How To Make Drip Coffee: A 5-Step Guide

Brewing with a drip coffee maker is classic, easy, and fun! Most people brew drip coffee every morning, allowing plenty of time to make breakfast, organize your home, and get ready for the day; all the while, your coffee is dripping away!

Drip Coffee is simple to make, but because it is so easy, it can be hard to know how exactly to extract the most flavor from your bean! Control over the water temperature, how much water you use, and how the water is added to your coffee are the typical ways to ensure you brew an excellent cup of joe. But these are often difficult factors to influence with drip coffee! In this guide, we will walk you through all the best steps and tips on how to make delicious drip coffee! 

History 

Ever wondered how exactly drip coffee came to dominate our early morning routines? Drip, or filtered coffee, was first made by a German housewife named Melitta Bentz in 1908 using a simple paper filter and hot water. The method of brewing coffee then was the classic immersion method, similar to how traditional Turkish Coffee is made

The first electric drip coffee machine was invented in 1954, and these makers largely took over the coffee scene. This automated system made brewing coffee more convenient and consistent, quickly gaining popularity and pushing aside the manual methods of the past. By the mid-20th century, electric drip machines had become a staple in homes and cafés, paving the way for drip coffee to become the go-to morning brew we rely on today.

What You’ll Need

Besides your favorite coffee mug, a little time, and your favorite SonRise Coffee beans, you’ll also need… 

Ground Coffee 

It all starts with the beans! You can’t make quality drip coffee without quality beans.  For the best results, find a local, small-batch coffee roaster and get a fresh bag of whole-bean coffee. At SonRise Coffee, we have a variety of Organic Coffee Beans. You can choose your preferred drip coffee flavor with light, medium, and dark roast options. 

An essential part of quality drip coffee is the kind of grind. Drip coffee machines work better with a slightly coarser grind. Grinding your own coffee beans is a great way to increase the flavor profile of your drip coffee and prevent over-oxidation before use. Another good way to ensure you add quality ground coffee to your machine is to purchase freshly roasted coffee beans. For example, using beans like our SonRise Coffee Organic Coffee options, which are roasted to order!

Coffee Filters

The coffee filter you chose for your drip coffee has a significant effect on the flavor of your morning cup! Coffee filters are made of paper, bamboo, metal, cloth, and plastic! Whichever kind you use is up to you! The filter you use can change the flavor profile of your coffee, which is why disposable coffee filters are the most common. However, choosing a reusable coffee filter is a great way to do your part for the environment! 

Paper coffee filters are the most commonly used. A good paper coffee filter should fit snugly in the drip machine without creases or folds. To reduce the slight paper flavor in your coffee, lightly wet the paper before adding your coffee grounds! 

Water

The water you add to your coffee machine can make or break your perfect cup of drip coffee! Ensuring you have the right amount of water with the right quality is essential. Filtered or bottled water will give the best-flavored coffee. It’s generally recommended not to use tap water to brew your coffee due to the chlorine and other minerals in the water that will negatively affect the end result. Tap water might also cause your coffee maker to calcify and clog, which will lead to your machine breaking down faster over time. 

Filtering your water before adding it to your machine is a small but impactful step that can lead to a better-tasting cup of coffee and more coffee from one machine over time! 

Coffee Maker

The beauty of drip coffee is that you can pick up a run-of-the-mill coffee maker for less than $20.00. The downside is that these cheap brewers if used carelessly, can turn out burnt, over-extracted coffee. But there are some fantastic alternatives that give you the simplicity of an automatic drip coffee brewer without losing the more nuanced flavors of specialty coffee. 

Finding a quality coffee maker is a great way to enhance your drip coffee. Other small steps you can take to improve your drip coffee is to turn off the heat when your coffee is done brewing. You don’t want your coffee to stay on a burner and overheat! You should also clean your machine regularly. You can do this simply with vinegar and hot water. 

How to Make Drip Coffee: The 5 Steps

Now that you have all your supplies together, it’s time to get started!

Step 1: Add Water

Start by filling your machine with fresh, cold, filtered water. Pour the water into the reservoir of your drip coffee maker. Make sure you fill it up to the desired level, usually indicated on the side of the machine. The water-to-coffee ratio is an important step in getting drip coffee right! 

Too much water can dilute the flavor, while too little may make it too strong. Take care to strike the ideal balance. 

Step 2: Put Filter in Place

Next, grab a coffee filter and place it in the designated area of your coffee maker. Ensure the filter is flat and evenly spread out to allow for proper water flow and to prevent grounds from escaping. Slightly wet the filter if you’d like to avoid added tastes from entering your cup!

Step 3: Add Grounds 

Grind your coffee beans to a medium-course level, which is recommended for drip coffee. Measure out your preferred amount of coffee grounds based on the number of cups you want to brew. Depending on how strong you like your coffee, 1-2 tablespoons of coffee grounds are typically used for every six ounces of water. Spoon the grounds into the filter, ensuring they are evenly spread for an equally distributed brew. 

Step 4: Let it Brew

Once everything is set up, turn on your drip coffee maker. Sit back and relax as the water heats up and drips over the coffee grounds. The brewing process usually takes only a few minutes, so take this time for yourself to finish up some last-minute chores or to breathe in the rich scent of SonRise Coffee Co’s drip coffee! 

Step 5: Serve. Sip. Savor. 

Once the brewing is complete, carefully remove the pot from the coffee maker. Pour yourself a cup of freshly brewed drip coffee. Take a moment to appreciate the aroma and flavor, or dive right in, but be careful; it’s hot! 

Whether you’re starting your day or taking a well-deserved break, this simple ritual offers a moment of pleasure and satisfaction. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor – you’ve earned it.

Clean Up. Rinse. Repeat. 

After enjoying your coffee, don’t forget to clean up. Discard the used coffee grounds and rinse out the coffee pot and filter basket to keep your coffee maker in top condition. Now you’re ready to brew another delicious batch of drip coffee!

Water-To-Coffee Ratio: 

Possibly, the most important part of the Drip Coffee process is considering the water-to-coffee ratio. However, the question of “What is the coffee-to-water ratio for drip coffee?” may not be answered so easily. The water-to-coffee ratio is an art and a science and, to a certain extent, is based on your preference of coffee strength. In general, we recommend 2 Tbsp of grounds per cup of coffee or per 6 ounces of water. 

You might also have heard of the “golden ratio” used by coffee pros who brew at home. This means that for every 1 gram of coffee, you should add 17 grams of water. This isn’t the simplest ratio to keep track of, so we’ve made a simple table to help you hit that golden ratio in every brew! 

Table with coffee to water ratios for drip coffee guide

Quick Tips: How to Make Delicious Drip Coffee

Image of mug with drip coffee besides beans

Grinding Beans

A great way to ensure your drip coffee is top-tier stuff is to grind your own coffee beans. Grinding your own coffee beans ensures fresh flavor. Even grinding your coffee beans the night before your morning coffee can lead to a decrease in overall flavor. We recommend grinding your coffee beans right before you begin to brew for the best overall flavor. 

How to Make Cold Drip Coffee

It is possible to make cold drip coffee! Some coffee machines are designed for this purpose. However, you can brew coffee with a normal drip coffee machine using half the water you normally would with the same quantity of coffee grounds. This way, when you add ice, your coffee cools without becoming watered down.

Choosing the Right Drip Coffee Maker

There are so many fantastic drip coffee makers on the market for a wide range of prices. What kind of drip coffee maker you buy isn’t necessarily as important as how you use it. Taking good care of your machine, including regularly cleaning it, is a great way to ensure the quality of your drip coffee. 

Other factors to consider when buying a drip coffee maker include: 

  • Cup Capacity: A variety of machine sizes exist, including machines that brew one cup of coffee all the way to machines that make 14 cups
  • Carafe Type: The Carafe is the container that coffee drips into. They commonly have a flared lip to assist in pouring. They commonly come as either glass or thermoses.
  • Brewing Options: Some coffee makers let you adjust the strength or temperature of your coffee through the machine! 
  • Built-in grinders: Many coffee makers may come with a built-in grinder, so you can store beans in the coffee maker and grind as you go! 

Recommended Coffee

The best coffee to use for drip coffee. Our Sunrise Coffee Co. Organic Coffee selection

We recommend choosing from our wide selection of Organic Coffee. At SonRise Coffee Co. we roast beans for you to brew a number of ways, including as drip coffee. 

Conclusion

Making great coffee doesn’t always have to involve expensive equipment or complicated techniques! Knowing how to make great classic drip coffee is an achievable way to make your mornings a little brighter. With the right beans, water, and a few thoughtful adjustments, you can brew a cup that’s both flavorful and satisfying. Drip coffee’s simplicity is its strength, allowing you to balance your hectic mornings with a reliable and delicious cup of coffee. Elevate your drip coffee experience with SonRise Coffee Co.’s Organic Coffee today! 

Coffee Brewing Guides

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

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