How to make drip filter coffee
A drip filter machine, like a Moccamaster, makes a whole jug of clean, easy-drinking coffee at the press of a button. The machine heats the water and drips it over coffee in a paper filter. Your job is to get the amount of coffee and the grind right.
The quick recipe
For a full jug (1.25 litres):
- Coffee: 74g, about 14 and a half level tablespoons
- Water: 1.25 litres of cold water in the tank
- Grind: medium-coarse, like raw sugar
- Time: about 6 minutes (the machine handles this)
That is a ratio of 1:17. Moccamaster suggests about 55g of coffee per litre, which is close to our mild setting. Making less? The drip filter calculator works it out for any amount.
What you need
- A drip filter machine and the right size paper filters
- Kitchen scales, or a coffee scoop you have checked against scales
Step by step
- Fill the tank with cold water. Use the markings on the tank or jug.
- Put a paper filter in the basket. Fold along the seams first so it sits flat.
- Add the coffee. Give the basket a little shake so the coffee is level.
- Small batch? If your basket has a half-jug setting, use it for less than half a jug.
- Press start. Let the machine do its thing.
- Stir the jug. The first and last coffee to drip through taste different, so stir before you pour.
How strong should it be?
For a full jug (1.25 litres of water):
| Strength | Ratio | For 1.25 litres |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | 1:18 | 69g coffee |
| Balanced | 1:17 | 74g coffee |
| Strong | 1:16 | 78g coffee |
Fixing drip coffee that tastes off
- Weak or watery: use more coffee, or grind a little finer.
- Bitter or harsh: grind a little coarser.
- Basket overflowing: the grind is too fine, or there is too much coffee for the basket. Go coarser.
- Tastes stale or flat: use fresher beans, and give the machine a clean.
Good to know
- Drink it fresh. Coffee left on a hot plate for a long time turns bitter. A thermal jug keeps it hot without cooking it.
- Keep it clean. Descale the machine now and then, as the maker suggests, especially with hard water.
- Use fresh beans. Try one of Perth’s local roasters.
Moccamaster’s own guide is on their support page.