What is Drip Coffee? The Characteristics and Flavor Profile of Drip Coffee - Which Coffee Beans to Use

Coffee comes in many varieties, such as Americano, espresso, and pour-over. There's also another term: "drip coffee" - what kind of coffee is this? In fact, the most common drip coffee is pour-over coffee, and pour-over coffee is actually a type of drip coffee. Drip brewing is quite common in offices and homes because it's usually quite simple.

Drip coffee is typically made using a Hong Kong-style drip brewer or an American drip brewer (essentially pouring hot water over coffee grounds). Espresso, on the other hand, is made using fully automatic or professional semi-automatic espresso machines with 15-20 bars of pressure, creating a layer of coffee essence on top.

Drip coffee is a brewing method invented by a German. The Melitta coffee filter papers sold everywhere in supermarkets are from the brand founded by this German. The method of making drip coffee, simply put, involves grinding coffee beans, placing them in a funnel, and pouring hot water over them. Due to gravity, the coffee flows out from the bottom. (This would be more troublesome during space travel without gravity). In fact, most coffee makers on the market use this method to make coffee, just with electric heating. However, these electric coffee makers have a problem: most products don't have enough power, and the heated water temperature isn't ideal for brewing, often resulting in coffee with sour and astringent tastes.

The Rise of Pour-Over Coffee

Currently, the most common method for brewing drip coffee is pour-over coffee. This method typically better showcases the delicate and refined flavors of coffee, which is why people usually use pour-over to enjoy single-origin coffee. Unlike espresso, drip coffee has lower density and concentration without layering, offering a pure taste and consistent quality. This is because without pressure effects, hot water can more fully absorb coffee oils and aromatic compounds, resulting in a smoother coffee taste.

Manual brewing of drip coffee is also very simple and inexpensive. A decent coffee grinder that can grind coffee beans into relatively uniform particles, a kettle to boil water, and something to filter coffee grounds are all you need. There are many types of filters - some use filter paper, others don't. Filter paper is somewhat controversial. Some people feel that coffee filtered through paper has a cleaner taste, while using a metal filter often allows coffee grounds into the cup, which is unpleasant. Others think that filter paper removes flavorful oils from the coffee and adds an unpleasant paper taste. However, these taste disputes are purely matters of personal preference. I have no objections to either method.

Differences Between Drip Coffee and Espresso

What are the differences between drip coffee and espresso?

Espresso loses its original coffee flavor within ten seconds after being made, so people who order this drink usually finish it quickly. The former, however, maintains its flavor much longer. Many specialty coffees, such as lattes, are made with espresso as the core, but drip coffee cannot be used this way. In terms of portion size, espresso typically comes in single or double shots, meaning one or two ounces per cup. But drip coffee comes in small, medium, and large sizes. Regarding coffee beans, not all coffee beans can be used for espresso, but beans suitable for espresso can be used for drip coffee. As for grind size, espresso requires a fine grind (level 3), while drip coffee uses a medium grind (level 7 or 5, depending on whether the brewing funnel is conical or flat-bottomed).

The Importance of Water Temperature

The ideal brewing temperature for most coffee is between 88°C and 92°C. Different coffee origins, varieties, and roast levels will have different optimal brewing temperatures, but they generally fall within this range. If the water temperature is too low, coffee extraction will be insufficient, resulting in sourness. If the water temperature is too high, coffee will be over-extracted, leading to bitterness.

Light roast coffee beans highlight the floral notes and fruit acidity in coffee. FrontStreet Coffee uses 88°C water for medium-dark roasted beans in pour-over brewing. Medium roast coffee flavors are relatively balanced, with nutty flavors being more prominent. Dark roast beans emphasize richness and chocolate flavors, while medium-light roast coffee beans use 91°C water.

Understanding this principle, if you're using an electric coffee maker with relatively low power, you should try to choose coffee with lower acidity and darker roasts for brewing.

Manual brewing of drip coffee is also very simple and inexpensive. A decent coffee grinder that can grind coffee beans into relatively uniform particles, a kettle to boil water, and something to filter coffee grounds are all you need. There are many types of filters - some use filter paper, others don't. Filter paper is somewhat controversial. Some people feel that coffee filtered through paper has a cleaner taste, while using a metal filter often allows coffee grounds into the cup, which is unpleasant. Others think that filter paper removes flavorful oils from the coffee and adds an unpleasant paper taste. However, these taste disputes are purely matters of personal preference.

The characteristic of drip brewing is continuous extraction through constant water pouring. Besides being affected by time factors, the amount and height of water pouring are also factors that influence coffee flavor.

Drip coffee was the coffee that most people worldwide, except in Arab regions and the Balkan Peninsula, were accustomed to drinking before espresso became popular. This coffee has a much milder taste than espresso, which might be more acceptable for coffee beginners. Due to the complexity of espresso making, few people have mastered it well. So although espresso seems popular worldwide, to this day, more people still drink drip coffee. Especially at home and for personal coffee making, drip coffee remains the most traditional and easiest coffee to prepare. It has no layering, pure taste, and consistent quality. This is because without pressure effects, hot water can more fully absorb coffee oils and aromatic compounds, resulting in a smoother coffee taste.

Perhaps the relatively mild taste of drip coffee is more acceptable for those new to coffee, making it a common method for home coffee preparation. Of course, the choice between these two coffees also depends on your personal preference. Some people prefer the smooth texture of milk-based coffee, while others enjoy the pure taste of drip coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Methods

For example, FrontStreet Coffee frequently uses two types of drippers: one is the V60, and the other is the KONO.

The V60 is very suitable for emphasizing the acidity and floral aromas of coffee. Although it uses filter paper, the V60 can still retain a considerable amount of coffee oils, preserving richness. For example: FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Geisha coffee, and so on.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Sidamo Guji Parameters:

FrontStreet Coffee uses light roast for Ethiopia Sidamo Guji coffee. The coffee beans have a harder texture and require 91°C high-temperature water to bring out the floral and fruity flavors. FrontStreet Coffee recommends a medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve). Too coarse a grind cannot extract rich substances, resulting in thin coffee. Too fine a grind can easily over-extract at high water temperatures, resulting in bitter coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's specific brewing parameters are: V60 dripper, water temperature 91°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee amount 15g, medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate on China #20 standard sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee's segmented extraction method: First, use 30g of water to fully saturate the coffee grounds into a "hamburger" shape and bloom for 30s; For the second pour, at 1'00" on the timer, inject water to 125g, then wait until the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed before the third pour; For the third pour, at 1'40" on the timer, inject water to 225g, waiting for the coffee liquid to completely finish dripping. The total extraction time is 1'59". The total brewing time is 2'00". After coffee extraction is complete, gently shake to fully mix the coffee liquid before tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee Natural Sidamo Guji 5.0 Coffee Flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, with heavier caramel notes, the taste is rich and complex, with honey sweetness, cocoa notes with hints of spice, full body and long aftertaste.

The KONO is very suitable for brewing medium-dark roast coffee beans, able to highlight the rich, smooth texture of the coffee beans. For example: FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombian Huila coffee, etc.

FrontStreet Coffee Mandheling Brewing Parameters:

FrontStreet Coffee uses the KONO dripper for brewing Mandheling coffee. The KONO's ribs stop at less than half the height of the dripper. This design is actually intended to ensure that the filter paper adheres tightly to the dripper wall after wetting, restricting airflow. This increases the water absorption time of coffee particles, resulting in more uniform overall extraction and enhanced rich texture.

KONO dripper, 88°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee grounds, grind size (75% pass-through rate on #20 standard sieve), three-stage extraction.

Using segmented extraction, bloom with twice the amount of water as coffee grounds, i.e., 30g of water for 30 seconds. The blooming process is needed to allow coffee grounds to release internal carbon dioxide gas, making the later extraction more stable. Small circular pour to 125g for segmentation, continue pouring to 225g then stop. When the water in the dripper finishes dripping, remove the dripper. Start timing from the beginning of pouring, extraction time is 2'00". Next, take the entire cup of coffee and shake it well, then pour into a cup for tasting.

FrontStreet Coffee Lin Dong Mandheling Coffee Flavor Characteristics: Herbal, chocolate, caramel, overall quite balanced.

FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling Coffee Flavor Characteristics: Nuts, spices, herbal plants, licorice, chocolate, caramel.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations

Some people ask, what kind of beans should be used for pour-over coffee to taste better? In fact, FrontStreet Coffee believes that all coffee beans can be used for pour-over. As long as it's a coffee flavor you like, pay attention to details during brewing and practice more, and you'll definitely be able to brew coffee that you like and suits your taste!

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions:

Regardless of what kind of coffee you're brewing, the freshness of coffee beans is very important. FrontStreet Coffee has always believed that the freshness of coffee beans greatly affects the flavor of coffee. Therefore, the coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all roasted within 5 days. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

For friends who need ground coffee, FrontStreet Coffee kindly reminds: if coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for a resting period, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide in the packaging also helps round out the coffee flavor, so you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the ground coffee. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly because it oxidizes quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee flavor will dissipate relatively quickly, and the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh for each brew to better enjoy the coffee's flavor.

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473