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Why Pour Water in Circles for Pour-Over Coffee and Which Coffee Varieties to Choose

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 public account: cafe_style) FrontStreet Coffee - Pour-Over Circling and Coffee Varieties Introduction Compared to single-pour method, pour-over coffee brewed with segmented extraction has richer layers, allowing you to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Additionally, it's easier to control the water flow without overflowing from the filter cup

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

FrontStreet Coffee - Pour-Over Circular Motion and Coffee Varieties Introduction

Compared to single-pour extraction, coffee brewed using segmented extraction methods will have richer layers, allowing you to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors. Additionally, it's easier to control the water flow from escaping the edge of the filter cup, reducing instability in pour-over brewing. The downside is that it requires relatively higher demands on controlling flow rate and water volume.

Three-Stage Method

An adjustment to the single-pour method, after blooming, it changes to three-stage water pouring, experiencing two "water breaks" in between to adjust the ratio of front, middle, and back-end flavors. This creates distinct layers and offers higher adjustability compared to the single-pour method, making it suitable for coffee beans of various roast levels and origins.

"Water break" refers to the technique of interrupting water pouring and waiting for the liquid level in the filter cup to drop, which can increase the extraction of flavor compounds. Therefore, by increasing the amount of water in the first stage and reducing the water in the second and third stages after the breaks, you can highlight the front and middle-end flavors. Alternatively, reducing the first-stage water and increasing the middle and back-end water after the breaks can present a richer mouthfeel.

Because the pouring method mainly focuses on small circular motions in the center, the purpose is to allow the bottom coffee powder layer to saturate first, leaving only the surface particles needing water absorption. The next time water is given, use concentric circles to let the water column expand outward, allowing the surface coffee particles to fully absorb water as well.

Hand-pour coffee always selects coffee with excellent flavor and mouthfeel. Blue Mountain and Geisha need no further explanation. Simply put, choose single-origin specialty coffees that are meant to be brewed using pour-over methods to taste different "regional flavors." Arabica varieties are the first choice for coffee beans, and their derivative varieties are also rare specialty coffee options. Common choices include Yirgacheffe, Costa Rica, Colombia, and others.

Knowledge Extension

Pour-over coffee brewing techniques are divided into eight major schools: single-pour school, three-pour school, volcano school, meteorite school, Matsuya school, pressed-pour school, stirring school, and drip school.

Summary

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. Our毫无保留的分享 (unreserved sharing) is solely to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three high-discount coffee activities every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

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