Coffee Brewing Methods: Comparison & Analysis of the Best Ways to Make Coffee

comparison of coffee brewing methods

There are lots of ways to make coffee but they all have a couple things in common.

You need roasted coffee beans that are ground up by some means and water.

Funny thing is that you don’t really even need ground beans; crushed beans or cut beans will work in a bind as will water that is not exactly hot – cold brew anyone?

There are obviously a handful of good ways to make really great tasting cold brew coffee and still yet others will go so far as to make suz-vide coffee!

Is There a “Best Way” To Make Coffee?

Whether you prefer making coffee over an open flame or would rather go the fully automated route, there are tons of different ways to get the job done and each method still has lots of variable that can change the process and final product enough to warrant a full article on this site.

On this page it’s my intention to simply introduce you to the many various styles and methods for making coffee. I’ll then explain some of the variations that can alter each method in meaningful ways.

We’ll then compare some of the top methods briefly and point you to other articles on this site that have fully explored the comparison of one coffee making style to another.

Lets start off by looking at one of the most common variants to drip coffee these days, one that is super cheap to make, a bit manual, and arguably one of the best ways to make coffee of them all: the french press method.

The Most Common Ways to Make Coffee

In the US the most common ways to make coffee include:

  • drip,
  • pour over,
  • french press,
  • percolator,
  • instant,
  • espresso,
  • and Moka

There are other ways to like Aeropress, Turkish, cowboy just to name a few but those are the one’s we focus on most on this site.

Further down this page we will summarize each of these methods and then eventually provide links to other pages on this site that have fully compared each method to the others.

A Comparison Chart of Coffee Brewing Methods

Below you’ll see a chart of all the main ways to make coffee. Follow the links in the chart to see fully explored comparisons of each major technique for making coffee.

*Note: This table is horizontally scrollable.

Drip Coffee French Press Espresso Moka Pot Pour Over
Drip CoffeeN/AClick to CompareClick to CompareClick to CompareClick to Compare
French PressN/AN/AClick to CompareClick to CompareClick to Compare
EspressoN/AN/AN/AClick to CompareClick to Compare
Moka PotN/AN/AN/AN/AClick to Compare
Pour OverN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A

Here are our brew method comparison articles:

Alternative Ways to Brew Coffee Without Electricity

Ways To Make Coffee While Camping
Cold Brew Vs Iced Coffee: Whats the Difference Anyway?

Stovetop Espresso Comparison Articles

Why Stovetop Espresso Is Not The Same As True Espresso
Moka Pot vs. Regular Drip Coffee: The Differences Explained
Moka Pot VS Pour Over: A Brewing Method Comparison
The Differences Between Stovetop Espresso & French Press Coffee
How A Percolator Is Different Than A Moka Pot
Moka Pot Vs Chemex Coffee
Is There a Difference Between Aeropress and Stovetop Espresso Makers?

French Press Comparison Articles

The French Press vs Pour Over: Coffee Brewing Methods Compared
French Press vs Espresso: What’s Different? Whats Better?
The Differences Between Stovetop Espresso & French Press Coffee
French Press Vs Drip Coffee: What’s The Difference?
Nespresso vs French Press Coffee
The French Press vs. Coffee Percolator – The Differences Explained
French Press and Chemex Coffee Compared
What’s The Difference Between A Keurig And A French Press? How to Make A Morning Cup in Style:
What’s The Difference Between Aeropress and French Press Coffee?

Espresso Comparison Articles

Why Stovetop Espresso Is Not The Same As True Espresso
French Press vs Espresso: What’s Different? Whats Better?
The Keurig vs The Espresso Machine: A Tale of Two Brews
What’s The Difference Between Coffee And Espresso
Espresso VS Pour Over Coffee: Which is Better & What’s Different?
The Percolator Vs The Espresso Maker
Espresso Vs Chemex Coffee: A Comparison in Brewing Methodology
Aeropress vs Espresso – A Brewing Method Comparison for Coffee Snobs

Pour Over Comparison Articles

Moka Pot VS Pour Over: A Brewing Method Comparison
The French Press vs Pour Over: Coffee Brewing Methods Compared
Pour Over vs Drip Coffee: What’s Different & Which is Better
Keurig vs Pour Over Coffee – Single Serve Brewing Methods Compared
Espresso VS Pour Over Coffee: Which is Better & What’s Different?
Pour Over Vs Percolator Coffee: Two Great Ways To Perk Up Your Day
Why is Chemex Different Than Other Pour Over Coffee Drippers?
Aeropress vs Pour Over Coffee: Which is Best?

Drip Coffee Comparison Articles

Moka Pot vs. Regular Drip Coffee: The Differences Explained
Pour Over vs Drip Coffee: What’s Different & Which is Better
Keurig vs Regular Drip Coffee – Brewing Method Comparison
French Press Vs Drip Coffee: What’s The Difference?
What’s The Difference Between Coffee And Espresso
Nespresso Vs Drip Coffee: Which Home Coffee Maker is Right For You?
Differences Between Auto Drip Coffee Makers & Percolators
Chemex Vs Drip Coffee: What’s The Best Brew For Your Home?
Aeropress Vs Drip Coffee: What’s the Difference Anyway?

Keurig-Style Coffee Comparison Articles

Keurig vs Regular Drip Coffee – Brewing Method Comparison
The Keurig vs The Espresso Machine: A Tale of Two Brews
Keurig vs Pour Over Coffee – Single Serve Brewing Methods Compared
Nespresso Vs Keurig Coffee: What’s Different & Which is Better?
What’s The Difference Between A Keurig And A French Press? How to Make A Morning Cup in Style:

Nespresso-Style Comparison Articles

Nespresso Vs Drip Coffee: Which Home Coffee Maker is Right For You?
Nespresso vs French Press Coffee
Nespresso Vs Keurig Coffee: What’s Different & Which is Better?
Aeropress vs Nespresso: Which is Better? What is Different?

Percolator Comparison Articles

Pour Over Vs Percolator Coffee: Two Great Ways To Perk Up Your Day
The Percolator Vs The Espresso Maker
Differences Between Auto Drip Coffee Makers & Percolators
The French Press vs. Coffee Percolator – The Differences Explained
How A Percolator Is Different Than A Moka Pot
Aeropress Vs Percolator Coffee

Chemex Coffee Comparison Articles

French Press and Chemex Coffee Compared
Moka Pot Vs Chemex Coffee
Espresso Vs Chemex Coffee: A Comparison in Brewing Methodology
Chemex Vs Drip Coffee: What’s The Best Brew For Your Home?
Why is Chemex Different Than Other Pour Over Coffee Drippers?
Chemex Vs Aeropress: Which Makes Better Coffee [Updated]

Aeropress Comparison Articles

Aeropress vs Nespresso: Which is Better? What is Different?
Is There a Difference Between Aeropress and Stovetop Espresso Makers?
Aeropress vs Espresso – A Brewing Method Comparison for Coffee Snobs
Aeropress vs Pour Over Coffee: Which is Best?
Chemex Vs Aeropress: Which Makes Better Coffee [Updated]
Aeropress Vs Drip Coffee: What’s the Difference Anyway?
Aeropress Vs Percolator Coffee
What’s The Difference Between Aeropress and French Press Coffee?