Coffee Brewing Methods – 22 Ways to Make Coffee at Home

We have been brewing coffee since 9th century Ethiopia, and various increasingly sophisticated ways to enjoy the drink have been developed.

While a lot of coffee is still consumed worldwide in very basic ways, different cultures and groups have adapted the process differently.

The methods of brewing coffee can broadly be categorized in one of four ways. These are steeping, boiling, filtration (or drip), and pressurized brewing.

We took a deep dive into coffee brewing methods and had a look at some of the most common ways to make a cup of joe.

Brewing via Steeping

Steeping involves letting ground coffee sit in the water for a certain period of time. It works with hot water just shy of boiling for methods like the French Press and with cold water for Cold Brew Immersion.

1. French Press

When you think of home-brewing, more often than not, you’re thinking about French Press coffee. The home-barista community loves this coffee preparation for its true-to-bean taste and bold flavor.

A classic method, the design of the French Press hasn’t changed much since its invention in 1929. Not least due to its simplicity and ease of use, it’s one of the most popular ways to brew coffee. You only need a jar with a mesh filter, ground coffee, and hot water.

Brewing Process

1. Boil your cold water. Aim for a water-to-coffee ratio of 1:12
2. Add coffee grounds to the pre-heated pot
3. Pour in hot water—just shy of boiling—and gently stir
4. Insert the plunger into the pot and let stand for 4-5 minutes
5. Plunge steadily and decant to avoid over-extraction

Making French Press coffee is an easy, user-friendly brew method. However, making the perfect French Press coffee that rivals coffee shops takes a bit of trial and error.

Brewed well, the French Press offers a delicious cup of coffee with a full body and heavy and dense texture. They tend to have a layer of sediment towards the bottom, so best avoid the last few sips of your cup of coffee.

Who’s It For

The French Press is a great place to start if you’re relatively new to coffee and want to learn more about experimenting with the variables that affect your extraction. It’s easy to tweak your method to get your coffee how you like it. You’ll learn a lot of skills that are transferable to other brew methods at the same time.

2. Cold Brew Immersion

Cold brewing has become the latest cool thing in the coffee scene in recent years. The good news is that you don’t have to be a barista in a hipster coffee shop to give this technique a go. It’s so easy that everyone can do it; all you need is a bit of patience.

This immersion method takes advantage of the fact that cold water extracts oils, acids, and sugar very slowly. The result is a smooth, notably less bitter coffee. 

Brewing Process

1. Submerge coffee grounds with cold water in your pot. Choose a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:5 – 1:8.
2. Stir to mix grounds and water
3. Let it sit for 12-24 hours
4. Filter with a mesh filter or cheesecloth
5. Store in the fridge
6. Dilute if necessary

For more information on the various ways you can adapt your cold brew or what kit you can get to level up your brew, see our post on cold brewing.

Who’s It For

The cold immersion method is for those looking for a practical and alternative way of brewing coffee at home, especially on hot summer days. It can also be great if you struggle with acid reflux or similar conditions, as it yields a gentler and smoother result.

Also, if you don’t have much time in the mornings, it can be a great way to do your brew the night before, ready to enjoy in the morning with minimal hassle.

3. Siphon

Admittedly, the Siphon, also known as Vacuum Press, is not a very common coffee brewing method. Invented almost two centuries ago in Europe, it remains a popular brewing tool in some East Asian countries.

In essence, it consists of two chambers connected to each other. When heat is applied, the water from the lower chamber climbs up to steep with the grounds in the upper chamber. Once the heat source is removed, the brewed coffee drips back into the lower chamber.

Brewing Process

1. Fit the filter to the upper chamber (hopper) and fill the bottom chamber (bulb) with water. A 1:15 ratio is recommended
2. Apply heat source to the bottom of the bulb
3. Once Siphon fills with water, add coffee grounds to hopper and briefly stir
4. Allow the coffee to steep for 1 minute
5. Remove heat source and wait for brewed coffee to draw down to the bulb
6. Serve and let it rest shortly to cool down for maximum flavor

Keep in mind that the Siphon is one of the most complicated coffee brewing methods. It’s very sciency and will require quite a bit of trial and error to get the best results out of it. Certainly, it’s not the most practical way to brew your morning coffee, but if you do use it, you will learn to appreciate its smooth and clear flavor.

Who’s It For

The Siphon is for science nerds who like to experiment or want to try something out of their comfort zone.

If you want something to sit on your kitchen worktop, this can be a stylish addition and will really wow guests. However, it is not just a gimmick and will deliver you a great cup of coffee.

4. Instant Coffee

Instant coffee was invented and patented in 1890 by the New Zealander David Strang. It later proved to be a very convenient way for soldiers to get a caffeine fix on the battlefields of World War I and II.

Nowadays, Instant coffee is most favored among college students and over-sleepers. Still, it’s quite a popular way to brew coffee, with 50% of all green beans used to produce instant coffee.

Brewing Process

1. Boil your water, allowing a little more than you actually need
2. Add your instant coffee powder to your mug
3. Pour your boiling water over the coffee granules
4. Stir until the granules dissolve

Brewing instant coffee is as easy as it gets. Hell, I could do it blindfolded. The only problem is that it tastes quite bad. This is by no means a flavorful coffee and will never be able to compare to freshly roasted, real beans.

Who’s It For?

Instant coffee is mainly for coffee drinkers on a budget who can’t go without their caffeine fix. Literally anybody can make this at an incredibly low cost.

5. Coffee Bags

In 18th-century France, ground coffee was packaged in sacks of greased leather or treated beeswax bags. Initially used to preserve coffee flavor, this is considered the original form of today’s coffee bag.

Nowadays, coffee bag brewing is a lesser-known coffee brewing method many people have never even heard of. As easy as brewing tea, it provides a slightly better coffee flavor than traditional, dissolvable instant mixes (i.e., without the harsh bitterness). Still, it doesn’t come close to brewing freshly ground coffee beans.

Brewing Process

1. Heat your water to boiling
2. Pour hot water into a mug and submerge the coffee bag
3. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes
4. Squeeze liquid out of the bag and remove it from the cup

Who’s It For?

You don’t need any equipment apart from the coffee bags, a heat source, and water, so this can be a convenient method on the road or while camping. Also, if you’re struggling to make ends meet but can’t go without your cup of coffee, this is a helpful brew method to consider.

6. SoftBrew

Invented in 2010 by designer George Sowden, this brew method requires no pressing while operating similarly to a French Press. This is a fantastic coffee method for distinguishing coffee regions and notes for the untrained coffee enthusiast. 

It’s a high-tech brew method, yet it doesn’t overcomplicate things; you get to unlock the subtle flavors of your bean easily and efficiently.

Brewing Process

1. Fill the SoftBrew filter with coffee grounds. Use 2 tablespoons for every 6 ounces of water
2. Add hot water (200 °F / 96° C or 30 seconds off boil)
3. Let it steep for 4 minutes
4. Take the filter out and enjoy

The Soft Brew works exactly like a teapot, with its filter having hundreds of holes to accommodate different grind sizes. The filter is designed to brew with depth, enhancing your coffee’s flavor and body.

Who It’s For?

If you’re looking for something similar to the French Press with an even simpler brewing process, look no further than the SoftBrew. It might also be for tea lovers, introducing themselves to the world of coffee.

Brewing via Boiling

Boiling methods use a heat source to brew water containing ground coffee. These are also called decoction methods and include Turkish coffee and Cowboy coffee.

7. Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee, also known as Cezve/Ibrik, is an ancient brewing method that has its roots in the Ottoman Empire. It remains a popular method in the Middle East, the Balkans, and North Africa.

It’s best known for the small, strong cup of coffee it produces, which is commonly flavored with cardamom pods and consumed sweetened.

Brewing Process

1. Add finely-ground coffee into your cevze (Turkish coffee pot). Aim for 1 part coffee and 12 parts water.
2. Add hot water (140 °C / 60 °C)
3. Stir to saturate coffee grounds and place cevze over heat source
4. Brew over moderate heat until the foam rises to the rim
5. Pour coffee into a cup and let it sit for 3-4 minutes
6. Serve with water

It’s quite a simple brew method and doesn’t use a filter. Once you have the knack for pouring it, it can be a very quick and easy way to brew your coffee. The very fine grounds require a higher-end grinder.

Who’s It For?

If you love strong coffee and appreciate the beauty of an aesthetic brewing object, this method might be the right one for you. It has a distinct mouth-feel and flavor that can take you back to memories of Turkey or a meal in a Turkish restaurant.

8. Cowboy Coffee

This basic method of boiling ground coffee beans and pouring off the water as the grinds sink is known as cowboy coffee.

For cowboys, coffee was served with every meal, while ranchers relied on caffeine to keep up with their work and prepare to travel long distances herding. 

Commonly used around the campfire, the cowboys loved their coffee at the hottest possible temp. Today, all you need is a pot and an open flame.

Brewing Process

1. Fill your pot with water and bring to a boil
2. Add coarse coffee grounds, with a ratio of 2 tablespoons for every 8 ounces of water
3. Remove from heat and let brew for 3 minutes
4. Pour the coffee into your mug when the coarse grounds have settled at the bottom

Cowboy coffee brewing is pretty straightforward. Still, your timing, the water temperature, and the grind size will greatly impact the result. While it’s possible to brew drinkable coffee, you can also end up with a burned mess.

Who’s It For?

If you forgot your coffee brewer at home while backpacking through the bush, this is the alternative.

Brewing via Filtration

Filter brewing might currently be the most popular form of home-brewing for specialty coffee. Also known as drip brewing or percolation brewing, it has been popular with coffee shops and restaurants for a long time due to its relatively inexpensive set-up costs.

Drip brewing comes in all shapes and sizes, from the legendary Hario V60 pour-over to the more exotic Vietnamese Phin.

9. Hario V60

The Hario V60 is a simple coffee brewing device, but it’s a very powerful one.

It’s one of the three most popular, and arguably best pour-over brewers available; the Hario V60, Chemex, and Kalita Wave.

What is unique about the Hario V60 is its conical design and thin paper filters, resulting in faster flow rates than other methods. When done right, it produces one of the cleanest, most excellent cups of coffee you can imagine.

Brewing Process

1. Bring water to a boil and grind coffee. To start, I recommend a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio
2. Fold V60 filter, place it in the brewer, and place brewer on decanter
3. Pre-wet the filter and discard the water from decanter
4. Place coffee in the filter and form a flat coffee bed, place the decanter on scale and tare it
5. Bloom (evenly saturate grounds) and wait for around 45 seconds
6. Gently pour the remaining water with pulses in circular motions
7. Let the coffee drip through the filter

Make sure to bloom properly by evenly saturating the grounds in water. Pouring evenly can also take some time to get used to. A gooseneck kettle helps you tremendously.

Who’s It For?

The Hario V60 is for people who are into specialty coffees, want full control over the brewing process, or simply want to experiment. It’s also great if you’re on the road, as this brewer is very light and portable.

10. Chemex

The Chemex is another pour-over brewer, conical in design and with a thicker filter than the Hario V60. This is perhaps the most visually pleasant of the three pour-over methods, although they all have their merits here. The Chemex is perfect if you are brewing for more people, and it comes complete with its own carafe for serving.

Brewing Process

1. Place filter into Chemex brewer and rinse filter to get a nice, even seal
2. Grind your coffee beans. 6 Tablespoons of coffee will yield around 3-4 cups
3. Pour grounds into brewer and place the Chemex on a scale and zero it out
4. Bloom the grounds with around 150g of water and stir. Wait for 45 seconds
5. Keep pouring in circular, gentle motions to around 450g of water.
6. At around 2 minutes, pour a third time until you reach 700g of water
7. Let it sit for around 4 minutes
8. Serve and enjoy

It is a very accessible way to get into specialty coffee without a huge financial outlay, and your coffee will continue to improve as your technique does. This is a great way for coffee fanatics to really learn the fundamentals of coffee extraction.

Who’s It For?

If you want a very clean cup and have enough patience to experiment, the Chemex might be for you. If you live in a household of coffee drinkers, a serving size of 3-4 cups will be very convenient.

11. Kalita Wave

The last one of the three most popular pour-overs is the Kalita Wave. This slow-flowing coffee brewer is more forgiving of poor technique and gives a fuller-bodied, sweeter cup than the other two.

The dripper’s design, with its thin and wavy ridges on the surface help promote an even extraction and reduce the potential for over-extraction.

Brewing Process

1. Place the filter into the brewer and rinse it
2. Measure and grind your beans. Around 3 tablespoons is a good amount to start
3. Place the brewer on top of the carafe and zero out the scale
4. Start blooming (saturating grounds) with around 60g of water. Wait around 45 seconds
5. Pour more water in spiraling motions to reach 200g. Wait 1 minute
6. Continue pouring in pulses until you reach around 375g of water
7. Let the rest of the coffee drain through, and serve

Who’s It For?

The Kalita wave is perfect for those starting out with manual pour-over brewers, as it’s more forgiving to errors than the Chemex and the Hario V60. All you have to practice is the slow, spiraling pour.

12. Clever Dripper

The Clever Dripper was invented by the Taiwanese company Abid. It basically works like a French Press with a paper filter instead of a plunger. This helps produce a cleaner, lighter-bodied coffee than you might expect from an immersion method.

Brewing Process

1. Place a filter in the brewer and pre-wet it to warm it up to get any bad taste out of it
2. Weigh and grind your beans. Go for a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:16. I would recommend 21g of coffee and 336g of water
3. Pour your water. No blooming or special pouring technique is required
4. After 1 minute, stir to break the crust
5. Ater 2 1/2 minutes of brewing, it’s time to place the brewer on a carafe and draw down the coffee.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Who’s It For

The Clever Dripper is perfect for people who may have been brewing with a French Press and want to step into the territory of a clearer and brighter cup of coffee. However, they don’t want to go full V60 just yet. Alternatively, this brewer might suit you if you’ve tried pour-overs and found them a bit too thin.

13. Bee House

Pour-over brewing can oftentimes be a meticulous method with a large margin for error. Not with Bee House brewing. This is another pour-over brewer from Japan, for coffee lovers with little to no experience.

It’s getting a lot of attention recently in the coffee scene, and rightfully so. There’s something about the ceramic design that makes it very attractive. Plus, it’s relatively easy to use, making it a very approachable method.

Brewing Process

1. Bring water to a boil and grind 25 grams of coffee
2. Fold the Melitta filter along the bottom seams and insert
3. Place brewer on your mug and scale
4. Pre-rinse the filter with hot water, discard water
5. Pour your ground coffee into the filter and tare scale
6. Bloom to saturate the coffee grounds with hot water
7. Pour over with pulses, aiming for a total of 390g of water
8. Let the coffee drip into the mug

Who’s It For?

Like the Kalita Wave, the Bee House brewing is for people who have tried and failed at other pour-over brewers like the Hario V60 or the Chemex. You want a more uniform taste without the hassle; you love the taste and texture of pour-over, but you don’t love how easy it is to make a mistake and make bad coffee.

14. Automatic Drip Machine

A very easy and straightforward brewing method, the automatic drip machine is a popular choice in many American households. Basically, it’s the automated version of the pour-over method.

With the rising popularity of specialty pour-overs in recent years has also come a rise in innovations in automatic drip coffee. Trendy newer models are now usually referred to as “batch brew”.

Brewing Process

1. Add water to the reservoir. Aim for a ratio of 6 ounces (180ml) of water to 2 tablespoons (10g) of coffee
2. Place filter and ground coffee grounds in the machine
3. Brew coffee
4. Pour and Enjoy

In an automatic drip machine, water is heated and forced through a showerhead onto the coffee grounds, dripping into the carafe. It doesn’t get much simpler for the user than operating an automatic brewer, which takes care of all the details with robot-like precision.

Who’s It For

A good batch brew machine can be great for consistent results as there is no room for human error. If you are struggling to get consistent results with your pour-over devices, this could be a good option for you. It’s also great for those who prefer brewing large batches of coffee.

15. Cold Drip Coffee

Cold drip coffee is a great alternative to the more familiar Immersion cold brew. It takes a fair bit more equipment and is not as straightforward as its steeped cousin, but it does come with its advantages.

Compared to Immersion cold brew, it produces a cleaner cup of coffee, which can be beneficial for highlighting fruity and floral notes. Also, it also lacks the acids that simply won’t extract without hot water. This is great news for coffee lovers prone to acid reflux.

Brewing Process

1. Weigh and grind your coffee beans. Aim for a 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio
2. Place your grounds into the middle basket and pour a small amount of water into the bed of coffee to saturate the grounds. Flaten the bed
3. Add a paper filter on top of your grounds
4. Fill the top chamber with a mixture of water and ice. Make sure the valve is closed
5. Open the valve, aiming for a drip rate of around one drip a second
6. Wait until the brew is finished

Who’s It For

Cold drip coffee is perfect if you like cold brew, but find it lacks a bit of clarity. If you like a pour-over as your regular hot option, it is likely that this will be a good choice for you when you fancy a cold one.

16. Electric Percolator

If you’ve ever been to Denny’s or an all-day breakfast diner, chances are you’ve had electric percolator coffee. American physicist Benjamin Thompson invented the coffee percolator between 1810-1814, a device that didn’t require a tube. 

From there, a Parisian tinsmith crafted the first modern coffee percolator, where, through copying and modifications, Hanson Goodrich invented the first electric percolator. It has been in widespread use since as early as the 1920s. 

Brewing Process

1. Grind your coffee. Aim for 1 tablespoon of grounds to 8 ounces of water
2. Fill the water chamber with cold water
3. Plug in the percolator and put the grounds in the coffee filter basket
4. Insert the central tube and perforated basket
5. Begin the brew and remove the perk tube once completed

Here, the basket is boiled over multiple times, likely leading to over-extraction and an overly bitter, very hot coffee. The water temperature is high and also contributes to the dilution of the bean’s flavor.

Who’s It For?

Like a bodybuilder eating a carton of eggs a day, you don’t care about the taste; it’s about the result. You drink coffee to wake up and stay awake, not for flavor.

17. Nitro Coffee

First stepping into the coffee world in 2012, Nitro Coffee essentially infuses nitrogen and chemical compounds into your coffee.

The high 30-40 bars of pressure combined with slow, immersion cold brewing creates a coffee with the texture of a Guinness pint but with the taste of sweet, crisp coffee. The nitrogen also cuts bean coffee’s phenolic compounds—found in coffee cherries–removing harsh bitterness.

While not difficult, you need patience and the right equipment (say a nitro dispenser flask) to make nitro coffee.

Brewing Process

1. Make cold brew coffee. Refer to our cold brew coffee guide for more information
2. Pour brewed coffee into the nitro dispenser flask
3. Charge the dispenser with nitrogen and shake it a few times
4. Let it stand for 5 minutes
5. Pour coffee into the glass by lightly depressing the canister’s trigger

Who’s It For?

If you’re into conventional cold brew but want to add a little extra touch, Nitro Coffee could be for you. Also, if you like to get hands-on with your coffee and have a fun project at the same time, this might be worth checking out.

18. Vietnamese Phin

A very popular brewing device in the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam, the Vietnamese phin is used to make cà phê sua dá, a mix of dark coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

Like other pour-over methods, we love Phin brewing because it gives you less of a bite than a shot of espresso while offering a smoother taste than the French Press. The coffee oils are kept intact because there is no paper filter.

Brewing Process

1. Bring water to a boil
2. Place the filter plate on top of the cup
3. Place the brewing chamber on top of the plate
4. Put the 2 tablespoons of ground coffee into the chamber. Even out the grinds
5. Place gravity press on top of the grounds
6. Cover the grounds to bloom with around 0.8 ounces of hot water
7. Gently pour the remaining water (3.2 oz.)
8. Optional: Add condensed milk, sugar, or milk

Who’s it For?

The perfect accomplice for pour-over coffee, single-use brew fans, or those who enjoy the traditional, concentrated coffee taste of Vietnam. For more on the traditional method of Phin brewing, check out our review of the best Vietnamese coffee brands.

Pressurized Brewing

One form of pressurized brewing will be familiar to most coffee drinkers: The espresso machine, found in coffee shops worldwide. It has become the most common way people get their coffee in second-wave shops like Starbucks. But brewing under pressure doesn’t stop at the espresso machine, as we will discuss below.

19. Espresso Machine

Even if your knowledge about coffee is very limited, you know what an espresso machine is. As the name suggests, it produces that tiny, highly concentrated coffee beverage loved by so many.

Nowadays, many espresso machines are available on the market, ranging from manual lever machines to super-automatic machines. But they all operate on a similar principle: Pushing pressurized hot water through a portafilter packed with coffee grounds.

Brewing Process

Depending on your machine, the brewing process will greatly differ. Below, we outline the steps for a semi-automatic machine.

1. Turn on your espresso maker
2. Measure and grind your beans. Aim for around 20 grams
3. Load grounds into portafilter. Even them out
4. Tamp the grounds into a puck
5. Insert portafilter into the machine
6. Pull the shot. Aim for around 2 ounces of espresso and 20 to 30 seconds per pull

Who’s It For

Espresso machines are for coffee fanatics who love the unmistakable taste of a shot of espresso. It’s also for those who like to save money in the long run by avoiding frequent trips to Starbucks to get Lattes or Cappuccinos.

20. AeroPress

The AeroPress originally emerged from the idea of brewing just one cup of coffee at a time. A pressurized immersion brewing method, it is capable of brewing both “espresso”-style coffee and filter-strength coffee.

The AeroPress is very popular with enthusiasts and has a cult following, and even its own World Championships. There are many different ways you can use it to prepare coffee.

Brewing Process

1. Place the bottom half of the AeroPress on the mug
2. Insert paper filter and pour in grounds. Aim for a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio.
3. Add water and stir quickly
4. Let it steep
5. Push down and filter coffee into your mug

Inverting the process (with your brewing vessel on top and upside down) is a popular alternative to give you more precision in controlling your brew time. Read our guide on the AeroPress to learn how to do that.

Who’s It For

People who usually drink one cup at a time and like a handy, portable option will appreciate the perks of an AeroPress. It is very popular with campers and other outdoor brewers. A good tip is that you can fit most brands of manual grinders inside the chambers for tight storage!

21. Moka Pot

Invented in 1933 by the Italian Alfonso Bialetti, the iconic Moka Pot is nowadays an indispensable appliance in many European and Latin American households. This stove-top coffee maker brews coffee by steam pressure.

It has a very classic flavor profile, producing good full-bodied coffees. For many people, there is a lot of nostalgia value in a Moka pot. 

Brewing Process

1. Bring water to a boil and fill it in the lower chamber. Aim for a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12
2. Place coffee grounds into the filter and gently level them
3. Attach the upper chamber and place the Moka Pot on your stove-top
4. Wait and let the coffee bubble into the upper chamber
5. When you hear the classic sputtering sound, your coffee is done
6. Enjoy!

Who’s It For

The Moka Pot is for those who love nostalgia and a good cup of coffee. It is another device that can also be used in a pinch if you want a replacement for espresso to make milk-based drinks but don’t have a machine.

22. Single-Serve Pods

A favorite for shots of espresso, single-serve pods have made coffee and espresso machine brands like Nespresso and Keurig household names. The patented coffee pod technology blends convenience with ease of use for the consumer.

While extremely fast, the coffee taste tends to be inferior to fresh coffee brewing methods.

Brewing Process

1. Select desired beverage and/or espresso shot size
2. Press button to brew and wait
3. Enjoy!

Who’s it For?

With efficient extraction and brewing without the hassle, this single-serve pod brewing is for those who want convenience over anything else. While it doesn’t brew excellent coffee, it can still be acceptable.

The Bottom Line

With so many coffee brewing methods, you should be able to find the method that best suits you. If you already have a favorite, I hope this article gave you some new ideas to prepare your cup of joe next time.

Whether you prefer to steep, boil, filter, or use pressure to brew, they are all valid ways to prepare your coffee. Happy brewing!

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