So, What’s the Best Way to Brew Coffee, According to Us?

There are a lot of ways to make coffee, and everyone has their favourite. Maybe you're a French Press person, maybe you swear by your espresso machine, or maybe you just want to push a button and have your coffee ready a few minutes later. But which method actually makes the best-tasting coffee?

We ranked 10 popular coffee brewing methods based primarily on flavour, while also considering how easy they are to use, how consistent the results are, how much control you have over the brew, how long they take and how much cleanup is involved.

So, if you're looking for the best way to brew coffee, here's how we'd rank them.

1. Pourover

Best for: Getting the most flavour out of your coffee

Pourover takes the top spot because it gives you so much control over the final cup. You can adjust your grind size, water temperature, pouring technique and brew time, which can make a big difference in how the coffee tastes. When it's done well, pourover produces a clean, flavourful cup that lets the characteristics of the coffee really come through. It's especially good when you want to pick up the more delicate flavour notes in a coffee. The downside is that it takes a little practice. If you're looking for something you can get right every morning without thinking about it, there are easier options.

Why it's #1: When flavour is the priority, pourover gives you some of the most control over what ends up in your cup.

2. Traditional Espresso Maker

Best for: Rich, concentrated coffee

A well-made espresso has a lot going for it. It's concentrated, full-bodied and packed with flavour, and a traditional espresso machine gives you plenty of control over the extraction. Of course, that also makes it one of the more demanding ways to make coffee. Your grinder, grind size, dose, tamp and extraction time all affect the result, so it takes some practice to get it right. Once you do, though, the results can be excellent, whether you're drinking the espresso on its own or using it to make a latte, cappuccino or Americano.

Why it's #2: The flavour potential is huge, but getting consistently great espresso takes more work.

3. AeroPress

Best for: Great coffee without a complicated setup

The AeroPress is a great example of how you don't need a big machine or complicated setup to make really good coffee. It's quick, easy to clean and gives you plenty of control over the brew. You can change the grind, water temperature, amount of coffee and brewing time to get the cup you like. It's also much more forgiving than espresso or pourover, which makes it a good choice if you want to experiment without spending your morning trying to get everything perfect.

Why it's #3: Excellent flavour, lots of flexibility and very little cleanup.

4. French Press

Best for: Rich, full-bodied coffee

French Press is simple, but it can make a seriously satisfying cup of coffee. Because the coffee grounds sit directly in the water, you get a lot of body and richness in the cup. It's a great match for coffees with chocolate, caramel and nutty flavours, especially if you prefer a heavier coffee rather than something light and delicate. You will get some sediment, and the coffee won't have the same clean finish as a paper-filtered brew, but that's part of what makes French Press what it is.

Why it's #4: It's easy to use and makes a rich, flavourful cup without much effort.

5. Drip Filter

Best for: Great coffee every day

Drip coffee doesn't always get the credit it deserves. A good drip coffee maker can make a really good cup of coffee without requiring much effort from you. You don't have as much control as you do with pourover, but that's also why it's so easy to use. Once you've found the right coffee and grind, the machine does most of the work. It's also a great choice when you're making more than one cup.

Why it's #5: It's one of the easiest ways to get consistently good coffee, especially when you're making it every day.

6. Clever Dripper

Best for: Easy brewing with great flavour

The Clever Dripper is a nice middle ground between a French Press and a pourover. The coffee steeps in the water before being released through a paper filter, giving you some of the body of immersion brewing with a cleaner finish. It's also very forgiving. You don't have to worry about mastering a pouring technique, and it's relatively easy to get a good cup without a lot of fuss.

Why it's #6: Great flavour without requiring much technique.

7. Automatic Espresso Machine

Best for: Espresso without the work

An automatic espresso machine is hard to beat when convenience matters. Depending on the machine, you can make an espresso, Americano or milk-based drink with very little effort. They're also very consistent, which is a big advantage if you want the same coffee every morning.

So why isn't it higher on the list? Mostly because we're putting flavour first. A manual espresso machine gives you much more control over the extraction, while an automatic machine takes much of that control away in exchange for convenience.

Why it's #7: It's an easy way to get good espresso at home, but you give up some control over the flavour.

8. Moka Pot

Best for: Strong coffee without an espresso machine

The Moka Pot makes a strong, concentrated coffee that can be a great choice if you like a bold cup. It's also a relatively inexpensive way to make something with more intensity than a standard drip coffee, but it can take a little experimenting to get the best results. Your grind size, heat and brewing time all make a difference. And while it's often called stovetop espresso, it isn't actually espresso. The coffee is brewed differently and has its own flavour and texture.

Why it's #8: Strong, rich coffee with plenty of character, but it takes some practice to get the best out of it.

9. Wacaco

Best for: Coffee on the go

A Wacaco makes a surprisingly good espresso-style coffee considering how small and portable it is. It's a great option for travelling, camping or anywhere you don't want to bring a full espresso setup. You can still use freshly ground coffee and have much more control than you would with an instant or pod coffee. The trade-off is that you're working with a much smaller, more manual setup, so you won't get quite the same results as you would from a traditional espresso machine.

Why it's #9: Very good for what it is, especially when portability matters.

10. K-Cup

Best for: Convenience

If convenience was the only thing we were ranking, K-Cup would be much higher. It's fast, easy and consistent. There's no grinding, measuring or figuring out the right brewing technique, which makes it a very practical choice when you just want coffee and don't want to think about it. But we're ranking these methods based primarily on flavour, and that's where K-Cup falls short. Pre-ground and pre-portioned coffee gives you much less control over freshness, grind size and extraction than brewing with freshly ground coffee. That doesn't mean K-Cup coffee can't taste good. It just means that if you're looking for the most flavour from your coffee, other brewing methods give you more to work with.

Why it's #10: You can't beat the convenience, but there are better options when flavour is the priority.

What Else Affects the Taste of Your Coffee?

Before you blame your brewing method for a bad cup of coffee, there are a few other things worth looking at.

Freshness

Freshly roasted coffee makes a difference. Even the best brewing method can't make old coffee taste fresh.

Grind size

The grind you use needs to match your brewing method. Espresso needs a much finer grind than French Press, while pourover and drip fall somewhere in between.

If your coffee tastes bitter, sour or weak, your grind could be part of the problem.

Water

Coffee is mostly water, so the water you use matters too. If your tap water has a strong taste or odour, filtered water can make a noticeable difference.

Coffee-to-water ratio

The amount of coffee you use compared with the amount of water will affect the strength and balance of your cup. Start with a good basic ratio, then adjust it to your taste.

Which Coffee Brewing Method Is Right for You?

• If flavour is your top priority, we'd start with pourover.
• If you want rich, full-bodied coffee, French Press is a great choice.
• If you want espresso and milk-based drinks, go with an espresso machine.
• If you want good coffee without much effort, drip coffee or a Clever Dripper are both worth considering.
• If you want something fast and versatile, the AeroPress is hard to beat.
• And if you're travelling, a Wacaco can give you a much better coffee experience without taking up much space.

There's no single brewing method that's going to be right for everyone. The coffee you choose, how fresh it is, how you grind it and how you brew it will all affect what's in your cup.

The best brewing method is the one that gives you the flavour you enjoy and fits into the way you actually drink coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coffee Brewing Methods