Brewing Methods
The most common brewing method in the U.S.A.
is the Drip method, wherein hot or
boiling water is poured through grounds. Most people own an electric
drip machine, though some of us prefer the manual method (a cone
and filter placed directly over a single mug) in order to make just
that one cup for ourselves. If you have an electric drip machine,
then it either has a cone or bucket type container for holding the
grounds. Whichever type you have plays a moderate role in how finely
you should grind your beans. It's all about how long the water will
be in contact with the grounds before dripping into the
decanter. With cones, the water will not stay long among the grounds,
so you want the beans ground more finely.
With buckets, the water will experience more exposure to the grounds,
and therefore the beans should have
a coarser grind.
There is also the French Press method, which
is enjoying premier status among coffee lovers.
Basically, this device consists of a beaker container and a plunger
filter. After placing ground coffee into the beaker,
hot water is added and allowed to sit with the grounds. After the
coffee has been steeped, the plunger filter pushes the
grounds to the bottom, leaving the coffee on top. Personally, I do not
care for this method of brewing. The coffee tends to be foamy and
somewhat gritty in texture. It definitely tastes different than the
Drip method, but different doesn't necessarily mean better. I leave
it to the individual to decide his/her preference.
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