Where did pour-over coffee originate and how is it brewed?
Pour-over coffee originated in France and later spread to Japan, where it was widely popularized; most pour-over equipment sold today is made in Japan. The method needs a dripper, gooseneck kettle, sharing pot, thermometer, electronic scale, and timer. Drippers differ in permeability speed, flavor, layering, cleanliness, and body, and the choice shapes the finished cup.
Water temperature and dose follow reference ranges: cup volume determines the coffee dose, and the pour moves through blooming, main pouring, and center replenishment. Pour-over looks simple yet stays full of uncertainty, since everyone brews a different taste. That variability, rather than a fixed recipe, is where the appeal of the method lies for anyone asking where does coffee originate from and how the brewing evolved.
Pour-over coffee originated in France, later spread to Japan where it was widely popularized, and today most pour-over equipment on the market is made in Japan. This article begins with an experience of trying pour-over coffee at Starbucks, introduces the full set of equipment needed for pour-over coffee—dripper, gooseneck kettle, sharing pot, thermometer, electronic scale, and timer—analyzes the differences among three types of drippers in terms of permeability speed, flavor, layering, cleanliness, and body, and provides reference ranges for the relationship between water temperature and extraction, the corresponding ratios of cup volume to coffee dose, as well as specific brewing steps such as blooming, pouring, and center replenishment. Front Street Coffee reminds us that pour-over looks simple yet is full of uncertainty—everyone brews a different taste, and that is exactly where the fun lies.
A while back I saw a post on Weibo saying that Starbucks had also started selling pour-over coffee. It happened that I was going to Blue Harbor that day, so I thought I'd drop in along the way and see how this kind of chain brand would present the traditional handmade brewing method. Starbucks describes this handmade coffee process as quite mysterious, but to me, pour-over coffee is simply a labor-saving trick for people who want to be lazy yet also want to be particular about life. Why do I say that? People who are truly in the habit of drinking coffee by pour-over don't check a stopwatch every time—what they care about more is the ease of lifting the kettle in the early morning, slowly pouring water over the coffee grounds in the funnel, and letting the aroma drift out.
A well-made cup of pour-over coffee actually teaches you one thing: "slow down and savor the details." The steam from the hot water flowing out of the narrow-spout kettle and the rich coffee aroma gradually fill the whole room as your wrist rises and falls, and you get a floating illusion, as if the self blurred by the trivialities of daily life has its outline sharpened once again... Below let's talk about how to make pour-over coffee. The operation itself is not complicated, but to brew a cup that makes you nod in approval, you still have to explore repeatedly—and the fun in it can only be understood by trying it yourself.
Equipment Needed
Pour-over coffee originated in France, later spread to Japan, where it was adopted on a large scale. Therefore, the vast majority of pour-over coffee equipment on the market today is produced in Japan.
1. Dripper
There are three types of drippers: paper filter dripper, cloth filter dripper, mesh filter dripper
Permeability speed: mesh filter dripper > paper filter dripper > cloth filter dripper
Flavor: mesh filter dripper > paper filter dripper > cloth filter dripper
Layering: mesh filter dripper > paper filter dripper > cloth filter dripper
Cleanliness: cloth filter dripper > paper filter dripper > mesh filter dripper
Body: cloth filter dripper > mesh filter dripper > paper filter dripper
Choose whichever dripper suits the flavor you prefer. Most pour-over setups I've seen choose mesh or paper filters.
2. Pour-over Kettle
There are three types of pour-over kettles: palace kettle, thermometer kettle, stainless steel kettle,
Flow rate: palace kettle<温度计壶<不锈钢壶
The greater the flow, the faster the extraction, but the extraction will be insufficient.
Every kettle has a stress point. Grip this stress point and you'll control the water flow more adeptly. As for how to grip this point, you can only try it yourself. Beginners should fill the kettle with water, as this gives you a better feel.
3. Sharing Pot
This one is more casual—glass or bone china will both do.
4. Thermometer
The importance of temperature to coffee goes without saying.
5. Electronic Scale
Makes your extraction ratio more precise.
6. Timer
Turns extraction time into data.
Water Temperature and Extraction
Above 88°C, the water temperature is too high, producing bubbles and causing incomplete blooming
84°C—87°C (suitable for medium-dark roast) The water temperature is slightly on the high side; the taste is strong and the bitterness is pronounced
82°C—83°C (suitable for all roast levels) A suitable temperature; the coffee taste is balanced
77°C—81°C (suitable for dark roast) The water temperature is slightly on the low side, suppressing the bitterness
Below 76°C, the water temperature is too low, the steeping is insufficient, and the coffee is not fully extracted
Cup Volume and Coffee Dose
One cup: 10g = 150ml
Two cups: 18g = 300ml
Three cups: 25g = 450ml
Brewing Steps
1. Set the extraction ratio and add an appropriate amount of coffee
Purpose: to adjust the taste. According to personal preference, if the taste feels a bit weak, you can increase the extraction ratio, or grind finer; for a stronger taste, do the opposite.
Adding coffee: grinding finer will highlight the flavor, while adding more coffee can highlight the body. You need to keep trying and set your own favorite ratio.
2. Blooming
Purpose: to let the coffee surface open up fully. The longer the blooming time, the more fully the coffee flavor develops.
Water flow: keep it as thin as possible, so the coffee grounds are fully moistened without excess water dripping out.
3. Use a larger water flow to break open the coffee grounds and let the water rise above the coffee
Purpose: to let the coffee grounds soak fully in the water. The purpose of keeping the water above the coffee is so that when you replenish water, the flow can pass evenly through the coffee grounds.
Water flow: a bit larger than during blooming, using a certain force to break open the coffee grounds and bring the water to a certain height. The finer the flow here, the more complete the extraction.
4. Use a small flow to replenish water at the center and maintain the water level
Purpose: uniform extraction.
Water flow: roughly similar to blooming. Be careful to maintain the water level, and the flow must not be too thin.
TIPS:
The paper filter should be rinsed with water in advance.
The water temperature should be controlled at around 92°C.
Before the official brew, first moisten the coffee grounds with water.
When you notice the dripping coffee becoming lighter in color, remove the dripper immediately.
Conclusion:
"Dogma" has never been a very comfortable thing. It is said that a perfect handmade coffee requires the brewer to have more than 5 years of coffee experience, but that doesn't mean you can't brew a cup of full-bodied, fragrant coffee of superior quality. If you are obsessed with this craft, you can certainly pursue ever-greater refinement; if you just want to enjoy and experience a way of life, then you can throw all that "pretentiousness" behind you.
For me, pour-over coffee embodies a philosophy of life: it looks simple, yet is full of all kinds of uncertainty. The key is to know how to weigh things. Some things feel very complicated, but from another angle, they are actually very simple. Just like pour-over coffee: although professionals have many requirements for water temperature, time, and technique, it is ultimately just the simple tools of a pair of hands, a kettle, and a funnel.
Everyone brews a different-tasting cup of coffee, and even the same person doesn't brew exactly the same taste every time. And that is precisely the joy of pour-over coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
