What Does One-Pour Coffee Brewing Mean? Differences Between One-Pour and Three-Stage Pour-Over Methods

When it comes to pour-over water distribution, some prefer a single continuous pour, others favor a two-stage approach, and then there's the "universal" three-stage method commonly used by FrontStreet Coffee.

A few days ago, as FrontStreet Coffee was pouring water during brewing, a customer expressed curiosity: "Why don't you use the single-pour method? Is it because it's too simple?" They mentioned that when brewing coffee at home, they always use the single-pour method, finding it straightforward and direct, while most baristas prefer the three-stage approach. This led them to wonder if perhaps the three-stage method requires more advanced technique.

What is the "Single-Pour Method"?

Due to its name, many beginners confuse the single-pour method with the single-dose technique. The single-dose technique refers to achieving the target water volume in one continuous pour, which is commonly known as "single-dose." The "single-pour method," however, refers to pouring all remaining hot water in one go after the bloom, totaling two stages. The name originates from Japanese swordsmanship schools. Because the brewing theory is straightforward and easy to understand, it's often one of the first techniques beginners encounter. The "multi-pour method" is derived from this single-pour approach.

Generally, the bloom has become widely accepted as standard practice, so the distinction between single-pour and "multi-pour" (or stage-by-stage) methods is determined by whether there's a pause in water flow during the main extraction phase after the bloom. If the post-bloom pouring is divided into several stages, it becomes a "multi-pour" method. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's commonly used three-stage method consists of bloom + 2 pouring stages, which would be considered a "two-pour method."

Comparing Single-Pour and Three-Stage Methods with the Same Coffee Beans

To identify the differences, FrontStreet Coffee experimented using the same batch of washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans, employing both single-pour and three-stage extraction methods to observe any variations. The grind setting was 80% through a #20 sieve (EK43s grinder setting 10), using 15g of coffee grounds with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature at 92°C, and a plastic V60 dripper.

After brewing and comparison, it was found that the three-stage method resulted in a level coffee bed with evenly distributed grounds along the filter walls, while the single-pour method produced a flatter bed with grounds mainly concentrated at the bottom.

Single-Pour Method: 30g + 195g, water pouring stopped at 1 minute 28 seconds, total time 1 minute 58 seconds. The flavor profile was dominated by lemon acidity and citrus aromas, with a clean and clear taste, relatively light body, and a short finish.

Three-Stage Method: 30g + 95g + 100g, water pouring stopped at 1 minute 31 seconds, extraction time 2 minutes 8 seconds. The flavor profile included floral notes, citrus, lemon, and green tea, with more layers, full fruit acidity, noticeable sweetness, and a lasting aftertaste.

Why Use the Three-Stage Pouring Method?

The most obvious result of adding an extra water stage is the additional pause for intervals, approximately ten more seconds of extraction time, thereby extending the contact between coffee grounds and water. Secondly, pour-over brewing is essentially a process of rinsing and stirring, where the water stream causes the coffee grounds to tumble within the dripper, thereby enhancing the extraction of flavor compounds. Taking the two sets of data above as examples, the staged rinsing duration was more than 10 seconds longer than the non-staged approach.

If you're a beginner with average water flow control and not yet refined technique, staged pouring can help you compensate for mistakes caused by "carelessness" as needed. For example, if the initial pouring takes longer than planned, you can increase the water flow in subsequent pours to bring the extraction time back into balance. FrontStreet Coffee frequently uses the three-stage method because it's the result of comprehensive consideration, striving for stability, ease of learning, and high versatility.

Why is the Seemingly Simple Single-Pour Method Actually More Difficult?

Since the single-pour method has only one main extraction stage and doesn't require timing pauses in water flow, the stability and size of the water stream become critical factors affecting the final cup of coffee, making stricter demands on the fundamental pouring technique. Therefore, the single-pour method is very suitable for beginners just starting with pour-over coffee to practice. With the same parameters, if you can't achieve the same flavor, it can only be due to pouring technique issues.

For advanced brewers, mastering the bloom time is the key to controlling the single-pour method. As everyone knows, the 30-second bloom rule is just a reference - we need to adjust according to the coffee's resting period after roasting to ensure the coffee grounds fully absorb water. For example, when FrontStreet Coffee brews beans that have been rested for 2-3 days after roasting, using only a 30-second bloom while simultaneously employing the single-pour method, continuous bubbles appear during the extraction process, and the coffee exhibits a thin body and sharp acidity - likely due to incomplete blooming.

Therefore, there's no standard answer for how many stages to divide your pour. Whether single-pour or three-stage, both must consider the coffee beans and other parameters of the entire brewing plan. If your coffee beans aren't high-quality or your grind setting isn't precise, any technique can easily produce unpleasant negative flavors.

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