What are the different pour-over coffee brewing methods? What are the differences between four-six pour, volcano pour, one-knife flow, and three-stage stirring method? How to use them?

It's common to see this statement online: different brewing methods can give coffee distinct characteristics. For example, some brewing methods can make coffee sweeter, while others can give coffee a richer mouthfeel...

In fact, this statement is not an exaggeration, as brewing methods involve changing extraction parameters such as water temperature, ratio, time, and grind size! These changes affect the quantity of substances dissolved from the coffee, thereby creating different characteristic expressions. Different people use different brewing methods based on their preferences! Currently, there are seven main brewing methods for pour-over coffee (in FrontStreet Coffee's opinion)! Now, FrontStreet Coffee will share the advantages of these seven brewing methods and what characteristics the resulting coffee will have! (The subheadings are links to detailed articles about each brewing method - if you're interested in a particular method, you can click directly to jump to it)

1. One-Stream Method

The one-stream method might be one of the most familiar brewing methods for many people besides the three-stage method. This is because its brewing theory is simple and easy to understand - you only need to pour the remaining target water in one continuous flow without interruption after the bloom~

However, due to the character "one" in its name, many people often mistakenly think this brewing method doesn't involve blooming and directly pours all hot water in what's called a "single-pour" method. But in reality, it's precisely because the entire pouring process is divided into two stages, much like being cut into two sections by a single knife, that it can be called the "one-stream method."

Because the one-stream method has few interruptions, the overall extraction time is relatively short. And because there isn't much technique intervention, it can more directly and stably express the coffee's original flavor. Additionally, coffee brewed with the one-stream method has characteristics of light mouthfeel and bright acidity. However, the disadvantages are also obvious - because it's poured all at once, there aren't many opportunities for correction! Therefore, when using the one-stream method, you still need a certain level of proficiency in controlling water flow, otherwise, it will be easy to encounter under-extraction.

2. Three-Stage Method

The "three-stage method" is the pouring method that FrontStreet Coffee most commonly uses! The so-called three-stage method means dividing the total water pour into three stages during brewing: bloom, plus two stages of main extraction.

The reason FrontStreet Coffee focuses on using the three-stage method is that, compared to other pouring methods, it allows more room for error and has wider applicability. If we encounter problems during the extraction process, such as the hot water draining too quickly or too slowly, we can make timely adjustments by modifying the next pour of hot water. And because the temperature of the coffee bed continuously fluctuates during brewing, coffee brewed with the three-stage method will have a richer layered experience and very prominent flavors.

3. 4:6 Method

The 4:6 method was developed by World Brewer's Cup champion Tetsu Kasuya and involves up to five pouring stages! Although there are many stages, compared to the first two methods, the pouring difficulty is actually not as high. This is because Mr. Tetsu Kasuya invented the 4:6 method around the concept of "everyone can brew delicious coffee." Therefore, when you use the 4:6 method, you don't need a deep understanding of water control or brewing! Just follow the formula, and you can extract a delicious pot of coffee.

Mr. Tetsu Kasuya's brilliance lies in breaking down the brewing challenge. The first two pours account for 40% of the total water volume, and they determine the final flavor direction of the coffee. For example, if you want more acidity, pour more water in the first stage; if you want more sweetness, allocate more of this 40% total water volume to the second pour!

The remaining three pours account for 60% of the total water volume, and they determine the mouthfeel of the coffee! Similarly, whether you want the coffee to be richer or lighter, you can achieve the desired result by adjusting the distribution of water poured in these stages.

4. Volcano Pour

The volcano pour is a very classic Japanese pouring method! It gets its name because during the pouring process, the coffee bed displays a shape resembling a volcanic eruption due to the continuous injection of hot water.

Because this brewing method has a relatively long extraction time, the resulting coffee will have a very rich mouthfeel. And because the extraction efficiency throughout the process isn't too high, the coffee is not only rich but also has high sweetness. Most importantly, the entire brewing process is highly观赏性 (visually appealing)! The only drawback is that this brewing method is selective about beans and is not very suitable for brewing light roast coffee.

5. Variable Temperature Brewing

Many friends might frequently brew over-extracted coffee due to habit or the quality of their grinder. So-called over-extraction means dissolving excessive substances from the coffee, causing unpleasant bitter and miscellaneous flavors. In situations like this, variable temperature brewing will be an excellent choice.

Variable temperature brewing means using hot water with significant temperature differences in a single brew session. High-temperature hot water is used for extraction in the early stages, while slightly cooler hot water is used for extraction in the middle and later stages. This approach can reduce the extraction rate in the middle and later stages, avoiding the massive release of bitter substances, allowing the coffee to have a high-sweetness expression~

6. Stirring Method

Whether it's the three-stage method or the one-stream method, during the pouring process, we use circular movements to let the water column stir the coffee grounds layer. This is because it can increase extraction efficiency during brewing and accelerate the dissolution of coffee substances by hot water. The stirring method has a similar effect, with the difference being that it involves manually stirring the grounds layer rather than using water flow.

This method can dissolve more aromatic substances from the coffee grounds in a short time, making it very suitable for situations where extraction efficiency is limited. However, as the saying goes, "greater risks yield greater rewards," and stirring is a double-edged sword! When there are too many stirring movements and extraction efficiency is too high, the coffee will very easily become over-extracted. Therefore, the application of the stirring method requires users to have a high understanding of coffee extraction.

7. Drip Method

Finally, there's the drip method~ This is a classic Japanese brewing method, just like the volcano pour! This brewing method differs from conventional methods because it first uses water droplets to bloom the coffee grounds for an extended time. Only after the carbon dioxide hidden in the coffee grounds is completely expelled does it transition to using a water stream for extraction.

Similarly, because the extraction time is longer, the brewed coffee will have a very rich mouthfeel. However, the difficulty of the drip method lies in its high demand on the barista's water control ability - it requires continuously dripping hot water in the form of droplets, so the difficulty is very high and requires repeated practice.

Alright, these seven are the brewing methods that FrontStreet Coffee considers relatively mainstream~ So, which school do you belong to?

- END -

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473