14 Outrageous Ways To Make Coffee

In the fifties and sixties, the primary method used to brew coffee was with a coffee percolator. Today, most everyone I know uses the drip coffee method to brew their morning cup of coffee, which originated in the 1970's with the Mr. Coffee brand drip coffee maker. More recently, Keurig developed a method based on brewing single cups of coffee that has become quite popular. Keurig's first brewer, the B2000, was made for office use and launched in 1998. But throughout history, there have been many surprisingly different methods to brew coffee, and we've compiled a list cherry picked from Daily Shot Of Coffee.com. (Click 'Next' to see our list of the 14 Outrageous Ways To Make Coffee) 1) Aeropress This is the gadget that coffee geeks all over the world love. It looks like a beaker that escaped from a science lab. Coffee is steeped for between 10-50 seconds (depending on grind and preferred strength) and then forced through a filter by pressing the plunger through the tube. (source) The filters used are either the AeroPress paper filters or disc shaped thin metal filters. The maker describes the result as an espresso strength concentration of coffee, but its most frequent use is more in the filter brew strength. 2) Chemex This an old (invented in 1941) brewing method that has come back in style because it makes bright, clean and smooth coffee. Plus, it looks pretty cool too. The Chemex is an hourglass shaped device with a conical neck (not cylindrical like the French Press). (source) It uses filters that are thicker than the standard drip filter. The filters are put at the neck of the Chemex, grounds are added to the filter, hot water is poured manually over them and the coffee drips into the glass chamber below. 3) Clever According to everyone I know that owns one, it takes the best features of the French Press and filter drip brewing, while getting rid of the negative aspects of both. It takes the French Press's control of steeping time, but leaves behind the heat loss and sediment left at the bottom of your mug. (source) It takes the convenience and ease of use of a paper filter, but the Clever doesn't start to drain immediately. The Clever has a stopper added to their "filtercone"that allows you to control the steeping time and results in a sediment-free cup of coffee. 4) Eva Solo (source) Eva Solo works a lot like French Press, with a built-in filter and glass chamber where the coffee grounds seeps in hot water. Besides the difference in shape, the main difference is that comes with a Neoprene cover for insulation and heat proof glass. 5) Siphon/Vacuum (source) This old school invention was developed in the 1830²s. It's a slow and unusual process that's unlike any other brewing method. The Siphon uses two chambers where vapor pressure and vacuum produce coffee. Near boiling water is forced into a glass chamber with the coffee grounds. The mixture steeps until the heat is turned off. As it cools, the water is sucked back into the lower chamber. 6) Sock (source) Sock filters are manufactured specifically for this, and look like a sock connected to a wire frame. You fill the sock with ground coffee and add boiling water. It steeps for a few minutes like tea, then you remove the sock. 7) Turkish (Ibrik) (source) It's probably the originally way coffee was made and produces a dark and very strong tasting coffee. I'll warn you, it's not for everybody. Coffee is ground by hand, then placed in a pot called an ibrik with sugar and water. It's brought to a boil three times than poured into a cup. 8) Vietnamese (Flat Drip/Ca Phe) (source) A Vietnamese filter is basically a small coffee pot that looks like a hit and sits on top of your coffee mug. Inside is a chamber for the coffee and room for hot water. All you need is coffee and condensed milk and is a favorite among people who like their coffee strong, yet sweet. 9) French Press Aliases include Press Pot and Coffee Press. Anytime someone asks me how to brew a great cup of coffee, this is what I recommend. Sure you'll get a little bit of sediment at the bottom of the cup, but the great flavorful taste is worth it. (source) The modern French press consists of a narrow cylindrical beaker, usually made of glass or clear plastic, equipped with a metal or plastic lid and plunger that fits tightly in the cylinder and has a fine wire or nylon mesh filter. The simplicity of the mechanism and its potential for attractive after-dinner presentation have led to a variety of more-or-less aesthetic designs. 10) Clover In 2005, the Seattle Coffee Equipment Company developed a new kind of coffee maker for coffee shops. Instead of making coffee in batches, the Clover brews just one cup of coffee at a time. It doesn't use pods like a Keurig, it uses freshly ground coffee, then allows the barista to customize the taste by tweaking the water temperature and brewing time. (source) In the first year that it was on the market (2006), 100 machines were sold. Sales tripled the next year and Starbucks liked it so much that they didn't just buy the machines for their stores, they bought the entire company. Now the only place that you can see new Clover machines is in their stores. 11) Neapolitan Flip The Neapolitan Flip (also known as the drip pot) uses finely ground dark roast coffee to produce a stronger flavor than a regular drip coffeemaker. It's a drip coffeemaker that you use on your stove. (source) The bottom is filled with water, there's a filter section in the middle that's filled with coffee grounds and an upside down pot on top. When the water boils, the device is flipped over and water filters through the grounds. When all of the water has filtered through, the device is flipped over, then the water and filter sections are removed so that you can serve the coffee from the pot. 12) Puerto Rican Style Coffee Puerto Rican style coffee starts with 6-8 ounces of water in a pot for each cup of coffee you want. Bring the water to a boil and add 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup. Stir it until the foam fades away, which takes about four minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and let it stand for six minutes. (source) Then strain through a fine cloth and return it to the pot. Add a quarter cup of milk and sugar to taste for each up and Bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir it for one to two minutes, making sure to not let it boil. Then finally you get to pour it into your mug. It's a little bit of a process but that's part of the fun with coffee. 13) Brazilian Cafezinho For each cup of water, use a heaping Tbsp of good coffee ground for espresso. The recipe also calls for sugar to taste. (You'll need a saucepan that you'll promise to use ONLY for making coffee.) (source) This is how it's done: add the water to the pan, add the sugar and dissolve well. Bring to boil over medium heat. When the water and sugar mixture boils, add the coffee powder, stir well and pour through a traditional cloth coffee strainer (or a paper filter). Pour immediately into a tiny cup. 14) Cowboy Coffee Pour however much water you need into a pot. Place that pot on the fire/hot coals, and let it sit until the water comes to a steady boil. Then, lift the pot off the fire/coals, and add the coarse grind coffee at a portion of about one or two heaping tablespoons per cup, depending on how strong you like it. Put the pot back on the fire/coals, and let it boil again for a minute or two. (source) Then, remove the pot again and let the mix steep for a few minutes. Finally, add a few tablespoons of cold water to settle the grounds at the bottom of the pot. With that, you're already done! You can pour the coffee from the pot directly into drinking cups, or, if you prefer, use an intermediate container to further filter out the leftover grounds at the bottom.