How many different coffee making devices do you own?
Add ‘em up! How many coffee-making methods have you tried?
So many coffee brewing methods to try
Remember the trading cards we all collected at school? What kind of kid were you? Pokémon? Football card fan? Or were sticker books more your thing? Whichever it was, the basic idea never changed: it’s all about which cards you’ve got, which ones you’re missing, and which one is your ABSOLUTE favourite.
Coffee devices are kinda the same. Just better because coffee’s involved. Whoop whoop – this is caffeinated collecting! Which coffee making devices have you used? And which – even better – do you own? Here’s a tick list of all the coffee brewers you need to try!
The cafetiere – or French Press – is the coffee making device that’s might already be sitting in your kitchen. It’s uber popular, used and loved by millions of coffee fans worldwide. The cafetiere is an immersion device and consists of two main components: jug and plunger. Plunging pushes a wire mesh through steeped-together coffee to separate the grounds and brewed coffee. Because that brewed coffee is insanely good. Rich, robust and reliable, it’s enough to set us plunging on repeat. The immersion method is kind, too, and makes it easy to achieve flavour-packed coffee cup after cup. New to home brewing? Say hello to your new BFF.
Yes, it looks like an odd plastic teacup. Yes, it looks like something a toddler might play with. And YES, it makes awesome coffee. This is a pour over coffee maker you want – no, need – under your belt. Hario released their V60 Coffee Dripper in 2004, although its roots stretch back to the 1980s. The name is entirely logical: ‘V’ because it is V-shaped and ‘60’ because the cone creates the shape of a 60-degree angle.
Speciality coffee shops like their V60s. The pour over method draws out all the complexities in good ground coffee to give you a cup that’s smooth, balanced and fabulously intricate.
Make sure you’ve got all the bits and bobs you need for V60 brewing with our V60 Gift Set. Whether it’s a birthday or coffee day (every day, then?), this is a set you need in your life. Pronto.
Dr. Peter Schlumbohm (what a name) invented the Chemex in 1941. Coffee devices were starting to look a bit clunky, he felt. The coffee party needs its princess!
Chemex devices are chic coffee making vessels made from heat-resistant borosilicate glass. They are pour over devices, just like the V60, so are especially fond of lighter roast coffees. Brew a light roast in your Chemex, and it’ll be like sending Cinderalla off to the ball with Prince Charming.
You might have an espresso machine at home, but barista-grade espresso makers are pretty costly, so we’ll let you tick this one off if you’ve ever had an espresso-based coffee in a good coffee shop. Extra points if you had cake.
Expresso machines first came on the scene in the early 1900s in Milan. Since then, there has been lots of development, with Achille Gaggia’s ‘Lampo’ system (which relied on hot water pressure rather than steam) being one of the most important. Espresso machines work by pushing hot water through a densely packed ‘cake’ of ground coffee. The small superstar that is your espresso shot will taste roasty and concentrated, with a thick texture and caramel-coloured crema crowning its top.
Howdy, happy campers, have you got an AeroPress in your backpack? No, why not?? Forget the sleeping bag; this lightweight coffee maker is your outdoor essential.
The AeroPress was invented in 2005 by a caffeine-fuelled engineer called Alan Adler. It’s the small, portable, low cost, easy-clean coffee maker that brews awesome single cups. Whether you are outdoorsy, indoorsy or just want a way of making top coffee for one, the AeroPress is the stuff of coffee dreams. It gives a cup that’s strong and full-bodied with low acidity. Brew the ‘right’ way or go offbeat with the inverted method. Great coffee’s coming either way!
Here’s the device for all the aestheticists out there. Trendy octagonal shape, art deco vibes and concentrated coffee? Here’s a coffee device you won’t want to trade.
The moka pot device was invented by Luigi di Ponti before being produced by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933. It marks an important cultural milestone in Italy, whereby caffè lovers started to enjoy espresso-like coffee at home rather than heading to their nearest coffee bar.
The moka pot is a pressure device (like the espresso machine) and comes tidily packed with three parts. The water chamber and coffee collection chambers screw together to form that cool octagonal body while the coffee basket sits in the middle. The pressure method and high coffee-to-water ratio give you a striking, full-bodied cup that tastes concentrated and strong.
Own a jam jar? Then you can tick this one off your coffee maker list. Because making naturally sweet cold brew coffee is easy as pie: simply add cold water to ground coffee and let them sit together overnight before filtering and drinking. There are many other ways to make cold brew and you can adapt your method to suit your device. Got an AeroPress? A cafetiere? Great news: you’ve got a cold brewer! For seriously next-level cold coffee, we like this Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot.
There’s the magnificent seven of coffee devices. Have you tried them all?
Meet the chimp behind this article!
Head Chimp founded Two Chimps alongside Laura in 2016 after being self-employed from the age of 21. He caught the coffee bug from using an at-home roaster, and the rest is history!
What Andy does outside of the treehouse:
When the weather’s nice, Andy loves going on bike rides with his trusty sidekick, microchimp Felix (who always leads the way, of course). Andy also enjoys spending time tending to the family’s vegetable garden, and looking after their at-home farmyard, which includes a cat, two guinea pigs, and six chickens!
Andy says…
“I believe every day is a school day, and I’m always looking for opportunities to stick my head in a book and absorb new knowledge. I also love a problem to solve and fix – there’s no such thing as problems, only solutions.”
Sign up to our fortnightly email newsletter and be first to know about new coffees, the latest blogs, brew guides, recipes and news from Two Chimps HQ. Your information is stored securely and never passed to third parties. For more information, see our privacy policy.