Numerous methods exist for brewing your morning coffee, such as using a French press, drip machine, or cold brew maker. Nevertheless, among coffee enthusiasts, one particular technique consistently stands out as a preferred choice: the pour-over method.
What is pour-over coffee?
Pour-over coffee is a brewing method that involves manually pouring hot water over coffee grounds, allowing the water to extract flavors and aromas as it passes through the grounds and filters. This method typically uses a cone-shaped device like Lookyami Coffee Dripper with a paper or metal filter to control the flow of water. The pour-over process allows for precise control over variables like water temperature, pouring rate, and brewing time, resulting in a well-balanced and flavorful cup of coffee. Enthusiasts appreciate the hands-on approach and the ability to tailor the brewing parameters to achieve a personalized and high-quality coffee experience.
Step-by-Step to a Perfect Pour Over
Before attempting your initial pour-over, it’s crucial to carefully review each step beforehand. Precision in timing is key when using this brewing method, and you wouldn’t want to end up behind the clock as you read about the next step. Even for those familiar with using devices like Hario coffee makers, it’s beneficial to revisit the fundamentals.
Typically, conventional coffee brewing recommendations advise maintaining the water temperature between 90-96℃. This provides a 10-degree flexibility range for experimentation, a practice often embraced by AeroPress pour-over enthusiasts. Opting for a middle-ground temperature of approximately 93℃ is a reliable approach that tends to yield satisfying results.
Step 2: Set the filter in place and rinse it
For the filter rinse, you have the option of using tap or hot water, with the latter being more commonly preferred. While there are differing opinions on the impact of this step on the overall flavor of the final cup, most agree that it’s a precaution worth taking. The prevailing belief is that wetting the filter initially helps remove any loose paper fibers and prevents the filter from absorbing too many flavorful components of the coffee during the brewing process.
Drippers for pour-over coffee come in various designs, but the most favored ones are crafted to fit standard coffee mugs or servers. Common ones are 1-2 cups, 2-4 cups drippers made of porcelain or stainless steel.
Step 4: Grind Coffee and add to Filter
Weigh the coffee ground and water, the golden ratio is 1:18 (1 gram of coffee to every 18 grams of water). If you want it stronger, use a ratio of 1:15.
Place the freshly ground coffee beans onto the filter paper, and pour a small amount of hot water in a gentle, inward spiral motion from the outer to the inner, until reaching the center. The objective is to wet all the coffee evenly without causing it to start dripping.
While a coffee bloom typically lasts 15-20 seconds, it’s a pivotal period during which you should let the coffee remain entirely untouched. Similar to temperature, the bloom time is open to some experimentation based on your setup. Waiting for a minimum of 20 seconds is advisable, but you can extend it to a minute or even a minute and a half if you’re intrigued by the idea of extracting maximum flavor from your beans without overdoing it.
Step 7: Slowly Pour Water
Around the 60-second mark, slowly pour more water, moving outward from the center and then back in, until the timer reaches about 1 minute, 30 seconds. Let the water draw down. As you finish pouring the rest of the water in a circular motion, try to capture any remaining coffee grounds.
Once you successfully complete your pour-over process, recognize that you’ve earned a moment to savor the results of your efforts. Manual coffee-making may not provide instant gratification, but it does deliver an unparalleled coffee-drinking experience that is as fresh as it gets.
