What’s familiar between a quaint cafe and a bustling Starbucks? Irrespective of the establishment’s popularity, we imagine a barista carefully brewing some pour over coffee when we think of coffee.
Factually speaking, it is the technique with the least hassle and effort and makes for great black coffee, iced, or hot coffee.
So, this article will guide you through the process to help you achieve a flavorful cup of pour over coffee.
What is Pour Over Coffee?
A pour over is quite simply pouring hot water over coffee grounds.
The grounds are placed in a filter that only allows the brew to pass through into the pot while trapping the grounds.
Advantages & Disadvantages
With each technique of brewing come merits and demerits. The same applies to pour over coffees too.
Advantages
Here are some benefits of pour-over coffees.
- Complete control: The barista has seamless control over the entire process, making the result 100% controllable.
- Complex flavors: Extracting every flavor of the beans becomes easy as the constant hot water poured on the grounds helps the flavors steep into the brew.
- Less bitter: Pour over brews are less bitter since every factor is controllable. Coarser grinds and lesser steep time help in this pursuit.
Disadvantages
Since it is a manual process, there are greater chances of making mistakes in following the steps correctly, making it difficult for beginners to get it right in the first go.
How Much Coffee for Pour-Over?
Generally, about 30 grams of coffee grinds require 500 mL of water to brew. It depends on the flavor profile, the desired strength of coffee, etc. You can start with a 1:17 ratio of 1 gram of coffee to 17 grams of water.
How to Grind Coffee for Pour Over?
For pour-over coffee, it is suggested to use light roasted coffee beans or medium roast beans to derive the best flavors. When grinding the beans, it is better to keep them coarser as it facilitates faster penetration of water and, thereby, faster brewing, helping reduce bitterness.
How to Make Pour Over Coffee?
Although making a pour over coffee is fun, you need a lot of patience. First, grind the coffee beans and add them to the filter paper-lined Chemex. Then, pour hot water into it. Once drained, remove the filter to have your cup of joe.
Equipment that You’ll Need
The equipment list for pour over coffee is very limited. You only require:
- a brewing pot,
- coffee beans,
- coffee grinder,
- filter paper/ metal strainer,
- food weighing scale,
- and kettle.
Step 1
Weigh and put your coffee beans of choice in the coffee grinder to make them coarse powder. Boil your water in a kettle in the meanwhile.
Step 2
You can skip this step if your brewing pot comes with a filter. If not, place a coffee filter paper/ cloth/ metal strainer on the extraction part of the pot. Slightly wet the filter with some water before putting your grounds.
Step 3
After weighing the grounds, put them on the wet filter. Pour the first round of water onto the grounds to wet them and release CO2.
Step 4
After 30 seconds for the grounds to bloom, pour water to begin the extraction process. As the water steeps below and drains from the top portion, re-pour water in concentric circles from the center to the exterior of the circumference of the brewing pot.
Usually, it takes 40-60 seconds for the water to drip into the bottom part of the pot. As a rule of thumb, use 500 mL of water to brew 30 grams of coffee grounds.
Step 5
Once you have used all the water to steep your coffee, let it sit for a while. When you intend to use the coffee, ensure to mix it.
How to Serve Pour Over Coffee?
Pour over coffee has versatile applicability and can be served as black coffee, which has several health benefits. You can also add milk, sugar, and creamer to sweeten the coffee, reduce its bitterness, and serve it iced or hot in lattes, frappes, and any other drink.
FAQs
Final Words
Pour-over coffee may seem easy to achieve but requires practice to get the best results. A perfect cup of pour over coffee would be flavorful, less bitter than regular coffee, and less acidic.
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from heartburn, acid reflux, or GERD, then you know that drinking coffee can often be a risky proposition. The acid in coffee can cause unpleasant symptoms like burning and nausea. But what if there was a way to enjoy your morning cup of joe without worrying about the effects on your stomach?
Some coffee brands have started producing low acid coffee beans using a water and steam process. This method lowers the acidity of the beans by removing some of the oils that contribute to the high acid levels. As a result, these coffees have a smoother flavor and are easier on your stomach.
So if you’re looking for a way to enjoy your morning coffee without feeling sick later, try switching to a brand that produces low acid beans. You may be surprised at how much difference it makes!
Pour Over Coffee Recipe
4
servings10
minutes4
minutes6
14
minutesPour over coffee is a complex art of drawing out nuanced flavors from light roast coffee beans that can be achieved by making some adjustments and following the suggested instructions.
Ingredients
Coffee beans
20 oz boiling water
Sugar (optional)
Creamer (optional)
Ice (optional)
Milk (optional)
Directions
- Bring the water to a boil at 200ºF and grind your coffee beans coarsely to achieve 30 grams of coffee powder.
- Place a filter over the Chemex or brewing pot and wet it.
- Place the grinds and pour the boiled water over to wet them and wait for 30 seconds.
- Once steeped, pour the remaining water into the pot in concentric circles after letting all the water penetrate through. Repeat this 3-4 times.
- Your pour over coffee is ready to drink!
Recommended Products
Having the right equipment can make any process more straightforward. We recommend using the following for having a seamless coffee brewing experience.
