THE FIRST SIP
Choose the method that fits both your favorite drink and the time you want to spend making it.
Five ways to make your cup
| Method | How it brews | Why you might choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Drip | Hot water passes through grounds and a filter in an automatic brewer | An easy routine, especially for several cups |
| Pour-over | You pour water over grounds in a filtered dripper | A hands-on cup with room to fine-tune |
| French press | Grounds steep in water, then a mesh plunger separates them | A fuller-bodied cup with a simple brewer |
| Espresso | A machine pushes pressurized water through finely ground coffee | A concentrated base for lattes and other milk drinks |
| Cold brew | Grounds steep in cool water for a long period before filtering | A chilled batch prepared ahead of time |
Iced coffee and cold brew are different
Iced coffee is brewed hot and served cold, often over ice. Cold brew extracts in cool water over a longer period. An iced latte uses espresso, milk, and ice.
Think about your routine: hot brewing is useful when you want a drink now; cold brew takes advance planning. Both can work with milk and flavors. If using a concentrate, follow its recipe or label for dilution.
Keep your first recipe simple
For a hot filter brew, a useful starting point is 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water: for example, 20 grams of coffee and 320 grams of water. This measures water going into the brewer, not the final amount in your mug.
For many hot filter methods, water around 195–205°F is a common guide. Use your brewer’s recipe first, then adjust one variable at a time. Espresso and cold brew need their own ratios and recipes.
A latte needs a concentrated coffee base
If you replace espresso with ordinary brewed coffee, the same amount of milk can make the drink taste weak. Use a smaller amount of milk or a recipe designed for brewed coffee.
Find your fit before adding more tools
Choose drip when convenience matters, pour-over when you enjoy the process, French press when you like a fuller texture, espresso for concentrated coffee and lattes, or cold brew when you want a chilled batch ready ahead.
Give one method a few tries with consistent amounts before switching equipment. Once you like the coffee itself, explore flavors and milk combinations to make it your own.
Keep learning
Further reading from coffee educators. These links open in a new tab.