Coffee has been around for a little over 500 years. Legend has it that the beverage was discovered by a goat herder called Kaldi, whose goats ate berries from a particular tree and became so energetic they couldn’t rest at night.
Kaldi reported the matter to a local monastery whose abbot brewed a drink from the tree’s berries and found they kept him energetic for long hours.
The abbot later shared his findings with other monks, and the art of coffee brewing was born. Since then, people have found different ways of making coffee with varying flavor and potency.
Below, we look at some of the more advanced coffee brewing techniques, drink formulation and development, currently in vogue, including innovations like self-service coffee machines, which have revolutionized the way we enjoy our daily brew.
Siphon Brewing
Siphon, also known as vacuum brewing, uses two chambers where pressure and gravity extract coffee.
Brewing coffee with a siphon is pretty straightforward if you follow the steps below:
- Pour water into the bottom compartment of the siphon in a 1 to 15 ratio.
- Put your heat source beneath the bottom compartment.
- Connect your filter to the siphon top compartment and insert the spout into the bottom one.
- When pressure pushes water to the top compartment, stir it while adding ground coffee and then cap it.
- Pour the coffee into your favorite mug and enjoy.
Cold Brew
Cold brewing is the process of steeping coffee grounds at a cool temperature for an extended period. One can make a cold tea or coffee through this process.
This method produces an even chilly glass every time. Making a cold brew is not a secret and doesn’t require expertise to generate.
Here are simple steps: Coarsely grind the coffee beans, combine them with water, and let them steep for around 12 hours.
The coffee is absorbed by the water steadily and produces a strong, concentrated brew. The following morning, strain, and it’s ready to drink.
Nitro Coffee
Nitro coffee is a nitrogen-infused brew that is entirely safe and often used in beer like porters and stouts.
The gas bubbles create a foamy layer that resembles frothing beer. The resulting coffee tastes sweet since nitrogen reduces coffee’s bitterness, allowing even non-coffee drinkers to enjoy it.
To make it, you will need to have nitro coffee brewing equipment consisting of a keg, a nitrogen tank, and a regulator.
First, start by pouring nitro cold brew coffee into the keg. It holds cold brew coffee and infuses it with nitrogen gas, adding effervescence by pushing it through a pressurized valve to yield the nitro coffee.
French Press
Coffee lovers regard this method as the simplest and best method available. It produces a more classic flavor than other methods. The advantages of using the French press are its cost-effectiveness, rich, and delicious taste.
Additionally, you have more control over your coffee’s taste and portability- you can use it anywhere.
To make coffee using a French press, follow these simple steps,
- Heat water to 96 degrees
- Put coffee grounds in the French press’s carafe
- Pour the hot water into the French press and stir the grounds for 1 to make them all wet.
- Let the mixture sit for 1 min, then stir again.
- Press down the plunger until it won’t move anymore, trapping the coffee grounds at the bottom.
- Serve immediately.
Electric Percolator
A coffee percolator is a pot that uses gravity to circulate boiling or near-boiling water through coffee grounds to achieve the desired strength.
Percolator coffee has a smooth, creamy flavor. It is due to the water becoming hotter than in a drip, extracting more flavor from the beans.
Some complain that this renders percolated coffee bitter or overly processed. Still, American coffee equipment manufacturer Coletti Coffee claims that if you use hot water instead of cold for brewing, the water will heat more slowly and manage the temperature.
Here are the instructions on how to use an electric percolator:
- Start by grinding your coffee.
- Plug the percolator into the socket.
- Fill the water in the chamber.
- Insert a paper filter into the basket
- Put the vertical tube & filter the basket
- Leave the cycle brew to complete
- Remove the perk
- Serve & enjoy
Final thoughts
Coffee has come a long way since the legendary Kaldi found the first berries and shared his discoveries with the Abbott, which is how the art of brewing coffee began.
Years later, coffee brewing techniques have evolved to include siphon brew, cold brew, Nitro brew, French press, and the electric percolator, which cater to various flavors, tastes, and textures.
These advanced techniques demonstrate how the coffee market witnesses a riveting economic expansion year by year, increasing our need for high-quality brews.
