Rainy Vancouver Saturdays were made for brewing coffee at home. Pick up a bag from a local roaster, put the kettle on and choose your method. Each brewer pulls different things from the same beans. Here’s how they compare, with a starter recipe for each.
The golden rules (whatever you brew with)
- Ratio: Start at 1 g of coffee to 15–17 g of water for filter methods.
- Water: Just off the boil, about 92–96°C. Metro Vancouver’s tap water is very soft, which suits coffee well, but a filter helps if your building has old pipes.
- Grind fresh: A burr grinder is the best upgrade you can make.
- Weigh it: A $20 kitchen scale makes your coffee consistent.
- Taste and adjust: Sour or thin means grind finer. Bitter or harsh means grind coarser.
Comparison at a glance
| Method | Grind | Time | Body | Taste | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-over (V60, Kalita, Chemex) | Medium-fine | 3–4 min | Light | Clean, bright, detailed | Medium |
| French press | Coarse | 4 min + settle | Heavy | Rich, round, some sediment | Easy |
| AeroPress | Fine to medium | 1.5–2.5 min | Medium | Clean, sweet, versatile | Easy |
| Moka pot | Fine | 5 min | Heavy | Strong, espresso-like, bold | Easy |
| Drip machine | Medium | 5–6 min | Medium | Balanced | Very easy |
| Cold brew | Coarse | 12–18 hours | Smooth | Low acid, chocolatey | Easy |
| Espresso machine | Very fine | 25–35 sec | Syrupy | Intense | Hard |
Starter recipes
Pour-over (V60)
15 g coffee, 250 g water. Rinse the paper filter, add coffee, pour 40 g of water to “bloom” for 30 seconds, then pour slowly in circles to 250 g by about 1:45. Aim to finish draining around 3:00. Best for showing off a light-roast single origin.
French press
30 g coarse coffee, 500 g water. Pour, stir, put the lid on and wait 4 minutes. Break the crust, skim the foam, then wait another few minutes before pressing gently. Pour it all out right away so it doesn’t keep extracting.
AeroPress
15 g coffee, 220 g water. Add water, stir, steep 1 minute, press over 30 seconds. Invert it, change the grind, try a paper or metal filter. The AeroPress rewards experimenting more than any other brewer, which is why it has its own championship.
Moka pot
Fill the base with hot water to the valve, fill the basket with fine coffee (level, don’t tamp), and heat on medium-low with the lid open. Pull it off as soon as the stream turns pale and sputters. Cool the base under the tap to stop bitterness.
Cold brew
100 g coarse coffee to 1 litre of cold water. Steep in the fridge for 12–18 hours, then strain through a paper filter. This makes a concentrate. Dilute about 1:1 with water or milk over ice.
Espresso at home
Start with 18 g of coffee yielding about 36 g of espresso in 25–30 seconds. Expect a learning curve and plan to buy a good grinder before an expensive machine.
Which method should you start with?
- Want the easiest great cup? AeroPress or French press.
- Want to taste the difference between origins? Pour-over.
- Love strong coffee with milk? Moka pot.
- Want summer coffee ready in the fridge? Cold brew.
Many Metro Vancouver cafes and roasters sell brewers and run occasional home-brewing classes, and almost every specialty bar will tell you how they dial in the coffee they’re selling if you ask. Next: coffee bean types explained.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best coffee-to-water ratio?
Start at 1:16 (for example 15 g to 240 g) and adjust to taste.
Which brewing method makes the strongest coffee?
Espresso and moka pot make the most concentrated coffee. Total caffeine depends on how much coffee you use.
Do I need a burr grinder?
It’s the single biggest improvement for home coffee, because it produces even particles and more even extraction.
