Stovetop espresso vs french press and pour over
Stovetop espresso, otherwise known as moka pot coffee, is an alternative way of brewing coffee that is different from what we are used to. In this article, we will be looking at how this method of coffee brewing differs from other methods such as french press, pour over etc.
Equipment used
French press uses the least amount of equipment. All you need is the press itself, grinds and water. The press is also a one piece equipment, unlike the stovetop espresso maker, which has 3 parts to it. Pour over coffee maker needs the most equipment. It needs a stand, a dripper, filters and a container for the coffee to drip into. Although you get everything if you buy a pour over coffee maker, it still is the most equipment intensive coffee brewing method.
Brewing consistency
The method that produces the most consistent result is probably the stovetop espresso. As long as you use the right grinds, the machine literally takes cares of everything else. All you need to is to turn off the heat at the right moment and the coffee will taste the same in every brew.
French press produces probably the most inconsistent taste, depending on how long you leave the coffee in the press. This is because eEven with filters in place, steeping still happens and this affects the taste of the coffee significantly.
For pour over coffee, the temperature of the water is key during the pour over. Due to the inconsistency in the water temperature, it can result in different coffee taste.
Bitter Taste
As mentioned in our comparison of pour over vs french press, the latter has declined in popularity despite being a convenient method of coffee brewing. This is probably due to the taste, which can be bitter due to extensive time the beans are in touch with the water. As a result, overextraction tend to happen and this is why the taste can be bitter.
In using stovetop, the water only contacts the beans if it is hot enough to generate steam pressure. Compared to the french press, the contact time is shorter, which tends to generate a less bitter taste.
Pour over is somewhere between the two in terms of bitterness.
Sediments
Among the three brewing methods, the french press has the highest chance of letting the sediment made it to the coffee, even though filters are used. This is because the coffee is left in the press until one is ready the drink and that creates more chances of the coarse grind escaping into the drink.
In contrast, both pour over and stovetop espresso has minimally contact time between water and coffee grinds. In addition, both methods use finer grinds and will resolve in the water even if they escape into the coffee itself.
Besides sediments, coffee made from french press tend to be more oily if heavier coarse is used.
Conclusion
Different brewing practices will yield different taste and has various pros and cons. For stovetop espresso, it is the consistency as well as the only method that yields coffee that taste close to espresso.
