Learning to Make the Best Pour-Over Coffee Ever

My father-in-law makes amazing pour-over coffee. I can't find a coffee shop that makes drip or pour-over coffee that good. It took me years to figure out his secret even though he told and showed me everything. I married his daughter 17 years ago. It was right in front of me the whole time. 


He gives me bags of coffee to take home from time to time. I couldn't replicate the flavor at home with the exact pour-over cone that he had, so I started asking questions. 

First, I thought it was the water. Nope

Then, we thought it was the amounts, or the temperature, or the speed. Still no.

The entire time, I thought it couldn't be the grind. I use whole bean coffee and grind it fresh. All the guides and gurus say to grind pour-over coffee medium-medium fine. I found it always brewed too quickly and came out thin and acidic or it channeled in the cone. The taste was never right. It wasn't the rich, flavorful cup that he got. I gave up on using the cone at home and marveled at every cup he made.

Finally this last year, I asked about what his grind size was. He gets his coffee straight from the factory and already ground. There is no way that should be better than I can do at home with a burr grinder. I assumed that it was ground medium like everyone says. It's not medium.

The secret to amazing pour-overs is to grind it fine. Grind it espresso-fine. I have no channeling. The flavor is the same as he makes. I bought a larger pour-over cone and carafe so I can make pots of coffee when we have guests. Now, I can make amazing pour-overs at home. He sends me home with a bag of Ethopian Super Natural (a real coffee) and it tastes the way it is supposed to.

The moral of the story is to experiment with your recipes. Give a finely-ground coffee a try in your next pour-over.

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About Me

I'm a husband and father. Pastor of Manchester Baptist Church in Manchester, IL. I graduated from Bryan College and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I grew up in Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia. I write about my personal and professional interests here on my website. I'm a former personal trainer and have stayed interested in fitness. You'll see a mix of things I'm interested in. Topics might include fitness, gardening, coffee, ice cream, church leadership, theology, tech, reviews, etc. This website is my social media. I deleted all of my accounts except for LinkedIn. That is why you won't find me in any of those places. * This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. You can email me at joe[...
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