Filtered coffee might be the most straightforward form of brewing coffee. All you need is a paper filter, some hot water, and some coffee ground. However, there are many other forms of coffee brewing. Some are suited for brewing light roast coffee, and some are suited for brewing dark roast.
Filter Coffee Brewing can be divided into two distinct categories. First, the pour-over method, and second the Immersion method. The terms drip and pour over can be used interchangeably. This article will shed light on how both drip and immersion brewing methods work. And then, we will look into their differences.
What’s The Difference Between Drip and Immersion Brewing?
First, let us talk about the drip coffee brewing technique. In this coffee brewing style, we place a filter on top of a jar and prepare a smooth coffee bed on top of it. After inspection and making sure the coffee bed is evenly distributed and has no air bubbles, we take hot water and pour it over the coffee bed. Once the water is done pouring, it is time for us to wait and let gravity do its work. The water will slowly immerse the coffee bed and extract all the flavors. The water will then slowly find its way into the jar below.
Popular pour-over devices are the Kalita Wave, Hario V60, and so on. Remember, that pour-over does not refer to batch brewers. It refers to only those coffee machines that work manually by a human.
If done correctly, the Drip Coffee brewing method can bring out the best flavors and oils from the coffee ground. And needless to say, if you want your coffee to have a pleasing aroma, then Drip Coffee is for you. As the water drips down the coffee ground slowly, it can extract the most intrinsic flavors and essential coffee oils.
Now let us talk about the Immersion Coffee brewing technique. Rather than letting the water sip through the coffee ground, we pour water into the coffee ground in the Immersion Coffee brew method and let it sit. The key to brewing a delicious cup of joe using this method is to use the ideal brew time, which refers to how long you let the mixture sit and blossom.
The brewer can go with a trial-and-error method with Immersion Brewing. He can taste the brew after certain intervals and figure out which brew time works best.
Brewing Drip Coffee
Drip Coffee is the most effective brewing method when using single-origin coffee. This is because Drip, or Pour Over, whatever you call it, is highly effective at extracting the aromas and flavors from the coffee grounds. Moreover, the paper filter is best at absorbing unnecessary oils. Using a paper filter will leave you with a clean-tasting coffee.
A significant difference between the pour-over and the Immersion Coffee brewing technique is, the former uses a fresh stream of water. On the other hand, the latter uses a finite amount of water which forms a mixture when added to the coffee grounds.
The biggest challenge of brewing pour-over is channeling the water evenly in the coffee ground. If the coffee ground is not evenly distributed, or if the water is poured in the center, the final brew will have some parts of the coffee bed that hasn’t been appropriately extracted.
This is why the best way to brew Drip Coffee is to take the water and pour it on top of the coffee bed in a circular motion. Start at the edges and slowly move toward the center. Once you are done performing this pattern, repeat it until you have poured the entire jar of warm water into the coffee ground.
Brewing Immersion Coffee
To brew coffee using the Immersion method, you can use a French Press or a Twist Press. The Twist Press is made of two chambers. One chamber is empty, and it sits on top of the other chamber, which holds the water and coffee ground mixture.
Each of these chambers has a separate handle. To start the brewing process, you have to take hold of both handles at the same time in the same direction. This particular movement pushes the coffee through the paper filter.
To brew the best coffee using a Twist Press, you need to exert huge pressure on the handles. As every individual has different physical strength levels, the final brew will depend on the inflicted pressure.
On the other hand, the French Press works similarly. Compared to the Twist Press, it only has one handle that sits at the jar’s top. The advantage of using a French Press or a Twist Press is you do not need to wait much longer for the brewing process to be completed.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you should now understand what Drip Coffee is and what is Immersion Coffee. Use the Drip Coffee brewing method if you want a cup of coffee that tastes clean, wholesome, and lightly acidic. On the other hand, use Immersion Coffee brewing if you want rich and bold coffee.
Do you want us to write comparisons on other forms of coffee brewing techniques as well? If yes, leave a comment below, and we will get back to you.
