Even for a coffee novice (me), this coffee is a quick and cathartic part of any morning work routine.
Notes from the LHTC Team:
Because I was expecting some sort of complicated NASA-esque process, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Pour-Over coffee is exactly that. No mysterious steps or complicated timing. Literally just hot water poured over a filter in just a few steps.
Why this method? Water temperature and timing can drastically effect the flavor of your favorite coffee. For example, pouring the water quickly over the grounds produces a lighter flavor, while slowly pouring the water over creates a richer, stronger flavor.
Steps for the Perfect Pour-Over Brew:
1. Grind Your Coffee to a fine ground. Too large of a grind, and the coffee particles may not dissolve fast enough, leaving you with a sour or weak flavor. Too fine of a grind, and the coffee particles may dissolve too quickly, producing a bitter flavor. You may need to play around with the size of the grind to get your perfect cup.
2. Prepare the ceramic filter. Place a paper filter in the ceramic lotus filter and rinse the filter with hot water to eliminate any paper flavors. Discard the rinse water. Place lined filter on top of your mug and add 2 heaping scoops of coffee grounds.
3. Prepare the water. Heat your water in a kettle to about 205F. You don't want to use boiling water as this can can destroy oils and subtler flavors in the beans (and can taste bitter). However, too cool of water and the coffee may come out under-extracted, or weak flavored.
4. Bloom. In a circular motion, pour a small amount of hot water over just to moisten the grounds. Let sit about 30 seconds before moving on to the next step. *When hot water is poured over the coffee, CO2 escapes, expanding the grounds creating a "bloom." Once this off-gassing is finished, the grounds will be better able to absorb water - resulting in better extraction of coffee's flavors.
6. Pour the Water. Continuing in a circular motion, pour water again over grounds until cup below if full - remembering that it takes a few seconds for the water to trickle through the grounds into the cup.
7. Enjoy. Drink as is or add cream, sugar or other favorite flavorings.