Coffee Tech -- An Update on the Best Ways to Make Coffee

Coffee is one of those things that people either love, or hate. Here at FindLaw, you will find many in the former category. There are those of us that take our coffee seriously (yes, I'm looking at you Mr. Peacock, with your own personal French press). So, when I came across an article in Ars Technica regarding a study on how caffeine affects memory, it got my wandering to a hot cup of joe.

So, I thought I'd do a "coffee tech" post on the best ways for you to get your fix. (Sidebar: Since I take my coffee seriously, I'm only writing about products that I actually have experience with.) Oh, and the study showed some improvement to memory -- though you really didn't need another excuse for that second cup, did you?

The Purists

For the coffee purists among us, the best way to make coffee is by the good old drip method -- but there's no electricity here. I'm talking the old fashioned drip method where you heat a kettle of water, pour just a bit of water over the coffee grinds to let them "bloom" and then slowly pour in the rest of the water. The best way to make coffee this way is with a Chemex coffee maker -- no wires, just wood, leather and glass. If you don't want to commit to a Chemex, you can always test the waters with an over the cup coffee dripper.

(Sidebar: If you're going to use this method, put the Folgers away and get yourself some Blue Bottle or Ritual coffee beans -- and ground them up right before making the coffee.)

The Aficionado

Maybe you don't want to wait for your coffee to "bloom" in a manual drip, but you also don't want to go fully automated: the French press may be for you. There are still no wires so you feel a bit more hands-on with the coffee making, but you can pour all your water in at one time and just wait. There's less to do than with a Chemex, but more than the fully automated versions highlighted below.

The Easy Way Out

No, we're not calling you lazy, you're just short on time. We get it, we're lawyers too. If you want a plain old cup of coffee (or tea, or hot cocoa), the Keurig single cup coffee brewing systems are good -- depending on what coffee pods you buy. While I get the convenience of this, if I opt for fully automated, my preference is for Nespresso -- it makes one creamy coffee (and the machines are beautifully designed).

If you like coffee then it's important to know the best ways to make it. But, if you want really good coffee, this is one area where the old fashioned way of doing things may win out over the new technology.