Immersion brewing is a simple and low-tech way to make a great cup of coffee
Suddenly Immersion Brewing
I started my coffee journey with a Bodum French Press about 5 years ago. This method makes great coffee. It's different than perculated coffee in a few important ways. The acidity and sweetness of a pour over, like a V60, is incredible. While the body and flavor of the roast comes through with great clarity in an immersion brew. So this isn't the only way I make coffee, but it is much more beginner friendly, and without a lot of the difficulties and problems you can experience with a percolation brew.
What a Mess
My biggest motivation for moving away from a French Press for my immersion brewing is the mess. I'd often leave it on my counter and avoid cleaning it. So I probably am not using it to make a second cup that day, or maybe even the next, or the one after. I hate cleaning it...
The Solution
To solve my problem, which is really laziness, I have two options:
- Be less lazy...as if
- Buy a Clever Dripper
So I bought a Clever Dripper (large size) from Amazon. Link posted at the bottom of the article if you're interested.
For about a week I've been playing with ratios, grind size, water temperature, and order of operations. I have been able to consistently produce a high quality brew that satisfies the 3 things I think coffee should have: bold flavor, great body, a nice finish.
My Recipe
Tools
Water kettle, coffee grinder, Clever Dripper, Clever Dripper filters, a spoon, your favorite mug. I use a Stagg electric kettle and a Baratza Encore for #1 and #2
Ratio
~1:16 (22g coffee to 350g water)
Coffee
Use good coffee. I can't emphasize this enough. This is the ONLY ingredient. Don't cheap out here. Coffee can be ground to a medium (on the finer side), similar to a V60. I actually use the same setting as my V60. On my Baratza that's a 14.
Water
212°. Use filtered water, and get it to a full boil. Because we're essentially decanting the water before adding grounds, we'll lose quite a bit of heat.
Process
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Bring water to a boil and grind the coffee.
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Add your filter and rinse the Clever with hot water. Pre-warming this whole thing will reduce the heat loss when we fill for the brew.
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Pour 350g of water into the clever THEN add the coffee and stir. Mix it up and make sure all the coffee is immersed. Don't leave any dry clumps.
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Set a 2 minute timer and let it steeeeeeep.
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After the 2 minutes is up, break up the crust on top with a gentle stir counter clock-wise, then back the other way.
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Let it sit for another 30-45 seconds.
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Set it on top of your favorite mug and let it drain. Now throw away the filter, rinse the Clever, and enjoy your amazing cup of coffee.
Final Remarks
I love this process and the flavor of the coffee, and I love how easy the cleanup is especially. It saves me a lot of time and still produces results much like a French Press. I hope you enjoy.