My family, my fiancée, and her family went together this past Christmas and got me coffee related gifts. Everything from fresh, small-batch coffee from Pour Richard’s Coffee Co. in Devon, PA to a pour-over coffee maker by Hario.
I watched a number of videos on how to make coffee using a pour-over coffee maker. It seems rather simple. But, I the devil is in the details along with a much better cup of coffee. I recommend watching a view videos and then trying it out.
Here are some notes that might help you get to a better cup of coffee quicker:
- Choose a ceramic pour-over coffee brewer
- Use a burr coffee grinder
- Use fresh roasted coffee if you can
- Use a gooseneck water pot to control the water pouring over the coffee grounds
- Use a little water to heat up the brewer and cup before starting the brewing – this helps keep the coffee hot throughout the process
- When you start the pour-over brewing process, pour water over and allow the coffee to bloom – you will see a “foam” of bubbling up from the grounds – stop pouring water and let it foam up a bit – the fresher the coffee the more bloom you will see
- Have fun trying things out
I am still learning and want to keep taking this further. The one thing I keep seeing people doing is weighing everything out on a scale – including the water. As I experiment more, I might have to try that so I can control the quality, but in general I have been making some very good, full-flavor cups of coffee without precise measurement.