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What Are the Three Main Coffee Brewing Methods? Three-Stage Pour-Over Determines Flavor

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange for more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Pour-Over Coffee Extraction Introduction. Coffee brewing methods include more than just three types, common ones include: espresso brewing, pour-over brewing, and siphon brewing. ① Wet the filter paper with water: Before brewing coffee, first place the folded filter paper in the filter cup, and place the filter cup on the coffee mug.

FrontStreet Coffee - Pour-over Coffee Extraction Guide

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

Coffee brewing methods are not limited to just three types; common ones include: espresso brewing, pour-over brewing, and siphon brewing.

Step-by-Step Pour-over Coffee Brewing Process

① Rinse the filter paper: Before brewing coffee, first place the folded filter paper into the filter cup and put the filter cup on the coffee cup. Pour hot water into the filter cup to wet the filter paper, remove any paper taste, and simultaneously rinse and warm both the filter cup and coffee cup.

② Grind beans: Pour out the hot water that was just poured into the cup. Now you can start grinding coffee beans. Generally speaking, for 300ml of coffee, you'll need approximately 20g of coffee beans.

③ Add grounds: Pour the ground coffee into the filter cup lined with the prepared filter paper.

④ Bloom: The bloom. Using a pour-over kettle, add water evenly and gently until the coffee grounds are just submerged. This step is called blooming and typically lasts for 20-25 seconds. At this time, you'll see the coffee grounds bubbling as the coffee particles release carbon dioxide. The gaps formed between bubbles create a uniform filtration layer in the coffee grounds, providing the necessary space for hot water to pass through.

The quality of the bloom affects the formation of the filtration layer, directly impacting extraction quality. A poor bloom will result in unclean coffee flavors, predominantly sour and astringent, making it difficult to express the coffee's inherent characteristics. The texture will be thin with a stimulating sensation, and the aftertaste won't be rich enough.

⑤ First pour: After blooming, begin the first pour using the center point of the coffee grounds as the center, drawing circles with a larger water flow and allowing the water to rise above the coffee grounds. Remember not to let the water stream directly touch the filter paper, and keep the circles within 1 centimeter of the coffee grounds' edge. Maintain the water flow height at approximately 3-4 centimeters above the coffee grounds surface. The first pour should account for 60% of the total water volume.

The most important aspect of pour-over brewing is water flow control; both the speed and force of pouring are crucial. This is the technical key point of this method. The goal is to fully saturate the coffee grounds in water, and having water above the grounds helps ensure even water flow through the coffee when adding more water. The finer the water flow, the more thorough the extraction.

⑥ Second pour: After the first pour, pause briefly. Before the water in the coffee grounds completely drains, begin the second pour using the same method as the first pour, accounting for 30% of the water volume.

After the second pour, pause briefly again. Before the water in the coffee grounds completely drains, begin the third pour using the same method as the first pour, accounting for 10% of the water volume.

Knowledge Point

Compared to single-pour brewing, this three-pour method creates richer layers, allowing you to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. The method involves increasing the water volume with each pour after blooming, typically pouring when the coffee liquid is about to drop to the surface level of the grounds, using small, medium, and large water flows for three-stage extraction.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation just to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discounted coffee events each month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price—this has been our mission for the past 6 years!