The Truth About Pour-Over Coffee
Traditional drip machine and a pour-over is essentially the same, but a closer look will show that there is a discernible for someone wanting to try something new and discover their perfect cup of coffee. Auto drip brewing is often under extracted and leaves a bland light bodied brew. It is basically the same as a pour over, but brewing coffee by hand gives the most control over the variables and coffee extraction. I am a huge fan of consistency and trying to always make the perfect cup. When my coffee comes out wrong, I can immediately point to one of the variables on which I tried to take a short cut. My grind was off, my ratio was wrong, etc.
Pour overs are insanely affordable and there are many different types to choose from depending on the actual coffee used and how many cups I am making. A single cup pour-over is as little as $15 while a Chemex style for multiple cups are still under $45. I have 7 brew methods for daily coffee and different style pour overs make up the bulk of those methods. Weighing everything out each time is the only way to remain consistent and insure it comes out perfect. It does add some complication to the process, but I use the time to think about my day, wake up or reset.
The Details…
The beans are first and 30 grams is my starting point for a single cup pour overs. The grind should be medium in size and you should always fresh grind for maximum flavor. Pre-ground coffee will oxidize and you will lose flavor and aroma. You can adjust the coarseness of the grind if you are too fast or too slow. Water should be filtered to remove the chemicals and chlorines. A gooseneck kettle is best due to the control. When pouring, pre-wet the filter to warm everything up and rinse. Paper filters should always be rinsed to remove any papery taste. Pour 60 grams of 200F water to first wet the grinds and release the carbon dioxide gasses. This is known at the bloom. When gasses are trying to get out and coffee trying to get in this disrupts the extraction. After 30 seconds, pour ½-3/4 full and try to maintain the level by evenly pouring. Start in the middle and keep it even for the best extraction. The process should take 3 minutes and weight out at about 500 grams when finished.
If you have a nice coffee and want maximum flavor, I choose a pour over every time!
Pour overs are insanely affordable and there are many different types to choose from depending on the actual coffee used and how many cups I am making. A single cup pour-over is as little as $15 while a Chemex style for multiple cups are still under $45. I have 7 brew methods for daily coffee and different style pour overs make up the bulk of those methods. Weighing everything out each time is the only way to remain consistent and insure it comes out perfect. It does add some complication to the process, but I use the time to think about my day, wake up or reset.
The Details…
The beans are first and 30 grams is my starting point for a single cup pour overs. The grind should be medium in size and you should always fresh grind for maximum flavor. Pre-ground coffee will oxidize and you will lose flavor and aroma. You can adjust the coarseness of the grind if you are too fast or too slow. Water should be filtered to remove the chemicals and chlorines. A gooseneck kettle is best due to the control. When pouring, pre-wet the filter to warm everything up and rinse. Paper filters should always be rinsed to remove any papery taste. Pour 60 grams of 200F water to first wet the grinds and release the carbon dioxide gasses. This is known at the bloom. When gasses are trying to get out and coffee trying to get in this disrupts the extraction. After 30 seconds, pour ½-3/4 full and try to maintain the level by evenly pouring. Start in the middle and keep it even for the best extraction. The process should take 3 minutes and weight out at about 500 grams when finished.
If you have a nice coffee and want maximum flavor, I choose a pour over every time!