Coffee brewing methods in the world

Each of us may understand coffee in our own way, but coffee has only two ingredients that never change: water and coffee grounds.

The difference between an American and an espresso is the method of extracting the aroma of coffee from the ground coffee from roasted coffee beans. This is the land where human creativity has given birth to countless different coffee brewing methods, evolving over centuries. Each method follows a different sequence to make a Mocha or Espresso, Americano or Neapolitan.

Making coffee is not a difficult task. All you need is a coffee blend that you like, some equipment and a few minutes of free time. There are many different coffee brewing methods to satisfy different tastes. Espresso is full of character, Turkish coffee is aromatic, Americano is light, watery and takes a long time to drink. All of these methods have one thing in common, the coffee grounds are processed in hot water and then the coffee solution is filtered out, full of flavor and aroma. This magical drink will have quite different properties, depending on the brewing method. Here are a few basic examples.

Filter drip (often known as American styled coffee)

The characteristics of this type of coffee are not very strong (not much body) and the taste and aroma are also very light. This type of coffee is popular throughout North America, Northern Europe and France. Nowadays, in those countries, people use many types of drip coffee makers with filter funnels. The machine consists of 2 parts, the upper part is a funnel made of glass, plastic or metal, the lower part is a glass pot that can be automatically heated by a spring wire located under this pot. In the funnel, people put a disposable paper filter to filter out the coffee powder. To make coffee this way, people often use coarsely ground coffee. In Europe, people use 1/2 tablespoon, while in the US, people use a whole teaspoon. For this type of brewing, hot water is poured over the coffee powder, the coffee flows down by gravity. Putting aside the automatic water heating and reheating of brewed coffee, even without a coffee maker, people can still make coffee this way by using the same type of paper filter (bought at the supermarket) placed in a regular funnel, boiling water and pouring very slowly over the funnel. The whole brewing process takes about 6 to 8 minutes and the result is a light, weak, and slightly acidic coffee (slightly acidic coffee).

Filter coffee (also known as French coffee)

This style of coffee is commonly known as French coffee, although the coffee making device was invented by an Italian and then patented to a Swiss in 1933. Many people like to drink coffee brewed this way because it is very fast and easy, and at the same time extracts a lot of aroma from the coffee grounds. The coffee making tool consists of a glass cylinder (cylindrical glass container) and a filter that fits like a piston inside the cylinder. People put coffee powder into the cylinder, pour boiling water in and stir well, leave it for 4 to 5 minutes. Then people put the piston-filter in and press gently and slowly to separate the powder from the brewed coffee solution. The coffee is now drinkable and is no longer too hot. The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to waste a paper filter every time you make coffee. Note that the coffee powder must be of medium ground coffee type, otherwise it is easy to drink coffee powder mixed in with the coffee. It is enough to put about 1 teaspoon per cup of coffee.

Turkish coffee

This type of coffee making is most popular in Türkiye, Greece, some Eastern European countries and the Middle East. People use a traditional tool called “ibrik”. A container made of copper and brass, shaped like an upside-down, truncated funnel, with a very long handle. First, water is brought to a simmer in the ibrik, then the ibrik is removed and finely ground coffee (about 2 teaspoons per cup), sugar and sometimes some other flavorings such as cardamom or cloves, are added. The mixture is then stirred and the ibrik is placed back on the stove to boil again. When the mixture boils and the foam is almost overflowing, the ibrik is removed from the stove and stirred again. When the coffee has cooled a little, it is placed back on the stove on a very low heat. It is removed and put back in three times and it is done. The result is a thick, black, foamy coffee that cannot be poured into a cup and drunk immediately, but must be waited for the coffee grounds to settle to the bottom and then the coffee has cooled. Norwegian Boiled Coffee

This type of coffee is popular in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. Similar to Turkish coffee, people boil the coffee grounds for 10 minutes, except that people use coarsely ground coffee grounds, and the coffee beans are only lightly roasted, not thoroughly. About 2 teaspoons for 1 cup of coffee. The drinker also has to wait until the coffee grounds settle before drinking.

Freeze-dried coffee

Of course, this is the easiest type of coffee to make. Just pour a teaspoon of instant coffee into a cup of hot water, stir well, and add creme or sugar as desired. However, this type of coffee can taste a bit sour, so you have to add sugar before drinking it. Many people who are sensitive to caffeine may feel their heart pounding and nervous when drinking instant coffee. In this case, you should use decafeinated coffee, which means the caffeine has been removed. Coffee bought from vending machines is usually this type of coffee. People put pre-mixed coffee powder, sugar, and creme inside the machine. When you put coins in, the machine will spray boiling water into a predetermined amount of powder, and it will flow out into a paper cup for you to drink. To be honest, this coffee is not delicious and you only drink it out of necessity.

Espresso coffee (also known as Italian coffee)

This is the standard method of making coffee in Italy. Unique and smart. The espresso machine is a true work of art created by Italians. Coffee is brewed at very high pressure. A pump pumps water through a copper coil. The water is heated rapidly in the copper tube system to a temperature of nearly 100°C (not below 90°C). The pressure pushes the water through the coffee powder tightly compressed in a filter. The water flows quickly through the coffee powder, through a metal filter straight into the cup in just a few tens of seconds. The result is a hot, full-bodied and condensed cup of coffee, full of aroma, yet still not bitter but smooth and light as cream. To this day, this method of making coffee is considered the most superior for the following reasons: Grinding the coffee powder for each cup, the coffee retains more aroma, and the drinker can request to adjust the coffee powder to be coarsely ground, medium ground or finely ground, depending on their preference. The hot water is hot so the aroma of the coffee is extracted at maximum efficiency and does not evaporate.

The hot water is quickly passed through, the coffee powder is not burnt so it is not bitter and the amount of caffeine dissolved in the water is not too much as when boiling coffee in water for a longer time. The fine filter can be used, thanks to the high pressure of the water, so the coffee is not cloudy like when gravity is used to push water through the coffee.

Mocha Coffee – A convenient and delicious solution

Since the 1930s, Italian companies in Pavia, Milan and Turin have developed and perfected steam coffee making tools and created different types of coffee pots. The most successful coffee pot is called “Moka Express”, copyrighted by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933 and to this day the Bialletti company still sells, and sells a lot of these pots, and it is still exactly the same pot sold in the years after World War II. Because it is convenient, cheap and delicious, this coffee brewing method is loved by many people. No matter how poor an Italian is, you will find at least one mocha coffee pot. The mocha pot has 3 parts attached to each other. Below is a small pot containing water (boiler), in the middle is an aluminum filter that also compresses the coffee, and on top is where the finished product is stored. All 3 parts attached to each other have an airtight rubber gasket. People pour enough water for the desired amount of coffee into the “boiler”, then put the coffee powder into the filter (fine or coarse ground coffee depending on preference, two teaspoons for a cup of coffee), then screw it on tightly and boil. When the water boils, the steam rises and meets the coffee powder, immediately condensing into boiling water, boiling distilled water, ensuring 100°C (or at least 99°C). The newly condensed water dissolves the coffee and the product is pushed up and condenses in the upper container. In less than 1 minute the coffee is ready to drink, hot and ready to drink.

The mocha pot produces medium-bodied coffee, black in color, strong in taste, and very fragrant. If you use finely ground coffee, it will be more bitter and stronger than coarsely ground coffee. Needless to say, everyone can see clearly that the personal Bialetti pot, which makes 1 to 2 cups of coffee for about 5 USD, is compact and light, can be put in a suitcase on the way to travel or study, does not need an electrical outlet or adapter, wherever there is an electric stove, stove and water, there we can drink coffee. And according to professional Italian coffee makers, coffee made with a mocha pot is only second in deliciousness compared to espresso made with a large machine that can cost up to 5000 USD. If you have time, you can be picky and try different fineness of coffee powder (just read the paper bag coarse/medium/fine ground), different coffee varieties (robusta/arabica) and different roast levels (light, medium or well roasted) and you will find your preference. After a while, you can know how this coffee is roasted, ground and brewed just by sipping coffee

A few more words about making coffee in Vietnam

There are mainly 2 ways to make coffee in Vietnam,

Boiled coffee (filter coffee)
Coffee put in a boiled cloth bag is used by many shops and the filter coffee style is used when the connoisseur calls and the restaurant brings it out. The reason is probably because boiled coffee is economical, easy to make (just heat it up with an aluminum pot) and is much stronger than filter coffee. Boiled coffee is bad in that it is harmful to health and the aroma is not much, because a lot of it has evaporated.

Phin brewing
Phin coffee is more delicious, but difficult to make, because of many factors. When it’s cold, boiling water poured into the filter cools quickly. Rinsing the filter first is one way, pouring water in 2-3 times is another way to increase the heat, but both only increase the efficiency a little. If the coffee is pressed tightly, it takes a long time to drip, the coffee has a bit too much caffeine because it has been soaked in water for a long time, and it will be a little cold when drinking. If the pressure is not tight, the coffee that flows down will be mixed with coffee powder, and the aroma will not be fully extracted. How can we train all restaurant staff to know how to press coffee just right in the filter? If the coffee filter is made of stainless steel, the filter hole is quite small, and has a screw thread, it is best because the tightness and looseness can be adjusted to suit. If you use an aluminum filter, the filter hole is large enough to let the coffee powder fall down, and you cannot adjust the tightness, then I’m afraid the coffee will not be delicious. If you have to use a plastic filter, it is a waste of coffee.

Some tips on how to order coffee in a shop outside of Vietnam

First, look at the shop’s machine. If the machine has a coffee grinder on one side, an aerator on the other side (to create foam for coffee or fresh milk when needed), and in the middle there are filters of different sizes, that is a sign that the coffee is probably good. You have the right to request the size of coffee powder, but if you don’t request, they will usually give you a medium. If you like espresso and like to drink a lot, order 2 cups, don’t order a double shot, because if you order a double, they will use a double filter. Double the coffee, double the water, double the time. Coffee powder that has been stirred in hot water for too long will be more bitter. That’s why two single cups are better than one double. If you order another coffee, they will usually make an espresso. If you order an Americano, they will mix 1 cup of espresso with 2 cups of hot water, a cup of milk, stir well and aerate. If you order a café latte, they mix 1 shot of espresso with 2 shots of milk, aerate it and it’s done. You can add cream or cinnamon powder on top if you order it. There’s nothing magical about the names, Americano is just bland and watery, while latte is milk.

Collected.