I simply do not understand enough, to work out why a Cafetiere gives a different brew to a Clever to a V60 to a Boilbrew to the next dozen different ways of doing it. I have a system sitting in my cupboard that cost about £350 on Kickstarter (and I cannot even remember the name now!). I bunged them all into a box and stuck them into the loft! But, I want to either bring one down or buy one and stick with it. Why does the coffee taste so remarkably different from one to another and which is the one to stick with! Help.............

> @"dfk41"#p22699 Why does the coffee taste so remarkably different from one to another and which is the one to stick with! @"MWJB"#139 is your man. I only brew V60 and Clever; the latter is always a long steep. I don’t see any noticeable difference in taste between these two, keeping everything the same. Am I doing something wrong, if they should be different? 🤔

With any brewer, the coffee should be distinctive, recognisable as itself (if a little different to the same coffee from another brewer at a similar extraction). The differences are really a result of the level of filtration (silt in the cup) and the time it takes to brew (assuming you're not doing something wildly different with each brewer). Drip is fast (2.5 to 4min for a brew), immersion is slow (20-60min...as long as you can before it is too cool to enjoy), low extraction immersions are fast (1-3min) but use a lot of coffee for not much water and can be very pleasant (if on the simple side flavour-wise). How important is speed to you? If so, what is the longest you would wait for a brew? Do you need to make varying sizes of brew? How much input are you prepared to put into it? (Do you just want to dump all the water in as quick and unfussily as you can, or are you prepared to stand over it adding an ounce of water every 20 or 30 seconds). All brew methods require weighing grinds & water. What kettles do you have?

@"MWJB"#p22703 Kettles......one in the house, a long necked thing unbranded! I prefer not to let it steep too long simply because I am impatient! I just dug my Trinity One out (the expensive one) because I realised it was in a cupboard and not in the loft. You can use it a couple of ways, so I preheated, stuck in 17 gms coffee, let it steep for 4 minutes then opened the control valve and it decanted in about 5 seconds. Was this due to the 3 kg plunger.....not a chance! I had forgotten the reason I had not used it was an O ring had perished! I am drinking the silty brew it made, simply to remind me how much I hate brewed coffee (unless someone else makes it!)

I've always assumed it's not so much the implement but more to do with grind, steep timing, water temp etc that reallY affects the taste. To me whether I use my clever dripper, V60, Aeropress, Moccapot etc if I'm not trying to make espresso, rather than try and discern if one is different (or better) from the other I just want to make a really nice drinkable cup of coffee. What I use to make it depends on my mood, time I have to make it or simply whatever takes my fancy on any given day. Can I say one is better and therefore which to use? No. My palet/taste buds are not good enough to differentiate between brew types. If you can taste a marked difference then go with the one YOU prefer. Surely no brew method is 'the right' one. it will be down to personal preference. Mind you. I know as much about the real art of coffee making as I do about most things…which is virtually nothing.

> @"dfk41"#p22712 Kettles……one in the house, a long necked thing unbranded! I prefer not to let it steep too long simply because I am impatient! I just dug my Trinity One out (the expensive one) because I realised it was in a cupboard and not in the loft. You can use it a couple of ways, so I preheated, stuck in 17 gms coffee, let it steep for 4 minutes then opened the control valve and it decanted in about 5 seconds. Was this due to the 3 kg plunger…..not a chance! I had forgotten the reason I had not used it was an O ring had perished! I am drinking the silty brew it made, simply to remind me how much I hate brewed coffee (unless someone else makes it!) Do you not have a normal kettle? I can't drink 4 minute steeps whoever makes them, unless very short brew ratio 1:6 or 7 & very low extraction (coarse grind). You can get a tasty brew in less if you go coarse/short enough. What other brewer do you have to hand?

@"MWJB"#p22742 I only have the one non electric kettle. If I want hot water for a drink I either use that or the Osmio (or sometimes the Evo). I have a cafetiere, a Clever, a Boilbrew from memory. Oh, an Ibrik as well

@"dfk41"#p22745 If I were you, I would get the Clever out. You can’t go wrong, with guidance from @"MWJB"#139. You will have to have to buy the SwissGold filter and need to be patient for 20 mins. :-)

@"dfk41"#p22745 Ibrik can be great but I prefer longer brews. Out of those, I'd go with the Clever, the others will be silty with short brews. What grinder?

@"MWJB"#p22747 It is a Niche of course.....I feel a trip into the loft!

@"dfk41"#p22748 If you decide to go the Clever route, you need this https://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item110303.aspx Expensive but worth every penny. Amazon may also sell it. and this as well https://www.amazon.co.uk/Filtropa-Bleached-Coffee-Papers-Filters/dp/B0001IXA9O

If you could only have one

MWJB

3rd Clever brew. Niche 93, 24g coffee, 229g water in kettle, 227g in brewer, add coffee & wet, steep until 1:30 sink crust, place on cup at 1:45. Dry bed 2:12.

Another good cup, hard to say but feels a bit cleaner, less chewy than 25g brew earlier, another 8/9.

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