"Student Sam" Makes Pour Over Coffee

Heat the Water

Heat two cups of water to boiling.

Procure Filter

Paper pour over filters ensure no grounds or sludge end up in the cup. They are not reusable.

Prepare Setup

Place the filter in the carafe and the carafe on top of the coffee cup.

Select Coffee

Coffee selection is up to the user. This method uses a paper filter that will catch all fine particles, making grind size a non-critical parameter.

Measure Coffee

Measure two tablespoons of coffee.

Pour Water

Slowly pour the near-boiling water into the filter. Make sure all grounds are wet and the carafe does not overflow.

Drip

The filter and small hole at the bottom of the carafe will keep the water in contact with the grounds, creating a smooth cup of coffee.

Wait

Wait untill all water drains from the carafe.

Finished

Enjoy your piping hot cup of coffee. The filter is removed by hand and thrown away and the carafe is rinsed out.

"Tasteful Trisha" Makes French Press Coffee

Heat the Water

Heat the water to boiling.

Measure the Grounds

Measure out the coffee grounds based on size of press and desired strength. As this method relies on a wire mesh, the grounds must be large and uniform to prevent "sludge" from accumulating at the bottom of your cup.

Pour the Water

Slowly pour the near-boiling water into the carafe. The carafe is not insulated, so the water will cool rapidly. To compensate for a cooler brewing temperature, the brew time is extended to five minutes or more. Put the lid back on the French press.

Depress Plunger

After brewing time is completed, slowly press the plunger down. The wire mesh will segregate the grounds at the bottom of the carafe and the coffee can be poured out.

Pour Coffee

Pour out the hot coffee. A typical press will make two to three cups. The last inch or so of coffee is usually filled with grounds and undrinkable.

Cleanup

Cleaning out the French press requires reaching in to remove the wet grounds at the bottom. The mesh filter and carafe are not dishwasher safe and must be cleaned by hand. The glass carafe is fragile and will break if left in a full sink.

"Rushing Rachel" Makes Aeropress Coffee

Heat the Water

Heat water to boiling.

Aeropress Equipment

This is the equipment that comes with the Aeropress. Clockwise from left, there is a carrying case, a funnel for pouring grounds into the cylinder or narrow neck thermoses, the cylinder where the coffee is brewed, paper filters in a holder, the piston, a stirring stick to help bloom the coffee, and the cap.

Prepare Filter

Put a filter in the cap. The filters are custom for this product and cannot be bought in unbleached or compostable varieties. You can purchase a reusable metal filter, but cleanup is harder and some sludge will get into the coffee.

Assemble the Cylinder

Twist the cap onto the cylinder with the filter in the bottom.

Place on Cup

Put the assembly securely on top of the cup.

Select Coffee

Coffee selection is up to the user. This method uses a paper filter that will catch all fine particles, making grind size a non-critical parameter.

Measure the Coffee

Scoop approximately two tablespoons or seventeen grams into the cylinder.

Bloom the Coffee

Pour a small amount of water into the cylinder to make sure all of the grounds are wet.

Pour the water

Very slowly, pour the water into the cylinder. The pouring process should take around thirty seconds.

Soak the Grounds

The grounds will mix with the water.

Brew

After the cylinder is full, insert the plunger to the top of the cylinder. Coffee will stop dripping into the cup. Let it brew for two minutes. This process has a shorter brewing time than the French Press for an equally strong cup of coffee because the steam will create a slight pressurization in the cylinder, extracting the flavor compounds quicker.

Press the Plunger

After the brew time elapses, slowly press the plunger down. The grounds will be pressed against the paper filter.

Remove from Cup

Pick the Aeropress up and flip over. Twist and remove the cap.

Pop the Grounds Out

With the cap removed, push the piston down until it bottoms against the cylinder. The grounds and paper filter will be squeezed from the cylinder. At this point, if a metal filer is used, it must be removed and washed.

Throw Away Grounds

Tap the cylinder on the side of the trash can to remove the grounds. The entire assembly is dishwasher safe.