Hit up a tiny coffee shop in Asheville last week and the barista's pour over method was totally different

I was visiting Asheville and stopped at this place called Double D's Coffee. The barista there did a pour over but he poured the water in a spiral from the center out, super slow like 4 minutes for one cup. I usually do a quick circle and let it drip, so this was wild to watch. He said it brings out more sweetness and I gotta admit the cup had zero bitterness. Anyone else try a weird pour over technique that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanross25d ago

Drew, that pulse pour method you mentioned at Proud Mary, did she do it a specific number of times or just until the water was gone? I'm wondering if there's some magic ratio to those pauses or if it's more of a feel thing. Tried mimicking that at home once and just ended up with lukewarm coffee and a mess on the counter.

drew_reed6228d ago

I tried a similar thing at this shop in Portland called Proud Mary. The barista did this pulse pour thing where she'd pour a little water, wait like 15 seconds, then pour again. I thought she was just being extra but the cup was super clean and bright. I usually just dump all the water in at once and it comes out kinda muddy sometimes. Maybe it's just me but that slow pour method really does make a difference in the sweetness. It's a pain if you're in a hurry though, like four minutes for one cup is a lot.

danielkim28d ago

Funny you mention the spiral thing, my buddy tried that at home and said it actually changes the grind size needed too since the water hits evenly the whole time. Makes me wonder if half the bitterness in normal pour overs is just uneven extraction from rushing it.