How to Brew Delicious Drip Coffee

Introduction

Living in HCMC, you encounter cafe culture everywhere. But many also want to carefully hand-drip Japanese-style coffee at home.

This article covers everything from choosing equipment, brewing steps, to common mistakes and how to fix them.

Tools needed

For delicious drip coffee, prepare the following tools.

• Dripper: Cone-shaped (Hario V60) or trapezoid (Kalita). Materials include plastic, ceramic, or stainless steel.
• Paper filter: Choose one matching your dripper shape.
• Coffee server (or cup): To receive the brewed coffee.
• Gooseneck kettle: Essential for pouring a thin, controlled stream. Choose one with a narrow spout.
• Scale: To accurately measure grounds and water.
• Coffee grinder (if available): Grinding just before brewing dramatically improves aroma.

Water temperature

The ideal water temperature for drip coffee is 90-96°C.

Using boiling water directly tends to extract bitterness and off-flavors. After boiling, open the lid and wait 30 seconds to 1 minute for the right temperature.

In HCMC, the high room temperature means water stays hot longer than in Japan. Wait a bit longer after boiling.

Coffee-to-water ratio

The basic ratios are as follows.

Cups	Coffee grounds	Water	Approximate yield
1 cup	12-15g	200-220ml	About 180ml
2 cups	24-30g	400-440ml	About 360ml

The general guideline is "1g of coffee to 15-16ml of water." Adjust to taste. More grounds for stronger, more water for lighter.

Hand drip steps

1. Set filter and add grounds

Place the paper filter in the dripper and add medium-ground coffee. Gently tap the dripper to level the surface.

2. Bloom

This step is crucial for flavor.

Pour a small amount of water from the center in a spiral (about twice the grounds weight, e.g., 30ml for 15g). You'll see the grounds swell as CO2 releases.

This swelling shows CO2 escaping. Wait about 30-40 seconds. Fresher beans bloom more.

3. First pour

After blooming, pour water slowly in small circles from the center outward.

• From center outward in a spiral pattern
• Don't pour directly on the filter walls
• Pour in a thin, steady stream

Pour about 40% of total water.

4. Second and third pours

When the liquid level in the server starts to drop, pour more in the same manner. Typically 2-3 pours total.

More pours give a cleaner taste; fewer pours give a richer taste.

5. Remove the dripper

Once you reach the target volume, remove the dripper before it drains completely. Letting it drain fully can introduce harsh flavors.

Total extraction time should be about 2 min 30 sec to 3 min 30 sec.

Common mistakes and fixes

Problem	Cause	Fix
Weak, watery	Too little grounds / grind too coarse	Add more grounds / adjust to medium
Too bitter, harsh	Water too hot / extraction too long	Lower temperature / pour faster
Sour	Water too cool / under-extracted	Raise temperature / pour slower
No bloom	Old beans	Use beans roasted within 2 weeks

Drip bags as an alternative

For those who find hand drip too time-consuming, drip bags (single-serve sachets) are a great option.

Simply set on a cup and pour water for a paper-drip-like taste. Both Japanese and Vietnamese brands are available.

Drip bags for busy mornings, hand drip for relaxing weekends: combining both styles works well.

Find coffee on Farmi

The Farmi app offers Vietnamese and Japanese-brand coffee beans and drip bags. Delivered to your door in HCMC so you don't have to carry heavy bags. Download Farmi and find your perfect cup.

Note: This article and some images were created with the assistance of AI (artificial intelligence) and reviewed by the editorial team before publication.