Can You Brew Pour-Over Coffee with an Espresso Machine? How to Make Pour-Over Coffee? What Grind Size Should You Use for Pour-Over Coffee?

The idea struck yesterday, while FrontStreet Coffee was replacing the gasket on the espresso machine and noticed that the group head size looked remarkably similar to a dripper. Curious, they took out a V60 for comparison.

The diameters were identical - a perfect match. Then a bold idea emerged: could this pour-over coffee be brewed using the espresso machine?

Theoretical Feasibility

Setting aside whether coffee brewed on an espresso machine can still be called pour-over, let's first consider whether it is feasible. Theoretically it is, because most espresso machines allow temperature adjustment, which can fully meet the extraction temperature that pour-over requires. The hot water is also freely controllable, and it dispenses over a wide area as droplets, which can actually give a more even extraction. The one drawback is that because the water drips straight down, it lacks penetrating power and cannot agitate the coffee bed. That lack of agitation lowers overall extraction efficiency, which can leave the coffee under-extracted.

Fortunately, that shortcoming can be offset by adjusting other parameters - raising the water temperature, grinding finer, or extending the extraction time. We can also use an external tool for physical agitation. In short, it is theoretically feasible. So without further ado, while the shop was still quiet, FrontStreet Coffee decided to run the experiment and see what kind of pour-over an espresso machine could produce.

Experimental Setup

After much deliberation we settled on Catuaí from the Elida Estate as the test bean. Its medium-light roast and conventional natural processing would let us taste the difference between machine-brewed coffee and traditional pour-over more clearly. The parameters were as follows:

• Coffee dose: 20g
• Grind level: Ek43 setting 10, with an 80% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve, fine-sugar grind
• Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
• Brewing water temperature: 94°C (the actual temperature out of the machine will decrease)
• Filter cup used: V60 (01)
• Brewing method: three-stage pouring
• Brewing equipment: espresso machine

Not everyone will try this, but FrontStreet Coffee must remind everyone: before using an espresso machine for pour-over, clean the group head thoroughly, or residual coffee powder may fall into the dripper and affect the quality of the brew. Following standard procedure, let's rinse the filter paper first.

Brewing Process

Next, add the grounds and place the dripper on the server. Because the distance between the shower screen and the group head on FrontStreet Coffee's Lelite3 espresso machine was too small, we had to remove the shower screen to fit the server, dripper, and electronic scale. With everything ready, we could begin extraction. First we opened the water valve and dispensed 40ml of hot water for a 30-second bloom.

After the bloom ended, we opened the valve for the second pour: a small flow rate of 4ml per second, for a total of 140ml. Because the bloom had expanded the coffee bed, the water dripping from the shower screen could not reach all the grounds. During the pour, then, we gently rotated the dripper to make sure the hot water saturated every ground and the extraction stayed even.

After dispensing the second pour, we waited for the coffee to permeate. When it was nearly finished, we opened the valve for the third pour, 120ml in total, dispensed at 6ml per second.

At nearly 3 minutes the coffee finished dripping, and we could remove the dripper and begin tasting.

Results and Conclusions

Not bad at all. This pot of Catuaí brewed on the espresso machine showed its flavors well - peach, orange, and raisin - with an extraction rate as high as 20.25%. Because of the lack of agitation and the longer extraction time, though, it was somewhat inferior to a hand-brewed pour-over, with a slightly bitter and muddled aftertaste. So FrontStreet Coffee immediately brewed another pot, adding agitation during the second pour and shortening the extraction time. The result was much better than the first: no bitterness or muddled notes, a smoother texture, and a clean green tea finish.

We can therefore conclude that espresso machines can indeed be used for pour-over brewing. Which brings us back to the original question: can pour-over coffee made with an espresso machine still be called pour-over coffee?

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The Catuaí in this experiment was a naturally processed, medium-light roast, and that flavor type is exactly what African light roasts do so well. FrontStreet Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gidding is a good everyday pour-over bean: a washed Yirgacheffe from a cooperative of about 300 farmers in the Worka area, showing clear citrus, berry, and floral notes with a green-tea-like finish. Its acidity is soft and bright rather than sharp, and it is easy to brew.

If you want to explore the fruity, naturally processed side further, FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is a strong choice. It brings strawberry, passion fruit, and jackfruit aromatics with pronounced sweetness, very low bitterness, and a smooth, juicy body. Beans like these make it easier to judge whether your technique - whether a dripper or an espresso machine - is really doing them justice.