A Comprehensive Guide to Using Siphon Coffee Makers! The Complete Process and Methods for Making Siphon Coffee! Essential Safety Tips to Prevent Siphon Pot Accidents!

Introduction to Siphon Coffee

Although the siphon brewer hasn't become a mainstream coffee extraction method due to its complex operation and lengthy preparation time, there are still many coffee enthusiasts who are deeply fascinated by the siphon coffee brewing process (like FrontStreet Coffee~). After all, from a purely visual perspective, the experience it offers is truly unparalleled! Moreover, siphon coffee also has its own unique characteristics. So today, FrontStreet Coffee will share how to brew siphon coffee properly.

It's important to note that because siphon coffee brewing is quite extraordinary, before officially using it, we need to not only understand its working principle but also dispel some misconceptions about it, and recognize and avoid incorrect operations to prevent the risk of pot breakage during use. Once we're fully familiar with it, we'll find that siphon coffee brewing and the use of the siphon pot aren't as difficult as imagined, but actually quite enjoyable. So without further ado, FrontStreet Coffee will first guide everyone through the working principle of the siphon pot!

Working Principle of the Siphon Pot

Although it's called a siphon pot, it doesn't actually operate through siphon principle but rather through pressure differences created by thermal expansion and contraction! The siphon pot structure mainly consists of: a stand, lower pot, and upper pot. From the image below, we can see that the siphon pot's stand connects to the lower pot, providing fixation and support; the lower pot is mainly used to hold liquid and heat, roughly spherical in shape to ensure more even heating; while the upper pot is a cylinder extending from a slender tube, with a rubber ring at the contraction point of the tube - this is a very important core component.

The extraction process is quite simple. Initially, we'll fill the lower pot with water and heat it, then place the upper pot into the lower pot without sealing it tightly. As the temperature rises, water will expand and accelerate its transformation into water vapor. At this point, we'll seal the upper pot tightly, creating a vacuum state in the lower pot. Then these water vapors will compress the space in the lower pot, causing the hot water to continuously climb upward through the tube due to pressure. While the hot water remains in the upper pot, we can start adding coffee grounds to perform mixed extraction.

After extraction is complete, we can remove the heat source. Due to the temperature decrease, water vapor in the lower pot will begin to contract, and pressure will return to normal. At this point, the coffee liquid in the upper pot will start to flow back to the lower chamber, while the coffee grounds in the liquid will be blocked in the upper pot by the filter. When all the coffee liquid has flowed down, extraction is complete. (This is why the siphon pot is called a siphon pot - because of this siphoning action)

Misconceptions About Siphon Brewing

Since the most conventional approach to siphon coffee involves waiting until the water in the lower pot is frequently producing large bubbles before starting the extraction operation, this has led most people to believe that the extraction temperature for siphon coffee is 100°C. However, there are actually two misconceptions here. The first is that the extraction temperature for siphon coffee is not actually 100°C.

In traditional methods, although the lower pot is heated until it continuously bubbles, the hot water at this point has not yet reached boiling point, at most around 96°C, with bubble formation accelerated by the presence of the boiling chain. Then, when the hot water from the lower pot is transferred to the upper pot due to pressure, the water will lose heat due to the material of the upper pot and heat absorption from the surrounding environment. FrontStreet Coffee measured the hot water reaching the upper pot and found the temperature to be only around 92-93°C. Another misconception comes from the point where pressure difference forms - it's not necessary to heat water to boiling to produce water vapor and generate pressure. Water evaporates at any temperature, though the evaporation speed is relatively slower when temperatures aren't as high. If we seal the upper pot before frequent bubbling occurs, the hot water will still be pushed up to the upper pot, though the speed will be relatively slower.

This means the extraction temperature for siphon brewing is not fixed. We can decide the water temperature to use based on the set extraction time or the roast level of the coffee. For example, if we want a longer extraction time or are extracting light-roasted coffee that's harder to extract, we can use a higher temperature; while if we're extracting darker roasted coffee beans or want a shorter extraction time, we can let the water temperature be lower! The same logic applies to grind size consideration: longer extraction time, darker roast, coarser grind; shorter extraction time, lighter roast, finer grind. (But note that even the coarsest siphon grind will be finer than pour-over grind)

Siphon Pot Filtration Tools

In addition to the stand, upper pot, and lower pot, the siphon pot also contains a small accessory - the filter device connected to the boiling chain! The filter device can be fitted with different filters according to our preferences: such as filter paper, flannel filter cloth, or other filters (non-woven fabric). (The boiling chain has multiple uses, such as helping us better observe temperature changes and preventing violent boiling, etc. So initially, we need to properly place the upper pot)

In the article "The Difference Between Filter Papers is Greater Than the Difference Between Humans and Chimpanzees," FrontStreet Coffee explained that these material differences not only change water seepage speed but also determine the retention level of oils and particles in the coffee liquid. Filter paper has the highest precision, so when we use it as a filter, the resulting siphon coffee will have a relatively high cleanliness and strong flavor clarity. The disadvantage is that it's too clean, lacking the soul of siphon coffee (according to comments from friends in the comment section)! Therefore, generally when we make coffee for ourselves and don't mind the trouble, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using flannel filter cloth as the filtration tool for siphon coffee. The disadvantage of flannel is that it's expensive and relatively troublesome to clean. But the advantage is that it possesses the soul of siphon coffee - it can retain coffee oils and some particles in the liquid, giving the coffee richer aroma and fuller body.

Coffee Ground Addition Sequence

There are two ways to add coffee grounds in siphon brewing, divided into "pre-addition" and "post-addition." Pre-addition means adding coffee grounds to the upper pot before hot water enters due to pressure difference, then waiting for the water to rise for extraction; while post-addition refers to adding coffee grounds after the hot water has completely risen to the upper pot for mixed extraction. (The image below shows post-addition)

Each method has its advantages, but generally, FrontStreet Coffee would recommend beginners to use the post-addition method. This approach has fewer variables and results in relatively even coffee extraction. With pre-addition, the extraction degree of coffee grounds will vary due to different contact sequences with water, which can bring more layers but also requires higher understanding from the operator.

Siphon Pot Stirring Methods

When you purchase a siphon pot, besides the main siphon body mentioned above, it also comes with a stirring rod. This is because siphon coffee extraction is an immersion method, so stirring operations will be used during the brewing process.

There are many stirring methods, such as the tapping method, circular stirring, cross stirring, Z-shaped stirring, and even figure-eight stirring... Besides the tapping method, other stirring methods provide relatively strong agitation, which can significantly increase coffee extraction rate (specific results depend on stirring force and speed). The tapping method uses tapping to push coffee grounds into water, primarily aimed at fully saturating the coffee grounds. We can choose to use these methods based on our extraction approach - there's no restriction saying you can only use one method.

Ancillary Tools for Siphon Brewing

In addition to the two tools mentioned above, when extracting with a siphon pot, we also need to prepare two additional accessories - cloths and a heat source. We need two cloths in total: one dry cloth and one wet cloth! The dry cloth is used to prevent breakage! Before starting to heat the lower pot, we need to wipe away any moisture on the siphon pot's lower chamber, otherwise, due to the presence of moisture, the lower pot can easily risk breakage during heating; the wet cloth's purpose is to control the speed of coffee liquid回流 (return flow), which we'll discuss later, so we won't explain too much here.

There are many choices for heat sources, such as gas stoves, induction cookers, or alcohol lamps - anything that can generate heat will work. Common gas stoves and induction cookers can control heat intensity, with relatively fast and stable temperature rise, though costs are somewhat higher. While alcohol lamps have lower costs, they have smaller, less stable heat sources and longer heating times. But no worries, they all work! Use whatever you have, though FrontStreet Coffee suggests that when using alcohol lamps, it's best to add hot water rather than room temperature water to the lower pot, otherwise heating time will be really long! Well, these are all the essential knowledge points for siphon coffee brewing. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will combine practical operation to explain how siphon coffee should be made!

Siphon Coffee Brewing Method

Let's first understand the extraction parameters: FrontStreet Coffee will use a fast-paced extraction method this time, paired with a light roast coffee bean - Kenya Assalia! Therefore, the water temperature will be relatively high, around 92°C, meaning we'll seal when the lower pot reaches frequent bubbling; since extraction time isn't long, just 60 seconds, and the coffee beans are lightly roasted, we'll use a grind that's two degrees finer than pour-over - EK43 setting 9, with 90% passing through a #20 sieve; the coffee-to-water ratio is 1:14, meaning 20g of coffee grounds with 280ml of hot water. So first, let's prepare all equipment and pour the target amount of water into the lower pot.

After pouring, remember to use the dry cloth to wipe water droplets from the lower pot to avoid the risk of pot breakage.

After wiping, first install the filter device in the upper pot. The specific operation is to lower the boiling chain from inside the upper pot, then forcefully hook the boiling chain's hook onto the tube. This way, the filter device can tightly block the upper pot's outlet, preventing excessive coffee grounds from seeping into the lower pot! At the same time, it can effectively slow down the drainage speed.

After installation, we can place the upper pot on the lower pot, making sure the boiling chain can touch the bottom, then start heating.

When the lower pot starts continuously producing small water droplets, don't rush. Wait until the small droplets turn into large bubbles, then we can straighten and press the upper pot to create a vacuum state in the lower pot. Afterwards, just wait until all the hot water from the lower pot has run up to the upper pot, and we can start extraction!

Start timing as you pour in the coffee grounds, then begin our first stir.

The purpose of this stir is to fully saturate the coffee grounds, equivalent to the bloom in pour-over coffee, so we first use the tapping method, tapping all coffee grounds into the water to ensure even water absorption.

When the time reaches 25 seconds, we perform a second stir. The purpose of this stir is to accelerate the dissolution of coffee flavor compounds, so here we can use a technique with relatively high stirring intensity. For example, what FrontStreet Coffee currently uses is the Z-shaped stirring method, stirring the coffee grounds by drawing Z-shaped patterns back and forth for 10 seconds.

When the time reaches 50 seconds, we perform the final stir. The purpose of this stir is also to increase the dissolution of coffee substances, but the difference is that because we're in the final stage of extraction, there aren't many sweet and sour compounds left in the coffee, so we need to reduce the stirring force at this point. Like what FrontStreet Coffee currently uses is circular stirring, slowly drawing circles. At 55 seconds, we can remove the heat source and wait for the coffee liquid to return. If the coffee liquid return flow is very slow, we can accelerate the temperature decrease by wiping the lower pot with the wet cloth, thereby speeding up the coffee liquid return to avoid the risk of over-extraction.

When the coffee liquid has completely returned to the lower pot, extraction can end. At this point, the siphon coffee we pour out might be a bit hot, so we can let it cool appropriately before tasting~ After letting it sit for a while, FrontStreet Coffee tasted it! Besides Kenya's bright small tomato and plum sour notes, I also tasted brown sugar and apricot sweetness. The overall body is full and round. Although the layers aren't as distinct as pour-over, siphon coffee does indeed feel more substantial, with more prominent aroma - it's a completely different experience~

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473