BREW GUIDE
While pour-over brewing might need a little more involvement and time compared to other methods, when done correctly, it delivers one of the most exquisite and ‘clean’ cups of coffee you’ll ever taste. Here’s a step-by-step guide to brewing a 300ml cup of coffee using a pour-over brewer.
Brew Method: Drip
Grind Setting: Fine to Medium-Fine
Estimated Time: 4 min
STEPS
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
Pour-over Brewer: Choose a pour-over brewer that suits your needs and the quantity of coffee you want to brew.
Coffee Filter: Use a paper or metal filter that fits your pour-over brewer.
Coffee Beans: Select freshly roasted coffee beans and grind them to a medium-coarse consistency just before brewing.
Hot Water: Heat water according to your coffee’s roast profile. Lighter roasts extract better at a slightly higher temperature and darker roasts do better with a lower temperature:
Light roasts: 95-97C. Medium roasts: 93-95C. Dark roasts: 90-93C. (If you cannot measure the temperature, a good rule of thumb is to wait 5 mins after the water has boiled before using it.)
Timer/ Digital Scale: A timer will help you keep track of the brewing time and a scale for weighing coffee and water. If you follow a specific coffee to water ratio recipe, the scale is vital to ensure consistent coffee flavor. Most coffee scales will have a timer function built in.
Gooseneck Kettle (optional but recommended): A gooseneck kettle allows you to have better control over the water flow while pouring.
350ml Cup or Server: to coffee into.
Step 2: Preheat Your Brewer and Mug/ Server
Put the paper coffee filter in the brewer and rinse the paper filter by pouring roughly 200m hot water through it. This removes any possible paper taste from extracting into the coffee.
Pre-heat your cup or server by pouring also roughly 200ml hot water into it and allow to sit for 5min. Discard the water once preheating is complete then place the pour-over brewer on top of your coffee mug or server and place on top of the scale.
Step 3: Add Coffee Grounds
Tare scale to 0, add the ground coffee into the filter. This is where coffee to water ratio come into play. Being specific and consistent with the ratio will help you brew consistent coffee. We will use a ratio of 1:15 (coffee:water), 20g coffee and 300g water. You can adjust the ratio to your taste preference and/or volume you choose to brew.
Step 4: Bloom the Coffee
The scale should still indicate 20g for the coffee added, tare it back to 0.
Start the timer and pour a small amount of hot water evenly over the coffee grounds, just enough to evenly saturate the coffee. Allow it to “bloom” for about 30 seconds. This step helps release the CO2 gas which is naturally present in fresh coffee and releases the aromatic oils in the beans – both essential steps to good coffee.
Step 5: The Pour
After the bloom, slowly and in circular motions, pour hot water over the coffee grounds. Allow the coffee to drip through the filter and into the mug or carafe. Maintain a steady, controlled pour to ensure even extraction. You might need to stop from time to time to allow the water to seep through. Keep pouring until you reach the desired coffee volume – keep an eye on the scale, 300g will be the target.
Step 6: Enjoy
Once all the water has passed through the coffee grounds, remove the pour-over brewer from the mug or carafe, and your coffee is ready to be enjoyed.
Step 7: Clean Up
Dispose of the used coffee grounds and rinse the pour-over brewer and filter thoroughly. You now have a seriously delicious cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy!
Remember to experiment with the coffee-to-water ratios and fine tune your grind setting to find your perfect brewing recipe – Happy brewing!
