I just figured out my pour over method was totally off for a solid year

I was at a small coffee shop in Portland last week and watched the barista make my cup. She poured the water in slow circles, taking a full 3 minutes to finish. I realized I'd been rushing it at home, dumping all the water in under 60 seconds. My coffee always tasted sour and weak, and I blamed the beans. Now I see it was my impatient pour the whole time. How long do you all usually take for your pour over?

3 comments

3 Comments

hill.troy3mo ago

Yeah the slow pour is key. But 3 minutes total is actually pretty quick for most methods, mine usually takes closer to 4. That sour taste is from under extraction for sure.

simon_sanchez583mo ago

Ever think about how the water's actual temperature changes during that slow pour @hill.troy? My cheap kettle loses heat fast, so a longer brew might just be making up for a cooler start. That could explain why some folks need four minutes to avoid sour coffee.

blake_cooper25d ago

Man, that's a solid point @simon_sanchez58. My old electric kettle drops temp like crazy once you lift it off the base. I've had to adjust my whole pour over routine because the first 30 seconds are hot but by the end it's barely warm. That cooler water probably explains why I have to push my brew time to 4 minutes just to get a decent cup without that sour bite. It's frustrating when gear gets in the way of good coffee.