What Are The Benefits Of Pour Over Coffee?

I bet you just love pour over coffee and are now wondering what are the benefits of pour over coffee and if there are any health benefits of pour over coffee.

In this article I talk about exactly that and give you some tips to help you to brew a cup of coffee, one that coffee shops would be proud of.

Let’s get on with this article!

The Benefits Of Pour Over Coffee

There are a number of benefits of pour over coffee, let’s talk about each one of them.

The Pour Over Method Teaches You The Individual Brewing Techniques And Skills

Coffee brewing is much more than just boiling water and just dumping it in your pour over set up. You need a good coffee brewing set up for pour over, including the right equipment and brew kit.

You will learn how the temperature and pouring technique improve your cup of coffee. With Pour over coffee, you will quickly notice how poor control over the flow rate and general bad pouring techniques detract from the taste of your Cuppa Joe.

You will also notice how the brew time affects the strength of your coffee.

When you are just beginning your coffee journey, seeing how all these elements come into play and effect each other and your final output makes pour over coffee one of the best coffee brewing methods to learn and perfect first.

This brewing technique will also let you see how coffee blooms and the importance of getting it right. Too much bloom and too little are both bad. There is a sweet point. You will get an excellent coffee education when learning and perfecting how to make pour over coffee and manual drip coffee.

Read: Is a gooseneck kettle worth it?

The Pour Over Coffee Brewing Process Gives You Full Control Over All The Variables

This follows on from above. You have complete control over all aspects. How much grounds, the grind size, water temperature, filter type, brew time, the water to coffee ratio and even the type and quality of water used. You can even decide if you want a fancy set up with a Chemex or a simple drip cone, and of course, what coffee to brew with.

The Pour Over Brewing Technique Brings Out The Better Qualities In Your Coffee Beans

This is where your pouring technique and investment into a gooseneck kettle really comes into play! Getting the water flow from the thin tapered spout of a gooseneck kettle and pouring evenly and in a perfect circular motion when pouring onto your coffee grounds. A nice, slow constant flow of water will result in amazing coffee that pulls out more of the coffee oils and flavors from your bed of coffee grounds.

Read: Who makes the strongest coffee

Outstanding Flavor

Following on from above, anyone from the coffee culture community, especially coffee experts and true coffee enthusiasts, you have the potential for truly outstanding coffee flavor from your beans, and making very good coffee Barista-level coffee!.

While manual drip coffee and pour over coffee might not sound like the most advanced coffee or most difficult cup of coffee to make, there are a lot of lessons in the nuances and technicalities of what makes an outstanding coffee that can be seen in this brew method.

Treating it as a simple filter coffee is not the right attitude at all.

Speaking of filters. You can alter the intensity of the flavor by changing your coffee filter type from paper filter to metal filter or from cloth filter to metal filter.

Metal filters are best as they allow more of the coffee oils to flow into your coffee than other filters. Cloth filters are next best with paper filter filtering out all the oils making it detract from the full flavor.

It’s A Very Practical Way Of Making Coffee

Very little in the way of equipment needed. The most basic of pour over set ups are inexpensive and if you can get metal filters they are reusable.

The only big expense you have is the Gooseneck kettle, which will last you for years. Pour over coffee is very easy to make.

Quick Results

You can very quickly make a number of cups of coffee or samples, varying any one of the variables such as water temperature, filter type used, ratio of coffee to water, water quality, and noting how it affects the quality of your cup of coffee.

Portability

Coffee drinkers love the fact that filter coffee of all types is very portable and is very easy to take you gear anywhere. A weekend away – perfect! Still get that outstanding coffee as you brew up a cuppa Joe in your room.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Pour Over Coffee?

As it appears what takes away and reduces the taste of your coffee, the paper filter also significantly reduces your cholesterol levels according to everyday health.

A reduction in cardiovascular disease is a definite plus point for pouring over coffee.

However, with my preferred filter type, metal mesh filter allows the coffee oils to seep into your coffee and aids in fighting cancer. So, the healthiest way to have a pour over coffee may be to have one made with a cloth filter which allows for some coffee oils to filter through and into your coffee, which reduces cholesterol and still has some cancer-fighting properties.

The same rule applies to drip methods and other similar methods.

How Much Caffeine In Pour Over Coffee?

In a single 12 ounces (360 ml) cup of pour over there is approximately 80 mg to 180 mg of caffeine. There are variables depending on your coffee bean. Fresh coffee beans have a little more caffeine. It also depends on how much ground coffee is used. Unfiltered coffee is also a little stronger in caffeine content.

Is Pour Over Coffee Better?

For many in the coffee community and coffee lovers in general, particularly black coffee lovers pour over coffee is a better and more flavorful cup of coffee. Due to a long brewing process and extraction of the coffee solubles, this brewing method is considered to be better than many others.

It is a popular opinion, however, it is only an opinion. I’m a fan of pour over as the practice of slowly making one is very meditative.

Best Pour Over For Beginners

Many coffee experts consider the popular option of the Kalita Wave to be the best pour over for beginners. Since the skill level of making a pour over is low and easily picked up, I consider the more eye-catching design of a Chemex coffee maker to be a better choice.

Whichever of the two you decide to opt for, ensure you get your hands on a gooseneck kettle as this will improve your pouring technique and help you to pull the maximum flavor out of your coffee beans.

Tips For Brewing Perfect Pour Over Coffee

Here are some of my top tips for making a perfect pour over coffee.

#1 Use A Gooseneck Kettle

To boil your water to the ideal temperature, some of the best gooseneck kettles have a programmable preset temperature which will help you to get that perfect 92C to 96C (198C to 205C).

The biggest difference, and the main reason for suggesting the use of this type of kettle, is the ability to pour your hot water.

#2 Use A Metal Mesh Filter

Using a mesh filter will help you to get the maximum flavor from your freshly roasted coffee beans due to not filtering out the coffee oils and thus a full-bodied flavor to your coffee.

#3 Use Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans

Fresh is best. Coffee is a food product and the best taste comes when it is freshest. That means freshly ground and freshly roasted. Grind your beans just as you are about to use them and roasted no more than 10 days previously for maximum freshness.

At Latte Love Brew we encourage you to roast your own beans and join the home roasting revolution. That is how you get really fresh coffee.

If you don’t already have your own coffee grinder, I suggest you get one for that very reason. High on the must-have coffee appliance list. The best type is a ceramic burr grinder as you can get great control over the grind size and less heat dissipated by the ceramic burr onto the coffee beans.

#4 Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment

Only by experimenting with all the variables involved in brewing your morning coffee and the coffee making process and taking notes of the changes and results will you be able to improve the taste and get it exactly as you like it.

Many, including myself, in the coffee movement, learn the tricks of the trade and improve our brewing skills by experimenting.

I never stop, and never will. This is the attitude that has you making great coffee and extracting the full flavor from the beans. Just by making a few changes, you can change a flat tasting brew into a great Cuppa Joe and a great coffee experience.

Frequently Asked Questions About Benefits Of Pour Over Coffee

Is Pour Over Coffee Healthier?

Coffee in general is healthy due to the nutritional profile and being loaded with antioxidants. Of course some coffee drinks are better than others. Filtered coffee like pour over is said to be better due to containing fewer oils like cafestol which is raising cholesterol levels.

What Is The Point Of Pour Over Coffee?

The point of pour over coffee is to get the best out of your specialty grade coffee beans. Pour over is excellent at getting all the intricate and delicate flavors from the beans which other brewing methods struggle with. 

You have full control over the temperature, the flow rate, water temperature and grind size which is why coffee enthusiasts love it! Having full control allows you to get the exact flavor from the beans that you want. 

Why Is Pourover Better Than Drip?

Pour over is better than drip as with drip coffee makers you have little to no control over the variable associated with coffee brewing. You can’t adjust any of the variables which get you the coffee to taste exactly as you want it. 

Do Pour Overs Have More Caffeine?

Yes,

pour over coffee is very good at extracting caffeine from the coffee grounds used. The constant flow of fresh hot waters results in a brew that has more caffeine than other brewing methods like drip coffee, siphon coffee, espresso, moka pot and more.

Why Is Pour Over So Popular?

Pour over coffee is so popular with coffee lovers due to it being the best method for extracting the light, delicate and intricate flavors from medium and light roasted coffee beans. You will get all the complex flavors from the coffee beans. 

Do You Put Milk In Pour Over Coffee?

It is your own choice if you want to put milk in a pour over coffee. If you are trying a new single origin or any new specialty grade coffee that you have not tried before I advise trying your coffee as it is with no sugar or milk added to get an understanding of the flavors.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – Benefits Of Pour Over Coffee

One of the standout benefits of pour over coffee is that you can use this coffee brewing technique to learn all the skills and control the variables that goes into coffee brewing. Practice it often enough and you will start to make truly amazing coffee, coffee that your local coffee shop would be proud to serve.

You have learned in this article why you consider changing your usage of paper coffee filters regardless of making pour over coffee, manual drip coffee or when using an electric drip coffee maker.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location