There are many types of coffee brewing equipment. Do you really understand these equipment? If you don't understand, read this.

Nowadays, people often work late at night due to high pressure. What can save them in the middle of the night and when they wake up the next day is not their original intention or ideal, but a cup of fragrant and strong coffee! This is probably why coffee is becoming more and more popular now.

It has been nearly 200 years since Mr. Laurens invented the first coffee extractor in 1818 and the coffee machine market has become so mature today . During this period, coffee machines have undergone considerable changes from appearance to function until they have become increasingly perfect.

There are many types of coffee brewing utensils and even more methods. This article will discuss the various brewing utensils and their uses.

Drip type (filter paper drip type, flannel drip type)

The so-called drip method is to put the coffee powder into the filter first, and then pour in boiling water. The hot water with dissolved coffee will flow into the cup through the filter.

The typical drip brewing method is the filter paper drip brewing method, which is also the most commonly used brewing method in households. When using it, just put the filter paper on the coffee filter cup, and then pour out the residue in the filter paper after brewing. The operation is very simple.

This method was invented by a German woman named Melitta before 1908. Due to its easy operation and the ability to produce smooth coffee without coffee grounds, the filter paper drip coffee brewing method quickly became popular around the world and has been popular for 110 years .

Melitta registered her invention at the Royal Patent Office . It was a copper coffee filter with an arched bottom and a water hole. It was also the world's first filter coffee cup . It was named the " Melitta Cup ". Later, people also called the single-hole filter cup the Melitta Cup.

This seemingly simple brewing method is still difficult to operate. If you want to brew good coffee with stable quality, you need repeated practice.

It looks very cool, doesn’t it? The coffee dripping through the filter paper is like filtering and settling itself. Only by experiencing this process yourself can you feel its beauty!

The hanging ear bags sold on the market are also of the filter paper drip type.

The filter screen of the paper drip coffee is made of paper, while the flannel drip coffee brewing method uses flannel as a filter screen. Although the flannel drip coffee brewing method is more difficult to operate, this brewing method is very popular among some Japanese coffee shops or coffee lovers.

Flannel filter

Applicable coffee: Coffee powder of either strong or weak flavor, instant coffee is not allowed

Grinding degree: medium-fine grinding

Drip coffee machine

Drip coffee machine is also called normal pressure coffee machine

It is a classic drip filter, easy to use, simple and efficient, very suitable for home and office use. There is a funnel on it to place filter paper and coffee powder. The price is moderate, and the most consumed thing is probably the coffee filter paper.

Grinding degree: The general coarse and fine grinding degree is determined by the selected equipment

French pressure pot (piston type)

This is a simple brewing device that originated in France around 1850. It consists of a heat-resistant glass bottle (or transparent plastic) and a metal filter with a pressure rod. At first, it was mostly used to brew black tea, so some people also called it a tea brewer .

Put the ground coffee powder into the coffee pot, then pour in hot water. After a period of time, squeeze the filter and the coffee powder will be separated and filtered out from the bottom of the container. This is a brewing method that is a bit troublesome to clean but easy to operate.

The characteristic of this immersion method is that it is easy to control and change the contact time between hot water and coffee powder, that is, it is convenient to control the taste of coffee. This method is very suitable for coffee lovers who have personal requirements for the taste of coffee.

Applicable coffee: Coffee powder of either strong or weak flavor, can also be used to brew black tea

Grinding degree: coarse granular

Siphon coffee maker

The appearance of the siphon coffee pot is very distinctive: first pour water into the spherical glass container at the bottom, then heat the water under the glass container until it boils, and insert the funnel with coffee powder into the glass container. After that, the water will be sucked up as soon as it boils, and then the coffee extraction begins. After a certain period of time, as long as the heating is stopped, the water vapor that has just expanded will contract when it cools, and the coffee originally in the glassware will be sucked into the flask.

The residue produced during extraction will be blocked by the filter at the bottom of the glassware and will be filtered instantly, separating the coffee liquid from the powder . Although it is more troublesome to maintain the equipment, the brewing method is simple to operate.

This is a very scientific way of coffee extraction. Firstly, it has a more suitable extraction temperature. When the water in the lower pot rises to the upper pot, it is exactly 92°C, which is the most suitable extraction temperature for coffee. Secondly, natural immersion extraction is combined with pressure extraction in the reflux process to achieve a more perfect coffee extraction effect.

The siphon coffee maker has a charm that other coffee appliances do not have because it has a unique visual effect. Not only is its appearance unique, but even the moment when the coffee is sucked into the flask through the filter after the fire is turned off is also a sight that people never get tired of watching.

Grind size: Medium-coarse grind

Royal Belgian Coffee Maker

The siphon of the Royal Belgian Coffee Pot, which combines the features of a siphon coffee pot and a moka pot, is itself worthy of discussion. It combines several natural forces: fire, steam, pressure, and gravity. The brewing process is full of seesaw-like fun, making the operation of the Royal Belgian Coffee Pot more interesting to watch.

From the outside, it looks like a symmetrical balance, with a kettle and an alcohol lamp on the right, and a glass coffee pot filled with coffee powder on the left, with both ends connected by a thin tube that bends like a crutch. When the kettle is filled with water, the balance loses balance and tilts to the right. When the water boils, the steam breaks the piston in the thin tube and rushes to the glass kettle along the tube to meet the coffee powder waiting at the other end.

When all the water in the pot turns into steam and runs to the left, and is fully mixed with the coffee powder, the hot coffee will pass through the filter at the bottom of the capillary tube due to the siphon principle and return to its home on the right, leaving the dregs at the bottom of the glass pot. At this time, turn on the tap of the kettle, and the fragrant coffee will be ready.

Grind size: Medium-coarse grind

Italian espresso machine (Italian coffee machine)

The principle of an Italian coffee machine is to use a mixture of high-pressure steam and water to quickly pass through the coffee layer and extract the coffee instantly. The coffee that comes out in this way has a very high temperature, a very low content of impurities such as caffeine, and a rich taste.

Today, Italian coffee machines have become fully automated and have comprehensive functions, capable of making many types of coffee. The only disadvantage is that they are relatively expensive.

The price of commercial machines can even be as high as over 100,000 yuan, and the price of home espresso machines is also generally high, usually around 10,000 yuan.

Grind size: Medium-fine grind (too fine will cause over-extraction of coffee, making it taste too bitter)

Moka Pot

In 1933, an Italian named Bialetti invented the moka pot, and since then espresso has officially moved from coffee shops to homes.

The Moka pot is a tool used to extract espresso. It is divided into two layers. When the water in the lower part is boiled, it will be sprayed into the upper part of the pot through a mesh filter filled with coffee powder. Although hot water can be injected into the coffee powder without using air pressure, it is not strictly considered as concentrated extraction, but is closer to drip extraction. However, the coffee made by the Moka pot still has the concentration and flavor of Italian espresso.

Moka Pot Usage Diagram

As the Moka pot has evolved to this day, its appearance has changed slightly, but its basic structure has not deviated from the original.

In terms of material, most moka pots are made of aluminum or stainless steel. Aluminum products are cheap, light, and have fast heat conduction, which are its advantages. However, aluminum products are not easy to clean and are prone to rust, so they require more effort to preserve.

Stainless steel moka pots do not have this problem. They are easy to clean and have a longer service life. In addition, stainless steel moka pots can be heated on induction cookers or gas stoves, making them more convenient to use.

Grinding degree: medium-fine

A variety of coffees derived from espresso, such as cappuccino, latte, mocha, etc., can all be made with coffee extracted from a moka pot as the base. Therefore, it can be said that owning a moka pot is equivalent to owning half a coffee shop! If you want to have the most cost-effective coffee at home, you can try a moka pot first.