With the development of the third wave of specialty coffee craze, more and more people are paying attention to coffee, including how to make a cup of coffee. FrontStreet Coffee believes that if you want to make coffee at home, the easiest way is to brew coffee by hand. The equipment purchased is not as big and expensive as Italian coffee, and it is also faster to get started. As long as you practice the techniques frequently, the products will become more and more stable. Although many people say that there are still many points to pay attention to when making Pour over(V60) coffee. From a professional perspective, the threshold is indeed not low, but FrontStreet Coffee believes that as long as you master the most basic requirements, if you control them well, you can definitely make a professional and authentic cup of single-origin coffee. Next, based on FrontStreet Coffee’s hand-brew experience, I will briefly explain the steps and precautions for hand-brewing coffee.
Required configuration for Pour over(V60) coffee
Hand brewing pot, filter cup, sharing pot, grinder, filter paper, electronic scale, thermometer, powder sieve.
【Hand-pour pot】
There are many varieties of hand brewing kettles, and the style will naturally suit your personal aesthetic. The popular Hario VKB FrontStreet Coffee is not recommended and is not suitable for novices. Here are a few hand brewing pots that FrontStreet Coffee thinks you can buy in the early stages.
Takahiro Shizuku is known as a cheat pot because of its excellent water flow control and impeccable workmanship. If you can only buy a single-function pot, Shizuku is the best choice. The price of more than 500 seems a bit expensive, but it is well worth it. The 0.9 L specification can also cope with most environments. 18-8 stainless steel material. There are two main disadvantages. One is that the stainless steel top cover will burn those players who habitually hold the top cover with their other hand, and the other is that a water flow limiter cannot be installed.
Slim-spout pots (inner diameter above 6mm), representative: Bonavita fixed-temperature hand-pour pot, available in FrontStreet Coffee store. The Strix temperature control system imported from the UK accurately controls the water temperature, with a positive and negative temperature difference of 1 degree Celsius. The professional gooseneck fine tip design can more effectively control the water flow speed, flow and direction. The base has temperature adjustment, heat preservation and memory functions. The body of the pot is made of high quality, the top cover is made of plastic, and a throttle valve can be installed. The water flow control is also better than VKB. With a pot in hand there’s nothing more to ask for, a great choice for small cafes.
Kalita spout kettle. Kalita is a long-established utensil manufacturer, adhering to the consistent characteristics of the Japanese: meticulous workmanship and artistic workmanship. Of course, there is still a gap between this crane's mouth teapot and some top products, but for personal use, if you have no experience in using other works of art, using it is undoubtedly a kind of enjoyment. The handle is extremely comfortable, and the upper and lower handles make the pot very stable. The spout is also an advanced style, with more changes and more fun. The perfect combination of wood and stainless steel. Matches well with our own stainless steel filter cup. The appearance depends on what you like. FrontStreet Coffee also has this hand brewing kettle. I bought it just for its appearance. If you are just getting started with hand brewing, you can use a narrow mouth kettle with an inner diameter of less than 5 mm, such as the Kalita copper kettle 900.
HARIO grenade, the pot body is made of pure stainless steel and has been treated with secondary matte polishing to avoid small scratches caused by slight collisions or cleaning. The body and lid are made of stainless steel, and the lid and handle are made of phenol formaldehyde resin. The reason why Japan's Hario hand-pour pot is popular all over the world is not only its ultra-sophisticated workmanship and design, but also because it is an all-round pot with controllable water flow. Compared with various 5mm diameter pots that can only brew with a small flow of water, this Hario pot can also meet the immersion brewing method popular in Europe and the United States, and can also be controlled to obtain a small flow of water by dripping.
【Filter cup】
Hario V60 is the most popular and is made of four materials: resin, glass, ceramic, and metal. V60 caters to the many variables in coffee making, mainly in three points of design:
1. 60-degree cone: This prolongs the time it takes for water to flow through the coffee grounds toward the center.
2. A large filter hole: This allows us to control the flavor of the coffee by changing the flow rate of the water.
3. Spiral pattern: This allows air to escape upward from all sides to maximize the expansion of the coffee powder.
The Kalita filter cup is made of ceramic material. The ceramic coffee filter cup has better heat preservation, uniform enamel, and positive color. The cup shape is a three-hole trapezoid with a retro style, a single-sided cup ring, and a clear filter keel inside the cup. The coffee filtered through this filter cup is mellow and fragrant, suitable for coffee beans with weak acidity and high body.
The ribs of the KONO filter cup do not extend from the bottom to the top, but stop at less than half the height of the filter cup. This height is designed to ensure that during the dripping process, the filter paper can stick to the wall of the filter cup after absorbing water. Once the exhaust space is restricted, the air flow will also be restricted, which will increase the time for the coffee powder particles to absorb water.
The cake filter cup, also called a wave filter cup, has a flat bottom. The flat-bottom design allows the water to have a uniform flow rate, which improves the extraction rate. In addition, there are only three small holes at the bottom, and the flow rate is relatively slow. This allows the coffee powder to be fully soaked and the extracted coffee will be more balanced. In addition, the use of origami filter paper does not directly fit the filter cup, creating the largest extraction area. On the one hand, it is conducive to concentrated extraction, and the hot water can trickle down evenly and smoothly. On the other hand, it can also slow down the loss of temperature.
【Bean grinder】
Good Pour over(V60) coffee requires a good grinder. There are three types of grinders on the market.
1. Ghost tooth grinder
2. Flat knife grinder
3. Conical knife grinder
The ghost tooth grinder grinds coffee beans into particles. The shape of the ground coffee powder is mainly round, and the flavor of single-origin coffee has a good sense of balance and mellowness. The shape of the grinding coffee beans grinded by the flat knife grinder is mainly flaky, which can increase the concentration and extraction rate of the coffee liquid in a short time. The aroma of coffee can also be extracted in a short time, and the extraction time needs to be shortened. If the extraction time is long, the coffee will easily have mixed flavors and astringency. Suitable for short-time extraction, the conical knife grinder grinds the coffee into particles by grinding. The particles produced by the grinding are more lumpy, and the coffee flavor is more rounded and complex.
The bean grinders on the market often include Xiaofeiying bean grinder, Xiaofuji bean grinder, Baratza Encore bean grinder, and Huijia bean grinder. FrontStreet Coffee uses a Baratza Encore grinder.
【Thermometer】
Thermometers are used to measure the water temperature of coffee. Thermometers on the market include Tiamo thermometer, Hero thermometer, and Cafede Kona thermometer.
【Electronic scale】
Electronic scales allow us to better control the powder-to-water ratio when brewing coffee, reduce unstable factors, and increase sufficient error tolerance. Electronic scales range from hundreds to dozens of dollars each, including Yami electronic scales, hero smart scales, and Taimo electronic scales.
【Filter paper】
There are two types of filter paper, bleached and unbleached. Bleached filter paper looks whiter, while unbleached filter paper looks almost light brown. The function of the filter paper is to use extremely dense fibers to retain the ground coffee powder and filter the extracted coffee into the cup. When purchasing filter paper, you should choose the corresponding filter paper according to your own filter cup, including Japanese Sanyo V60 filter paper, hario filter paper, Kalita filter paper, and kono filter paper.
[Powder screening net]
The main thing is to judge the grinding degree. The grinding degree suitable for hand brewing is different for each type of coffee beans. Through continuous experiments, FrontStreet Coffee has determined that 80% of the coffee beans pass the Chinese standard No. 20 sieve as the grinding degree for hand brewing.
【Sharing Pot】
The sharing pot is actually optional. If you are drinking alone, you don’t need to share the pot and just put it on the mug to drip filter. To extract multiple cups of coffee, you need to share the pot. With the scale display and transparent material of the sharing pot itself, it is easier to understand and control the extraction process. The sharing pot is not just for dividing cups. FrontStreet Coffee recommends HARIO V60 Yunduo sharing pot and Kalita sharing pot.
Hand brewing coffee steps
To brew a pot of coffee, start with these six aspects: water temperature, grinding thickness, powder to water ratio, water quality, coffee beans, and brewing technique.
【Water temperature】
The higher the water temperature, the stronger the extraction ability, the bitterer the coffee and the stronger the taste; the lower the water temperature, the weaker the extraction ability, the coffee will easily become sour, and the taste will be mild and light. The temperature of hand brewing should be adjusted according to the degree of roasting of the coffee. The recommended temperature for light-medium roasted beans is 90-91°C, and the recommended temperature for medium-dark roasted beans is 85-87°C. FrontStreet Coffee basically makes adjustments within this range. A customer once questioned the brewing temperature. FrontStreet Coffee used Golden Mandheling coffee beans (dark roast) and brewed it with 90°C water temperature. The result was a taste that was almost "comparable" to espresso.
[Grinding degree]
Refers to the size of the coffee particles, and the grind size affects the contact time between coffee and water. If the coffee powder is finer, the water can extract more substances in the same time, but the finer the grind, the coffee will be easily over-extracted during the extraction process; conversely, the coarser the coffee is ground, the water will extract less substances in the same time, but the coarser the grind, the coffee will be prone to under-extraction. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using the Chinese standard No. 20 sieve pass rate of 80% as the grinding size for hand brewing. This is obtained after many taste tests. It should be noted that the grinding degree of different coffee beans is different, so when the flavor of hand brewing is not right, you can see if there is a problem with the grinding degree.
Finely ground coffee will have a high concentration, high extraction rate, and high body (easily over-extracted).
FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) coffee powder fine grinding demonstration
Coarsely ground coffee has low concentration, low extraction rate, and low body mass (easily under-extracted).
FrontStreet Coffee Coarse Grinding Demonstration
FrontStreet Coffee recommends a medium-fine grinding size for Pour over(V60) coffee (the same size as white sugar).
FrontStreet Coffee medium-fine grinding demonstration
[Powder to water ratio]
The powder-to-water ratio refers to the ratio of coffee powder to brewing water, which affects the intensity of the coffee. It can be 1:10, 1:13, 1:15, or 1:16. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15, which is more moderate in terms of concentration or taste. Of course, everyone pursues a different taste of coffee. When extracting coffee, you can adjust your own powder-to-water ratio according to the richness of taste you want.
【Water quality】
Of course, a cup of delicious coffee cannot be separated from good water quality. In daily life, do not use tap water directly to brew coffee. It is recommended to use filtered water or purified water to brew coffee. Of course, mineral water will also work. However, each type of water brewed with the same brewing parameters will taste slightly different. FrontStreet Coffee has also done and experimented with this. (This experiment is not to prove which water quality is better for brewing coffee. The purpose is to show the difference between different water qualities in extracting flavor, and provide it for your reference)
Water quality test results
FrontStreet Coffee used [FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo Oiran coffee beans] to show the results of this experiment:
Experimental results
Water quality directly affects the taste, aroma, consistency and many other healthy elements of all coffee. The key influencing factor is the mineral composition of the water. Mineral ions such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in the water will affect the thermodynamic extraction ability of coffee, thus causing changes in the flavor of coffee.
【Fresh coffee beans】
FrontStreet Coffee believes that both single-origin beans and Italian beans can be used for Pour over(V60) coffee. However, if you still want to enjoy the charm of Pour over(V60) coffee, it is recommended to choose single-origin beans with detailed bean information (origin, variety, processing method), so that you can taste the coffee flavor characteristics of a single production area. FrontStreet Coffee Coffee) has therefore launched a series of ration beans, with the aim of allowing everyone to buy beans with the flavor of the place of origin at a relatively cheap price, such as the citric acid of Yerga, the herbal flavor of Mandheling, and the nutty chocolate flavor of Brazil and Colombia. These are the basic flavors of the place of origin, which can be reflected in the ration beans. When buying freshly roasted coffee beans, the flavor of roasted coffee beans will gradually weaken. Freshly roasted beans need to be cultivated for 4-7 days. At this time, the coffee flavor will be at its best. Therefore, the beans you receive from FrontStreet Coffee are usually within a week or three or four days, so that you can immediately want to use this coffee when you receive it. After a month, the flavor of the beans will be much duller, so it is recommended that a bag of beans should not be stored for too long, and it is best to drink it within a month.
FrontStreet Coffee coffee beans from major producing areas
【Brew method】
There are various brewing techniques, such as three-stage brewing, one-shot brewing, drip brewing, etc. FrontStreet Coffee recommends that novices use the three-stage water injection method to brew. This method is suitable for light roast, medium light, and medium roast coffee beans. The segmented extraction method of three-stage water injection can clarify the flavor of the front, middle and back sections of coffee, which can better ensure the flavor presentation of coffee.
The first water injection: steaming (to help exhaust gas)
Coffee beans will undergo a series of chemical reactions and physical changes during the roasting process from raw beans to mature beans. After reaching a certain level of roasting, a large amount of gas (mostly carbon dioxide) will accumulate in the coffee beans.
Generally speaking, the fresher it is and the closer it is to baking, the more it will bubble during steaming. Dark roasted beans also release more gas during the steaming process than lightly roasted beans. FrontStreet Coffee's coffee beans are freshly roasted, so customers are generally advised to keep the beans for three days to allow the coffee beans to release carbon dioxide first, thus avoiding instability and under-extraction problems during brewing.
After steaming and releasing the gas, the coffee particles can evenly absorb water, allowing for even extraction in the later stages. Good steaming can exhaust the coffee powder quickly, fully and evenly, and also allow the coffee powder to fully and quickly contact the water, helping the coffee powder to be extracted evenly.
Pay attention to the following four points when steaming:
1. Before pouring water and steaming, pat the coffee powder flat.
2. When steaming, be gentle when adding water.
3. During the steaming process, the extract liquid flowing down should be as little as possible; when there is too much extract liquid in the lower pot, the amount of water injected should be reduced, or the grinding degree should be paid attention to. (If the amount of steaming water is too much and a large amount of coffee liquid is dripped, the falling water does not stay but directly brings out the external substances of the coffee powder. The miscellaneous and astringent taste of the outer layer of the coffee powder also begins to dissolve. In this way, the brewed coffee is light but has an over-extracted taste. If the amount of steaming water is insufficient and there are no water drops falling at all, the coffee powder is not saturated with water and part of the coffee is insufficiently vented, resulting in insufficient extraction.) According to this situation, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet) After many steaming tests, it was found that it is more appropriate to inject twice the amount of water as coffee powder during steaming.
4. The steaming time is about 30 seconds to 40 seconds. When the expansion of the surface of the coffee powder ends, you will see shrinkage on the surface of the coffee. This means that the steaming is completed and you can start pouring water. (In terms of time, if the steaming time is too long and the coffee is not soaked enough, the coffee may be under-extracted or the coffee may not be fully displayed.) Generally speaking, the end time of steaming will be different for each bean, but FrontStreet Coffee found that this is not conducive to the operation of novices. After all, novices pay attention to standardization and ease of use, so while ensuring that the coffee beans are still in a freshly roasted state, FrontStreet Coffee Coffee), the recommended steaming time is 30 seconds. Of course, experienced people can adjust the time by themselves.
Second water injection
The second water injection starts from the middle and injects a small water column into the bottom of the powder layer. In order to concentrate the penetrating power of the water column, the circle movement range should be small, about the size of a one-yuan coin, and then go out. At the beginning of the second water supply, pay attention to the amount of water and try not to exceed the height of the powder layer. That is to say, when the water column is almost close to the filter paper, the water supply can be stopped.
Regarding the issue of water injection, FrontStreet Coffee always tells its customers that the water should be poured gently, the water should not be cut off during the circle filling process, and the water flow should be well controlled and steady, not one large or one small. Why is that? There are two main reasons: the size of the water flow affects the turning of the powder layer and the time of extraction is controlled by the water flow.
1. The size of the water flow affects the turning of the powder layer
When the water flow is larger when you add water, the coffee powder will be stirred to a greater extent, and the extraction time will be shortened; conversely, when the water flow is small, the coffee powder will be stirred to a small extent, and the extraction time will be extended.
When flushing with large amounts of water, the powder bed will be stirred up so much that the water level in the filter cup will rise rapidly, as if the water is about to submerge the filter paper, and the drainage will speed up, which can easily make the extraction time too short, resulting in insufficient extraction and the inability to show the coffee flavor.
The opposite is true when using a small flow of water. Although the water level is not high, injecting water with a small flow of water that is too gentle will prevent the force of the water column from penetrating the powder layer and can only stir the surface of the coffee powder. Moreover, the extraction time is obviously prolonged, and the coffee is prone to bitterness and flavor, which greatly affects the taste of the coffee.
2. Control the extraction time through water flow
The longer the extraction time = the stronger the flavor, the higher the concentration, and the more obvious the sweet and sour taste.
The shorter the extraction time = the softer the flavor, the lower the concentration, and the less obvious the sweet and sour taste.
third water injection
As the originally thicker powder layer on the edge of the filter paper will become heavier due to the draft, it will slip and become thinner as the water level drops. When the water level drops to half, the third water injection can be performed.
From the third water supply, you must observe the extent of the water level drop. Also start from the center and supply water in a circle. The water volume should not exceed the height of the powder layer. At this time, you will also observe that the foam ratio has occupied the surface. For the third water injection, you must increase the tumbling of the coffee particles to allow all the deposited particles to tumble and dissolve the soluble substances.
The rolling particles will start to stop when water is added. At this time, the flow rate caused by the falling water level is used to cause friction in the coffee particles. Therefore, once the water is stopped, the coffee powder particles will sink and cause blockage, so pay special attention to the rhythm of adding water. If the water is cut off too many times, it means that the coffee powder particles are kept soaked in water. This will cause astringency and miscellaneous flavors in the final coffee extraction.
Take [FrontStreet Coffee, Ethiopian Coffee] as an example
| Production area | Yirgacheffe |
| altitude | 1700-2200m |
| Level | G1 |
| Variety | native species |
| Treatment method | Wash with water |
Brewing parameters, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a Hario V60 filter cup, 90°C water temperature, 15 grams of powder, 1:15 powder to water ratio, and grinding degree BG#5F (Chinese standard No. 20 sieve pass rate 80%)
For the brewing technique, FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction. Use 30 grams of water for steaming for 30 seconds. When the water is poured in a circle with a small flow of water until it reaches 125 grams, it is segmented. When the water level drops and the powder bed is exposed, continue to pour water to 225 grams and stop pouring water. When the water level drops and the powder bed is exposed, remove the filter cup. (Steaming starts timing) The extraction time is 2 minutes.
Flavor description: Obvious floral aroma, sour and bright lemon citrus, with a hint of black tea in the back.
For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
