Kono Dripper Pour-Over Method Comparison: Honkaku Style VS Kanazawa Style - KONO Drip and Stir Brewing Techniques

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Pour-Over Coffee Dripper Knowledge: Flow Rate Data for Common Coffee Drippers

The three key elements of water column height, flow rate, and disturbance are critical factors affecting pour-over coffee. The most fascinating aspect of pour-over coffee is that there has never been a standard SOP - any variable can potentially affect the coffee's flavor. This time, we'll guide readers through special pour-over methods including KONO school's drip style, stirring style, and automated pour-over coffee machines.

Two Major KONO School Pour-Over Methods: Honkaku Style vs. Kanazawa Style

Unlike the common circular pouring method, perhaps you have witnessed another special pour-over technique - the unique pour-over method of the KONO dripper, which allows filter paper pour-over to achieve the clean, full-bodied texture typically associated with flannel brewing. However, KONO is not limited to a single pouring technique. Below, we'll discuss two classic representatives: the Honkaku and Kanazawa styles.

Honkaku School: Drip Technique Requires Diligent Practice

The Honkaku school employs a drip technique, pouring water drop by drop onto the coffee grounds, maintaining a central point and avoiding excessive disturbance. This pour-over method requires excellent water flow control stability and necessitates a suitable narrow-spout pour-over kettle.

Once the coffee grounds are saturated and a small amount of coffee begins to drip from the bottom, you can transition to a thin water stream from the middle to later stages, blending the released aromatic compounds with the coffee liquid. Finally, before removing the dripper, raise the water column and pour a large amount of water to stir up the bottom coffee grounds, bringing foam and trapped fine particles to the surface and preventing bitterness in the coffee.

Additionally, it's important to note that because the three-stage pour-over produces varying volumes and concentrations, the final coffee must be stirred evenly.

So how does coffee brewed using the drip method taste? FrontStreet Coffee shares their experience brewing Golden Mandheling using the drip method:

Dripper: KONO dripper; Water temperature: 88°C; Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:14; Grind size: Medium grind; Coffee amount: 20g

Technique: First, use drop-by-drop water to moisten the coffee bed, using about 40g of water to wet the grounds. After seeing the coffee bed saturated, switch to a thin water stream, pouring in a circular motion around a central area the size of a coin. When the water level reaches about the same height as the coffee layer, raise the water column and increase the water flow to completely saturate the coffee grounds (at this point about 300g), then remove the dripper and stir well.

Flavor: Gentle fruit acidity, herbs, licorice, chocolate, caramel, cream, and smoky notes

Kanazawa Style: Dragonfly Touching Water Emphasis on Early Stages

Masayuki Kanazawa is the originator of the Kanazawa style. This pour-over method begins with blooming, followed by intermittent drop-by-drop pouring akin to a dragonfly touching water, extracting coffee liquid with high concentration. This pour-over method requires using a crane-neck kettle to control water volume. The key is to use slow pouring to enhance the extraction of optimal coffee flavors in the early stages, replacing the later stages that can easily produce coffee impurities and bitterness.

Masayuki Kanazawa is a renowned Japanese coffee artisan who served as a consultant for Japan's KONO Company and authored the book "KONO-style Kanazawa Coffee: The Promise of Delicious Coffee," which mainly covers KONO dripper pour-over methods and techniques. Currently, only a Japanese version is available on the market.

Can Stirring Replace Blooming? Stirring Pour-Over Method

The stirring pour-over method focuses on "using stirring instead of blooming" to increase extraction efficiency. This method was popularized by Matt Perger, an influential Australian barista who won the 2012 World Brewers Cup Championship (WBrC), was runner-up in the 2013 World Barista Championship (WBC), and holds numerous other awards.

The brewing process begins by pouring 50g of hot water, stirring, and letting it rest for about 30 seconds, followed by pouring with a large water stream. When brewing light roast coffee beans, this pour-over method can increase sweetness while making the acidity more vibrant. Interestingly, Matt Perger also mentions in his video that he pours counterclockwise, but if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you should pour clockwise.

Machines Replace Human Labor: Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Machines

Taiwan has also seen the invention of automatic pour-over coffee machines. Lin Zhide, a barista and founder, spent three years developing "OTFES," an automatic pour-over coffee machine that can control flow rate, water temperature, and time. Huang Xiuling, director of Swing Black Coffee, states that their philosophy is "let machines do things for people, while people do more important things." More importantly, pour-over machines should "highlight human value," allowing more people to enjoy specialty coffee at affordable prices.

Conclusion

Looking at these special pour-over techniques, I wonder if readers are also eager to try them?

Whether it's the KONO school, stirring pour-over method, or the recent trend of automatic pour-over machines, none can escape the essence of pour-over - "the human factor." Advanced techniques and variations have been developed to present coffee with distinctive personal characteristics. Even machine-based pour-over machines require a pour-over artist with core philosophy behind them, contemplating how to perfectly present the cup of coffee before them.

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