Siphon: How-to Guide
Popular again, and for good reason: we’re hard-pressed to imagine a more temperature-stable home brewing device. Your reward for the extra work? Especially clean, rich coffee with disproportionate body.
Need:
Siphon, heat source, cloth or paper filters
Coffee nerd options:
Grinder, scale, timer, thermometer
Recipe basics:
Brew time: 3 minutes (including a 1-min draw down time)
Temperature: boiling
Grind setting: fine drip
Ratio: 1:14 coffee to water
Below measurements are interchangeable. For example, you can use 16 g of grounds to produce a 8 oz cup of coffee.
|
Siphon size |
Coffee measurement |
Water measurement |
|
2-cup |
16 g |
235 g |
|
|
3 T |
8 oz |
|
3-cup |
24 g |
350 g |
|
|
4.5 T |
12 oz |
|
5-cup |
42 g |
590 g |
|
|
7.5 T |
20 oz |
|
8-cup |
70 g |
1170 g |
|
|
13 T |
40 oz |
1. Fill the lower globe with the desired amount of water.
2. Ensure that your filter is in place in the upper globe.
3. Apply heat and securely attach the upper globe to the lower globe when your water is approaching the boiling point.
4. Once the temperature of the water in the upper globe has stabilized within the desired range, add coffee ground at a fine drip setting and steep for two minutes. Gently immerse coffee particles that rise to the top at the beginning and end of the steep as needed, using a bamboo stirrer or rice paddle.
5. At the two-minute mark, remove the siphon from the heat source. After a drawdown period of approximately one minute, you’ll be ready to serve. Enjoy!
For further exploration:
- Cotton filters need to be kept moist, e.g. in a jar of water in the fridge. Paper filters also exist for those who prefer them.
- The drawdown process is an integral part of the steep, so there’s no need to rush it.
- Pressed for time? Low on alcohol for your burner? Pre-heat your water before adding it to the lower globe.
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