How to Determine the Right Heat Level for Siphon Coffee? Tips for Brewing Perfect Siphon Coffee

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The Difference Between Pour-Over and Siphon Coffee

When you're new to coffee, it can be difficult to understand the difference between pour-over coffee and siphon coffee. Although both methods use specialty coffee beans for brewing, there are significant differences in their preparation techniques and flavor profiles.

Characteristics of Siphon Coffee

Although siphon coffee equipment is standardized, the stirring rod and filter are important factors that affect different flavors. This is because the weight and feel of the stirring rod influence the barista's stirring frequency, while the filter affects the mouthfeel. For customers, the most significant difference is undoubtedly the temperature, as siphon coffee is brewed with "direct flame," making it relatively hotter than pour-over coffee when consumed - which is part of its charm.

Siphon coffee has a rich and full-bodied mouthfeel, which is actually one of its distinctive characteristics.

Brewing Method

1. Prepare 30g of fresh coffee beans, typically ground to about 3.5 on most electric grinders (coarse sugar size).
2. Add the coffee grounds, then stir gently.
3. After 30 seconds, perform a second stir.
4. Brew for another 80 seconds, then perform one final stir before turning off the heat. Turn off the heat and pour the coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Siphon Brewing Tips

How to Judge Heat Source and Bubbles?

As long as the water in the lower pot and the pot body can maintain a certain temperature that prevents internal steam from cooling, pressure will be maintained to keep the water in the upper pot. Therefore, only minimal boiling is sufficient. Moreover, there isn't much water left in the bottom pot, so only a very weak heat source is needed. When the pressure in the lower pot equals the pressure in the upper pot, theoretically there should be no bubbles at all. However, adding coffee grounds disrupts this balance, which can easily cause the water in the upper pot to flow back to the lower pot, ruining everything. Therefore, it's still necessary to maintain fine champagne-like bubbles in the upper pot.

What Constitutes Appropriate Heat?

When water is in the lower pot: the heat can actually be higher to accelerate water evaporation. If there's no shaking of the alcohol burner base, it should create a larger temperature difference layer, so the water drawn to the upper pot will be less likely to overheat. Before the water is completely drawn to the upper pot, reduce the heat source to let the hot lower pot cool slightly, then observe the bubbles. When the lower pot pressure stabilizes, the bubbles will appear as fine champagne bubbles rather than large boiling bubbles. This is the right time for the water to descend. As long as you can avoid large bubbles during the simmering process, it's basically the right amount of heat.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473