The History Of Pour-Over Coffee
Just step into a boutique coffee shop, and in all likelihood, you will have at least one coffee maker. Although the V60 filter cup and Chemex pot have been around for decades, they are still the representatives of the third wave of coffee today.
But how did pour-over coffee evolve? Why is this simple brewing method the darling of the specialty coffee trend? This article takes you into the history of pour-over coffee.
The Source Of Everything
For hundreds of years, when people all over the world made coffee, they poured the ground coffee powder into a pot and heated it with water, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Around 1810, someone invented a coffee percolator. When using it to make coffee, hot water would repeatedly pass through the coffee powder. It was the most common brewing method in Europe at the time. The espresso machine appeared soon after.
But in the 20th century, the German woman Melita Banzai was not satisfied with the taste of coffee brewed in the percolator and the coffee grounds in the cup, so she began to develop alternative brewing methods. She used nails to poke holes in the metal pot and then cooked coffee with blotting paper. The finished product was not bitter than the coffee brewed from the percolating pot, and there were no coffee grounds to mess with. In June 1908, Melita applied for a patent for this filter, and Melita was founded.
In 1909, Melita and her husband Hugo presented their filters at the Leipzig Trade Fair, and they were very popular. In the 1930s, Melita invented the conical filter cup familiar to modern people. This design improved the quality of the finished coffee because the coffee extraction area became larger. Of course, they also invented a more time-saving and labor-saving device than metal cans and used it to support filter paper. They made a simple conical drip device and placed it on the upper edge of a cup or pot. It is said that the first filter bowl they sold had eight holes in the bottom, but it was changed to only one hole in the 1960s.
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In the past, coffee filter cloth was popular in Latin America for several years, but the invention and commercialization of filter paper greatly changed the way we brew coffee. Melita is now a global company, and their filter papers and filter cups are used in kitchens and cafes all over the world.
The Evolution Of Pour-Over Coffee
Others also invented various pour-over and filtering devices, and Melita filter cups were introduced almost at the same time.
In 1941, German chemist Peter Schlumbo invented the classic glass coffeemaker Chemex. It is said that Peter has a weird personality and is dedicated to improving the efficiency of everyday objects and adding fun. He has applied for more than 300 patents, including cocktail shakers and cars. Because of his chemistry expertise, he knows how coffee is extracted and invented thick filter paper. His co-manufacturer said that these filter papers could make coffee not bitter, oily, and residue-free.
In 1959, people at the time believed that this special hourglass-shaped coffee maker Chemex was one of the best inventions in modern times. It is also considered practicality.
There is a circle of wood on the neck of the glass pot, which is convenient for the user to take the hot pot, and the leather cord can prevent sliding. The glassware in the laboratory is thought of the glass jug to avoid the absorption of peculiar smells or chemical residues, which will affect the finished product after brewing.
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In addition, there are many popular Japanese pour-over utensils. In 1921, Hario, a chemical glass equipment production company, was established in Tokyo. They invented the V60 filter cup to improve the filter support at that time.
This conical filter cup, like other utensils, is placed on the upper edge of the cup or glass jug to support the filter paper, but it is not that simple.
The taper of this filter cup is 60º, so the water will flow to the center of the coffee ground, prolonging the contact time of the ground and water. It also has a large hole, which can reduce the coffee filtering time, and other similar appliances have only a few small holes. The V60 filter cup also has spiral grooves to allow air to circulate, allowing the coffee ground to expand as much as possible.
The Kalita Wave filter cup is also an invention that originated in Japan. It is characterized by a flat bottom with three holes, which can drain all the water from the coffee ground, and the brewed coffee has a fresh flavor. It is also designed to minimize the contact between the filter cup and the filter paper so that the water temperature is consistent and the water is evenly dispersed.
Filter paper is not the only option for pour-over coffee. Costa Rica has a brewing method called corridor, which uses a wooden holder and filter cloth to brew. This method has been used for years before Melita puts the blotting paper into a metal can. The filter cloth can be reused and produces less waste than filter paper. A coffee filter cloth is also an option for specialty coffee.
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Pour-Over In The Trend Of Specialty Coffee
Chemex pots and other pour-over utensils became popular in the middle of the last century, but most of them fell out of fashion in the subsequent years. Only in recent years has it been revived by specialty coffee promoters.
The coffee brewing machine and the espresso machine are the protagonists of the second wave of coffee. Still, in the third wave, everyone starts to pay attention to details and wants to grasp more brewing variables. Coffee lovers also want fresher coffee, not coffee that has been brewed and left in a warmer for hours.
The barista pours water into the coffee ground by hand. Compared with the automatic coffee drip filter, it is easier to control the contact between the ground and water. By controlling the extraction, the barista can prevent the coffee from being too bitter or too weak. In addition, pour-over can make coffee with a clean flavor, so it is highly regarded, unlike the coffee extracted by the soaking method (such as a French press), which has a strong flavor.
Over the years, the public has been deeply influenced by high-strength coffee and over-extracted deep-roasted coffee. It has to change gradually to enjoy filtered pour-over coffee.
The third wave of coffee urged pour-over because manual brewing brought the quality of filter coffee back, and the public began to enjoy high-quality black coffee again.
Specialty coffee lovers also have an almost admiring love for opponents. The pour-over not only attracts people's eyes but also brings complex flavor and smell to coffee. Even consumers who are not familiar with coffee can be fascinated by this simple brewing method.
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Drip coffee has become very popular in recent years. I think that, on the one hand, consumer awareness is on the rise, and on the other hand, the public is eager for craftsmanship.
Of course, the detailed technique of pour-over is one of its highlights. One of the appeals of the third wave of coffee is pour-over, which is similar to the revival of craft beer and sour bread because pour-over emphasizes the subtle integration of various techniques. People who consider themselves coffee fans have this kind of perseverance in their love.
Pour-over baristas must understand pulse pouring and agitation in order to brew high-quality coffee. In addition, they must also clearly understand the factors that affect the extraction, such as the size of the grinding particles, the height of the cloth filling, and the water temperature.
The focus of pour-over is the craftsmanship of brewing coffee purely with human power.
In 2006, Starbucks single-origin coffee machine Clover came out and entered certain stores. Starbucks said that it uses complete soaking and vacuum extraction, combined with the skills of our barista, to elicit the full flavor of our collection of coffee, which can be made into a cup each time.
After coffee machines dominate the market, coffee consumers like to buy and sell in cups and want to know more about brewing methods.
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The Noise Against Pour-Over Coffee
However, with manual brewing and refilling techniques, human error may make a cup of coffee insufficient extraction. For example, a poor water injection method may cause channeling. In this case, the water flow will flow down from the smoothness of the ground so that part of the coffee ground is not extracted.
The more variable factors are controlled, the more likely it is to make mistakes, and the more difficult it is for the finished product to be consistent, so there is opposition to the pour-over method.
But some opponents' criticisms of Chongji are untenable. If operated properly, this brewing method is even better than the pour-over method because it is more stable when pouring water into the ground. The pour-over machine certified by SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) reduces the uncertain factors of human error and ensures the high quality of the finished product.
History will really repeat itself. The early promoters of pour-over are now leading the public to accept high-quality pour-over coffee brewed with care. The selection of high-quality beans and the correct coffee-to-water ratio is because the finished coffee is more stable and consistent. Cost-effectiveness.
So there is a reason for the popularity of pour-over coffee in recent years: not only the finished product has a clean flavor and the price is lower, but it also allows the barista to control the cause fully. If you want to know more about coffee, this technique is a great entry point.
However, pour-over relies on the basic knowledge of extraction. If you ignore the grinding size and do not learn the water injection method, it is easy to make bad coffee. Even an experienced barista can't brew the exact same coffee every time. Routine work is one of the charms of pour-over, but if you want a stable finished product, you can study and see an SCA-certified coffee machine, or you can go to a coffee shop near your home to order a cup of pour-over coffee.