What is Pour Over? How to Brew It Well?

We hope you have time, it will be a long but informative blog. So grab your last 3 in 1 coffee because you will not drink bad coffee anymore.

First of all, what is Pour Over? It is simply the English definition of the method of brewing coffee by pouring hot water from above through a paper filter and brewing equipment. Some also use 'Hand Brew' instead because it is practically a manual method of brewing by hand. Since 'topten pour' sounds a bit strange in Turkish, we prefer to call it 'Pour Over'.

Let's also point out that it is a brewing method that has been used in Europe since the 1900s. However, its popularity has increased considerably after 2000.

If we list some of the Pour Over equipment commonly used in the Specialty Coffee class;

• Hario V60
• Kalita Wave
• Chemex
• Orea V3

Why should the pour over method be used?
Pour over emphasizes complex flavors compared to other brewing methods. This is a popular choice for single-origin coffees because it allows flavors and aromas to shine.

Good filter coffee is clean, clear and consistent. This is because the water is allowed to extract the coffee oils and flavors at its own consistent time and pressure. The filter captures many of the oils, resulting in a clean cup.

And because it’s an infusion method, it’s slightly more effective at extracting dissolved solids from coffee than immersion techniques like the French press. While immersion methods cause the water to become saturated, pour-over uses a constant supply of fresh water.

What Equipment Do You Need?

Brewing (Dripper)

Although there are many brewing equipment on the market, our favorite equipment is the classic V60 dripper. Paper filters are easy to find and are more affordable than dripper filters like Chemex or Kalita. So you can start off well with the V60 and then try other equipment and decide which one suits your taste best.

Weight

You may not think a scale is necessary, but if you want to make consistently good coffee, it is. Invest in a digital scale and use it to measure your coffee and water. Knowing exactly how much of each you use in a good (or bad) brew can allow you to repeat the recipe or tweak it for better results.

Kettle

Our recommendation is to get a swan neck kettle, whether electric or stovetop, to pour water in a controlled manner.

Grinding Size

The grind size affects how quickly it dissolves. Pour over is an infusion method, meaning the coffee and water are in contact for a shorter period of time than immersion, but a longer period of time than espresso. So you want the coffee to have enough surface area to extract the essence before the water filters into your cup, but not so much that you extract too little and end up with a bitter brew.

This means you should start with a medium grind size and then evaluate your cup and fine-tune as needed. If it's a little watery or sour, try a finer grind. If it's bitter and lacking in sweet notes, try a slightly coarser grind.

Invest in a quality grinder to make sure your coffee particles are all ground to the same size. Low-quality grinders can produce inconsistent ground coffee and too much “fine.” These small coffee particles get ground very quickly and can ruin your cup.

Coffee and Water Ratio

What coffee to water ratio should you use?
You’ll see a lot of different recommended ratios out there, but 1:16 (1g of coffee to 16g of water) is generally accepted as a good starting point. Brew a few times with this measurement, but adjust factors that affect extraction, such as grind size and water temperature, one at a time until you find a recipe that works for you.

Then try changing the coffee-to-water ratio. If your brew tastes watery or weak, add more coffee without changing any other factors and see if it tastes better. If you find your cup too strong, consider reducing the amount of coffee. But be sure to keep track of what you change so you can repeat it when you find your perfect brew.

And don't forget the water. Tap water can contain minerals and contaminants that affect the taste, so use filtered water.

Casting Technique

Start simple. Be consistent with your pouring and learn how to use blooming, pulsing, and shaking to achieve even extraction. Many people pour in concentric circles, which helps the barista maintain a consistent water flow.

Once you become more familiar with the basics, you can move on to more elaborate methods or break all the rules.

Bloom

In other words, what we call blooming is the pre-brewing method where we release some of the gas that remains in the coffee after degassing. Blooming is the rapid swell of water that occurs when you first pour it. It is caused by the degassing of carbon dioxide formed during the roasting process. Lightly roasted and fresh coffees are more likely to produce a large bloom because they usually contain more gas.

Carbon dioxide can prevent even extraction because it repels water, and the broken particles can sit at different heights. So let the gases escape and increase your chances of a consistent extraction.

Slowly pour twice the amount of water as the coffee measure over the grounds. So, if you have a 15g dose of coffee, pour in 30ml of water. Then wait 30 to 45 seconds until the blooming has stopped and the bed has settled.

Yes, as we come to the end of our blog, pour over is not only a coffee brewing method but also a kind of meditation. And we strongly recommend you to start with whatever equipment you have to drink a good cup of coffee.