News 07 Apr 2021

The guide to a proper pour over (with GINA)

07 Apr 2021
#Coffee Beans #Gina #Pour-over

The guide to a proper pour over (with GINA)

We each have our favorites when it comes to brewing methods. But let's face it - pour over will most likely make it to the top of a specialty coffee lover's list. It simply brings the most out of a great bean.

As we get a lot of questions about how to prepare a pour-over, we decided to give you a step by step guide to brewing a kick-ass cup of coffee. Ready? Let's go!

1. PREPARE EVERYTHING

As with everything in life, preparation is key. Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need neatly set up on the table. Here is what you'll need:

  • GINA
  • Grinder (not needed if you use pre-ground coffee)
  • Water kettle
  • Paper filter (you can even use a metal cone filter or a cloth filter)
  • Scale (not needed with GINA Smart)
  • Timer (not needed with GINA Smart)

Obviously we use GINA Smart Coffee Instrument to brew our pour-over coffee that has an integrated scale and timer in the dedicated GINA app. If you're using GINA you won't need an additional scale and timer. Neat, right?


Grind your coffee - GOAT STORY - pour over coffee guide

2. GRIND YOUR COFFEE

You can use pre-ground coffee (you can get GOAT STORY coffee also) as well, we won't judge you. But if you want to get the most out of your coffee, use freshly ground coffee. It makes all the difference.

Pour-over coffee will brew best when using a medium grind, but you can even go a bit finer or coarser (interested in different types of grinds?). It all depends on your coffee preferences.

 

3. HEAT YOUR WATER

Do not bring your water to a boil, rather heat it up to 90 - 96 degrees Celsius (195 - 205 degrees Fahrenheit). Coffee doesn't like boiling water.

 

4. RINSE YOUR FILTER

Using hot water, run a good amount through the filter and to rinse it thoroughly. By doing this you will rinse paper dust from the filter and at the same time warm up your brewer and coffee pitcher. It makes all the difference when brewing!

 

5. DECIDE ON YOUR RATIO

The preset coffee-to-water ratio in the GINA app is 1:15. It's a good start. But you can adjust that freely. If you're a fan of lighter coffees, go for 1:18 or even 1:20. If you like your coffee stronger and with more character, go with a lower ratio, 1:12, or even 1:10.

What is the coffee ratio actually? A ratio of 1:15 means you're using 15 measures of water for one measure of coffee. Let's say we're using 15g of coffee. To achieve the 1:15 ratio, you'll use 225g (equal to ml) of water. Simple as that.

Okay, let's get brewing!

 

Pour-over coffee guide - blooming by GOAT STORY

 

5. BLOOM YOUR COFFEE

Drop the ground coffee in the filter and make your first pour of water. Pour about two times the weight of coffee in the center of your ground coffee and make sure that all the coffee is soaked. Then let it sit for about 30 seconds. This is called blooming the coffee. In this phase, you're releasing carbon dioxide from the coffee. We don't want it in our coffee as it prevents proper extraction.

 Bloom your coffee - pour over coffee guide

 

6. CONTINUE POURING

We won't get into details of how to pour water on your coffee, we'll leave that to the pros. But a common suggestion is to start in the center of the funnel and work your way to the edge in a circular or spiral motion.

You can pour all the water at once, make two bigger pours or even use a pulsating technique. Beginners won't notice much difference and with the time you will find your favorite pouring technique.

Just a note: if you raise the kettle higher and pour water from higher above the funnel, you will agitate the ground coffee more intensive and thus create a more intense extraction that will result in a stronger and more intensive cup of coffee.

 

Pour-over coffee guide by GOAT STORY

7. LET IT DRIP

Most pour over recipes call for drip times between 2 and 3 minutes. 2:30 works nicely for smaller batches while bigger batches will take a bit more time.

 

8. ENJOY IT!

After your coffee has dripped out of the funnel, take the pitcher of coffee, give it a swirl, and smell the goods. Pour your coffee in a cup (or several cups if you're brewing for friends) and leave it to cool down a little bit.

TIP: Taste your coffee at different temperatures. You'll surely notice a distinctive change in flavor with the temperature dropping.

 

There you go, your pour-over coffee is done. Enjoy it!