How to Make Pour-Over Coffee: A Beginner's Tutorial

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FrontStreet Coffee · Beginner's Guide to Pour-Over Coffee Making Steps

When it comes to coffee beans, they can be simply divided into light roast, medium roast, and dark roast. Coffee cherries are actually like fruits, and good coffee beans will have fruity aromas, floral notes, cocoa flavors, nutty flavors, etc. Generally, the lighter the roast, the more acidic the coffee, and the more you can taste the essence of the coffee beans; conversely, the darker the roast, the more pronounced the bitterness. In terms of brewing, different brewing methods have different extraction methods and times, and should be given different grind sizes. Usually, the shorter the extraction time, the finer the coffee powder needs to be ground, making it easier to extract bitter flavors.

The world of coffee is fascinating—whether it's the aroma, coffee beans, origins, or the pour-over process, it's all a field of study. Many coffee lovers will surely be enchanted by the magical beverage of "pour-over coffee," because everyone brews a different taste, allowing you to experience uniqueness and personal style. As long as you have filter paper, a dripper, and a pour-over kettle, you can easily brew a good cup of coffee.

Perfect Brewing Guide: Pour-Over Coffee

Step 1: Fold the filter paper and place it inside the dripper.

Step 2: Rinse the filter paper with hot water, just enough to completely wet the filter paper, thereby removing any paper taste. (Although there's only a little water from rinsing the filter paper, don't forget to discard it before proceeding with subsequent steps.)

Step 3: Pour in the coffee powder, ensuring even distribution, and use your pinky finger to create a small hole in the center.

Step 4: Using hot water between 87-92°C, first pour a small amount of hot water into the small hole, then slowly spread it clockwise or counterclockwise to the surrounding coffee powder until you feel it starting to drip, then stop pouring. Let it bloom for 30 seconds. (Blooming allows the coffee powder to absorb hot water and release carbon dioxide, which helps with the extraction of aromatic substances later.)

Step 5: During blooming, the coffee powder will expand and rise (fresher coffee powder will rise more). When the rising begins to collapse, you can start pouring hot water.

Step 6: When pouring, use the center as the focal point and slowly spread out in circles, allowing the hot water to spread horizontally within the coffee powder to extract rich coffee flavors. (When circling during pouring, don't pour directly on the outermost edge, as this will cause the hot water to flow directly down along the filter paper edge, not only failing to extract but also diluting the coffee concentration.)

Step 7: Before finishing the pour-over, you can slightly raise the kettle and shake it over the middle of the coffee powder to increase brewing pressure, using the pressurized hot water to stir the coffee powder for the final extraction before completion.

Step 8: Stop pouring and let the water in the filter paper drip slowly. Wait until it drips to your preferred coffee-to-water ratio, then remove and enjoy.

How to Choose Filter Paper and Drippers?

Flannel can extract more aromatic substances

(1) Many places sell coffee filter paper. It's recommended to choose unbleached brown filter paper, and rinse it slightly with hot water before brewing. Brands like UCC, Tiamo, Kalita, Hario, and pearl horse are favorites among many coffee enthusiasts.

(2) Generally, drippers come in two types: conical and trapezoidal. Conical drippers have faster flow rates and shorter extraction times, requiring better technique to control. For beginners, it's recommended to start with trapezoidal drippers. Hario, Kalita, and Tiamo are all excellent brand choices.

(3) Besides using filter paper for pour-over, you can also choose metal mesh filters and flannel. Metal mesh filters can extract coffee oils, while flannel filters, due to their longer filtration time, can extract more aromatic substances, resulting in a richer flavor.

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