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The Best Ways To Make Coffee, According To Our Editors

From French press to moka pots, here are our brewing favourites.
The Best Ways To Make Coffee, According To Our Editors

A nice cup of coffee is the one of life’s small comforts right now. (And, luckily for us, there are tons of great Canadian coffee roasters offering delivery across the country.) But once you get your beans, there are so many brewing options. For those of us new to the game—or looking to expand our consumption habits—it can be confusing. We asked our editors what their favourite methods are for making coffee.

AeroPress

"The AeroPress reminds me of the hard-boiled egg peeler that Bridget's mum demonstrates in Bridget Jones' Diary: it requires a strong arm, and—at least in my experience—there's a sizeable margin of error. But it makes a superb shot of espresso that can be topped up with boiling water for an Americano-style coffee, and after a few uses, the process becomes second nature. One caveat: the AeroPress only makes a single shot of espresso at a time." $40, AeroPressMaureen Halushak, editor-in-chief

Photo of aeropress being used over coffee mug(Photo: AeroPress)

Bodum French Press

"I love coffee. I have every machine possible to make coffee—a French Press, an espresso machine, a Keurig machine, a moka pot and an AeroPress. Lately I've been making my coffee in my Bodum French Press. I can control the strength of my coffee and I feel better about using less waste (no to coffee pods). I also like drinking my coffee in a pretty mug. It is a mood booster to start off my day." $65, Bodum Chambord French Press — Stephanie Han Kim, art director

Photo of gold french press and mug(Photo: Stephanie Han Kim)

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ESPRO Coffee French Press P7

"I made coffee for years with a classic Bodum Chambord French press—it tasted and looked great, plus it's as zero waste as coffee gets (no paper filters!). But I am a slow waker, and klutzy, and broke the glass so many times I finally switched to this Vancouver-designed French press, made of double-walled stainless steel. Which also looks very, very pretty, but is virtually indestructible (I've dropped it many times over the seven years I've owned it). Plus, it makes killer coffee—think, less-sludgy than a Bodum, due to its double filters—keeps it hot for hours, and you can easily buy replacement parts (I am on my second set of filters, the first wore out from heavy use). My only gripe is that I wish there was a bigger version—the 32 ounce one I own makes 3 cups, meaning I have to race my partner for the final cup. (Also, tip: This is the best way to clean a French press.)" $190, ESPRO Coffee French Press P7Gillian Grace, deputy editor

Photo of white stainless steel french press(Photo: ESPRO)

Ikea UPPHETTA French Press

“I bought a french press from Ikea several years ago and I’m only getting good use of it now. I typically make a cup of coffee using 12 ounces of water and two teaspoons of ground coffee, and this seems to be the right amount of strength for me. If I’m feeling fancy I’ll heat up the milk and froth it myself, but admittedly I’m rarely feeling fancy these days. Sometimes I’ll have strong cravings for an iced capp, so I’ll bring out the blender and pour in a packet of instant coffee, ice, milk and a little chocolate syrup. Definitely more dessert than everyday drink, but whatever, we all deserve some sweetness.” $10, Ikea UPPHETTA French Press — Radiyah Chowdhury, assistant editor

Photo of black and clear french press(Photo: Ikea)

Muji Porcelain Coffee Dripper

“Now that I have a little more time to get ready in the morning, I’m actually enjoying the process of brewing my own coffee—and I’m saving so much money. I’ve been experimenting with the pour over method, and I’m hooked on the smooth, coffeeshop-worthy results. I use a sleek, affordable ceramic cone from Muji and beans from my fave Toronto spot (they grind it for you according to your brewing method, so I haven’t had to splurge on a coffee grinder yet). It took me a while to get the water-to-coffee ratio just right, but now that I’ve nailed it I don’t miss my daily coffee runs and the office’s Nespresso machine."$17, Muji Porcelain Coffee Dripper — Andréanne Dion, associate lifestyle editor

Photo of coffee drip shaped as coffee mug(Photo: Muji)

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Nespresso Inissia

"I absolutely love my Nespresso machine and I’ve got my favourite capsule flavour I always buy (I’m a creature of habit!) I’m not a morning person, so it’s ideal for me to be able to stumble from my bed to the Nespresso and make a Linizio Lungo immediately. Using my little red bird mug, which was a gift, makes me happy, too." $200, Nespresso Inissia — Irene Ngo, food content director

Photo of red nespresso machine with mug(Photo: Irene Ngo)

Saeco Aroma Espresso Machine

"My husband, then-boyfriend, got me the Saeco Aroma espresso machine for Christmas about ten years ago. Considering I've used it almost every day in the decade since then, it's more than made up its value. The one thing it can't do is make big-batch coffees—that is, more than one coffee at a time. When I'm making it for multiple people (or, let's be honest, multiple coffees for myself), I like using my stovetop Bialetti." $349, Saeco Aroma Espresso Machine  Chantal Braganza, senior editor

Photo of espresso machine(Photo: Saeco)

Published 2020; updated 2021

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