The Brewing Process

• The brewing process includes steeping or boiling the contents in water. The most common way to brew grounds is simply adding the macerated (ground) contents to boiling water, and then filtering the grounds out once the boiling time is reached. Filtering can be accomplished with a mesh wire, cloth or paper material. However, Turkish coffee is served sitting on top of the grounds.
  
  

Drip Method of Brewing

• Another type of brewing is using a filter/drip basket as commonly used with coffee and tea makers. In a standard drip method of brewing, the grounds or leaves are placed in a brewing basket and hot water is poured over the grounds once. In this brewing method, the water and grounds are briefly in contact. Once brewing is complete the grounds and brew remain separated, unlike Turkish style brewed coffee.
  
  

Press Pot Method of Brewing

• A press pot method of brewing uses boiling water and a metal or wire mesh filter that separates the grounds from the water. Once the macerations to steep for the required amount of time, the plunger is pressed, which forces the filter basket of grounds through the hot water. The filter separates the grounds from the brew, but the brew is served off the top of the grounds.
  
  

Vacuum Style Brewing

• Vacuum style brewing begins with the water in the bottom bulb (carafe) of a two-bulb mechanism; the water is then forced to the top bulb through the filter when heated to a boil. Once the water is in the top bulb, the maceration or grounds are added and brewed for the required time. Then, the whole mechanism is removed from heat and as the bottom bulb cools, it creates a vacuum that pulls the brew from the upper bulb down through the filter catching the grounds.
  
  

Percolating Process

• Percolating pushes boiled water bubbles upwards through a stem that disperses water carried by the bubbles over the macerations in the filter basket. The percolating process differs from brewing in that the water is cycled through the macerations several times during the percolating process to make an infusion. Also, where the flavor of a brew is based on keeping a required time to achieve optimal flavor, the longer an infusion percolates the stronger the flavor becomes.