Pourover

The term ‘pour-over’ is an umbrella term for brew methods using percolation: water passes through a filter (paper, mesh, cloth) into a bed of coffee and extracting flavour in the process.

When coffee is brewed using this method, there are three variables that affect the resulting cup of coffee.

• The grind of the coffee. The finer the coffee, the greater the surface area and contact time, the more is extracted from it as the water passes through
• The contact time. This is the speed of the water flow and also the time it takes for water to be added. Brew time is extended by adding the water slowly in order to increase the extraction of the coffee
• The amount of coffee. The greater the quantity of coffee, the longer it will take water to flow through and the longer the contact time.

• Boil water, weigh and grind the coffee
• Place filter in the brewer and rinse the filter with some hot water to remove any paper taste and warm the brewing device and cup/jug
• Add the ground coffee to the brewer, making sure the bed of coffee is level. Put brewer on top of the cup/jug and place on the scales
• If pouring straight from the kettle, wait for 10 seconds once water has boiled. If using a pouring/gooseneck kettle, decant the water into it immediately
• To bloom the coffee, pour 60g of water slowly in concentric circles to wet the coffee. Pick the cone up and give it a little swirl or stir the coffee carefully with a teaspoon to make sure all the coffee is wet
• Wait 30 seconds before slowly pouring the rest of the water onto the coffee. Use the scales to keep track until the desired amount of water has been added
• Pour directly on the coffee and not on the walls of the brewer to ensure proper extraction
• Once all the water has been added, give the brewer a gentle swirl again when the water is 2-3 cm below the top of the cone so that coffee does not stick to the walls of the brewer
• Let the water draw down till the coffee bed looks dry and the it should be relatively flat
• Remove coffee filter and brewer
• Enjoy the coffee!

We love using this “4:6 method” when brewing filter coffee as it gives us more levers to adjust in making that delicious cup of brew!

Aeropress

Traditional Method

• Boil water, weigh and grind the coffee
• Place filter in the filter holder and lock into the body of the brewer
• Rinse the filter with some hot water to remove any paper taste and warm the brewing device and cup/jug
• Put the main brewer on top of the cup and place them both on the scales.
  • Add the coffee into the brewer
• If pouring straight from the kettle, wait for 10 to 20 seconds once the water has boiled
• Add the desired amount of water into the brewer, give the coffee a quick stir and put the piston part of the Aeropress in place. Check that it is sealed but do not push down yet- this is to create a vacuum above the coffee to prevent the liquid from dripping out of the brewer before you want it to
• After the brewing time is up (start with 1 minute and adjust accordingly) take the brewer and cup off the scales and slowly push down the plunger until all the liquid has been expelled
• Pull piston up by a couple of centimetres to prevent dripping while discarding the used coffee. Rinse the brewer thoroughly
• Enjoy the coffee! 

Inverted method

The idea behind this popular alternative method of inverting the brewing device is to make it impossible for the brewing liquid to escape during the infusion phase. This method will not allow you to brew as much coffee: the maximum brew is likely to be around 200ml of water.

• Boil water, weigh and grind the coffee
• Rinse the filter with some hot water to remove any paper taste and help it stick to the filter holder
• Insert the piston about 2cm into the brewer, turn the device upside down and place it on the scales
• Add the coffee into the brewer
• If pouring straight from the kettle, wait for 10 to 20 seconds once water has boiled
• Add desired amount of water into the brewer, give the coffee a quick stir. Steep for 1 minute
• While the coffee is steeping, remove the brewer from the scale and screw the filter holder onto the brewer
• Slowly push the brewer body onto the piston till the liquid is nearly touching the filter to stabilise the piston position
• At the end of the steep, place a cup upside down on top of the brewer and with the other hand holding the brewer, flip the cup and brewer over carefully
• Slowly push down the plunger until all the liquid has been expelled
• Empty and rinse the brewer thoroughly
• Enjoy the coffee!

French Press

• Boil water, weigh and grind the coffee
• Transfer coffee to the French Press, level the coffee grounds and place it on the scales
• Pour in the desired amount of water, pouring relatively quickly and try to get all the coffee wet
• After 1 minute, gently stir the water in a circular motion with a spoon about 10 times
• Place the plunger with the top of the brewer but do not depress it
• When the 5 minutes are up, depress the plunger slowly and gently to reduce the amount of unwanted agitation and any bitter astringent flavours that would ruin the brew
• Serve immediately into cups and allow coffee to cool a little
• Enjoy the coffee!

French Press Cold Brew

• Weigh and grind the coffee
• Transfer coffee to the French Press, level the coffee grounds and place it on the scales
• Pour in the desired amount of water, insert the plunger but do not depress it all the way. The mesh filter should just rest on the grounds, keeping them submerged
• Put the French Press into the refrigerator and let the coffee brew for 12 hours
• Remove the French Press from the refrigerator, remove the plunger and stir 3 times until the crust starts to sink
• Set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the grounds to sink to the bottom of the brewer
• Insert the plunger, do not depress all the way down but let the mesh rest gently on top of the coffee grounds to prevent agitation and further extraction
• Gently pour the cold brew concentrate into a separate container. To enjoy, dilute with fresh cold water using a 1:1 ratio or to taste
• Refrigerate in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Moka Pot

To get the best results from this method, choose a light espresso roast or coffee grown at lower altitudes to avoid making an overly bitter brew.

• Grind the coffee and fill the pot basket, making sure it’s even and level. Do not compress the coffee
• Boil water and fill the bottom of the pot to just below the small valve. Starting off with hot water will allow the pot to be heated for less time so the coffee’s bitterness is reduced
• Seal the coffee basket on top of the brewer.
• Put the pot on a low to medium heat, leaving the lid up
• Coffee should slowly appear in the top chamber.
• A gurgling sound indicates it’s time to turn off the heat and stop brewing. It indicates the water has mostly been pushed up and that steam is now starting to come through the coffee, making the brew more bitter
• To stop the brewing, run cold water over the bottom of the brewer, causing the steam to condense and the pressure to dissipate
• Enjoy the coffee!