Written for friends who want to start brewing coffee at home. Very personal opinions and comments.
The core idea of manual brew is to get more control on the outcome, hence it demands control in input. In all methods, you can see a few basic things like measuring the coffee beans/powder, controlling the water temperature, etc. A basic kitchen scale and a kitchen-grade thermometer are good to have, but you can also choose high-end equipment.
Prerequisites
Stop consuming coffee with sugar or milk. It will give you an idea of how coffee tastes. Move from Chicory-based South Indian coffee powders to 100% coffee powder, preferably Arabica-beans based. Chicory has an amazing aroma that hides coffee's actual smell and aroma.
1. French Press
French press is ideal if you are looking for a strong coffee. Personally, I am not a fan of it, but it's popular. All it demands is one equipment, a French Press, and the method is easier to follow and will provide a consistent cup of coffee every time.
2. Moka Pot
Moka pot provides an intense, Espresso-like coffee. Bialetti Moka (Stove Top and Stove & Induction Top) is slightly costlier compared to an average french press, but it demands no other equipment, very low maintenance, and makes your room filled with coffee aroma! The logic is similar to South Indian coffee, but with a siphon, it stores coffee in the upper chamber, while filter coffee uses gravity, and hence the lower chamber is the collector.
3. Pour Over
Unlike the other two, pour over is more manual and provides the coffee maker control over coffee, with the opportunity to customise the flavour. The instructions can look like a lab experiment, and most of them demand full focus, making it a great morning ritual to have. The outcome is a clean coffee, and all you need is a Hario V60 with paper filter. Scale and thermometer are required, and a Gooseneck Kettle will make things a lot easier. (You can pick a Stovetop Gooseneck Kettle with Thermometer or a fancier Budan Goose Neck Electric Pour-over Kettle instead of multiple equipment.)
4. AeroPress
AeroPress provides more control in dripping, filtering, and also lets you control pressure while brewing (which makes coffee extract more crema, making coffee espresso-like). The equipment is costlier than drip brewers, but it is handy and travel-friendly. As the number of variables is high, you can see a variety of methods to brew coffee. AeroPress and AeroPress Go are almost similar, while Go is a bit more compact by design and easier to travel with.
General Principles
- Quality of coffee beans is critical. Roasted coffee beans can stay for a while, while once ground, try to consume as fast as you can (2 weeks max). If you are ordering ground beans, order in small batches, make sure it's not exposed to air, and is kept dry.
- Water quality is important, but that's advanced and complicated. As long as the water is good, it's fine. It is good if you can check the water pH (with pH strips) and make sure it's around 7, or Total Dissolved Solids value is between 75-250 ppm (RO Service team can help on this).
- Patience mukhyam Bigile!
