How to Brew a Great Cup of Coffee with a Siphon Pot: Step-by-Step Tutorial Video Screenshots

Siphon Brewing Guide: A Complete Introduction to the Art of Vacuum Coffee

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The siphon brewer, with its laboratory-like appearance, is a coffee brewing tool that utilizes pressure changes and siphon principles created by steam to extract coffee. First appearing in Europe, the siphon's trademark was registered by French woman Marie Fanny Amelne Massot. Its exquisite spherical design marked the classic status of the siphon brewer, which has been widely used and appreciated by coffee enthusiasts worldwide. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will start with the extraction principles of siphon coffee, introducing you to this magical coffee extraction device.

Introduction to the Siphon Brewer

The English name for the siphon brewer is "SIPHON," so it's also called a syphon pot. It utilizes the thermal expansion and contraction caused by water heating to produce steam, pushing the hot water from the lower pot into the upper chamber to mix with coffee grounds. When the temperature decreases, the water flows back through the vacuum tube into the lower pot, thus obtaining coffee liquid. The name siphon comes from the siphon principle it employs, achieving extraction through pressure differences caused by temperature changes!

Friends who have tasted siphon coffee know that the differences between siphon coffee and pour-over coffee are quite significant, both in terms of mouthfeel and flavor. Pour-over coffee tastes cleaner with more distinct layers and more prominent flavors; while siphon coffee has a richer mouthfeel, more intense aroma, and a more substantial texture.

Therefore, to highlight this characteristic, when brewing coffee with a siphon, FrontStreet Coffee recommends these medium-roasted coffee beans: FrontStreet Coffee's Huilan, FrontStreet Coffee's Bird of Paradise, FrontStreet Coffee's Diamond Mountain, and FrontStreet Coffee's Queen Estate. These can allow the coffee to simultaneously possess nutty aromas and a rich body.

Siphon Brewer Structure

External Structure:

The siphon's structure is divided into: upper pot, lower pot, and stand. The stand mainly serves to stabilize the lower pot, keeping it in an elevated state. The lower pot is roughly spherical, primarily to ensure even heating during the brewing process; while the upper pot is cylindrical with a tapered bottom, extending into a long, thin pipe. The pipe becomes narrower toward the bottom, with a gasket at the connection point providing a sealing function.

Filtration System:

If you don't want to end up with a mouthful of coffee grounds, we need to filter them during brewing! The siphon's filter consists of a round iron piece connected to a spring-loaded chain. Before use, the iron piece is wrapped with filter material, most commonly a specially shaped flannel filter cloth! After tightening the drawstrings on both sides, the filter cloth wraps around the iron piece (remember to tie it after pulling tight and trim any excess thread), forming a complete filtration system that is placed inside the upper pot.

Heat Source:

The heat source for siphon brewing is unrestricted - you can use open flame gas stoves, safe induction cookers, or alcohol lamps with a scientific feel. It all depends on what you prefer to use, as they all serve the heating function equally well!

Coffee Brewing Parameters

Coffee Grind Size:

FrontStreet Coffee has previously calculated the grind size for siphon coffee - it should be slightly finer than pour-over, with a 90% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve. (Conventional pour-over typically uses an 80-85% pass-through rate)

Coffee-to-Water Ratio:

The typical coffee-to-water ratio for siphon coffee ranges between 1:10 to 1:12, with many people preferring to use the 1:12 ratio. However, FrontStreet Coffee commonly uses a 1:11 ratio, using 20g of coffee grounds with 220ml of water for brewing.

Coffee Addition Timing:

The timing of adding coffee grounds is a controversial aspect of siphon brewing: should you add grounds first, or wait until the water has completely risen from the lower pot before adding? Traditionalists chose the former, believing that adding grounds first produces fuller flavors; however, most people believe that adding grounds first can lead to uneven extraction, as when the water level rises, it first contacts the small amount of grounds at the bottom, causing this portion to begin extraction before stirring is complete.

Therefore, many people choose to wait until the water level has completely risen before adding the grounds. FrontStreet Coffee believes that beginners choosing the later addition method is a good option, as this can reduce the occurrence of unstable factors.

Stirring Methods:

There will be three stirring sessions throughout the process: when coffee grounds enter the water, halfway through the steeping time, and before turning off the heat at the end. There are many stirring methods: cross-stirring, Z-stirring, infinity-stirring, circular stirring, tapping method, and more! The method isn't exclusive, but for those who are just starting and don't have much stirring experience, FrontStreet Coffee recommends the tapping method! It's easy to control and learn - you can tap the coffee ground layer along the trajectory shown in the example below, with the stirring rod pivoting around the center, keeping both ends misaligned as you move back and forth.

Determining the End Time:

Regarding when to turn off the heat for siphon coffee, some people like to judge by the aroma of the coffee, but this tests one's fundamental skills too much, so FrontStreet Coffee recommends beginners use timing. If adding grounds first, start timing when you begin stirring; if adding grounds later, start timing when you add the grounds. The time to turn off the heat source should be approximately in the 50-70 second range.

Practical Session: Prepare Tools

Siphon brewer, coffee beans, alcohol lamp (other heat sources are fine), hot water, dry cloth

Step 1: Set up the lower pot and alcohol lamp, and pre-install the filter cloth hook in the upper pot (place the filter device in the upper pot, stretch the hook from below the pipe, and hang it on the pipe end)

Step 2: Pour in 220ml of hot water.

Step 3: Dry the lower pot and turn on the heat source (drying the lower pot 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 boiling 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, add the coffee grounds and start timing. In the first phase, use the tapping method to press the coffee grounds into the water to begin even extraction.

Step 7: In the second phase, at 25 seconds, begin using FrontStreet Coffee's recommended stirring method to stir evenly, allowing the coffee to clearly separate into three layers: coffee foam, coffee liquid, and coffee grounds.

Step 8: In the final phase, stir clockwise at fifty seconds, and when reaching sixty 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 flow)

And that's it - your siphon coffee is ready! Compared to the clean and clear pour-over coffee, siphon brewing produces a richer mouthfeel! No matter what brewing method people adopt, it all points to being able to drink a cup of coffee that makes people feel comfortable and at ease. Good coffee is just that simple, and also pure.

Important Notice :

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