Nail the Brewing Basics

Nail the Brewing Basics

Nine popular brewing methods made easy (super easy).
by Maciej Kasperowicz | August 16, 2023

Aeropress

Person using an aeropress to make coffee.

Some mornings we're under a little bit of pressure.

 The Aeropress uses a little extra pressure to brew coffee faster than a pour over. It also allows for an incredibly wide variety of brews, from filter strength coffee (like the recipe here) to stronger recipes that get close to espresso.


Ratio: 15:1 [15g of coffee for 8oz of water / 15g for 225g of water.]
Grind: medium-fine to medium

Steps:

  1. Insert your plunger into your chamber, and invert so that the end where you’ll screw the cap ons facing up. Place onto a flat surface.
  2. Throw your grinds into the chamber, ideally using the included funnel
  3. Put a filter into your filter cap and wet it with hot water to adhere it to the cap.
  4. Start your timer and pour in all your water. Gently stir to break up any clumps.
  5. Screw on the filter cap.
  6. At 90 seconds, flip your aeropress onto a mug and gently press all the way.

Chemex

The easiest way to start off your mornings with a 'Mad-Scientist' kind of vibe.

This classic is as recognized for its design (there’s one in the Museum of Modern Art) as for its ability to brew delicious coffee.

Ratio: 16:1 to 18:1 [33.5-37.5g of coffee for 20oz of water; 33.5-37.5g for 600g of water]
Grind: medium-coarse

Steps:

  1. Put your filter on your carafe (we recommend rinsing it with hot water if it’s a brown filter, but don’t find it necessary for white filters). Throw your coffee into the filter.
  2. Start your timer and gently pour 80g of water, making sure to saturate all the grinds.
  3. At 45 seconds, pour up to 350g of water, pouring in circles.
  4. Wait about 30 seconds, then pour some more water. When the level of the water falls a bit, repeat. You should get all your water in between 2 and 2.5 minutes.
  5. Let the water drain, and enjoy.

Coffee Maker

    The tried and true method. Forever reliable, forever comforting.

     The trick to making good coffee with a drip machine? What “cup” means can vary from brewer to brewer, and is often either 5 or 6oz (not the 8oz that “cup” means when cooking). If you figure out how many ounces your coffee maker means by “cup,” you’ll gain a huge advantage.

    Ratio: 16:1 to 18:1 [50-55g of coffee for 30oz of water; 50-55g of coffee for 900g of water]
    Grind: medium to medium-coarse

    Steps:

    1. Fill the reservoir of your brewer with coffee.
    2. Place filter into basket. Throw your grinds into the filter.
    3. Press that button!

      Cold Brew

      No one wants to admit it, but preparing lunch (and coffee) the night before is a big brain move.

      Cold brew is a hands off, easy way to brew cold coffee for hot summer days (or year long, we don’t judge). We like to brew double the strength of our hot coffee so we can pour it over ice and drink right away, but you can brew an even stronger concentrate and dilute later.

      Ratio: 8:1 [75-80 grams of coffee for 20oz of water / 75-80g of coffee for 600g of water]
      Grind: very coarse

      Steps:

      1. Fill your vessel, French Press, or Trade Coffee Bag with coffee
      2. Cover with water, seal or cover your vessel, and keep out of sunlight.
      3. After 12 to 18 hours, strain strain and pour over ice to enjoy.

      Espresso Machines

      Get ready to fall down the rabbit hole... have fun (and be patient, you'll get it!)

      Many factors impact your shot of espresso and all of them must align for a delicious shot. These include: 

      • How many days off-roast your coffee is
      • How fine or coarse your grind size is
      • How hot your espresso machine is
      • How even the puck of dry coffee is tamped
      • How light or dark your coffee is roasted
      • How many bars of pressure the machine is set at

      We recommend getting a notebook to help keep track of that process. Consider organizing it in a chart that looks like this: grind setting/dose/second of first drop/total time/output in grams/flavor notes and adjustments.

      There's no one-size-fits-all recipe, but here's a good place to start with most home espresso machines:

      Ratio: 1:2 to start [18 g of coffee for a shot that weighs 35-40 g]
      Grind: Fine 

      If you notice your espresso doesn’t start dripping and takes a long time to extract, your grind size is too fine, so coarsen up your grinder. Conversely, if your espresso rushes out of the portafilter, your grind size is too coarse, allowing for water to flow faster than it should for good extraction — so fine up the grind.

      Steps:

      1. Measure and grind coffee
      2. Prep your puck: Distribute grounds evenly into your portafilter and make sure there are no clumps
      3. Tamp firmly and evenly
      4. Attach portafilter to your machine and make sure it's locked in
      5. Brew! 

      French Press

      At least we'll have our memories of Paris once we run out of PTO

      The metal filter in this classic brewer allows more oils and fine particles through than the paper filter on your drip brewer. That means a bigger body, though also a tiny bit more grime.

      Ratio: Ranges between 15:1 to 16:1, depending on personal preference. [37.5-40 grams of coffee for 20oz of water / 37.5-40g for 600g of water]
      Grind: coarse

      Steps:

      1. Fill your french press with coffee
      2. Start your timer and pour 80 grams of water over the coffee, making sure to cover all the grinds.
      3. After 30 seconds, pour the rest of the water and put on your lid.
      4. After 4 minutes total, gently press and, ideally, gently pour your coffee out of your French Press into your vessels.

        Moka Pot

        A Moka pot by any other name would brew just as sweet.

        Also called the Bialetti, Stove-top Espresso, and the Stove-top Percolator.

        Ratio: 12:1 [25g of coffee for 10.5oz of water, 25g of coffee for 300g of water]
        Grind: medium-fine to medium

        Steps:

        1. Fill the bottom chamber of your Moka Pot until the water reaches just under the steam release valve.
        2. Fill the coffee basket to the top and even out the bed of grinds, but don’t tamp them down.
        3. Place the basket over the bottom chamber, screw on the top chamber, and place the device onto your stove over high heat.
        4. When the coffee starts flowing into the top chamber start paying close attention, and when it starts sputtering and getting closer to clear in color, close the lid and pour your coffee out into cups.



        Percolator

        The 'weekend warrior' of brewing methods. Spot one in a campsite near you.

        Whether on the stovetop, the campfire, or in an electric model, the percolator is an old-school way of making coffee. Unlike most modern methods, it re-cycles coffee through a bed of grinds. Our recipe brews a pretty strong version; feel free to play with the ratio to suit your tastes.

        Ratio: 10:1 [50g of coffee for 18oz of water, 50g of coffee for 500g of water]
        Grind: coarse

        Steps:

        1. Fill the chamber of the percolator with water, making sure not to fill below above where the bottom of the basket will sit.
        2. Fill your basket with coffee and place it into the percolator, close the lid.
        3. If electric, turn on, if using on a stove, place over medium heat
        4. Electric versions should turn off automatically, for stove top, wait until the water comes to a rolling boil and starts gurgling. Take off the heat and serve or, if a stronger coffee is desired, lower heat and let percolate for 2-3 more minutes.

         

        Pour Over

        The brewing equivalent of the phrase "all roads lead to Rome."

        Invented by Melitta Bentz in 1908, the pour over is a category that describes a large category of brewers in which water is manually poured over coffee, which then drips through a filter. All pour overs have similar principles, though you’ll want to adjust this recipe based on how fast the water drips through yours and how large it is.

        Ratio: 16:1 to 18:1 [25-28g of coffee for 16oz of water / 25-28g for 450g of water]
        Grind: medium

        Steps:

        1. Put your filter into your brewer and your brewer on your cup or carafe (we recommend rinsing it with hot water if it’s a brown filter, but don’t find it necessary for white filters). Throw your coffee into the filter.
        2. Start your timer and gently pour 60g of water, making sure to saturate all the grinds.
        3. At 45 seconds, pour up to 300g of water, pouring in circles.
        4. Wait about 30 seconds, then pour 50 more grams. Repeat every 20 seconds or so until all your water has been poured.
        5. Let the water drain, and enjoy.
           

           

          Discover our products

          Create a Custom Subscription

          Take the Quiz

          Shop Coffee Subscriptions

          Shop Now

          Shop All Coffee

          Shop All

          Follow Us @tradecoffeeco

          Make great coffee at home. Support awesome roasters around the country.