The Art of Making Drip Coffee

The art of making drip coffee is well known to coffee lovers, which, as the name suggests, comes from the method of brewing coffee through a filter, requiring meticulous attention. It’s well suited to those fond of non-flavored coffee as this method brings out the natural aroma and taste of the coffee beans. The art of drip coffee requires patience, a step-by-step approach to slowly bring out the flavor.

Drip Coffee delivers the true flavor of coffee beans. The fun part of making drip coffee is the use of a variety of different coffee flavors from continents around the world. Each plantation has its own unique flavor. For example, if you prefer a citrus-tasting coffee with a fruity aroma, then arabica coffee beans from Ethiopia would be a good choice. Perhaps a nutty flavor mixed with chocolate takes your fancy? If so, then try arabica from Brazil as the drip method accentuates the hidden flavors more than any other style of coffee.

Like sipping a fine wine or fruit juice, the strong, bitter taste of drip coffee offers an experience that is both delicious and fun to enjoy all day long.

Drip Coffee Brewing

Preparation and simplicity are at the heart of coffee dripping. Each item of equipment is essential to the drip coffee process. Let’s look at the equipment to help you enjoy the aesthetics of coffee making, with the right gear for the job.

Drip coffee equipment

1. Dripper

This is the basic tool for those new to drip coffee. The characteristics of each dripper can extract differing flavors of coffee so be sure to choose the right dripper to suit your taste.

The characteristics of the dripper can be divided into 3 main types as follows:

Cone Dripper

This has a conical shape tapered to a hole. The cone is tilted at an angle of 60 degrees, helping to extract the coffee bean's original flavor. Water permeates the ground coffee smoothly but it is important to not to let the water flow too quickly, to allow full extraction of the flavor.

Trapezoid Dripper

The appearance is similar to a cone dripper except with flattened sides. The base or tip is cut higher up creating a line of three small drain holes that help in the art of soaking and flowing as hot water seeps slowly through the ground coffee powder into the server drip bowl. This controlled flow of hot water is the important factor requiring care and patience. The trapezoid dripper will help you get the strongest flavor of all 3 types of the drippers and will not over-extract the coffee (over-extraction).

Cylindrical Shape or Basket Shape Dripper

This is another very popular choice of dripper. Drippers come in cylindrical, flat, round and even wavy shapes like a basket. These also have 3 small drain holes at the end, but the difference being water is not retained in the dripper (as in a trapezoid dripper) so it is easier to control the flow of water meaning the extracted coffee gives a mellow taste with not too much body.

Materials used in the making of drippers

Glass : The glass must be heat-resistant allowing the hot water to be kept at a constant temperature which does not drop too quickly or react with the coffee. Glass gives your coffee a fuller taste for maximum enjoyment.

Ceramic : Ceramic is an excellent insulator able to maintain the temperature of the hot water for consistent extraction, giving drip coffee a stable flavor.

Plastic : Plastic has a number of benefits: it is portable, easy to use and removes the worry of breakage. Additionally, heat is well transferred but keeps the water temperature slightly lower than other drippers.

Metal : As a heat-conducting material the water will lose temperature, but with this method, a wide variety of rich flavors and occasional sourness are extracted.

2. Filter Paper Selection

For compatibility with the 3 drippers, choosing the correct filter paper will ensure maximum taste.

1. V-shape filter paper is used with a cone dripper.

2. Fan-shape filter paper is used with a trapezoid dripper.

3. Flower-shape filter paper (wavy) can be used with a cylindrical or basket-shaped dripper.

3. Server

This is a device to contain the extracted and fully brewed coffee from a dripper. Made of glass and shaped like a water jug, the beauty of the drip coffee is revealed. In addition, glass helps retain heat, maintaining the taste of the coffee.

4. Drip kettle

A drip kettle is available in a variety of forms. Most are made from stainless steel and nylon tape to keep the temperature as stable as possible. Choose a drip kettle with a hole small enough to ensure that the water is poured gradually for a well-balanced coffee taste.

5. Coffee grinder

For a cup of delicious coffee with maximum taste, choosing the best coffee beans is only the start. To grind the beans a coffee grinder is essential for a good drip coffee. Two types of coffee grinders are commonly used:

1. Blade Grinder

The blade grinder, as its name suggests, comes with a blade, some driven my motors, others work manually. The advantage of this type of grinder is its low price, handy portability and is easy to clean, the only disadvantage being an uneven grind, which can affect the aroma, taste and color of the coffee.

2. Conicial Burrs Grinder

This type of grinder is the preferred choice for the coffee connoisseur, resulting in optimum quality. Consisting of two grinding gears, it is available in both ceramic and metal designs. These grinders ensure a fine coffee powder and are available in both electric and manual versions.

These grinders give consistent quality, extracting as much of the flavor as possible, whether sour (acidic), fruity and floral or nutty and chocolate.

6. Digital scale

The digital scale is used to accurately measure the weight, time and flow-rates as you brew coffee for maximum quality.

7. Coffee beans (from light to dark roast)

Coffee beans can be divided into 3 levels of roasting, each level offering a unique coffee flavor.

Level of Roast

Dark roast level

This level gives a bitter taste to the coffee with a hint of sweet flavor but little sourness (acidity). Perfect for those who love dark coffee.

Medium roast level

Medium roast is known for its sour taste with a hidden sweetness. Some varieties hint at a bitter taste, enough to bring out the full body of the coffee in a variety of flavors.

Light roast level

This level brings out the original flavor of the coffee beans, suitable for lesser-flavored coffee tastes.

This is the level most suited to drip coffee, allowing you to experience the true taste of coffee beans.

For the Ultimate Drip Coffee Experience, Choose Coffee Capsules from Nescafe Dolce Gusto®

Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee capsules make it easy for those new to drip coffee, offering a variety of tempting styles. With a mixture of light-to-medium-roast coffee varieties, NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto®, guarantees maximum taste. In addition, it is a convenient and time-saving alternative to the grinding process.

Simply open the coffee capsule lid, pour the coffee powder into the dripper using the correct filter paper to create the perfect drip coffee in your favorite NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto® style. The ultimate drip coffee experience to brings aromatic coffee beans to life.

8. Coffee-to-water ratio

The normal coffee-to-water ratio is 1:15 grams, but this can be adjusted to suit, as there is no fixed rule. For example, for a strong flavored coffee use less water, but for a lighter brew the recommended ratio is approximately 1:17 grams.

Water temperature

Water temperature is an important factor in the making of drip coffee. Therefore, it is best to choose a drip kettle with a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water before dripping the coffee, or, buy one separately. The optimal temperature should be approximately 92-94 degrees. Don’t forget that hotter water will result in a darker coffee.

Pouring water and its duration

This probably requires the most skill to perfect. Add water slowly, pouring and circulating over the coffee powder inside the dripper. Only practice makes perfect.

As a rule, the longer the coffee extraction, the darker the body of your coffee. And so, the shorter the extraction, the lighter the body, together with a slightly sour taste.

We’ve covered the fascinating art of drip coffee in detail. Different from other coffee styles with its methodical flavor extraction, this method delights coffee lovers from the first drip to the perfect cup. Coffee lovers love drip coffee.