How To Brew A Pour Over

While 2020 has been...an interesting year so far, we can't deny that some good things have come out of it. Some of us have turned into world class organizers, bakers, readers, and crafters as a result of a lot of extra time at home. As for me and my husband, we have become quite the coffee snobs over the last several months. We sort of already were, but having extra time in the mornings to up our coffee game has made us all the more snobby. So I wanted to share what I deem the perfect cup of coffee and how you can make it at home! While I love the occasional drive through Summer Moon (an amazing Austin-based chain), I actually prefer and really enjoy making our own coffee. It's become something I look forward to each morning and gets me motivated for the day!

Our preferred coffee brewing method is a pour over. It requires a few tools and it's a bit of a process, but good things take time right?! A pour over differs from regular drip coffee in that you have way more control over the brewing process. You have control over the speed at which the water funnels through the grounds, allowing you to get the fullest flavor possible out of the beans. Trust me, you'll taste the difference! And the whole process is just a really nice and calming way to start the morning. So let's start with the basic tools you'll need:

• Coffee Beans
• Coffee Grinder (if you grind your beans at home, which we highly recommend for optimal freshness!)
• Coffee Dripper (here is a great one on Amazon!)
• Cone-shaped filter (we like these)
• Kettle (a gooseneck one like this is best, but a regular tea kettle will also work; just be very gentle and light-handed with your pouring)
• Digital food scale (just about any kind will work; you'll be measuring in grams.)

Now, we're no barista professionals here, but here are the steps we take for brewing what we think is the perfect cup of coffee!

1. Place your coffee dripper either onto a carafe or directly on top of the mug you want to use
2. Grab a filter and wet it with hot water, then place it inside the dripper
3. Measure out 30 grams of beans, coarsely grind till it resembles a sea salt consistency, then put them inside the filter. Make sure the grounds are leveled out.
4. Place your mug and dripper onto the scale, and set the scale to zero.
5. Bring a kettle full of water to a light boil.
6. Start your first pour. Lightly and gently, begin pouring water over the grounds in a circular motion, starting from the outer rim and into the center until the scale reaches 60 grams. Wait 30 seconds and allow the water to drip through.
7. Start your second pour. This time, start pouring in the center and circle your way out until the scale reaches 150 grams. Then wait about 45-60 seconds.
8. Start your third pour. Pour again in the same way (center-out) until the scale reaches 250 grams and wait for the water to drip and reach the bottom of the filter.
9. Start your final pour. Starting from the center and moving outward, pour until it reaches 350 grams.

And there you have it! A bold, delicious, vibrant cup of coffee! My husband drinks his coffee black, but I like to make mine a little more fancy ;) I heat up and froth some half & half, add about a teaspoon of cane sugar, and pour my coffee into that. Then I add a little dash of cinnamon on top! Similar to a latte, but with more coffee than milk and not quite as sweet. And of course, you can't beat a delicious cup of coffee in a CFL mug!