Simply put, making coffee is just using water to pull flavors and oils out of the grounds and into your cup. Whether you use immersion, percolation, or pressure, the goal remains the same: extract the best parts of the bean.

Immersion

Water sits with coarsely ground coffee in a container (like making tea) until you decide to filter it out. It takes around four minutes to steep in a French Press, while cold brews can go between 12-24 hours.

Percolation

Water flows through a bed of medium-ground coffee, picking up flavors and oils along the way. This is how the classic kitchen coffee maker works. It drips water over a basket of grounds, basically doing a pour-over for you.

Pressure

Water is forced through a puck of finely ground coffee. This uses pressure instead of waiting on time (immersion) or gravity (percolation). Espresso machines use a mechanical pump while the AeroPress leverages your own body weight.