What is the Ideal Water Temperature for Brewing Coffee|How to Master Coffee Water Temperature for Consistent Results

What Water Temperature Should You Use for Pour-Over Coffee?

Currently, the mainstream recommended brewing temperature ranges between 86°C-93°C. Light roasts typically require higher temperatures, while dark roasts are better suited to lower temperatures.

Once, while FrontStreet Coffee was sharing pour-over coffee with customers, one guest quickly identified the name of the coffee bean. This sparked a simple conversation between us. Through our discussion, we learned that this customer also frequently brews coffee at home and had previously purchased this particular coffee bean from FrontStreet Coffee. When tasting the coffee we were sharing, they immediately recognized the identical flavor profile and thus guessed the answer so quickly.

During our conversation about brewing techniques, the customer mentioned, "I've tried water temperatures between 90-94°C, but only 93°C produces the great taste, just like this cup of yours." However, the shared coffee we were serving had actually been brewed with water at 90°C!

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters are always based on the coffee bean's characteristics, roast level, and flavor profile. Higher water temperatures lead to more efficient coffee extraction, making it easier to release various compounds and resulting in higher concentration. If water close to boiling is used for brewing, it tends to extract unpleasant bitter compounds. Therefore, when brewing medium-dark roast coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee employs different brewing parameters compared to light roasts. Since caramelization is more pronounced in darker roasts, they more easily release bitter large-molecule compounds. To avoid extracting excessive undesirable flavors, FrontStreet Coffee reduces the water temperature slightly. For light roast coffee, the brewing water temperature is 91-93°C, while for medium-dark roast coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee recommends 87-88°C.

Of course, using different parameters (grind size, water temperature, etc., with appropriate adjustments and combinations) to brew the same coffee bean can yield similar flavor profiles. After all, there are countless brewing methods that can produce great-tasting coffee. But is it possible to achieve this when only the water temperature differs?

The Relationship Between Brewing Water Temperature and Actual Extraction Temperature

When we talk about brewing water temperature, we're actually referring to the initial temperature inside the pour-over kettle. For example, if we need 91°C water to brew coffee, we simply control the initial water temperature in the kettle to 91°C, then cover the kettle and begin brewing. However, the actual water temperature that contacts and extracts from the coffee grounds is certainly not 91°C. For this reason, FrontStreet Coffee conducted a simple temperature measurement experiment.

We used a probe thermometer fixed in the coffee grounds to measure temperature changes during brewing. The temperature of the dry coffee grounds was approximately 32°C. When we brewed with 90°C water, the temperature of the coffee bed rose to 85°C at the beginning of the bloom. As the first pour ended during the bloom phase, the internal temperature dropped to 78°C. Then, as we began the second pour, the temperature rose to 85°C, and the subsequent extraction temperature stabilized between 84.5-86°C, with a maximum temperature of 86.2°C.

As you can see, when we use 90°C water for brewing, the actual water temperature involved in extraction ranges between 84.5-86°C.

Next, we brewed with an initial water temperature of 93°C. At the beginning of the bloom, the coffee bed temperature rose to 86.3°C. As the first pour ended during the bloom phase, the internal temperature dropped to 83°C. Then, as we began the second pour, the temperature rose to 87°C, and the subsequent extraction temperature stabilized between 85-88°C, with a maximum temperature of 88°C.

Comparing the two groups, we can see that while the initial brewing temperatures differed by 3°C, the actual extraction temperature difference was less than 3°C. Although the gap narrowed, the taste difference was still clearly distinguishable.

It seems that with other parameters unchanged, different water temperatures can only produce different flavors. Wait—FrontStreet Coffee will review the previous information again. When brewing at 90°C, the actual extraction temperature was between 84.5-86°C. So how did we lose those 4-5.5°C? The coffee grounds absorb heat, the filter cup absorbs temperature, and water loses temperature when exposed to air. Therefore, if we simply accelerate heat loss during the period from water in the kettle to water contacting the coffee grounds, we can achieve this effect.

This sophisticated expression might suggest using some "advanced technique" to achieve this goal. In reality, we just need to increase the height of the water pour. Typically, FrontStreet Coffee's pour-over height is around 3-4cm. For this experiment, we increased the pour height to 7-8cm using water at 93°C.

During the bloom pour, the coffee bed temperature rose to 87°C. As the first pour ended during the bloom phase, the internal temperature dropped to 83°C. Then, as we began the second pour, the temperature rose to 86.2°C, and the subsequent extraction temperature stabilized between 84-86.7°C, with a maximum temperature of 87°C.

This brew was closer to the one using 90°C initial temperature both in data and taste assessment. By now, you should have a good understanding of where the focus lies in pour-over coffee water temperature, and also understand why some people prefer pouring close to the liquid surface while others like to raise the water stream higher.

In daily coffee brewing, we won't go to great lengths to measure the temperature within the coffee bed. Instead, we can only use the more easily accessible parameter—the water temperature in the pour-over kettle. But at least now you understand the relationship between the parameter temperature and the actual extraction temperature, which will make you more proficient in practical brewing!

Important Notice :

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