A pour-over can look intimidating at first, but after trying it once, you will see how easy it is and also what all the hype is about. The method takes about 5 minutes and we've included instructions for brewing both medium and dark roast coffee. Cone pour-overs (Hario V60 or similar) can be made from ceramic, glass, plastic, or copper.
Boil water
Water temperature: 100° C/ 212° F
First, boil filtered water in an electric kettle. An electric kettle reduces the time to boil dramatically and also allows you to adjust the temperature. This is critical functionality for removing the bitterness from dark roast coffees.
How to use the cone pour-over method
Place the cone on top of a heat-resistant container and place the paper filter inside the cone. Rinse the filter with hot water to remove the paper taste and discard the rinse water. Brewing dark roast coffee using paper filters and shorter brew times removes much of the initial bitterness from small grounds and darker beans are more porous, more soluble, and easier to extract flavor from.
Fine grind, 1:15 - 1:19 brew ratio
Next, grind Roast28 whole coffee beans on a fine setting (a notch or two coarser for dark roasts to help extract them a little less). We prefer to brew our dark roast coffee with a cone pour-over at a 1:15 ratio, which means 1 part ground coffee to 15 parts water. For example, if you brew 15 grams of coffee (3 level tablespoons), you should use 225 grams of water (1 cup). You can increase the amount of water up to 1:19 for medium roasts.
Bloom coffee
Bloom pour: ~20 seconds
Bloom swell: ~30 seconds
The most fun part of brewing pour-over coffee is learning the art of the bloom. Using a kettle (electric gooseneck kettles work best), slowly pour hot water over the coffee grounds using a gentle inward-to-outward circular motion for about 20 seconds until all of the grounds are wet. Be careful not to pour water directly onto the paper filter as this will seep straight down into the carafe, missing the grounds and weakening the flavor. You only need about one-third of the water to bloom coffee, just enough to get the grounds wet and let them start to de-gas and swell (about 30 seconds).
Add remaining water
Medium roast water temp: 100° C/ 212° F
Medium roast brew time: 2-3 minutes, including bloom time
Dark roast water temp: 81° C/ 178° F (reduce temp)
Dark roast brew time: 1-2 minutes, including bloom time
Slowly continue to pour the rest of the water onto the bloom using the same, inward-to-outward circular motion. Pouring the remaining water should take about 30-45 seconds and then let the brew rest until liquid is almost gone. The more you slow the pour down (to a steady trickle) the closer you will get to the brew times above.
Enjoy
A cone pour-over is durable, compact, and an easy way to brew a single cup of coffee or a larger batch as the foundation for one of our favorite coffee recipes. A cone-shaped pour helps water increase contact with the coffee and the bloom/ extraction method brings out the more subtle flavors. Slow down your medium or dark roast brew method and enjoy the full-bodied taste of your coffee instead.
Experiment
There is a lot of science involved with the bloom stage and understanding the chemistry behind extraction and solubility can help you experiment better. The higher heat used in the bloom stage helps speed the release of the bright, fruity, and sweet flavors (smaller molecular weight) while the lower brew heat slows the bitter (larger molecular weight). There are subtle flavor differences between a flat and cone-bottom basket shape so do a little research and see which appeals to you most.
Leave a comment below
Join the community and let us know what works best for you. Leave a comment with the cone pour-over brew method that you prefer below and be sure to include details (roast level, coffee flavor, etc.). We'll try your method and make adjustments to this article as we continue to experiment together.
