The 5 Essential Elements of Pour-Over Coffee: Grind Size, Water-to-Coffee Ratio, and Brewing Temperature

Why?

Why?

These simple three words, we might ask ourselves hundreds of times a day (exaggeration).

If you don't believe me, let me count them for you.

"Why does the morning alarm always ring so timely?"

"Why do I have to work today?"

"Why does a week pass so quickly?"

... (silly smile)

After a series of struggles, we almost always arrive at our workplaces just on time, nearly late.

Then, I believe most people are like me, using a cup of coffee to awaken their spirit for the day.

Those whose work allows for it, like myself as a writer (awkward smile.jpg), will pull out their "equipment" to complete this awakening ritual. Translation: take out their own coffee tools.

Some people like to simply drink drip coffee bags because they're convenient and quick. They can be prepared quickly and then enjoyed slowly. The most important thing is that the preparation process is fast enough. After all, the supervisor & boss are watching, and there's a meeting about to start!

Others prefer to drink pour-over coffee because the boss & supervisor haven't arrived yet, and it creates a sense of ritual.

Boiling water, rinsing filter paper and filter cup, weighing beans, grinding, brewing, and occasionally receiving praise from colleagues: "Wow, your coffee smells so good!"

Yes, it smells fragrant~ but it doesn't necessarily taste good (bitter), always feeling like something is missing.

Friends often ask: "The coffee smells so fragrant, but it tastes different from what the barista makes! What am I missing??"

Let me guess if I'm right: did you go with a "Buddhist-style" brewing approach again today?

Approximate water-to-coffee ratio; approximate water temperature; approximate grind size; and even approximate brewing time.

???

After typing these "approximate" words, the writer almost fainted at the keyboard (dog head emoji).

So today, I hope to briefly elaborate on several methods to make your homemade pour-over coffee taste better.

After all, making good coffee truly requires certain constraints~

/ 1 /

Buy coffee beans that match your brewing equipment

For example: if you're using an espresso machine, it's recommended not to choose beans meant for pour-over when purchasing coffee beans. Because pour-over coffee beans typically emphasize the fruit aromas and natural bright acidity of coffee itself, they generally lean toward light roast. Light-roasted beans used for espresso will likely be very acidic.

Extended reading: Due to the low roast level of pour-over beans, the beans have higher density and hardness, and using espresso grind settings can cause certain wear to the grinder (damaging the burrs).

/ 2 /

Appropriate water temperature

For dark roast coffee, I personally recommend brewing at lower temperatures (86-88°C), while for light roast coffee, it's recommended to brew at higher temperatures (90-93°C).

Of course, the temperature suggestions I provide are merely recommendations~

/ 3 /

Appropriate water-to-coffee ratio

Impression-wise, many people don't actually understand the water-to-coffee ratio and keep "memorizing by rote."

Like memorizing multiplication tables, they always struggle with their water usage each time.

Let me give a simple example: brewing an Ethiopian natural process bean, planning to use a 1:15 ratio with 15 grams of coffee beans, then 15 x 15 = 225, meaning you need 225 grams of water.

Different water-to-coffee ratios greatly affect the taste of coffee~ I suggest everyone experiment with different ratios based on understanding to find the taste that suits them~

One thing is actually very important: prepare a digital scale. Prepare a digital scale. Prepare a digital scale. (repeated three times)

OVER!

/ 4 /

Appropriate grind size

You might ask: how can I know what grind size I should use for my coffee equipment?

Honestly, there's no one-size-fits-all method. This requires fine-tuning within a certain range.

If during brewing, the water flows too slowly and the coffee tastes very bitter (possibly over-extracted), then you need to grind coarser. If the water flows too quickly (possibly under-extracted) and the coffee tastes very acidic, then you need to grind finer.

/ 5 /

Appropriate brewing time

Time constraints are a good way to determine the speed of coffee brewing because they help you make adjustments.

Friendly reminder: your phone's built-in timer can help.

Ok, OK, I promised a "brief" introduction at the beginning, but accidentally went on for so long.

Your homemade coffee not tasting as good as a barista's largely depends on whether you're using the "right" method.

Being too "Buddhist-style" without operational constraints will likely result in not achieving optimal coffee flavors~

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473