Batch
Filter Machine
The hands-off route to great coffee — a good filter machine holds proper temperature and even saturation for pour-over-quality results by the potful.
At a glance
What you’ll need
A filter coffee machine (such as a Moccamaster, Wilfa or Fellow Aiden), matching paper filters, a burr grinder, and a scale.
The recipe
How to brew
A great filter machine gives you pour-over quality with none of the effort. The difference between average and excellent comes down to two things a good machine gets right: brewing at the correct temperature (around 92–96°C) and showering the water evenly over the whole bed. Certified brewers like the Moccamaster and Wilfa — and precision brewers like the Fellow Aiden — do exactly that, so all you supply is fresh coffee, the right grind and good water.
Step by step
- Weigh your coffee to a 1:16 to 1:17 ratio — around 60g of medium-ground coffee per litre of water.
- Fit the correct paper filter and rinse it with hot water first to remove any papery taste.
- Fill the reservoir with fresh, filtered water and add the coffee in a level bed.
- Brew a near-full carafe where possible — machines saturate the bed most evenly at higher volumes.
- Serve promptly, or keep it on a thermal carafe rather than a hotplate, which can stew the coffee.
If your machine has a pre-infusion or bloom setting, use it — a short bloom lets the coffee de-gas for a sweeter, more even extraction.
Troubleshooting
- Weak or watery? Use more coffee, grind slightly finer, or brew a fuller carafe.
- Bitter or over-strong? Grind coarser or use a touch less coffee.
- Sour or uneven? Your machine may not be reaching temperature — descale it, and choose a brewer that holds 92–96°C.
- Stewed or flat after sitting? Decant into a thermal carafe rather than leaving it on a hotplate.
