From the current point of view, the siphon pot is a very modern coffee appliance. At present, many coffee shops no longer make siphon coffee or use it as a specialty or non-main product. Of course, as a fan of siphon coffee, if it’s not available outside, just make it. In this article of Front Street, I will share Siphon Coffee in as simple a language as possible.
-Structure of siphon pot
The general structure of the siphon pot can be divided into an upper pot, a lower pot and a bracket. The bracket is connected to the lower pot for fixation and support. The lower pot is roughly shaped into a sphere so that it will be heated evenly when heated. The upper pot is cylindrical, with a shrinkage treatment at the bottom, extending out a slender conduit, and a rubber ring at the shrinkage area.
When the upper pot is placed on the lower pot, the rubber ring will act as a seal. When the lower pot is heated, the water is heated to generate steam, and the lower pot generates pressure, sucking the water into the upper pot. The upper pot is where the coffee grounds come into contact with the water. When the heating source disappears, the coffee liquid will return to the lower pot, and the siphon coffee is completed.
-Filter cloth and filter paper
We don’t want to drink a mouth full of coffee grounds, so we need a filter to separate the coffee grounds. The most commonly used ones are flannel filter cloth and round filter paper. Flannel is a relatively traditional siphon filter material. Its characteristic is that it can retain the oil in the coffee. The disadvantage is that it is more troublesome to use and wash.Filter paper is a new type of filter material. Its characteristic is that the filter is relatively clean and can block out some tiny things (including but not limited to grease). If you only drink it personally, you won’t make coffee too frequently. Front Street recommends using flannel, so that you can experience the taste of siphon coffee more completely.
-Heating source
Currently commonly used heating sources are gas stoves, light wave ovens and alcohol lamps. Gas stoves and light wave stoves can adjust the size of the heat source, and the temperature rises relatively quickly and stably. The only disadvantage is that the cost is slightly higher. Alcohol lamps are low-cost, but the heat source is unstable and the heating time will be relatively long.
Front Street believes that these heating sources can make good coffee. The key is to make appropriate adjustments to suit the heating characteristics. However, if possible, use a gas stove or light wave oven.-Pour powder first and powder later
There are two differences regarding the steps of adding flour to boiled siphon. The traditional one is to choose to add flour first. The latter believes that adding the powder first, as the water rises will contact part of the coffee, which will cause part of the coffee to "escape" and may cause uneven extraction, so they insist on adding the powder after the water has risen to the top of the pot. This is the same as in Pour over(V60) coffee, whether the water is poured first and then the timing starts, or the water filling and timing start at the same time.
Front Street believes that it is safer for novices to choose the method of voting later. In this way, the instability factor will be lower than adding powder first.
-Coffee grinding degree
The grinding degree of siphon coffee will be finer than that of hand brewing. According to Front Street's calculation, the grinding degree is about 90% of the pass rate of No. 20 sieve. When using the EK43s grinder produced by the store, the corresponding scale is 9 grids. If it is a hand-cranked coffee grinder C40, the scale is 20 grids.
-Powder to water ratio
Generally, the ratio of powder to water for making siphon coffee is 1:10 to 1:12. More people use the ratio of 1:12. If you are brewing for 1 person at home, you may wish to use the usual parameters of Front Street, 18 grams of coffee powder and 200 ml of water.-Stirring method
There are many ways of stirring, including rotating stirring method, cross stirring method, Z-shaped stirring method, ∞-shaped stirring method, beating method, etc...
Front Street recommends using the beating technique when first stirring, and beat the coffee powder layer along the path in the picture below. The stirring rod takes the center as the fulcrum and moves back and forth while maintaining misalignment at both ends.
The method is not the only one, but Front Street believes that this method is easier to control and easier to use.
-End judgment time
Some people like to judge when to turn off the heat of siphon coffee by smelling the aroma of the coffee. This is a great test of one's basic skills and is difficult to describe in words. Therefore, Front Street recommends newbies to use the timing method. If you add the powder later, start the timer by adding the powder. If you add the powder first, start the timer by preparing to swing the stirring rod. The time to turn off the fire source is approximately 50-70 seconds.
-Specific operation methods
Take the traditional brewing as an example
1. Pour 200 ml of hot water, dry the lower pot, and turn on the heating source.
2. Insert the upper pot obliquely into the lower pot, and the explosion-proof beads should contact the bottom of the lower pot.
3. When continuous small water drops appear in the lower pot, align the upper pot and press it tightly. Wait for the water from the lower pot to be sucked into the upper pot.
4. Pour in coffee powder and start timing. In the first stage, tap the stirring rod to press all the coffee powder into the water and absorb the water evenly.
5. In the second section, start using the stirring method recommended by Front Street at 25 seconds, so that the coffee is clearly divided into three layers: coffee liquid, coffee powder, and coffee foam.
6. In the last section, start stirring in the same direction at 50 seconds. Remove the heat source after 60 seconds and wait for the coffee liquid to subside.
The siphon coffee made in this way is very fragrant. Although it is not as thorough and clean as Pour over(V60) coffee, the oil floating on the surface adds a lot of mellowness.
From Front Street’s perspective, compared to brewing coffee by hand, the operation of using a siphon pot is obviously more troublesome. First, a heating source is required before brewing, and the entire extraction process must not be distracted. After brewing the coffee, it must be cleaned in time, and the flannel used to filter the residue must be washed. If placed in a store with a large volume of cups, the production of siphon pots will only be more troublesome.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
