Nowadays, more and more people are starting to enjoythe pleasure of pour-over coffee, but are some steps unfamiliar, or are there some key points you still can't master? In this article, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will share some little tips about pour-over coffee with everyone～

Pour-over coffeeis a brewing method that requires a special dripper and filter paper/other filtering medium to filter out the grounds. Therefore, before making pour-over coffee, we need to prepare the following equipment and materials: freshly roasted coffee beans, mountain spring water/filtered water, a gooseneck kettle, a dripper, a server, a grinder, filter paper, a digital scale, a thermometer, and a relaxed and happy mood.

"Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans"

The delicious taste and flavor expression of a cup of coffee depend on the freshness of the coffee beans. Based on the experience of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), under normal circumstances, coffee beans are at their best flavor period within 4-30 days after roasting is completed.

As more time passes after roasting is completed, the aroma and flavor of the coffee will become weaker and weaker. All coffee beans currently sold by Front Street are shipped within 5 days after roasting is completed, ensuring that all friends receive 100% freshly roasted coffee beans.

"Coffee Grinder"

The grinder is used for grinding coffee beans. Coffee beans of different roast levels each have their own suitable grind size. Based on the brewing experience of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), light-medium to medium roast coffee beans are suitable for a medium-fine grind (75-80% passing through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve), which looks like fine granulated sugar to the naked eye; medium-dark to dark roast coffee beans are suitable for a medium-coarse grind (65-70% passing through a Chinese No. 20 standard sieve), which feels closer to coarse granulated white sugar.

"Mountain Spring Water/Filtered Water"

As for water quality, water that is too hard or too soft is not suitable, and different minerals have different effects on coffee extraction. Simply filtered water/mountain spring water can usually meet the needs of pour-over coffee.

But it is best not to directly use purified water or mineral water, as most of them contain no minerals at all or too many minerals, which will also affect the extraction of coffee flavor. Hard water is more likely to extract bitterness and astringency; for example, tap water is hard water. Soft water is more likely to extract an overly sour taste. If you are not sure whether your water meets the requirements, Front Street suggests simply buying a bottle of Nongfu Spring.

"Gooseneck Kettle"

Beginners are advised to choose a thin-spout gooseneck kettle, as it is easier to control the pouring stream.

"Coffee Dripper"

Beginners are advised to choose a V60 dripper. Its large-hole spiral rib design not only increases the layering of the coffee, but also allows flow rate adjustment according to the flavor characteristics you want to express～ It is highly playable and cost-effective!

"Server"

You absolutely must choose one that is heat-resistant & cold-resistant. Do not be tempted by small bargains～ otherwise the coffee server may crack during the brewing process.

"Digital Scale"

Used to determine the weight of coffee grounds and the weight of poured water each time coffee is brewed, as well as the water temperature.

"Thermometer"

Used to determine the water temperature each time coffee grounds are brewed. Coffee beans of different roast levels each have different suitable brewing temperatures. Based on the brewing experience of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), light-medium to medium roast coffee beans are suitable at 90-92°C; medium-dark to dark roast coffee beans are suitable at 87-89°C.

"Brewing Coffee-to-Water Ratio"

Taking Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) store output as an example, 15 grams of coffee grounds are used, and then 225 grams of water are poured during the brewing process, that is,the coffee-to-water ratio is 1:15. The more coffee grounds there are, the more pouring time is needed, and the thicker the coffee bed, the slower the flow rate. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) chooses a 1:15 ratio because it likes coffee under this ratio: the coffee is more balanced and the flavor distribution is more even.

"Brewing Technique"

For friends who are just getting into pour-over coffee, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends using staged extraction. If the grind and water temperature are suitable, staged extraction increases the overall extraction rate, and the coffee also becomes fuller.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) baristas often share the store's brewing recipe: 15 grams of coffee grounds, 225 grams of hot water, that is, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, a medium-fine grind size, and three-stage pouring. The first stage pours 30 grams of water for blooming, with a blooming time of 30 seconds; the second stage pours to 125 grams, with a 10-second interval in between; the third stage pours the remaining water to 225 grams. After the water has completely passed through the coffee grounds, the total extraction time is about 2 minutes. Below, Front Street will demonstrate for everyone the specific operation steps and details using the scenario of serving a cup of Panama Geisha in the store.

Geisha coffee, which has swept the world, presents in the cup a rich and elegant floral aroma, citrus, peach, and complex fruit with full-bodied acidity, a creamy and smooth mouthfeel, and a finish with the sweet fragrance of oolong tea. Its exquisite flavor expression makes people feel as if they are not drinking coffee, but tasting a cup of fragrant fruit tea. Many articles by Front Street mention that coffee, as an agricultural crop, always has its flavor expression closely related to variety, climate, altitude, soil, management, and other factors. It is a natural and authentic expression of the variety and local terroir, while post-processing methods and roasting should maximize the retention, restoration, and presentation of their most authentic flavors. Therefore, Geisha can be so outstanding because it cannot be separated from the combination of all the above factors.

For friends who come to Front Street to taste Geisha for the first time, baristas generally first recommend the Panama production region, because this is not only the stage where Geisha became famous, but also a gathering place for many well-known estates. Therefore, the Geisha produced here is more representative, and the brewed coffee flavor expression is more elegant, such as the Boquete    · Washed Geisha that many friends love.

The pour-over parameters for Geisha coffee are: dripper: V60, water temperature: 91-92°C, coffee dose: 15g, coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15, grind size: fine granulated sugar size (80% of powder passing through a No. 20 sieve).

Three-stage extraction: First, pour 15 grams of coffee grounds into the dripper and tare the weight. In the first stage, pour 30g of water for blooming for 30 seconds, and start timing at the same time. Throughout, use a small stream poured at the center point, then begin circling outward. Note that the entire coffee bed needs to be moistened.

In the second stage, begin using a slightly larger stream to pour 100g of water, with the purpose of raising the entire coffee bed. The water stream needs to be poured vertically and evenly. At this time, the scale shows 130g, and pouring is completed in about 55 seconds.

When the liquid level drops to the halfway point, begin using a small stream to pour the third stage of 95 grams in small circles, trying to control the stream so it does not circle too widely, as it is easy to disturb the coffee bed and cause under-extraction. The final total poured water is 225 grams, and the drip completion time is about 2 minutes 05 seconds. After removing the dripper, shake the coffee liquid in the server evenly and it is ready to taste.

The Boquete Geisha coffee brewed this way has an obvious white jasmine floral aroma, a lemon-like acidity on the palate, and a bright citrus note paired with a sweet caramel sensation that is very pleasant. As the temperature drops, we can also perceive bergamot and honey flavors, with a green tea-like mouthfeel, and a refreshing taste.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.