What Factors Affect Coffee Brewing Time? How Long Does Hand-Drip Coffee Typically Take?

Brew time is an important parameter for pour-over coffee, but unlike other parameters, it cannot be set independently. Instead, it is influenced by other parameters that can be adjusted to achieve an optimal time range. Therefore, whether the extraction time is reasonable also reflects the rationality of these parameters. So what are the parameters that affect extraction time?

Pouring Method

Many friends might ask FrontStreet Coffee about the standard time for brewing a cup of coffee. In fact, different pouring methods have different standards for extraction time. Assuming we use 15g of coffee as the baseline, the extraction time for a single-pour method (one continuous pour after bloom) is approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds; while the extraction time for a three-pour method (three separate pours after bloom) is approximately 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

When using the same pouring method to brew coffee, extraction time becomes a meaningful reference. For example, when purchasing coffee beans, the shop typically provides brewing suggestions. If you brew coffee according to the recommended parameters but find that the extraction time differs significantly from the time provided by the shop, there might be an issue with your pouring technique.

If the pouring flow is too fast, the extraction time may be shortened; if the pouring flow is too slow, the extraction time may be extended. Therefore, you can adjust your pouring based on differences in extraction time.

Coffee Amount

The more coffee grounds you use, the more water you'll need at the same coffee-to-water ratio, and consequently, the longer the extraction time. For example, brewing 20 grams of coffee grounds takes slightly longer than brewing 15 grams. FrontStreet Coffee uses a three-pour method, with an extraction time of about 2 minutes for 15 grams of coffee; using the same method for 20 grams of coffee results in an extraction time of about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

The coffee-to-water ratio directly affects the total amount of water poured, and the more water poured, the longer the extraction time. Again, using 15 grams of coffee grounds as an example: if using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio (225ml of water), the extraction time with the three-pour method is approximately 2 minutes; if using a 1:18 ratio (270ml of water), the extraction time with the same method is approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Grind Size

The coarseness of coffee particles affects the extraction time of pour-over coffee. Coffee grounds in the filter serve to resist water flow. When coffee is ground coarser, there are larger gaps between the particles, allowing water to pass through more quickly, resulting in a shorter extraction time.

When coffee is ground finer, the gaps between particles are narrower, causing water to pass through more slowly, resulting in a longer extraction time.

As we all know, the grind size for pour-over coffee should be neither too coarse nor too fine, but many vendors only give vague answers like "raw sugar size." However, by combining this with the extraction time provided by vendors, you can determine the precise coarseness of your coffee grind more accurately.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473