making pour-over black coffee

i.  purchase freshly roasted, whole bean coffee. if you can’t purchase it directly from the roaster within a week or so of it being roasted, opt for a vacuum-sealed bag from a reputable national coffee-bean roaster.

quality coffee can only come from a quality coffee bean that is properly roasted. the process of roasting a coffee bean is complex and can result in a given bean tasting very different depending on how it is roasted. ıf you desire a strong intense flavor to your coffee, choose a dark roast (ex: french roast). ıf you like to a light flavor, less intense, choose a lighter roast.

never use pre-ground coffee. pre-ground coffee will lose its flavor and essence within a short period of time. grinding before you brew will assure you that no flavor is lost due to time.

ii. purchase your own coffee grinder, or grind it in the store. if possible, choose a burr grinder in place of a normal blade grinder. for best results, grind the coffee fresh right before brewing each day.

experiment with different ground size. although finer grounds are generally preferred, they can result in a bitterer brew than coarse grounds.

many people recommend that you aim for grounds the size of coarse sugar.

iii. use good water. if you like the water taste of the water that comes out of your tap, it’s likely to make good coffee. softened or distilled water should never be used, but carbon-filtered water can reduce the chemical taste of some tap water.

minerals in water are important for the brewing process.

iv. use a kettle, a funnel and unbleached filters for your pour-over brew. most coffee aficionados believe that the pour-over, single-cup method provides the best, richest black coffee.

v. place the funnel on a cup that is big enough to hold your entire brew. put approximately three tbsp. of ground coffee in the filter right before you’re ready to brew.

serious coffee brewers focus on the weight of the beans, rather than the volume. ıf you prefer this method, aim for 60 to 70g (two to two and a half oz.) per liter (4.22 cups) of water. adjust based on the size of your coffee cup.

 v. boil your kettle. wait for it to cool down for 30 seconds to one minute or stop it just before it reaches a boil. the ideal temperature for brewing coffee is 93 degrees celsius.

generally, the darker the roast, the less hot your water should be. for light roasts, use a temperature up to 97 degrees celsius. for darker roasts, use a temperature closer to 90.5 degrees celsius.

vii. set your timer for four minutes. wet the coffee with the first pour over, using a couple of oz. of water. wait 30 seconds and pour again, repeating until the four minutes and the water are gone.

consider experimenting with a three-minute extraction time. be careful not to overfill the filter. you may find you like the results better with a shorter brewing period.

use a longer brew time for lighter roasts and a shorter brew time for darker roasts.

making pour-over black coffee

* by infernoterra.