Amid lists of best coffee makers, best espresso machines and best Keurig coffee makers, plus a machine to make pour-over without the fuss and tips about coffee's golden ratio and advice for brewing espresso like a pro, we haven't (yet) stopped to ask the all-important question: What's actually the best way to make coffee, according to those who obsess over it?
So, I asked 10 coffee experts -- roasters, cafe owners, educators, barista champions and a former president of the Specialty Coffee Association -- to rank seven of the most common brewing methods, presuming a black coffee.
Naturally, if you want a milky or plant-based-milk espresso drink, such as a cappuccino or latte, that's its own category, and the methods you can use to achieve it become more limited. But, for the purest and most satisfying expression of the humble, roasted coffee bean, here are the brewing methods experts were asked to rank: (presented here alphabetically) AeroPress, automatic drip machine, espresso, French press, K-Cup, moka pot and pour-over.
The results? On one hand, there was a not-so-surprising front-runner, but that doesn't mean there aren't merits to consider from multiple methods.
One method to rule them all: pour-over
The pour-over method received near-unanimous top ranks from the coffee experts I grilled. skaman306/Getty
While it wasn't completely unanimous, pour-over was the clear winner for the overall average ranking. The good news is, pour-over is among the least expensive coffee brewing methods available, requiring little more than a handheld kettle or other device for pouring coffee and a funnel dripper outfitted with a conical filter that sits on top of the cup or carafe to catch the coffee. (Of course, you can certainly spend more money for a serious pour-over kit.) On the flip side, well-executed pour-over coffee can be fussy, and isn't a set-it-and-forget-it kind of method.
Naturally, pour-over is the kind of thing that true coffee aficionados will happily subscribe to, involving precise elements of timing and temperature, not to mention the patience to preside over the brew in progress. This can be complicated, however, for those who need to be caffeinated first in order to care about such details.
Read more: Want Pour-Over Coffee Without the Fuss? This $65 Machine Does the Hard Work for You
Why coffee pros love the pour-over method
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