Finer grind means shorter contact; coarser means longer. Every method is a trade between clarity, body and time.
| Method | Grind | Coffee : water | Water | Time | The cup | Use it when | At a market stall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-over (V60, Kalita) | Medium-fine | 20 g : 320 g (1:16) | 200–205 °F | 3–4 min | Clean, bright, shows the origin | The coffee is a light or medium single origin and you have time to stand over it | The showpiece. One person can pour about 17 an hour on one dripper. Needs the hottest water. |
| Chemex | Medium-coarse | 1:16 | 200–205 °F | 4–5 min | Very clean, light body (thick paper) | Brewing 3–6 cups of a delicate coffee at once | A manual batch brewer: brews straight into its own carafe, no power. |
| Clever dripper | Medium | 1:16 | 200 °F | about 3½ min | Body of a press, clarity of a filter | You want a good single cup without technique | Best single-cup method for one person: steeps unattended, drains through paper. |
| AeroPress | Fine to medium | 16–18 g per cup | 185 °F | under 2 min | Smooth, low bitterness | Travelling; one cup; water that is not quite hot enough | Fastest to order, and happy with cooler water from an airpot. |
| French press | Coarse | 30 g : 450 g (1:15) | Just off the boil | 4 min | Heavy body, oils, some sediment | Medium and dark roasts; coffee with milk | A 32 oz press makes three cups at once. Bring clean spares; no rinsing on site. |
| Batch drip into an airpot | Medium | 55–63 g per litre (1:16–1:18) | 200 °F | 5–6 min | The reliable house cup | Serving many people the same coffee | Tasting samples and the house coffee. Holds 3 hours in a sealed vacuum pot. |
| Phin | Fine | 2 tbsp in a 4 oz phin | Off the boil | 5–7 min | Small, strong, syrupy | Dark roast or robusta, with condensed milk, over ice | A 24 oz phin makes 6–12 servings unattended. The signature drink. |
| Moka pot | Fine, coarser than espresso | Basket filled level | Start with hot water | 4–5 min | Strong and rich; not espresso | You want an espresso-like base at home with no machine | Needs a burner. Not a stall method. |
| Flash brew (iced) | Medium-fine | 23 g : 220 g hot + 130 g ice | 200–205 °F | 3–4 min | Bright, aromatic iced coffee | Iced coffee that still tastes of the bean | Made at the stall, so no licensed kitchen needed. Pour over fresh ice. |
| Cold brew | Coarse | 340 g : 1.9 L | Cold | 8–24 hours | Mellow, low acidity, chocolatey | Large volumes of iced coffee; coffee with milk | Cannot be made at home for sale. A shop product. |
| Espresso | Very fine | 18 g in : 36 g out | 195–205 °F | 25–30 s | Concentrated; the base of milk drinks | There is a machine, a dedicated grinder and mains power | Not without a generator or an outlet. For the shop. |