Can You Add Milk to Pour-Over Single-Origin Coffee? Differences Between Pour-Over Black Coffee and Latte, and How to Make Pour-Over Latte

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A good pour-over coffee is crystal clear and bright in color, with an enticing aroma that instantly fills your entire mouth when you take a sip. You can taste acidity, sweetness, and even a hint of bitterness. However, different brewing methods, temperatures, and even pouring speeds can all affect the coffee's flavor. It's precisely this uncertainty that keeps everyone interested in pour-over coffee and constantly exploring.

Pour-over coffee is also the most commonly used brewing method at FrontStreet Coffee. Another method is the espresso machine, which is essential for making lattes, as it's needed to extract espresso, which is then combined with different ratios of milk or water to create espresso-based drinks. Generally, pour-over coffee is single-origin coffee, also known as black coffee. So should you add milk when drinking pour-over coffee?

Most people don't add milk to pour-over coffee, but it's really up to personal preference—no one else has the right to interfere with how you enjoy your coffee. FrontStreet Coffee has over 50 different origins of single-origin coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee typically uses the simplest three-stage pouring method because pour-over is affected by many factors that can change the coffee's flavor, such as: warming the server, FrontStreet Coffee usually warms the server before pouring to prevent the coffee from cooling too quickly, especially during cold winters; then there's the pouring, rinsing the filter paper and ensuring it fits snugly against the filter cone; the first pour washes away debris and off-flavors from the filter paper, and through this action, the filter paper conforms better to the filter cone, which aids in extraction.

Additionally, there's the bloom. The bloom is the first pour after adding coffee grounds to the filter cone. FrontStreet Coffee typically uses 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. If the coffee beans are still within their optimal flavor window, the coffee will absorb water and expand during blooming, forming a hamburger-like shape. Also, maintain a balance between pour rate and flow rate—neither too fast nor too slow.

FrontStreet Coffee's Common Brewing Method

Use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. With a small water flow, pour in circles until reaching 125 grams, then pause. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until reaching 225 grams, then stop pouring. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the filter cone. (Timing starts from the bloom) Total extraction time is 2'00".

Regarding the extracted coffee liquid, FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, meaning 15g of coffee grounds yields approximately 225ml of coffee. The coffee liquid extracted from this pour-over method differs significantly from espresso. Generally, espresso has a richer texture, higher caffeine content, and produces a thick crema—a richer, darker brown substance.

Many espresso shops serve a glass of plain water alongside espresso. When consumed straight, many people find espresso too bitter, which is why they add different ratios of milk to create espresso-based drinks.

Differences Between Pour-Over and Espresso Coffee

So what's the difference between pour-over coffee and espresso coffee? The basic principle of both espresso and pour-over coffee is the same: hot water is poured over coffee grounds, water passes through the coffee and some form of filter, and then drips into a container. However, the key difference between filter coffee and espresso is that it's not forced through by pressure but rather simply because gravity allows water to steep through the coffee grounds. For this reason, the brewing process takes slightly longer and requires more coffee grounds and more water.

Pour-over coffee, on the other hand, focuses more on showcasing the inherent flavors of the coffee's origin, which is why it has become the most common brewing method for single-origin coffee. Its flavor profile isn't as intense as espresso but rather gently presents the coffee's own characteristics.

For example, with the same 30 milliliters of coffee, what you get from pour-over versus what comes from an espresso machine is different. Pour-over coffee is less acidic, allowing us to taste all the flavors and aromas contained in the coffee. Espresso, however, has higher density and layers, resulting in very intense coffee flavors. Good pour-over coffee is clean, clear, and saturated, without any extremely sharp flavors, because water absorbs coffee oils and their aromas over time under pressure rather than using high temperature and high pressure methods. Therefore, using different coffee equipment is very important for coffee flavor.

The Charm of Coffee

Using an Italian espresso machine, from extraction to milk frothing and latte art, takes only three minutes to make a latte, while pour-over coffee including the grinding process also takes only three to four minutes. Getting different brewing flavors in similar amounts of time—FrontStreet Coffee believes this is the charm of coffee. This article has already introduced the specific process of pour-over coffee, so now FrontStreet Coffee will introduce how to make a delicious latte!

FrontStreet Coffee's stores use a blend called "Warm Sun Blend," which combines 60% sherry barrel-aged coffee beans with 40% natural-processed Yirgacheffe. Through multiple adjustments, they determined that 20 grams of coffee grounds extracts 40 grams of coffee liquid in 28 seconds. Milk frothing mainly relies on the espresso machine's steam wand. Pour an appropriate amount of milk into the milk pitcher—for example, FrontStreet Coffee's latte serving cup is 300 milliliters, so you can pour in 280 milliliters of milk. Then you can froth the milk. Generally, latte coffee has moderate foam thickness, about 1 centimeter. After frothing, the milk surface should be glossy, bubble-free, and have good fluidity.

Finally, combine the frothed milk with the extracted espresso for latte art. Before the art, first blend the milk and espresso together. You can create a ribbing effect by moving your arm in a swinging motion. Because the foam is moderate and has good fluidity, it will create a continuously swinging line. Finally, raise the pitcher and push forward to finish, creating a basic heart-shaped latte art pattern.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473