As any coffee nerd knows, making a really good cup of coffee takes care, patience, and time. Or does it? Just how long does it take to make a decent cuppa joe?
It takes 10-15 minutes to brew a full pot of coffee using a 12-cup machine, 10 minutes in a Moka pot and 30 seconds in an Espresso machine. A Keurig coffee maker takes 3 minutes and a Nespresso about 1 minute to make a cup of coffee. Starbucks will make you a cup in 3 minutes after your order.
Let’s dive down into this topic in more detail, and discover how long various types of coffee take to make, how long various machines take to make coffee – and which brewing type takes the longest…
How Long Should a 12-Cup Coffee Maker Take to Brew?
It takes between 10 and 15 minutes to brew a full pot of coffee using a 12-cup machine. The length of time depends on how fast your machine can heat the water, so a newer, flashier model may be faster.
If you don’t need the full 12 cups, speed up the brewing time by using less water and fewer scoops of ground coffee. Don’t interrupt the machine patriot way through its cycle (messy).
How Long Does It Take to Boil Coffee?
Making coffee in the wild (or at least, without a maker)? It generally takes a couple of minutes to make “cowboy coffee”.
Stir the grounds into the water, then keep the mix at a heat of around 95 degrees for two to four minutes. Leave it to cool for a few minutes afterward before drinking. In a tin mug, obviously.
How Long Does It Take to Make Coffee in a Machine?
Different machines vary in how long they take to make coffee. Here are a few ballpark figures:
- Keurig coffee maker: between one and three minutes for a good-sized cup
- Nespresso: about a minute for a single cup
- Espresso machine: just 30 seconds (but with added prep time and cleaning)
- Drip machine: up to 15 minutes (but this can get you up to 12 coffee-cup-size drinks)
- Moka pot: about ten minutes (it heats the water up on the stovetop, which is a slower method)
How Long Does It Take for Coffee to Brew in a French Press
According to the National Coffee Association, leave the grounds to steep in the hot water for between two and four minutes if you’re using a French press. This gives plenty of time for the flavors and aromas to develop.
How Long Does It Take to Pour a Cup of Coffee?
It takes about three and a half minutes to make a pour-over coffee (plus preparation and clean-up time, so it’s not the fastest method).
Here’s a handy step-by-step guide to making pour-over coffee, including timings.
What Coffee Brew Method Takes the Longest?
While a drip machine takes the longest, it’s not necessarily the most inefficient method, because you get multiple cups from one brewing cycle.
So, you could get a dozen cups in that time, while loading and reloading a speedy Nespresso machine to get the same number of cups could be a laborious process.
In terms of time-to-cups ratio, a decent-size Moka pot will make up to six (small) cups, and take around ten minutes.
A Moka pot isn’t the way forward if you just want one or two cups in a hurry – but if you have ten minutes to spare and love Italian-style coffee, it’s the perfect option.
Of course, the absolute winner in this field is cold brew coffee, which sits in the refrigerator for 16 hours. Low maintenance, but not exactly speedy.
Why Does Coffee Take So Long to Brew?
Coffee grounds have to go through what’s called the extraction process. This is the means with which the water takes on the flavor of the coffee grounds (the water is “extracting” the aroma).
With an espresso machine or drip machine, the water passes through the ground coffee in a filter, picking up the flavors on its way. In a French press, the grounds are “steeped” in the water and then filtered.
If it’s brewed too quickly, the water simply can’t collect as much flavor, leaving you with a weaker-tasting drink. If you’re in a rush, go for the espresso method, which forces the water through at high pressure, speeding up the process.
How Long Does It Take Starbucks to Make a Cup of Coffee?
We’ve read that it takes an average of three minutes between placing your Starbucks order and receiving your cup of joe.
The efficiency lies in the processes around the coffee making: a shot of espresso will take thirty seconds whoever is making it, and you wouldn’t want to compromise on flavor by speeding this up.
With a team taking the order, preparing the beans, making the coffee, adding the extras, and constantly cleaning up, the process of making a coffee can be incredibly fast.
Go behind the scenes at Starbucks in this short film. There are an extraordinary amount of steps between beans and brew, each one requiring hard work and skill.
Since we at Roasty Brews have learned how coffee is produced and made, we appreciate our cup of joe even more.
How Many Seconds Should Coffee Pour? (is Pour-over Coffee Fast?)
Some people say that you can make pour-over in about 45 seconds (the pouring stage, that is). However, real pour-over aficionados recommend investing three to four minutes in the pouring stage.
Use a proper pour-over dripper for the best results. It’s not fast, but it’s delicious.
Why invest the time in making pour-over coffee? Well, the coffee experts believe that the constant and gentle introduction of fresh water to the grounds helps to extract the maximum flavor.
How Long Does a 100-Cup Coffee Maker Take?
Wow, your household drinks a lot of coffee! Seriously, professional caterers who need to brew a lot of drinks simultaneously have had to invest in these mighty machines.
A 100-cup coffee maker, working at capacity, should take around an hour to brew all those cups. This includes the time it takes to heat the water from cold.
If you’re holding a large event such as a wedding, you can hire these huge coffee percolators. Choose a medium ground roast, and make sure you get plenty in… Know what you’re doing before you pour in the water and the coffee, as it could be a costly and messy error if it doesn’t work the first time.
There are plenty of short films on YouTube that show you how to make coffee using a 100-cup maker. This film gives you a general overview of how to use a catering coffee machine.
Hi, I’m coffee lover Larry Jones. I’ve been buying, brewing, roasting & enjoying coffee for over 35 years. Read More >