How to Make Drip Coffee? Portable Drip Coffee Brewing Guide with Illustrated Methods

A Simple Introduction to Drip Coffee

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Drip coffee, simply put, is the process of placing coffee grounds in filter paper and slowly pouring hot water over them, using gravity to filter and separate the coffee from the grounds.

It sounds simple, and it's actually quite simple to make. However, achieving excellence requires considerable knowledge and skill.

Required Equipment

1. Dripper

Currently, there are various types of drippers available on the market, made from different materials. In the past, the most common were approximately cone-shaped drippers with three holes at the bottom, commonly known as three-hole drippers. Before the rise of specialty coffee, these three-hole drippers represented the standard. Even the filter baskets in American coffee machines have the same design.

Later, single-hole cone-shaped drippers and round flat-bottomed drippers were developed. In recent years, cone-shaped drippers with smaller taper angles have appeared.

In terms of materials, you can find everything from plastic and ceramic to metal mesh. Recently, I even found equipment where both the dripper and the internal filter are made entirely of ceramic. Truly fascinating!

2. Filter Paper

Despite being called filter paper, the materials aren't limited to paper. There are also flannel filters and metal mesh filters. Different filter materials affect the coffee's taste profile. Filter paper produces a clean taste, flannel creates a full-bodied flavor, while metal mesh tends to allow fine grounds through, resulting in a relatively coarse mouthfeel. However, this can be considered closest to cupping conditions.

3. Pour-over Kettle

In the past, to control water flow, specially designed kettles with very long, thin spouts were used for brewing. These are what we call "needle-spout kettles." In terms of materials, they are mainly divided into stainless steel and copper. Their external designs vary according to different brewing techniques. However, in recent years, Japanese enamel pour-over kettles have become popular. Their features include specially designed spouts for better water flow control and materials that maintain water temperature.

4. Glass Server

This glass server is primarily placed under the dripper to collect the brewed coffee. You might ask: "Can't I just place a cup underneath?" I used to think that way too, and then often ended up with coffee overflowing... So the glass server is quite important!

It's even better if it has capacity markings. The selection principle is: it should stably support the dripper. The opening shouldn't be too large or too small. And importantly, it must be "heat-resistant."

How to Brew Drip Coffee

1. Fold the sealed edge of the filter paper, place it in the dripper, and position the dripper over the glass server.
2. Pour some hot water over the filter paper to wet it and make it adhere to the dripper.
3. Pour coffee grounds into the filter paper and distribute them evenly.
4. Discard the hot water that filtered through in step 2.
5. Use your finger to create a hole about one knuckle deep in the center of the coffee grounds.
6. Starting from the hole, slowly pour hot water at approximately 88-92°C (190-198°F) in circular motions from inside to outside, using just enough water to completely wet all the grounds.
7. Let it sit for 20-30 seconds (this is called the "bloom").
8. Continue slowly pouring hot water, moving from inside to outside, then from outside to inside, maintaining the water level at a consistent height.
9. Once enough coffee has been extracted, immediately remove the dripper without waiting for all the coffee in the dripper to filter through.
10. Pour the drip coffee into your favorite cup and enjoy it!

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

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