I can say that pour-over coffee has inspired my inner "mad scientist". It reminds me of the good old days of chemistry class when I was a student. Brewing coffee is like experimenting, putting in different weights of coffee powder, different water quality, different grinds of coffee powder, and so on, the slightest change can brew a different cup of coffee.
Every time brew coffee there is a feeling of "talking to myself ", feeling myself, feeling life. It is understandable why pour-over coffee is one of the most popular coffees, to capture and experience the nuances of flavor.
This time, I will tell you about the "proportions" of pour-over coffee, and hopefully, you will all be able to brew a cup of coffee that you like.
What is a Pour Over?
Pour-over coffee is a hand-brewed coffee. A single variety and origin of coffee beans are used to brew, removing other factors to restore the original flavor of the coffee. At the same time, different coffee beans have different flavors, and the taste level is richer.
How Does a Pour-Over Work?
Pour-over coffee is the process of extracting the molecules from the coffee cells, and this process involves the following three steps: wetting, dissolving, and discussion,discussioncur one after another, and affect each other to produce the special flavor of the coffee.
[Wetting]
It means that the coffee powder is wet when it touches water, which is the starting point for the coffee cells to release molecules. This is what we often call the smothering process.
Roasted coffee beans are filled with carbon dioxide; the fresher the coffee beans, the more carbon dioxide they contain. When the hot water touches the coffee powder, the carbon dioxide will be released first, forming a layer of bubbles on the surface, and when hand brewing, you will see the coffee powder in the filter cup begin to expand. Therefore, after wetting the coffee powder, we will stop filling the water and wait for the carbon dioxide to be completely released and the coffee powder to stop expanding before continuing to heat the water to achieve a better extraction effect.
[Dissolve]
Dissolution refers to the process of dissolving soluble molecules in coffee cells in hot water, which is the most important step in determining the flavor of extracted coffee, that is, the extraction process.
A coffee bean is composed of 70% insoluble cellulose, and the other 30% are some soluble odor molecules, which will be dissolved out in order of molecular size when they encounter water.
The first small molecules to be dissolved include acids and aromas, such as floral, citrus acid, etc.
Then comes the medium molecule sweetness such as the sweetness of juice, honey, yellow sugar, etc.
Finally, there is the large molecule of burnt bitterness, which is how the different levels of coffee flavor come about.
Therefore, if you like a sweeter taste, the extraction time should be shorter, because the longer the hot water stays on the coffee powder, the more bitter molecules will be dissolved. The best extraction rate of coffee is 18% to 22%, and to reach this extraction rate steadily, a ratio of 1:15 is generally recommended for brewing.
[Diffusion]
After the flavor molecules are dissolved, they will leave the coffee cells by osmosis, a process called diffusion. After diffusion of the flavor molecules into the hot water, the final coffee extraction liquid is formed. As mentioned above, the extraction of a cup of coffee is first to extract the acidity, then to the sweetness, and finally to the bitterness, so after a cup of coffee extraction must be shaken a few times to get an even blend of coffee liquid, so that you can taste the most complete coffee flavor.
Having understood the principle, you should be able to grasp the impact of different hand brewing conditions on coffee flavor, all the different variables revolve around a core: freshness, grind, water temperature, and extraction time.
Pour Over Coffee Ratio
Powder water ratio refers to the ratio of coffee powder and brewing water, it affects the coffee strength, after sca gold cup extraction theory test results, generally recommended 1:10, 1:13, 1:15, and 1:16 these four ratios, I brew coffee commonly used is 1:15 powder to water ratio, this ratio in the concentration or taste, is more moderate, if you pursue a different taste of coffee, then in the extraction, you can adjust the powder to water ratio according to their desired strength and taste.
Heavy taste: 1:10-1:11, i.e. 1:12.5-1:13.5 of the Gold Cup guidelines.
Moderate taste: 1:12-1:13, i.e. 1:14.5-1:15.5 of the Gold Cup guidelines
Small and fresh: 1:14-1:16, i.e. 1:16.5-1:18.5 of the Gold Cup guidelines
From the information given in the above sca extraction ratio parameters, it can be seen that
(1) the larger the powder-to-water ratio, the lighter the coffee flavor, the smaller the powder-to-water ratio, the stronger the coffee flavor
(2) Increase the water injection to increase the powder-to-water ratio, more substances affect the flavor but the flavor is lighter; reduce the water injection to reduce the powder-to-water ratio, and fewer substances affect the flavor but the flavor is more intense.
(3) Increase the amount of powder to lower the powder-to-water ratio, less extraction of large molecules at the end of the coffee, while the flavor is more intense, reduce the amount of powder to raise the powder-to-water ratio, before reaching the limit of the situation, will extract more complete flavor substances, at the same time, the flavor is less intense.
For golden cup theory information please see: https://www.scaa.org/PDF/resources/golden-cup-standard.pdf
Pour Over Coffee Grind
There are three main levels of grinding, coarse grinding, medium grinding, and fine grinding:
Coarse grind grinds coffee grains with a diameter of about 0.0393 in.
Fine grind grinds the coffee close to a powder with a diameter of about 0.0197 in.
A medium grind is in between.
Coarse grind coffee production requires a certain amount of extraction time, and generally produces mostly acidic series of coffee, which is mostly used in French press pots and filter filters.
A medium grind is our common grind level, many coffee machines are a medium grind, but also suitable for filter paper filters and siphon pots, etc.
Fine grind can extract more coffee ingredients, and the coffee produced belongs to the bitter series, suitable for making iced coffee.
Espresso machines are generally suitable for very fine grind levels.
So, if we make pour-over coffee, we recommend using a medium grind of coffee powder.
Pour Over Coffee Recipe
Recipe for making a cup of pour-over coffee:
Coffee powder: 0.35 oz
Filtered water: 5.07 fl oz
Grind degree: a medium grind
How to Make Pour-Over Coffee?
Brewing steps：
Step 1. Set the extraction ratio, and add powder appropriately
- Purpose: Modulate the taste. According to personal preference, if the taste is a bit lighter, you can increase the extraction ratio, or fine the powder, and thicker the opposite.
- Add powder: fine powder will highlight the flavor, add the amount of powder to highlight the mellowness. You need to keep experimenting and set a ratio that you like best for yourself.
Step 2. Steaming
- Purpose: Let the surface of the coffee fully open, the longer the steaming time, the more fully the coffee flavor development
- Water flow: as fine as possible so that the coffee powder is fully moistened without excess water dripping out.
Step 3. Rinse the coffee powder with a high water flow and let the water rise above the coffee powder
- Purpose: To let the coffee powder fully soak in the water, the purpose of the water above the coffee powder is to allow the water to flow evenly through the coffee powder when refilling the water.
- Water flow: a little larger than when steaming, with a certain impulse to open the coffee powder, and let the water reach a certain height. The finer the water flow in this area, the better the extraction.
Step 4. Refill the water in the center of a small stream, keeping the level
- Purpose: Even extraction rate.
- Water flows: roughly similar to smothering, note that the water flow should be kept horizontal and not too thin.
Dogma has never been a too comfortable thing, everyone brews coffee with a different taste, and even the same person does not brew coffee with the same taste. And that's the joy of pour-over coffee.
For more brewing tips, check out past articles: https://buyreallife.com/blogs/blog/how-to-do-pour-over-coffee
5 Best Pour-Over Coffee Makers
1. Cyrstal Eye Dipper
- Design for Competitions；
- Flat bottom design to improve extraction uniformity；
- 10 staggered ribs on the bottom side to give the filter paper a better support surface；
- 20 inner concave flow channels for smoother flow；
- Selected Tritan material, safe and healthy；
2. Best Glass Coffee Filter
- V-shaped spiral design, the water outlet hole is more smooth, and the coffee extraction is more fully;
- Fancy vertical pattern cloud sharing pot, high borosilicate heat-resistant glass, withstand the cold, high-temperature resistance;
3. Elegant Ceramic Coffee Filter
- Pre-warmed ceramic filter cups to better warm the cup and reduce sudden changes in flavor due to temperature differences;
- The popular V60 is conical in shape with an open bottom and comes in ceramic
4. Origami look filter cup
- Fine all-ceramic filter cups, tailor-made for coffee
- 20 ribs and grooves allow the filter paper to fit the cup, allowing ample space for extraction
- Origami deepened grooves for smoother flow and less clogging
5. Camping Foldable Filter
- 304 Stainless steel quality with foldable design, which is so portable and storage easily.
- Two sizes with strong bottom compatibility, suitable for most cups.
