There are many brewing methods out there but the basis for all of them is the same:

1. Use whole bean fresh roasted coffee
2. Use clean water, filtered if you’re city folk.
3. Grind your beans just before using them
4. Use about 1 Tbsp / 5 oz of water
5. Your water should be between 190 and 200 degrees, just below boiling.

Brewing Methods

The One Cupper

This is actually my favorite brewing method. It is simple, elegant and economical. While at work I used to put a pot of coffee on in the morning and end up pouring the other half down the drain. The one cup method takes a little longer for multiple cups but I find that the flavor of a fresh cup and fresh ground beans beats the pants off of a pot that has been sitting out on the counter for a couple hours. It’s easier to get the coffee/water ratio just right as well since you’re only working with one cup at a time. I have two different one-cuppers a swiss gold filtered brewer and a Melitta Perfect Brew. I’m not sure which one I prefer. I like them both. The swiss gold filtered brewer makes a great cup but some of the sediment makes it through the filter. The Melitta makes a great cup as well but sometimes I think I catch a bit of the filter taste (it might be my imagination). Either way they are both cheap and brew a darn good cup.

French Press

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the french press, but this is a personal taste issue. There is too much sediment and too many oils for me. However I also know folks who think that there is no alternative to the french press. It’s a great option for those who don’t mind a bit of sediment in the cup. Like the one cuppers you have control over all of the factors that make a great cup of coffee. In fact you have more control over the extraction time with a french press than you do with the one cuppers. Still, for me the proof is in the cup and I prefer a cleaner cup than the french press offers.

Drip / Pour Over

These are hard for me to comment on since the sad truth is that most coffee makers a) don’t properly heat the water to the optimal brewing temperatures and b) don’t evenly distribute the water over the ground beans. Coffee makers capable of both of these are currently not something I’ve invested in. I did recently use a cheap drip coffee maker for a big ol’ pour over brewer by simply grinding, and heating water then manually pouring the water over the basket. It’s a hack but it works!

Vaccuum Pot

Sadly I’ve never had the opportunity to try coffee brewed using this technique. It just looks so cool, and from what I’ve read has excellent results.