Coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world after tea. It’s consumed year-round and is ideal for any hour of the day (except before going to sleep). Most people have coffee makers at home to kick start their day. And to make care-like coffee, they are opting for a pour over coffee maker.
If you’ve purchased one or in the process of getting one for yourself, then you need to know how to use it properly. Along with that, you should know how to maintain the coffee maker to ensure longevity. In this article, learn how to use and maintain a pour-over coffee machine.
What is a Pour-Over Coffee Machine?
Let’s start with the basics first. A pour-over coffee maker is a coffee machine with a cone-shaped device holding the filter. The filter contains the coffee. Water is poured from the top of the coffee maker, which gradually passes through the series of filters and into a coffee mug at the bottom.
The factor that differentiates pour-over models from others is hand-pouring water over the coffee. Therefore, it’s also known as manual or hand brewing.
The filters give you more control over the brewing process and allow you to customize your taste profile. The filters soak up and retain the natural oils of the coffee. So the cup has higher acidity and less full-flavored.
How to Use Pour-Over Coffee Machines?
Using these types of coffee makers isn’t complicated. You need to follow the proper technique and practice a bit.
With that said, using them isn’t easy either. You’ll have to work longer than other coffee-making methods. Moreover, manual methods have higher chances of error. Therefore, you have to brew correctly.
The first thing you should do is figure out the coffee to water ratio. The majority of the people find perfection between a ratio of 1:14 and 1:18. So for every gram of coffee grounds, you’d have to use 14 to 18 milliliters of water.
Once you’ve figured out your desired coffee to water ratio, you’d need the following:
- Freshly roasted coffee
- Pour-over coffee dripper
- Warm or hot water
- Coffee grinder
Take an adequate amount of freshly roasted coffee and grind it at a medium-coarse setting. Now, place the pour-over coffee maker over the top of the coffee mug. Now add the ground coffee to the filters. Start pouring hot water over the coffee bed. Wait till it saturates the coffee evenly. You’ll enter the bloom phase when you see gas releasing from coffee in the form of bubbles. This is the carbon dioxide escaping.
Wait for 30 seconds and then resume pouring water in slow circles. Start pouring from the middle before making your way to the edge, making a full circle, and then back to the center.
Follow this way of pouring water until you get the desired amount of coffee. Once you’ve finished pouring, allow coffee to completely drain into the mug for one to two minutes.
Now you have a delicious hot, hand-brewed coffee for yourself. The above process was a bit intuition-driven. To be specific, you can use a kitchen scale and measure everything from start to finish.
How to Maintain Pour Over Coffee Maker?
Now comes the second part, which is how to maintain these categories of coffee makers. Maintaining it regularly will help ensure its longevity. Moreover, you can improve the freshness and flavor of the brewed coffee.
Here are some of the maintenance tips:
- When the pouring process is over, remove the filter and clean it thoroughly. Don’t keep it late; otherwise, the coarse beans will harden.
- Shake the brewer, which would remove most of the accumulated coffee grounds. Then wash with warm water and soap.
- Every month, soak the filters in a mixture prepared with soap, citric acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Take 2-3 tbsp of acid and hydrogen peroxide for every two cups of soap water. Soak it for four hours before removing the filters.
- Boil the filters in a water-vinegar mixture of 1:13 vinegar to water ratio for a few minutes. Let it soak overnight, and then treat it inside of a dishwasher.
- Use coffee cleaning powder to clean the coffee machine and its components. These dedicated products target the coffee oils and remove them.
- Use canned air to remove dust particles from both inside and outside of the coffee maker.
- If you notice damages, then contact customer care support immediately before using it.
By maintaining the coffee maker following the methods discussed above, you’ll be able to prepare fresh, clean coffee every time. A pour-over coffee maker is ideal for most people to prepare coffee at home. Though some models might be expensive, they’re worth the price.
