How Does The Melitta Coffee Brewer Work?
The original Melitta coffee brewer is actually a name-brand product that is sold all over the world. It’s intended to brew coffee using the immersive method but is probably the least complicated of the pour-over methods you’ll need to know when making great gourmet-level coffee. You won’t see these at the upscale coffee houses since it’s meant for everyday folks to enjoy a cup of coffee nearly anywhere and anytime of the day.
It’s a brewing cone that isn’t like the Hario V60 and its more forgiving and can be done with a standard kettle. This is all due to the restriction of water at the bottom of the vessel, whereas the V60 has a larger hole and needs slow methodical pouring to make your coffee. This coffee maker needs a standard #2 cone filter that fits into the Melitta. Since the Melitta coffee brewer doesn’t come in larger sizes, you can cheat this by using a #4 filter.
This gives you just a little bit more filter space to pour more water to make more coffee for a group. Moreover, it makes it easier to avoid pouring over into the edge of the device causing fines to clog the small hole. It’s one of the few gadgets that are perfect for using in your home kitchen or taking on vacation to make coffee in a campground. Because it’s simple to use, you don’t need to be a coffee guru to master this simplified coffee maker. Some important pointers will satisfy coffee critics if you want to make surprisingly great coffee!
The Essential Basics Of Melitta Brewed Coffee
To be honest, there are two versions of the Melitta you can purchase from stores or the internet. There is the commercial plastic version (which you can usually find at a local grocery store) and then there’s the ceramic version. The ceramic version is a better choice if you’re making coffee at home. The ceramic also holds heat better which contributes to keeping the water temperature during the brewing and steeping process consistent.
The one big secret to using the Melitta is the blooming stage that will make any batch of coffee turn out perfect. This takes approximately 30 seconds and requires you to pour hot water 195 to 205°F into the center of your coffee ground. Swirl this around to the sides but never onto the filter itself. This will cause the coffee to drain, so you need to allow your coffee to bloom before it steeps.
After this 30 second period is over the coffee grounds will bloom and foam up which restricts any water flow into the container sitting below your Melitta. After the bloom occurs, you can then start to pour the remaining water into the upper brewing vessel and over the top of the bloomed coffee grounds. As it begins to saturate with the rest of the coffee itself, the coffee is then filtered through the paper and trickles down to the bottom.
The capillary action will cause the coffee to exit the little hole at the bottom restricting the coffee from leaving the upper vessel too quickly. What you get as a result is coffee that isn’t becoming washed down and has a full-bodied flavor in return. As you might expect, the finer the coffee grind is, the slower the extraction is going to be. Longer steeping times also make for a stronger coffee flavor that you get additionally. We recommend a medium grind for the Melitta.
Brewing
How-to Brew with the Melitta
Equipment
- Melitta
- Kettle
Ingredients
- 23.5 Grams Medium Ground Coffee or 1/4 Cup
- 400 Grams Water or 13.5 oz.
Instructions
- Bring water in kettle to the beginning of a boil; remove from heat.
- Soak filter with hot water; discard rinse water. Add the grounds to the filter and gently shake device to level the coffee bed.
- Bloom: Slowly and gently pour 1/4 cup (or 50 grams) of water evenly over coffee grounds by pouring in a circular pattern over the entire coffee bed. This phase is designed to soak the grounds, not to extract the brew. Duration 0:40
- Begin by slowly and gently pouring 1/4 cup (or 50 grams) of water in a circular pattern focused only on the center of the coffee bed. Allow water to drain. Duration: 0:25
- Repeat above step with 1/2 cup (or 100 grams) of water. Allow water to drain. Duration 0:30
- Repeat above step with 1/2 cup (or 100 grams) of water. Allow water to drain. Duration 0:30
- Repeat above step with 1/2 cup (or 100 grams) of water. Allow water to drain completely. Duration 1:30
- Enjoy!