Home Pour-Over Coffee Brewing Techniques Tutorial: The Impact of Coffee Grind Size on Flavor

Yesterday, as FrontStreet Coffee was focused on pouring water over coffee grounds in the filter, an observing friend raised a question about home pour-over: "明明是同一款咖啡豆，为什么自己在家里冲跟店里喝到的差别这么大？怎么调整都不对味，到底是哪个环节出了问题？"

As this friend described, since it's the same beans being brewed, the problem should lie in extraction. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee will explore today what factors might cause poor-tasting home pour-over coffee.

Have You Really Got the Coffee Grind Size Right?

Pour-over coffee, as a filtration extraction method, has its quality directly affected by the size and uniformity of particles. The finer the grind, the greater the resistance to water flow through the coffee grounds, thereby extending the contact time between water and coffee, which more easily leads to over-extraction resulting in bitterness, saltiness, acidity, and astringency. Conversely, the coarser the grind, the smaller the water flow resistance, and too short contact time between water and coffee will lead to under-extraction, resulting in a weak taste. Therefore, learning to judge the coarseness of grind while ensuring uniformity is crucial.

The difference between coffee with many fine particles and coffee with fines removed

For different roasting levels, extraction methods, and flavor preferences, FrontStreet Coffee has corresponding grind size recommendations, with fine sugar and coarse sugar being the most commonly used for pour-over. Some friends judge by visual observation, thinking that as long as the coffee particle size roughly meets the sugar coarseness, they start brewing, only to find that the final stage becomes clogged and water drains slowly, which is often caused by excessive fine particles.

The better the quality of the grinder, the more concentrated the coffee particle size distribution, with fewer coarse and fine particles, resulting in more even extraction. Similarly, if the grinder's grinding quality is average, there will be many fine particles and many coarse particles. Even if the sieving rate meets standards, during the brewing process, fine particles will quickly absorb water and sink to the bottom, while coarse particles float on the surface, causing slow drainage and uneven extraction.

Fine particles and coarse particles

Therefore, when you find the flavor off while drinking your own brewed coffee, you can first observe the particle size of the coffee bed (the coffee crater). Are there obvious large particles? Is it muddy (too many fine particles)? Then recall whether the drainage speed during brewing was too fast or too slow? Identify the reasons for the poor-tasting coffee through this troubleshooting approach.

"Conservative" Parameters and Techniques Are the Foundation for Beginners Learning to Brew Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee always emphasizes the importance of brewing parameters because various basic parameters have interlocking effects on extraction, and using auxiliary tools can make the brewing process more data-driven. This way, when the coffee doesn't taste good, there's a traceable reason.

The setting of these brewing parameters revolves around four basic factors: coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, water temperature, and extraction time, which FrontStreet Coffee has summarized in multiple articles. In terms of technique, FrontStreet Coffee has always recommended the three-stage extraction method because with suitable parameters, this method can more fully extract the pleasant flavor compounds in the front and middle stages, while also appropriately extracting the bitter flavor compounds in the later stage to enhance the coffee's body.

Sometimes, you might see some brewing tutorials online, such as "rotating" or "stirring" during the blooming stage, with different brewing techniques paired with specific parameters to enhance certain aspects of coffee taste. However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that for beginners, rather than challenging these uncertain flashy techniques, it's better to focus on exploring how to extract appropriate flavor compounds from 15-20 grams of coffee grounds within 1 minute 50 seconds to 2 minutes 20 seconds. Once you understand the principles, it's not too late to challenge more advanced techniques.

Finally, A Potentially Overlooked Factor: Water Quality

According to research by some mainstream institutions, water containing appropriate amounts of calcium and magnesium ions produces coffee with better taste and texture. However, if there are too many magnesium ions, the coffee will tend to be bitter; if there are too many calcium ions, the coffee taste will become complex and astringent.

So when you find that regardless of which coffee beans you use, and you've got all the brewing parameters and techniques right, but every cup of coffee made with your home filtered water still has negative flavors, the problem likely lies in the water, which constitutes the largest proportion. At this point, FrontStreet Coffee suggests trying common brands like Nongfu Spring on the market, with a TDS value around 50ppm, to see if the flavor and texture improve.

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FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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