Godmadi — Home Coffee Brewing | godmadi.com
Five common home methods side by side, with the ratio, grind size, water temperature and total time each one needs.
Every method solves the same problem — pull soluble material out of coffee into water — with a different combination of grind size, contact time and pressure. Choosing a method is really choosing which of those three you want to control.
Pour-over gives you control over flow rate: a medium-fine grind, water at 90–96 °C and a total brew time of 2.5–3.5 minutes. The V60 is the standard example, and the ratio stays in the usual 1:15–1:17 window.
French press inverts the control: coarse grounds, the same 90–96 °C water, and a steep of about 4 minutes before you press. Because the grounds sit in water the whole time, a fine grind will over-extract and turn the cup bitter.
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Espresso compresses everything: about 9 bars of pressure pushes water through a fine puck in 25–30 seconds. The short contact time is why espresso needs a fine grind — coarse grounds would let water through too fast and under-extract.
Cold brew removes heat entirely. Coarsely ground coffee steeps in cold water for 12–24 hours; the long time compensates for the low temperature, and the result is a smooth, low-acid concentrate you dilute to taste.
AeroPress sits between pour-over and espresso: a medium grind, 90–96 °C water, and a total time you can vary from about 1 to 3 minutes by changing steep and press pressure. It is the most forgiving method for dialing in a new bag of beans.
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