Coffee Brewing Tools Around the World
We know that coffee is grown around the world -- but how much do we know about the cultural brewing rituals from these beautifully diverse cultures?
You’re probably familiar with coffee pots, espresso machines, French presses, and Vietnamese phin filters. We wanted to spotlight and celebrate a few brew tools from around the world.
South India
Similar to the Vietnamese phin filter, the South Indian coffee filter brews coffee through percolation via hot water mixing with ground coffee and dripping into a vessel. The South Indian coffee filter, however, is generally bigger and yields more coffee at once as opposed to the Vietnamese phin which typically brews single servings of coffee. As a result, the South Indian coffee filter is larger– it’s comprised of two tumblers (one with holes for dripping and one for collecting) and a tamp that presses the coffee grounds down. If you have a family of coffee lovers, or just need more at once, this portable tool might be the one for you.
South Indian Coffee filter photo courtesy of Coffeegrapher
Venezuela
In Venezuela, one of the traditional coffee brewing tools used takes on a very old school approach. The guayoyo resembles what coffee looked and tasted like prior to the advent of espresso machines and electronic brewing tools. Set on a stand and attached via a metal ring, a cloth bag is placed over a cup wherein coffee grounds are brewed via drip extraction for a mild beverage. When prepared well with high-quality coffee, the resulting cup is one full of delicate flavor and subtle notes of the coffee beans.
Guayoyo photo courtesy of Steemit
Ethiopia
Moving to the birthplace of coffee, we find ourselves in Ethiopia, where coffee is not just a beverage, but a culture– so much so that there is a ceremony for it! During traditional coffee ceremony, coffee beans are roasted, ground, brewed, and served using specific coffee-making tools. The coffee is brewed in a jebena, a clay pot with a long neck, spout, and handle. Once poured in, coffee boils inside until the neck of the jebena bubbles up. The liquid is mixed by passing from containers back and forth, filtered internally in the spout of the jebena. After brewing, the coffee is poured into multiple cups and served communally.
Jebena photo courtesy of Birlin Miuhle
Whether you brew your coffee in an espresso machine or use an intricate or traditional tool, your daily joe derives from years of cultural traditions that have been passed on through time. As a global commodity, coffee is consumed and shared in many ways across the planet. Next time you’re brewing coffee, consider some of the tools we’ve mentioned here, or try for yourself by brewing with a phin filter.
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Shop our Vietnamese Coffee Starter Kit here.
Shop our Vietnamese Coffee Trio and try both arabica & robusta coffee.
Learn more about why we love phin brewed coffee here.
Read about the ways coffee beans are processed here.
