Coffee – Different Brews for Different Views
Coffee Percolators
It all originated with the coffee percolator. Way back when, typical housewives who needed a quick pick-me-up in the morning, or, more likely, needed to give their husbands a quick pick-me-up in the morning, would stare at their percolator as it heated the water. As the water heated up the pressure would build and force it up a tube. From there, the water was forced over a basket full of coffee grounds. As you can imagine, this did not make for the world’s greatest cup of coffee.
Drip Coffee
The first major advancement in coffee brewing technology came in the 1970’s. It was in the 1970’s that the drip method became a dominant brewing method. It was a simple and inexpensive brewing method involving dripping boiling water over coffee grounds, which were over filter paper in a plastic cup. The resulting brew would then drip down and collect in a glass coffee pot. Even today, this is one of the more common methods for brewing a quick cup of coffee.
Pre-packaged packets of coffee came along later. What would a walk down coffee memory lane be without them? There’s something to be said for the convenience of having just enough coffee ready to go any time you want. Along with the pre-packaged coffee, came more gadgets, buttons, dials and spouts all designed to give coffee brewing a bit more versatility and variety.
Espresso Makers
For the more advanced coffee drinker, the 1990’s were the idea time. Along came the espresso machine. The espresso machine, a European creation, quickly became all the rage. Espresso machines use a finely ground dark roast, which hot water is run through to produce an especially flavorful and aromatic brew. As Americans began to get used to espresso machines
Once espresso came along, people rapidly started experimenting with different machines and additives. Soon cappuccino and latte arrived on the scene. Cappuccino and latte are espresso with milk added to it. The difference between the two is the coffee to milk ratio.
French Plunger Method
Another interesting brewing option is the French plunger method. The french plunger
Vacuum Brewing
One of the most unusual brewing methods is vacuum brewing. Vacuum brewing works in much the same way as percolators do, except vacuum brewing utilizes two metal or glass bowls stacked on top of each other. When the bottom bowl is filled with water and heat is added, the water rises into the upper bowl. When the heat is taken away again it creates a vacuum effect. The vacuum effect pulls the hot water through the coffee grounds and back into the lower bowl. The vacuum method makes an excellent show at a party and, since it can be performed right at the table, it makes an especially fresh brew for the guests.
No matter which method of coffee brewing you use, chances are you have ancient ancestors to thank for it. Coffee brewing, in some form, has been around for centuries. The Turkish Ibrik is perhaps one of the oldest coffee brewing techniques. It uses heated water in a copper container and finely ground coffee which is then poured without filtering. Needless to say, it produces a very strong cup of coffee!
Find The Brewing Method You Enjoy Most
Any method of coffee brewing is bound to bring its’ own unique flavor to the party. You will probably need to experiment with quite a few techniques before you find that perfect cup. Don’t think of it as a chore though. Taking a walk back through the history of coffee is a great adventure for any true coffee connoisseur.
