How Can I Brew Coffee?

There are several methods you can use to brew the perfect coffee. You can brew coffee with or without a filter, by hand, or in a coffee maker. How many teaspoons of ground coffee you put in a cup when brewing coffee depends on how strong you like the drink. A heaped tablespoon of powder per cup (200 ml) or 30 g in 500 ml of water is a rule of thumb.

Traditional and trendy again: filter coffee by hand

The traditional method of infusing coffee by hand through a paper filter is currently experiencing a renaissance. Before the invention of the filter coffee machine in the mid-1950s, this variant was the usual way to prepare coffee in German households. The Italians, on the other hand, preferred to use an espresso pot with a funnel insert, known colloquially as a “caffettiera”, which is placed directly on the hot stovetop. To brew your coffee properly, place a plastic or porcelain filter on the coffee pot. You can also use this to brew the coffee directly into a cup if you only want to brew a small amount of coffee: Insert a paper filter and fill in the ground coffee. Then wet the surface of the powder with some hot water. Important: The water must not be boiling, the ideal brewing temperature for coffee is 92 to 96 degrees. Now let it soak for about 30 seconds. This process is called “blooming”. Then slowly pour water into the filter in a circular motion. If there is water on the powder layer, only pour in enough so that the level does not drop. With a medium grind of coffee, it will take about three to four minutes for your coffee to flow through in this way.

Tip: Fill the container from which you pour the water into the filter with exactly the amount that you want to end up in your pot. This will prevent the coffee from getting watered down or the pot from overflowing.

Brew coffee properly – without a filter

To brew coffee without a filter, pour the powder directly into the cup or pot and pour hot water over it. Leave for about three to five minutes to get a full-bodied aroma. However, be careful not to accidentally drink the sediment that forms in the cup with this type of preparation. One way to reduce the coffee grounds when brewing without a filter: the “French Press”, also known as a press pot. Here, after pouring and steeping, slowly press the powder down with the plunger in the pot, to which a metal filter is attached. It stays locked in there – and you can serve the coffee without any powder particles in it.

Connoisseur tip: Use your perfectly brewed coffee, for example, to prepare an espresso tonic. Or enjoy it alongside delicious treats – like our Chocolate Coffee Truffles recipe.