Two questions decide the cup
Every home brewer answers two questions: what does the coffee pass through, and what pushes the water. The filter decides the body (how heavy the coffee feels in your mouth). The pressure decides the strength.
The French press: full and heavy
A French press steeps coarse coffee in hot water for about 4 minutes, then you push a metal mesh down to hold the grounds at the bottom.
The mesh is the key. It stops the grounds but lets the coffee's oils and the finest particles through. That is what gives French press coffee its full, heavy, almost velvety body. It is also why the last sip is silty: leave it in the cup.
The moka pot: small and strong
A moka pot sits on the stove. Water heats in the bottom chamber, and the steam pressure pushes it up through a basket of coffee into the top chamber, where it collects.
The result is small and strong, which is why it's often called "stovetop espresso". It isn't quite espresso, though: a moka pot works at roughly 1 to 2 bar of pressure, against about 9 bar in an espresso machine, so you get little or no crema. When it starts to gurgle, the bottom is nearly empty and steam is blowing through: take it off the heat, or the coffee turns bitter.
The pour-over: clean and light
A pour-over (or filter) is a cone with a paper filter. You pour hot water over medium-ground coffee and it drips through into a cup or carafe below, in about 3 to 4 minutes.
The paper is what makes the cup so clean. It traps the oils and fine bits that a metal mesh lets through, so the coffee is light and clear, and the flavour of the beans shows. The paper filter was invented by Melitta Bentz in Dresden in 1908, starting from a sheet of blotting paper.
Side by side
| French press | Moka pot | Pour-over | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Steeps, then a metal mesh presses down | Steam pressure pushes water up | Water drips through a paper filter |
| Grind | Coarse, like sea salt | A little coarser than espresso | Medium, like sand |
| Time | About 4 minutes | Until it gurgles | About 3 to 4 minutes |
| The cup | Full, heavy, some silt | Small, strong | Clean, light |
| Suits | A rich mug, black or with milk | Topping with hot milk | Drinking black, tasting the beans |
Which one fits you
- You want a rich, heavy mug and don't mind a little silt: French press.
- You want a small, strong coffee to top with hot milk: moka pot. Its strength still tastes like coffee under the milk.
- You drink it black and want to taste the beans: pour-over. The paper takes out the oils and fines, so the bean's own flavour comes through.
- You want crema and a true espresso: none of these. That takes the 9 bar of an espresso machine.
Common mistakes
- Grinding too fine for a French press. Fine grounds slip through the mesh and the cup turns muddy and bitter. It wants coarse.
- Leaving the moka pot on after it gurgles. That last rush of steam over-extracts the coffee. Pull it off as soon as you hear it.
- Drinking the last sip of a French press. That's where the silt settles.
- Expecting espresso from a moka pot. It's strong and good, but at 1 to 2 bar it can't make the crema an espresso machine does.
Questions people ask
Is moka pot coffee the same as espresso?
No. It's strong and concentrated, but a moka pot works at roughly 1 to 2 bar of pressure while an espresso machine uses about 9. You get a small, strong coffee with little or no crema.
Why does French press coffee taste heavier than filter coffee?
Its metal mesh lets oils and fine particles through into the cup. A paper filter traps them, so filter coffee tastes cleaner and lighter.
Which brewer makes the cleanest cup?
The pour-over, because the paper filter holds back the oils and fines.
Why is there sludge at the bottom of my French press coffee?
Fine particles pass through the metal mesh and settle at the bottom. A coarser grind helps, and leaving the last sip in the cup avoids most of it.
