Coffee is usually brewed hot, at close to the boiling point of water, immediately before drinking, yielding a hot beverage capable of scalding if splashed or spilled; if not consumed promptly, coffee is often sealed into a vacuum flask or insulated bottle to maintain its temperature.

Processes can range from extremely manual (e.g. hand grinding with manual pour-over in steady increments) to totally automated by a single appliance with a reservoir of roast beans which it automatically measures and grinds, and water, which it automatically heats and doses.

Characteristics which may be emphasized or deemphasized by different preparation methods include: acidity (brightness), aroma (especially more delicate floral and citrus notes), mouthfeel (body), astringency, bitterness (both positive and negative), and the duration and intensity of flavour perception in the mouth (finish).

Principally, dairy products mute delicate aromas and thicken mouthfeel (particularly when frothed), while sweeteners mask astringency and bitterness.

When roasted, the green coffee bean expands to nearly double its original size, changing in color and density.

Coffee can be roasted with ordinary kitchen equipment (frying pan, grill, oven, popcorn popper) or by specialized appliances.

Beans that are too finely ground for the brewing method in which they are used will expose too much surface area to the heated water and produce a bitter, harsh, "over-extracted" taste.

A blade grinder does not cause frictional heat buildup in the ground coffee unless used to grind very large amounts as in a commercial operation.

Ground coffee deteriorates faster than roasted beans because of the greater surface area exposed to oxygen.

Many electrical burr grinders offer larger hoppers for storing whole coffee beans and are easy to use with a portafilter for espresso grind.

However, due to their size and cost, roller grinders are used exclusively by commercial and industrial scale coffee producers.

Coffee can be brewed in several different ways, but these methods fall into four main groups depending on how the water is introduced to the coffee grounds: decoction (through boiling), infusion (through steeping), gravitational feed (used with percolators and in drip brewing), or pressurised percolation (as with espresso).

Electronic coffee makers boil the water and brew the infusion with little human assistance and sometimes according to a timer.

[4] Boiling, decoction or maceration,[5] was the main method used for brewing coffee until the 1930s[6] and is still used in some European and Middle Eastern countries.

This method, known as "mud coffee" in the Middle East owing to an extremely fine grind that results in a mud-like sludge at the bottom of the cup, allows for extremely simple preparation, but drinkers then have to be careful if they want to avoid drinking grounds either from this layer or floating at the surface of the coffee, which can be avoided by dribbling cold water onto the "floaters" from the back of a spoon.

Very finely ground coffee, optionally sugar, and water are placed in a narrow-topped pot, called a cezve (Turkish), kanaka (Egyptian), briki (Greek), džezva (Štokavian) or turka (Russian) and brought to the boil then immediately removed from the heat.

The resulting strong coffee, with foam on the top and a thick layer of grounds at the bottom, is drunk from small cups.

A magic cafetière, or French press, is a tall, narrow cylinder with a plunger that includes a metal or nylon fine mesh filter.

When all the water possible has been forced into the bowl the infusion is allowed to sit for some time before the brewer is removed from the heat.

As the water vapor in the lower pot cools, it contracts, forming a partial vacuum and drawing the coffee down through the filter.

Others prefer gravity percolation and claim it delivers a richer cup of coffee in comparison to drip brewing.

Cold water is poured over coffee grounds and allowed to steep for eight to twenty-four hours.

The coffee prepared by this method is very low in acidity with a smooth taste, and is often preferred by those with sensitive stomachs.

Espresso is made by forcing hot water at 91–95 °C (196–203 °F) under a pressure of between 8 and 18 bar (800 and 1,800 kPa; 120 and 260 psi), through a lightly packed matrix, called a "puck," of finely ground coffee.

The 30–60 millilitres (1.1–2.1 imp fl oz) beverage is served in demitasse cups; sugar is often added.

The moka pot, also known as the "Italian coffeepot" or the "caffettiera," is a three-chamber design which boils water in the lower section.

The AeroPress is another recent invention, which is a mechanical, non-electronic device where pressure is simply exerted by the user manually pressing a piston down with their hand, forcing medium-temperature water through coffee grounds in about 30 seconds (into a single cup.)

This method produces a smoother beverage than espresso, falling somewhere between the flavor of a moka pot and a French Press.

Specialized vocabulary and guidelines exist to discuss this, primarily various ratios, which are used to optimally brew coffee.

Alcoholic spirits and liqueurs can be added to coffee, often sweetened and with cream floated on top.