What is the correct English term for hand pour coffee? Hand Drip or Pour Over Coffee?

What is the English term for 手冲咖啡 (hand-poured coffee)? If translated literally, it could be "Hand coffee," but this terminology is definitely incorrect. Similarly, "Hand punch" is another common mispronunciation. The correct term should be "Pour over coffee." So what are the basic knowledge points of pour over coffee, and how can you brew a delicious cup of pour over coffee at home? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will explain everything step by step.

What is Pour Over Coffee?

Pour over coffee refers to the brewing method performed at atmospheric pressure, where appropriately ground coffee powder is held in a filter cup with filter paper. The brewer uses a stable water-pouring technique to extract coffee liquid by pouring water of appropriate temperature and volume over the coffee grounds. Since grind size, water temperature, pouring method, and brewing time all affect the extraction of coffee flavor, this is a brewing method that greatly emphasizes technique and professional coffee knowledge.

Basic Knowledge of Pour Over Coffee - Seven Essential Elements

First, what do you need to prepare besides equipment for pour over coffee? For this reason, FrontStreet Coffee has combined past pour over coffee experience and basic knowledge to summarize the following seven essential elements of pour over coffee, helping coffee enthusiasts understand pour over coffee more intuitively.

1. Fresh Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee believes that the optimal tasting period for coffee beans is 30 days. After 30 days, the aromatic molecules in coffee beans decrease as carbon dioxide is released, so coffee brewed past their optimal tasting period may taste dull and bland. This is also why FrontStreet Coffee always emphasizes "using freshly roasted coffee beans" before discussing brewing knowledge.

2. Pour Over Coffee Grind Size Standard

Meanwhile, to ensure each bean variety has the most suitable grind for brewing, FrontStreet Coffee suggests purchasing a #20 cupping calibration sieve with 0.85mm aperture. We take 10g of coffee beans, grind them at an approximate setting, then pour the powder into the sieve for screening. Weigh the screened powder (screening must continue until no more coffee powder can pass through). If the screening pass rate is 80% (10g powder yields 8g), this is the most suitable grind for light to medium roast coffee beans. If the pass rate is 70%-75% (10g powder yields 7-7.5g), this is the most suitable grind for medium to dark roast. If the pass rate exceeds the appropriate range, adjust the grind coarser; if it doesn't reach the appropriate range, adjust the grind finer.

3. Brewing Water Temperature

When brewing pour over coffee with different roast levels, FrontStreet Coffee also chooses different water temperatures. During roasting, substances contained in coffee beans are lost as the roast level deepens. Therefore, to avoid extracting too many undesirable flavors from dark roast coffee beans, the temperature is reduced. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using water temperatures of 90-93°C for light to medium roast beans, and 86-88°C for medium to dark roast beans.

4. Water Quality

The mineral components in water - mineral ions such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium - affect the thermodynamic extraction capability of coffee, thereby causing changes in coffee flavor. FrontStreet Coffee does not recommend using tap water directly heated for brewing, as tap water contains many impurities, and coffee extracted with it can easily produce unpleasant experiences.

5. Brewing Filter Cup Selection

FrontStreet Coffee recommends beginners choose the V60 01 dripper. The V60 conical dripper has a large opening, and its unique spiral ribs allow air to be discharged more easily, thereby improving extraction quality. The mouthfeel might not be as full-bodied, but its high concentration brings out acidity and sweetness with distinct aromas, which is its major characteristic.

6. Coffee-to-Water Ratio

This is the pour over coffee water-to-coffee ratio extraction parameter for different taste preferences that FrontStreet Coffee derived from SCA Golden Cup extraction theory:

[Bold Flavor] 1:10～1:11 (equivalent to Golden Cup standard 1:12.5～1:13.5)
[Medium Flavor] 1:12～1:13 (equivalent to Golden Cup standard 1:14.5～1:15.5)
[Light Flavor] 1:14～1:16 (equivalent to Golden Cup standard 1:16.5～1:18.5)

A coffee bean weight to brewing water ratio of 1:14.5～1:15.5 most easily achieves the golden range of Golden Cup extraction rate of 18%～22% and concentration of 1.15%～1.35%.

This is also why FrontStreet Coffee has always recommended everyone use a 1:15 brewing ratio. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee summarizes the information given to us by the above SCA extraction ratio parameters:

(1) The larger the coffee-to-water ratio, the lighter the coffee flavor; the smaller the coffee-to-water ratio, the stronger the coffee flavor.

(2) Increasing water amount to raise the coffee-to-water ratio affects more flavor substances but results in lighter flavor; reducing water amount to lower the coffee-to-water ratio affects fewer flavor substances but results in stronger flavor.

(3) Increasing coffee amount to lower the coffee-to-water ratio reduces extraction of large molecular substances from the coffee's later extraction stage while producing stronger flavor; reducing coffee amount to raise the coffee-to-water ratio extracts more complete flavor substances before reaching limit conditions, while reducing flavor intensity.

7. Brewing Time

In coffee extraction, the early aroma and flavor are strong with high concentration. As the extraction liquid progresses, the flavor and aroma gradually diminish. The amount of water poured also affects the coffee's extraction time. FrontStreet Coffee typically uses 15 grams of powder, and depending on the bean, with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, the brewing time will be within 2 minutes to 2 minutes 30 seconds, making it less likely to cause over-extraction or under-extraction.

Basic Knowledge of Pour Over Coffee - Coffee Grind Size Standard

Additionally, the coffee bean grind level for pour over coffee greatly affects the extraction of coffee beans. In other words, even if the pour over coffee's coffee-to-water ratio is well controlled, if the pour over coffee grind is too coarse or too fine, it will affect the extraction of coffee flavor. For example, the finer the coffee beans are ground, the more easily they accumulate in the filter paper, creating greater extraction resistance, thus slower flow rate and longer extraction time. The extraction rate of substances contained in coffee is higher, resulting in stronger brewed coffee;

Similarly, the coarser the grind, the larger the gaps between powder particles, less coffee powder contacts hot water, extraction resistance is weaker, coffee drips faster, extraction rate is lower, so coffee flavor is also lighter. Therefore, simply changing the grind level can create huge differences in coffee flavor, which is why coffee grinding is so important.

Basic Knowledge of Pour Over Coffee - Brewing Techniques

Next is the final step of pour over coffee - the brewing technique! Currently, there are various pour over coffee brewing techniques visible in coffee shops, commonly including three-stage pouring, single-pour, drip method, etc. Here, FrontStreet Coffee recommends beginners use the three-stage pouring method for brewing because this technique is suitable for light roast, light to medium, and medium roast coffee beans. The segmented extraction method of three-stage pour over coffee can clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back flavor stages of coffee, better ensuring coffee flavor presentation.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, the brewer must use a stable water-pouring technique, pouring water of appropriate temperature and volume over the coffee grounds to extract coffee liquid, in order to brew a delicious cup of coffee. After all, pour over coffee can also be called an art form. For example, making a dish requires not only fresh ingredients but also attention to heat control and the chef's skills, and pour over coffee is no exception. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will teach everyone how to perform three-stage pouring for pour over coffee.

Three-Stage Pour Over Coffee Brewing Technique:

First Pour: Bloom (Helps Release Gas)

Many coffee enthusiasts don't understand the purpose of the bloom in pour over coffee. The reason for blooming is that coffee beans undergo a series of chemical reactions and physical changes during the roasting process from green beans to roasted beans. After reaching a certain level of roasting, coffee beans accumulate large amounts of gas (mostly carbon dioxide) inside.

Generally, the fresher the beans and the closer to roasting, the more bubbling during blooming. Dark roast beans also release more gas during the blooming process than light roast beans. FrontStreet Coffee's beans are all freshly roasted, so we generally recommend customers let the beans rest for three days first, allowing the coffee beans to release carbon dioxide first, which can avoid instability and under-extraction issues during brewing.

After the bloom releases gas, coffee particles can absorb water evenly, allowing for more uniform extraction later. A good bloom allows coffee powder to quickly, fully, and evenly release gas while also enabling coffee powder to fully and quickly contact water, helping coffee powder to be extracted evenly. These are precisely the purpose and significance of the pour over coffee bloom.

Four Points to Note During Coffee Bloom:

1. Before water pouring for blooming, first level the coffee powder.

2. Water pouring during blooming should be gentle.

3. During the blooming process, the extracted liquid dripping down should be as minimal as possible; when too much extracted liquid appears in the lower pot, reduce water amount or pay attention to grind size. (If bloom water amount is excessive and a large amount of coffee liquid drips down, the falling water doesn't stay but directly carries out substances from the outside of the coffee powder, and undesirable bitterness and astringency from the outer layer begin to dissolve. Coffee brewed this way will be both weak but have over-extracted undesirable flavors. If bloom water amount is insufficient with no water dripping down, this means the coffee powder hasn't absorbed enough water, and some coffee hasn't released enough gas, causing under-extraction.) Based on this situation, FrontStreet Coffee conducted multiple bloom experiments and found that pouring twice the amount of water as the coffee powder weight during bloom is most appropriate.

4. Bloom time should be about 30 seconds. When the expansion of the coffee powder surface ends, you'll see the coffee surface shrink and wrinkle, indicating bloom completion and you can begin pouring water. (If bloom time is too long, coffee can easily develop bitterness and astringency; if time is too short with insufficient soaking, coffee may have under-extraction or fail to fully express itself.)

Generally, bloom completion time varies for each bean, but FrontStreet Coffee found this不利于新手操作, after all, beginners need standardization and ease of use. Therefore, while ensuring coffee beans are still in a freshly roasted state, FrontStreet Coffee recommends a 30-second bloom time. Of course, experienced brewers can adjust the time themselves.

Second Pour

The second pour starts from the center, injecting a small water stream to the bottom of the powder layer. To concentrate the penetrating power of the water stream, the circular movement range should be small, about the size of a coin, then expand outward. Starting from the second water addition, pay attention to water amount, trying not to exceed the height of the powder layer. That is, when the water stream approaches close to the filter paper, you can stop adding water.

Third Pour

As the originally thicker powder layer near the filter paper becomes heavier from absorbing water, it will slide down and become thinner as the water level drops. When the water level drops to halfway, you can proceed with the third pour.

Starting from the third water addition, observe the magnitude of water level drop, also starting from the center and moving in circles, with water amount not exceeding the powder layer height. At this time, you'll also observe that foam proportion has filled the surface. The third pour needs to increase coffee particle tumbling, allowing all settled particles to tumble and dissolve soluble substances.

Tumbling particles will begin to settle when water addition stops. At this point, rely on the flow rate caused by the dropping water level to create friction between coffee particles. Once water addition stops, coffee powder particles sink, causing blockage, so pay special attention to the rhythm of water addition. If there are too many water interruptions, it's equivalent to letting coffee powder particles soak in water continuously, which will lead to astringency and undesirable flavors in the later coffee extraction. If there are too many water interruptions, it's equivalent to letting coffee powder particles soak in water continuously, which will lead to astringency and undesirable flavors in the later coffee extraction.

After completing the above operations, you'll have a cup of aromatic pour over coffee.

The above is the content organized by FrontStreet Coffee regarding how to perform pour over coffee. We hope it helps coffee enthusiasts who have already prepared their equipment and want to showcase their skills making pour over coffee at home.

For more premium coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat: 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