How to Brew Delicious Coffee with a Siphon Pot: Step-by-Step Guide to Making Siphon Coffee with Coffee Grounds

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How to Brew Siphon Coffee with Coffee Grounds?

Immersion extraction, as the name suggests, works by letting coffee grounds steep in a container with hot water for a period of time, dissolving and diffusing to successfully release the coffee's flavor and aromatic compounds, completing the extraction before any bitter flavors emerge. Compared to pour-over methods, immersion extraction has relatively fewer variables. Common immersion extraction devices include French press, siphon pot, and AeroPress. Among these, the most widely used device is the French press, because it's very simple to operate, doesn't require filter paper, and can quickly extract full-bodied, rich coffee, making it widely popular.

However, when using immersion extraction, it doesn't mean you can skip the filtration step. For example, the AeroPress requires filter paper or a metal filter to strain the coffee liquid; siphon coffee makers come with filters consisting of spring hooks, mesh screens, and filter cloths, though you can also use filter paper or metal filters. Different filters will also affect the flavor - for instance, AeroPress coffee made with filter paper will taste different from AeroPress made with metal filters. Because filter paper absorbs oils, AeroPress made with metal filters will have a fuller body; meanwhile, siphon coffee made with metal filters occasionally produces metallic notes, resulting in sharper-tasting coffee, whereas ceramic filters provide relatively smoother mouthfeel and are less likely to retain flavors.

Although this reduces the water pouring variables of pour-over methods, the choice and use of equipment greatly influence the final coffee character. Each brewing device has its corresponding brewing process, which includes various variables such as bean grind size, water-to-coffee ratio (the proportion of coffee to water), water temperature, and brewing time. To find your favorite flavor profile, you can start by setting different parameters for each variable, experimenting gradually to find the most suitable combination that consistently extracts your desired flavors.

The mouthfeel of siphon coffee varies not only due to the beans themselves but also because of heat source application, creating differences in high, medium, and low temperatures during brewing, thus generating rich flavor variations. When drinking, the first sensation is sweetness, with acidity emerging as the temperature slightly decreases; at high temperatures, the coffee aroma is very intense, and when the temperature drops to around 70°C, the inherent rich flavors of the coffee beans gradually fully emerge.

FrontStreet Coffee Shares Four Steps for Siphon Coffee Brewing:

1. Insert the Filter

First, place the filter in the upper chamber, pull the filter spring out from the bottom tube opening, hook it onto the tube base, then use the stirring rod to adjust the filter position to center it.

2. Heat

After connecting the upper and lower chambers, ignite the heat source to warm the water in the lower chamber. Continue heating until the water is pushed up to the upper chamber through thermal expansion and contraction of the air inside. At this point, observe the bubbles rising to the water surface - if large bubbles appear, it indicates the filter is not level. You can then use the stirring rod to adjust its position, ensuring a tight seal without gaps.

3. Add Grounds and Stir

When most of the hot water has entered the upper chamber, adjust to the desired heat level, then add the coffee grounds, start timing, and begin stirring. Stirring is a crucial part of the siphon brewing process, aimed at achieving even extraction. First, use the stirring rod to gently press in sections, letting the grounds sink, then stir in circular motions to dissolve the powder, allowing the grounds to contact sufficient water and release compounds properly. Perform a second stir at around 20-30 seconds. Continuous aroma will be released during brewing, with total brewing time approximately 50 seconds to 1 minute.

4. Stop Heating

After turning off the heat, the gas pressure decreases due to thermal contraction, and the coffee liquid in the upper chamber falls down through the siphon principle (another method is to wrap the lower chamber with a damp cloth to accelerate the thermal contraction reaction). After use, you can soak the lower chamber in hot water to remove residual oil stains. For thorough cleaning, you can use cleaning enzymes or baking soda.

FrontStreet Coffee Shares Tips for Brewing Siphon Coffee:

Heat control is the most critical variable in siphon brewing. In practice, alcohol lamps require adjusting the wick and are difficult to control; gas stoves provide strong heat but are prone to uneven heating - it's recommended to place the heat source to the side and move it frequently to adjust the heat level; halogen lamps provide the most stable heating state because they have no flame.

Important Notice :

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