Brew Method Adventure Guide

One of our favourite things about Koffee is that there are so many different ways to brew it, each brew method with its own positives and negatives. Check out your brew method below for some instructions on how to get the most out of it. You might also read about a new method you want to try – if you’re keen on a new brewer you can find these brewers on this page.

Plunger (French Press)

The Plunger (or French Press) is a simple, well-known brew method. It has an immersion brew style, which means the coffee extracts by soaking in the water.

Method

1. Place your coarsely ground coffee (17.5g) in the plunger.
2. Wet the coffee with 96°C water and allow it to ‘bloom’ for 30 seconds. This releases the coffee’s carbon dioxide.
3. Fill the vessel with 96°C water (280g total)
4. Briefly stir gently after 30 seconds and then leave for between 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Slowly push down the plunger to the bottom.
6. Pour all of the coffee out into your cup – any coffee left in the plunger will continue extracting and will taste bitter if you drink it later.
7. Drink Liberally!

Grab a Plunger!

Stovetop

Another well-known homebrew method, the Stovetop builds pressure up in the bottom chamber, before flowing through the coffee bed and extracting a more concentrated shot.

Method

1. Unscrew the bottom section of the Stovetop and fill the pressure release valve with fresh cold water.
2. Fill the funnel-shaped filter basket with fresh, fairly finely ground coffee.
3. Make sure the seal is clean from grinds, and screw the two halves of the stovetop together.
4. Put over heat until all the water has bubbled into the top chamber.
5. Serve hot and enjoy.

Grab a Stovetop!

Pour Over

A Pour-Over is a great way to extract the more delicate and subtle flavours from a lighter roast style coffee. The paper filter also aids in producing a cleaner cup.

Method

1. Place a paper filter in your pour-over and sit over a cup.
2. Rinse the paper filter with your hot water from the kettle, and tip the hot water out from the cup. This will improve the quality of the flavour and preheat the filter to ensure the water temperature isn’t lowered dramatically when brewing.
3. Add 20g of fairly coarse coffee (slightly finer than french press).
4. Saturate the grounds for the first 30 seconds, with water at approx 96°C (30 seconds off the boil).
5. Pour evenly over the grounds with enough water to add 1cm of volume to the pour-over brewer (80mLs each time). Repeat this process 3 times, 30 seconds apart each time.
6. When all the water has passed through the grinds, remove the pour-over, and enjoy the perfect cup for one!

Grab a V60 here.

Chemex

Similar to a Pour Over, the Chemex is an elegant filter brew device. Its unique angle creates a deeper coffee bed, which changes the way the coffee ultimately extracts. It’s an attention-seeking piece of equipment, and a great way to both brew and serves your coffee.

Method

1. Place the filter paper snuggly into the Chemex.
2. Rinse the paper filter with hot water from the kettle, and tip the hot water out from the Chemex. As the Chemex filter papers are thicker than normal paper filter, be generous with your rinse.
3. Place 30g of fairly coarse coffee in the brewer (slightly finer than plunger).
4. Saturate the grounds for the first 30 seconds, with water at approx 96°C (30 seconds off the boil).
5. Slowly pour the rest of the hot water but never fill to the top.
6. Allow the water to finish passing through the coffee.
7. Remove the filter and pour it into your cup.
8. Enjoy.

Aeropress

A relatively new brew method, taking the coffee world by storm. It combines the joys of immersion brewing with a paper filter and a brewing chamber that uses air pressure to pressurise your extraction. This all results in a clean but fuller-bodied cup than a filter.

Method

1. Boil fresh water but leave it for one minute to cool to around 91°C.
2. Wet the filter paper and place it into the cap.
3. Place 2 full Aeropress spoons (20g) of Aeropress grind (fairly fine but coarser than espresso) coffee into the brewing chamber.
4. Place your AeroPress over a cup, and fill the Aeropress with your hot water.
5. Stir briefly, and then attach the plunger and push down until you empty the chamber and hear a hissing sound.
6. Enjoy your brew!

Get your Aeropress!

Espresso Machine

The king of coffee culture as we know it in Australia. These are the basic steps to a good extraction, but if you want to get the most from your espresso machine, we recommend the Barista Induction course in our Koffee Academy. Read more about it and book a barista course!

Method

1. Evenly fill your portafilter with finely ground coffee.
2. Tamp down the coffee in the portafilter evenly, so the water will run through the whole puck.
3. Wipe the sides of the portafilter clean before inserting it into the group head.
4. Start the extraction. Ideally, you should aim for about 40-50mLs of espresso from your double shot, which should pour in about 26-32 seconds.
5. Steam your milk, adding enough air for your desired amount of milk foam. (optional!)
6. Pour your milk into the espresso shot and enjoy!

We hope that this guide has helped you learn the basics of the brew method you’re using. If you still need help – get in contact with us via the contact us page or chat with us next time you’re in the store. We are passionate about koffee and love to help people get the most out of their morning cup.