Why is a Siphon Pot also called a Syphon Pot? How does Siphon Pot coffee extraction work and what type of coffee beans are suitable?

Siphon Coffee: The Mysterious Brewing Method

Siphon coffee, in many people's impressions, is like a unique piece of chemical equipment that often appears in period films and TV shows, giving it a somewhat mysterious aura. As a professional in the coffee industry, FrontStreet Coffee focuses most importantly on the usage of the siphon pot and the flavor characteristics of the brewed coffee.

The Structure and Extraction Principle of the Siphon Pot

The general structure of a siphon pot can be divided into an upper pot, lower pot, and a stand. The stand connects to the lower pot, serving to fix and support it. The lower pot is roughly spherical, allowing for even heating. The upper pot is cylindrical with a narrowing at the bottom, extending into a slender tube. A rubber ring is placed at the narrowing. When the upper pot is placed on the lower pot, the rubber ring creates a seal. When heating the lower pot, water generates steam, creating pressure that pushes water into the upper pot. The upper pot is where coffee grounds and water meet. When the heat source is removed, the coffee liquid returns to the lower pot, completing the siphon coffee process.

Heat sources generally include alcohol lamps, gas stoves, and halogen lamps. FrontStreet Coffee uses an alcohol lamp. The equipment for filtering coffee grounds mainly includes flannel filter cloths and round filter papers. Flannel is a more traditional siphon filtering material that can retain oils in the coffee, but it's more troublesome to use and clean. Filter paper is a modern filtering material that provides cleaner filtration, blocking fine particles (including but not limited to oils). If you're brewing for personal use and not making coffee frequently, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using flannel to experience the full flavor of siphon coffee. The bead attached to the filter screen prevents sudden boiling when the upper pot is inserted into the lower pot, and you can judge the water temperature by observing the small bubbles around the bead. Besides the siphon pot set and heating equipment, making siphon coffee also requires a stirring spoon and a wet cloth.

The extraction principle of the siphon pot is achieved through pressure difference. First, the water in the lower pot is heated to boiling, then the upper pot is inserted, creating a high-pressure state in the lower pot. Due to the pressure difference between the lower and upper pots, hot water rises to mix with coffee grounds in the upper pot for extraction. After the extraction process is complete, the heat source is removed from the lower pot, instantly reducing the pressure difference between the upper and lower pots. The siphon effect between the pots causes the coffee extract to flow back to the lower pot. If you want to speed up the return of the coffee extract, you can wipe the lower pot with a wet cloth, which further reduces the pressure difference and makes the coffee extract return faster.

How to Use the Siphon Pot

To make a delicious cup of siphon coffee, you need to pay attention to some brewing details. Here, FrontStreet Coffee uses their own roasted FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Estate coffee beans to demonstrate how to operate it.

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: 90% pass-through rate with #20 sieve

Coffee Amount: 18 grams

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:10

1. Pour 180ml of warm water into the lower pot and wipe the outside dry with a dry cloth (to avoid pot breakage when heating). Light the alcohol lamp and place it under the lower pot for heating.

2. Take out the upper pot of the siphon, fix the filter cloth on the upper pot and hang the fixing hook on the glass tube wall at the bottom of the upper pot, then insert it diagonally into the lower pot.

3. Observe the lower pot. When continuous small bubbles appear in the lower pot, you can straighten the upper pot, allowing it to be inserted vertically into the lower pot, ensuring a seamless connection between the upper and lower pots.

4. When the water from the lower pot rises to the upper pot, pour in the ground coffee powder. Use a stirring stick to stir clockwise from outside to center for 10 seconds to ensure all coffee grounds are immersed in water.

5. Start timing. After 40 seconds, use the stirring stick again to stir clockwise for 5 seconds. Then quickly remove the alcohol lamp and extinguish the flame. The coffee liquid will start to flow back from the upper pot to the lower pot. During this回流 process, you can wipe the lower pot with a wet cloth to speed up the return. The total extraction time is approximately 1 minute and 10 seconds.

6. Gently remove the upper pot and pour the coffee liquid from the lower pot into a cup to enjoy. The siphon coffee made this way is very aromatic and rich. Although it's not as clear and clean as pour-over coffee, the oils floating on the surface add considerable richness.

What Coffee Beans Are Suitable for Siphon Pot?

In the past, because everyone mainly pursued rich and mellow coffee flavors and textures, when using siphon pots, the vast majority used medium-dark roasted coffee beans. The extracted siphon coffee has both rich aroma and a rounded, balanced taste. If you also pursue this flavor type, popular options on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list such as FrontStreet Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, FrontStreet Coffee Golden Mandheling Coffee, FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Estate Coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee Papua New Guinea Bird of Paradise Coffee are all very suitable for siphon pots.

Nowadays, as people pursue more delicate coffee flavors, there are more and more choices on the market. Besides the few mentioned above, all fifty single-origin coffee beans on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list can be used for making siphon coffee. Here, FrontStreet Coffee recommends several classic flavor-type coffee beans for everyone, and you can choose according to your own preferences.

Tropical Fruit Refreshing Sweet and Sour - Forehead Sun-dried Red Cherry Coffee Beans

This FrontStreet Coffee sun-dried Yirgacheffe coffee bean on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list was originally used for pour-over drip brewing. Coffee cherries with perfect ripeness retain their complete pulp and dry under sunlight, allowing the beans to absorb a large amount of fruit pulp sugar, resulting in very high sweetness and strong fruit aromas in the coffee. When FrontStreet Coffee daily extracts FrontStreet Coffee sun-dried red cherry using pour-over method, you can taste obvious ripe fruit sweetness and sourness, reminiscent of red berries, with a fermented tea aftertaste. Using siphon extraction, the black coffee presents ripe fruit flavors with pleasant sweet and sour notes, almost imperceptible bitterness, tasting like a cup of fruit tea.

Rich Fermented Fruit Aroma - FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Mozart Coffee Beans

Raisin honey processing retains 100% of the coffee's mucilage with zero water treatment. Mature, full fruits retain the mucilage layer for closed fermentation before drying, maximizing the sweetness of the coffee beans. This FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Mozart coffee bean recommended by FrontStreet Coffee presents rich rose aromas, raisin notes, and high sweetness of white wine when brewed with pour-over. Siphon-brewed coffee presents full tropical fruit sweet and sour notes with a rounded texture and pleasant acidity.

Refreshing Floral and Fruit Aroma - FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia花序 TOH Washed Champion Coffee Beans

This coffee bean comes from the Ethiopia Guji Uraga region. The geology of this area consists of nutrient-rich black soil, producing coffee beans with rich fruity aromas. The washed processing method highlights the clear floral and citrus flavors of the coffee. When FrontStreet Coffee uses this FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia花序 coffee bean to make pour-over coffee, it presents the fresh flavors of jasmine, citrus, and pomelo. When made into siphon coffee, it gains more rounded green tea notes, enhancing overall richness and cleanliness.

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