Nav: Home > Coffee >

Recommended Coffee Beans for Siphon Brewers_How Much Coffee to Use in Siphon Brewing_Siphon Coffee Price

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style ) Using a siphon brewer to make coffee is a test of technique, with strict requirements for time and water temperature. Just as there are several ways to stir siphon coffee, the method of adding coffee grounds also requires careful consideration. The most common methods include adding grounds first and adding grounds later, also known as

Siphon Brewing: A Technical Challenge in Coffee Extraction

Brewing coffee with a siphon pot is a test of technique, demanding strict requirements for time and water temperature. Just as there are various stirring methods for siphon coffee, the way you add coffee grounds also requires careful consideration. The most common approaches are pre-adding grounds and post-adding grounds, also known as bottom-add and top-add methods. Neither of these adding methods is absolutely right or wrong—they simply offer different advantages in control points. Now let's use Yirgacheffe Woka as an example to brew a pot of coffee using each of these adding methods.

Working Principle

The main principle of coffee extraction with a siphon pot is achieved through pressure difference. First, heat the water in the lower chamber until boiling, then insert the upper chamber, creating a high-pressure state in the lower pot. Due to the pressure difference between the lower and upper chambers, hot water rises to mix with coffee grounds in the upper chamber for extraction. When the extraction process ends, remove the heat source from the lower pot, instantly reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower chambers. The siphon effect between the upper and lower chambers causes the coffee extract to flow back to the lower pot. To speed up the return of coffee extract, you can wipe the lower pot with a damp cloth, which further reduces the pressure difference and accelerates the return flow.

Preparation

1. Add water to the lower chamber of the siphon pot. For making two servings of coffee, fill the water 5mm above the 2-cup mark on the siphon pot. Since the coffee grounds will absorb water, you need to add slightly more water if you want to achieve a two-serving coffee liquid.

2. Grind coffee beans for siphon brewing. Prepare 25 grams of coffee grounds (about 15g for a single cup). Use medium grind, with particles between the size of white sugar and brown sugar.

3. After adding water, remember to wipe the outside of the lower pot dry with a soft cloth. Don't leave water residue to prevent the pot from bursting during heating.

4. Fill the lower pot with hot water and heat with a gas stove. Generally, single-cup coffee uses about 180 grams of water, while double servings use 300 grams (coffee-to-water ratio 1:12).

5. Once all the above preparations are complete, start heating the water.

When the water reaches brewing temperature, install the filter cloth in the upper chamber. Make sure to hook it as shown in the picture below! Otherwise, when water from the lower pot rushes up to the upper chamber, the filter will be pushed open.

Pre-Adding Grounds

Pre-adding grounds means placing coffee grounds in the upper chamber first, then letting the water rise to the upper chamber. This method requires higher control over heat intensity. As the water rises, you must immediately adjust the flame to the appropriate size to avoid creating large bubbles that would disrupt the blooming process. Additionally, with pre-adding grounds, it's best to pre-brew a pot of plain water to test whether the filter screen is centered. If it's not centered, continuous large bubbles will still form. The advantage of pre-adding grounds is that it provides a gradual wetting process for the coffee grounds, reducing the number of stirring cycles needed for the first stir and better facilitating the blooming effect. However, temperature control is poorer, so timing the insertion of the upper chamber into the lower pot becomes particularly important. In other words, pre-adding grounds may seem simple, but it actually requires more practical experience compared to post-adding grounds.

Technique: Using Washed Yirgacheffe Woka

(1) When the lower pot water temperature reaches 90°C, pour in the grounds and straighten the upper chamber;

(2) After the water completely saturates the coffee grounds, perform the first stir and start timing. Adjust the flame to the appropriate size as the water rises to the upper chamber;

(3) After 30 seconds of blooming, perform the second stir;

(4) Around 50 seconds, perform the final stir, then remove the heat source to let the coffee liquid return.

Post-Adding Grounds

Contrary to pre-adding grounds, post-adding means waiting until all the water from the lower pot has completely risen to the upper chamber before adding coffee grounds. Before post-adding grounds, we have ample time to reduce the heat source to just enough to support the water in the upper chamber without falling back. Then we can adjust the position of the lower filter screen to keep it centered, and finally wait a few minutes to let the water temperature drop slightly. Generally, when water from the lower pot just rises to the upper chamber, the temperature will be around 90-95°C, so we can let the water temperature drop by about 2-5 degrees before adding coffee grounds. Typically, higher water temperatures result in more bitter coffee flavors and may even produce burnt tastes, while lower temperatures emphasize acidity and aroma. However, if the temperature is too low, extraction will be insufficient, reducing body richness and making acidity overly sharp. Therefore, choosing an appropriate water temperature based on the coffee being extracted is crucial.

Technique: Using Washed Yirgacheffe Woka as Example

(1) When the water temperature reaches 90°C, straighten the upper chamber. When water rises to the upper chamber, pour in the coffee grounds, stir, and start timing;

(2) Adjust the flame to the appropriate size. After 30 seconds of blooming, perform the second stir;

(3) Around 50 seconds, perform the third stir. After stirring is complete, remove the heat source to let the coffee liquid return.

Conclusion

Pre-adding grounds emphasizes high clarity, abundant and long-lasting aroma, with distinct flavors of lemon acid, citrus, and white grape juice. However, it requires high precision in control, and poor handling can easily lead to under-extraction or over-extraction with large deviations.

Post-adding grounds produces a richer mouthfeel, with more prominent mid-palate caramel and honey flavors. The clarity is relatively weaker, and the aroma is less prominent and elevated. Temperature control is particularly important.

Everyone should try both adding methods. After accumulating some experience, you can even choose different adding methods based on the characteristics of different coffee beans or different extraction requirements.

Recommended Siphon Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's freshly roasted single-origin siphon coffee beans—such as Yirgacheffe and Mandheling—offer full guarantees in both brand and quality, suitable for various brewing methods. More importantly, they offer excellent value for money. A half-pound (227 grams) bag costs only around 70-90 yuan. Calculating at 200ml per cup with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, one bag can make 15 cups of specialty coffee, with each cup costing only about 5-6 yuan. Compared to café prices that often reach tens of yuan per cup, this represents exceptional value.

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