How To: Pour Over Coffee
Pour Over coffee is quick, easy, and can pretty much guarantee a delicious cup of coffee every time.
If you're looking to level up on your coffee street cred with your Pour Over - we’ve got a few tips for ya.
Check out this video, so you can brew-it-yourself with Christina!
The Perfect Pour Over Coffee from Sparkplug
What is a Pour Over Coffee?
Known as a coffee dripper, filter holder, cone, or pour over coffeemaker - or by the brand names Melitta, Kalita, Hario… Whatever you call it, this is a fast, easy, low-tech way to brew a great cup of coffee!
How does it work?
The pour over is very simple - hot water is “poured over” coffee grinds held in a filter. The coffee then drips into a cup or carafe below.
Why we love it!
Mostly because it makes a delicious coffee in just a couple of minutes!
It’s super simple and low tech
Pick a ceramic or metal filter holder and there are no plastic or other hard-to-recycle pieces involved
Easy to use, easy to clean up
Low environmental impact - compost the filters with your grinds (or go with one of our reusable organic cotton filters - no need to buy more filters for a couple of years)
Pour Over Tools - just add hot water!
All you need is…
The filter holder AKA pour over (we like ceramic but some people prefer metal or plastic)
A coffee filter - the right size for your pour over (#2 or one-cup in our examples) We’re partial to the organic/ handmade kind.
A mug or carafe to brew into
Finely ground fresh roasted SPARKPLUG coffee
Hot water
Pour Over Rules of Thumb
COFFEE FILTER: If you’re using a paper filter, fold it’s edges before placing it in the filter holder. Just a little trick to make it fit better.
PREP: Wet the filter and warm your cup first by pouring the boiled kettle over it. Don’t forget to dump out the water before the next steps!
SCOOP: Use 2 tbsp (about 12g) per cup of water. Use more if it's an extra big cup! These scoops are kinda game-changers…
GRIND: FINE grind - almost like table salt or sugar, not powdered and not as fine as for espresso!
TEMPERATURE: Make sure the water is the perfect temperature - hot water, not quite boiling (wait 30-60 seconds after kettle comes to a full boil).
LET IT BLOOM: this is the secret that very few people know! Wet the grounds to let the CO2 out. Pour just enough water over the grinds to saturate them without filling the whole filter.
ZIG ZAG: After the initial bloom, add water to fill the filter. Pour the water in a circular or zig-zag motion to stir up the grinds and get all the flavour out with no dry pockets.
ENJOY! Wait until all the coffee has dripped through. Drink up!
WHICH COFFEE?
A wonderful thing about the pour over is that it highlights the taste of the bean. We prefer a medium roast coffee like our Kick Start, Deuce Coupe or Road Trip. But you can use any type of coffee. Fresh roasted, of course!
IN LOVE with these coffee filters…
Did you know, Sparkplug Coffee teams up with our neighbours here in Toronto at the REGENT PARK SEWING CIRCLE to get our HANDMADE, ORGANIC REUSABLE coffee filters made!? Yeah. These guys are awesome.
Coffee brewed with in an organic cotton coffee filter is rich in aromatic oils, smooth, with balanced acids. No unpleasant bitterness or bad attitude - especially when paired with fresh roasted Sparkplug Coffee.
We have filters for every size of Pour Over + Chemex. Check them out HERE.
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