Filter coffee, not V60

Filter coffee is a drink made by passing water through ground coffee and a filter, or by separating the liquid from the ground coffee after extraction.

Several methods fall under this name:

• batch brew;
• pour-over;
• immersion;
• percolation;
• hybrid methods.

Batch brew is filter coffee made with an automatic machine. In the cafe, this is how we prepare larger quantities of filter coffee, consistently and quickly.

A good batch brew machine controls water, temperature, flow rate, and distribution over the coffee. The result can be very good if the recipe, grind, and coffee are well matched.

Pour-over means manual brewing by pouring water over the coffee. In practical terms, most pour-over methods are percolation methods: water passes through the coffee bed and the filter.

Examples of pour-over brewers:

• Hario V60;
• Timemore Crystal Eye;
• Kalita Wave;
• Timemore B75;
• Orea;
• April.

In the pour-over space, the brewer’s shape matters.

Conical brewers:

• Hario V60;
• Timemore Crystal Eye.

Flat bed brewers:

• Kalita Wave;
• Timemore B75;
• Orea;
• April.

A conical brewer and a flat bed brewer can produce different extractions even with the same coffee. The shape affects the coffee bed, the flow rate, water distribution, and how the extraction develops.

With immersion, the coffee stays in contact with the water for a period of time, then is separated from the liquid.

Examples:

• French Press;
• cupping;
• Clever-style brewers.

Immersion can produce a rounder, more forgiving coffee, because extraction depends less on the pour and the shape of the coffee bed.

Hybrid methods combine elements of immersion and percolation.

Examples:

• AeroPress;
• Hario Switch;
• brewers with a flow stopper.

The Hario Switch, for example, looks like a V60, but has a base that can stop the flow. This allows an immersion stage, followed by percolation.

Because the equipment is the tool, not the drink.

We say:

Filter coffee brewed on a V60.
Filter coffee brewed on a B75.
Filter coffee brewed on batch brew.
Filter coffee brewed by immersion.

We don’t say:

I'm drinking a V60.

It’s a small detail, but it says something about how we want to talk about coffee: clearly, precisely, and without jargon used on autopilot.

Choose batch brew if you want:

• consistency;
• speed;
• good coffee without a manual ritual.

Choose pour-over if you want:

• control;
• clarity;
• a manual method where you can adjust the pour.

Choose immersion if you want:

• body;
• simplicity;
• a more forgiving method.

Choose hybrid if you want:

• flexibility;
• control over contact time;
• the ability to combine immersion with percolation.

We don’t treat methods as rules. We recommend brewing methods, not impose limits.

A coffee can be good as espresso, filter, AeroPress, or moka, but each method can bring out something different. What matters is understanding what the method controls and what you want to taste in the cup.

See filter equipment

TIMEMORE Crystal Eye 01

TIMEMORE Crystal Eye B75

Read about resting and degassing