What are the Characteristics of Siphon Coffee? How to Use a Siphon Coffee Maker

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Even when using the same coffee beans, different brewing equipment will result in variations in the final coffee flavor. The design of brewing equipment is also based on different fundamental extraction principles.

1. Steeping

This refers to the method of pouring coffee grounds into a container, thoroughly mixing them with hot water, letting it stand for a period before extraction. The degree of contact between the two will be affected by different grind sizes and water temperatures. Different finished products will also be extracted depending on the stirring of the coffee grounds and the speed at which the grounds separate.

2. Decoction

This refers to the method of mixing coffee grounds and water in a container and then boiling them. When the temperature rises to about 100°C, continued extraction becomes difficult due to the high temperature, and as the water begins to boil, severe turbulence may occur (Note 1).

*Note 1: When water passes through coffee grounds, it forms what's called turbulent flow. When the flow rate is low, coffee grounds and water don't mix easily, which is called laminar flow; when the flow rate begins to change and wave patterns appear, it's called transitional flow; finally, when the flow rate becomes larger and larger, making the layers less obvious, and even vertical flow situations occur, it's called turbulent flow.

3. Percolation

This involves directly heating a container (brewing chamber) containing ground coffee and using steam pressure to circulate hot water to extract coffee. When heated, water boils and rises, passes through the coffee grounds compartment, then flows out through a tube, repeating this cycle. At this time, grind size, water temperature, and circulation speed will all vary due to different contact times.

4. Drip Filtration

This refers to the simple method of pouring coffee grounds into a filter, pouring hot water over them, and collecting the extracted liquid in a glass pot or thermal carafe. This is one of the more common methods among recent improvements, including hand-drip (also known as pour-over). The concept of drip is extremely complex, with many different dripping methods and numerous related books, so it's hoped that everyone can choose appropriate tools based on their desired coffee flavor.

Hand-drip also has various brewing equipment, so different methods are used for extraction. The extraction principle is based on drip filtration, so the contact time caused by different flow rates is an important factor. At the same time, like other brewing equipment, it will be affected by different water temperatures, filter cones, and filter paper types, resulting in changes to coffee flavor.

5. Vacuum Filtration

The most representative is the siphon pot. This uses upper and lower glass vessels and combines the steeping extraction method. Affected by steam pressure, hot water moves from the lower glass vessel upward through the coffee grounds, then uses the pressure difference between the upper and lower vessels to filter and extract the coffee. The water in the lower vessel is heated and converted to steam form, and different degrees of steam release will affect the number of times coffee and water are saturated, bringing more variables. Different vacuum methods will affect its contact speed, while different filters and grind sizes will also cause changes in coffee flavor.

6. Pressurized Infusion

The representative beverage that made coffee popular among the masses is espresso. Because it allows us to drink extracted coffee more quickly, it has been widely loved by many people, and based on this, it has extended the coffee culture we know into daily life, creating countless coffee businesses. Espresso is a method that uses high-temperature, high-pressure water to pressurize and extract ground coffee. The concentration will be higher than drip coffee, with more aromatic compounds, emulsified oils, and dissolved solids. To fully recreate coffee flavor, fast and stable extraction time, as well as fine grind particles, are necessary, while extraction temperature and the amount of ground coffee are also contributing factors.

History of the Siphon Coffee Maker

In 1827, the year Beethoven died, an illustration of a siphon pot using glass on both upper and lower parts, resembling a distillation apparatus, appeared in a Prussian publication. Clearly, that was the predecessor of today's vertical siphon pot.

Even in 1827, the siphon pot wasn't exactly new - evidence shows that Anton Felix Schindler, who wrote the first biography of Beethoven, recorded in his biography that Beethoven had owned such a glass coffee pot more than a decade before his death and often used it to brew coffee. This shows that vertical siphon pots existed at least before 1827, but information in that era wasn't as accessible as it is today. People in different regions often didn't know if others had developed similar products. Additionally, the country "Germany" didn't exist yet; today's Germany was still divided into various city-states like Prussia, Bavaria, etc., so unlike Britain or France, it hadn't established its own patent system, thus lacking formal patent documents. In the literature, the first patent for the vertical siphon pot was truly commercially successful and obtained by French Madame Vassieux, née Massot, with patent number No. 13,013 (which also had a French crown-like sphere on top).

The siphon pot (syphon) is also known as a vacuum pot. In 1840, the Englishman Napier created the first vacuum coffee maker. Two years later, French Madame Bassen improved upon it, and the familiar upper-lower convection siphon pot was born. The siphon pot requires higher technical skills and more complex procedures, but it can extract the most perfect parts of coffee, especially when coffee beans have that refreshing, bright acidity, and the acid contains a mellow fragrance. The siphon brewing method can fully express these coffee characteristics.

FrontStreet Coffee's Suggested Siphon Pot Usage Method

Step 1: Pour hot water into the lower glass sphere

Bring to a boil over high heat and wait for the water to boil.

*Note: When brewing one cup, add 200cc of water to the lower sphere. If not pouring out the remaining water, 175cc is needed. For two cups, 350cc is needed. After pouring water, wipe the lower glass sphere dry with a cloth, otherwise it may cause the glass to crack.

Step 2: Install the filter into the upper sphere

*Note: Take the filter out of the water, clean it, and press it dry. Hook the filter's hook to the bottom of the upper sphere, then use a stirring rod to adjust the filter position to the center.

Step 3: After water boils, insert the upper sphere into the lower sphere

*Note: Turn to low heat, carefully place the upper glass sphere diagonally into the lower sphere. When you're sure the water isn't too rolling and won't splash out, press the upper glass sphere straight down slightly while rotating it simultaneously.

Step 4: When water rises halfway, add coffee grounds, start stirring, and begin timing

*Note: Use 15 grams per cup and begin the first stir. When stirring, don't make circular motions. Instead, move left and right, pressing the powder into the water from top to bottom, creating a collision of forces in two different directions. Don't stir for too long - just enough to disperse the coffee grounds.

Step 5: Perform a second stir at 25 seconds

Step 6: Perform a third stir at 55 seconds and turn off the heat at 60 seconds

*Note: For single-origin coffee, the brewing time is only 50 seconds (second stir at 20 seconds, third stir at 45 seconds). When brewing one cup, quickly lift the upper sphere after turning off the heat, pour out the remaining water in the lower sphere, then reinsert the upper sphere. This action is called pouring out the remaining water. If you don't want to perform this step, 175cc of water is sufficient.

Important Notice :

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