Columbus Monthly / March 2013 / Worth the Wait

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Worth the Wait

Roasting unlocks a coffee’s hidden flavors and aromas. Good brewing brings them to the cup. Though drip machines have ruled coffeehouses for decades, artisan shops push single-cup brew methods that trade quickness for quality—French press, AeroPress and the increasingly popular pour-over. “Pour-over magnifies the characteristics of the beans,” says Upper Cup Coffee Co. owner Micael Habte, “so you get a clean, crisp taste.” He shares his technique for the perfect pour-over.

1. Habte opts for a drip cone like the Harrio V60 that rests above the cup. He soaks the filter to wash away paper taste, discards water and adds 28 grams (about 3 and a half scoops) of freshly ground coffee for a 12-ounce cup. A fine grind, he says, produces low bitterness and good strength.

2. Adding water heated to roughly 205 degrees, Habte wets grounds and waits about 30 seconds during the bloom, when coffee bubbles and releases CO2. He employs the long, thin spout of a Harrio kettle to control the flow and prefers filtered water, because distilled water can dull flavor.

3. To start brewing, Habte pours water in the center of the grounds, circles out about two inches and eases off when the mixture rises near the rim of the cone. “Bring it up, let it go down,” he says. “Kind of a flood-and-drain thing.” After a good pour, he adds, spent grounds evenly coat the filter without mounds or gaps.