How to Brew with Kono Dripper? KONO Pour-Over Coffee Tutorial and Brewing Techniques

At FrontStreet Coffee, all medium-dark roasted coffees we produce are brewed using the Kono dripper. FrontStreet Coffee's medium-dark roasted coffees include famous varieties such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona, Indonesian Golden Mandheling, and other specialty medium-dark roasted coffees. Why should medium-dark roasted coffee be brewed with the Kono dripper? Let FrontStreet Coffee explain it to you in detail.

Kono: A Legacy of Japanese Coffee Craftsmanship

KONO is a renowned Japanese company specializing in coffee equipment manufacturing. Since inventing the siphon pot in 1925, KONO has been dedicated to coffee bean roasting, as well as the research and production of coffee equipment. The creator was a Japanese man named Toshio Kawano, and the dripper was named after him.

If you observe KONO's ribs carefully, you'll notice they don't extend from the bottom all the way to the top, but stop at less than half the dripper's height. This height design ensures that during the dripping process, the filter paper can adhere closely to the dripper wall after absorbing water. Once the air exhaust space is restricted, air flow is also limited, which in turn increases the water absorption time of the coffee grounds. Because the Kono dripper's flow rate is relatively slow, the brewed coffee will have more pronounced sweetness, with a texture that tends toward richness, overall more even extraction, and restrained aroma, making it more suitable for brewing darker roasted coffee beans.

The Siphon Effect Design

The ribbed structure at the bottom of the KONO dripper is a key design that creates a siphon effect during brewing. It is said that President Kawano spent over 10 years determining the optimal depth and length of these ribs.

During the brewing process, when the water level submerges the ribs, the upper section has no guide grooves, so the filter paper fits tightly against the dripper wall. Once air is blocked, it can only flow downward, creating a relatively vacuum-like space between water and coffee particles, forming a soaking effect on the coffee grounds. Meanwhile, the lower part of the dripper has ribs extending to the outlet. This design creates a downward gravitational force for outflow. When air flow in the upper section is already blocked, a sealed space forms below, generating a strong downward suction force.

Brewing Characteristics and Flavor Profile

In terms of taste, the extracted flavors are more concentrated. The dripper's bottom opening is relatively small, making this suction force more concentrated. Water flow can give coffee grounds more soaking time, resulting in higher coffee body and very full flavors, with typical Japanese pour-over charm. Here, using [FrontStreet Coffee: Jamaican Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee Beans] as an example, we'll demonstrate how to use the Kono dripper to highlight the coffee's rounded texture and rich flavors.

Recommended Brewing Parameters

Dose: 15g of coffee
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: EK43s setting 10.5 (75% retention on Chinese standard #20 sieve)
Water temperature: 87-88°C
Brewing method:分段式萃取

FrontStreet Coffee first wets the Kono dripper, which allows the filter paper to fit more closely with the Kono dripper. Remember to pour out the water from the server before starting to brew, and start the timer scale.

Pour 15g of ground coffee into the dripper, tare the scale and start timing. For the first pour, use 30g of water to bloom for 30 seconds. You need to wet all the coffee grounds to help with degassing and better extraction of flavor compounds. Some friends extend the bloom time to 45 or 50 seconds when brewing light roast coffee beans to enhance the front-end aroma. However, if the bloom time is too long for medium-dark roasted Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee, it can release excessive woody and off-flavors. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee chooses a 30-second bloom.

For the second pour, start from the center and work outward with small circular movements, slowly pouring hot water while maintaining a steady flow until the scale shows 125g. FrontStreet Coffee tries to rinse all the coffee grounds in the cup while raising the coffee bed, which can allow the coffee flavors to exhibit richer layers.

When the coffee grounds level drops to half the dripper's height, revealing the coffee bed, begin the third pour with the same technique until reaching 225g. Once all the coffee has finished dripping, remove the dripper. The extraction time is two minutes, with a 10-second margin for error. Finally, swirl the coffee in the server to mix evenly before tasting.

Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee extracted with the Kono dripper exhibits rich dark chocolate and nutty aromas, with remarkable thickness and distinct almond aftertaste. As the temperature decreases, roasted hazelnut and creamy sweet silkiness emerge, with a hint of gentle acidity and caramel sweetness. The aroma persists in the mouth for a long time.

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 personal WeChat account: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473