Are Pour-Over Coffee Methods and Techniques Important? How Can One Learn Coffee Brewing Methods?

For many beginners, the brewing method is considered crucial for making a delicious cup of coffee. This is because for those new to the world of coffee, the most accessible and imitable objects are the baristas in coffee shops.

I still remember when I first started with pour-over coffee. The lowest learning cost was "stealing techniques" – going to a coffee shop, ordering a cup of coffee, and then staring intently at the barista's movements: "grinding, visually examining the coarseness of the coffee grounds (which proved to be unforgettable), pouring water, circling once, twice (silently counting), and calculating how long it took. This part I was quite smart about – pulling out my phone and opening the timer."

Then I would go back and continuously review and practice. Of course, with the developed internet today, we can随时 access teaching videos from coffee experts and constantly learn from them.

The Form vs. The Essence

Back then, when I didn't understand anything, the coffee I brewed was indeed undrinkable, while what others brewed was truly delicious. With such contrast, the brewing technique naturally became the most important factor affecting coffee taste. Watching the elegant brewing performances of baristas in videos, beginners' "ultimate goal" on their coffee journey became mastering that set of technical skills.

"Here I must really praise Japanese pour-over coffee. When I watched videos back then, I was completely captivated by the baristas' water control techniques and elegant movements, to the extent that for a long time, all I could see was water control!"

The above is what FrontStreet Coffee would call "form." In Jin Yong's novels, Yang Guo learned the moves of the Dog-Beating Staff technique under Hong Qigong's instruction, but without the support of the internal mental method, he couldn't master the technique. Later, after receiving the mental method from Huang Rong, Yang Guo completely mastered the Dog-Beating Staff technique! The moves of the Dog-Beating Staff technique are the "form," while the mental method is the "core" or "essence." Only by truly understanding the essence of pour-over coffee brewing, combined with the "form" of pour-over, can one unleash its power. Having only the "form" can only deceive outsiders.

The Essence of Coffee Extraction

The essence of coffee extraction is the coordination of various parameters: coffee grind size, water temperature for brewing, the coffee-to-water ratio, and understanding of the coffee beans.

Imagine this: when you've only learned the operational techniques of brewing coffee, you use the same brewing method for any coffee bean. Perhaps your water control technique is perfect and your movements are standard. But the final coffee taste may not necessarily be good. For different coffees, adopting brewing schemes that can highlight their characteristics is what truly showcases the flavor profiles of the coffee.

The Importance of Technique

Returning to the original question, are brewing methods and techniques really important? For beginners who have never been exposed to coffee and want to take their first step, it is indeed very important. There will be a break-in period during practice. Initially, it's very normal to perform poorly in holding the kettle and pouring water. However, according to FrontStreet Coffee's observations, it only takes about half a month for beginners to go from knowing nothing to being basically able to steadily control water in circular motions.

If, after mastering the basic "form," your perspective shifts – "no longer focusing on the barista's movements, but rather understanding and digesting their brewing parameters" – then you have truly taken a big step from "0" to "1."

Of course, anyone would cast envious glances at baristas with extremely stable water control when their own water control is terrible.

Important Notice :

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