How To Improve Your Pour-Over Brewing

The specialty coffee scene has embraced pour-over coffee in recent years, and it has quickly gained popularity amongst home brewers. Some experts would stick by using all the tools and techniques for a perfect brew, while others agree that home brewing is all about being experimental and adventurous.

With just a few tweaks, you can give an innovative twist to your morning pour-over routine. Let us give you our take on how to improve your pour-over brewing and take it to the next level.

What is a Pour-Over Coffee?

The pour-over method involves pouring a stream of hot water over ground coffee in a filter. The water drains through the coffee and filter, extracting a nuanced, intricate flavoured cup.

Pour-over brewing is also known as filter coffee. Lots of Coffee enthusiasts enjoy the control over the brew's taste, texture, temperature, and strength.

How To Take Your Pour-Over Brewing To The Next Level

Use a Recipe

Before experimenting with your pour-over brewing, make sure you have a recipe to follow. Using the same water-to coffee recipe will help keep your results consistent. We suggest 60 grams of coffee per litre of water. This recipe makes 4 cups, so simply divide into quarters depending on how many cups you want.

Try Different Filters

The choice of your filter can significantly affect the taste of your brew. For example, thicker paper filters will let the water out slower, thus increasing the extraction of flavour in your brew.

Various pour-over brewers require different paper filters, and you can expect the coffee to change depending on your brewer and filter. For example, the Hario V60 has a single layer of filter all around the brew, whereas the Chemex filter is 3 times as thick on one side to add clarity. Top-quality competition-grade filters typically are made by small third parties, and can be worth seeking out. We always recommend that you rinse the paper filters with hot water before brewing to remove any papery taste in your cup.

Blooming

Blooming refers to pre-wetting the coffee grounds with a small amount of water. This gives the coffee time to absorb the water and release gases before the rest of the water is poured in. Some coffee experts will stick by the 30-40 second rule of letting the coffee bloom. You can experiment with this step by pouring in the water straight away and letting the coffee sit for a tad longer to release the acidity.

Pouring

Pouring is ideally done in a steady spiral, starting in the center and going towards the outer edge and back again. Some brewers prefer multiple separate pours. You can try that out and see what you like best! Make sure every pour is even in a way that consistently wets all the coffee grounds.

Any tips we left out that you'd like to add? We'd love to hear about your experimenting adventures - leave a comment below!