Pour-Over Coffee

A nice method of brewing really flavorful and balanced coffee that can also be tuned to the tastes of each person. Takes a bit more effort to get right than with a french press, but it has no sediment and you can get even better results.

This method is for those who are willing to spend a bit more effort and time on their coffee than with a french press. It's still not difficult at all and, although a V60 funnel is really only useful for making coffee, it doesn't cost much.

So far, of all the methods of brewing black coffee that I've tasted, i.e. espresso, cezve, moka, french press, drip coffeemaker, Chemex, Aeropress, and V60; Aeropress and V60 are my favorite so far. I don't think a recipe for Aeropress coffee is really needed, though.

Equipment

• A V60 format funnel
• A V60 format paper filter
• Some way of keeping track of time, e.g. a Casio chronograph wristwatch
• Kitchen scales
• A coffee pot (optional)

Digital kitchen scales are the easiest way to dose the water that you're going to pour into the V60 funnel. You could do it without them, but your mileage will highly vary.

Ingredients

I use the following amounts to get a 240-250ml cup of coffee

• 18-20g coffee beans
• 300ml ~89-95ºC water

The beans should be ground, whether by yourself or by the coffee shop, a little bit finer than for a french press brew. You can play with the coarseness and with the amount of coffee beans in order to get a stronger or milder flavor, according to your preferences.

The quality of the coffee beans is very important! A mild roast of arabica might be best for the V60, but it is also up to taste.

Instructions

0. Grind the beans and heat the water.
1. Fold and put the filter in the funnel, put the funnel on top of a pot or cup, and put all that on top of some kitchen sales.
2. Rinse the filter with the same hot water that you're going to use to brew the coffee, so as to prevent the paper from changing the coffee's flavor. Discard the water you used to rinse it.
3. Pour the ground coffee into the filter. Make a little shallow hole with your finger in the middle of the ground coffee.
4. Slowly pour 60ml of hot water over the ground coffee in a circular motion; stir the funnel a little bit; let it sit for about 40 seconds.
5. Now you need to pour in the same circular manner in 30 seconds (from dose start) intervals 60ml doses of water, until you get to 300ml. You don't have to be perfect about it, but the amount you pour each time should roughly follow multiples of 60. This should give a brewing time of about 2'40".
6. Once you get to 300ml, lightly stir the funnel one last time and let the water seep through.
7. Serve and delight in a flavorful and balanced cup of coffee. Smooth instrumental jazz to accompany your coffee highly recommended!

If you want to make two cups in one sitting you can if you have a O2 or O3 size V60. It's just a matter of multiplying the quantities, as with any recipe, really.

So, if for a single (250ml) cup you need 300ml water total, 18g beans and dose in 60ml; for 2 (500ml) cups you'll need ~600ml water total, 36g beans and 120ml doses.