So, this looks like the start of a relatively new community (at least for me), and we surely have some new people coming over from the coffee subreddit, so let’s get some conversation going!
What’s your current favorite brew method? I’ve been really getting into my flat bottom brew lately, with the Stagg XF. I just feel it’s been a bit more forgiving than my v60, and it’s been pulling out some pretty solid tasting notes in my latest beans.
What’re y’all brewing with?
EDIT: I absolutely love the traction this post got! And I love seeing all the methods everyone is using daily. Thank you all
If you’ve got about 25 minutes, Lance Hedrick actually made a video pretty recently about exactly this topic!
https://youtu.be/m7G7gAber7Q
Yikes. a 25 minute video. I’ll try and skim it at least, thanks!
It certainly isn’t short, but I believe he puts timestamps for different sections if you just wanna hop around to the relevant bits.
This is the bit that gets into flavor differences: https://youtu.be/m7G7gAber7Q?t=425
The main takeaway being that conical brewers are often said to emphasize perceived acidity more, all else being equal.
From a practical standpoint, the thing with flat bottom brewers is that you’re either using wave-style/ruffled filters which will have high bypass (more water escapes the brew process) or you’re buying a whole extra thing (filter negotiator/smusher) so that you can smoosh your filters against the walls of the brewer to get less bypass.
Another thing to buy? XD The usual method in a conical of wetting the filter doesn’t work with a flat bottom I guess?
Thanks for the time stamped link, will give that a watch now! Less perceived acidity sounds good though, I don’t like sour coffee.
You can use the kalita wave style filters normally with just basic wetting, you’ll just get more bypass. (Which isn’t inherently bad.) I recently got an Orea V3 and have been using it with Kalita filers and enjoying the brews quite a bit.
The ones that need a negotiator/smusher are the flat circular filters which allow low bypass.
Another approach would be to go for something like the Tricolate or Next Level “zero bypass” brewers. Those are flat bottom but are designed to take a circular filter at the bottom kind of like how aeropress does.