Is Pour Over Better? All About Pour Over Coffee Brewing!

What is pour over coffee? Is pour over better than machine-made coffee? That's what we're here to discuss!

Ever heard of pour over coffee before? Recently, coffee lovers all over the world have been using the pour over method to enhance their daily grind. Certainly, the pour over coffee brewing method has been growing in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. Pour over coffee can have many advantages, especially when it comes to flavor. So, for coffee fans who want to craft the perfect cup, the rise in popularity with the pour over method is great news.

Still, those who haven't yet jumped on the 'pour over bandwagon' are probably asking, "What is pour over coffee?" Even if you've heard of it before, you may be wondering whether the pour over coffee method is actually better than simpler machine drip grind coffee. As fans of great coffee ourselves, that's exactly what we are here to cover, so let's dive in!

All About Pour Over Coffee: Covering the Basics

Pour over coffee brewing is a method of crafting hot coffee manually by hand, without the use of an electric coffee maker. That's right, hot coffee without a machine like a coffee pot or Keurig. With pour over coffee, you slowly pour very hot water over coffee grounds in a specially designed sieve, and let gravity and heat do the work. As extraction takes place, all the variables of coffee making can be carefully controlled for a custom craft cup of Joe.

With pour over coffee, the brew drips through the cone-shaped filter or sieve, into a receptacle below. If made with care and practice, you can make pour over coffee with a very smooth mouthfeel, balanced nuances, and distinctive flavor notes that would otherwise not shine through in a cup of Keurig coffee or in coffee made in a machine. 

How does the pour over coffee method work?

So how exactly does pour over coffee work and how are the flavors extracted sans a machine? With pour over coffee, no electricity is needed, and gravity and heat do most of the work. You have to heat your water to the right temperature, which is usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  As the water flows over and through the coffee grounds, it saturates them and lets them bloom. Then, the extracted coffee drips through a cone-shaped sieve or filter into a receptacle below.

Some Benefits of Pour Over Coffee Makers

Pour over can be great for many reasons, and is a great choice for those looking to take their time and really appreciate the coffee-making experience. You can make sure that the coffee grounds bloom slowly and evenly, allowing for optimal soluble extraction and superb flavors. Plus, pour over coffee makers require little maintenance, don't need to be plugged in, and tend to be very easy to clean. 

Advantages of Pour Over Coffee Makers:

• No need for outlets on the countertop
• Savor the coffee making experience
• Control the bloom of coffee grounds to enhance extraction 
• Easy to clean and care for
• No machine maintenance or descaling is needed with a pour over maker 

How is pour over coffee different from regular machine-made coffee?

So how is this different from drip grind coffee, Keurig coffee, or other kinds of coffee made in an electric coffee pot? After all, isn't a coffee maker essentially the same thing, hot water running over coffee grounds? Well, not exactly. With pour over coffee, you get to completely customize your coffee brewing and take control of coffee’s subtle nuances for tailored, craft coffee results. 

Key Pour Over Coffee Brewing Method Differences

Pour over coffee brewing differs fundamentally from automated electric coffee brewing because with pour over, you can carefully craft an incredibly customized cup of coffee by controlling factors like water temperature, coffee ground blooming time, steeping, and more. With pour over coffee, you can get the absolute most out of your coffee grounds to make better coffee with less waste. 

Pour over is a manual coffee brewing process in which you can: 

• Heat the water to a specific temperature 
• Control water speed 
• Control water pouring placement
• Implement precision coffee ground blooming techniques

As you can see, with pour over, custom coffee control is the name of the game. But how much of a difference does it really make? If you ask some coffee fans, the answer is a huge difference. 

What is the right pour over coffee brewing temperature?

The pour over coffee brewing method involves pouring precisely heated water (between 195 and 200 degrees) over specifically sized coffee grounds in a cone-shaped sieve or filter, where extraction takes place. The hot liquid drips below into a receptacle to produce an easily customizable cup of coffee. 

What grind for pour over coffee?

The short answer is that pour over coffee should be a medium coarse grind. However, the grind style can vary depending on how you prefer your coffee. A coarse grind can produce a mellow cup of coffee while a fine coffee grind makes for a stronger cup of pour over coffee.

Bearing that in mind, most people agree that a medium grind, somewhere between fine and coarse, is best for pour over coffee. Conveniently, this is the same grind level used for most electric drip-grind coffee making, and a nice medium grind for making pour over coffee isn’t difficult to achieve or buy.

Is pour over coffee better than Keurig or machine drip-grind? 

So, is pour over actually better than Keurig of machine-made coffee? It depends on who you ask and how good you are at making pour over coffee. Many people believe that pour over coffee is better than drip-grind coffee, or coffee made in a traditional electric coffee pot. Others feel that the manual pour over brewing method is a better option for some kinds of coffee beans and not for others. Still, others prefer the speed and ease of use of a Keurig or electric coffee pot. It all depends on who you ask. 

While pour over coffee does offer many advantages and benefits, the truth is that there are many ways to make a great cup of coffee, and no singular method is better than another. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve regarding your morning cup of Joe! 

5 Pour Over Brewing Benefits and Advantages:

Here are some advantages to the pour over coffee brewing method to help you figure out whether trying pour over coffee sounds like something you ought to look into.

1. Pour over coffee is generally cleaner, with fewer grounds slipped in. 

With pour over coffee, excess grounds and that coffee ground slurry stuff don't get mixed in as easily, making for a cleaner cup of coffee. 

2. Pour over is more efficient for making one cup at a time. 

It's easier to make one cup at a time with pour over coffee compared to a drip grind electric maker. This can be efficient and save you money. 

3. You can get better extraction than drip grind coffee pots, without the messiness of a French press

Pour over coffee makers are usually compact, simple, and very easy to clean. 

4. Pour over isn’t a big investment to get started and can be energy efficient.

Pour over coffee makers really aren't very expensive, and the startup costs are minimal if you want to give some new pour over coffee techniques a try. This leaves you some extra cash to spend on higher-quality gourmet Arabica brews or fresh-roasted craft premium single-origin coffee beans. 

5. Pour over coffee is easy to customize, meaning you can make exceptional coffee more easily. 

You can truly customize your coffee, making pour over a great method if you want premium small batch coffee results. 

The Pour Over Difference: Final Thoughts 

There is a reason for the recent explosion in the popularity of pour over coffee. It's not just because people are trying to save energy or make things more complicated in their morning routine. With the pour over coffee technique, you can customize your brewing and taste the difference! 

Final Pour Over Differences to Keep In Mind:

• The flavor quality of pour over coffee is said to be far better than that of coffee made with a drip coffee pot or Keurig. Drip coffee is faster and easier to make, yes, and the convenience of a Keurig or K-cup style coffee maker is hard to top. However, with automated coffee makers, you can lose many of the subtle nuances and undertones of fine coffee beans. 
• The complex flavors found in high-quality Arabica coffee tend to get blended together or get mellowed out with an electric brewer. In contrast, with pour over coffee, there are no limitations on things like temperature adjustment, blooming techniques, etc. So, you can make a custom cup of coffee every time. There’s plenty of room to easily change your variables based on the kind of coffee you are brewing and get the most out of all of your grounds.

All in all, if you want a truly customizable, craft cup of fine Arabica coffee, then you will want to get yourself some premium gourmet Arabica coffee beans like these, grind them fresh, and brew them with a pour over coffee maker.