There are many ways to approach coffee brewing. Whether it is the efficiency of a drip coffee maker or the heartiness of a percolator. The depth of flavor from the french press or the smooth taste of a pour-over. Today, we will venture into how to make pour-over coffee that is delicious and will take your morning coffee to a whole new level!
Water
Coffee is 95 percent water, making this a perfect starting point. Some people like to purchase filtered water for making coffee, but personally, I find that the complexity provided by the tap water is lovely in coffee (we have high-quality tap water locally). The temperature of the water plays a large part in making a great cup of pour-over coffee. If the water is too cold, it often results in a flat flavor.
If the water is too hot, I have found there to be a loss of quality. Because of this, I have found the most consistent temperature range to be between 195 and 205 degrees. I started by using a thermometer. But after a few times at it, you can get a good feel of what water at this temperature sounds like and looks like in the kettle. In our kettle, it is about when you start to see air bubbles forming on the bottom of the kettle.
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Coffee Beans
When it comes to making a pour-over coffee, I have fallen in love with single-origin varieties. Blends of coffee are great for consistency from batch to batch, but the incredible variety of flavors that can be had with single-origin coffee is breathtaking. The nutty chocolatey notes of South America coffee is lovely as are the contrasting fruity and floral flavors of African coffee.
I really like the coffee from a local coffee shop called Methodical, where you can purchase some freshly roasted beans! And when you start acquiring beans from a single farm, subtle notes and differences become more noticeable. I can’t say that I have a favorite single-origin bean, but there is a lifetime to explore the incredible array that is available. As a result, I continue to search for more sources of coffee beans to expand my horizon.
Grinding your coffee
When it comes to coffee, it is amazing how such a small detail as grinding can make. A courser grind results in less surface area being exposed to the water, whereas a finer grind increases the surface area. If it is too coarse, the oils from the coffee may not extract as well. And if the coffee is ground to fine, I have found it has a tendency to add a bitter note to the flavor and clog the pour-over filter. This can cause an almost burnt flavor profile as the reduced water flow increases the contact rate, making the coffee bolder and more bitter in flavor.
I have found a lovely grind size to be between the coarseness of sugar and sand. It is large enough where it balances the contact rate of water while being fine enough to have a good extraction of oils. I personally use a hand grinder as there is much more control that can be found in dialing in the grind size. This helps create a consistent coffee that you will come back to day after day!
How to make pour-over coffee
For a 12 ounce cup of pour-over coffee, I like to use 21 grams of ground coffee. This is roughly a 1 part coffee to 16 parts water ratio. Now that we have the 2 ingredients of coffee covered, let’s move on to the coffee making. For a pour-over coffee, there are beautiful glass crafts you can get that work great. Or if you just need coffee for one or two people, I love this single-cup pour-over. It is easy to clean, doesn’t take up much storage space, and has a reusable filter.
Some people like to use paper filters that are pre-wetted for a purer flavor as it allows the maximum quantity of bean oils to make it into the coffee.nAs my wife and I have begun the journey of minimizing waste, I have found the reusable mesh filters to be nearly as good and reduces waste. I like to run the mesh filter under the water to prevent any oils from absorbing before adding the coffee grinds.
The coffee, water, and filter are now ready and the coffee making can commence! This is where the fun begins. I like to take the water kettle and pour about 40 grams of water in a circular pattern around the beans in the filter. A kitchen scale(Link )is perfect for this precise measurement. This will cause what is called a bloom. The coffee will bloom upwards like a mushroom and seem to come alive, releasing carbon dioxide. The end result is a purer brew of coffee as the the blooming filters out small impurities. Let this sit for about 30 seconds before adding more water.
After the bloom
After the mesmorizing bloom, the time has come to add more water. For 21 grams of ground coffee, 336 grams of water is about the perfect amount to get the proper coffee to water ratio. I like to pour this water in a figure 8 pattern to ensure all of the coffee is coming in contact with the water. I note here is not to pour the water too fast!
You want the water level to always stay below the top of the ground coffee level. If the water goes too high, it will cause water to make it into the craft or coffee mug diluting the end results. I like to tap any excess water into the mug and then discard the coffee grounds. And if you have a compost pile, used coffee beans are a perfect additive. Simply mix it in and it will help boost the nitrogen content and feed beneficial microorganisms.
Enjoy!
Congrats! You have successfully made a pour-over coffee. The tips above are a good guideline, but feel free to venture out and explore to find your favorite type of coffee bean or blend, the ideal ratio of coffee to water, and the temperature at which you find the water to be perfect for bringing out the flavor that you enjoy. I hope these tips inspire you to delve into the incredible world of exploring the different techniques of brewing coffee.
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