Three-Stage Pouring Technique for Pour-Over Coffee: Process Steps and Which Coffee Beans Are Suitable for the Three-Stage Method

Pouring methods have always been a key topic of discussion among pour-over coffee enthusiasts. Friends familiar with FrontStreet Coffee know that we have consistently used a three-stage pouring method. Some might wonder, "Wouldn't this XX coffee bean taste better if brewed with YY method? Why don't you optimize it?"

Using different pouring methods can indeed make coffee flavors manifest differently, and some brewing methods perform exceptionally well with specific coffee beans. The three-stage pouring method may not be the best way to express coffee flavors, but it is certainly the most adaptable and simplest method to extract the inherent flavors that coffee grounds should provide.

Friends who have visited FrontStreet Coffee's storefront must have been amazed by our extensive bean selection. FrontStreet Coffee's single store offers over fifty different coffee beans. If we had to customize a unique pouring method for each of these beans, we would need at least 7 to 8 different pouring techniques. Therefore, a versatile pouring method that can accommodate most coffee beans becomes particularly important.

The three-stage method is compatible with light, medium, and dark roast coffee beans, striking a balance between flavor and mouthfeel. Most importantly, it's beginner-friendly, easy to master, and suitable for the vast majority of coffee beans.

The Three-Stage Pouring Method

FrontStreet Coffee will first briefly introduce the three-stage pouring method. As the name suggests, the three-stage method divides the total water volume into three segments: including the first stage of blooming pour and the subsequent two stages of extraction pours.

The main factor affecting water distribution is the coffee-to-water ratio. Taking 15 grams of coffee grounds as an example, FrontStreet Coffee uses a 1:15 ratio with the following water allocation: first stage 30ml (blooming), second stage 100ml, third stage 95ml.

Using a 1:16 ratio, FrontStreet Coffee would use: first stage 30ml (blooming), second stage 120ml, third stage 90ml.

Advantages of the Three-Stage Method

Why is the three-stage method particularly suitable for beginners? This is because novices often struggle with controlling water flow rate. If one chooses a single-pour method where, after blooming, all remaining water is poured into the filter cup at once, then if the pour is too fast, the extraction time becomes too short, or if the pour is too slow, the extraction time becomes too long—there's no way to remedy the situation.

The three-stage method, however, creates an additional observation opportunity. When the second stage pour ends, one can observe the rate at which the water level drops and calculate whether the total extraction time is reasonable based on the corresponding timing. If you notice that the initial water flow was too strong and the coffee bed was lifted too high, the third stage requires using a smaller water flow for slow pouring to ensure proper extraction time.

If you find that the second stage pour took too much time, then the third stage pour needs to increase the water flow to avoid over-extraction.

So why not divide it into more stages? Wouldn't that provide more judgment opportunities? This involves the issue of pouring timing. The more stages you divide into, the more time points you need to judge for pouring, which greatly increases brewing instability. Therefore, striving for stability, simplicity, and versatility makes three stages an ideal compromise.

The three-stage method requires judgment of pouring timing only for the third stage, because the second stage begins pouring 30 seconds after blooming, meaning the second stage pour is basically fixed at the 30-second mark (varying according to blooming duration). The third stage requires judgment based on actual conditions. To understand the timing for the third stage pour, you can click this link "Timing Judgment for Segmented Pouring"!

The three-stage pouring method can express the flavor, complexity, and mouthfeel of most coffee beans. For coffee beans with different roast levels, simply adjust these two parameters: water temperature and grind size. For light to medium roast coffee beans, use water temperature of 90-93°C with fine pour-over grind (75-80% pass-through rate on #20 sieve); for medium to dark roast coffee beans, use water temperature of 86-89°C with medium pour-over grind (70-75% pass-through rate on #20 sieve).

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473