Is There a Fixed Ratio for Pour-Over Coffee Extraction? The Perfect Harmony of Coffee-to-Water Proportions

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Pour-Over Coffee Extraction Ratios

In a cup of pour-over coffee, up to 98.5% is water. To make a delicious cup of pour-over coffee, the first step is to properly manage water quality! At last month's World Brewers Cup, one of Du Jianing's secrets to winning the championship was her excellent water management. She enhanced the water's extraction capacity by adding appropriate amounts of calcium and magnesium ions, which brought out more coffee flavors.

In pour-over coffee, the coffee-to-water ratio is a crucial factor. Different ratios (the proportion of coffee grounds to water) greatly affect the coffee's flavor expression. We all know that during the pour-over coffee process, aromatic substances and acids are extracted first, followed by sweetness and caramelized compounds, while bitterness, astringency, and undesirable flavors come last. Therefore, we can express the optimal desired flavors of coffee by controlling the coffee-to-water ratio.

Generally speaking, only exceptionally high-quality coffee beans (such as micro-lot beans priced at 200 yuan or more per half-pound) are suitable for high coffee-to-water ratios (1:16-1:18). For general specialty beans (priced around 100 yuan per half-pound), a ratio of 1:13-1:15 is recommended. For ordinary commercial beans that you want to make drinkable without bitterness or astringency, it's recommended to use a ratio of 1:10-1:12. For beans with poor freshness (such as those roasted more than three months ago), most of the good flavors have already dissipated, so you might try brewing with a ratio of 1:8-1:10. If the original bean quality was high, some sweetness will still be retained.

Water temperature affects coffee extraction efficiency. High temperatures extract quickly, while low temperatures extract slowly. For example, cold drip coffee requires three to five hours to complete. For light-roast, high-quality beans, brewing at 90-95°C better expresses acidity and sweetness. For medium-roast specialty beans, using water temperatures between 85-90°C can bring out the good flavors of specialty beans. For average quality beans and medium-dark roasted beans, it's recommended to brew with water temperatures of 80-85°C. As long as the result is clean without off-flavors and with moderate body, it passes the test.

In short, don't limit yourself by using only one water temperature to brew coffee. Instead, set the temperature according to the bean quality/roast degree and the flavors you wish to express.

Knowledge point: Pour-over coffee is highly versatile. Dark-roasted espresso blends can also be used for pour-over, but if you truly want to experience the charm of pour-over coffee, it's recommended to choose specialty beans with cupping scores above 80 points.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a research-focused coffee establishment dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unconditional sharing is aimed at helping more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three coffee promotion events with significant discounts each month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to enable more friends to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible prices. This has been our mission for the past six years!

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