Why Pour Over Coffee Really is The Best Way To Drink Your Favorite Brew
Pour Over Coffee Gains Popularity For Good Reason How to make it and why its sooooo good
According to Coffee experts, we interviewed pour-over Coffee is their favorite way to get the most from their beans. The pour over method allows you to taste the full essence and flavor of the Coffee. Its the way many taste test beans when looking to purchase.
Pour Over Coffee Is An indulgence in taste and smell
Pour over coffee is an indulgence of aroma and taste that has found its way into the hearts and homes of people from all walks of life – for a good reason. It marks an appreciation for the finer things in life but comes with a twist; it’s affordable, easy to prepare, and is a daily focused meditative ritual that prepares you for whatever the day has in store.
You may also be wondering what coffee has to do with African blankets. Well,
- For a start, it's widely acknowledged some of the very best coffee in the world comes from Africa. Some of the world's best coffee varieties are grown in Ethiopia. The country is especially famous for its Harrar variety which is produced in the highlands of the Eastern part of Ethiopia.
- We (everyone here at Thula Tula) loves coffee, and we love to start every day cuddled up under a blanket and sipping our favorite brew
- A few years ago, on a trip to Costa Rica, we met the owner of Ruby Coffee who was out there visiting coffee plantations, and in his words, the very best way to drink coffee is to pour over and...
- I've always wanted to write a blog about my favorite vice.
There are a few things that can kickstart your day better than a hot cup of pour-over coffee.
There are a few things that can kickstart your day better than a hot cup of pour-over coffee. Picture this setting; your alarm clock sounds off, you reach over and tap the snooze button for those few extra minutes before you have to drag yourself out of bed. The same routine, day after working that siphons every ounce of your will to rise and meet the day.
Now, change the picture and replace your snooze button, which you may hit several times with a cup of pour-over coffee. Your alarm sounds off, and you slip out of bed into the kitchen to make a hot cup of pour-over coffee.
In essence, it has replaced your snooze button. You might return to your bed and pull the covers over your shoulders while you sip on your pour-over coffee and contemplate the day, or you may settle on your comfy couch, grab your favorite throw and enjoy your pour-over coffee as you get an update on local news. Either way, the grind of getting up in the morning you have grown so accustomed to is now a pleasure, but you will still have to grind coffee beans. What bliss!
What is so uniquely special about pour-over coffee?
Preparing a mug or two of pour-over coffee is easy but requires focused attention if you want to accentuate the intricate flavors stored in your choice of freshly ground coffee beans. Precision and focus on detail will determine the result. The slow yet deliberate pouring of water over your ground coffee is in itself a meditative art that draws you away from the instant gratification that is so common in our modern times.
The “ritual” of preparing pour-over coffee invites a sense of calmness driven by focused attention to getting the very best flavor out of your effort. It creates a moment of peace and tranquil solace that is rewarded with the flavor of your making.
On the contrary, making drip coffee or instant coffee is a mindless exercise that deprives you of the calming effect brought on by your focused attention to creating the best pour-over mug of coffee to suit your unique taste. It’s an art form that is great from the start and only gets better over time. In a way, it’s a selfish act because you cater to yourself.
Still, the spinoff is that it makes you a more likable person as you begin seeing and appreciating life for what it is – a social construct of different personalities that often clash, causing chaos. Pour-over coffee is your meditative ritual that calms the storm.
How to get into the pour-over coffee groove.
To begin with, you’ll need equipment, accessories, and of course the coffee beans of our choice. You may have been blown away when you first had a cup of pour-over coffee on an outing to a coffee shop with friends. The rich coffee aroma and divine flavor have stuck with you ever since, and you’re wondering how you can replicate that moment.
Amazon sells just about everything, and the beauty about Amazon is that before you purchase anything, you can read consumer reviews on the product you’re looking to buy. If that’s not enough, you can google blog posts that further review the product, which may include comparing it to similar products and brands. A little research will go a long way in helping you make an informed decision.
According to Reviews, one such article comes from Allrecipes titled “11 Best Pour-Over Coffee Makers on Amazon.” In their article, the best overall pour-over coffee maker is the Kalita Wave Pour Over Coffee Dripper, which makes a single cup of coffee.
The Kalita Wave is ideal for beginners and professionals alike as the design is simple and will fit over almost any cup or carafe size without spilling. It has a 4” flat bottom with three holes over a 2” area that dispense the brew.
Equipment you will need to make the perfect cup of pour over Coffee
As part of the required equipment, you’ll need a coffee grinder, a good thermometer to measure the heat of your water, and a digital food scale to accurately measure the weight of your coffee beans. Pour-over coffee makers are made from glass, ceramic, metal, and hardened plastic and filter accessories, which come in paper or cloth, and are inexpensive but can add up over time. You can also consider a metal filter provided it fits into your coffee maker.
- Coffee beans
- Coffee Grinder
- Thermometer
- Kettle with pour spout
- Weight scale
- Pour over maker
- Filters
Tips for pouring the ultimate coffee experience
Part of skillfully making pour-over coffee lies in using the proper kettle that allows you to control the pouring action. Consistency is the key to up your skill, and the proper kettle makes all the difference. Specially designed kettles for pour-over coffee keep the water at a stable temperature, and the long gooseneck styled spout helps control the water flow.
This is essential to get even and continuous extraction. Once you’ve refined your pour-over coffee-making method, you will want to make the same quality coffee consistently, so starting with the right equipment is an essential first step.
The Katila Wave is an example of how simple the whole pour-over coffee process is, but it does not necessarily mean that it’s the best pour-over coffee maker for you. There is an abundance of models and designs to suit all tastes (excuse the pun), and this is simply an example of how easy this perceived intricate coffee-making process can be.
Coffee beans and the importance of grinding your beans.
Coffee beans are roasted to bring out the aroma and flavor of the coffee beans. You can choose from a light, medium, or dark roast; however, a light roast is considered the better option to begin with. It will give you an idea of what coffee taste you prefer, but you can experiment later to find your holy grail coffee bean roast. The lighter the roast, the more authentic the subtle flavors and aromas are, which ultimately define the overall quality of the coffee.
Grinding your coffee beans equates to freshness and consistency. Interestingly, a study found that an opened bag of coffee has a shelf life of about two weeks. Coffee does not taste better with age, so freshly ground beans release the taste you’re after. You can opt for pre-ground coffee if you’re willing to sacrifice a little on flavor.
Grind size is also essential as it influences extraction. The hot water and ground coffee come into contact for a short time during the filtration process, and you want to allow for the best extraction possible. You may discover a goldilocks time frame for infusion to take place. Under-extraction will produce a weak brew, so start in the middle with medium grind size and tweak the grind size to get the right strength and flavor. If your first attempt is watery or sour, try a finer grind and if your brew lacks sweet notes, try a courser grind size.
Ultimately the extraction process should take about 2 minutes or a little over that, and your water temperature should be 92°C (198°F) or slightly warmer. Still, below boiling point, a maximum temperature of 96°C (204.8°F) is the hottest your water should be. Using finely ground coffee not only speeds up extraction, which gives you full-bodied flavor and sweetness but also gives you a cleaner cup.
Finally, the ratio of ground coffee to water should be from 1:15 to 1:17 (1g of coffee to 15/17g of water) but depends on other factors that will influence your brew, like grind size. You can add or subtract coffee from this ratio to get the taste perfect for your pallet. Other factors include the type of water you use, your pouring technique, which can be continuous or pulsed, agitation, and controlling the bloom, which is the initial bubbling up of your coffee grind as carbon dioxide escapes. To bloom your brew, pour double the amount of water over your coffee and wait for 30 to 45 seconds for the bloom to settle, then continue pouring.
The perfect brew in 5 easy steps.
Most coffee baristas use five steps to make the perfect pour-over cup of coffee but as easy as it seems, there are skills and knowledge to acquire before you can make your ideal brew consistently. Here is a version of the steps to follow:
Step one: Prepare.
- Start with fresh water.
- Boil and let sit. Use between 91-96°C (195 -205°F).
- Grind your coffee beans finely to resemble granulated sugar.
Step Two: Assemble.
- Place the filter of your choice in the cone of the cup. If you’re using a paper filter, fold it along the seams.
- Pre-wet the paper filter with a small amount of hot water. Discard the excess.
Step Three: Measure.
- Put ground coffee into the filter. Begin with the 1:17 ratio.
- Use a pouring pot with a long spout if possible.
Step Four: Bloom.
- Wet the ground coffee with about double the amount of hot water as there is coffee and allow at least 30 seconds to bloom.
Step Five: Brew.
- Pour hot water slowly and evenly over the ground coffee in a circular motion.
- Keep the cone half-filled with water until finished.
Enjoy your pour-over cup of coffee!
A final note on Pour over coffee
Preparing pour-over coffee can be therapeutic at any time of the day, but it’s an excellent way to start your day. As you discover the beauty of pour-over coffee, you will be inclined to research the different coffee beans from the many coffee regions worldwide. Each region produces unique coffee beans that differ in aroma and flavor, and your taste buds will reward with some decadent samplings of authentic coffee.
