How to Brew Coffee Correctly? The Difference Between Single-Pour and Three-Stage Pour-Over Methods - How Do Different Pour-Over Techniques Affect Coffee Flavor?

FrontStreet Coffee has recently encountered some "bold yet meticulous" friends at their storefront. When ordering, they would ask: "I'd like to order two cups of coffee using the same beans, but could you use different brewing methods? I want to experience the different flavors of these beans!"

The reason these friends developed such ideas is because we often hear voices in our daily life like: "Coffee brewed with this method will be sweeter," "Coffee brewed with that method will have more juice-like qualities," and so on. FrontStreet Coffee also referenced this statement in their previous article "The Seven Schools of Pour-Over Coffee," so many friends began to nurture bold ideas and implement them at FrontStreet Coffee's storefront. So can different brewing methods really change the taste of coffee? To verify the experimental answers for these friends, FrontStreet Coffee used both one-pour and three-stage methods to brew Kaffa Forest from Ethiopia. The extraction parameters are as follows:

One-pour Three-stage

Dose 15g 15g

Grind EK43 setting 10 EK43 setting 10

Ratio 1:15 1:15

Temperature 92°C 92°C

Dripper V60 V60

Time 1 minute 50 seconds 2 minutes 01 seconds

The results showed that indeed, the Kaffa brewed with the one-pour method had brighter acidity and a lighter, cleaner mouthfeel; while the Kaffa brewed with the three-stage method had higher sweetness and more complex layers.

The Misconception About Brewing Methods

However, during conversations, FrontStreet Coffee found that these friends shared a common misconception. They placed their focus on the "brewing" aspect! They believed it was the brewing method that changed the coffee's taste. In fact, it should be the extraction parameters behind the brewing methods—time, water temperature, grind, and water pour—that affect the coffee's taste.

Substances in coffee grounds have different dissolution rates due to their varying molecular sizes. Acid, sweet, and bitter—molecules range from small to large, with acidic substances releasing relatively quickly, followed by sweet substances, while bitter substances dissolve the slowest. They collectively construct the taste of a cup of coffee. Therefore, the taste of coffee changes due to the varying proportions of these substances in the coffee.

The Limits of Brewing Adjustments

Changes in extraction parameters can indirectly control the proportions of these substances. From the parameter table above, we can see that the biggest difference between one-pour and three-stage methods lies in time. If we reduce the extraction time of the three-stage method to match that of one-pour, we can actually extract flavors with little difference.

One point to note is that these changes can only make fine adjustments based on the coffee's original flavor. Because coffee brewing is already at the very end of the coffee industry chain, what changing parameters can achieve is merely making trade-offs on already fixed results. It cannot be said to completely change the taste of coffee.

The True Factors That Influence Coffee Flavor

Just like body thickness, the coffee bean's variety, growing environment, processing method, and roast degree are the main factors that can change taste and flavor. If you want completely different taste experiences, then FrontStreet Coffee suggests expanding your horizons and making choices among different coffee beans. Their taste differences will be far greater than "differences in brewing methods."

However, FrontStreet Coffee is not saying that different brewing methods are meaningless. Different brewing methods each have their own significance. Many "optimal brewing methods" for coffee are not just theoretical, but are the final results after countless experiments and accumulated experience. What we drink in coffee shops are precisely the summarized "optimal results."