Pour Over Coffee vs. Coffeemaker, which one do you think is the best? It has a clarity of flavor that is difficult to achieve with an electric drip coffeemaker. For some people, however, the convenience of a mechanized version just can’t be beat. We describe the differences between the pour over method and the drip coffeemaker. Even though we champion pour overs above all, we also want to help you choose the best brew method for the best tasting coffee, regardless of the method you choose.
Why is Pour Over Coffee Better?
Everyone would prepare pour over coffee in our perfect world, when everyone had a few minutes each morning to devote to a particular hobby. We prefer the brew method, which is “one of the most basic, approachable, and effective ways to make a beautiful cup of coffee,” according to Blue Bottle Founder James Freeman.
The few tools required to make pour over coffee a dripper, filter, and kettle are indeed minimal, giving the method an air of simplicity. However, just like learning to ride a bike, a smooth pour over technique takes time and experience, which may be measured in a few poor cups. Fortunately, the payoff is definitely worth the effort. Your coffee will transform into a work of art in just a few tries.
What makes pour over coffee so good? The variables affecting extraction of coffee solubles that dissolve in water are all within your control. The grind size and water temperature of the coffee must be chosen, the rate at which water saturates the grounds, and the frequency of pours must be adjusted.
A small change in technique can enhance or detract from the final flavor of coffee.
Consider pour frequency as an example of how the manual pour over method allows you, the brewer, to be more precise. A four-pour sequence is recommended for the pour over approach. Each pour is designed to provide a given amount of water in a specific amount of time.
The first pour, dubbed “the bloom” because of the way the grounds swell up as carbon dioxide is released, is possibly the most crucial (a by-product from roasting). You’re extracting the coffee’s greatest flavors and none of the off-putting bitter ones by pausing at the bloom and getting the time right for the three consecutive pours. This is only one example of how brewing technique can improve the end product.
Perhaps comparing coffee to wine can help explain why is it so complicated. A wine’s quality is fixed upon bottling, while coffee requires someone to convert roasted beans into a drink. If you want to have control over the process, then the pour over method is the most effective.
What’s the Difference Between Pour Over and Drip Coffee?
The drip coffeemaker is a mechanized version of the pour-over method. In general, drip machines accomplish the job, but without precision or nuance, resulting in an unbalanced and muddled cup. In recent years, smart new features on drip coffeemakers have undoubtedly improved quality, closing the quality gap once a chasm between the two methods. We’ve even gone so far as to introduce batch-brew coffee , which we never imagined was possible after witnessing the built-in intelligence of high-end professional machines.
The pros of a drip coffeemaker are more of a personal nature, relating to nostalgia or one’s own definition of convenience. A familiar gurgling sound can evoke memories of childhood for some. Others enjoy the convenience of flipping on a switch. Pour-over aficionados love the ritualized technique of it, but it can feel like a cumbersome process for a crowded morning.
We won’t try to convince you otherwise if these are your reasons for loving drip coffee machines. There are now a few home drip coffeemakers we can get behind, including the Bonavita Connoisseur, which has built-in features that mimic the manual pour over process.
The machine’s pre-infusion mode saturates the grounds to allow for degassing before a steadier stream of water extracts the coffee, similar to the bloom pour in a pour over. In addition to the temperature staying within the ideal range (between 195°F and 205°F), the filter basket (the same shape as our Blue Bottle dripper ) allows for even extraction.
We asked Shaun Puklavetz, our Coffee Sourcing and Relationship Manager, what his favorite aspect of the Bonavita Connoisseur was: “[I have] no real tips, which is kind of the beauty.”. Press the only button on the machine, wait five minutes.” Grind your coffee and press the only button on the machine.” If you are looking for best pour over coffee maker recommendation, we have a list for you.
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