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Will Baristas Lose Their Jobs? What Are the Standard Pour-Over Coffee Brewing Methods - Water Temperature, Grind, and Ratio?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, In today's era of rapid artificial intelligence development, autonomous vehicles are already on the schedule, and robotic arms replacing human hands to make coffee have already emerged. FrontStreet Coffee has previously shared many brewing techniques and conducted preliminary analyses, including standard and scientific brewing methods, as well as on-the-spot adaptations based on actual problems and practical analysis

The Evolution of Coffee Brewing: Human Skill Meets Machine Precision

In today's era of rapid artificial intelligence development, autonomous vehicles are already on the schedule, and robotic arms replacing human hands to produce coffee have already emerged.

FrontStreet Coffee has previously shared numerous brewing techniques and conducted superficial analyses, including standard and scientific brewing methods as well as adaptive brewing techniques that analyze practical problems on the spot. However, whether the techniques appear simple or complex, the unchanging purpose is always to brew a good cup of coffee.

Besides technique, the parameters that can alter flavor in brewing are none other than grind size, water temperature, and ratio. Yet these few parameters alone have stumped a large number of people. When you add the circular pour-over technique that looks similar to everyone but actually differs greatly in practice—such as "pouring a few extra circles" or "pouring too quickly"—there is no standard answer for circular pouring in reality. Everyone relies on feeling, and humans themselves represent the greatest source of instability.

Therefore, machines demonstrate their advantages in stability. Theoretically, as long as the correct grind, water temperature, ratio, and pouring style are set, producing 100 cups of coffee with exactly the same flavor is not difficult.

The Science Behind Perfect Extraction

In the Advanced Gold Cup Extraction course, there is an exam that requires brewing coffee with specified extraction rates and concentrations—that is, producing three cups of coffee with the same specified extraction rate but different concentrations (the three cups also have specified concentration ranges). Brewing a cup of coffee you like is not difficult, nor does it require too deep an understanding. However, to pass that exam, you must understand brewing variables and control them, which involves knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

The Future of Coffee Brewing: Human Insight Meets Machine Efficiency

Many people have fantasized about the future world—cyberpunk, steampunk, wasteland technology, spiritual ascension... artificial intelligence replacing human labor, and even prototype machines for pour-over coffee have been demonstrated. FrontStreet Coffee irresponsibly makes a bold prediction: when basic salary levels are generally higher than machine costs, frontline baristas engaged in mechanized coffee production will be laid off.

However, the barista profession will not disappear. The remaining baristas will be those who have a thorough understanding of coffee and a comprehensive grasp of various brewing parameters. They will retreat behind the scenes to formulate and adjust brewing plans, leaving the actual operation to machines. (Don't think this is fanciful—like the mythical Jingwei filling the sea or Chang'e flying to the moon, haven't these been realized today?)

If you agree with FrontStreet Coffee's perspective, you will understand that learning hand-pouring techniques to be as stable as a machine is important, but learning to think and understand is even more crucial.

The True Value of Coffee Mastery

Techniques and water control can be achieved through continuous practice and have never been skills that baristas can boast about. Trust FrontStreet Coffee—if you spend 20 minutes daily holding a kettle and controlling water flow, you can basically master it within a month. However, understanding is a lifelong learning process. Looking back at brewing theories from 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and 3 years ago, innovations have constantly emerged. Understanding what changes occur in coffee when you "pour one extra circle" or "pour too quickly" is much more difficult and important than mastering the operation of brewing coffee.

Of course, for friends who love pour-over coffee, it's impossible for machines to replace hand-pouring. The essence of pour-over coffee lies in the process. Perhaps in time, pour-over coffee will become today's "tea ceremony"—a cultural phenomenon.