While the term “drip coffee” may or may not be familiar to you, suffice it to say that if you’ve ever had coffee in your life, there’s a good chance you’ve had drip coffee. 

To put it another way, drip coffee is coffee that has been brewed in a coffee maker. You could technically say that a French press or a percolator, for those who are interested in the technicalities of the matter, are both types of coffee makers.

As a result, “drip coffee” will refer to coffee made by an automatic coffee maker, which is defined as one that has a carafe and a basket full of ground coffee with hot water dripped on it.

What’s So Special About Drip Coffee?

We use the term drip primarily to distinguish coffee from espresso because espresso is made with coffee and technically coffee itself, and drip is used to distinguish drip from espresso.

Yes, it can be a little perplexing at times. If you haven’t already, take a look at our comprehensive guide.

So, what is the origin of the term “drip coffee”? It all depends on how the coffee is brewed, to put it bluntly. The brewing process in an automatic coffee maker looks something like this:…

The coffee maker is loaded with a filter full of ground coffee that has been pre-ground.

The water reservoir has been filled with water. The water is heated by a heating element, which forces it upward. Water is drawn up to a showerhead and dripped onto a coffee filter that has been filled with ground coffee.

Coffee is poured into a carafe from the basket after it has been brewed.

What distinguishes Drip Coffee from the competition?

When compared to espresso, drip coffee relies solely on thermally induced pressure to transport the coffee up to the showerhead and gravity to transport it back down through the grounds after brewing. 

It dissolves a significantly smaller proportion of the coffee’s soluble mass compared to other brew methods. 

As a result of this method, the paper filters that are used to filter the coffee are able to capture a significant portion of the oils that would otherwise be present in espresso, French press, or percolator coffee, resulting in a more flavorful cup of coffee.

Using this method of brewing coffee is simple and inexpensive, and as a result, it is extremely popular among Americans, who refer to “drip coffee” as simply “coffee.”

Making Drip Coffee is a simple process.

Although the answer to this question was “1 scoop for every 2 cups” when I was younger, I understand that this is not the answer you were looking for.

A good starting point is a ratio of 60g of dry coffee (beans or ground) to 1 liter of water, which is a good starting point. But first, let’s do some basic math and figure out some basic averages and medians.

The average cup of coffee in the United States contains 8 ounces of liquid, and one liter contains 33.814 ounces.

That means you’ll get slightly more than four full cups of liquid for every liter of water (4.22675 to be exact).

If you round up a little, that means that for every 8 oz cup of coffee, you’ll need approximately 14g of coffee, which is approximately 0.5 oz. As a result, here’s what we learned:

For every 8 oz cup of coffee, you want to brew, use approximately 14g or 0.5 oz of dry coffee, depending on how strong you want it.

Pour Over Coffee vs. Drip Coffee

Pour-over coffee is a brewing coffee that is highly regarded in the specialty coffee industry. Pour-over brewing is defined as pouring hot water over ground coffee, allowing the coffee to drain through a filter and into a carafe. 

While that may sound similar to drip coffee, it is quite different in its preparation. As previously stated, drip coffee is the result of a coffee maker that automatically drips water into a cup of coffee.

Your contribution is limited to the provision of raw materials and pressing the play button.

If you’re using a pour-over method, you’re in charge of the water pouring, the flow control, the stirring of your grinds, and the adjustment of your filter. 

It is a completely manual process that requires constant participation to be successful. The convenience of drip coffee is one of the primary advantages of choosing it over other methods of brewing coffee, which is especially important when you’ve just gotten out of bed in the morning.

Is pour-over coffee a superior option?

Whether pour-over coffee is superior to drip coffee is a loaded one, but one that deserves to be addressed. To summarize, the short answer is yes, so let’s get to work. 

On the surface, it’s fairly obvious why: as a method, pour-over coffee brewing necessitates a higher level of adherence to specialty coffee brewing standards to be executed successfully. 

By doing the bare minimum, such as grinding your beans fresh and heating your water to the proper brewing temperature, you’ll already be one step ahead of drip when it comes to coffee preparation.

When brewing with a pour-over method, it is important to remember that best practices include maintaining strict control over the water flow while pouring and taking precise measurements for the total amount of ground coffee and water used in the brew; this is significantly more precise than measuring in scoops.

In addition, water flow should be controlled, and you should use the proper grind to ensure you get the proper contact time between the water and ground coffee.

This will prevent over or under extraction of the coffee and prevent over or under extraction.

With proper execution, the resulting cup of coffee can have significantly more complexity in flavor, which is ultimately the result of greater control over the various variables in the process.

Drip Coffee vs. Americano: Which Is Better?

The Cafe Americano is thought to have originated in Europe during World War II when American soldiers returned home and desired coffee that reminded them of their home country. 

An Americano is a blend of espresso and hot water, with the proportions ultimately determined by the preferences of the individual who consumes it.

However, it’s important to note that the Americanos originally consumed by our soldiers weren’t the same as what you’d find today. 

It was only in 1947 that Achille Gaggia’s revolutionary changes to the espresso brewing process became effective, and the espresso that was originally used in Americanos had distinctly different characteristics from the espresso used today, including the absence of the signature crema that has become synonymous with this beverage.

Because the Americano is made primarily from espresso as its primary coffee component, it has naturally inherited some characteristics from the espresso beverage. 

Comparatively speaking, an Americano will typically have a fuller body and a more complex flavor profile when compared to drip coffee.

A thin layer of crema may also be retained on top of your cup, depending on how aggressively you pour in the water to make your coffee.

If you turn the process upside-down in Australia, you can make a Long Black, a shot of espresso brewed over hot water to preserve even more crema, similar to what they drink there. 

It is primarily due to the higher concentration of dissolved solids found in espresso, as opposed to the comparatively lower concentration found in drip coffee, that Americanos have more full-bodied flavors than other types of coffee.

Moreover, on average, an Americano will contain less caffeine than a cup of drip coffee, according to the manufacturer.

French Press vs. Drip Coffee: Which Is Better?

The French press, another extremely popular method of brewing coffee, is yet another example of this. Drip differs from a drip in terms of preparation as well as flavor. 

Anyone who has had French press coffee knows that it is richer and more full-bodied in flavor than coffee made in a coffee maker or espresso machine.

This is due to the lack of a paper coffee filter to capture the flavorful oils emulsified from the ground coffee during the brewing process.

Additionally, because the grounds are all submerged in water during the brewing process, French presses make it easier to extract more evenly. 

Typically, you’ll grind your coffee, pour it into your carafe, pour in your water, give it a good stir to ensure that everything is evenly wet, and you’ll be good to go.

If you’re just getting started with French presses, be sure to read our complete guide to French presses for more information.