THE COFFEE JACOB FIELD GUIDE / Brew
Brew a better cup
Choose your method. Understand the steps. Make the recipe your own.
Choose by the cup and the routine.
For a simple cup without a machine, start with instant, French press or a paper-filter immersion brewer. For a family breakfast, compare drip and a suitably sized Chemex. For a small concentrated drink, choose a phin or moka pot if its workflow fits; espresso needs a complete machine-and-grinder setup.
Match the recipe to your coffee choice, grind and water. Check equipment and filter compatibility, then use a single taste adjustment after the first cup.
Compare all methods: texture, effort, equipment, batch and cleanup
Times below are starting cues, excluding heating water and cleanup. Approximate yields depend on retained liquid; nominal “cups” are not standard mugs. Follow the linked recipe and the exact device’s capacity.
| Method | How it works / texture | What you need | Effort / time | Example batch | Cleanup / constraint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-over / V60 | Percolation; paper-filter clarity | Dripper, matching paper, scale, kettle | Hands-on pours; about 3 min brew | 20 g / 320 g water → ≈280 ml | Lift paper; wash dripper/server |
| Kalita Wave | Percolation; paper-filter clarity | Matching Wave + paper, scale, kettle | Gentle pulses; about 3 min | 185: 20 g / 320 g → ≈280 ml | Protect paper shape; clear outlets |
| Chemex | Percolation; thick-paper filtration | Correct glass size and bonded paper | Hands-on; about 3½–4½ min | Six-cup model: 31.25 g / 500 g → ≈438 ml | Remove wood collar; protect glass |
| French press | Immersion; body with some sediment | Press, kettle; scale helps repeatability | Low active effort; 4 min or longer settling | 33.3 g / 500 g → ≈433 ml | Discard grounds; disassemble permitted mesh parts |
| AeroPress | Immersion + gentle pressing; paper-filtered | Exact brewer model, compatible filter, sturdy cup | Short steep and gentle press; small servings | Original: 15 g / 225 g → ≈195 ml | Eject cooled puck; rinse seals; never force |
| Clever / Switch | Immersion released through paper | Exact brewer, matching paper and supporting vessel | 2 min steep + drainage | Large Clever 320 g; Switch 02 240 g water | Clean valve; check model headroom |
| Siphon | Immersion with vacuum return; filter-dependent body | Matched glass brewer, filter, approved heater | High attention; heating + short steep + return | 24 g / 360 g → ≈300 ml | Cool first; clean filter as its manual requires |
| Automatic drip | Percolation; paper or permanent-filter texture | Machine, matching filter, suitable grind | Low active effort; machine cycle varies | 60 g per litre brew water; machine cups vary | Discard grounds; basket/carafe and manual care |
| Moka pot | Steam-pressure-driven; concentrated | Exact pot, compatible heat source | Stay nearby; stop before sustained sputtering | Use the pot’s fixed basket and safe water fill | Cool fully; material-specific cleaning |
| Cold brew | Cold immersion; filter choice changes sediment | Clean covered jar, filter, refrigerator | Low active effort; 16–18 h refrigerated starter | 100 g / 500 g water → ≈300 ml concentrate | Filter/measure, refrigerate and use promptly |
| Iced filter | Hot percolation onto recipe ice | Dripper, heat-safe server, scale, ice | Hands-on; about one hot brew | 20 g, 200 g hot water + 120 g ice | Paper out; wash brewer and server |
| Turkish / cezve | Decoction / heated suspension; unfiltered grounds settle | Cezve, suitable heat, very fine coffee | Close attention to foam and rising liquid | One small-cup recipe; leave headspace | Let grounds settle; cool and wash vessel |
| Vietnamese phin | Gravity percolation; small concentrated serving | Matching phin parts, stable cup | Wet, fill, then wait; flow varies | 20 g / 100 g water in a suitable phin | Cool; clear small filter holes |
| Instant | Already extracted soluble coffee | Mug, safe water; spoon | Lowest active effort; dissolve and adjust | Use product spoon/mass instructions; choose mug volume | Wash mug and spoon; keep powder dry |
| Capsules | Machine extraction; system-dependent | Compatible capsule and maintained machine | Low effort; system’s programmed serving | Check capsule system and cup setting | Empty spent capsule and follow machine care |
| Espresso | Pressure extraction; concentrated | Machine, suitable basket, espresso-capable grinder | High setup/dial-in effort; short extraction | 18 g in →36 g beverage starting recipe | Puck, basket, steam wand; machine-specific care |
15 methods shown.
French press: a full cup with less guesswork
Start with 33.3 g coffee and 500 g water. Choose a quicker four-minute press or a longer settling method, then adjust one thing by taste.
BrewPour-over: a recipe you can actually follow
A 20 g coffee, 320 g water starting recipe with three clear scale targets. Learn what to change when the cup is good, weak, sharp or slow.
BrewKalita Wave: keep the flat bed working
The Wave's flat bed and three outlets need a gentle pour and an undamaged filter. Start with 20 g coffee and 320 g water.
BrewChemex: keep the spout open and the pours measured
Brew 31.25 g coffee with 500 g water in a suitable Chemex. The filter's thick side belongs against the spout, which also serves as an air path.
BrewAeroPress: one upright method, several drinks
Choose the drink before filling the chamber. Standard coffee, a short concentrate and an iced cup need different water plans.
BrewClever and Switch: steep first, drain second
A valve dripper combines immersion with paper filtration. Its most important setup step is making sure the valve is in the state you intend.
BrewSiphon coffee: follow the rise, steep and drawdown
Siphon brewing makes the heating and cooling cycle visible. Keep the filter centered, the heat controlled and the glass safely supported.
BrewAutomatic drip: measure the batch, then let the machine work
Start around 60 g coffee per litre of reservoir water. Measure what the machine's cup marks actually mean before deciding how many mugs it makes.
BrewMoka pot: let the pot set the dose
A moka pot's basket and lower chamber define its working batch. Fill correctly, avoid tamping and remove it from heat before prolonged sputtering.
BrewCold brew: plan the concentrate and the finished drink
Coffee-to-water and concentrate-to-diluent are two different ratios. Keep them separate and you can make the amount and strength you actually want.
BrewIced filter coffee: brew hot, chill by design
For one chilled cup, use 20 g coffee, 200 g hot water and 120 g ice. The ice is part of the recipe's water, not an unmeasured extra.
BrewTurkish coffee: fine grounds, gentle heat, time to settle
Use coffee ground to a fine powder, a small cezve and attentive heat. The grounds stay in the cup, so settling is part of the method.
BrewVietnamese phin: a slow drip with a clear serving plan
Start with a short concentrated brew. Then choose black, over ice, or with measured condensed milk instead of changing everything at once.
BrewInstant coffee: a useful recipe in under two minutes
Instant coffee has already been brewed and dried. Your job is to dissolve it, choose the final volume and adjust the amount to taste.
BrewCapsule coffee: match the system and control the serving
Start with the correct capsule and intended drink size. A bigger button setting changes extraction; adding water afterward changes strength.