How to Brew: The Pour Over
If there was any coffee brewing method that I would describe as having a “cult following” it would be the Pour Over. Like the Zippo lighter for a cigar smoker, the pour over is quite often seen as a sign and symbol of differentiation and intentionality--it is the sign of the artisan, the intentional consumer, the connoisseur.
In fact, the association of Pour Over coffee with connoisseurship runs so deep that it has worked its way into conventional language, often at the expense of a lack of technical knowledge. One of the most humorous interactions I have ever had was with a businessman who came into our coffee establishment one day and informed me that he had an appointment in the afternoon to look at a place to start a “pour over coffee bar.” After a couple of pleasantries and after telling me how excited he was to get into the world of coffee he paused, leaned to one side, and almost whispered to me (despite the fact that we were the only two individuals in the establishment), “I am curious though...what even is a pour over?”
Technically, there are numerous kinds of pour over contraptions and methods, but the common denominator is when water passes downward through a cone-like bed of coffee grounds, usually through a paper filter and quite often in one or two cup ratios. Probably the most recognizable pour over vessel is the Hario V60, which is a ceramic V-shaped conical dripper. Design features include wall ridges which keep the filter from sticking, a 60-degree angle between sides, and a down-spouted exit point rather than flat bottom which increases the quality of extraction.
There are two major problems people run into when making a pour over that inhibit a quality cup. The first is the grind. The finer the grind, the higher degree of extraction as water has to work harder to get through the downward cone. This principle also limits the amount of water that the contraption can hold at a single time. Indeed, the grind can be so fine that virtually no water can get through at all. This is where many people give up. A slightly fine-medium grind is typically preferable for a single cup, with multi-cup brewers demanding modicums of increasing coarseness. The second problem is how water is often distributed in the coffee. If one takes a typical kettle of hot water and dumps a chunk of water into a bed of grounds, it forces the grounds to crater unevenly. It is nearly a non-negotiable that a pour-over requires a goose neck kettle--the gentleness, rhythm, and rate of water flow advance the quality of the cup significantly.
One often missed step in the pour over process is the establishment of the bloom. This occurs when one just barely saturates the water enough to ensure all grounds are wet without filling the coffee filter to the brim and then lets the grounds rest for 30 seconds. This process allows CO2 to quickly escape from the grounds. With a fresh roasted coffee, one can see the coffee expand rapidly, sometimes to twice the size of its pre-bloomed stage. If the coffee does not bloom, the coffee is likely stale. After thirty seconds of a bloom, one can resume rhythmically and methodically pouring water across the grounds till one reaches the proper output.
I might note that the pour-over’s critical acclaim is probably in part due to the ritualistic nature of the brew. From single cup brewers to goose neck pours and beautiful blooms, it is the both the slowest and most methodical brewing process in existence. Even if individuals consume coffee in more commercial and utilitarian ways throughout the day, those that truly love pour-overs often ensure that their mornings start with a pour-over, often accompanied by a book, prayer, or meditation. In a sense, it is the most artisanal means of treating artisan coffee.
How to Brew a Pour Over
Step 1: Heat water to around 205 degrees.
Step 2: Place the filter in the pour-over dripper and rinse with filtered hot water. You do not want to include this rinse water in your coffee, so make sure you dump it out.
Step 3: Grind the coffee to a medium-fine setting. For a 1:16 ratio, use 20g of coffee to 320g of water. For a 1:18 ratio, increase the water weight to 360g.
Step 4: Add the coffee to the filter and give it a shake or a very soft tamping to ensure that it is flat.
Step 5: Slowly and in a circular motion, add in just enough water to saturate the grounds evenly and let a bloom emerge. Wait 30-45 seconds.
Step 6: Pour the remaining water in small circles, starting in the center and moving outward. You may have 2-3 stages of this process.
Step 7: Remove the dripper and enjoy.
Photo by Andreas Behr on Unsplash
