Not that long ago, actually back in the early 2000s, coffee making industry had a single aim: convenience. It may have been hand in hand with the rising economic growth. Everyone felt they had to stay busy and get as much done as possible in order to succeed at their lives. Making coffee was usually the matter of pressing a single button. Convenience brought us the likes of Tassimo, Nespresso and other many similar amenities.

Nowadays, though, everything seems to be slowing down. People take time. Or maybe, they just gave up and they don't bother being in a rush any more. This brought a renaissance of rediscovering the forgotten. Decades old brewing techniques, otherwise performed only by baristas and the geekiest of coffee enthusiasts, are finding their way into everyone’s homes.

The variety of devices can easily scare the uninitiated off, though. Looking at some of the more complicated brewers especially so. Take vacuum coffee makers, for example. They look like they’ve been taken straight from a chemist lab and that handling them incorrectly could make the whole block go off. Not surprisingly, then, many of us give up and opt for the ‘convenient’ way.

In this article, we’ll go through some of the simple of these brewing methods. Just to show you that they’re nothing to be afraid off. Making a proper cup of coffee can be super simple. Let’s get to it.

Chemex

We won’t lie. This one’s our favorite. It’s super easy to use, and it’s got style (go for the wood handle variant)!

Chemex produces a cup free of any bitterness. We use the 40oz Chemex, which can make 6 to 8 pretty smooth cups at a time.

1. Grind, or get about 42 grams (5-6 tablespoons) of ground coffee. The coffee shouldn’t be super-smooth, take kosher salt for reference.
2. Place the Chemex filter inside. Rinse with hot water to seal.
3. Remove any left-over water.
4. Add in the ground coffee and stir briefly. This allows for a more even brewing.
5. Heat water to some 205 degrees F, or let freshly boiled water off the heat for some 30-45 seconds.
6. Pour just enough water to saturate the grounds. Let it work for 30 seconds.
7. Now, pour water evenly, spiraling around the inside of the code, until it reaches the top of the brewer.
8. Keep on adding water periodically, until the brewed coffee reaches the Chemex’s glass button.
9. Remove the filter and move it to a sink.
10. Pre-heat your mug with warm water and then pour in the freshly brewed coffee from your Chemex.

Enjoy! You can easily manipulate the Chemex with the coffee in, as the handle insulates the heat.

Clever Dripper

This is probably the one that’s easiest to work with. It’s pretty easy to clean up and lets you control the steeping. The brewer is pretty durable and also safe, as it’s 100% BPA free.

Brews only one cup at a time, but makes a very smooth, almost chocolaty cups.

1. Grind, or get about 22 grams (3 tablespoons) of ground coffee. Make sure the ground is coarse.
2. Put the paper filter in and rinse with warm water.
3. Add the coffee into the dripper.
4. Pour water and cover with a lid for about 1.5 minutes.
5. Remove cover, stir and cover again.
6. After 2 more minutes, stir one last time and place the Clever Dripper on top of a mug.
7. Start draining until the cup’s full.

Pretty simple right? The coffee stays in the dripper until you release it yourself, which is pretty convenient. Be careful, though, as leaving the coffee in for too long will make it bitter.

Hario V60

Similar to the Clever Dripper. Immediately brews into a cup so you don’t have to do the draining yourself.

Comes made from ceramic, glass or PVC and in tons of colors.

Produces one cup at a time. The brew has a more ‘roasted’ taste.

1. Grind, or get about 22 grams (2.5 tablespoons) of ground coffee. Make sure the ground is finer, similar to table salt.
2. Place a V60 filter into the Hario.
3. Rinse with hot water and discard. This removes any paper taste.
4. Add coffee and shake with dripper to level the grounds evenly.
5. Pour in just enough water to absorb in the coffee. 30ml should do.
6. Let the water absorb for 45 seconds.
7. Then, pour hot water steadily over the grounds, topping the Hario. Avoid directly hitting the filter.
8. Pour the coffee directly into your mug.

And that’s it. This should be a pretty smooth a cup.

Don’t forget that you can buy all the three brewers and many others at our store! Let us know if you want to know about other techniques in the comments below.