Coffee Science: How to Make the Best Pourover Coffee at Home

It’s always a special day when a guy moves on from Folgers Crystals and a drip pot and steps up the homemade coffee game. And the truest of brew fans know that the way to get the most of their beans is via the pour over method, which helps to extract the most flavor.

Why? Nick Cho explains, 

Pourover coffee (unlike some other methods) continuously replenishes the liquid surrounding the coffee grounds with new, fresher water. This promotes a faster, more efficient brew. On the other hand, that fresh water also has a tendency to extract more from the surface layers of the grounds…

Pouring one stream of water, rather than a dozen or more little streams from a coffee-maker’s shower head, results in a brewing environment that’s a few degrees higher, just from reducing the surface temperature loss from those narrow water streams. Temperature and water quality affect the overall reaction rate of our little coffee chemistry set (hotter, cleaner water generally means faster).

So, since science is at play here, Nick dissects the specific equipment and techniques that will allow you to get the most from your pourover setup. It’s a different way to think about making coffee, and requires an attention you might not be willing to give everyday, but when it’s time for an extraordinary cup of homemade coffee, it’s the way to go.

Coffee Science: How to Make the Best Pourover Coffee at Home [Serious Eats]