A good cup of coffee, your ally to getting back to your routine

Discover the different types of coffee makers and brewing methods to get back into your routine with your favourite coffee.

Types of coffee makers

The first step to making a great cup of coffee is choosing the right coffee maker. There are many types of coffee makers, each with a different brewing method that affects the taste, texture and intensity of the coffee. Italian, capsule or electric are just some of the options available to prepare delicious coffee. Which one would you choose?

Drip coffee maker (electric)

Very common, easy to use and ideal for making several cups.

Italian coffee maker (moka or greca)

Cheap and easy to use, it produces an intense coffee.

Filter coffee machine

Very common in homes and offices for its simplicity and ability to brew several cups of smooth coffee at once.

Espresso coffee machine (manual or automatic)

Professional-quality coffee; allows you to make lattes, cappuccinos, and more.

Capsule coffee machine (single-serve)

Very fast and clean. No need to grind coffee.

French press

Easy to use, produces a full-bodied coffee with rich flavour.

Aeropress

Portable and fast, it makes either smooth coffee or espresso-style coffee.

Cold Brew

It produces a mild and less acidic coffee, ideal for drinking cold.

Siphon or vacuum coffee maker

Uses vacuum and steam pressure to make a very clean and aromatic coffee. Visually spectacular.

Percolator coffee machine

Retro style, it produces a strong coffee.

How to make coffee in:

Filter coffee machine

Drip or filter coffee machines are ideal for preparing light or American-style coffee. A medium or fine grind is recommended. There are several types, but they all share the use of a top filter where the coffee is placed, through which water passes and drips out as brewed coffee.

• Electric drip coffee maker:  it’s recommended to use two tablespoons of coffee for every 180 ml of water (or per cup you want to brew). The water is not poured directly over the coffee, but into its reservoir. Being electric, the machine heats the water first, then passes it through the filter, and the coffee drips into a jug that usually sits on a hot plate to keep it warm. This type of coffee machine is designed to make large quantities of smooth and light coffee in one go.
• Chemex coffee maker: it’s shaped like an hourglass and requires a medium grind. It’s manual and requires boiling the water, allowing it to rest for 45 seconds after boiling, then pouring it into a kettle. From there, pour the water over the ground coffee in a circular motion, starting from the centre and moving outward.
• V60: so called because the container in which the coffee is placed is V-shaped and has an angle of 60 degrees. It has a single drip hole.
• Kalita: the upper vessel has a flat bottom and three drip holes, and the filter is usually corrugated. The result is a fuller-bodied coffee.
• Japanese siphon: combines immersion and drip. It consists of two stacked, spherical pieces, with an alcohol burner underneath to ignite the flame, although there are also versions with electric plates. The steam causes the water to rise to the upper vessel through a pipe. Then, as a result of the negative pressure, the liquid returns to the lower vessel.

Espresso coffee machine

The espresso machine is a bar classic. This is the Italian coffee machine that passes high-pressure water through a filter with finely ground coffee, providing a dense, full-bodied brew. There is a homemade version that also incorporates a side steam outlet to heat the milk and make it creamier.

Capsule coffee machine

Basically, it works like an espresso machine, but instead of us adding the ground coffee, it comes pre-measured in a single-serve capsule, making the system much more automatic.  We can choose the type of coffee, such as ristretto, intense, decaffeinated... There are several options.

French press

Also called plunger, it was invented in 1850 and the coffee is obtained by immersion. It consists of a cylindrical glass container that is covered with a piston and a permeable filter that, when pressed, allows the liquid to pass through, but not the solids. It’s used by heating water in a small saucepan; once it boils, part of the water is poured into the coffee maker to warm it up, while the remaining water stays in the saucepan, where coffee is added to taste. A coarse grind is best. Stir until foamy. Then, the water is emptied from the coffee maker, and the mixture is poured in, letting it steep for about ten minutes. Next, cover it with the plunger and press it down toward the base. The result is a coffee that isn’t very concentrated, but with flavour.