Perfect Pour-over
Bean There, Brew’d That.
Published: 3/23/2022
By: Josh Grant
Ever since I was a kid, I have enjoyed a warm cup o’ joe. It all started when I was around 12 years old. Back in my homeschooling days, I didn’t have a lot to do besides my online school. So waking up in the morning knowing I could brew a fresh pot was a welcome routine to those unexciting mornings.
In my household, we had your typical Mr.Coffee machine A.K.A the Mr. Burnt-Tasting-Coffee machine. Then we got a Keurig® which was just a fast version of the Mr.Coffee. After cycling through your typical well-known coffee makers, a friend of ours bought us a Chemex. This coffeemaker comes in the unusual shape of an hourglass, which made it all the more intriguing. Using a square, unbleached paper filter allows the coffee brewed to have a fuller-bodied flavor. Speaking from experience, it locks in the fuller flavor allowing you to taste every aspect of the coffee bean. The Chemex is a much more hands-on approach to making coffee, requiring a goose-neck kettle for a pour-over instead of your regular set and forget coffee makers.
I had done my best to make good coffee in a Chemex, and it tasted much better than the Keurig®. However, I hadn’t quite unleashed this unique hourglass coffee maker’s full potential until I met my good friend, Aaron Barker. After taking coffee-to-go to him a few times, he offered to make it for us instead, and coffee was never the same afterward. In addition, he taught me his unique method for the perfect pour-over, thus making my morning coffee routine all the more delicious.
Aaron taught me about the finer details of a pour-over cup of coffee. First, you can’t let the water reach a boiling point or above; this will result in a very burnt tasting cup of coffee. Also, it is essential to use purified water, and when boiling, you want to stop around 206° for that ideal flavor. When you grind your beans for a pour-over, you want to make them coarser than the typical pre-ground beans. Lastly, you want to use a scale, and for every gram of ground coffee, you want to use 17g of water. However, you can use less water per gram for a more robust cup. Combine these methods correctly, and you are well on your way to a delicious pour-over.
The best part about pour-over coffee is that you control every aspect of your coffee-making journey. The water temperature, the coffee to water ratio, and how you grind your coffee bean. Like it a little stronger? Use less water per gram of coffee! Although more time-consuming, the pour-over is a far more rewarding at-home coffee experience. It is ideal for those who like the true flavor of black coffee.
Context
Thoughts
– How do you brew coffee?
– What is something you look forward to daily?
– Do you recall a friend teaching you a better way of doing something?
