French press vs espresso vs drip coffee: what’s the difference, and why does the same coffee taste completely different depending on how you brew it?

This week on Curiously Caffeinated, I break down the four “knobs” behind every brew method (grind size, time, filter and heat), then put them to the test in my own kitchen. One bag of beans. Three brew methods. My husband Derion, a sous chef who had no idea what he’d signed up for. One cup was “so much better.” Another was “diabolical.”

In this episode:
☕ The four variables behind every brew method, explained without the jargon
☕ Drip, French press, pour over and espresso: how each works and what it does to flavor
☕ The Gold Cup ratio, and why your 12-cup coffee maker isn’t really 12 cups
☕ The mom who invented the paper coffee filter using her son’s school notebook
☕ Our at-home taste test: the same beans, three ways, and a very honest husband
☕ How to fix bitter, sour, weak or stale coffee at home

Also, this is our first episode on video! And it’s take three, thanks to a computer that restarted itself twice. Welcome to the real side of podcasting.

Do you brew pour over at home? I’m shopping for my first setup, so tell me your favorite dripper and kettle over on Instagram or TikTok.

If you’re enjoying the show, follow Curiously Caffeinated on Spotify so you never miss an episode, and send this one to your coffee person.

Let’s connect!
TikTok: @thesammimae
Instagram: @curiouslycaffeinatedpodcast

The coffee from our taste test:
Brown Dog Coffee Roasters, Bruno’s Forever Jar Colombia: https://browndogroasting.com/products/brunos-forever-jar-colombia-4-project-single-origin?variant=53040326639934

Sources:
How many oz of coffee for a 12-cup pot, Kaldi’s Coffee: https://kaldi.com/blogs/post/how-many-oz-of-coffee-should-be-used-in-a-12-cup-coffee-pot
Achieving the Gold Cup Standard, Seattle Coffee Gear: https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blogs/learning-center/achieving-the-gold-cup-standard-your-guide-to-brewing-excellence
The invention of the coffee filter, German Patent and Trade Mark Office: https://www.dpma.de/english/our_office/publications/ingeniouswomen/110jahrekaffeefilter/index.html
Mr. Coffee history, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Coffee