What Coffee-to-Water Ratio Works for Pour-Over Mandheling?

For pour-over coffee, a 1:15 ratio is a practical starting point: 15 grams of coffee grounds to 225 milliliters of water. Front Street Coffee uses this ratio for light-roasted coffee and gets a concentration of about 1.35% to 1.42%. The SCA notes that about 30% of coffee substances are soluble, and an 18% to 22% extraction yield is generally considered the tasty range.

The ratio is not fixed. Stronger cups suit 1:10 to 1:13, while lighter preferences may go to 1:16 or 1:17. The Mandheling arabica bean used as the example is a Sumatran coffee with a full body and low acidity, so it holds up well to these adjustments. Pour-over is drip extraction, and the first liquid runs darkest while later drips fade, showing how water volume and contact time change the result.

The ritual of pour-over coffee is often reflected in the precise control of grams, water temperature, and the amount of water poured. The amount of water poured not only affects the concentration of the coffee liquid but also directly relates to whether the flavor compounds are extracted properly. According to the SCA, about 30% of the substances in coffee are soluble in water, and an extraction yield of 18% to 22% is generally considered to be the delicious range. Front Street Coffee habitually uses 15 grams of coffee grounds with 225 milliliters of water, that is, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, brewing light-roasted coffee with a concentration of about 1.35% to 1.42%. Of course, the coffee-to-water ratio is not set in stone. Lovers of strong coffee may prefer 1:10 to 1:13, while those who prefer a lighter taste may choose 1:16 or 1:17. This article takes Front Street Mandheling as an example and, from parameters to technique, fully demonstrates how to brew a cup of rich and full-bodied Mandheling at home.

Pour-over coffee always gives people the impression of being full of ritual, and in actual practice that is indeed the case. Coffee grounds are measured precisely to the gram, the water temperature must be strictly controlled, and even how much water to pour cannot be decided arbitrarily.

Why does the amount of water poured need to be so particular?

Pour-over coffee is essentially a drip extraction method. We continuously pour water into the coffee grounds, the water flows through the coffee bed, and carries soluble substances into the server. In other words, the more water poured, the more coffee substances are carried out.

However, coffee is not like tea leaves, which can be brewed repeatedly, nor is it true that the more substances dissolved out, the better. According to data from the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), about 30% of the substances in coffee beans are soluble in water, and the range generally considered tasty by most people falls between 18% and 22%. Once it exceeds this range, the coffee will most likely become difficult to drink.

Besides not blindly pursuing a high extraction yield, we also need to understand the dissolution efficiency of pour-over brewing. Observant friends will notice that the coffee liquid dripping out first is darker in color, and the later it goes, the lighter the color becomes. This shows that hot water has a stronger extraction capacity in the early stage, which gradually weakens afterward. Therefore, controlling the amount of water poured is also about adjusting coffee concentration: less water makes it stronger, more water makes it weaker.

So exactly how much water is appropriate to pour?

In order to achieve a balance between coffee concentration and the extraction of flavor compounds, the choice of how much water to pour is crucial. Taking pour-over as an example, the amount of water poured depends on the amount of coffee grounds and the coffee-to-water ratio. The parameters habitually used by Front Street Coffee are 15 grams of grounds with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, that is, pouring 225 milliliters of water. After many brewing experiments with light-roasted beans, Front Street found that 1:15 corresponds to a concentration of about 1.35% to 1.42%, and an extraction yield of 17.79% to 18.73%, which is a range very suitable for daily drinking.

Then how much water should be poured for 20 grams or 25 grams of coffee grounds? Still calculated according to a fixed coffee-to-water ratio: 20 grams of grounds corresponds to 300 milliliters of water, and 25 grams of grounds corresponds to 375 milliliters of water.

If you pour too much or too little water, does it really have a big impact?

The 1:15 recommended by Front Street is not an absolute standard, nor does it mean that other ratios will not taste good. For example, people who prefer a rich mouthfeel will use a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:10 to 1:13, and the coffee brewed is more solid and heavy; some baristas are used to using 1:16 or 1:17, allowing the flavors to open up more while also catering to the generally lighter taste of the public.

Of course, the coffee-to-water ratio needs to work in coordination with other brewing factors in order to express the ideal flavor. In Front Street's brewing system, anything between 1:15 and 1:16 can present a good flavor, and this range can be regarded as reasonable parameters. If the amount of water poured is less than 1:15, the coffee can easily become too strong and lose balance; if it is more than 1:16, it may become thin as water.

Below, taking Front Street Mandheling as an example, from parameters to technique, here is a detailed demonstration of how to extract a rich Mandheling flavor at home.

What is Mandheling flavor?

Even today, Indonesian coffee still occupies an important position in the global market. Most coffee grown in Indonesia is hybrid varieties or medium-sized beans represented by Robusta, commonly called "Robusta beans" domestically, and is usually used for espresso blends or instant coffee. Mandheling is one of the few local Arabica varieties and, with its distinctive flavor, has become a specialty representative widely talked about in coffee circles.

Front Street has mentioned many times in its articles that Mandheling is not named after a variety or producing region like many specialty coffees; its name comes from a story during World War II. During the period of the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, a Japanese soldier drank an unusually aromatic cup of coffee in a certain cafe and asked the owner what kind of coffee it was. The owner mistakenly thought he was asking "Where are you from?" and answered "Mandailing." After the war, this soldier recalled that the coffee he had drunk in Indonesia was called "Mandheling," and later people called Arabica beans produced in Sumatra Mandheling coffee.

Before launching each coffee bean, Front Street evaluates it through cupping. Cupping is a systematic evaluation of coffee bean quality and flavor, and unified standards allow a more objective judgment of the beans' strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics. Through cupping, Front Street Lindong Mandheling everyday beans present intense nutty and dark chocolate notes, with a hint of caramel aroma in the finish; after the temperature drops, herbal flavors emerge, the mouthfeel is full-bodied, and the aroma is solid.

To brew out the rich aroma of Front Street Mandheling, Front Street believes that freshly roasted coffee beans are the first prerequisite. The aroma of coffee beans changes with the storage environment and time, and once past the best flavor period, the aroma will be lost at an accelerated rate. Front Street deeply understands the importance of freshness, so the coffee beans shipped are all freshly roasted within 5 days, and when received, they are just right to open and brew.

Because Mandheling presents nutty and chocolate notes, Front Street's roaster chooses a medium-dark roast. The darker the roast, the looser the texture of the coffee beans, and the easier it is to extract during brewing. Therefore, Front Street uses a lower water temperature to avoid over-extraction bringing negative bitterness.

Dripper: KONO dripper

Water temperature: 87℃

Coffee dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: medium-coarse grind level (70% passing rate on Chinese standard No. 20 sieve)

First rinse the KONO dripper with hot water so that the filter paper fits the dripper more closely, pour out the water in the server, and add 15 grams of ground coffee. After blooming with 30 grams of water for 30 seconds, start pouring in a circular motion from the center with a small stream until it reaches 125 grams, then pause in stages; wait until the coffee bed drops to half the height of the dripper, then pour the second stage in the same manner until it reaches 225 grams. After all dripping is complete, remove the dripper.

The Front Street Golden Mandheling extracted this way first smells of woody and caramel aromas. Drunk while hot, the mouthfeel is very full-bodied, with flavors of dark chocolate, spices, cream, pine wood, and caramel, and almost no acidity can be detected. As the temperature gradually drops, the earlier bitterness becomes softer and is accompanied by an obvious sweet aftertaste, just like drinking a cup of aged Pu'er tea, with a long lingering finish.

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