What's the Best Water Temperature for Drip Brew Coffee? A Guide to Pour-Over Coffee Temperature Parameters

Many coffee enthusiasts brew pour-over coffee without using a thermometer, relying on approximate water temperatures. When the taste varies with each brew, they begin to question whether the coffee beans are stale or simply not good. How much difference can water temperature make in coffee flavor expression? FrontStreet Coffee will explore the impact of water temperature on coffee extraction in pour-over brewing.

For this experiment, FrontStreet Coffee used Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Gedeb Cooperative washed process coffee beans. The recommended water temperature for pour-over coffee is typically 86-93°C, so this brewing test was divided into five groups: 80°C, 86°C, 90°C, 93°C, and 96°C.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters were as follows:

Filter: Hario V60

Grind size: Medium-fine (75% pass-through rate on 0.85mm mesh screen)

Dose: 15g

Water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15

Brewing water temperature: 80°C, 86°C, 90°C, 93°C, 96°C

FrontStreet Coffee's Segmented Extraction Method

FrontStreet Coffee used a segmented brewing approach: first, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, during which the coffee expands into a "hamburger" shape. For the second stage, pour 125g of water in small circles from the center. The pour height was 4cm, with gentle force to minimize coffee bed agitation, and flow rate at 4g per second. When the water level dropped to half the coffee bed height, begin the third pour, also gently spiraling from center outward until reaching 225g total. End extraction when all coffee liquid has dripped through, taking 2'01". After extraction, gently swirl the server to ensure the coffee is well mixed before tasting.

Tasting Results from Five Different Water Temperatures

Through five different water temperature brews, the results were as follows:

80°C: Slight sour and astringent sensation, lemon peel, distinct tea-like character, with tea sweetness as the main profile.

86°C: Kumquat acidity, with a slightly sharp sour note.

90°C: Bright citrus acidity, with prominent fruity sweetness.

93°C: Bright citrus acidity, with black tea notes in the finish.

96°C: Fruity tea, with tea-like astringency, concentrated flavor.

How Does Water Temperature Affect Coffee Extraction?

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing experiment data reflects that: the higher the water temperature, the more coffee compounds are extracted, resulting in higher concentration; the lower the water temperature, the fewer coffee compounds are extracted, resulting in lower concentration. In terms of flavor, with other parameters constant (for light roast coffee), lower water temperatures result in coffee that leans toward acidity, while higher temperatures produce coffee that leans toward bitterness and sweetness. Coffee is not better with higher concentration, nor are more extracted compounds necessarily better. Therefore, appropriate water temperature during brewing can avoid over-extraction that causes bitterness and astringency, while also reducing under-extraction that leads to weak, flat flavors.

Why Do Different Water Temperatures Produce Different Coffee Flavors?

During pour-over brewing, water and coffee undergo complex chemical reactions, with different reactions occurring at different stages. Water temperature directly affects the extraction rate of different components in coffee, extracting quinic acid, amino acids, tannic acid, caffeine, oils, and other substances from the coffee.

Coffee beans are composed of two-thirds lignocellulose and one-third soluble aromatic molecules. When exposed to water, these molecules are dissolved sequentially according to their size. The first to dissolve are small molecular substances including acids and aromatics, followed by medium molecular sweet compounds, and finally large molecular bitter and roasted flavors. This is how coffee achieves its layered flavor profile.

Water temperature is the key to accelerating the release of aromatic molecules. Too high a temperature causes aromatic molecules to be released too quickly. Within the same extraction time, these molecules would be completely released before extraction is complete, leaving the remaining extraction time to release lignocellulose flavors, causing woody and astringent tastes in the coffee. If the temperature is too low, aromatic molecules are released too slowly. Within the same extraction time, aromatic molecules would not be fully released when extraction completes, resulting in coffee that only has sour and sweet sensations, lacking rich flavors and appearing thin overall.

What Water Temperature Should Be Used in Daily Brewing?

FrontStreet Coffee generally recommends water temperatures for pour-over coffee between 86 to 93 degrees Celsius. For lighter roasted coffee beans (like the washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans FrontStreet Coffee just brewed), use temperatures between 90 to 93 degrees Celsius. For darker roasted coffee beans (such as FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans), use lower temperatures between 86 to 88 degrees Celsius.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473