For coffee lovers, there is nothing better than the taste of delicious, freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Coffee is also great when meeting friends, at business meetings or even on dates. At work there is no better excuse to take a short break and let your mind rest than making coffee. But making good coffee is not as simple as it may seem, which is why a good coffee maker can come in handy. How to use a coffee maker? Read our guide to find out.
For coffee lovers, there is nothing better than the taste of delicious, freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Coffee is also great when meeting friends, at business meetings or even on dates. At work there is no better excuse to take a short break and let your mind rest than making coffee. But making good coffee is not as simple as it may seem, which is why a good coffee maker can come in handy. How to use a coffee maker? Read our guide to find out.
How does a coffee maker work?
Coffee makers have been an integral part of many households for a long time. The most popular type is the French press. Virtually anyone can learn how to use a French press coffee maker. You simply need to add ground coffee into the brewer and cover it with a little bit of water for pre-infusion. Then, after about thirty seconds, add the desired amount of hot water and wait a few minutes, letting the coffee brew under the cover.
The last step is to press the plunger, which, equipped with a strainer, presses the ground coffee beans to the bottom of the coffee maker, separating them from the coffee. Then just pour the coffee into cups and enjoy! Prepared this way, coffee has a clear texture and delicious taste.
The process is very different when you use a pressure coffee maker, also called a stovetop or Italian coffee maker. However, before we find out how to use a stovetop coffee maker, it’s worth getting to know more about its design. The Italian coffee maker consists of 3 main parts. Water is poured into the first one. The second one is used to attach the strainer and the funnel, into which we add the coffee. The third part is where the ready brewed coffee ends up. Fill the coffee maker with coffee and put it on a stove, bringing the water to a boil.
The pressure created this way inside the coffee maker shoots the water vapour up to the grounds, which initiates the brewing of delicious coffee. When ready, simply remove the coffee maker from the stove and pour the coffee into cups as desired. A huge advantage is that stovetop coffee makers can be used on all types of stoves – gas, induction and electric.
How to use a French press coffee maker?
In order to make the perfect cup of coffee, stick to the following steps. The coffee beans should be freshly ground. However, to obtain the best results, grind the coffee slightly coarser than you would for an espresso coffee machine (ideally try to achieve the consistency of sand). What type of beans you use is a matter of personal preference.
Add the ground coffee to the coffee maker and pour in the hot water. It doesn’t have to be boiling, 95 degrees Celsius works best. As mentioned earlier, initially pour only enough water to cover the ground coffee. Then mix it to release the carbon dioxide generated during roasting of the beans. After around 30 seconds, add the rest of the water, which has already slightly cooled.
This should let us obtain an ideal temperature, slightly above 90 degrees Celsius. Then, after waiting a few minutes, push down the plunger, pressing the ground coffee against the bottom with the strainer. After separating the coffee grounds from the freshly brewed coffee, it is ready to drink.
How much ground coffee should you add?
You now know how to use a French press to make a perfect cup of coffee. However, in order to achieve the perfect taste, you should know the right proportions of ground coffee and water. So exactly how much coffee should you use? A common rule is that the standard amount is 60 g (i.e. about 12 teaspoons) of coffee per litre of water.
Of course, you will not always want to prepare a litre of coffee, so you can always adjust the proportions to make a single cup. To do this, simple decrease the amount of ground coffee beans proportionally to the amount of water. Either calculate the correct values, or use the trial and error method to find the perfect proportions for you.
How to make coffee without a coffee maker?
Apart from brewing coffee in a coffee maker, there are also other methods. The most obvious and common method is simply pouring hot water over ground coffee. The process is incredibly simple, but you will always be left with ground coffee at the bottom of the cup.
Another style is Turkish coffee. To prepare it, you need a small coffee pot with a handle, into which you pour cold water and add finely ground, fresh coffee. Then place the pot on the stove and wait until it starts to foam. Before it reaches the boil, remove it and then put it back on the burner after a short moment.
Repeat this process three times, and your Turkish coffee is ready – well, as soon as the coffee grounds fall to the bottom that is. This may be a more time-consuming method, but it is worth the effort for the unique taste.
The third method of brewing coffee without a coffee maker is to use a dripper, i.e. a cone funnel with a dense mesh filter, which is placed on top of a jug. After putting ground coffee in the strainer, pour boiling water over it and wait for it to drip completely into the jug, leaving the coffee grounds on the mesh filter. Then just pour the ready coffee into cups.
How to clean a coffee maker
You should clean a coffee maker each time after use. This will ensure that the coffee always has a rich and delicious taste. So how should you clean the coffee maker? Apart from removing the remaining water, coffee and coffee grounds, the coffee-maker should also be regularly cleaned. This will help keep it free from limescale and any other remains, which, in addition to affecting the taste of the coffee, could also lead to permanent damage to certain elements of the coffee maker itself.
A good way to make sure you properly look after your coffee maker is to regularly take it apart and place each element in a bowl of warm water. Let everything soak for about 20 minutes, then, using a bottle brush or sponge, thoroughly clean off all the residues. Wipe each element dry using a cloth, and that’s it. Cleaning is very simple and, if done daily, you won’t need to use any detergents.
How to use a coffee maker – summary
As you can see, coffee makers are simple to use and easy to clean. They let you prepare delicious coffee, which will make you fully wake up in no time, and give you an additional boost of energy. Which type of coffee maker you choose is entirely up to you, and depends on the desired taste of your perfect cup of coffee.
Share