Demonstration of Incorrect Drip Bag Coffee Brewing Methods - How Much Water Makes Drip Bag Coffee Taste Good?

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Driven by the third wave of specialty coffee, people's demands for coffee taste have become increasingly sophisticated, with coffee flavors leaning more toward the inherent characteristics of coffee growing regions. Among these, pour-over coffee has taken the leading position. Additionally, drip coffee, being a simplified version of pour-over coffee, has gained widespread popularity for its convenience. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will share with you the important considerations when selecting drip coffee.

What is Drip Coffee?

Drip coffee and pour-over coffee are very similar. Drip coffee is essentially a simplified version of pour-over coffee, both belonging to relatively simple coffee brewing methods. It originated in Japan and gradually became known to everyone with the rise of the specialty coffee wave.

FrontStreet Coffee compares drip coffee to a simplified version of pour-over coffee because drip coffee involves grinding fresh coffee beans into suitable coffee grounds, then packaging them into filter paper bags, creating individual small packages. The weight of coffee grounds varies—FrontStreet Coffee's drip coffee typically contains 10 grams, making it very convenient to carry.

What to Consider When Selecting Drip Coffee

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned earlier, one small detail is that compared to pour-over coffee, which grinds beans right before brewing, store-bought drip coffee generally comes pre-ground. Therefore, the optimal flavor period for drip coffee is relatively short. Even if the drip coffee contains freshly ground coffee, its flavor will diminish over time as storage time increases.

Therefore, when selecting drip coffee, you should check the production date. Although drip coffee has a shelf life of 6 to 18 months, this is merely the expiration date for the coffee. What truly matters is the optimal flavor period. The optimal flavor period for drip coffee is generally about two weeks. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee suggests purchasing just enough drip coffee to last for two weeks.

How to Choose Common Drip Coffee on the Market

The final flavor of drip coffee is determined by the coffee beans themselves, so the type of coffee beans you purchase determines the flavor of your drip coffee. So how should you choose a suitable drip coffee for yourself? Here are some tips from FrontStreet Coffee.

Pour-over coffee beans can be divided into two types: single-origin beans and blend beans. Drip coffee beans can also be categorized this way. Single-origin refers to coffee beans from a single origin, typically named after their growing region, such as Yirgacheffe coffee beans, Guatemala coffee beans, etc. FrontStreet Coffee's drip coffee belongs to single-origin beans, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Sherry drip coffee, Mandheling drip coffee, Strawberry Candy drip coffee, etc. Blend beans, on the other hand, mix coffee beans from multiple regions to create desired coffee flavors through specific combinations.

Another tip for selecting drip coffee is to look at the flavor descriptions on the packaging. Words like citrus, cream, jasmine, etc., are used to describe the flavor profile of drip coffee. These are professional terms describing coffee flavors that you can use as references.

A third tip is to check the coffee bean processing method. The most common processing methods for green coffee beans are natural, washed, and honey processing. Washed processed coffee beans offer the cleanest and brightest taste. Natural processing adds aroma and sweetness based on washed processing, while honey processing provides the highest sweetness. If you're hesitant between these three processing methods, FrontStreet Coffee suggests starting with washed processed coffee beans, as they best represent the flavor characteristics of a growing region.

What Are the Wrong Ways to Brew Drip Coffee?

1. Brewing a full mug of coffee at once

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using 160-200cc of water for brewing drip coffee. Exceeding this amount will not only make the coffee weak but also extract undesirable bitter and astringent flavors. Therefore, if you prefer weaker coffee, you should stop brewing at 160-200cc and then add additional hot water to reach your preferred strength.

2. Continuing to soak the coffee bag in the cup after brewing

While soaking can indeed make the coffee stronger, it also extracts undesirable components like caffeine and bitterness.

3. Brewing the coffee bag like a tea bag

Pouring hot water into a ceramic cup and then dropping the coffee bag into it causes the water temperature to drop suddenly, insufficient to extract the delicious flavors from the coffee. We thoughtfully suggest using water at 90°C on the back of our packaging. This means letting 90°C hot water continuously pass through the coffee grounds to brew delicious coffee.

4. Thinking it's a waste not to brew the same bag 3-4 times

Drip coffee can only be brewed once. The coffee brewed at this time is full of wonderful flavors. If brewed more than twice, bitter caffeine will continue to be released.

Above are all the considerations you need to keep in mind when brewing drip coffee. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share the correct brewing method for drip coffee.

How to Brew a Delicious Cup of Drip Coffee

Step 1: Warm the Cup

Prepare your cup and first pour some hot water to warm it. The purpose is to prevent the brewed coffee from cooling down too quickly. Coffee flavors continuously change as temperature decreases, and if it cools too quickly, you'll miss many different taste experiences.

Step 2: Water Temperature

The brewing water temperature is very important. We recommend a temperature between 85-90°C. If the brewed coffee is too bitter, try lowering the water temperature. Conversely, if it's too weak or too astringent, you can increase the water temperature, but still within the 85-90°C range.

Step 3: Hang the Coffee Bag

First, gently shake the drip bag to let the coffee grounds settle, preventing them from scattering when you open it. Then pour out the hot water from the cup. After tearing open the seal on the drip bag, open the paper hangers on both sides, shake to level the coffee grounds, and finally hang it on the cup rim.

Step 4: Pre-wet

The amount of water for the first pour should be just enough to wet the coffee grounds—too much or too little will affect the flavor. Then wait 20 seconds for the coffee grounds to fully absorb the water. The coffee strength can be adjusted by the pre-wetting time—extending it to 40 seconds will yield stronger coffee.

Step 5: Pour Water

The second pour can fill the filter paper to about eight-tenths full. It's best to use a thin, steady stream of water. When the water level drops to the pre-wetting height, continue pouring to eight-tenths full until you extract 150-180cc. Once extraction is complete, you don't need to wait for all the water in the filter paper to drain—simply discard it.

Step 6: Enjoy Your Coffee!

Remember that you can taste different flavors as the temperature changes!

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473