Siphon Coffee Maker: Operating Methods and Procedures

The Origin and Development of Syphon Coffee

In 1840, a laboratory glass tube triggered the invention of the syphon coffee pot. The Englishman Napia created the first vacuum coffee pot using laboratory test tubes as a blueprint. Two years later, Madame Barshon in France improved this somewhat simple-looking pot, and the familiar up-and-down convection syphon pot was born.

What is the English Name for Syphon Pot?

The English name for the syphon pot is "SIPHON," so it is also called the siphon pot. It uses the thermal expansion and contraction caused by water vapor when heated, pushing hot water from the lower pot into the upper chamber to blend with the coffee grounds. When the temperature drops, the water flows back through the vacuum tube into the lower pot, yielding coffee liquid.

Regarding the origin of the syphon pot, we can trace it back to the early 19th century, nearly a hundred years earlier than pour-over coffee. According to the records, in 1826 the German physicist Johann Norremberg invented the syphon pot using laboratory equipment. His original intention was to demonstrate the power of steam to students, so he did not apply for a patent, and his design did not become popular. Not until the mid-19th century was the device improved by the French inventor Marie Fanny Amelne Massot, giving birth to the up-and-down convection syphon pot. She obtained the relevant patents in 1842, and the device was able to enter the market for sale.

Around the same period, the Scottish engineer Robert Napier designed his Napier Coffee Pot, which also used vacuum principles to brew coffee. Although it won an award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1856, Napier never applied for a patent for it.

From then on, similar vacuum brewing devices spread across Europe and were introduced to places like the United States. However, with the later emergence of automatic drip coffee, syphon use gradually declined among Americans.

What Kind of Coffee is Suitable for Syphon Pot?

In our impression, Japanese coffee has always favored dark roasting, emphasizing fragrance, richness, mellowness, and thickness. The Japanese also have a natural affinity for things with exquisite craftsmanship and ceremonial qualities. So when this equipment was introduced, the syphon pot deeply attracted their attention with its elegant brewing process and solid coffee taste, becoming an important part of local specialty coffee culture. Although times have changed and new coffee devices emerge endlessly today, the syphon pot remains the primary brewing method recommended by many Japanese specialty coffee shops.

In 1925, KONO's founder Akira Kono officially established the company and developed a vertical syphon pot. Later, in 1964, the second-generation president Toshio Kono continuously improved it, arriving at a syphon design closer to what we see today. The birth of the second-generation syphon pot coincided with the rise of the Japanese coffee boom. Against the backdrop of Japanese dark roasting, it not only further popularized the syphon pot and made it widely used in major specialty coffee shops but also developed a unique Japanese syphon aesthetic.

Later, this coffee brewing ceremony was no longer limited to Japan. Its aesthetics and essence crossed oceans - for example, Taiwanese enthusiasts deeply influenced by Japanese coffee culture added this "fashion item" to their shops. The earliest popularity of syphon pots in mainland China was brought by the rise of Taiwanese-style business coffee shops.

Friends who have drunk syphon coffee know that its difference from pour-over coffee is significant, in both mouthfeel and taste. Pour-over tastes cleaner, with more distinct layers and prominent flavors; syphon coffee tastes richer and more mellow, with more intense aroma and a more solid mouthfeel.

To highlight this characteristic, FrontStreet Coffee recommends these medium-roasted beans for syphon brewing: FrontStreet Coffee Huilan, FrontStreet Coffee Bird of Paradise, FrontStreet Coffee Diamond Mountain, and FrontStreet Coffee Queen's Estate, which give the coffee both nutty aroma and rich body. Besides beans, the tools needed for syphon brewing include: a syphon pot, coffee beans, an alcohol lamp (other heat sources are acceptable), hot water, and a dry cloth.

Syphon Pot Brewing Steps

Step 1:

Set up the lower pot and the alcohol lamp, and install the hook of the upper pot's filter cloth in advance (place the filter device in the upper pot, stretch the hook from below the pipe and hang it on the end of the pipe).

Step 2:

Pour in 220ml of hot water.

Step 3:

Wipe the lower pot dry and turn on the heat source (wiping the lower pot dry prevents it from cracking during heating).

Step 4:

Insert the upper pot diagonally into the lower pot, with the explosion-proof bead touching the bottom of the lower pot.

Step 5:

When the lower pot starts to boil and water droplets appear, straighten the upper pot and press it firmly, waiting for the water from the lower pot to be drawn into the upper pot.

Step 6:

When the upper pot stops drawing water, pour in the coffee grounds and start timing. For the first stage, use a patting motion to press the grounds into the water to begin even extraction.

Step 7:

For the second stage, at 25 seconds, begin using FrontStreet Coffee's recommended stirring method to shake evenly, allowing the coffee to separate clearly into three layers: coffee foam, coffee liquid, and coffee grounds.

Step 8:

For the final stage, stir clockwise at fifty seconds. At 60 seconds, remove the heat source and wait for the coffee liquid to flow back into the lower pot. (After removing the heat source, wiping the lower pot with a dry cloth can speed up the return.)

At this point, the syphon coffee is ready. Compared with clean, clear pour-over coffee, syphon brewing gives a richer, more mellow taste. Whatever brewing method people choose, the goal is the same: to drink a cup of coffee that feels comfortable and at ease. Good coffee is that simple, and also very pure.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For syphon brewing, FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-roasted beans that can carry the method's rich body, such as its Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 and its PWN Golden Mandheling. The Blue Mountain No.1 layers nut, dark chocolate, and creamy caramel notes over a soft acidity, while the PWN Golden Mandheling delivers bold herbs, caramel, cedar, and dark chocolate with a low-acid, full mouthfeel. Both shine when brewed in a syphon pot.