Why do you need to accurately time and weigh when making hand-poured coffee?

Hand brewed coffee has gradually become a part of our daily life. Brew a cup in your spare time, before mental work, before fitness, when meeting with friends, or even during outdoor activities. It can add vitality and fun to our lives.

Today, I will share with you the four details that we need to pay attention to when making hand-brewed coffee (including hand-brewed drip coffee). I believe that after getting these details, your hand-brewed coffee will taste better! Here, we also want to emphasize the concept of "precise weight and timing". If you want to produce good coffee stably, weight and timing are indispensable!

[The first detail] Accurately measure the weight of coffee powder and water

Unlike tea, which can be brewed multiple times, brewing coffee is a "one-time deal". You only have one chance to dissolve the good soluble substances in the ground coffee beans. This involves the ratio of the weight of the coffee powder to the weight of the brewing water. The weight of the coffee powder is accurate to 0.1g, and the weight of the brewing water is accurate to 1g. Only with the right ratio can you brew the best coffee.

We are all used to weighing the coffee beans before hand brewing coffee.

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But it is more accurate to weigh the coffee powder

(That’s why it’s called the powder-water ratio)

Coffee beans in the process of grinding

There may be some residue left in the grinder.

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Remember to reset the weight when officially filling water

After water filling starts, the water weight is displayed.

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Stop after the calculated amount of water is added

Try to be as accurate as possible to 1g

(When the amount of water is almost filled, switch to center filling to more accurately control the amount of water)

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To solve the problem of accurately measuring the weight of coffee powder and water, you only need to use an electronic scale that can be accurate to 0.1g. (The amount of powder must be accurate to 0.1g to accurately calculate the amount of water needed. If it is only accurate to 1g, then 14.6g and 15.4g will both be displayed as 15g, but if calculated based on a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15, the difference between the two is a full 12g)

[The second detail] Pay attention to the brewing time

Every time you brew coffee by hand, please pay more attention to the overall brewing time (from the first drop of water contacting the powder to the removal of the filter cup). The flavor of coffee brewed in 90 seconds (the filter cup is removed at 1 and a half minutes, and there may be coffee liquid left in the filter cup) and the coffee brewed in 3 minutes (the coffee liquid is removed after 3 minutes). The longer the brewing time, the higher the extraction rate.

Press the start button with one hand

The other hand is officially filled with water

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Always pay attention to the relationship between water injection volume and time

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When the predetermined water volume and predetermined time are reached,

Remove the filter cup to end the coffee extraction process

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Tips: When brewing a single serving (about 15g) of coffee powder, try to keep the total brewing time within 2 minutes. If it exceeds 2 minutes, it will easily release the later flavor of coffee extraction (bitterness and astringency).

To time hand-brewed coffee, you can use the timer that comes with the machine, or the timer on a dedicated electronic coffee scale, which can measure both time and weight.

[The third detail] Pay attention to the water temperature

When brewing coffee, what is the best water temperature? The answer may be 80, 85, 90, or even 95, but definitely not 100 degrees. Once the boiling water is poured in, the bitterness and astringency of the coffee will come out quickly. So please check the water temperature before brewing coffee. Brewing coffee at the appropriate temperature will make it taste better.

The principle of temperature adjustment for hand-brewed coffee: the lighter the roast degree/the higher the altitude, the more suitable the water temperature (90-95); the darker the roast degree/the more ordinary the coffee beans, the lower the water temperature (80-85);

To keep an eye on the water temperature, you can use a thermometer or an electric heated hand-pour kettle with a temperature control system, which allows you to visually see the water temperature in the kettle. This is especially useful in brewing competitions and coffee bar production.

【Fourth detail】Pay attention to water flow stability

The spout of a hand-brewed coffee pot usually has a narrow mouth, which makes it easy to control the amount of water outflow, stabilize the water flow, and allow the water and coffee powder to come into gentle contact, thus achieving uniform extraction.

Pay attention to the stability of the water flow and choose a good narrow-mouthed hand-brewed kettle to easily solve the problem. If you come across a good one, keep using it!