How Much Coffee Powder for a Single Pour-Over? What's the Right Water Ratio for 15g of Coffee Beans?

FrontStreet Coffee encounters customers asking about pour-over coffee every day, perhaps questions like what should be the pour-over water pouring technique, or how much coffee grounds should be used for pour-over coffee?

In fact, with the development of coffee culture, more and more people no longer find coffee to be unfamiliar, but something commonly seen around them that can even be prepared at home. Of course, some people feel that making a good cup of coffee is still not simple. FrontStreet Coffee believes this actually depends on one's understanding of pour-over coffee, combined with multiple practical experiences. Perhaps reading this, many people still feel half-understanding. FrontStreet Coffee will today talk about how to pour-over a cup of coffee. There are many factors that affect the taste of a cup of coffee, and the coffee grounds-to-water ratio in pour-over coffee is one of them.

In brewing, FrontStreet Coffee advocates a conservative pour-over water pouring technique, achieving sufficient extraction within accurate time with accurate grinding, accurate temperature, and accurate weight, ensuring the presentation of coffee flavor on this foundation. The accurate parameters mentioned by FrontStreet Coffee are based on parameters provided by SCA, combined with FrontStreet Coffee's practical application experience. Over-extraction refers to exceeding Golden Cup requirements, while under-extraction refers to falling below Golden Cup requirements. This brewing method provides a standard behavior for everyone from FrontStreet Coffee, which can be adjusted based on personal preferences using this baseline.

What is Golden Cup Extraction Rate?

Coffee beans have 30% soluble substances, but extracting all 30% of these soluble substances is not necessarily best. The Golden Cup extraction rate defined by SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) is between 18-22%, meaning that from 10g of coffee grounds, 1.8-2.2g is extracted. The TDS concentration of drip coffee is approximately between 1.2-1.45% (as shown in the index below), meaning that the proportion of the extracted 18-22% coffee substances in the entire cup of coffee is 1.2-1.45%. Therefore, most of the pour-over coffee we drink is water. FrontStreet Coffee suggests everyone can use a calculator to figure out that to achieve this 1.2-1.45% concentration range, the ratio of coffee grounds to pour-over water volume should be between 1:12-1:15.

FrontStreet Coffee uses this range to standardize our brewing parameters. Every time new beans are launched, they go through adjustments in roasting, cupping, and pour-over processes. The direction of pour-over adjustments is determined by checking TDS concentration. Of course, for those who just drink coffee at home, there's no need to buy specialized instruments - judging concentration by taste is sufficient. After multiple brewing experiments and customer feedback, FrontStreet Coffee recommends controlling the grounds-to-water ratio at 1:15.

1.2-1.45% is just a statistical range that applies to most people's taste preferences. If it's below or above this range, as long as it meets your personal taste requirements, that's also acceptable.

Pour-over Coffee Single Serving Amount

Whether for single or multiple people, we follow this Golden Cup extraction rate range. FrontStreet Coffee chooses a 1:15 grounds-to-water ratio, using 15g of grounds to yield 225g of coffee liquid, which is just right for one serving. For double servings, besides choosing a larger filter cup, the grounds amount increases by 10g. As you stack up this way, the result of increased grounds is that the grounds layer becomes thicker, water flow rate slows down, easily causing over-extraction. FrontStreet Coffee recommends starting with single-serve pour-over.

FrontStreet Coffee takes the Frontsteet Colombia Huayu Ye Coffee sold in our store as an example for brewing.

FrontStreet Coffee · Colombia Huayu Ye Coffee Beans

Region: Colombia, Huilan Region

Estate: El Dorado Farm

Altitude: 1800m

Variety: Caturra

Processing: Anaerobic Natural

Roast Level: Light Roast

Pour-over Coffee Brewing Parameters Used by FrontStreet Coffee:

Filter Cup: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grounds Amount: 15g (single serving)

Grounds-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Fine sugar size (80% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee chooses a water temperature of 90°C. The higher the water temperature, the more active molecular motion becomes, but it tends to balance out at certain temperature values. The more active the molecular motion, the higher the extraction rate. As mentioned earlier, we don't need the maximum value but seek the most suitable number that ensures sufficient substance dissolution while maintaining comfortable taste (not too hot for the mouth). Generally, water temperature is between 83-94°C. Japan tends to choose lower water temperatures because they prefer immersion-style extraction, which doesn't work well with higher water temperatures. After multiple experiments and customer feedback, FrontStreet Coffee finds that 90°C water temperature is quite suitable for brewing light roast coffee beans.

Grind Size

Refers to the size of coffee particles. Grind size affects the contact time between coffee and water. If the coffee grounds are finer, water can extract more substances within the same time, but finer grind size easily leads to over-extraction during the extraction process. Conversely, the coarser the coffee grind, the fewer substances extracted within the same time, but coarser grind size easily leads to under-extraction. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using 80% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve as the pour-over grind size, which was determined through multiple taste experiments. It's worth noting that different coffee beans require different grind sizes, so when pour-over flavors seem off, you can check if there's an issue with the grind size.

The finer the coffee grind, the more surface area increases, representing faster extraction speed. FrontStreet Coffee suggests that if you normally brew dark roast coffee and now want to brew light roast, you can grind a bit finer. Similarly, if you usually brew light roast coffee more often, you should grind slightly coarser when brewing dark roast coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee uses an EK43s grinder. However, FrontStreet Coffee should mention that even grinders from the same brand can have different grinding characteristics. FrontStreet Coffee re-sifts the grounds periodically to check if the grind size needs adjustment.

Pour-over Coffee Water Pouring Technique

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, which is three-stage pour-over water pouring.

First Water Pour: Blooming (helps degassing)

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 degree of roasting, coffee beans accumulate large amounts of gas (mostly carbon dioxide) inside.

Generally, the fresher the coffee and the closer to roasting date, the more bubbles usually appear during blooming. Dark roast beans also release more gas during the blooming process than light roast beans. FrontStreet Coffee's coffee 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 unstable and under-extracted issues during brewing.

After degassing during blooming, coffee particles can absorb water evenly, allowing for more uniform extraction later. Good blooming can help coffee grounds quickly and fully degas evenly while also allowing coffee grounds to fully and quickly contact water, helping coffee grounds be extracted evenly.

Four Points to Note During Pour-over Coffee Blooming:

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

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 the water amount or pay attention to grind size. (If blooming water is too much and a large amount of coffee liquid drips down, the water that falls doesn't stay but directly carries out substances from the outer layer of coffee grounds - the outer layer's unpleasant flavors and astringency also start to dissolve out. Coffee brewed this way will be both weak but have over-extracted unpleasant flavors. If blooming water is insufficient and no water drips down at all, this means the coffee grounds haven't absorbed enough water, and some coffee hasn't fully degassed, causing under-extraction.) Based on this situation, FrontStreet Coffee conducted multiple blooming experiments and found that pouring twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds weight during blooming is quite appropriate.

4. Blooming time should be about 30 seconds. When the expansion of the coffee grounds surface ends, you'll see the coffee surface start to shrink and wrinkle, which represents the completion of blooming, and you can start pouring water. (In terms of timing, if blooming time is too long, coffee easily develops bitterness and astringency; if time is too short and soaking is insufficient, coffee might have under-extraction or fail to fully express itself.) Generally, the end time of blooming 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 fresh roasted condition, FrontStreet Coffee recommends 30 seconds blooming time. Of course, experienced individuals can adjust the time themselves.

Second Pour-over Coffee Water Pour

The second water pour starts from the center, injecting into the bottom of the grounds layer with a small water stream. To concentrate the water stream's penetrating power, the circular movement range should be small, about the size of a one-yuan coin, then circle outward. Starting from the second water addition, pay attention to water volume, trying not to exceed the height of the grounds layer. That is, when the water stream circles close to the filter paper, you can stop adding water.

Third Pour-over Coffee Water Pour

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

Starting from the third water addition, observe the rate of water level drop. Also start from the center, circling while pouring water, not exceeding the grounds layer height. At this time, you'll also observe that foam has already filled the surface. The third water pour should increase the tumbling of coffee particles, letting all settled particles tumble to dissolve out soluble substances.

Tumbling particles will start 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 ground particles sink down, causing blockage. Therefore, pay special attention to the rhythm of water addition. If there are too many water interruptions, it's equivalent to letting coffee ground particles continuously soak in water. This will lead to astringency and unpleasant flavors in the final stage of coffee extraction.

Summary:

The overall process for FrontStreet Coffee brewing this Frontsteet Colombia Huayu Ye coffee bean is: use blooming water amount that's twice the coffee grounds weight, which is 30g water for blooming, with blooming time of 30 seconds. Use small stream circular pouring to 125g, then segment when water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed. Continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter cup. Extraction time is 2 minutes (timing starts from blooming).

Frontsteet Colombia Huayu Ye Coffee Flavor

Rich strawberry aroma, strawberry acidity on entry, jam-like sweetness in the middle, subtle cocoa aftertaste, juice-like mouthfeel.

Of course, besides the three-stage brewing technique, there are also one-pour method, drip-by-drip method, volcano pour, stirring method, etc. FrontStreet Coffee recommends beginners use the three-stage water pouring method for brewing because this technique is suitable for light roast, medium-light roast, and medium roast coffee beans. The segmented extraction of three-stage water pouring can clearly express the front, middle, and back stage flavors of coffee, better ensuring coffee flavor presentation. Below, FrontStreet Coffee briefly introduces several other brewing methods and their advantages and disadvantages.

Stirring Blooming Method

Suitable for light roast coffee beans

Stirring method: Use a stirring stick to stir in a cross pattern during the blooming stage. This is also a branch of the three-stage method, a pour-over technique developed after 2012 World Brewers Cup champion Matt Perger. This method can effectively enhance the release of aromatic substances from coffee beans, amplify the flavor advantages of coffee beans, enhance coffee mouthfeel, and avoid being too thin.

The stirring method has high requirements for coffee bean quality. If using inferior coffee beans, it will amplify their undesirable flavors. Additionally, the stirring blooming method is more suitable for brewing light roast coffee beans and often adopts a relatively fine grind size to increase the water contact area of coffee grounds and improve extraction rate. However, if the stirring degree is not well controlled, it can easily lead to over-extraction.

Therefore, we simultaneously recommend pairing with pour-over equipment known for fast extraction. The Hario V60 filter cup uses alternating long and short spiral extraction ribs, increasing water drainage speed. The cloud-shaped design of the Hario Buono pour-over kettle provides stronger penetrating power for the poured water stream, allowing fine particles to remain in a tumbling state for longer periods. This is very important because the release of internal substances from coffee particles pauses during tumbling, thus avoiding unpleasant flavors being extracted together due to prolonged soaking.

Japanese Drip-by-Drip Pouring Method

Suitable for medium roast or darker roast coffee beans

The drip-by-drip pouring method is also called essence extraction: The water stream of drip-by-drip pouring is weaker, minimizing disturbance to the coffee grounds layer, reducing convection, and increasing soaking time. Coffee made with this Japanese method has high body, high sweetness, rich smoothness, and distinct texture.

Because the pour-over kettle's water flow needs to be in a drop-by-drop state, it's suitable to choose flat-top wide-mouth kettle spouts or wide-mouth gooseneck kettles. The advantage of these pour-over kettles is high controllability of water stream thickness, better adapting to the drip-by-drip pouring method. Paired with Kono's conical filter cup, its ribs stop before reaching half the filter cup height. This design allows the filter paper to fully adhere to the cup wall after absorbing water, greatly limiting degassing space. This method is more suitable for Frontsteet PWN Golden Mandheling, Frontsteet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1, and other medium roast or darker roast coffee beans.

When starting to pour water, we use drop-by-drop pouring to increase soaking time. Under low grounds-to-water ratio conditions, this allows coffee grounds to fully expand without producing any unpleasant flavors. Afterwards, we use fine and coarse water streams to extract the front-stage floral and fruit aromas of coffee. The entire process takes approximately 4-5 minutes.

One-Pour Brewing Method

Its significance is that after blooming, only one uninterrupted water pour is performed, hence the name.

After blooming, one uninterrupted water pour can keep coffee grounds continuously soaked in water, allowing the retained liquid to fully release aromatic substances from within the coffee grounds. Water flow rate continuously increases, and before water overflows the filter cup, reduce the water flow. This technique mainly controls water volume and flow rate issues. You need to be clear about when to pour water to achieve full-range extraction without losing balance. Inappropriate pouring methods can destroy the overall balance of the coffee.

This method mainly maintains mellow flavors and balance. The disadvantage is that because water pouring technique is not well controlled, water passes through the filter paper at the edges where there are no coffee grounds, potentially making the brewed coffee taste watery.

Volcano Brewing Method

The "Volcano Pour" method originates from Japan and is suitable for dark roast coffee beans because these beans contain more carbon dioxide. Using the carbon dioxide in coffee beans, through multiple blooming stages, the coffee grounds puff up like a volcanic eruption. "Volcano Pour" mostly uses flannel filter cloth and V60 filter cups for brewing. Because the middle grounds layer is thicker, water is poured at the center of the coffee grounds, about the size of a one-yuan coin. The first half focuses on full extraction without disturbing the grounds layer, while the second half involves even water pouring to prevent over-extraction of the middle coffee grounds and serves a dilution effect.

Advantages: Rich coffee mouthfeel, obvious sweet aftertaste.

Disadvantages: Over-extraction in the first half, under-extraction in the second half, making the coffee liquid uneven. It needs to be thoroughly shaken after brewing to mix into perfect coffee. But shaking lowers the coffee temperature, while using high temperature extraction to maintain temperature makes the coffee dry and astringent.

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 on private WeChat, WeChat ID: 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