brewing method that involves using a cone-shaped filter and a pouring kettle to extract coffee from ground beans. The results? Brewed coffee is clean and bright, with a distinct clarity of flavour. Pour-over brewers may be made of plastic, metal, glass, ceramic or even sandstone. It was invented by Melitta Bentz, a German housewife who was dissatisfied with the coffee brewing methods at her disposal. It is one of the most low-tech and fuss-free methods of brewing.

Cold brew involves steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold water for an extended period, usually 12-24 hours. The resulting cold brew coffee is less acidic and smoother than hot brewing, making it perfect for those who enjoy a mellow and refreshing coffee-making process. The process was pioneered in the 1600s by Japanese brewers, who had already been steeping tea in cold water, but Dutch traders inspired them to try it with coffee too.

Known as kaapi, South Indian filter coffee is made using this coffee brewing technique. It uses a traditional two-part stainless steel filter, which provides the rich coffee decoction. The top part of the filter has finely ground coffee, often with chicory, and when hot water drops down through it into the bottom chamber, it lends its signature flair to this rich coffee. The decoction is then combined with hot milk and sugar and poured back and forth between the tumbler and davara to provide a layer of froth on top. Popular in South Indian homes for generations, this coffee-making process converts a cup of coffee into a cherished tradition followed every morning.

An engineer named Alan Adler came up with an idea that involved using pressure and immersion to produce the perfect brew. In 2005, at Coffee Fest Seattle, he introduced a device made of a cylindrical chamber with a filter on the bottom and a cylindrical plunger. The AeroPress draws on the principles of the pour-over brewing method and the French press. This technique allows for precise control over brewing time and pressure, which can be adjusted to suit your personal taste.

Espresso is a method that uses extreme pressure to push heated water through coffee grounds. Espresso is normally prepared with an espresso machine, which is made of different parts like the boiler, group head and portafilter. To prepare espresso coffee, you have to put coffee grounds in the portafilter and press it before putting it on the group head. In this context, hot water will be pushed through the coffee grounds, providing a shot of espresso coffee. Espresso has a strong flavour and rich taste and, thus, is used for the preparation of different coffee drinks like cappuccino and latte.

The full immersion brewing method is characterised by this type of brewing, where coarsely ground coffee is steeped in hot water before being pressed with a metal mesh plunger that keeps all the grounds. It may come as a surprise that this kind of brewing device is commonly associated with France, while its origins trace back to Italy in 1928, when Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta patented the device. Since coffee is kept in contact with water for a longer period of time, fresh brewed coffee prepared this way contains more oils and gives a stronger taste than filtered coffee.

Turkish coffee is one of the most popular coffee brewing methods that doesn't use filtration at all, and it has been integral to Turkish culture since the 16th century. The coffee is brewed in a copper pot called a cezve and heated in a large bowl of sand over a fire. The sand allows for more evenly distributed heat. Instead of increasing the temperature of the coffee from the bottom or the top, you submerge the cezve in the sand to surround it on nearly every side.