Brewing Coffee in Zisha Pots: A Surprising Solution to Reduce Bitterness

The Changing Coffee Culture During the Pandemic

As the pandemic continues, people's coffee consumption habits have undergone significant changes. Many have gradually developed the habit of making their own coffee, finding healing in the coffee-making process itself. Consequently, the market has introduced various coffee brewing devices suitable for home use, such as various drip coffee makers, French presses, moka pots, American coffee machines, and small espresso machines.

However! I understand! Although many people have purchased the equipment, making a cup of coffee involves quite tedious steps and can be somewhat troublesome! Or perhaps you're motivated during the brewing process but lose motivation when it comes to cleaning, so the equipment ends up in a corner, becoming a gathering place for dust.

The researchers who develop coffee equipment understand this well! So they began researching devices specifically designed for brewing coffee that don't have too many parts! Recently, a company under Amazon Japan developed a device that appears to be a teapot on the surface but is actually used for brewing coffee. Its components are extremely simple—it just has a high-density filter screen installed at the spout to ensure coffee grounds don't flow out with the water. When cleaning, it can be thoroughly cleaned with just hot water!

The Innovative Design and Materials

Although the overall design appears simple, the pot's material inherently has the function of reducing the bitterness in coffee! The pot body uses the "Tokoname-yaki" (also known as Japanese purple clay) pottery technique with a 1000-year history. Its characteristic is the use of clay with high iron content. The firing process doesn't involve glazes, and after firing, it undergoes polishing, presenting a smooth and bright surface.

Because no glaze is used, it retains the porous and water-absorbing characteristics of pottery itself, effectively absorbing components in coffee that cause unpleasant flavors. At the same time, the interior of the pot has no corners, presenting a complete curved shape, which reduces the accumulation of unpleasant flavor components, allowing the material itself to better absorb these off-flavors in coffee.

The Science Behind Coffee Bitterness

Most of the bitterness in coffee is caused by two compounds: chlorogenic acid lactone and phenylindane. Both compounds are produced during the roasting process as chlorogenic acid decomposes. Light to medium roasted coffee mainly produces bitterness due to the higher content of chlorogenic acid lactone in the coffee beans. As the roasting time extends and the coffee beans are roasted darker, they will contain more phenyl compounds, and the higher the phenylindane content, the sharper and more lasting the bitterness in the coffee.

The structure of this pottery pot can effectively absorb these components that make people feel uncomfortable when drinking. At the same time, it uses the immersion method for coffee extraction, so as long as you control the brewing water temperature properly (90-91°C recommended for light roasted coffee beans, 88-89°C recommended for dark roasted coffee beans) and use the appropriate coffee-to-water ratio (if you're not sure how much to use, start with a 1:15 ratio for brewing, then adjust according to your own taste; the larger the ratio, the lower the coffee concentration) and steep for 2-3 minutes, you can obtain a cup of coffee with full flavor and overall cleanliness.

Brewing Tips and Techniques

If the coffee grounds steep for too long, the bitter taste will become stronger, so don't brew for too long—try not to exceed 3 minutes when using this type of pottery pot. When drinking, pour out all the coffee before tasting. Unlike tea, you cannot brew it a second time!

A Creative Alternative

Since Japan's Tokoname-yaki pottery pot can be called a Japanese purple clay pot, it means it has the same function as Chinese purple clay pots! Although the materials used are different, it can similarly reduce bitterness while preserving the aroma and flavor of tea/coffee.

So! When no one's paying attention at home, find a larger capacity purple clay pot, get a high-density filter screen, and secretly give it a try

(Don't say I taught you this)! Remember to clean it thoroughly and let it dry after use, making sure there's no coffee smell before putting it back in its original place!

Image source: Internet

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