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Pour Over Coffee: Outer Circle or Inner Circle? Does Circle Size Affect Coffee Flavor?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Generally, pour over coffee brewing methods primarily use circular pouring techniques. The advantage of this approach is that it can extract the entire coffee ground layer relatively evenly. So should you brew with larger circles or smaller circles? This experiment uses FrontStreet Coffee's newly launched Costa Rica Mirazu Estate Geisha Blend, with specific details as follows: Region Costa Rica Tarrazu Estate Mirazu Estate

The general pour-over coffee technique typically involves circular pouring, which allows for more even extraction of the entire coffee bed. But when brewing, should you use a large circular motion or a small circular motion?

Coffee Information

This experiment uses Costa Rica Mirazhu Geisha Blend, newly available at FrontStreet Coffee, with the following specifications:

Region: Tarrazú, Costa Rica
Estate: Mirazhu Estate
Altitude: 1,700 meters
Variety: Geisha Blend
Processing: Raisin Honey Process
Roast Level: Medium-Light
Flavor Notes: Rose, Strawberry, Raisin, Almond

Brewing Parameters

Coffee Dose: 15g
Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium-Fine (78% pass-through on #20 sieve)
Water Temperature: 91°C
Dripper: V60 #01
Brewing Method: Single Pour

Brewing Process

This experiment employed a single pour technique. For the first group, a small circular pouring motion was used, beginning with 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, followed by pouring in a coin-sized circular motion until reaching 225g.

Throughout the brewing process, the water stream maintained a coin-sized circular pattern. The white foam on the coffee bed remained within this circular range. After brewing, the coffee bed walls were relatively thick with a deeper depression. Total extraction time was 1 minute 37 seconds.

The second group used a large circular pouring motion, also beginning with 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pouring in large circular motions without touching the filter paper until reaching 225g.

It was observed that during the large circular pouring after blooming, the foam presented a "ring" pattern. As the water level in the coffee bed rose, it brought golden foam to the entire surface. After brewing, the coffee bed walls were relatively thin and shallow. Total extraction time was 1 minute 40 seconds.

Flavor Comparison

Group 1 (Small Circles)	Group 2 (Large Circles)
TDS: 1.26%	TDS: 1.24%
Strong raisin aroma, tasting of strawberry jam and raisin sweetness, with concentrated flavors and a finish with hints of almond and nutty notes.	Fresher rose floral and berry aromas, with brighter acidity and prominent berry flavors. Overall acidity is noticeably present.

It's clear that using small circles results in more concentrated coffee flavors, highlighting the sweetness of light-roast coffee with a more substantial mouthfeel. Large circles, however, produce more acidic flavors with a lighter, thinner mouthfeel. When brewing with conical drippers, even though the large circular motion appears to avoid touching the filter paper on the surface, the water stream has impact force and can potentially hit the ridges at the edge of the coffee bed, causing water to flow along these ridges and resulting in incomplete extraction.

Therefore, when brewing coffee with conical drippers, FrontStreet Coffee recommends starting from the center and pouring outward in circular motions, then gradually returning to the center point. This technique ensures more even extraction and more balanced flavors in your coffee.