Favorite Brew Method
So, this looks like the start of a relatively new community (at least for me), and we surely have some new people coming over from the coffee subreddit, so let's get some conversation going!
What's your current favorite brew method? I've been really getting into my flat bottom brew lately, with the Stagg XF. I just feel it's been a bit more forgiving than my v60, and it's been pulling out some pretty solid tasting notes in my latest beans.
What're y'all brewing with?
EDIT: I absolutely love the traction this post got! And I love seeing all the methods everyone is using daily. Thank you all
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Nothing too fancy. Kettle and a french press.
My daily method. Cheap, easy and good coffee.
This is the way
That's what I have done for decades.
I recently started using my French press for cold brew and lovvve it. The cheap Amazon cold brewer I have gets so much sediment since I don't grind my own beans, but the french press is perfect. Downside is the one I have only brews half a gallon so I'm saving/looking for a bigger one
I’ve got a stupidly expensive espresso machine and several stupidly expansive grinders. I used my machine every day for about 5 years. But lately I’ve been pouring water from my kettle into a plastic cone like my dad did in the 80s. Haha. Full circle. I’ve upped my bean quality though.
Hey, pour over is just a good old classic. You can't really repeat the ritual or flavors you get with it anywhere else. And sometimes the most simple is the most enjoyable.
Bialetti Moka pot. I switched from espresso to the moka pot over a year ago and it is my favorite brew now.
That's awesome. I recently learned how to use mine properly and it's great. Do you add anything to it? And do you drink the whole 30g? :D I find it's a bit much for me, but good for sharing with my partner.
I've been loving light roasts for a while now so I haven't been going near my Moka, but I suppose I should explore what it can do with lighter roasts?
Majority pourover (Mugen most often, V60 sometimes, and I just got an Orea that I've used a couple of times so far), espresso if I'm feeling up to it (Uniterra Nomad), usually as a small milk drink or sometimes an aerocano, occasionally straight espresso. If I want a milk drink and don't feel like actually dealing with espresso workflow, aramse sofi south indian filter.
I like the use of “aero”cano. I’m going to start calling it that. Thanks!
My go to is my trusty v60. I used to scale and weigh everything before grinding. Now I just eyeball everything.
Love my V60. I do weigh, the process is a bit of why I enjoy it so much, but I can also get really nice and consistent from a given bag of beans.
I tried the Espro Bloom for a while, but the filters are so fiddly, and I found the quality and consistency wasnt matching up with the V60.
Every morning is a pour over. V60 or chemex depending on how many cups I'm making.
V60 is definitely my favorite, but as I continue to collect more gear, I almost feel guilty if I dont go back and use some for a little bit. So I'll go on binges with my French press, the Stagg, chemex, aeropress, aeropress with prismo.
And if either James Hoffman or Lance Hedrick drop a new video highlighting a piece I already have, you better believe I am gonna go back and try what they are suggesting.
Same. I have a gaggia classic I use for afternoon espresso a few times a week, but the French press, aeropress, moka pot all sit there silently judging me for their neglect.
I'm no coffee snob. Gas station dark roast, little cream no sugar. Under a dollar in a hurry.
Hey man, sometimes you just need that bittrr punch of caffeine. Ain't nothing wrong with that.
I roast my own, and I still buy regular old coffee from wherever sells it. No reason not to!
AeroPress for its versatility. I also rarely use moka pot for home lattes, it's good but not as much controllable.
French press. Pre-heat with boiling water before adding freshly ground coffee. Slowly pour water at 95 degrees over the coffee. Stir with wooden spoon, insert lid and let stand 5-10 minutes. Slowly press plunger to bottom. Serve and enjoy.
Great idea! I use a La Pavoni Europiccola (lever espresso machine) when I have time, Bialetti Moka pot or pour over when I don't.
I've wanted a Europiccola for so long but I've currently had a Cafelat Robot for the last year and a half. Did you get a new one or vintage?
Ours is vintage, got super lucky and found it at Goodwill. It's a pre-millenium model from about 1980. A little descaler and new gaskets, and it works great.
I wish it had a bigger portafilter, but it's really not a big deal for us.
That's insane that you found it at Goodwill especially in decent shape. I hope keeps on going for you.
Majority of the time the Aeropress gets used, but I have a French Press I will break out a couple time a month.
French press is just so consistently awesome. It really only makes a bad cup when the beans themselves aren't all that great.
My wife loves the aeropress for her iced lattes. I just use the aeropress with the prismo attachment.
Just an old school Bonavita with Melitta style filters. I can't appreciate the added subtleties of pre-infusion or even pour-over over a good drip.
Back when I did cold brew, I just used a French Press, which works pretty well.
Very much understandable. I just love the morning ritual of making a good cup of coffee, and after tons of practice and hundreds of different beans, it's fun to mix it up with different brew styles and recipes!
Been going with a Clever stripper + paper filter for 7 years. Very consistent, no fuss.
EDIT: *dripper. Hahaha! I don't think you can get consistent and no fuss with a stripper.
Not any stripper, just the clever ones.
Seeing lots of comments from people taking their coffee seriously. And here's me, happy with instant coffee!
Although I have been on a journey from instant coffee, drip, Nespresso, espresso machine and finally back to instant. Albeit still using the espresso machine here and there. Seems like I could try a few new things from the comments here.
That's what this community really should be about! Having fun with the coffee we have, but having even more fun with the journey to the next best cup. I know I'm constantly trying and learning new things.
It’s refreshing to actually hear someone say this. There’s a lot of coffee snobs out there that look down on instant & judge those that consume it.
Thank you for not judging!
While instant isn't as good as a fresh brew of coffee, the real problem I have with instant is that the probability of finding something awful is very very high. And the awfulness can be so so much worse than random beans done in a random drip machine.
What's your own instant favourite right now? I've found some decent stuff with Cafe Direct and Clipper/Marks and Spencer, but could always find more (and potentially better) options.
Honestly it’s whatever cheapest lol. I’m not after “quality” when it comes to instant. It’s merely something quick to drink so I can’t make any worthwhile suggestions.
When I do fancy something a little better, I grind some beans to put through the espresso machine.
To name something though I usually end up with Tesco branded coffee or Kenko.
I love my Flair Pro. I like being able to dial in my pressure profile (basically extraction flow) by hand depending on the beans or just my mood. Other wise I’m a stainless moka pot guy.
Another flair user. The flair is great because unlike an automatic, you can see how the grind or bean amount affects the extraction time. Different beans often require different grinds and amounts for a good shot. You won't get this with an automatic.
Is it easy to control the water temperature? As I heard, Flair Pro must be pre-heated to prevent temperature drops.
Yes, but it isn't a huge deal. I just have a small pot I put the brew head in while the water heats up to a boil. When the water hits a full boil, I turn off the stove, place the brew head and mug, and then pull the shot, the little bit of time the brew head and water are removed from the heat and poured gets it close enough for me to the right temp.
EDIT: Everyone that is thinking about flair, make sure to get one with a pressure gauge. It would be impossible to know if you are using the right pressure be feel on something you have never used before.
Totally agree. My wife talked me into the pressure gauge and I have no idea how anyone can pull a great shot without it. And most of the fun is experimenting with different pressure profiles. And it’s pretty easy to preheat as @neanderthal said. I put my brew head on top of my open kettle so the steam heats it while the water starts to boil. The brew head itself is very thick and retains heat well. I saw a video that shows you do get a drop in temp over a pull which is usually 30-60 seconds for me. But also I’m at high altitude so while I have a different set of temperature issues to deal with I don’t know that I’m experiencing as dramatic a drop off.
Cold brew in a Toddy. Store in fridge. Add milk/ice/hot water to taste.
I definitely enjoy cold brew, especially during summer, but it generally pretty muted in flavor compared to a pourover or French press. I usually make it when I get a bag of beans that I am a bit disappointed with, as a lot of the underlying tasting notes aren't as present in cold brew and it still allows me to enjoy the coffee.
I mean, heck, I want to get some whip cream canisters and nitrogen canisters to make my own nitro cold brew as another coffee project.
I really want to try this, but hot coffee is my comfort blanket. Would you recommend heating it and if so how? Is cold brew best served over ice, room temperature, or just chilled in your opinion?
yummmmm
I like to think I know a little about coffee, but this thread shows that I don't really know anything. My brew method? I have a shitty little $50 espresso maker I got as a birthday gift a while ago, and use that to make the best damn lattes I've ever had.
Hey man, that's all that matters
Bripe, obviously
Truly the best method, of course.
I always bripe in a flannel shirt
Is there any other way?
Legally? No.
AeroPress enjoyer
Current go to is a Hoffman pour over cause I don't really have to think about it anymore.
Favorite method would have be the siphon pot. Once you get the timing and grind dialed in for the bean it's consistently the best tasting brew method at my disposal. Not to mention it is fun to watch while it draws down.
That's one I haven't tried yet. I have a cat that likes to destroy everything, and I find even want to introduce that to the equation yet.
I remember the first time I went to a "third-wave" café and saw a barista brewing up a siphon pot. I felt like I had stepped onto a spaceship, couldn't stop staring at it.
Right now it's aeropress and it will remain aeropress until I make a shit cup or have a bad morning, then it'll switch to v60 and repeat the same process until I switch to chemex. Then, eventually we will come full circle back to aeropress and start everything all over again. The circle of life. The ouroboros of my morning coffee, if you will.
My second cup of the day is and will always be an espresso.
I replaced my Flair Pro with a Rancilio Silvia (which I have since modded because I can never be content in my coffee process). And for non-espresso drinks, a Hario V60
For hot coffee a chemex for sure, but for iced my aeropress is king
(until I can get my hands on a good espresso machine)
I know pour over is seemingly the norm at the moment but I'm still chugging along with my 10 years old Bodum stainless steel french press. Tastes fine to me and keeps the coffee hot decently long. Though I've been pondering to do the additional step of pouring it through a Hario filter and see if it refines the taste any further.
Just pouring into another pre-heated vessel to stop the brewing process is the move!
Might use this as an excuse to buy a second french press, thank you!
Yeah that or a thermos or a nice serving vessel is the move! just keep hot water in that while you brew your frenchpress and after you plunge, you can slowly pour it over into the pre-heated vessel! Then you won't have a bad cup on the last one due to continuous brewing
This thread is demonstrating one of my favorite things about the coffee community: There is a fundamental semi-seriousness, acknowledgement of diminishing returns, and awareness of varying tastes in (almost) all quarters. A lot of gear-heavy hobbies take themselves way too seriously, but the coffee folk with an $8000 La Marzocco espresso setup, with a $7 plastic cone and a kettle, and waiting in front of the microwave with a bottle of instant and a spoon are all just trying to have a pleasing coffee experience.
My fancy, ritualistic coffee is a shot of espresso in the morning, usually prepared like a Brauner with a dash of milk inversely proportionate to how well I did at making the espresso that day.
A few weeks ago I upgraded from my old (ca. 2010) Lello Arite 1375 Chinese thermoblock pressurized basket "espresso" machine and Capresso Infinity grinder combo ($140+90+accessories) that were kind of mediocre to start with and literally falling apart by the end, to a Brevelle Bambino and Turin SK40 ($350+200+accessories) and have been delighted by the additional ability to play with parameters (and occasionally revolted by the results while I was getting my bearings). The old set up produced a long-tuned pleasing thing that may or may not technically count as espresso, but in retrospect may have been a relative of the extraction optimum from that "Systematically Improving Espresso" paper from a few years ago. The new one is full grind-controls-infusion espresso experience. The bambino is "nice for the price" and has a delightfully fast heat up and surprisingly good steam wand for when I'm feeling foamy, but slightly annoying manual shot controls. The SK40 is just great so far, my only tiny complaint is that every now and then I have to give it a little rock to get the last of a dose of beans out of the feed cone.
I also really enjoy how this setup is sitting in superposition of ($600 is an absurdly expensive way to make coffee | $600 is absurdly cheap to make real espresso).
Home espresso is never really practical, but I find the ritual of preparation deeply pleasing (weights and ratios and times and gadgets! Instant feedback! Total focus!), and enjoy the experience of varying parameters.
I also drink a fair amount of Instant when I'm out during the day, I've been recommending Mount Hagen to everyone who will listen lately because it's like $10 a jar and so much better than any of the other instants I've tried.
...and I have a coworker with an office aeropress that I sometimes play with, and I want but have no real reason to have one for home. The super clean immersion brew is a really interesting way to experience a coffee, and of course one never has enough coffee paraphernalia.
This is easily my favorite response, and a clear representation of just loving coffee for coffee. From the extreme scientific end of it, to just needing that caffeine fix in the middle of a long day, to the intrigue of trying something new.
Thanks for the response and a walk through your day in caffeine.
Amusingly, for the last several years I pretty much only have two significant caffeine doses in a normal day, typically coffee shortly after I wake up and at around 2 in the afternoon.
I used to slowly creep my consumption up until I had to painfully detox myself down once or twice a year, but I've been trying to be more consistent and mindful about that. It's also made me more thoughtful about having good coffee at the times I have coffee.
...and I've been listening to/reading a lot of James Hoffmann and his slightly florid self affacing style while I was learning the new setup, and it's creeping into my writing.
I love this comment! And that you aren't an instant coffee snob. Sometimes we just want a quick fix too. The problem with instant coffee is that the quality can be so varying, with some being downright awful. I've liked Cafe Direct's Macchu Picchu blend, as well as Clipper/Marks and Spencer (I'm sure they're both from the same manufacturer) heavier roasts, especially the decaf, but I'm always on the look out for more. Will check out your recommendation if possible.
Aeropress daily. Using James Hoffman's method, more or less. Occasionally I need to get the French press out.
I've been toying with the idea of getting an espresso machine. However, everyone I know who has one has gone back - sooner or later - to their previous method of brewing. And the espresso machine ends up being for special occasions. I'm not sure it's worth it at that point.
I might get a prismo for the aeropress to see if that will satisfy my "What's next?" craving...
I was real nervous about the step from Aeropress to espresso, but I knew that I liked good espresso from cafes nearby so I eventually took the plunge.
I got a basic Breville grinder/espresso machine, which makes decent coffee, not great, but good enough, but I really prefer espresso to other coffee drinks, and my wife loves it when I make her a latte, so overall it's been a huge upgrade.
If you prefer espresso or latte style coffees, or you just enjoy trying new sorts of coffee things and tinkering with grind size, then an espresso machine will be great, otherwise you are wise to stick with the style of brewing you know you enjoy.
This is basically me. I love my aeropress and it makes great coffee. But there is just something so special about espresso I can't get else where. If you splurge and get an espresso machine then please share your story!
I bought an espresso machine September last year and I have used it multiple times almost every day since then. I think the only time I have had non espresso based coffee since then is when I've been at someone else's house. If you are curious about espresso then I would recommend going to speciality coffee shops in your area and ordering espresso based drinks and seeing if you prefer them to your aeropress.
At home, it’s a cheap pour over setup. In the summer I’ll sometimes do a Japanese iced coffee pour over if it’s hot. (Just adjust the ratio and start with ice in the pot.)
At work it’s a flair 58.
Camping it’s a moka pot.
I've been looking at the flair 58 as a potential entry into espresso. I have a JX Pro, which I have read should be serviceable to grind for espresso.
How have the shots been on your 58? Only complaints I've heard are in relation to preheating, anything else that you love/dislike?
I use a flair signature and love it. The 58, IIRC, heats the brew head for you. It takes some trial and error, but I love using my flair. I've noticed different beans require different quantities and grinds to get the right flavor. I can take two bags of different beans, use the same grind setting, same amount of grounds, and have one shot pull in 15 seconds, while the other pulls in a minute. You won't see this with the auto espresso machines so you won't get the quality.
It is a bit more work, but having control over the entire process means that once you get good, you will make really good espresso with it.
I've done it enough where I can eyeball bean amounts, don't have to time the pulls, and can tell the water temp by how much is in the pot I use and how long it has been off boil, so it only takes me 5ish minutes from grind to pull. When I first started, it would take me 15 or so minutes.
As far as lattes and such, you will need to get a steamer, frother, whatever for that, but I have learned to love cortado since it is just microwaving some milk.
See my other comment about preheating.
I haven't done too much dialing in on the Flair 58. It's a shared machine, and we have someone else who's been appointed the Flair czar (does maintenance, turns on/off in the morning, sets grind size). However, its been very surprising how different bags of beans will pull. Fresh beans pull fast, and you can tell more oils are there. As time goes on, it takes longer to pull the shot.
I haven't noticed any problems with the pre-heating. We leave the head pre-heated all day, and have a kettle right next to the machine. I hit the kettle to boil, dump my beans in the grinder (I used to weigh out exactly, but have gotten good at just eyeballing at this point. It turns out a scant shot glass of beans is about right.), grind and tamp down, and by that time the kettles at boil. Load and pull.
We have a frother that's actually pretty good, but I'm mostly either drinking a straight shot, or adding in a bit extra water from the kettle to stretch it out.
I've been really pleased though. I don't know how long it takes to pre-heat from a cold start though since ours is in "always on" at work. I'm fine with my setup at home for now, but if I wanted to jump into home espresso, I'd go with one of these. Its dead simple, and has worked really well.
I’ve been doing a kind of play it by ear, 4:6 method. I use a scale and timer but kind of listen to the flow? I’ve been thinking about how pour overs can be like espresso, where I flow profile, and so I want to have the highest flow on the first pour after wetting. Sometimes I wet the ground twice. No swirling. Idk what I’m doing really.
Ain't that the fun tho? The experimentation? It's what I love about it.
I would have to pick Aeropress.
Are you brewimg aeropress over ice? I don't consider that cold brew.
I guess it would be more of a flash-brew, since you'd be brewing hot over ice! A cold brew is a steep technique by definition, I thought.
I tried aeropress over ice for the first time the other week, it was pretty nice but I prefer to do it with the trusty v60
I haven't done cold brew/iced coffee with it. I do use a cheap Black and Decker maker that the carafe warmer is broken on. That thing is surprisingly good at making my iced coffee.
French press, but using our boy James Hoffman's method. If I do it how I initially learned, I find my coffee turns out too acidic and dusty. With his method it's amazingly good.
Though if I need to make a large amount of coffee, filter coffee.
I was so surprised how much more I enjoyed his method over my previous attempts. Don't get me wrong, I still think most French press attempts turn out pretty good and are much harder to screw up than a v60. But after switching to Hoffmann's method it has been consistently solid
A lovely red Technivorm Moccamaster. One with a glass carafe.
I'm rocking the one that's almost a Tiffany blue. The wife got to choose the color as long as I got to choose the machine!
Manual brew? V60 and flat bottom if at home (use them alternately), Aeropress if on the road.
I'm just a basic man with a coffee press. On the weekends though I like to fire up my little DeLonghi and enjoy some lattes.
French Press was my entry into truly good coffee, and it's still one that I love to go back to.
Cold or hot, V60 is my jam.
I love my bialetti brikka
Usually it's a Bialetti moka pot if I want strong coffee. But I alternate with V60/Origami and Aeropress.
Honestly I'm pretty happen with the inverted aeropress method. Wait a couple of mins once the kettles boiled so it's ~80°C, brew for a couple and press.
Makes a decent brew.
Although gotta say, my wife got me some fancy coffee bags ( ground coffee in a paper mesh bag), legit had me thinking about switching.
I make myself and my wife two espresso each per day. I use a DF64 flat-burr grinder and a Gaggia Classic Pro with flow control and PID. I roast my own coffee and prefer Ethiopian Dry processed beans.
My Cafelat Robot is my daily driver and on the weekends I add in a couple of brews from my Chemex. At this point in my 20-year coffee journey those are all I need.
I rock an electric moka pot, and it's brilliant.
I just got the Orea V3 and I gotta say, it's really turning out some great coffees!
Started using the Kamira a year ago. If you know what you are doing (there are many small things to do that could ruin the brew), you will drink the most delicious coffee ever. Not even a professional espresso machine could match it, no joke.
The Kamira looks like so much fun! I'm a bit worried about how to keep the water chamber dry and clean between use to prevent mould though.
It is! Usually I boil some water before use, and after the brew i let it sit on the flame for a brief time to evaporate all water left overs with the valve open. Also you're supposed to boil some vinegar inside it for 5 to 10 minutes every 1 or 2 months, effectively cleaning everything. After 1 year no signs or smell of mold. If you ever have the possibility to try it, just do it and follow a reliable guide.
Have you compared the brew to the output of a Moka? I mean I am pretty sold just from the gadgetry point of view anyway.
Pretty much the opposite. I would consider the moka as a good coffe tea if compared. That thing can produce incredibly strong single shots, and it's usually stronger than your average espresso.
Hario Toggle or Aeropress Inverted
Danger funnel.
My one-and-done is a full mug from my decade old Ikea moka pot. This is made with hot milk, wazzed up with the cheap little milk frother they sell. The result is a huge quadruple "cappuccino". This wires me up all day.
If I'm not up for that, I'll just make a cup or two from my areopress. Inverse method, steel filter.
Drip with local coffee, V60 with more western-style coffee.
What's the difference with flat bottoms?
If you've got about 25 minutes, Lance Hedrick actually made a video pretty recently about exactly this topic!
https://youtu.be/m7G7gAber7Q
Yikes. a 25 minute video. I'll try and skim it at least, thanks!
It certainly isn't short, but I believe he puts timestamps for different sections if you just wanna hop around to the relevant bits.
This is the bit that gets into flavor differences: https://youtu.be/m7G7gAber7Q?t=425
The main takeaway being that conical brewers are often said to emphasize perceived acidity more, all else being equal.
From a practical standpoint, the thing with flat bottom brewers is that you're either using wave-style/ruffled filters which will have high bypass (more water escapes the brew process) or you're buying a whole extra thing (filter negotiator/smusher) so that you can smoosh your filters against the walls of the brewer to get less bypass.
Another thing to buy? XD The usual method in a conical of wetting the filter doesn't work with a flat bottom I guess?
Thanks for the time stamped link, will give that a watch now! Less perceived acidity sounds good though, I don't like sour coffee.
You can use the kalita wave style filters normally with just basic wetting, you'll just get more bypass. (Which isn't inherently bad.) I recently got an Orea V3 and have been using it with Kalita filers and enjoying the brews quite a bit.
The ones that need a negotiator/smusher are the flat circular filters which allow low bypass.
Another approach would be to go for something like the Tricolate or Next Level "zero bypass" brewers. Those are flat bottom but are designed to take a circular filter at the bottom kind of like how aeropress does.
I've been mostly doing V60 for the last 6 months or so and the Stagg XF when I'm not. My next purchase is probably a Clever, but I'm not sure. Otherwise, I've got a Phin for making Vietnamese style coffee, an Aeropress I use from time to time, of course the Chemex and press pot when I want 1 liter of coffee at a time, and a cold brewer that I haven't used for probably a year or so.
I don't use my Flair brewer nearly as much as I expected, which is too bad. I like it, it's just a bit of a routine to get it set up, heated, and brew an espresso.
I love my mocha pot/bialetti! I have an ancient double shot bialetti which I picked up from my parents. It works great because I can always make espresso for latte, cappuccino or what ever I feel like! Such a tiny versatile little machine. Great for students!
I go through phases, but lately I've been mostly using a Hario Cafeor. It's basically a stainless mesh v60, and it produces incredible coffee once you get used to its idiosyncrasies. Anyone who prefers metal filters over paper should give it a try.
I definitely wanna buy some metal filters for v60. I love the full body you get with French press, and it's not really replicable elsewhere.
Nice, my go-to for the past couple years is a metal V60 filter from Coava--probably very similar.
I have a variety of brewers but my current favourite is my gaggia classic espresso machine. I much prefer espresso to any kind of filter brew
I've got a Kalita that I use nearly every morning. While I have fun trying new being methods, I do a lot better with consistency with pour over.
200g coffee on a cheese cloth bag, 1600g water, mix and chill for 24 hours. Optionally stir half way through. Serve over ice.
DeLonghi Magnifica. 60,000 shots spread over 2 machines (according to the counter) in the last decade.
I use a supposedly nice drip basket bonavita machine. It works well, and it's still super easy to use.
For me it's the ability to get coffee that's strong enough so that most of the cup can be hot milk. I've been chasing that for years.
Cafetiere was always disappointing, never bothered with any of the pourover methods because I couldn't see how they were any good for "milk drinks". I was never aware of aeropress really and when I did hear about it it just looked like another way of making filter strength coffee so steered clear of that.
Then I discovered the Moka pot which I used for years by cramming it with as much coffee as I could get into it which used to get pretty close to espresso strength but obviously not proper espresso.
Eventually we bought a Bambino Plus in lockdown and have been knocking out at least decent 2 lattes per day ever since (usually more if my wife is home)
Still not convinced I can get enough coffee in each shot though... I'm regretting the 53mm basket size!
I'm sure you realise this, but the solution is to make smaller lattes, but drink more of them
I am on my 4th Chemex in 11 years -- I broke 2, my wife broke 1. Maybe they're too fragile, maybe we're too clumsy, probably something in-between. But I adore the clean cup you get out of one, and I've tried all the methods listed here so far.
Pour over, single cup Melitta ceramic cone. I use an Aeropress on travel.
French press, fridge for 24 hours. Cold brew ftw
Bialetti brikka (4cup) 21g. of coffee 2g. Of Oolong tea leaves grinding together 200 ml. Hot water lowest flame on gas stove some whiskey 😋
I like my Chemex. Saving up to buy a used Gaggia classic
My favorite is the Hario Switch with Chemex Filters
I use the stock Gaggia classic with the barista 8-10g basket. I actually grind 7.5g of Mr Espresso Neapolitan Espresso, which is the closest I have been able to find to a real Italian espresso. The grinder is a barazza sette, and the settings give me a nice short shot of espresso after ~20s. Overall, heaven!
I have a Rancilio Silvia for my morning latte, still trying to figure out how to steam the milk to make latte art though...
If I'm having a gesha though I'll make either an aeropress (Hoffman method) or V60 (4:6 method)
Love me some cold brew. A cheap press and use it almost every day.
Turkish coffee all the way
Cheap-ass Folgers pour-over forever.
I've done all the methods and roasts and beans and blends over the years, and there is nothing more stable, dependable, and satisfying than a single cup of pour-over Folgers. With cream. Boil water, #2 filter, enjoy.
Chemex is my favorite for sure, but I've got a V60 that I use sometimes as well. Cold brew is always great to have around, too.
Orea V3
I just watched a video on the Orea from, I think it was Aramse. Interesting little brewer that I think will be my next unnecessary gear purchase.
Hario Switch - following a recipe I saw in the other place for high extraction.
I'm also using a Fellow Stagg XF! It's super quick and convenient. It replaced an aeropress for me.
Wife gave me a Hario Siphon but it was too much effort to clean. I whip it out for guests, still though.
I'm personally less of a fan of espresso, so saving some money by not having a fancy machine
I'm running suuuuuper low on my Stagg filters and v60 filters, so probably going to be going back to my chemex for the next couple of weeks.
But Stagg has definitely been some fun.
I've been using Hario V60 for years at this point, always works well for me. Tend to either use the 2 or 3 sized one, depending on how much coffee I need.. Which is mostly driven by number of meetings.
This year as its getting warmer, I've started using the Hario Mizudashi for over night cold brew though and absolutely loving it!
I do a ridiculously low tech method: I grind coffee with a hand grinder, put the coffee loose in a cup, pour boiling water over it, then pour the coffee out and try to not get any grind bits with it. So, no filter at all. basically a really cheap-ass version of a French Press or a pourover (my second glass French press broke...).