In a quest to enhance my coffee brewing skills, I reached out to ten seasoned coffee professionals—including roasters, café owners, educators, barista champions, and a former president of the Specialty Coffee Association—to rank seven of the most common coffee brewing methods for making black coffee. While the market is saturated with recommendations about the best espresso machines, Keurig makers, and gadgets to simplify pour-over coffee, an essential question remains often unasked: according to those who live and breathe coffee, what is truly the best way to brew a cup of black coffee?
It’s important to note that the focus here is strictly on black coffee—the purest form of coffee without milk or milk substitutes. Drinks like cappuccinos and lattes, which depend heavily on milk, involve different brewing methods and equipment, so they fall outside the scope of this discussion. Instead, the experts were asked to rank the following seven brewing techniques: AeroPress, automatic drip machine, espresso, French press, K-Cup, moka pot, and pour-over.
### Pour-Over: The Clear Favorite Among Coffee Experts
Among the seven methods, pour-over emerged as the clear favorite and received near-unanimous praise from the coffee experts consulted. While it wasn’t a unanimous number one across every expert, pour-over consistently ranked at or near the top on average.
Pour-over brewing has the advantage of being relatively affordable and accessible. At its most basic, it requires just a handheld kettle for pouring hot water and a funnel-shaped dripper fitted with a conical paper filter that sits atop a cup or carafe to catch the coffee. Of course, more elaborate and expensive pour-over setups exist for those who want to invest in precision equipment, but even a simple setup can produce excellent coffee.
The trade-off, however, is that pour-over coffee demands attention, patience, and precision. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it method; instead, it requires the brewer to be actively involved in controlling variables such as water temperature, flow rate, and agitation—the movement of water through the coffee grounds. This hands-on approach appeals especially to coffee aficionados who enjoy the ritual and science of brewing but can be a challenge for those who need caffeine first thing and don’t have the patience to fine-tune the process.
Coffee expert Theo Chan, a reviewer and managing editor of Coffee Roast magazine, explains that the slow, deliberate pour-over technique allows for a high degree of control over brewing variables, which ensures even extraction and unlocks the coffee’s nuanced sweetness, acidity, and aromatic qualities. Similarly, James McCarthy, a coffee roaster and head of education at Colombian coffee brand Devoción, recommends pour-over for its consistency and adaptability, especially when paired with an origami-style dripper. Joe Howard, co-founder of YAWN Brew, calls pour-over his preferred method for black coffee, praising its ability to highlight the coffee’s unique origin flavors through a clean and precise brew.
Michael Cramer, founder of Lardera Coffee, underscores the synergy between roast level and method, noting that he prefers light-roasted beans which shine brightest when brewed via pour-over. According to Cramer, hand-pouring water provides a uniform extraction that teases out delicate flavors and aromas—though it demands more time and attention, it rewards the brewer with superior taste. Megan Biolsi, coffee education manager at Sightglass Coffee, adds that the paper filters used in pour-over brewing remove oils, resulting in a cleaner cup that highlights subtle coffee intricacies. While the method requires some trial and error to perfect, it offers the flexibility to experiment and refine one’s morning cup.
### AeroPress: A Versatile, High-Ranking Contender
Coming in a close second after pour-over was the AeroPress, a relatively recent invention that combines elements from several brewing styles. The AeroPress merges the agitation of pour-over, the immersion technique typical of the French press, and the pressure extraction found in espresso machines. This hybrid approach allows for a wide range of flavor profiles and brewing styles, making it highly versatile.
Marwyn Garcia, owner of Headcount Coffee, ranked AeroPress as his top choice, though he acknowledged that other less common methods like immersion brewers or coffee siphons are worthy competitors. He emphasized that the quality and freshness of the coffee beans themselves often play a more critical role than the brewing method. The AeroPress allows users to adjust steeping time and pressure, tailoring the brew to personal taste preferences.
Others who ranked