Immersion, percolation and pressure

Brew methods fall into three broad families. Immersion methods (French press, cold brew) steep grounds in water for an extended time, then separate them — they tend to produce a fuller body since more oils and fine particles pass through. Percolation methods (V60, Chemex, AeroPress, batch brew) pass water through a bed of coffee once, giving more control over extraction via pour rate and grind.

Pressure methods (espresso, Moka pot) force hot water through very finely ground coffee under pressure, extracting quickly into a small, concentrated volume with crema on top.