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Nilkin
9
Oct 24, 2017
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Ive been wondering about french press coffee and handmade brews where you poor the water yourself over the ground beans. Whats the main difference in flavor between these two brews and coffee from an automatic brewer? I use a Ninja coffee maker right now, but ive also used Bunn and some signature Cuisin art coffee makers and each one has a different taste with the same beans. So far i really my Ninja coffee maker the best, but im still curiouse about these other two ways of making coffee
Oct 24, 2017
Weissman
14
Oct 24, 2017
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NilkinMost people that use the "pour over" brewing method (God that sounds pretentious) do it mainly because it better allows you to control the strength and taste of your coffee better. Personally I'd recommend anything by chemex, though bodum has a few good ones as well. Not sure if I'm allowed to post links but here you go if you're interested. http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/coffeemakers.html
Oct 24, 2017
CLYQ
2
Oct 24, 2017
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NilkinThe issue with French Press is your grinder has to be really good in the sense that it grinds every piece evenly with little to no microparticles (tiny tiny coffee grinds attached to larger grinds). The reason for that is the mesh filter doesn't filter those out well. What you get is a slushy coffee at bottom of your cup.
A pour-over method is a little more forgiving because the paper filter catches all of microparticles which results in a cleaner, smoother cup. You still run the risk of clogging the pourover brewer if you grind too fine (i.e. if you turn it to powder with your spice grinder). So a decent grinder is a must (ballpark ~40-99).
As for the beans, if you're going to do pour over with stale beans then you probobaly wont notice the difference between that method or an automatic drip brewer. The fresher the beans the better the taste in any brew method, but especially so in pour-over and espresso.
Oct 24, 2017
katt
24
Oct 24, 2017
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WeissmanI love my little Bodum. I have been using it with my Kuerig maker (instead of pods) and it is perfect for brewing a cup for my mornings. I can then compost my grounds with ease from the filter.
Oct 24, 2017
fogelsong
19
Oct 24, 2017
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NilkinThe main difference in flavor between french press and "pour over" methods is body. A french press has a full body with deeper flavor due to not as much being filtered out during the extraction process. "Pour over" methods tend to utilize a paper filter of some kind and thus filter more out, resulting in a brew that is "clean" in comparison to french press. I do notice more specific flavor notes with a "pour over" but personally, I love french press and prefer it 9/10 times. I don't mind the french press grit or sludge that's often left over - just don't drink it. And a word of advise to all you french press fans... If you're like me and have broken a few Bodum french press glass beakers over the years, there is a solution... The Bodum Columbia french press is made of stainless steel and is quite attractive as well. https://www.bodum.com/us/en/1308-16
Oct 24, 2017
Nhouz
4
Oct 24, 2017
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NilkinI say, "French press all the way!" With the right recipe, they allow the best coffee most of us can make at home!
Oct 24, 2017
Judychop
7
Oct 24, 2017
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NilkinIn general, when thinking about coffee brewing methods, the longer at the water has in contact with the coffee, the fuller of a flavor it will be, compared to other methods. i.e. A Frenchpress is going to tend to have a more rich, full, smooth flavor compared to most pour over methods. However, beans are really the most important thing when looking for flavor. Without quality beans, you're not really going to taste much of a difference regardless of your brewing method.
Oct 24, 2017
Josh214
1
Oct 24, 2017
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NilkinI work in a coffee shop and I have to say there is a stark difference in making coffee yourself over using a machine (although I guess it depends on the machine since I haven't used many). When you make drop coffee or use a French press theres so much more body and flavor than say using a keurig and it's such a different cup even when using the same beans so I highly recommend making your own coffee
Oct 24, 2017
Dr.McCoy
345
Oct 25, 2017
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NilkinWell, you're sort-of asking about 50 different methods of making coffee rather than two because every device is going to offer different options and some of them offer multiple options. French Press has really great mouthfeel but will cover up any subtle flavors. V60 will allow you to get the most out of highly acidic coffees with a LOT of practice. Kalitas are good for consistency and a balanced flavor profile. Bee House drippers get good mouthfeel (not as thick as a french press) but somewhat muddled flavors. Clever coffee makers allow you to get a lot of strong notes but lack subltety. The Chemex offers a very balanced acidic cup of coffee for more than one person. Aeropress can do just about anything.
So if you take up making coffee with more manual control it'll be somewhat up to you as to how it'll taste.
Oct 25, 2017
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