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Types of Pour-Over Coffee Techniques and Their Characteristics

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Sharing Coffee Brewing Techniques and Characteristics. Every time FrontStreet Coffee chats with customers about coffee, the topic inevitably turns to pour-over coffee. To put it strongly, it's no exaggeration to say that pour-over coffee is the favorite of coffee enthusiasts, coffee aficionados, and coffee lovers. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will share the major pour-over techniques with everyone.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

FrontStreet Coffee - Pour-over Coffee Techniques and Characteristics Sharing

Every time FrontStreet Coffee chats with customers about coffee, the topic of pour-over coffee inevitably comes up. It's not an exaggeration to say that pour-over coffee is the favorite among coffee enthusiasts, coffee aficionados, and coffee lovers. Today, FrontStreet Coffee would like to share several major pour-over techniques and their characteristics!

Pour-over Techniques:

One-stage Method | Two-flow/Single-flow (No bloom)

After blooming, pour water in a "の" shape from the center to the outer layers without interruption until the lower pot reaches the preset coffee amount. This method's characteristic is continuous soaking and filtering of coffee grounds in the filter cup, continuously extracting the front, middle, and back segments of the coffee. The flavor and mouthfeel are balanced. For a sweeter and cleaner taste, increase the maximum water level in the filter cup during brewing. For a richer and fuller body, lower the maximum water level. Suitable for Central and South American beans with soft, acidic aromas.

Three-stage Method | Three-flow/Academic Style

An adjustment to the one-stage method, after blooming, change to three-stage pouring with two "water breaks" in between to adjust the proportion of front, middle, and back flavors. This creates distinct layers and offers higher adjustability compared to the one-stage method. Suitable for coffee beans of various roast levels and origins.

"Water break" refers to the technique of interrupting pouring and waiting for the liquid level in the filter cup to drop. This can extend extraction time and increase the extraction of flavor compounds. By increasing the first stage's water volume and reducing the second and third stages after water breaks, you can highlight the front and middle flavors. Alternatively, reducing the first stage's water and increasing the middle and back stages after water breaks can present a fuller body.

Stirring Method

Used and championed by Matt Perger at the 2012 WBrC World Brewers Championship. Coffee grounds are ground slightly coarser than espresso grind. During the blooming stage, a stirring stick is used to thoroughly mix water and coffee grounds, quickly extracting front flavors and "saturating" the water. Then, pour the preset water-to-coffee ratio in stages, using large water flow to raise the water level and speed up filtration, which acts as dilution. Due to the extremely fine grind and hot brewing, suitable for African or Central and South American beans with bright acidity and high quality.

Making water "saturated" involves extremely fine grinding and hot water extraction, combined with stirring to accelerate the dissolution of front flavors into water, making the water's dissolution of flavor compounds approach saturation and reducing extraction in later stages, thereby amplifying front flavors. However, any defects in the coffee beans will also be amplified simultaneously.

Drip Method

Also known as Japan's Kawano-style or KO?NO-style. During the blooming stage, change to dripping water drop by drop at the center of the coffee bed to reduce water flow disturbance and instability from stirring, greatly extending the blooming effect. After the coffee liquid changes from drips to "water flow," switch to small water flow for small-range extraction. In the final stage, use larger water flow to push foam and impurities from the coffee bed to the upper layer of the filter cup, preventing them from entering the coffee liquid in the lower pot. Catering to Japanese preference for low acidity and mellow taste, suitable for non-acidic Sumatran or medium-dark roast Central and South American beans.

Using drip pouring instead of traditional blooming, water drops infiltrate coffee grounds with minimal disturbance while bringing out middle and back flavor compounds, accelerating extraction during the last two pouring stages. The flavor is full and rich. The key points of this pour-over technique lie in the stability of the dripping method during the blooming stage and the judgment of timing to change pouring methods.

Kanazawa Method

Another drip-style pour-over technique. Use less water than usual blooming. After coffee grounds stop expanding, drip water at the center of the coffee bed like a dragonfly touching water. When coffee liquid drips out in "droplets," change to "の" shape circular dripping. Finally, after coffee liquid flows out in "streams," use normal water flow pouring. End extraction when the lower pot reaches 80g of coffee liquid, preserving front and middle flavors with higher concentration. Before drinking, add 160g of hot water to create layers. Compared to the drip method, the flavor is refreshing yet still round. Although also originating from Japan, suitable for medium-dark roast coffee beans. Due to the front and middle extraction characteristics, you can also try African beans with bright acidic aromas. The technique key points are the same as the drip method, requiring stable dripping and judgment of timing to change water flow.

Four-Six Method

Used and championed by Tetsu Kasuya at the 2016 WBrC. The concept is to allow anyone to brew delicious coffee through this method. Including blooming, there are five pours in total. The first two pours adjust the sweet and sour ratio of the first 40% of coffee bean flavors, while the last three pours adjust the intensity of the remaining 60% texture. Due to simple and stable variables, controllability is high. Suitable for coffee beans from various origins. Due to the characteristic of adjusting the first 40% of flavors, African and Central and South American beans with acidity or soft acidity are also recommended.

No need for high-end water flow control, only stable conditions during each brewing session. A simple electronic scale with time control is sufficient for operation. For adjusting the first 40% of flavors: if you want more acidity, increase the first pour and reduce the second pour; if you want more sweetness, reduce the first pour and increase the second pour. For adjusting the last 60% texture: if you want a lighter body, change three pours to two pours; if you want a fuller body, change to four pours.

Knowledge Extension:

To extract richer aromas, typically use more coffee quantity. Increasing coffee amount can obtain more coffee compounds, thus achieving more concentrated coffee.

Conclusion

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unreserved sharing is solely to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee activities every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!